So, a lot of folks have been spouting their opinions about various politicians. I wonder if people really look at the true beliefs of those politicians. So now it's time for me to step up on my soapbox. You don't have to agree or like what I have to say, I just feel it needs to be said.

Topic 1: Abortion

Ah yes, one of the most controversial of all topics. You know what's funny is that people focus so much on this topic and vote for a politician based on their view on this topic.... and IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ECONOMIC STABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES.
My view, well, I'm pro-choice. That doesn't make me a bad person. I'm not pro-choice because I'm pro-abortion. Hilary Clinton once said ""I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion." I believe that it is the individual choice of a person, and we the people should not make these decisions for those persons. Why is it that people scream about freedom but clam up about the freedom to choose? What gives us the right to control what a woman does with her body? I find it disgusting when people think it's acceptable to force a woman who has been raped or a victim of incest to carry that fetus to term. Who are we to judge??? It's one of our business. You don't have to think it's morally correct but it's NOT YOUR BODY, therefore it shouldn't be your CHOICE.

Topic 2: Healthcare
Pres. Obama failed on this. In his defense, he tried. The government needs to crack down on the healthcare industry but taking over it isn't the answer. I don't have a great explanation of what should happen here, but at least Pres. Obama tried. Healthcare does need a huge overhaul. I pay $500.00 a month for low tier healthcare. That's disgusting, if you ask me, since I still pay a lot out of pocket for anything. But this still isn't the most important topic at hand....

Topic 3: Economy
Hey everyone!!! Remember this magical topic? This is one of the big ones that you should evaluate prior to voting. Pres. Obama didn't create this monster that we are in right now, nor did Bush, Clinton, or Bush Sr. This was created by the greediness of the American people, constantly wanting more more more more more... well you get the idea. And we wanted more for less!!! Hence, nothing being made here, because Americans want to get paid too much to make something somebody in a foreign country could make for far less. So quit blaming the presidents- they didn't make this monster alone. I'm not going to digress on how to fix it because I'm a biologist, not an economist, but I can tell you right now that it's going to take more than a couple of years to try to fix.

Topic 4: National Defense
No more cuts. Take care of our vets- give them psychiatric and physical care. Bring our troops home. No more foreign wars for oil. That's all I have to say about that. End of story. They protect us, we should protect them. I want our military to be the biggest and baddest of them all... don't you?

Topic 5: Right to Bear Arms
Read the constitution. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Being someone who's lived in an area where the local school used to announce during hunting season to "leave your guns in your car" I really don't think that tightening gun laws will do anything except punish those who should be able to bear arms and give more help to those who shouldn't have guns. But... that being said, the screening process to buy a gun should be thorough and the same in all states.

Topic 6: Education
The entire educational system needs a makeover. We cannot put all blame on teachers. When they are getting paid less than $30,000.00 a year to work in some of the worst schools in the country, I can't imagine why they aren't always motivating their students to excel (note the sarcasm). I hate to say this as an educator, but I really think that the tenure system needs to either be thrown away or re-vamped. There are too many teachers and professors at state schools who milk their tenure for all its worth. You know, the teachers that come in 10 minutes before school starts, leave 5 minutes after it ends, take 2 weeks to grade an assignment, or barely grade them at all, teach the bare minimum, etc. Or the professor who won't even step foot on campus in the summer, not even for a meeting that is desperately needed to evaluate their program, doesn't respond to student e-mails, does the minimum for research, and yet gets paid more than most of the other folks in their department.... Now, this isn't to say there aren't dedicated and hardworking faculty because there are a lot (I like to think as myself as one of them- however we do not have a tenure system) but we shouldn't see people abusing tenure like they do.
I don't have an exact answer of what needs to be done, but let me put it this way- if there isn't an overhaul of the system done soon, my future children will be home-schooled (seriously- I have a M.S. in Biology, there isn't anything I couldn't teach them that a high school teacher could, except maybe some writing skills- which there are tutors for hire to teach at the home setting) and they will only attend a private (not state) university, no matter the expense.
Speaking of expenses- higher education needs to be re-vamped too. It's disgusting how much money we have to spend in this country for a higher education! How do you think they're paying that lazy tenured professor?

That's all for now, I can't type anymore :)

Good Reads Review

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I got this book almost 10 weeks after the contest ended. I am not sure what I got so excited for, this book was a complete let down. The entire storyline has been done before, so it's not original by any means. I was so excited since I read these books growing up, and this book was probably the biggest let down I've read, in regards to sequels. At least it was free, because I would have been very upset if I paid the 25 dollars for this book that they want in bookstores.



View all my reviews

Embryonic Stem Cell Research in the USA

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has been a major controversy in the United States since the late 1990's. Why would hESC research be so controversial? To many, it's the death of a living human being, which removes its potentiality from mankind. Is this a valid argument? Are we crossing ethical and moral boundaries by conducting research using human embryos?

To begin explaining this, I need to explain how hESC research is conducted. An embryo, either a leftover from in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or one that is created in a laboratory in a petri dish, contains a couple hundred cells. Among these cells are stem cells, which are undifferentiated. What does this mean? Undifferentiated means that they have not yet become a specific cell type, for example, they have not yet been determined to be liver cells, blood cells, etc. Once these cells are obtained, a line of stem cells can be developed and grown indefinitely in culture. This means that once the cells are obtained, they aren't going to kill a 100 other embryos to get more cells for that line. The line has been established from that embryo.

