Merry Christmas, One and All

So my family is flying up here for Christmas - they're actually due to arrive in about an hour and 15 minutes, after having been delayed in both KC and in Denver. Tomorrow the boys are going to shoot sporting clays in the morning, then we'll drive up to the winter-wonderland that is McCall this time of year to spend the holiday. We'll ski, snow-shoe, etc., and hopefully I can get some people to go for a swim in the lake with me (it's kind of dicey, since you have to break through the ice to get to the water). It should also be noted that the cabin up in McCall is sort of an internet-wasteland - translation: don't expect any updates for at least a week. Be strong. But seriously, even though everyone who reads this (read: mom) will be up here - merry Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday. See you on the other side, Ray.

I hope they liked my smile...

So here's an odd thought; right now, literally as I am typing this, the KU Med admissions committee is having their final meeting of the year. They are discussing my interview group, and determining my future. It's kind of an odd thought. Tomorrow and Friday they will mail out letters to my group telling some (very few) that they've been accepted, some that they've been denied, and many that they will need to wait patiently until March when they compile the final list and create the wait list. All I can do now is wait, and hope they respected me for my mind, not just my body. Keep your fingers crossed.

erikebelingart.com

So in case you didn't know, my brother is an artist. In fact, one time when the whole fam was up here in Idaho, he showed his portfolio to an artist-friend of my grandparents who was so impressed that he pored over my brother's work for hours. During this time, I learned how to sleep with my eyes open (it makes me drool, that's the only downside). I was, however, jarred out of my slumber when the friend sensed that I was left out of the conversation (about 8 hours later) and asked me, "So... do you have a talent?" To which I replied, "No." I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a liar.

Anyways, my brother has just completed his website, which is way cool. Do yourself a favor and check it out at www.erikebelingart.com - he's got a gallery where you can check out a lot of his works (or pieces? I don't know anything about art), a page where you can follow the progress of his latest works, and a blog where you can wish you were reading my blog. So, check it out, tell your friends, spread the word (especially if you or someone you know might be interested in commissioning a work from a talented young artist), and enjoy. Btw, mad props to webmaster Nick Pearson who did the tech-work to make Erik's website possible. erikebelingart.com - go there.

Expert Skier or...

So today was my last ski lesson - it was a bit sad. I was really starting to like some of the people in my group (especially Bruce [see below]), as well as the instructor (who, as it turns out, is an ecological engineer and a really good guy). Oh well, maybe I will run into them on the slopes. Then, if we both survive the collision, we can catch up and exchange ski tips (another pun, but I'll let it go). I got a lot better, mostly because these lessons gave me the opportunity to take things really slow and establish good fundamentals.

Well, there's not really anything else interesting for me to talk about, and I need to study for my biology final coming up - I still haven't really come to terms with the fact that I have to take a final again, but I guess it will happen one way or the other. Btw, in case you didn't see I am Legend, and/or watched it online, here's the new Batman trailer. Should be pretty sweet, though it doesn't come out until summer '08.

I Am Legend /Ski School

So my cousin and I went to see I am Legend last night - or I guess I should say that I saw it and she saw about a third of it. Parts of it were actually pretty scary, and Megan doesn't deal well with that as it turns out; she had to hide behind the bill of her hat for a lot of the movie. I suppose the premise (Will Smith is the last man alive after a virus kills everyone and turns some into zombie/vampire things) might have alerted me to this possibility, but it was actually a really sad movie. I thought Will Smith, who is a surprisingly good actor (considering where he came from), did a great job in it, though most (if not all) of the special effects were somewhat lackluster. In fact, I was pretty disappointed with all of the CGI, frankly. I am, admittedly, a bit of a special effects snob... At any rate, I will forgo a lengthy review for fear of spoiling the movie for all of my rabid fans. It's definitely worth seeing, if you're in the mood.

In other news, I just returned from my first ski lesson, and it was a lot of fun. I was concerned that the lessons were going to be too slow and boring, but the pace was actually pretty good. It was a great opportunity to focus on the fundamentals and actually learn how to ski instead of just learning how to not fall. There are some nice people in my group, especially 50-year old guy named Bruce. Bruce is from Texas, and he was having way more fun than any of the little kids out there. He kept things entertaining, and it's way more fun to enjoy something like this when there's someone else who's having a great time. I'm really looking forward to having my family up here in a few days to ski, etc. Hopefully Bruce will get a little bit better by then - he's still kind of a scourge on the slopes, and it'd be a shame if he rand down a member of my family.

As a bonus, my cousin showed us this clip last night. It's from Robot Chicken, and it's short, disturbing and funny - just like most things from that show.

It's That Time of the Year Again

So it's nearly Christmas, and you know what that means... it's time to not know what to get my family for Christmas! Hooray! This year could have been easier, given the fact that my dad actually told my mom, "this is what you should tell the boys I want for Christmas this year..." Apparently, however, my mom wanted to let my brother and me (yes, that is grammatically correct) suffer a little bit more by withholding this information until it was too late. Oh well, this is only the first time in recorded history that a member of my family actually wanted something for Christmas - why not squander it, you know? Anyways, I wouldn't say that I hate giving gifts at all. I actually like it a lot, I just wish it were simpler and that success could be guaranteed without resorting to interrogation methods not in accordance with the Geneva Convention. But in case you're reading, mom and dad, I'm sick of this - be warned that next year, I will have no qualms about waterboarding one or both of you to get this sort of information out of you (sometimes even I have to lower myself to over-used, topical humor). Then I will be able to give you the best gifts ever and win Christmas. Which is really what Christmas is about, after all. That and terrible commercials on TV.

It's happened...

Jason Giambi, before and after... or did I mess up the order? I can't even tell.

So the big Mitchell Report has been released listing "all" of the Major League Baseball players who used heroin I mean crack I mean steroids, and I must say, I am shocked. Literally, shocked. No real surprises on the list, but a few surprises left off the list. I'm not going to say who they are, because that might give you, the reader(s?), the sense that I care about baseball at all, which is false. All I'm going to say is that around the time Bonds was nearing the record, I saw a clip of him up to bat and a few fans in the crowd had a huge banner that said, "Babe Ruth did it on hotdogs and beer." I thought that was pretty funny. Oh, and I will also say that I think his record should get an asterisk, or should I say ass-terisk.

I think the biggest issue with this whole thing is that it's such a huge issue. I mean, yeah, these jerks are supposedly role models for children and all that, but being disappointed in our role models is neither new, nor is it confined in any way to baseball (ahem, Kobe Bryant [maybe I should just say "the NBA"]). And, yeah, the drugs are illegal and they've all but destroyed "America's pastime" (though it was the fact that the games are 7 hour snore-fests that ruined it for me). But what I really don't understand is why Congress is so heavily involved with this whole thing. They have invested so many hours and tax dollars that could have been put to better use in any of a hundred ways that I just really can't stomach the whole thing. I mean, the average Congressman works like 3 hours every other week, it seems like they might be able to form a slightly more useful sub-committee - perhaps they could probe something else, like getting re-elected to keep doing nothing, or the rapidly decreasing size of "fun-sized"
candy bars (seriously, have you noticed that? it's hardly worth it for me to trick-or-treat anymore). At any rate, I definitely don't want this blog to turn into a sports column, both because I don't know that much about sports, and because professional athletes can be some of the most discouraging, disgusting examples of humanity at its worst (with notable exceptions). I just thought we should all take a moment to morn the death of baseball's innocence - I know you were all as surprised as I was hear that all of those massive, frighteningly muscular behemoths are taking steroids in spite of the fact that doing so is prohibited.

btw, if you are so inclined, here's a site with a bunch of pictures of MLB guys before and after they started juicing. Pretty impressive stuff, especially seeing Barry Bonds dressed as a woman.

