MLK Day

From President Obama, yesterday at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church (DC):

…

You know, folks ask me sometimes why I look so calm.  (Laughter.)  They say, all this stuff coming at you, how come you just seem calm?  And I have a confession to make here.  There are times where I’m not so calm.  (Laughter.)  Reggie Love knows.  My wife knows.  There are times when progress seems too slow.  There are times when the words that are spoken about me hurt.  There are times when the barbs sting.  There are times when it feels like all these efforts are for naught, and change is so painfully slow in coming, and I have to confront my own doubts.

But let me tell you — during those times it’s faith that keeps me calm.  (Applause.)  It’s faith that gives me peace.  The same faith that leads a single mother to work two jobs to put a roof over her head when she has doubts.  The same faith that keeps an unemployed father to keep on submitting job applications even after he’s been rejected a hundred times.  The same faith that says to a teacher even if the first nine children she’s teaching she can’t reach, that that 10th one she’s going to be able to reach.  The same faith that breaks the silence of an earthquake’s wake with the sound of prayers and hymns sung by a Haitian community.  A faith in things not seen, in better days ahead, in Him who holds the future in the hollow of His hand.  A faith that lets us mount up on wings like eagles; lets us run and not be weary; lets us walk and not faint.

Well today I did something odd.

In an act of medical school defiance and procrastination, I submitted a book review to:

Rain Taxi

I think I’m going crazy.  But what the hell.

In other news, please consider donating to PIH, World Concern, or another organization trying restore basic needs, comfort, and sanity to Haitians in Port-au-Prince.

Sonic Hedgehog

Today in embryology, we learned about a signaling molecule called Sonic Hedgehog.  It influences the axis of neural tube development.  But more importantly, it’s named after the infamous Sega character who was more like a roly poly bug crossed with a pinball.  Apparently the story is that a post-doc was researching this protein in a fly model and they kept getting hairy flies that looked like hedgehogs.  They named one version “desert hedgehog” and another “indian hedgehog.”  But I salute the man who contributed to science what every 20-something year old was thinking, preceded by “Dude! wouldn’t it be so awesome if…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_hedgehog

Oh, how I hope to pay as worthy a tribute to my generation in my career.

Ten Years Ago…

…I was in middle school.  And yes, I was still awkward back then.

What were you doing ten years ago?

Thank you.

Thank you Mike, Jud, and Zondervan.  This, folks, is integrity.

 

culture as a gimmick

Parts of my culture are being used a sales gimmick by earnest, well-intentioned christians on this site:

http://www.deadlyviper.org/

People are already discussing/arguing at ProfRah’s blog, so I won’t recycle talking points.  But I just wanted to ask: what happens when people use other cultures as a sales gimmick?  Oh that’s right, perhaps this (look i’m sure the waffles are great but we’re not criticizing the waffles.  same goes with deadly viper)  Or maybe this (seriously, “what up?”).  And oh yes, who can forget this (though not even a real element of chinese culture).

As Deadly Viper stresses, let’s have some integrity and grace people.  You know, the kind that doesn’t mock Asians/Asian Americans, please.

My Girls

Listen to these lyrics:

There isn’t much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
But with a little girl, and by my spouse,
I only want a proper house

I don’t care for fancy things
Or to take part in the freshest wave,
But to provide for mine who ask
I will, with heart, on my father’s grave

On my father’s grave
(On your father’s grave)

I don’t mean to seem like I
Care about material things,
Like a social status,
I just want
Four walls and adobe slats
For my girls

Let’s paint a little context… this song was released at one of the lowest points in the current financial recession.  It dances to the thumps of anti-materialism in a way that feels both deep-rooted and pie-in-the-sky.  Cool song, no?

healthcare grumbling

A friend and I were musing about the recent healthcare debate, i.e. about death panels…

Liberals are not advocating for death panels for Grandma.  But let’s be honest about the CURRENT state of things.  We essentially have panels operated by Big Insurance and some Big For-Profit Provider Schemes that are screwing over poor people and costly sick people (which could include Grandma).  Why does THIS not make people crash town hall meetings???

Oh My God

…it would be a disservice to your life to avoid watching these talks:

Everything is Spiritual
and
The Gods aren’t angry

on http://player.flannel.org/

Click on “Free Tickets,” then “Get Free Tickets,” and then select one of those videos.  [Thanks to hopewanders for the tip]

socialism is everywhere! yikes!

http://imgur.com/5RkJK.png

I cracked up when I read this.