Varying religions do not agree on the point in which the fetus in question becomes a human being. One point is certain. It never becomes a fetus in a laboratory. It never becomes anything more than a couple hundred cells in a dish. How can we sit back and state that it is a living human being? The only way it can become a living human being is if it were to be placed in a woman's uterus. Most leftover embryos from IVF never get that far. They end up in a dumpster in daily garbage. Is this justice? Is this more ethical and moral than allowing for their use in research? Thus, the argument of religion or what the Bible states is null and void. Conception, as the Bible identifies it, happens after sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. No sexual intercourse occurs to develop these embryos for research, it's a lab made embryo! Religions such as Islam and Judaism do not believe an embryo is a living human being. In fact, the Koran identifies a fetus as a human being after 120 days when the soul is instilled into it. Judaism believes much of the same belief, which means that the fetus is 4 months old before it is a living human being under their religious beliefs.

Aside from religion, we turn to the views of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Embracing utilitarianism, we must consider what is good for the greatest number of people. Surely it's for the greater good that we utilize embryonic stem cells for research that could cure spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other debilitating illnesses that afflict so many individuals worldwide. What if we could custom design an organ for someone who needed it that would not run the risk of rejection because it would contain their genetic information and therefore the body wouldn't recognize it as something foreign? Not only would it prevent rejection, but would reduce long-term costs for the patient as they would not require long term immunosuppressant medication. Preventing federal funding in the United States to scientists trying to find these treatments and cures is not benefiting the common good of most people.

Even pointing all of these benefits out does not convince those who continue to believe that an embryo is a human being and that hESC research is immoral and unethical. Some argue that they know more about adult stem cells so why are we not using these instead of ESC? Adult stem cells are harder to grow in culture, harder to locate in the human body, and tend not to grow over a long period of time, making a long term stem cell line nearly impossible to maintain. They simply are not as useful as hESC.

Yesterday, the U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that federal funding for stem cell research stating that "The Dickey-Wicker Amendment unambiguously prohibits the use of federal funds for all research in which a human embryo is destroyed." This bill was signed in 1995 by then President Bill Clinton. Section 509 of the bill states:   None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for-- (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.208(a)(2) and Section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act [1](42 U.S.C. 289g(b)) (Title 42, Section 289g(b), United States Code). Unfortunately this is not something President Obama reversed. He reversed President George W. Bush's 2001 bill that allowed for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research from existing stem cell lines (meaning you could not obtain federal funding to develop a new stem cell line). Progress has once again been halted by those who confuse human life with a lab developed embryo.

Although President Obama will surely appeal, he will have his work cut out for him to obtain funding for hESC research as a result of a bill passed 15 years ago, before the human genome was completed and people thought that hESC research would result in mutant clones. Until people understand the difference between a living human being and a lab developed embryo, we will continue to fall behind in the race for the cures of so many diseases. While people continue to equate hESC research to murder and abortion, our loved ones will continue to die of Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other debilitating illnesses. Until people understand why hESC research is so important, the scientific gains that could have been obtained by President Obama's passing of the Stem Cell Bill Reversal will, like so many other attempts at scientific advancement in this country, get shoved into a deep freezer for another 20 years before it is finally able to be investigated.

Just Another Manic Monday

Ugh. I hate Mondays. I'm always tired because I didn't sleep well the night before, crabby (because it's well, Monday), and just generally dreading the work week, not because I hate my job (I enjoy it) but because, let's face it, we'd all rather do something else rather than work! Like take long walks, read, sleep, watch movies, I could go on all day.
Alas, work pays bills. Thus, I work. Lame, I know. I have a lot of bills!

I hope working out will help me out. I'm going to go do circuit training at lunchtime, then back to work for a while, then picking out some plants to put in my office (it needs a little pick me up, a 100+ year old building is pretty dreary and flowers/ plants will make it a little better), then probably going for a run. I'm working on me. I have lost 30 lbs. so far and I haven't felt this good about myself in a while. I really let myself go, and it's hard to get to what I want to be. I still have bad days and look in the mirror and wish I saw someone different but more and more I'm happy with what I see. Well, happier. I know I still have a ways to go, but I like how I feel and that I do not have a double chin anymore.

For those friends who did not know, I'm also training to run in my first 5K in a very long time. I used to enjoy running, since I lived in the middle of nowhere with lots of side roads and trails to run on, so what's stopping me now?! Things are going well for me, and I think I'll be fine. As I progress I hope to run in the 10K next summer in my hometown and eventually a 1/2 marathon. I've been following the C25K plan, which is quite easy and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to start running again but isn't really sure how to go about it the right way.

I've also been doing WW for those of you who didn't know.. it's been going well. I am now working on keeping my own food journal and keeping track of points. It seems to hold me more accountable than the Iphone app I was using (because I would "adjust" the quantity for less points). Even if you aren't in WW, you should keep a food journal. You'd be surprised to see what you're consuming throughout the day. Seriously!!

Below I've put a workout routine that I've been doing (circuit training) with a student trainer for their practum. It was free advice and help, and now I'm sharing it with you, so enjoy!! I hope you find this worthwhile.

