Besides science...

which I am doing all the time, it seems. There really isn't too much happening in my scene.

Spring kickball season started this past Sunday. I'm not sure I want to talk about it because we lost so terribly. It was a building game. We didn't have the whole team. The beer arrived late, so we had to plan sober and clean. We are great a making excuses! But it seems that now I have full understanding of our league's rules, I have become a rule-lawyer. Which every team needs, I guess, because last season we got lawyered by senior teams several times.

On a girl note (because I think that is all some of you come to read about):

1) things with Bombshell are more complicated than ever. I have been trying my best not to be drawn in and there are several (read: everyone) who are acting a solid foundations to prevent this. I am reminded of something a friend used to say in high school "When you like a girl, everything she does is a sign." Too many signs for them to be signs I think.

2) I think ShowBiz has given me the old heave-ho. Not sure for what reason, but I like to pride myself on being able to read people. And what I am reading is total disinterest (maybe disgust, repulsion, etc.). I am promising myself not to ask her why. For the off chance that I am reading it wrong, I am not writing her off all together, but the ball is her court now.

3) Ophir is definitely the most realistic, down-to-earth person I know. She made it very clear that things are not going to work because she is out of here in less then 2 months. And I whole-heartedly agree. Never doing long distance again. EVER. LA is bad enough with having to wait in traffic for hours at a time just to see someone in the city. Too bad I didn't say something back in October/November. Oh well. You snooze, you lose. And I snoozed, and lost.

Where are your independent news source suggestions!?!?!?!

Insightful Quote #2

Years of studies of patients who don't take their meds, grownups who have unsafe sex, and other flawed decision makers have chronicled the irrationality of Homo sapiens. Some of our foibles are quite specific, like overvaluing things we have, overeating food in larger containers and overestimating the probability of improbable events — the quirk that made the Meet Barack Obama fundraising lottery such a smart idea. But in general, we're ignorant, shortsighted and biased toward the status quo. We're not as smart as Larry Summers. We procrastinate. Our impulsive ids overwhelm our logical superegos. We plan to lose weight, but ooh — a cupcake! We're especially irrational about money; we'll pay more for the same thing if we can use a credit card, if we think it's on sale, if it's marketed with photos of attractive women. No wonder we apply for mortgages we can't afford. No wonder our bankers approve them.

Michael Grunwald, TIME Magazine

Insightful Quote

In fact, Obama is betting his presidency on our ability to change our behavior. His top priorities — the economy, health care and energy — all depend on it. We need to spend more money now to avert a short-term depression, then save more money later to secure our long-term economic future. We need to consume less energy in order to reduce our oil imports and carbon emissions as well as our household expenses. We need to quit smoking, lay off the Twinkies and avoid other risky behaviors that both damage our personal health and boost the costs of care that are ravaging the nation's fiscal health. Basically, we need to make better choices — about mortgages and credit cards, insurance and retirement plans — so we won't need bailouts down the road.

Michael Grunwald, TIME Magazine

Change?

Does anyone else feel like the world is on the edge of something new? I am sure it has a lot to do with my rose colored glasses, but I get sense that things really might be different. Let's run through a few, sweeping generalizations --

it seems to me that our generation, the 20 something bloggers of the world are programmed differently then our parents. or their parents. or any generation before us. and maybe there is someone out there who knows empirically that this just part of cycle, one generation trying to buck the trends of the previous. but how many of you, how many of your friends, talk about doing something they love? and maybe it's hollywood. and maybe it's self delusion, but I get the sense that there are many of us out their who would prefer to find the thing they love to do, and do that. then be paid lots of money to do something they hate. something, where our parents would look grimly in the mirror and say "because I have to to." now this may not be everyone. maybe not even a lot. but it seems that way. it's more than it used to be...

and what about this financial meltdown? it seems for a long time, people, just sat there and took it. we knew that there were people out their monopolizing the system. using money, to keep the system the same. to keep change from happening. I am not talking about conservatives and liberals here. Well, maybe I am. But that is not my intention. For example, pharmaceutical companies lobbying to keep the government from stepping in an forcibly reducing health costs. Now, some will say that this is a good thing. that the companies fight such intervention because America isn't about having the government step in and run things. Fine. I agree. But many of these people don't realize that the pharmaceutical companies are doing it just to protect their bottom line. It's about profit. And exploitation of the system. Car companies, forcibly resisting stricter environmental standards for 15 years. Oil companies using Senators to espouse talking points like "Drill, baby, drill." News corporations owned by companies that stand to lose lots of money should things be seen for what they really are. It's a broken system. A broken system that started to fall apart and take everyone else with it. And the financial meltdown seems to being a step towards correcting this. But it's not everything. A lot of it won't change. Even with Obama as president. Even with the slight momentum the seems to pushing change through. It won't change without help.

