I finished a book called Stiff by Mary Roach, who more recently came out with a book called Bonk. Stiff is about cadavers. Bonk is about sex.
She's a great writer. I kept laughing out loud and when I tell ppl that, in regards to the subject matter, they look at me funny. But she just says the funniest things! And has a natural curiosity that I appreciate.
I now know way too much about cadavers. In connection to my weird obsession with organ transplant and wanting to know where do all the med school skeletons come from? (you kinda don't want to know), I can now add to that illustrious curiosity resume "Knows extensive cadaver facts and will elaborate easily."
Mary Roach writes respectfully of the dead and takes on a distant approach (it's not analyzing what happens to our beloved, but more strangers). In the end, I came away thinking there's no good way to handle a body after it's gone. Everything is messy and ugly and not pretty.
She writes that after talking to many researchers and other ppl who deal with cadavers, she hears that the biggest no-no to do to a dead body is test bullets or bombs on it. This is after reading about crash-test cadavers (I know, surprised me too) who get smashed in simulated car accidents, embalming, body farms where they study the body's messy, liquidy breakdown by having many bodies in different stages of decomposition, and plastic surgeons who practice on decapitated heads. So what's so bad about using cadavers to test bombs or bomb-seeker shoes? I found that very interesting. I say, blow me up. I'd rather have my corpse thrown into a bomb or have bullets shot at it then to be a crash-test body. Or to have maggots run through me and all the researchers take notes. Ugh. Sudden re-death anyday, please.
Monday, August 25, 2008
My blogging skills lag
Eh. Blogging. Writing witty quirky comments on my life. Eh.
My coworker rode BART into work this morning with a fundraiser event goodie bag over her shoulder. A little teddy bear stuck out as the fundraiser was for a kids' camp. Some guy behind her said in a annoying voice, "Do you always carry teddy bears into work?" haha
My 30th bday was really really fun. I came into the wkend very chill and so everything was fun and enjoyable. Dinner at A Cote then Bhangra dancing (the lesson was the best part then I forgot everything) and then Oaklandish generously catered a picnic for me and my friends at Lake Merrit with free boat rides and alcohol. Yey! Oh, that wasn't just for us? Thanks anyway, Oaklandish! You rock. Seriously, we should have just told ppl to meet at the boathouse and enjoy the free farmer's market food (kettle corn, yellow watermelon, salami sandwiches, need I say more?), sangria, beer, DJ, and boat rides. And four square, too?! Wow, a good party. But seriously, playing capture the flag three times, watching ppl "surf" on Josh's bike, and finally getting to use my awesome picnic basket made it really fun. Thanks JillK for helping organize :)
Thanks to everyone who came - I am glad to have you in my life and I appreciate our friendship :) Even if I don't blog about you.
Yey, I'm 30. About darn time to start a new decade. The 20's were looking to' up. Not me - I'm looking hot, of course ;p
My coworker rode BART into work this morning with a fundraiser event goodie bag over her shoulder. A little teddy bear stuck out as the fundraiser was for a kids' camp. Some guy behind her said in a annoying voice, "Do you always carry teddy bears into work?" haha
My 30th bday was really really fun. I came into the wkend very chill and so everything was fun and enjoyable. Dinner at A Cote then Bhangra dancing (the lesson was the best part then I forgot everything) and then Oaklandish generously catered a picnic for me and my friends at Lake Merrit with free boat rides and alcohol. Yey! Oh, that wasn't just for us? Thanks anyway, Oaklandish! You rock. Seriously, we should have just told ppl to meet at the boathouse and enjoy the free farmer's market food (kettle corn, yellow watermelon, salami sandwiches, need I say more?), sangria, beer, DJ, and boat rides. And four square, too?! Wow, a good party. But seriously, playing capture the flag three times, watching ppl "surf" on Josh's bike, and finally getting to use my awesome picnic basket made it really fun. Thanks JillK for helping organize :)
Thanks to everyone who came - I am glad to have you in my life and I appreciate our friendship :) Even if I don't blog about you.
Yey, I'm 30. About darn time to start a new decade. The 20's were looking to' up. Not me - I'm looking hot, of course ;p
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Olympics!!