10-15 minute cardio warmup (I enjoy the elliptical for this)

Machine Pulldown @ 62.5 lbs (15 reps)
Machine Row @ 62.5 lbs (15 reps)
Military Press w/ 15 lb. dumbbells (15 reps)
Dumbbell Curl w/ 15 lb. dumbbells (15 reps)
20 weighted arm extensions (lay on back like you're going to do a situp, and holding a 6-10 lb. medicine ball, hold with both hands, extend to your left above your head, to your knees- but don't touch them, then to your right, then bring to the center of your chest, give it a light toss in the air and catch it. That's 1 rep.)
Leg Press @ 200 lbs. (15 reps)
Calf Raises- 15 reps
Hamstring Curl- 15 reps
Squats w/ 6-10 lb. medicine ball

Repeat the above sequence 2-3 times.

Then do 10 minutes cardio.

Follow with the abdominal sequence below (which you repeat 2-3 x)

Sit-ups- bring your elbows to your knees, hands stay behind head. 20-30
Weighted crunches- reach towards sky with a weighted medicine ball in hands. 20-30
Twists- using a 10 lb. dumbbell. 20-30
Flutters- kicking legs back and forth like the flutter kick in swimming while lying on your back 20-30 sec.
Superman- lay on stomach, lift legs and arms (extended in front of you) and head upward. 20-30 x
Teakettles- Using a 15 lb. weight, put rt. hand behind head and move in a teakettle motion, lowering left arm holding weight. Do 15-20 x and switch.

When you're done, stretch out to cool down and keep those muscles from locking up. Trust me, it's one hell of a workout.

~D.

Meatless Monday?

Greetings everyone-

So I came across a site today called "Meatless Mondays" which involves not eating any meat on Mondays (thus reducing your carbon footprint and it's good for you). I have decided to fully commit to this, even though I love eating chicken or beef for dinner. I am trying to cut back my meat consumption anyhow so this will motivate me even more! Check out Meatless Mondays here.

I have found a new site to use for keeping track of books I've read, ones I want to read, and ones I'm reading, called GoodReads. I like this site a lot better than Living Social Books because I've been having so many problems with their site. And they have a nice iphone app!

I'm still doing WW- but without e-tools. They wanted to charge me way more than what I was willing to pay. Oh well! I've got a notebook and it's not hard to track points. I like the lifestyle adjustment WW does for me. It keeps me accountable for what I consume.

Speaking of consumption- I can't wait until the farmer's market starts soon!! Fresh fruit and veggies from local farmers!! Woo hoo!!

That's about it here. Nothing too exciting to say otherwise- go green :) Earth Day is everyday!

Life Updates.

Hi Everyone,

I really haven't posted much, primarily because I just don't have the time. I thought I'd give an update for those of you who actually read this, although I'm not sure how many folks do. I've been very busy over the past few months, as I work full time as the lab coordinator for a biology program as well as teach 4 undergraduate labs. I barely have time to think, I swear.

Work has been good. There are a lot of really great people where I work, they are intelligent and are fun to be around. There are a some that make wanting to come to work a discouragement at times. You know the type. The "I'm more important than everyone else so drop what you're doing and cater to my needs" kind of person. They are wearing me down and it's making my job not enjoyable. I enjoy my job normally because I work with the students and interact with the biology program. There's just that one person, and even though I try not to let them bog me down, sometimes I cannot avoid them and they suck me in to a black hole of irritation and anger. I guess that's life, you're always going to have one difficult person that you work with.

*Sigh*

My other issue of the day is a so-called "friend". I was once quite close with this person. At least I thought we were. Then I find out that she's getting married (this weekend now) much sooner than previously told to me by her- which I found out by seeing her bridal shower pictures online! She then goes on to tell me all about how I'd be invited to a bachelorette party in March (never did get that invite, hmm....) and that I'd still be getting a wedding invite (funny, it's tomorrow, never saw one of those either). If you didn't want me at your wedding, you could have at least told me instead of making up some stupid story. I feel hurt and offended. I guess that's how life goes. I've continually been shown who my true friends are in life, and I guess that's part of being an adult.

Speaking of friends, I'm a tad sad because a friend of mine is moving very soon!! I'm very happy for her of course (she's going to graduate school out west) but I'm going to miss her terribly, as she was my date for Twilight and Harry Potter movies- now I'm going to have to go to them alone (since my hunny isn't down with seeing those in theaters). *Sigh* She's pretty much my only friend that lives kind of close to my house.

I am excited for the upcoming weekend though- girls night out :) I can't wait to party with my favorite gals!!! It's going to be sooooo much fun :)

Anyhow, not too much else is new or exciting. I am going to start an MBA in the Fall of 2011 (At least, that's my goal date). I feel this would really expand my career possibilities. Hopefully I will get into either the UWM program or the MTU online MBA program, which are the two that I will definitely apply to (I may apply to Marquette as well, but they are pretty pricey).

As some of you may know, I've been working on losing weight using the Weight Watchers plan, which has been working out well for me. I hope to continue until I reach my goal weight. I don't aim to be thin, just to be healthy. I am too young to be having cholesterol problems like I have already had.