Lots of things - Pull!

So it's been a while, but I've been pretty busy. I have a couple of big topics to cover, but due to the fact that some of them might be totally boring to some of you, I'm going to break them up into separate posts, all labelled "Lots of things- something" to make this easy for you, my loyal reader(s?). This way, you can decide if you want to read or not. Your fate is in your own hands.
So today I did something I've always wanted to do - my uncle and I went to shoot clays. It was amazing - way more fun than I thought it was going to be, and I thought it would be a lot of fun. I was pretty apprehensive at first, considering I had never even held a gun before, but as it turns out, I caught on pretty quickly. I don't mean to brag, but I hit my first three clays. Now I'll brag - the owners of the place said that a beginner is doing very well if he/she gets 17 out of the first 50 targets. I hit 29 on my first time through the course (you can't see, but I'm literally patting myself on the back right now). The course is set up kind of like a golf course, so you walk around to all of the different stations, each with a different set-up of trees and angles and position of the clay-thrower things (no idea what they're called). Then you say "Pull" and shoot. It was great fun. On the first round, an older guy who competes on a national level shot with us and gave my uncle and I a few pointers, which were very helpful (btw, I beat my uncle on both rounds we did). He was amazing, and a pretty darned good teacher. All in all, it was a very fun day, and I would very much like to do it again. I haven't checked yet, but I'm hoping to have a sweet bruise on my shoulder. I'll keep you posted (that's a little blogger's inside joke, I don't expect you people to get it).

Lots of things - Tool Concert

So last night, I was lucky enough to go to see Tool in concert. Who would believe they were playing in Nampa, ID. Nampa is better known as the home of the Snake River Sugar Co's Sugar Beet factory than for their rock music, but I'll take what I can get. At any rate, the show was amazing. All of the visuals on all of the screens, as well as all of the lighting and laser effects were totally revamped. More importantly, nearly every song they played incorporated a new segue, solo section or groove. Some parts were a little bit loose; you could tell that everyone was improvising more than normal, which is understandable considering they've been playing basically the same songs for the last 2 years. The setlist is below, and it was the only real disappointment of the night - they just didn't play enough songs for my liking. They spend too long wasting time between songs with atmospheric effects and long transitions, and not enough time playing actual music. Oh, I just remembered - the most disappointing part of the night was actually the opening band, TransAm. Terrible. I've never understood why Tool insists on having such terrible bands play like it's amateur hour to open up the show. It would literally be more entertaining to just sit there and stare at the stage. Oh, I just remembered - the actual most disappointing part was when they brought some idiot from Isis on to "play drums" to accompany Danny Carey's drum solo. He literally looked like he'd never held a pair of drums sticks in his life. Fortunately, they had him turned way down so he didn't totally ruin the solo. Actually, the sound was great in general. They were all clearly on top of their game, though Maynard still wasn't feeling well after his viral infection.

I was able to go to this concert with my cousin Amy, and her bf (the) Jimmy. It was way fun because this was their first real concert. We got to see fist fights, people getting kicked out, and drunk people yelling at each other. All in all, pretty sweet. Here's the setlist, nerds...

JAMBI
STINKFIST [extended]
46 & 2
SCHISM
ROSETTA STONED
FLOOD
[intermission light show]
WINGS FOR MARIE
10K DAYS [WINGS II]
LATERALUS
VICARIOUS

Lots of things - Medical School Interview

This last topic is one which will likely receive further treatment in the near future, but my exhaustion will limit this post to a few choice sentences for now. I returned home to KS on Wednesday evening to go and interview at KU Med. My mother was kind enough to pick me up at the airport, and we had a nice meal at Bravo!. I picked out a tie (powerful, yet conservative) and tried to get some sleep. The next morning, I braved the weather to travel to the Medical Center and have what was a stressful, yet enjoyable day. Everyone there, except for my second set of interviewers, were very friendly and welcoming (I got grilled a little bit by the second interviewers - they were clearly trying to see how I handled the stress [I started to sweat profusely, shift uncomfortably in my chair and make wild, false claims about past achievement in the fields of both health care and quantum physics - you could say I am probably the best ever at interviews]). I also saw several people I knew from BVNW, which was pretty cool. All in all, it was a pretty good experience - now I just get to wait for a few months before I discover my fate. Should be swell. More on this later.

Btw, I don't know why I thought of this, but if you haven't seen the video of all of David Caruso's one liners from CSI:Miami, go here and enjoy. You won't regret it. And if you're pressed for time, here's one that I don't think is in the video, hosted by the great Joe McHale.

Matt Damon

So, I normally try not to hate too much on things that are totally awesome, but this has been bugging me for a long time. The Bourne Identity movies are bad-ass. At least I think they are. It's kind of hard to tell because the camera is always bouncing around so much that 99% of my energy is spent avoiding vomiting from motion sickness, which leaves a scant 32% of my massive intellect remaining to enjoy the movie. Don't get me wrong, I think they really are great movies, and Matt Damon does a great job, I just really wish I could see what is going on. Clearly, the choreography for the fight scenes is fantastic, and the chase scenes are second to none, I just really wish it was all viewable. The reason this really bothers me is because I went to see the Bourne Ultimatum with my aunt, uncle and cousins over the summer, and Molly literally had to leave about 20 minutes in because the camera work was making her sick. I blame Oliver Wood, who did the cinematography for the movie (also worth noting is the chuckle I had when, while reading over all the crew to decide who was most deserving of my scorn , I came across Florian Emmerich who [hilariously] operated the steadycam). I just don't understand why such good movies had to be ruined by such terrible cinematography. It is, however, humorous to imagine the camera men(/women) running around the set, chasing after Matt Damon and shaking their cameras like they're covered with fire ants... In case you haven't seen the movies, I decided to provide you with a clip below so you can see what I'm talking about. If you look really closely, my hand makes a short cameo - think of it as a sort of Easter egg for the fans out there.


I almost hate to bring this up, but another great movie was nearly ruined by this same problem, though it was less of an issue on this one: Batman Begins. If anyone can describe to me what exactly is happening in some of those fight scenes, I'll shut up, but nobody can, so don't try. I can understand directors wanting the audience to feel like they're "in the action," but it seems like they would also want audiences to "be able to watch their movies."

Flight of the Conchords

So a few friends of mine have recommended that I get acquainted with the Flight of the Conchords, a comedy/musical duo from New Zealand. There's some pretty good stuff on Youtube, and I just wanted to share a clip that I like to watch when I am feeling bad about myself. It's called "Bret you've got it going on," and even though my name has two t's, I still like to pretend that he's singing to me. Enjoy.


Also worth watching is this clip from their HBO show entitled "Bret's angry dance."

Good. Lord.

So I was just looking around Hot Air.com, and I came across what is, quite possibly, the most disturbing thing intended for TV I have ever seen. It's a Canadian PSA about what is apparently a big, big problem: grease fires. Or getting married, I'm not really sure which. Or maybe it's just saying we should stop having accidents.


Pretty rough stuff, but I'm very glad that there's someone out there raising awareness about these things.

In other news, my cousin Molly has a bad ankle sprain, but nothing worse than that. Good news. Better news is that she ought to be better in time for ski season, which means I won't have to ski alone.

