A Lot More Crying

So I realized recently that I've been crying a lot more.  It's totally out of nowhere, nothing in particular to explain the change (aside from perhaps lack of sleep and a never ending mental barrage of competing priorities).  For now I'm doing my best to keep up damage control in the usual ways, like limiting the number of people who see it, acting like I have allergies, or pretending that I've just read the most hysterically funny thing in my life and laughed so hard I cried (I usually further this third tactic by peeing, just a little, to really drive that one home).

I was thinking about that this morning on my way to work, when a story came on the radio about the sequester and across-the-board budget cuts.  Here's the thing, and call me selfish, but if UCSF, Stanford, and Berkeley get all of their research funding cut (they estimated that UCSF gets something like $30 mill a year from the government just for research) then who is going to figure out all of these weird biological tics - and more importantly, how folks like me can get over these horrible issues.

I'm not totally diluted, I know that diarrhea for young children in Sub-Saharan Africa is a much larger issue than my overactive tear ducts.  In fact one would argue that almost any global issue would rank higher. But hang in there with me and think bigger picture.  What about all of those medical breakthroughs that have happened in the last few years that would now be in jeopardy?  Think of UCSFs discoveries around blood cancer, Stanford's research in sports medicine, and Berkeley's involvement in superfund site research and mitigation.  We have all of this capacity to identify what is wrong with our lives/communities, what we are cutting off now is any chance to do something about it.

Sure, opponents might argue that this will prioritize only the most useful types of research, but I would beg the question: when your daughter suffers permanent personality alterations due to repeated head trauma from Soccer in college - are you really going to be grateful that that funding went to Parkinson's or Alzheimer's? Shouldn't we try to advance as many issues as possible? Doesn't everyone have the right to health?

We have an incredible power to be reactionary in our desire for societal betterment (only when it effects me is it an issue).  I would challenge us all to look to the broader goal.  Imagine the society we would want the most.  Think BIG.  Then lets come back and talk about how to get there.  I'm pretty sure we won't find cutting funding for key research on the list of "to dos".

Ok, so not super witty this time either.  Would a light hearted joke clear the air?

Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Boehnaner.
Boehnaner who?

Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Boehnaner.
Boehnaner who?

Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Boehnaner.
Boehnaner who?

Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Obamange
Obamange who?
Obamange you glad I didn't say Boehnaner....

Ahhh, there's my try at political humor.  I'll plan to leave that alone in the future (as well as the puppy worship formerly mentioned).

The Completely Un-Anticipated Return

So I started this blog out about 4 years ago. Made one post and then walked away.  Over-sharing wasn't totally in my blood at that point and I wasn't at all sure what to make of the blogosphere.  Now, many years later, I think it's safe to come out.  The rush of blogs have been posted and consumed.  We've learned about sleep talking hubbies and opinionated house wives.  How to plan a wedding on a shoe string and so many tips about travel that I wonder if ANYONE works anymore.

All to say, I'm pretty sure I can satisfy my passion for the written word without causing too much attention.

Since my first post a lot has happened.  Changed jobs, twice.  Started a graduate program (just once on that one, slava bogo).  Got a puppy.  Got engaged. Moved apartments (twice on that one too, it seems I have a thing for twos).  Funny, but I can say that even with all of that I still feel as undecided as 25 year old Teresa did when she started this whole thing.  Just a little older and strangely much more concerned about my fertility...

I'd like to say that this first post came at some fascinating prompting, you see it comes down to this: I heard this clip on NPR this morning about a busy man, his life was spinning out of control in so many ways.  After a long time he sat down and expressed his woes through the piano.  I can't play the piano - never had the patience.  I tried making up a song after I heard this, but I ended up sounding a lot like Zoe Deschanel at her silliest, just stringing words together.  I can't say that my life is in shambles, but what helps me sort it all out is writing. 

I should say that I did try losing myself to romance novels first, but I just didn't find them to be fulfilling (boy meets virgin girl, boy falls in love, they can't be together, but then they are "together", and then she figures out a way to make it work - usually after someone tries to kill her).

If this outlet persists and anyone decides to read, I promise to be wittier.  I'll try to bring in interesting topics from my day and find clever ways to cloud any resemblance to real people and places.  If you are extremely lucky I'll upload a picture of my dog and change this whole blog around to some absurdly common form of puppy worship.

For now, I think I can go back to studying Environmental Health for my masters program at University of California, Broccoli (See what I did there?  Consider that teaser whit, to wet your appetite).

Key takeaways: As you may see, my love for NPR has not subsided.

An addict is born...

I thought I'd try my hand at a little blogging. Not because I think there is any sort of shortage of people spouting their thoughts and opinions as though everyone in the world had an undivided interest in reading their personal diary, but more to see/understand the appeal.

So I decided to blog about what has moved past being a source of news and into an obsession - NPR! Call me a nerd, call me what you want, but since I started work at KCLU my sophomore year in college I have been totally and utterly addicted to NPR.

I gave it up for a brief time when I joined the Peace Corps, at which point I diverted my attentions to any news I could receive in English (I will be forever thankful to a shortwave radio and BBC!), but now that I'm back in America I've hooked myself back into This American Life, like a post surgical patient to an IV, allowing the life to drip back into my veins.

I'll leave this as my intro and get started with the actual beef of this blog-to-be tomorrow. For now I send this into the abyss.