Dear Congress

Dear Congress, while you're at it, please make sure to cut funds for residency programs so there aren't enough adequately trained physicians to care for these kids in the future. Since you've already eliminated subsidized loans for graduate students, this should help make sure that even people who want to go into primary care have to second-guess that decision. I hope the generous donations of the American Frozen Food Institute (??) continue to sway your decisions more than recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, or, indeed, the well-being of Americans.

sincerely,
a satisfied citizen

Was going to post this on facebook, but blurghle, trying to not do politics there. it's so artificial to try to separate politics from the rest of your life, though.

Update! via weekend update.

Ruh roh

Coping strategies for being iffy at conversation include keeping a bunch of fun facts handy. One of mine has been that it takes 42 muscles to frown. I really thought it did! I read it somewhere.

It actually only takes two (depressor anguli oris on each side). Whoops. I'm sorry, universe!

Smiling takes a lot more (2 for a flat smile, 8 at least for showing teeth), making that adage of it's a lot more work to frown completely false.

For the record, it's 8:50 am.

Triangles

 You guys! For the first time in the history of this blog I went a whole month without posting. Whoops! It's not like I've learned to be quiet for everyone's sake or anything. Here is a cobbled-together version of the blog posts I started and never finished over the past few weeks.

[something something tirade about economic policies, 9-9-9, the number of words in the tax code, and postcards]

"...and that's it [...] You are released on an unsuspecting world."

Stephen King wrote this in Christine (creepy, gory, recommended) in reference to high school and I suspect it applies quite well to the end of med school too. Or to the beginning. Or, um, I was going somewhere with this. I just think the quote is foreshadow-y in a variety of contexts. I feel hyperaware of the next four years (which doesn't make sense, but just go with it). I like planning, and thinking I have control over things!

Last week was triangles (hard to demonstrate with your fingers). Urogenital triangle + anal triangle. The trigone is distinct from the detrusor (we must, after all, let trigones be trigones). Grid cells make triangle-based grids (3 neuroscience conferences in 1 day --> happy Takini).

As expected, I am super good at solving Meredith's life problems.
Blair is falling apart. Chuck is falling together. Nate continues to be irrelevant.

[tirade about Israel-Palestine, US hegemony, and how no one really knows what "hegemony" means]

Mrs. Bennet: You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.
Mr. Bennet: You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.
- Pride and Prejudice

happy interviews tomorrow! I have an exam but will probably be hallway-loitering before 8 am. They will give you snickerdoodles. Don't offer them to the lawyer. He doesn't eat sweets in the morning.