Welcome, Ski Season

So today I committed myself to a season of skiing by renting skis/boots/poles and purchasing a season lift ticket. I got an amazing deal on all of it, but unfortunately, there is a catch; I have to go to 4 lessons. This isn't a a huge deal, but the lessons are for absolute beginners (which I like to think that I am not - I've skied a few times). We don't even get to go up on a lift for the first lesson, which is an hour and 45 minutes long. Bummer. While this will be pretty boring, I can get my season lift ticket after completing the 4 lessons, meaning that these 4 lessons will save me a total of almost $400. Which is more than enough to justify a few hours of boring lessons (which will be helpful, for sure).

Unfortunately, we just heard that my cousin Molly rolled her ankle a few minutes ago at cheer practice, and my aunt just took her to the ER to get X-rays. If she is out of commission, then I have lost my number 1 ski partner before the season even started. I can't believe she would do this to me. She's so self-centered. More on Molly when we hear.

I'm picking out a thermos for you...

I wish this had video, but it was stuck in my head for a long time and it made me smile.

Merry Christmas!

So I just got back to Boise after a 10 day trip home, and apparently, it's Christmas. I got here and not only were there Christmas cookies (sorry mom), but also a Christmas village set up by my aunt. More like a Chrismas Metropolis. Hundreds of thousands (literally) of little ceramic houses, shops, people, animals, trees, and like 10 Santas. Oh, and today, they got a huge tree and already have the lights up, etc. I just feel like it's a bit early for all of this, but then again, I really don't require all of this - a bottle of whiskey will pretty much do it for me. I hate whiskey.

It was good to be home, but I felt really rushed the whole time. I wanted to try to spend time with lots of people in addition to my fam, and I don't think I was very successful. I only saw some of my good friends once for about an hour. But I did get to hang out with my brother and his girlfriend, Alicia, quite a bit, which is good. We all went to see the Blue Man Group, which was awesome. I would highly recommend seeing both their stage show and their touring rock concert. Also worth noting is that we saw the show at the new Sprint Center in downtown KC. It is amazing.

The only real bummer of the last few days was the fact that I had to fly during the KU - MU game. My parents and I watched the first 8 minutes or so at a bar in the airport, and then I tried desperately to avoid hearing updates so I could watch it when I got to Boise (my aunt DV-Red it for me). This proved to be frustratingly difficult. Every a-hole I passed was screaming loud enough about the game for me to hear through the music I was blasting on my iPod. And, of course, this is the one time in my life I'm on a plane TVs in the seats. They didn't have ABC for some reason, but people were watching ESPN to get the score updates, and then screaming across the whole plane about it. So, I had some inkling as to what was going on, but I wasn't all that sure until I got here. Then, literally the second thing my uncle said to me when I got here (after, "Welcome back") was something about how both BSU and KU lost. I was too tired to be pissed. But I'm not too tired today to be pissed that the Chiefs lost to the Raiders... Oh well. I think there's an episode of either Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm where they talk about trying to get people to not tell who won a Lakers game they had taped. It's not as funny in real life.

In more positive news, I recently heard that I have been invited to interview at KU Med a week from Thursday. This is exciting news, but I feel like I have a lot of work to do to get ready for it.

Sports, Sports, Sports

So I pretty much watched football all day today (and I still am), with only a few hours off to go to a hockey game with my uncle. It was actually a lot of fun - I've been to a hockey game before, but it's been many years. There were a few fights, but a lot of spectacular plays and goals. The only thing truly worth mentioning, though, was the lady singing the national anthem. She had a beautiful voice, from what I could hear, but she either forgot to turn the mic on, or the sound people screwed up. Either way, it was pretty awkward as she sang her tasteful, yet barely audible rendition until a guy across the way from me started belting out with her. Before too long, pretty much the whole crowd was singing along with her at a respectful volume - not trying to drown out what little we could hear without the amplification. It was a cool experience, but I feel pretty bad for the singer.

In other news, I'm getting pretty excited to go home for Thanksgiving. I miss the fam and the dog, so it will be good to see them again. All of a sudden, it seems, I've been gone for 5 months. Pretty crazy. Oh well, go KU.

Bad News for TV Fans

In case you haven't heard, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike started yesterday. After negotiations failed to resolve the dispute, the strike started yesterday morning, meaning that no new scripts will be turned in, and in many cases, filming of the scripts that are already finished will stop. This is very bad news for fans of The Office (Steve Carrell is a guild member so production stopped yesterday), and many other shows. Here is an in-depth assessment of where many shows stand. Most shows will have either a truncated season, or will just stop after this week (talk shows like The Daily Show, The Tonight show, The Colbert Report, etc. have already gone to reruns). The whole thing is a huge bummer, especially for fans of shows like Battlestar Galactica, Scrubs and The Shield, which are in their final season and probably either won't end as the creators intended, or will be aired over the span of a year and a half or more. Also worth noting is that 24 likely won't start airing until a full season can be put together - so not until the end of the strike, plus production time, which could put it one or even two full years from now. Also worth mentioning is the fact that many movies which are in preproduction will get canned, and others, which were frantically scripted to be finished before the strike, will probably be terrible. As you can see above, Joaquin Phoenix isn't happy about this either.

Ty Pennington is a douche

So, the girls here really love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which means I often have to suffer through it. To be more precise, I often have to hide in a far corner of the house to escape the cartoonishly over-the-top screaming and lisping of Ty Pennington (look at that hair). Embedded, you will find a clip from the show (with 18 seconds of silent lead-in, for some reason - bear with it, it's worth it); please watch it, so you can see what I'm talking about.



In case you're wondering, that's him saying "Oh!" over and over again, and then him talking like Krusty the Klown on crack at the end. Now, before you people even say it, I'm not talking about the guy's DUI arrest. While that is terrible, and no one should ever drive drunk, I'm not even calling upon that evidence to make my case. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say that he seems like a decent person; he obviously changes a lot of people's lives for the better on that show, and I have nothing but respect for that. That's not my point at all. You can be a great person and still be a total douche-bag. Which he is. He's one of those guys that people love, and I want to like, but his ego is too massively huge to feel anything but scorn for him. In case you don't believe me, take it from someone who knows, someone who's opinion is true and worthy... Joel McHale.



For the record, I am aware that there are people out there more worthy of my scorn that this guy, but his show was on tonight, and I'm particularly crabby tonight, so it was kind of the perfect storm. And he's a tool.

Wow

So I went with my cousin Amy to the BSU football game yesterday. It was pretty amazing - we got tickets from one of my uncle's fellow docs, and the seats were pretty sweet. We were about 10 rows up at just about the 50 yard line. I took a picture, but I'm not set up to transfer to the computers here, so the above picture will have to suffice. I'm really only including it to show the blue field (which some people say makes BSU football not real football [Alek]). Anyway, it'd been a while since I had seen a live sporting event, and it was fun to be in a stadium full of rabid fans again. For the record, Boiseans take their BSU football very seriously; you can't go anywhere without seeing bumper stickers, jerseys, etc., and everyone has an opinion. It was a fun afternoon, for sure. The only bummer was that one of the San Jose State players got hurt- the game was stopped for about 20 minutes while they stabilized him and took him off in an ambulance. It seemed to be a neck injury, and while I think I saw him move his leg a little once, it looked pretty bad. Hopefully he's ok.

BOOO!

Happy Halloween, the second dumbest "holiday" of the year! The real reason for this post, though, is to bring you another installment of the "thumbs up special."
This one goes to Eddie Van Halen for the astoundingly bad performance you can watch below. This doesn't really rate just because it's a terrible performance, but because Ed clearly knows that his guitar is badly out of tune (sources say that he hit the guitar on a speaker before the song) and he refuses to do anything about it. Apparently he's kind of a jerk a lot of the time, and people are saying that he finished the song out of spite "to teach his guitar tech a lesson," but either way he's a ass. He could have taken 15 seconds to switch guitars and salvage a song which, while terrible, people in the audience paid a lot of money to hear. For that I say, "Way to go Ed - you're a dick. Thumbs up on a great performance!" In all fairness, though, my dad got free tickets to see Van Halen at the new Sprint Center in KC, and he was impressed that the old coots could still play.