There are lots of people angry about the government. Today's "teabagging" events should indicate that. But as I heard, many of those people were there for different reasons. Some hate Obama. Some hate taxes. Taxes that fix their roads and school their children and pay the police (I guess I could get started on people wanting something for nothing, but I won't)

so what can we do? what should we do? does anyone else feel like this?

here is my list of things I wish to see:

• people reading and being taught (read:forced) to understand what America means. Not what Bush (1 or 2), Clinton, Reagan, FDR, Lincoln made it mean. But what was created out of blood sweat and tears to make America. People should understand the struggle that went in to deciding what makes this country great. The separation of powers. A federal system. Democratic elections. People should have to read at some point the Federalist Papers. Common Sense. Democracy in America. Books that capture the essense of a new nation ca 1783.
• a full commitment by everyone in the country. every parent. every elected official. everyone! for education. easy access to education at a levels in every part of the country. ignorance will relegate the lessons of America to the history books. China will see to that.
• independent news sources! this is the internet age!! if a friend of mine can be part of a magazine that publishes monthly on the internet, there must be somewhere that publishes news without agendas (by the way if you know such a place let me know)
• people wishing to preserve the gifts of the present for the people of the future. Take a chance and visit a national park and tell me it's not worth saving.
• unified action. I know there are lots of people out there who care. And each one of them is doing what they can to help in their own way. But little groups can only go so far. Despite asking people to read Tocqueville and his belief that America will thrive because of these small groups, one voice can be muffled. hundreds are slightly audible. thousands get some attention. millions make change.

I know none of this is perfect. And maybe much of this has been said before. But if you agree. Keep reading. If you agree, pass this along. I am starting something new here tonight, for myself. These will not be the only posts I make, because, hey this is still just a blog with 8 people following it. But it's a start.

A little vanity

At one point last week, Bombshell was around. And she "decided" that flirting with me would be a good idea. Well, needless to say my declaration of being over her has come to haunt me. But this time, I think I have it under control. Just a small, itsy-bitsy crush. Just a really tiny... speck of dust small crush.

I've recently been on a few dates with someone who is a great complement to my character and someone I really like spending time with. As I have described her to friends -- imagine me, then give her 100X more energy then I could ever muster, and for an entire day. After their moments of disbelief that such a person could exist (believe me, my high energy level takes a long time to get used to), they wanted to hear all about her. I am sure I will share with you all shortly. Things are currently in a deep lull due to conflicting schedules and illness. (Her codename from now on will be ShowBiz)

Third, I may have accidentally escalated things with a close friend. On her birthday. This is not a bad thing. And was something I had been wanting for a while because she is awesome in most every way. Especially in her ability to handle hanging out with me. And now I am writing about it. On the internet. For all to see. I am sort of hoping both ShowBiz and Ophir (my close friend's new codename) aren't reading this post and planning on never talking to me again. This would be bad.

Blogging

I have been pondering and thinking and pondering some more for the better part of a week now. I think a lot of it has to do with my self-imposed seclusion last week due to the amount of work I needed to complete for yesterday. Let's take a trip together to see how crazy I just might be:

1) Saw Adventureland. It was great. If you haven't seen it, go see it. Right now. I'll wait.....


back? Good! Upon driving home that night, I felt inspired. I wanted to create something similar to the movie -- write a story/novel that people would actually want to read, brainstorm some brilliant life altering new thing, find a deep romantic connection like the characters in the movie -- well that one is a strange version of create, but not far off from how I was feeling. In all, I realized I am looking/craving an outlet for lots of boiling emotions inside me. Still no such luck. No novel. No brilliant idea. No deep romantic love. Which brings me to why I am telling you this dedicated reader, I am going to try much harder to make this blog more creative. Not sure how, but I am going to try.

This brings me to my next point --

2) is a successful blog really about the number of people who read it and then comment on it? I am not too sure what makes a blog successful and what doesn't.

For instance, many blogs fall in to some very rigid categories. There are the blogs where the writers share WAY too much personal information. About sex (normally lack of sex). And orgasms etc etc etc. I dabble in that a tad, but honestly that single post was the only one I had.

Other blogs just seem to post things from other websites. A video they found funny. A news story. Excerpts from blogs about newspaper articles (sooooo guilty of this I am ashamed). And yet people will follow one blog over the other (just some jealously shining through).

But that's it. Sure you get news blogs (Planet Money, Wired) where journalists write small columns daily. But I guess I have yet to be wowed by a blog that truly blows me away. Have you seen any?

Again, I suppose my new goal is to try and be as creative as possible - make this as unique an experience as I can.