I'm sufficiently into the Olympics now, after watching ten hours on Sunday from 2pm-12am. That will do it. So to return to my favorite list format, here are 10 things I have learned from watching lots and lots of Olympics coverage:
1) I have a huge crush on Matt Grevers, the 6'8" awesome and cute swimmer. After Ad Hoc, you are next on my proposal list, Matt. Be warned.
2) The Chinese are able to be crazy coordinated. Americans could NEVER do the things they did in their opening ceremony. We are really not that disciplined or able to fake discipline for the pride of our country.
3) The NBC commentators and esp that peppy weird Mary chick seem to speak about the Chinese and China in a condescending manner. They're constantly amazed by the Chinese, which is both insulting to China - like did you think they were a different kind of being, white Americans? - and insulting to Americans. Do you reflect America when you appear shocked and complimentary that a Chinese acrobat practices 7-8 hours a day and then performs? Have you never heard of a professional athlete that practices a lot out of dedication? Have you never conceived that other cultures study more and practice longer than our lazy American butts? Are we really that ignorant of China and Chinese ppl?
4) NBC is stupid to not have a Chinese-American commentator ANYWHERE in their coverage. We are then stuck with little tidbits on ancient Confucius and the one of the freakiest thing I ever heard. During the opening ceremony, one of the commentators proudly talked about the grace all Chinese have as they showed the 2008 (I assume) women dressed in ancient costume, and then went on to talk about if you go into McDonald's in Beijing, you will see that same grace. WTF?? The other commentator called him out, laughing, saying, oh so if you order a hamburger, they delicately hand it to you? It feels like Americans and NBC are unable to reconcile the ancient and modern China, which it true for how we are unable to see other countries as well.
5) I find myself faintly surprised that I'm admiring the intense and probably hugely psychological damaging training of the Chinese. So what if they start training them in the womb and they're gold medal-ready at age 2? So what if their family is probably threatened/lavished based on their child's performance? So what if the athlete might lose a limb if they fall off the uneven bars or will never work again if they come in fourth in swimming? They win, don't they? Then what's the problem. Will we Americans ever have that dangerous yet winning combination of determination, fear of failure, national pride, and absolute scared sheetless of letting down their country?
6) I hate how NBC manipulates the schedule so I don't know what I'm seeing live, or watching delayed, and there's only a few hours of coverage a day. I remember when there would be tv coverage on all the time, including off hours, and we would adapt our lives to watch it. In eighth grade, we would watch during the day at school because that was when it was ON, stupid NBC. I hate the way we Americans change the rest of the world's schedule to accommodate ours, esp so NBC can make sure it gets high ratings. That's the main reason. And there are a lot more sports (field hockey??) that I would like to watch. Esp in the TiVo and DVR age, how can they not be playing coverage 24 hrs a day?
7) I have never heard of synchronized diving into two days ago. Ok. Can we go back to more Matt Grevers coverage? Seriously, more mens swimming is a good thing.
8) Anyone else impressed but a little freaked out by the multiple crews of 2008 of Chinese in the opening ceremony? They were instructed to smile so they didn't look intimidating but how could you not be a little scared of so many ppl doing things in unison? Ppl trained to drum or do tai chi could definitely be trained to do bad things in unison. Nothing against Chinese ppl, just saying that large nationalist crowds doing things at exactly the same time kinda reminds me of Germany. Around, say 1939.
9) I loved watching the US Mens swimming team fight back to win in the 4x100m against France. I started cheering loudly, jumped up and down, and ended by screaming and raising my arms. I watched it late Sunday night and woke up Monday morning happy. Wow, it really changed how I was feeling that wk.
10) The Olympics might be the only time I feel proud of America. Go USA!!
Did I mention my crush on Matt Grevers? Ok, just wanted to make that clear :)
Go women's gymnastics and men's swimming tonight! (Or whenever it actually happened, stupid NBC...)
1) I have a huge crush on Matt Grevers, the 6'8" awesome and cute swimmer. After Ad Hoc, you are next on my proposal list, Matt. Be warned.
2) The Chinese are able to be crazy coordinated. Americans could NEVER do the things they did in their opening ceremony. We are really not that disciplined or able to fake discipline for the pride of our country.