Lots of news

So I had another day with Dr. Eck, the family practice doc today. It was pretty sweet - I met some nice people, had some one-on-one time with a few patients, etc. I really like the feel of the whole thing, especially getting to spend some time getting to know the patients. For instance, I heard a 64 year old guy tell a story about how a few weeks ago, while on a fishing trip in Mexico, the boat he was on sank and he was stranded for two hours in shark-infested water. He told the whole story in such a matter-of-fact way that I couldn't help but laugh, especially when he told us about all of the other near-death experiences he's had - motorcycle crashes, falls off of buildings, etc. pretty crazy stuff. So anyway, I'm with Dr. Eck again next Friday, and he's going to eventually let me start taking patient histories and other cool stuff.

I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon carving pumpkins with the fam, and let me tell you, I'm not so good at it. I got better as the afternoon progressed, but it wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination. Here's a picture so you can see how bad I am.

In other news, I have at long last rounded up the final letter of recommendation I have been waiting (a very long time) on. So, I'm finally done with application crap. I just hope that the fact that all of my stuff has been in for months, and the only thing that they've been waiting on is the letters of rec. They probably don't care.

One final note, I've decided to start exercising more. Not just lifting weights (I'm learning that there is such a thing as too huge), but more cardio. I hope to lose my paunch (granted, that picture of me was taken a few years ago) and gain some energy. I'll keep both of you posted.

Why don't you take a seat...

So I spent the better part of last night watching a"To Catch a Predator" marathon with my cousin, Molly (no, it's not what you're thinking, this show has significantly less green blood). If you have never seen the South Park episode where Cartman pretends to have Turrets, you should click here and watch it - not only is it hilarious in it's own right, but they do a spot-on spoof of To Catch a Predator that will change the way you watch the show forever. TCAP is a depressing, disgusting, uncomfortable show (though if it discourages even one predator from abusing a child, then it has served it's purpose), but Chris Hansen is truly hilarious.

In other news, I had my first day observing my family practice doctor on Friday. It went really well, and was very interesting; needless to say, this was a very different atmosphere than in my uncle's neurosurgery clinic. Dr. Eck, the doc I followed around, is great - he's very personable and caring, and he's also very intelligent and a great doctor. Apparently, my aunt and uncle sat next to the Ecks at a charity ball last night (doesn't that sound old-timey and magical?) and Dr. Eck said that it was "great having [me] around," that he "really enjoyed it," but that I'm "too polite for his office." I'm not really sure what that last part means, but I guess it's better than the alternative. Anyway, I am with Dr. Eck tomorrow again, and then off until a week from Friday. Should be sweet. Oh, but I have to dress "biz cas," whatever that means - he seems to always wear polo shirts, does that mean I can?

I'm finally done with my medicine, so unfortunately, I must say goodbye to my hyper-keen sense of smell. I'm giving it a send-off today by playing in the garbage and hanging out in the back yard where the dogs always poop.

I want to dance, dance in the morning

So, I really think that I was just born in the wrong era. I really belong in a time when this kind of thing is acceptable, because this is amazing. But I really don't think I'd be able to pull this off in this day and age, though I'm tempted to go to a store and find out. Also of note is that this seems to be Borat's first appearance (you can see him briefly about 30 seconds in, but he's really featured about half-way through), though Sascha Baron Cohen was probably about 5 when this came out.

Also, I recently watched a short clip of a live Dave Matthews band video, and it made me sad to think about how bad they are now. They were the reason I started playing the drums and the guitar, but sadly, they now only inspire me not to spend $50 bucks to go to each of their concerts. The picture below is in honor of a now-dead dream of mine.

Ummm...

I just happened across this picture and was confused enough to passit on to you people. It's from a blog called "animals as friends" which is, unfortunately, not as awkward as either this picture or the name implies.

I got to watch another deep brain stimulation surgery today. Actually two; I saw a phase two DBS surgery - which is the second procedure during which they tunnel the wires from the electrode down to the impulse generator implanted in the chest - and then a phase one for Parkinson's where they implanted the electrodes. Pretty amazing stuff, though as you might imagine, the tunneling for phase two is pretty brutal. Not a lot of finesse involved, but there's just not a better way of doing it yet.

Another nerd moment...

So I just came across an article about the search for gravity waves (let me just push my glasses up my nose right quick), and while it is interesting to hear about the new techniques/technologies, that's not really what caught my interest the most. If you read carefully, you'll see that they put a rather alien object in everyday terms in a cool way; they said that a sugar-cube sized sample of a pulsar would weigh as much as the entire human race.

In other news, I just set a schedule with my doctor to follow him around every other Monday and Friday at his clinic. Should be pretty sweet, but I still haven't gotten over the fact that he's seen me naked. Awkward. Oh, and I've learned to use my hyper-keen sense of smell as a lie detector. I'm the human polygraph, so don't mess with me.

Smells like asparagus

So I went to the free clinic today - it was pretty cool. But what I really want to talk about is my hyper-keen sense of smell as a result of my prescription. I totally feel like wolverine or something; I can smell people before they enter a room, I can smell food from a mile away and (most importantly) I can smell people's body odor as if they've somehow collected it, concentrated it and sprayed it directly into my nose without my knowing. It's really great.

For those who might care, Tool is coming to Nampa here (just outside of Boise) in the first part of December, and I'm happy to say that I scored some tickets (meaning my cousin did it for me) for my cousin, my uncled Don and myself. Should be pretty sweet.

Now, if you will excuse me, I smell dinner.

Yummy...

So my doctor put me on this medicine to try and address my lingering "China Syndrome." It's pretty awesome - it basically makes you feel really nauseous, makes your mouth taste sharply metallic (like you just woke up after a long night's sleep with a piece of aluminum foil in your mouth - all day), makes you irritable and makes your sense of smell really hyper-sensitive. The last one is new to me (I was on this medication a year or so ago, and I didn't experience it then), and it's pretty... interesting. Some smells are good and some are really, really bad. Like dog poop. And dog pee-pee. And most people. The timing on this is really great, because tomorrow is my first day volunteering at a free clinic in Nampa. Let's just say I'm anticipating some fairly pungent aromas. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I'm also expecting some sympathy from all of you out there.

Here's a quick thumbs up for the people - this one goes to everyone who is really upset about the fact that Stephen Colbert is violating campaign finance laws in his "bid for the presidency." I'm not even going to try to be clever on this one, so here it is: "People, pull your heads out of your asses. He's a satirist (who used to be funny). Get over it." Btw, if you want to get all upset about campaign financing, I can point you in the right direction...

Btw2, Dumbledore is gay. Tell your kids.

It's Hammertime

Watch this before story-time below to get the full effect. Or better yet, hit play and read the following post with the music playing.