Finally, I recently started soliciting for donations for the Start! Heart Walk that is to be held in Milwaukee in October. If you look on the right side of this blog, you'll see a little badge that you can click on to link to my page to donate. I figured that April would be a good time to start. For those of you who did not know, my dad passed away in April 2000 from a massive heart attack. He was only 39 years old. I have previously donated this time of year my $$ to the AHA. This year I have decided to coincide with my healthier self and sign up to do the Start! Heart Walk and raise $250.00. If I do not meet that based on the donations of others by October, I will pay the difference. I plan on donating regardless, but I hope I can get others involved and join my cause.

I hope all is well with everyone. I try to keep in touch but I'm terrible at it.

Love- D.

New Year, New Decade

Greetings Earthlings,

It's been a while! I decided to take a moment to reflect on the past decade. Sorry if you think it's lame, but then again, aren't you if reading my blog is the best thing you have to do? Ha ha, just kidding! So, without further ado- 10 years in review.

1999-

In Jan. of 1999 I was a sophomore in high school. My sister was born in late 98, so it was interesting having a baby in the house. I was a total dork, but thought I was pretty cool at the time. I really felt like I had the best life ever. That year I entered a relationship that led me into many years of heartbreak, anger, and overall stupidity on my part.

2000-

I got to travel abroad to France and Toronto, although Canada isn't really a big leap when you are from da UP. I came home from France to be devistated with news that my dad died of a heart attack. Life was very difficult in 2000, and it took a very long time to heal.

2001-

I graduated from high school and started college. It was a pretty exciting time- the big travels of the year took me to Cancun, Mexico.

2002-2004: Primarily working towards my bachelor's degree which I got in Dec. 2004. I lost another family member, to breast cancer that managed to work itself into other places in the body. My Grandma was a wonderful woman and is still missed very much.

2005- I lost my second grandparent to cancer, this time brain cancer. I realized that marriage was not a good idea, for various reasons, and lost a lot of trust in some people. I've since moved on, live and learn. I ended up meeting the best guy (well not meet, but started dating) and we've been together since.

2006- Started grad school, moved up to the land of snow, taught my first lab. Nothing too exciting.

2007- Yelled at my grad project that was a pain and didn't work, made new friends, did a lot of homework and had a lot of good times up north.

2008- One of my best friends from my childhood committed suicide, it was very sad and I'm still angry about it. I got a master's degree, moved to southern Cheeseheadland, and now mold the minds of college students.

2009- Work. A lot. Moved, again, but just to a different place. Got a Wii. Life is good. My Uncle lands in the clink for being a thief and his wife acts like she didn't do anything wrong. My family is completely dysfunctional.

It's been a wild ride, and I left a lot out for the sake of not pissing anyone off. Happy New Year!

~D.

Books of Summer 2009-

I've compliled "The List". These are books I've read from June-now, and what I thought of them... enjoy!!

Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell: This book was pretty entertaining. I'm sure the movie is wonderful. I do have to know that this lady loves to use the work f*#k a lot. It doesn't bug me, but if you are someone who blushes when a woman talks like a sailor, maybe you should just see the movie instead. This woman had a lot of guts to do what she did, I would lose my sanity and get even chunkier if I tried to cook my way through ole Julia's book.

The Pilot's Wife, By Anita Shreve: Good read, pretty short. The basic plot is that a woman's husband (who's well, surprise, a pilot) dies in a plane crash, and there are a lot of stories circulating about what happened, and she begins to discover a life she never knew he had, making her question if she ever really knew him. I thought it was a good read, but don't expect it to make you feel happy after finishing it!

Relentless, by Dean Koontz: This book SUCKED. I have mixed feelings about Koontz's style of writing, some of his books are great, this one was beyond stupid to me. The storyline was very bizarre and the 6 year old wonderchild prodigy slash creepy little kid bugged me. It took me forever to finish it!!!

Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult: I love Jodi Picoult's books. This was another good story. It's about a young Amish woman (~18) who gives birth to a baby and they find the baby dead in the barn and she is charged with it's murder, which she denies, as well as denying that she was ever pregnant. I think this is a moving story, and I enjoyed it!

Finger Lickin' Fifteen, by Janet Evanovich: I love, love, love the Stephanie Plum Series. They are a laugh out loud, tell people about them, hope they make it into a movie kind of a read. This one did not disappoint. There's never a dull moment in this series!!! I can't wait for more.

Deadlock, by Iris Johansen: This book was dumb. The storyline was a great idea, but the execution of telling the story was awful. That's all I can say, because it was terrible.

Tap & Gown, by Diana Peterfreund: I thought this was a disappointed end to a series. It just seemed like it was kind



The list is depressingly short this year, but I've been working a lot so not as much time for reading.....

