Yeah, I'm 25. So what?

I brought my laundry all the way from Ann Arbor to Chicago to do my it for free at Kelly’s. If that isn’t lame enough, I realized after doing it that I had three, that’s 3, pairs of sweatpants in one load of laundry.

I'm like Glenn Beck meets Margaret Sanger

The New York Times article describing the recommended cuts to cervical and breast cancer screening enrage me in a way that I can’t describe.  I want to be rational about it.  I know that we likely screen too much for certain types of cancer, and I know that it’s costly.  But the part that enrages me is that prostate cancer is easily the most over-screened for cancer.  Easily.  Not only do we over-screen, we also over-treat.  Many patients with prostate cancer would be better off not getting treatment at all, and would probably die of something else before prostate cancer.  I will eat my hat, and yours, on the day when a committee recommends that men not get screened for their men-only cancers.  And no, I’m not suggesting that there is some kind of national conspiracy to promote ill-health in women, but I’m not saying there isn’t.  I’m just saying isn’t it interesting that only I am asking these questions?

Lake Folk in Cleveland, Lake Folk in Cleveland

You maybe heard that Lake Folk had it’s first out of town show last weekend.  We played two nights in Cleveland.  The first night was at a mega-houseparty my very special fwend, Brian Beck, was hosting.  That show went really well, I thought, and we sold a lot of EP and received a lot of nice comments.  Brian has a really beautiful house with dark wood paneling and floors and rustic lighting (pictures below).  AND a fireplace.  Our instruments sounded rich and full there on Saturday afternoon when we were practicing for our show that evening.

The second night we played at Arabica in Solon, Ohio, which is a little cafe/bar just outside of Cleveland.  We had a sound guy who was really great and I think our sound might have been the best ever.  Unfortunately because of the following night of jamming, drinking, screaming and all other manner of debauchery my voice was not at it’s best.  To hopefully mitigate future throat-related problems I’ve done two things.  First, I bought this.  I cannot wait to take pictures of me using it.  I was waffling on it a bit, but the first review said that it is a MUST HAVE for singers and speakers.  So, there you go.  And yes, I did buy the aromatic pads to use with it so that I can breathe in soothing menthol and eucalyptus.  Duh, that’s a no-brainer.  The second thing I did was to contact a voice PhD student at Michigan for some voice lesssssssoooons.  I’m hoping he can give me some advice on how to strengthen up my voice and increase my endurance.  I’ve never had any formal vocal training (does high school choir count?), and I’m a little nervous.  His ad said to expect “an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses” at my first lesson.  Great.

23 and ME!

For once in a really long time, I actually know what I want for Christmas.  I want a 23 And Me kit.  23 And Me is a personal genomics company the sequences about 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and then integrates the results with known genetic variants that cause or are associated with disease.  The company also designs surveys that users can complete to try to begin to understand complex traits like food preference.  Ancestry can also be determined through mitochondrial DNA.  It’s still a little expensive at $399, but I’m totally worth it.  Plz send your donations.

Goodness Gracious!

I’ve been gone for a really long time, and I apologize for not updating more regularly (sorry mom, ha ha!).  I guess I’ve been busy or something.  Allow me to fill you in.

A little more than a month ago, I enrolled (somewhat voluntarily) in a clinical trial.  The goal was to see how a chronic high-fat diet influences things like insulin sensitivity.  So, I essentially had to eat regular food covered in butter for an entire month (not as delicious as it sounds).  I had to eat a little over 3/4 of a stick of butter everyday.  Anyway, the jury is still out on the results but I’m mercifully done now and back on the olive oil and the sauce.

I’ve been spending a lot of time tutoring of late.  I tutor undergraduate statistics, and I actually rather enjoy it (and not just for the untaxed cash).  I’ve found that I do like teaching so maybe being a stuffy professor wouldn’t be so bad after all.  Consequently, if you have any undergraduate-level statistics questions, I’m your lady.

As far as my actual job goes…it’s going.  I have to present my thesis proposal to lab on December 18.  After they tear it apart and I rebuild it, I will pick my committee and make the formal proposal in early January.  Then I just wait for the money to roll in…wait, no, then I actually have to do what I said I would do.  But after I do all that, I wait for the money to roll in.  Umm, no next comes post doc applications and at least 2 more years of thankless work…then money rolls in?  I’m starting to think maybe money doesn’t ever roll in?  Damn this economy!

Now, as far as my actual actual job goes, it’s going rather well.  Lake Folk is blowing up the scene, people.  Since the last time I posted we’ve played 2 more shows, which isn’t that shabby for something that is sort of a hobby.  We played a second time at Plymouth Coffee Bean and I think it went a lot better this time.  We debuted a few of the songs we have been working on to play at our Halloween show - mostly murder ballads.  Danielle and I also did our first live performance of Gloomy Sunday which I thought went awesome(ly).  Danielle adapted the piano part into a cello accompaniment, and it’s beautiful and eerie and becoming one of my favorites to do live.  I’ve posted a live recording below, so check it.  Next weekend we’re going to The Land of Cleves to play at a folk-based house party and the following day at Arabica Coffee in Solon, OH.  I’m super stoked to go Cleveland and rock the partay.  Anyway, look out for pictures of our Cleveland fun next week.  We also finally have EPs for sale.  We’ve already sold 14 of them and we’re pooling the money to buy some real studio time to work on our LP hopefully in January or February.  Once our debut album is complete, we shall let the money roll in.