T.J. Hammer

So, my uncle got hit in the head with a hammer, and in a weird way, he did it to himself. I've provided the following pictures to describe the sequence of events. Click to enlarge (slightly).
In this first picture, you can see my uncle working with a ladder in the back yard. I'm in the middle carrying some jam in from the garage. See if you can find the hammer.
Here you can clearly see the jam I'm carrying. I wasn't wearing a shirt at the time, as you can also clearly see. Unbeknownst to me, my uncle has attempted to move the ladder, causing the hammer to dislodge from its perch. This is, however...knownst to my uncle, though there is little he can do about it.
In this final frame, you can see what has happened - I have inadvertently dropped the jam. And my uncle got hit in the head with a hammer from about 15 feet. He actually didn't cry out at all (and I actually didn't drop the jam), he just said, "Uh, Brett? I think I'm hurt here..." and I ran to grab the ladder (not pictured). He put a towel on it, and I looked to see if he would need stitches, then after the bleeding had mostly subsided, he went back out to finish the project. His biggest concern was not letting my aunt find out what had happened. I didn't laugh until well after I was sure he was ok, though I think I did laugh before he did, which is in poor taste. Apparently the next day he started bleeding while ordering at a restaurant, which freaked the waitress out a bit.

Ted Turner is Crazy

So I came across this a few days ago, and at first I was kind of pissed about some of the things he says. But now, I've settled down and realized that Ted Turner is pretty much crazy. Here's proof. Of particular interest is about halfway down the synopsis where he starts to talk about how he doesn't mind Iran and other nations of concern have nuclear weapons because they have so few of them compared to how many the US has. Granted, disarmament is a reasonable issue worthy of debate, but to say that he's more worried of our arsenal than having Iran and North Korea in possession of nuclear weapons is... well, draw your own conclusions.

Btw, as I am writing this, the Johans' Ukrainian cleaning lady is vacuuming all around me. She's all up in my bidness (wait, that's not meant to be racist...I may remove that if I decide it's indecent). She's also been involved in a plot to make me think I'm crazy - each time she comes, apparently she steals one of my shirts and hides it. I used to think that I was just irresponsible, but then I found the stash - 15 shirts crammed into a tiny little table with a tiny little cabinet below it that I've never touched in my life. So I'm not crazy...maybe crazy mad.

awesome

So, Idaho is great and all, but I'm pretty frustrated with the sports situation. Today, instead of show NFL football all day, as Sunday is supposed to be, NBC is showing bull riding. Yee-haw. Awesome. Piss. Oh well, I guess that gives me more time today to... not watch football.

btw

I'm not really having technical difficulties, but the picture amused me, and I can remember seeing this episode of the Simpsons many years ago. Anyways, I just changed the settings so now anyone can comment - I think this means that you don't have to sign in to do so anymore. That should save everyone some time for when you are all clamoring to be the first to comment on the latest hilarious/truly thought-provoking post.

At least she's got some dance moves...

It's kind of hard to tell because of his tiny hands, but Kenny Baker is ushering in a new era for the Thumbs Up Special - Video! (hopefully). So without further ado, I give you this travesty:



Now, in this poor girl's defense, surely there was some sort of malfunction of the tape (8 track?) player which caused the recording to speed up and change key...surely. But this thumbs up actually goes to anyone and everyone, family, friends, etc., who saw this poor girl prepare this routine for months and then subsequently let her do it on TV. Shame on them - I can tell you from experience that it's easy to get a terrible idea, think it's great and want to go through with it. It is the responsibility of those around you to weigh the possible outcomes and decide if they should let you proceed with what will likely be a humbling experience, or to save you from a lifetime of embarrassment like this girl (now woman) has to suffer through. Even without considering the obscene "music" of this performance, nobody with a soul would have let their daughter/sister/friend hop around stage like that. For that I say, "Thumbs up on that family/friends of that girl - was it worth it?"

Goracle finally recognized

I suppose this could kind of be a bit of a thumbs up to the Noble Committee... either way, I just want to pass on my sincerest of congratulations to the "Redeemer of all Mankind" Albert Gore. This article is pretty interesting, if you've a moment to read, but suffice it to say that Gore has joined some amazingly great company. And, like several of his new comrades, he has done little to directly bring peace to the world (though indirectly, the case could be made [and is in the linked article] that slowing the depletion of natural resources could help to prevent war). BTW, I really hope Goracle runs for president. I just think it would be amazing if he got the nomination over Hillary. I would laugh and laugh.

In vastly more important news, KU has canceled my email account (bastards), so my new email is bebeling18@gmail.com. I trust that both of my readers are responsible enough not to give this to anyone who would abuse it, and to give it to any hot ladies they might know who are interested in an average looking, somewhat self-centered guy.

Back in the Saddle

I'm back, and I'm ready to go. It's been a while since an honest-to-goodness post, but unfortunately this one isn't going to be all that great.

So my aunt and uncle had an Oktoberfest party a while back, and I got to eat sausages and drink beer. It was great until my new doctor showed up (I just went to him a few weeks ago, and will see him again next week- so he's new to me, not new to medicine); let's just say that it had been a long time since anyone had seen me naked, and I wasn't really ready to see him in a social setting. Granted, he was very gentle - I mean he tried to make me feel very comfortable... you get the idea. It was a bit awkward at the party, but he went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He's a super nice guy, and he's pretty much exactly the kind of doctor I want to be.
In other news, I had dinner with my friend Alek last night, which is weird because he lives in Baltimore. He's working in Boise until about the end of the month, so I now have a friend for a short period of time.

Finally, I'm going to be mostly done with application crap for medical school tomorrow, with the exception of the gosh-darned (edited) letters of recommendation. I am frankly pretty shocked and appalled at how difficult and nerve-wracking it has been to get those freaking (edited) letters dealt with. Some of the people have really great reasons for having taken a while, but others have absolutely no excuse. And I'm pissed. In fact, I'm actually just so tired of it, that I've brought in my friend Bruce Willis to be pissed for me. I like that not only is he clearly quite angry, he also looks like he's willing to do something about it. This is in stark contrast to my situation in which my only real recourse is to send lots of sniveling emails and voicemails saying bullshit like "Thanks so much for sending that letter, I just wanted to check and see if maybe it got lost in the mail." WTF. I just wish people were responsible, and capable of pulling their heads out of their own asses once in a while. So, apparently this turned rather quickly into a rant; that was not my original intent. Apologies.

So it's been a bit of a while...

I've been pretty busy the last week or so with applications, homework, etc. But, I just came across something that is worth sharing. These people built an X-wing model (from Star Wars) that will be launched using solid rocket motors. They even added electric motors to "lock S-foils into attack position." I know what I'm doing over the winter. There's probably going to be another dry spell on the blog here for the next week or so. Try to remain calm. Don't lose hope. I'll be back in full swing before you know it. I decided to include the face of someone you would trust in this post so you would believe me. Chuck Norris would never lie to you. And he'll keep you safe at night. Unless you look him in the eye.

sick as a dog

So I haven't been feeling all the well the last couple of days, but today it really hit hard. I think I sprained my spleen or something. Sorry to drop all this medical jargon on you, but you know, I'm just around it so much, I pretty much know how to diagnose a sprained spleen by now.

So to nerd out a bit, my good friend and former roommate Jacob informed me today that there will soon be a Star Wars game for the Wii. That's right, bitches - motion controlled lightsabers.

That is all. I've been sleeping all day, but I'm still damned tired. I desire sympathy.

And yet still an understatement

A spokeswoman for the Senator Thompson had this to say about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposed visit of Ground Zero in New York:

"It is an insult to the memories of those who died on 9/11 at the hands of terrorists, and those who have fought terrorism for years, to allow the president of the world's top state sponsor of terrorism to step foot at ground zero," the spokeswoman, Karen Hanretty, said. "Iran is responsible for supplying weapons and supporting extremist who are killing US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to this very day."

This guy (click for complete story) says it better than I could - "If it happens, if this Holocaust-denying terrorist filthbag is allowed to use the remains of the Trade Center for a photo op, the rage on the right will burn so white hot that even the anti-amnesty activism this summer will pale by comparison." I would hope that partisan politics aside, the whole nation would object vehemently to this.