Abortion, Prenatal Screening, and IVF

This seems like a heavy topic to discuss to many, I'm sure. But the three topics listed in the title have been the major bulk of discussion thus far in my bioethics lecture that I've been teaching this summer. It's amazing how controversial topics such as these invoke so much emotion and people who tend to be a quiet person can be quite outspoken if they feel strongly about these issues.
I am believer of pro-choice, I always have been, and I can't necessarily say that I always will be since I have not yet had children, although I can't say if that would sway my views. I believe that it is ultimately a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. Morally I think that it's wrong to kill a fetus if you are irresponsible and end up pregnant as a result of a mutually agreed sexual encounter. I do think on the opposite side of things that it is your choice of whether or not you want to keep a child that is the result of rape, incest, etc. Although I think adoption is a choice people can make, I'm not going to say that it is my decision on that matter. I've never been put in that situation.
It's amazing how people think that 48 hours is the window in which a rape victim can be treated with the Plan B drug and then after that, conception may have occurred and they should carry the baby to term, even if it means adoption. I think that's a lot to put on someone's shoulder's after being the victim of a heinous crime. I think this comes back the idea that it's pro-choice, not because all pro-choice advocates think that abortion is always okay, but because it should be a choice that a woman, not the government or the church, should decide upon.
I do firmly believe that there is not nearly enough education given to women to let them know what an abortion does, how it can affect future fertility, and how there are chances that even after an abortion a baby can survive (it has happened). They need to be made aware of the counseling available because I do not think that women are provided with the counseling necessary to cope with a situation as difficult as abortion.
I am aware of other's beliefs and do think that it's great that I can have a class of students with very different opinions who can debate a topic in a constructive and productive manner. It's amazing, really.
I think that it's sad that these nutters that think killing an abortion doctor is justified don't step back and look at themselves. Thank god no one in my class thinks like that. But it's sad that they justify "killing" with killing. They are hypocritical and unethical and most of all, immoral. Ugh.

In terms of pre-natal screening, I think it's great there are technologies available to screen the health of your baby during pregnancy. I do think there's an issue with the information given about problems found during pregnancy, such as Down's syndrome. Did you know that 92-93% of all pregnant women who are told that they have a fetus with Down's syndrome have an abortion, and that rate is even higher in the UK and Australia? I know a few people who have children with disabilities and I know that they would not trade their children for any other child in the world. It seems sad to me that something such as Down's is enough of a justification to person to have an abortion. I think this all goes back to the education issue. Women need to be informed of what's available for children with disabilities, educational opportunities, etc.

Moving into in-vitro fertilization, I think there should be some sort of limit put on the number of embryos that a person is allowed to have implanted at one time. Successful studies have shown that 1-2 embryos being implanted have just as high of a success rate as having 7-8 implanted. There also needs to be some sort restriction on who can have this procedure done. I mean, realistically, are you irriated like me that my taxpayer dollars will help someone like Nadya Suleman who's selfish need to have a bunch of children comes at a cost to us and to the health of those babies? 14 children? All IVF? Come on now. That's not good, at all. Or what about Jon and Kate? Their sextuplets landed them a TV show and now that the family has personal issues with their marriage it's splattered all over the tabloids for all of the media hungry hounds the USA has for citizens. At what cost to the children? I don't care if she has PCOS, are you telling me that you need to be taking fertility drugs at 25? Keep trying for a while? That's my theory. I think you should keep trying and give it a few years. Good lord. It's a little different if the biological clock is ticking. Restricting the number of embryos implanted reduces the risk of a multiple pregnancy in which a wide range of complications and birth defects can occur. I think selective reduction should also be encouraged (which I know is difficult, how do you choose which ones get to live?!) just because the health and safety is important for the babies and you could lose them all if you cry to carry all to term. (And do not use the phrase "It is God's will" because it was God's will that you could not concieve naturally, it was science that implanted those embryos). I believe it's unethical to have 8 very sick and handicapped babies instead of 1-3 healthy ones. It's also unethical for a doctor to allow someone like Nadya Suleman to have IVF again after 6 children- it's supposed to be for those having trouble concieving, not those who love the government handouts and pretend to be Angelina Jolie- which I think she is trying to do- creepy!!!

Well I could write all day, but I have to get back to work. :)

What is Friendship?

As I grow older, I realize that I understand more and more what true friendship is. See, when you're in high school, you want people to think you're cool and like you and think you're cute. Then when you go to college you see the people who thought they were the greatest things to walk the face of the earth become average, or less than average. You see yourself as a different person, you come out of a shell and explore more, make new friends, and have new adventures.
Through all of that it seems like very few friends actually stay by your side.
I had a bad relationship in my past, and we shouldn't have been together, but for whatever reason I stayed in that bad relationship even though this person cheated on me repeatedly, and I finally said enough is enough when I found out that he was sleeping with one of my bridesmaids (which they denied of course) even though my "investigative snooping" on his computer found a rather inappropriate conversation about things they did together via IM (which occurred 2 weeks before the wedding). I thought this bridesmaid to be one of my best friends, and I really felt like I got stabbed in the back by her. It was awful, I think the heartbreak of someone who I thought to be a best friend doing that to me hurt more than him doing that to me. Long story short on that, friendships were ended but I feel in our older wiser years wer are starting to rebuild this friendship. She's still with him, so they must have been meant for each other, I just think that that wasn't the best way going about it, and I think that I should have broken up with him when I went to college. But we cannot change the past. I'm glad in the end that I did break up with him, because I met someone who means the world to me and that I'm madly in love with. It's awful, but I never felt with the other person what I do feel with my boyfriend (of almost 4 years now!). I still get butterflies sometimes.
Amongst other friendships lost, was one that still stings a bit today and I still struggle to figure out why. We were great friends and then this person moved back home and apparently didn't care to be a friend anymore. I was a friend when it was convienient.
I haven't been the best friend either. I forget to call, I don't keep in touch enough, I can be a big turd. But I do remember birthdays whenever possible, and I love my true friends a lot. I think something is to be said for true friendships. I don't have very many, but the ones I do have mean a lot to me. I'm glad that I do have a few true friends. I (at times) wish I had a few more, but I'm just exhausted right now from trying to be friends with some people. A friendship is a 50/50 split and requires effort from both parties, and I for one am tired of emailing and calling people only to not get so much as a Happy Birthday from them. Oh well.