3) Is it weird that I have not been obsessing about sex? Now let me clarify this -- by obsessing I mean I am so busy that it isn't my number one concern. Ever. I am not out every Friday looking to hook. This is a stark difference from just a few months ago. But I have definitely seen a sharp decline in the amount of time spent on the subject. But as I have noticed about myself before, this lull comes in waves. Several months not caring. Several months uncontrollable... just been on my mind and I thought I would share.

More from the frontlines

This may be the most enlightened politician in America right now. Maybe...

Gov. Culver of Iowa, on why he will most likely NOT support an amendment to Iowa's Constitution banning same-sex marriage:

said the issue before the court in its unanimous ruling Friday involved only civil marriage, and that churches and other religious institutions do not have to perform them. "The court also concluded that the denial of this right constitutes discrimination," Culver said. "Therefore, after careful consideration and a thorough reading of the court's decision, I am reluctant to support amending the Iowa Constitution to add a provision that our Supreme Court has said is unlawful and discriminatory."

[The Daily Dish]

Limited Audience?

"My geekiness is getting in the way of my nerdiness."

Not gloating per se

Just a friendly reminder why SoCal is so amazing. Relaxing with some dolphins at sunset on Sunday :)

Hopelessly romantic

I stumbled across this on my Digg feed. It's a very touching confession from CNN.com -

here is a key highlight, but please take the time to read the whole thing:

What I remember most about our first years together was our laughter. We giggled in bed at night and over the course of long weekend mornings, lying on our backs, legs draped across each other's legs. Shameless hilarity in restaurants, malls, on the sidewalk -- a private world of absurdity and delight, in love with the ridiculousness of the world and each other.

(Note to self: Keep looking until you've found this)

From the end:

So we must build on what we had -- what we still have. We're different people now, in different lives. We've changed, and so our love must change. The problem isn't really that something is lost. It's that we've been looking in the wrong direction, sitting there waiting for something to materialize instead of getting up and making it ourselves. We'll have to try a little harder to see past the day-to-day. If I do, I'll find my wife -- she's in the basement taking stuff out of the dryer. And if she can postpone bedtime for just a few minutes (please!), she'll find me down in the living room watching bad TV. I can't tell you how easy it would be to get me to turn that damn thing off.

4 Down, 46 to go

Another victory for civil rights! Congratulations Vermont!

Civil rights are never a distraction, Gov. Douglas. As Americans it is our duty to protect them. Crisis or no crisis.

Another radical court out of control :)

Iowa legalized gay marriage yesterday! The only depressing part about that is now Iowa is more progressive than California in this department. For shame California. For shame.

You can read a summarizing article here.

A very fitting highlight, written in to the unanimous decision passed down from the Supreme Court:

The ruling also addressed what it called the “religious undercurrent propelling the same-sex marriage debate,” and said judges must remain outside the fray.
Some Iowa religions are strongly opposed to same-sex marriages, the justices noted, while some support the notion.
“Our constitution does not permit any branch of government to resolve these types of religious debates and entrusts to courts the task of ensuring that government avoids them,” the opinion says.
The ruling explicitly does not affect “the freedom of a religious organization to define marriage it solemnizes as unions between a man and a woman,” the justices stressed.

Because I can

I know this is a slight deviation from most things I write about BUT I am really stoked to see this movie. The trailer has looked funny from day 1.



And now the critics agree - definitely worth the viewing price.

One final update for today

I've done it. I've defeated my inappropriate attraction to Bombshell.

Go me!

#1

I was told today that I was nominated/selected as the #1 TA for Microbiology lab :) I say nominated/selected because I am not sure if there more to it - some selection to pick the best TA on campus or just "winners" from each class.

But either way it comes with a free lunch (which I will be skipping class for) and a nice resume update!

Foreplay

I've been neglectful. I beg your forgiveness.
I have a very intense conversation with a close friend the other day. He was having some tough times with the girl he was trying to date. And to paraphrase his gripe - she was terrible. awful. horrible in bed. I believe the term he used was "dead fish syndrome." And while I am not the most prolific nor most skilled (I guess the term is) lover. I could feel his pain. Mainly because his description was so detailed and painful. There was no reciprocation. He did all the work and then was expected to then be ready for the main event.

Now, I feel like we've all grown up in a time where the running joke has always been that guys don't know how to perform foreplay. Or that they always rush things. Or they do not concentrate on their partner's experience enough. And this may be all true. I am not out there asking every girl their terrible sexually experiences. But I know I have, and according to my nameless friend he has too, tried to make any physical contact, be it over the shirt second base to passionate, sweaty, quivering... you get the picture..., to be as much about my partner as about myself.

We got to talking. We know that one experience does not make a trend. But could it be? Could the pendulum have shifted so much? That women are now the ones clueless on how to excite their men. "Dead fish syndrome" is not acceptable. Such interactions need to be a two way street.

I now come to you. This needs to be more of dialogue with any of my readers that are still left. I am jumping to many conclusions.