UPDATE: The NYPD has rejected Ahmadinejad's request to visit Ground Zero, and Mitt Romney has put in his two cents, as well: “Ahmadinejad’s shockingly audacious request should be met with a vehement no. It’s inconceivable that any consideration would be given to the idea of entertaining the leader of a state sponsor of terror at Ground Zero. This would deeply offend the sensibilities of Americans from all corners of our nation. Instead of entertaining Ahmadinejad, we should be indicting him.”

Looks like the whole visit is a no-go, even though the bastard said he just wanted to go to lay a wreath at the site.

UPDATE: Ahmadinejad is now saying that the NYPD rejecting his request will not deter him from visiting Ground Zero. Should be interesting to see what happens with this one.

So many thumbs up, you'd think it was rain...

I don't really seem to have anything interesting to talk about lately, so I 'm going to keep going with the safe bet. Here's a very special thumbs up to a young man who's managed to make himself a minor celebrity amongst his d-bag peers. Check the link to see the full video of how this guy managed to get himself tasered during a John Kerry speech. He clearly wanted to cause trouble, and he clearly wanted to get everyone talking about it (note how he announces everything that happens to him as it happens - it reminds me of Will Ferrell in the Austin Powers movies, "Oh, you shot me! Right in the arm!"). As it turns out, this d-bag has a history of "punks" (cross-reference Aston Kutcher for both "punk'd" and "d-bag"), so there is speculation that this guy was trying something like that and it "got out of hand." So, wherever you stand on this issue - whether he should have been tasered is certainly debatable - I would like to extend a heartfelt thumbs up to this gentleman for doing something I've never had the guts to do...get tasered. I changed my mind just now. I was going to let the audience (both of you) decide on this one, but it should be known that I think this guy got what he deserved. He pushed his way to the front of the line to ask a purposefully inflammatory series of questions (not seen in this clip, but confirmed by witnesses) and then refused to leave when asked by the police. He flailed his arms and screamed, trying to make a scene, and he didn't comply after they warned him that he was going to be tased. He got what he was looking for. So for that, I say, "thumbs up on that one, d-bag."

One other thumbs up, and this one I really will leave for you people to decide. This one goes to future Mrs (?) President Hillary R. Clinton (and in a way to the new First Lady too) for not condemning Moveon.org's slander of Gen. Patraeus. Pretty interesting that she wouldn't, given the fact that lots of people are pissed off about it (and her history of being on both side of the war debate [ie she voted for it]). Hmmm, I wonder why the Clintons might not want to go against Moveon.org... Are they connected somehow? Anyways, "Thumbs up on that. And more importantly, thumbs up on always, as a rule, associating yourself with honest, upright people." For those lacking the time or interest to make the jump, I'm referring specifically to Norman Hsu. Sorry, I didn't mean to get all political on your asses.

Oh, and check this guy out. I'd guess he's just as excited as you are (maybe a little bit more) that they're going to make a sequel to "Tron."

Thumbs Up Special, vol. 1

I excite.

So I went to watch my cousin cheer at a football game tonight. It's been a long time since I've been to a high school football game - it definitely brought back some memories. Except my cousin's school is terrible, and mine wasn't. I guess they've been been hugely dominant for years, but they have a terrible class this year, so they're getting their butts kicked. They won tonight, but it was a pretty painful thing to watch. They are a 4A school, and since I've never seen anything but a 6A football game, I was pretty surprised by how slow everything moved and how small everyone was.

At any rate, I'm pretty tired so I'm going to get right to the point; this post will be the first in what might end up being a long line of "thumbs up specials." The idea is, when someone I know or have heard of messes up, I'm going to hilariously skewer them by calling them out and saying (wryly) "thumbs up on that one!" I'm also hopeful that each time I post a "thumbs up special," I'll remember to point it out by posting a picture of people looking ridiculous while giving the thumbs up sign. That way, when my readers are pressed for time, they can quickly see that there is something really worth reading this time, rather than the usual boring crap.

So, without further ado, I give you the first "thumbs up special." As you may have guessed, this one goes to our good friend, that murdering bastard, OJ "the Juice" Simpson. Not only did he participate ("allegedly") in armed robbery, he also admitted his involvement to police, and had the balls to tell the media that he was taking part in a police sting (get it?) operation to recover stolen goods. What a douche. The only positive to this (other than that he might do prison time) is that him being back in the news will give a huge boost to the sales of his new (ridiculously tasteless) book, the profits of which will go to the families of his victims. So, in honor of the Juice thinking that his charm and charisma will enough to outweigh a confession, I say, "wow, thumbs up on that one, killer." BTW, I heard tonight that the maximum sentence for armed robbery in Washington D.C. is life in prison, while in California the max is 15 years. I found that to be amusing.

Since this is the inaugural run of this special, I've brought with me an extra case. This next "thumbs up" goes to Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots (America's team). He's a cheater. Click here to read more. "Wow, loosing either one or two draft picks and getting fined a crap-ton of money for breaking explicit league rules (there's not much interpretation to be done there, Billy boy) all for information that you yourself admit didn't help at all - thumbs up on that one, cheater." I've included a second picture in an effort to keep the thumbs up selections/ pictures on a tit-for-tat basis.

One last bit, my brother sent me a link to this music video, which is pretty sweet. The band Familjen took footage from an old revival and edited it so it looks like the preacher is singing the lyrics. And old ladies clap.

Football brings out the best in blue collar fans

This is way too good not to read. Not only is the story totally ridiculous, but Okies everywhere should be proud to be represented in such a positive light. Plus, it's not often you get to read the word "malarkey." Also, note that the OU fan who "nearly castrated" his opponent is 53 years old. He's a huge fan, though. Kind of like this guy.

more disappointment

So I was looking forward all week to watching the Chiefs play today - I had been promised that the Chiefs games are shown here in Idaho, but as it turns out, I had to check direct TV - they had it, but (and I'm still not sure why) it was $40 to watch that one game. I couldn't believe it. They got dominated today anyway, but I was still disappointed. And, I got an email today from my brother saying that he has tickets to see one of the world's best bands. They never tour the US at all, let alone come to KC, so of course, the one time I'm not there, they come. Unbelievable.

Tomorrow my uncle is doing another nurse's lecture - this one on ulnar nerve entrapment. I'm going to the first part of that, then rush off to class, then back to clinic and then I'm going to observe a surgery to remove an acoustic tumor. Should be pretty sweet.

Oh, and I just finished Hunters of Dune. It's a pretty good book, but it's all clearly leading up to the next one. I've got lots of things to be doing, but I'm pretty sure that I'm going to pick the book one up in the next few days, just to finish the series. That's pretty much it. Oh, and I recently watched blades of glory again. Hence the picture.

yet another disappointment...

Please allow me to geek out for a moment here - I just beat the newest Metroid game. It was great, but way too easy and way too short (I beat it in only 13.5 hours). I guess the anticipation made it impossible for the game to live up to my expectations, but I don't deal well with disappointment. It makes me want to...kill. Or actually just write a strongly worded letter. More that. Oh well.