Anyhow, enough rambling. I'm off to the gym- I'm on a diet and I'm working out. Hopefully I won't be a fatty forever!

~D.

Could it be the missing link?

Greetings earthlings,

Scientists are now claiming they have found the missing link, a 47 million year old primate so named Darwinius masillae. The exhibit for this particular fossil is at the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Interestingly, it's not something new, but is just hitting the news now because of it's public unveiling. It was actually discovered in 1983 by some fossil hunters near Frankfurt, Germany. This means they have been studying it for 26 years!

For someone such as myself who is a scientist and firmly stands by evolution, this is quite interesting. Pictures of this particular fossil indicate the presence of a tail, much the same as a primate, with opposable thumbs and apparently because there's no penis bone (yes the penis bone), it's a girl.

I'm interested in reading and seeing what people have to say about this fossil. I would love love love to go to the Museum of Natural History and see this fossil myself! It is just an amazing thing in the world of evolution and is either truly the link scientists have sought out for years, or it's all a big hoax (let's hope it's not the latter).

I have been one busy gal, considering how long it's been since I posted last! I am teaching this summer, bioethics starting in two weeks and microbiology lecture starting in the middle of July. I'm really happy to be gaining experience teaching at a collegiate level and I'm also loving working at a university in the summer- so quiet and peaceful!

I finally got an Ipod touch, a gadget I've been wanting for a while. It's amazing. I am in love with it, I swear. It is seriously one of the coolest toys I have ever owned! I love my Wii too, but I can't throw that in my purse, ha ha.

Let's see... I'm reading Deadlock by Iris Johansen, and so far it's okay. Just okay, because it's kind of written in a simplistic style, the storyline is someone falling short of expectations, and I get tired of the "romantic" storylines always written into women's books. I'm only about 100 pages in, and if I have to read the words "sexual tension" one more time, I'm going to throw the book across the room. I have slowly been working on "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin but I'm just not digging it like so many people do. Maybe it's because I just haven't sat down and really gotten into reading it. We are going to do a bookstore stop tomorrow (we love going to the bookstore- Barnes and Noble, love it) so more books are in my future.

That's about all for now. Have a good one, enjoy the sunshine!

~d.

HR 875

Hi all,

So I had a friend that posted a bulletin today about HR 875, a bill that is presently in Congress, called "Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009". This bill intends to make our food safer, but is implying that organic farming, including growing your own anything, could be illegal. This bill has rumors of some big supporters too. Monsanto, being the main one incriminated, wrote this response to this accusation that has been going around the internet, which can be seen here. This bill is obviously flawed in many ways, that could alter our enjoyment of organic farming or growing our own crops. This is a double edged sword.
This bill also intends to make our food safer. In light of recent events with peanut butter, spinach, etc. I think we can all agree that food regulations need to be tighter in this country, especially since we have the money and manpower (yes, even in an economic crisis, we are the USA after all) to have a separate governing agency tightening the reins on the food we eat. Do people realize that organic doesn't necessarily mean better? Organic farming may still use non-organic fertilizers (they just don't use non-organic pesticides, etc. although the use of an organic pesticide may be an option) and they don't necessarily have to be free of genetic engineering in some fashion. People need to wake up and realize this.
Now does this mean we should ban organic farming? No. Certainly not. I personally enjoy organic fruits and veggies over the waxed and chemical ridden fruits and veggies in the supermarket (although I don't always buy organic, I do enjoy organic though, if I had more $$$ I'd go all organic).
This bill is good news and bad news, that is where the double-edged sword comes in. It's too broad. Congress needs to turn this bill down and sit down and revise it to be more specific in its meanings as well as clarify its position on organic farming as well as devise a consise plan for safer foods in this country.
It's not surprising Monsanto is under attack for this. The genetic engineering mogul has dominated industry with it's genetically engineered soy, corn, various veggies and fruits, herbicides and pesticides and and bovine growth hormones (BGH). The risks of these products are largely unknown and people fear what these products could do to them, which is understandable. But do people realize that they have been eating genetically modified products for years? Yes, there are risks and Monsanto should research these risks associated with their products. Yes, the government needs to turn this bill down (then revisit and revise to make suitable for US Citizens well being).
That's my two cents on that topic, I hope everyone has a good day.

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Being cranky.