3) The NBC commentators and esp that peppy weird Mary chick seem to speak about the Chinese and China in a condescending manner. They're constantly amazed by the Chinese, which is both insulting to China - like did you think they were a different kind of being, white Americans? - and insulting to Americans. Do you reflect America when you appear shocked and complimentary that a Chinese acrobat practices 7-8 hours a day and then performs? Have you never heard of a professional athlete that practices a lot out of dedication? Have you never conceived that other cultures study more and practice longer than our lazy American butts? Are we really that ignorant of China and Chinese ppl?
4) NBC is stupid to not have a Chinese-American commentator ANYWHERE in their coverage. We are then stuck with little tidbits on ancient Confucius and the one of the freakiest thing I ever heard. During the opening ceremony, one of the commentators proudly talked about the grace all Chinese have as they showed the 2008 (I assume) women dressed in ancient costume, and then went on to talk about if you go into McDonald's in Beijing, you will see that same grace. WTF?? The other commentator called him out, laughing, saying, oh so if you order a hamburger, they delicately hand it to you? It feels like Americans and NBC are unable to reconcile the ancient and modern China, which it true for how we are unable to see other countries as well.
5) I find myself faintly surprised that I'm admiring the intense and probably hugely psychological damaging training of the Chinese. So what if they start training them in the womb and they're gold medal-ready at age 2? So what if their family is probably threatened/lavished based on their child's performance? So what if the athlete might lose a limb if they fall off the uneven bars or will never work again if they come in fourth in swimming? They win, don't they? Then what's the problem. Will we Americans ever have that dangerous yet winning combination of determination, fear of failure, national pride, and absolute scared sheetless of letting down their country?
6) I hate how NBC manipulates the schedule so I don't know what I'm seeing live, or watching delayed, and there's only a few hours of coverage a day. I remember when there would be tv coverage on all the time, including off hours, and we would adapt our lives to watch it. In eighth grade, we would watch during the day at school because that was when it was ON, stupid NBC. I hate the way we Americans change the rest of the world's schedule to accommodate ours, esp so NBC can make sure it gets high ratings. That's the main reason. And there are a lot more sports (field hockey??) that I would like to watch. Esp in the TiVo and DVR age, how can they not be playing coverage 24 hrs a day?
7) I have never heard of synchronized diving into two days ago. Ok. Can we go back to more Matt Grevers coverage? Seriously, more mens swimming is a good thing.
8) Anyone else impressed but a little freaked out by the multiple crews of 2008 of Chinese in the opening ceremony? They were instructed to smile so they didn't look intimidating but how could you not be a little scared of so many ppl doing things in unison? Ppl trained to drum or do tai chi could definitely be trained to do bad things in unison. Nothing against Chinese ppl, just saying that large nationalist crowds doing things at exactly the same time kinda reminds me of Germany. Around, say 1939.
9) I loved watching the US Mens swimming team fight back to win in the 4x100m against France. I started cheering loudly, jumped up and down, and ended by screaming and raising my arms. I watched it late Sunday night and woke up Monday morning happy. Wow, it really changed how I was feeling that wk.
10) The Olympics might be the only time I feel proud of America. Go USA!!
Did I mention my crush on Matt Grevers? Ok, just wanted to make that clear :)
Go women's gymnastics and men's swimming tonight! (Or whenever it actually happened, stupid NBC...)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Life and stuff, and my iPhone
I picked up my iPhone yesterday and it is super cool. I started playing around with and adding applications last night. The light saber one and Koi fish one are my current faves. They have almost no purpose but make me smile.
I got my tax rebate last month but am stubbornly refusing to use it to shop. I want to buy a HD TV but I just can't bring myself to use the money on consumption. I hate that Bush so much. Anyone else feel this way?
I've started walking a lot at lunch with my fast coworkers. Around the lake, 3.5 miles plus walking down to the lake and back, in an hour. Crazy but I'm getting faster.
I got my tax rebate last month but am stubbornly refusing to use it to shop. I want to buy a HD TV but I just can't bring myself to use the money on consumption. I hate that Bush so much. Anyone else feel this way?
I've started walking a lot at lunch with my fast coworkers. Around the lake, 3.5 miles plus walking down to the lake and back, in an hour. Crazy but I'm getting faster.
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