So I had another day at the clinic yesterday, and it was a long one. My uncle has been sick for a few days, so they had to reschedule a bunch of people to yesterday. It's always interesting how much information you can get from a patient the second you set eyes on them. One lady was obviously in serious pain (she was pacing the exam room when we opened the door), and even I could tell immediately that she was having radicular pain down the right side (probably C6 or C7, judging by the way she was cradling her right arm) - it just really shows you how important basic observation skills are in conjunction with a little bit of practical knowledge. This lady was also interesting in that she was perhaps the most aloof of any patient I've met so far. Some people are ecstatic when they hear that they are going to have surgery - they are relieved to know not only that their pain is real, and has a name, but also that there is something that can be done about it. Others, like this lady, are just so scared by the prospect of surgery that they need a little time to work through it. Often, it seems, these people are the ones who have only recently started to experience their symptoms, unlike the people who endure them for a long time, and then finally decide to do something about it. I've heard the spiel so many times by now that I can watch the patients intently as the surgery is explained to them. I've already learned so much about the nuts and bolts of the exams and such that now I'm less confused by everything, and am able to focus more on the patients and how the are feeling throughout the process. It's really rewarding, but also pretty heart-wrenching at times. A wonderful old lady came in yesterday, just about 81 years old, and she had a lot going wrong with her. She knew as well as we did that there was really nothing that could be done to help her back pain because she had too many other problems going on. She just wanted to hear it from a doctor she had known for a long time and trusted. It wasn't long before she was crying tears of frustration, and we all couldn't help but get choked up. My uncle did a great job of trying to making her laugh, and I (like a putz) awkwardly offered her a tissue. She's a great old lady, and she's got a lot of fight in her yet. And she can still definitely light up a room with her smile.

In slightly less depressing new, I went to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas over Labor Day weekend. I'll try to get some pictures posted in the next few days - hopefully some of the many pictures we took of the Grand Tetons will turn out. Really spectacular stuff. I had no idea all of that was even there, and I'm really grateful to have been able to see it. Plus, my uncle and I had some pretty deep conversations throughout, which was good.

BTW, my mom sent me this, and I watched it with my aunt this morning - we were both in tears from laughing so hard. Richard Simmons is a spook, and the Who's Line is it, Anyway? guys are amazingly good sports. Good for a laugh, if an uncomfortable one.

Oh, and I think the Chiefs play this weekend, meaning that at long last, football has returned.

DBS

Well, I observed a Deep Brain Stimulation surgery today, and it was amazing. This is one of the relatively few procedures during which the patient is totally awake and aware, which was really neat because it was clear that she was immediately improved. Today was the first of a two part procedure; first, you implant the electrodes in the brain, then a few days or a week later you implant the impulse generator and tunnel the leads from the electrodes to connect to the generator. Today started with Dr. Johans and Patrick, a Medtronic rep (he travels all around the country to assist with this surgery, and handles the business end of things), dtermining their plan of attack using a computer - they were nice enough to explain to me what was going on, which is good, because this is going to be one of the research topics I will be tackling this year. Two different kinds of MRI scans (T1 and T2) were overlayed with a CT scan in order to produce a map of the brain. They then planned the approach to insert the electrodes into the target areas without damaging major structures or causing bleeding. The computer then calculated the angles and settings for this approach, which were then dialed into a frame that is positioned over the patient's head. This frame is used to guide the electrodes into the targeted spots in the brain (as you can imagine, precision is very important). So, to make a long story short, a bur hole is drilled into the skull and the electrode is placed on each side (one at a time). After the electrode is in place, it is connected to a power source to check the placement. The patient today suffers from essential tremor, and as soon as each electrode was turned on, she was given a basic motor exam to test for improvement. When she first tried to touch her nose as part of the exam, she immediately started crying. Her tremor was all but gone (after tweaking the voltage a bit, it disappeared completely). She was overcome with emotion; she's had this tremor for almost 20 years, and it's had a terrible impact on her life. The whole thing was very touching, and it was very cool to see such a positive outcome for someone who hadn't even left the OR yet. Most people are totally out of it until a while later, so this was a nice change. I'm hoping I will get to see the second operation to implant and connect the impulse generator, but I'm really hoping that I will get to see her post-op in clinic to see how she's doing. Very cool stuff.

Back to the Basics

Well, today was my first day of class at BSU. I totally felt like a freshman again, walking through the campus with my eyes searching desperately for the Multi-Purpose Classroom Facility, my mouth slightly open, and fear on my face. It really brought back some great memories from old KU. I've determined that I'm not entirely ready to be a student again. Other than a lifelong student, of course. Whatever the hell that even means. So, I found the building (it was right where I thought it would be) and sat through the obligatory syllabus/schedule first class of the semester. The only snafu was that I'm not on the roster for some reason - it's odd because I'm definitely enrolled in the class... I'm sure it won't become a huge hassle. Nothing like this ever does. Oh, and there will be weekly problem sets in my Cell Biology class, which marks the first time I will do homework since...

Well, tomorrow I'm going to observe a Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. Should be pretty sweet, though I'm not sure how much I will actually be able to see. Tim and his PA, Brian (who's a super nice guy) explained to me the nuts and bolts of the surgery today - as you might expect, it's pretty fascinating stuff.

By the way, one of the most annoying things in the world - my aunt and uncle have their dogs trained to poop in a certain area of the yard, but they have to be monitored to ensure that they don't go rogue and poop everywhere (the sidewalk, people's beds, etc.). So, it's pretty frustrating when they insist upon sniffing every square inch of the poop area and spinning in circles about 750 times before they do their business. But you can't really rush them. All they know is "No!" and "Come here!" - neither of which is helpful in this instance. It makes it almost worthwhile, though, to see the guilty, ashamed look on their faces as they defecate; you dog owners know what I'm talking about. I like to watch them while they do it, even talk to them so they know I'm there. They should be ashamed of themselves. Learn to use a toilet like the rest of us, seriously.

One last bit, I finished my latest powerpoint lecture yesterday. This one is about CSF fistulas; CSF is cerebrospinal fluid, which, according to Wikipedia (the world's most reliable resource), is a clear bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain. A fistula is basically an abnormal connection between two vessels or between a vessel and the outside (like a leak), so a CSF fistula is just where CSF is leaking somewhere it shouldn't be. By the way, I might sound smart (and I am learning a lot), but I'm not. I still like playing video games and coloring.

A little embarrasing

So we went for another bike ride today, and we went on a new "little" loop that ended up being both very long and very intense. My uncle and I were both totally sucking wind as we were nearing the end of the climb, and right as I pulled over to catch my breath for a second (and let my uncle catch up - shit yeah), this extremely nice man passed me. He was at least 70. Now, you need to understand, I'm starting to get used to getting annihilated in the foothills by the female cyclists of Boise, but to get creamed by an old man who was not even breathing hard (and I could see the concern in his eye, like he was worried I wasn't going to make it to the top and he would have to race down the mountain and call Lifeflight to get me), smiling his huge, dentured smile at me... it hurt bad. But he was very nice, and clearly having a great time, enjoying the afternoon. I still kind of wanted him to fall. A little.

We had fried chicken tonight for Megan's last night - it was awesome. My aunt does pretty darned good work, but I definitely miss my mom's creative, one-time-only concoctions (and pasta of any kind). My aunt and Megan leave tomorrow early, and then my uncle leaves Thursday evening; after that, the kids and I have the place all to ourselves until Sunday. That's right - kegger. $5 gets you all the Keystone you can drink. I guess I should say that I'm kidding so my brother doesn't buy a plane ticket.

Btw, I just heard today that Hugo Chavez, in addition to moving towards abolishing Venezuela's presidential term limit, is going to move his country's clocks forward a half an hour starting January 1, 2008. I read this in a short article on hotair.com (a pretty awesome website) called "Evil Clown's Megalomania Turns Stupid."