So I've been kinda irritated lately. I made a trip up north over the weekend to see family and friends and have a stress free good time. It was a great time and I wish we could have stayed longer to see more people. I am irritated about the person who used to be one of my best friends. They essentially stopped talking to me when they finished school and moved away (same hometown) to our hometown, and when I see them out in our hometown, they are rude and standoffish to me.
I finally have given up on this. I just don't see what the point in even talking to this person is anymore, ever, even when I run into them. People like this wouldn't know friendship if it slapped them in the face. They make friends with people who are convenient to be friends with and when it's no longer convenient they drop that friendship and move to the next.
This person doesn't have a whole lot of friends as it is, they have a personality that many find hard to deal with, and quite frankly, a lot of people think that this person is a bitch because of their negative pissy personality. They thrive on other people being as miserable as them. It's sad and pathetic really. I guess that me being happy and doing well for myself is unacceptable to this person and that makes me no longer friend material. God forbid I want to be successful in life. Whatever I guess, it's just so childish, all of it. I'm done with it. You know who you are, get over yourself. I am happy, and if you can't be happy for me, then you aren't worth a minute of my time. I enjoyed myself up north otherwise.
Another irritation- useless employees. If you are lucky to have a job right now in this economy, you damn well better be doing a good job at what you are doing. My office has been an oven (it was 92 yesterday) for a long time now, and after 4 work orders, maintenance finally comes to work on it and tells me that the thermostat was set to that temperature (bullshit, since I turned it down to 60 myself) and then they work on it for 45 minutes and have to go to lunch, at 11:30, when staff lunch is at noon. It is pretty irritating when this is an issue that could have been fixed months ago (trust me, they aren't that busy). They don't salt the sidewalks or drives in a timely manner, sometimes not at all, their plowing sucks, and they are mostly just plain lazy.

Now that I've been super bitchy chick, I'm gonna get back to work, I'm done with my little bit of lunch. Have a good day.

Sundance Vacations

Hi all,

A month or so ago when I was at the mall I entered a contest to win a Mercedes at the mall (wishful thinking, right). When I signed up for it, it was money, a car, or a vacation. Well apparently I won the vacation, which made me very excited this morning. Then I decided to look up the company that I'm supposed to go to tomorrow night to pick up this package- Sundance vacations. People have posted stories of pushy sales tactics to buy timeshares and expensive vacation packages. I guess some people sat through it all and still got the free package. I want to go tomorrow hoping I won't get scammed, but I am worried about it. The bf will be going with me too so hopefully his "I'm not taking your crap" personality will keep them from being pushy?! What should I do.....


~D.

Going back to church

This past weekend I went to church for the first time in a long time, and I enjoyed it. I have spent many years saying I did not believe in God (well, more that I didn't see any evidence of a God) and did not go to church. A lot of things let to me letting go of my faith. My dad died, at 39. My grandma died because of breast cancer, and she was quite young. My other grandma went from being completely healthy to dying in just a couple of months because of cancerous brain tumors. All of these things happened and they pushed my faith away from me. How could my "God" want to take these people away from me? What bigger plan were they serving?

I was angry, for a very long time. I did not want to believe. I was pushed even further away from Christianity with the debate of evolution vs. creation. I am a biologist, who not surprisingly, who believes that dinosaurs once roamed the earth, birds evolved from dinosaurs, etc. etc. and because creationism does not mention dinosaurs and only dates our earth to be a few thousand years old, I would never believe that side of things. This doesn't make me a bad person. Show me the evidence! There's evidence of evolution, where's all of the creation evidence? I actually had someone tell me I was going to hell for believing in evolution, and they were even angrier when I asked them where I'd go if I didn't believe in hell.

I also have a real problem with many aspects of specific Christian "things". The Catholic Church has done and does so many things that I strongly disagree with that it would keep me from ever being Catholic. There are conservative Lutheran churches where I used to live that the families have 12+ children and they dress very conservative (women wear bonnets, and children even have to wear ankle length skirts), they do not have TV's or computers. That's fine if they want to be conservative. But I had a real problem with some people of this faith holding their own children back, I know someone from this group that actually was angry that his son wanted to go to college, because he wanted him to get married after high school and start having a family of his own. They hold their own kids back, teaching that life is God's journey, and that learning subjects such as history in school are foolish. It's enough to make anyone question their religion.

I was raised Lutheran- Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, to be exact. They are a fairly liberal Protestant denomination, the largest in North America. They allow women pastors, and allow homosexual ministers to have relationships, though they discourage it. They have never taken an official position on evolution vs. creation. They let you basically think for yourself. They're kinda like the people who when you do show up for church they're like "Hey there glad you could make it, yeah God!" Very laid back, many services are contemporary, using modern Christian music throughout the service. I have been feeling for a while now that maybe a little faith, perhaps a re-connection with God, will help me through difficult and trying times. I don't plan on reading the bible every night and judging people who for so long like myself did and continue not to believe.

The great thing about our country has always been our freedom of religion (albeit we have taken away some freedoms post 911, which is a shame, since this is in our FIRST AMENDMENT). I spent some time deciding if the Lutheran church was still right for me over others, and after investigating I decided to stay with the religion I was baptized and confirmed of. So this is my chance for another go at religion. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

~Have a great day~

Rant about a Blog....