Oh, and I am now officially enrolled at BSU. I'm going to be taking Cell Biology MWF from 8:40-9:30. It will be cool, but I'm not exactly thrilled to be "back in school," because as we all know, I'm "too cool for school."

fine

Well, at my brother's encouraging, I've changed my picture to one that's a little more recent, and a lot less homo-erotic. I'm really tired - today was pretty much an 11 hour day. My uncle gave the first presentation for the nursing staff today, and it went off with only a few minor snags (fortunately, I was prepared with a back-up, a plan B if you will, and potential crisis yet again led to perhaps my finest hour [btw, I peaked in high school]). Then he had clinic all day, which was pretty neat. We were in his new office today, and while it's not quite finished yet, it's a really nice, comfortable environment.

Today was the first day since I've been following him that my uncle saw a patient he really couldn't help. She has terrible, crippling back pain, but not from any problem that is surgically correctable. She has unfortunately already exhausted pretty much all of her other options, including some pretty radical solutions. The only option that remains is a fusion procedure which has a much higher probability of making her worse than of helping her. Since my uncle isn't willing to subject her to the risk, she might go and try to find a surgeon desperate (or greedy) enough to try it. It was very frustrating for all involved; as a doctor, my uncle naturally wants to help everyone who comes in to see him, but there are still many things which are beyond the scope of neurosurgery today. There are many problems for which there are just no good solutions yet, and this was one of those. All that can be done is to try and help the patient manage their pain, and that's not terribly satisfying for anyone involved.

On a lighter note, my uncle told me today that my signature is hesitant and 3rd grade-ish. He's blunt.

So tomorrow is my cousin Megan's last day in town before she leaves for school in Portland. We're having fried chicken and champagne. Just kidding. About the champagne. My aunt is driving out there with her on Wednesday, and my uncle will fly out to meet them on Thursday. They're all going to see the Body Works exhibit there, and I'm way jealous. That is all.

Speaking of Dancing...

See below for afore-mentioned talk of dancing, but here's how it's really done; you may know this guy from this clip, but here's a longer clip of David Elsewhere dancing. He's pretty awesome.

Who's Bad?

Well, my uncle is giving the first presentation that I "created" tomorrow morning. I'm going to be on-hand as the resident tech-expert (ha) and so he can point at someone if something goes wrong. Should be sweet. One bit of great news - though I left Kansas with a newly acquired badass wardrobe, I have now graduated to wearing scrubs pretty much every day. It's awesome. Literally like wearing pajamas to work.

My uncle and I had a pretty awesome mountain bike ride today - we're both getting much better and are moving a lot faster. This is both good and terrifying; you really do just have to not think about all of the bad things that could happen and just sort of go. It's a lot of fun, though, and great exercise.

Oh, and last night, my cousins Molly and Amy showed me some dance moves - so watch out world. It should be noted, however, that most of them are Michael Jackson inspired (btw, we watched a few of his music videos from back in the day, and "Bad" is officially the least "bad" a person has ever looked [ note the included picture]). Check this out to see MJ in his real prime. And here's another little tidbit to help people like me make it into/through medical school.

One last bit- Here's the quote of the day: "Oh wow, I'm really surprised she sent you to that place. She got really sick the last time she ate there." - my uncle when he heard that my cousin Megan recommended I eat at a local Chinese food place. I was pissed when I heard that, but it was a few days ago and I'm not sick yet. I've had enough fun with Chinese cuisine in my days...

btw

If you're bored, and haven't heard about it yet, this is a pretty interesting read. Scientists are smart. If you haven't heard the background, click on their link "big data bug" in the first line. It's pretty ridiculous and it really puts the whole global warming thing in a new perspective.

BTW, I just came across this picture of my fam whitewater rafting this summer. It's kind of small, so you'll have to look closely, but see if you can tell why I think this picture is hugely funny.

note: a tech-guru I know pointed out to me that you can actually make the picture bigger by clicking on it. Technology. What will they think of next.

Stress

Well, I just finished my first powerpoint presentation for my uncle. For those of you not in the know, that's what my uncle "hired" me to do; he gives weekly lectures to the nursing staff at one of his hospitals, and they wanted to start doing it electronically. My uncle is comedically tech-challenged (to the point where everyone makes fun of him at work - he literally has voice mails on his cell phone from months ago because he doesn't know how to check them. This amuses me because he's a brilliant neurosurgeon who uses the most advanced and complicated devices in imaging and surgery, but can't check his email. But I digress.) So, I've been charged with creating these powerpoint presentations, which works out well for everyone. My uncle can avoid wasting hours trying to figure out computers, and I get to buff my resume a bit.

I spent the better part of yesterday trying to learn the program and make a template (and get a little more comfortable with macs [sorry this link is a little bit crass, but it's way true]) but now I've got a template for future presentations, and I'm rolling. The one I just finished is about carpal tunnel syndrome which, contrary to popular belief, is something a neurosurgeon is trained to deal with. This is especially true of doctors like my uncle who are trained specifically in peripheral nerve problems. It's all pretty interesting stuff, and I'm excited to get working on the next one.

The rest of my time the last few days has been devoted to the AMCAS medical school application. It pretty much sucks. A lot. I had to hand-type every single class I've ever taken including class number, number of credits, grade, etc., even though they're going to get my transcripts anyway. Seems like a waste of time. Especially since I took about 150 different classes in my time at KU, for a grand total of 8,000 credit hours (give or take). Oh well.

So, I'm trying to keep my cool in the face of stress. Things are good here in Idaho, and I'm going to see my fam in November and December), and things are pretty good. But, there's a lot to do. I should probably get to it.

My Life is Way More Important than Yours. Here's Proof.

Well, I've been in Idaho for about 9 weeks now, I think, and I'm going to take this opportunity to catch people up on exactly what it is that I've been doing. Because people care. And they really ought to. First, I should point out that I haven't started this "blog" until now because there really wasn't anything to report; I would lie awake at night imagining what my blog would look like, and every would-be post consisted of, "Today I studied. Then I ate and studied more. Then I went to sleep." I decided to spare my unquestionably massive audience and wait until something interesting happened. With that said, here's pretty much what I've been up to:

I'm in Boise, ID, living with family. I took the MCAT on the 24th of July (still waiting patiently for the scores), and I left feeling utterly dominated in every way. I don't want to talk about it. I'm living with my aunt and uncle, and their three girls, aged 16, 17 and 18. For those of you who are like I was and have never really lived with teenaged girls, let me tell you, it's an experience. More on that in the future, I would imagine. My uncle is a Neurosurgeon here in Boise, and I'm going to be following him around and working for him for the next year or so. I've just started all of this in earnest over the last week (today was my first day in scrubs, and yes, I did look amazing, thanks for asking). In the few short days I've been following him around, I've literally learned more than in a whole year of "music education" classes at KU. Shocking.

I have also, it seems, taken an interest in mountain biking, and am rapidly progressing towards novice status. It's terrifying. And I'm terrible. I guess I like the rush of knowing that I have trusted my life not only to a bike I've only just met, but also to my decidedly lacking abilities in maneuvering said bike. It's really fun, and I just got a new mountain bike, which makes me feel a little less close to death all the time.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that my grandparents live in Boise, as well, though they spend most of the summer at their cabin in McCall. I have been able to go up and visit pretty regularly, which is great (I've included a picture purely as a means of bragging).

I think that should pretty much cover it. So I should point out the purpose of this blog - I guess I want to let people kind of know what I'm doing (you're welcome, mom), but I also am going to use this as a way for me to remember the cool/interesting/important things I do and see whilst here in Idaho. As a result, this may get somewhat technical (see: boring). Sorry about that in advance. I also may periodically seize the opportunity to opine if the mood strikes me. So, thanks for reading (mom) - and get ready for a really wild ride! I just threw up in my mouth a little.