I'm home sick today... ugh. Not fun, I hope it goes away... but in my surfing the web, I found a local blog that really made me irritated, and ANGRY. These are exactly the kind of people who aren't allowing our country to move forward. I'm sick of conservatives who hate homosexuals and deem it necessary to post hateful posts like this lady does, as well as insulting other human beings. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of things, but this blog is just downright hateful! You can see it here. I have my own opinions about things, like that love is a wonderful thing, weather it's a man loving a woman, a man loving a man, or a woman loving a woman.
It's unfortunate to see that so many people are like this still to this day. When will we stop hating and start loving more? When will people stop judging others? When will we just allow for others to love and live and they please?
Homosexuality is not a disease. This brings me to a thing on the internet I saw a while back. So I have posted it here for your reading pleasure:

The copyright, if any, belongs to its author.
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.
1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.20:14)I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan,
J. Kent Ashcraft

The Gay List:
01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

Now when reading this, remember I don't hate the Bible, but this is an arguement time and time again when it comes to gay marriage/ homosexuality. If we took everything in the Bible as fact, we'd have one messed up world. Please remember, that like all others, it is a book. Not everything in it is fact, they are stories written by men about the life and times of Christ and Christianity.

So in closing, I hope all of you will find it in your hearts to love and let people live how they choose. Who are we to judge?

~D.

Books and Crochet....

As part of my life list, I want to read all of the Top 100 books on Time's Top 100 list. If you haven't seen this list, it's available online at the Times website. I am having a lot of trouble getting into the book I'm currently reading (The Yiddish Policemen's Union- it just seems very blah to me) so I've looked at the list and have decided to read one of the books from the list (just checking out one for now from the library, since I have that one I've already started plus another book at home) to keep with my reading the top 100. Exciting times in the book world. :) I love books. I really do!!

I have been working on this super cozy scarf which I haven't decided if it's for me or for someone else or to sell, but it's green and super fuzzy and it's about 1/2 way done now. I work on it at night for a bit, until I decide to work on another project (I need to finish a bunch of projects!! I have a sweater that needs a half an arm, hats that are only halfway done, well, you get the idea.) I want to make some grocery totes, but I have to gather patience to sit and cut strips out of plastic bags and make the "plarn" first. I hope to get to that this week or weekend! We must have about 50 plastic bags right now. Ick. I am going to make the Dragonfly Shawl in the Interweave Crochet magazine that is just so pretty and I think will be great for the spring. If I really like the first one I make I'm going to use that pattern to make my mom a mother's day gift (I am thinking ahead!!!)

Today is a dreary day, which is quite disappointing since it was sunny and 60 yesterday. It was raining, which has stopped, at least for now, and it's gray and blah. I feel like curling up under a blanket and reading. I do need to run to the movie store and bring back the two dud movies- The Prestige and Pride and Glory (or something like that, the newer Ed Norton movie) which neither were very good to me... however we watched The Illusionist the other night, it was fantastic, I thought. We do watch a lot of movies, and lately most of them have been duds. I hope we can find some decent ones here in the future, I'm tired of crappy movies!!!!!!! If you have any recommendations, let me know.

Have a good day, and until next time, take care.

~D.

Why Can't Weekends Last Longer???

So this was the end to another wonderful weekend. The weather is finally nice, and I hope it stays this way for a while so all of the snow melts! We enjoyed a nice lunch today at a tasty Mexican place by our house- can we say Margaritas!!! Yum. I just wish the weekend was one day longer. It would make life less stressful! Think about it... 3 day weekends, every weekend. Boy that would be nice.

So I've noticed that some people deem it necessary to drive like assholes down the street in front of our house, now mind you our street is one block long. I bet some go 60 mph. So today's rant is about idiot drivers. Driving wayyyyy too fast is not going to get you places a whole lot faster, it is dangerous, and it is just plain stupid. There's no reason for you to go 60 down a side street, only to come to a stop sign. Hello dumbass, there's 2 schools nearby and a university all within 1/4 mile of each other!! People will be walking. This goes with driving like an idiot in the snow, texting on your cell while driving, and running stop lights intentionally. You know who you are. You need to have your licenses taken away!

So chew on that thought. I'm off to bed, to get a good night's sleep and be ready for another work week. I hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend.

Green Living

Greetings world. Today is my environmental "Tree-hugger" day where I am going to talk all environmentally related things.

Starting with PLASTIC BAGS. Now, when you go shopping, why do you deem it necessary to have a million plastic bags filled with crapola? I realized that I have about 100 plastic bags at home. I am going to use these bags to crochet together a tote. I'm also going to experiment with "fusing" shopping bags together, which is a method of melting them into more solid form that can be used for various things- check that out HERE. Plastic bags take 1000s of years to disintegrate. So please, think about that, there are a million uses for plastic bags.

Another thing I'm going to do is learn to sew. I can make all sorts of wonderful things- even just using my old t-shirts and jeans. From bags to new clothing items, I'm on a mission to reduce waste, become organized, and be crafty. I've already started selling crochet items on my ETSY page. I'm going to buy more handmade, less China made crap.

I'm also going to eat healthier- more veggies, less meat. I am taking vitamins for the iron and gaining protein from other things- like soy. I have been for years now been bringing lunch to work in reusable containers. Then I found out about the Bisphenol A scare that's bringing to front the reasonings as to why people need to buy themselves a water bottle etc. But Ziploc has containers that are free of BPA- so I will be investing in more of these (the less foil, plastic wrap and baggies I use, the better it is).

Anyhow, it's a start. I'll keep you posted on my greener lifestyle.

~D.