That's Hot

I changed the tagline of this blog from "because you should sweat the small stuff. at least glow." to "finding the meaningless of life." This change was necessary because I was stepping on Kevin James' toes. I woke up at my friend Sarah's house last week after our birthday party, and her extensive DVD collection was in my line of sight. Of course, the first DVD I notice is of Kevin James' standup routine. His tagline is "sweat the small stuff." Now, when my blog becomes famous, I cannot be accused of copying the King of Queens.

Ok, now to more interesting topics like feedback loops. I dived into advanced neuroscience courses this past year, and I honestly cannot say I understand much. However, one thing I did learn was how to draw pretty diagrams of positive and negative feedback loops. To refresh your memory or teach you something new, a positive feedback loop acts like this: A increases/causes the production of B which in turn increases/causes the production of A. A negative feedback loop acts this way: A increases/causes the production of B which in turn prevents the production of A.

Why this boring lesson? I always love a good metaphor so I'm going to attempt one now (forgive me if it backfires). For the past few weeks that I have been at home in Memphis, the heat has been unforgiving. Weeks of +100 degree temperatures + humidity - rain = can't breathe. What is the solution to this problem? Well, eradicating global warming is the long term answer. Moving to South Africa where it is now winter would be a moderate term answer. For right now, air conditioning is a good way to stay alive.

This is the point the metaphor enters. A normally hot day can be represented by a negative feedback loop. The heat encourages one to turn on the A/C which in turn decreases the heat. A cooled house. Yay - smiles all around. Let me tell you my current situation. On the lovely triple digit days, my house decides to go into positive feedback mode. The unbearable heat encourages me to turn on the A/C that proves to be dysfunctional because of the unbearable heat, thus leading to more hot weather. A stuffy house. Boo - sweat all around.

A working-A/C-blessed Jenny is cooler than a dysfunctional-A/C-cursed Jenny.

~Jenny

A Preview

This will be a monumental day in Trivial Pursuit history. I am posting TWO entries! Why such a generous gift? In my caffeine-induced insomnia last night, I came up with two different ideas, and I am at a loss for transitions. I also decided that this blog needs 10 (not 5 like I initially planned) entries before it makes its more public debut on Facebook. I am not confident that this blog will stay alive with only 5 entries. Ten is a keeper.

Now, onto the topic of previews. There needs to be a pre-gym gym. What do I mean? For those of us who are not bodybuilders and of other athletic physiques, we need a pre-gym gym - an exact replica of a normal gym minus the fit people - to feel less intimidation and build up confidence (and muscles) for the real gym. For me personally, a pre-gym gym will allow me to learn how to use the machines without the feeling of being a specimen under the microscope of shame. At a normal gym, I feel the need to act nonchalantly while reading the instructions for a machine as the Muscles from Brussels pumps his iron right next to me.

In other realms, there should also be previews. For example, a pre-housekeeper housekeeper. I know little about the housekeeping world, but I have heard stories about people feeling the pressure to clean before their housekeeper comes. The solution? Hire a pre-housekeeper housekeeper.

Is my preview obsession an image thing? If so, I need a review session for my priorities.

~Jenny

Recalled to Life

After a close call with blog doom, I am back in business. Blame writer's block, my 21st birthday celebration, and medical school applications. Besides, if I am to bring sexy back, I have to do it right.

As the blog title suggests, this entry is about leaving my senses but luckily regaining them. Let me explain. I excitedly found a "job" shadowing a pediatric urologist. On my very first day watching my very first surgery (a circumcision), I happily stood on a stepping stool observing the urologist and his two residents in action. I really felt like I belonged here and was quite pleased with myself. Premature excitement.

A sudden lightheaded feeling overwhelmed me and the world began to turn a dark color as I realized that I was about to pass out. Luckily, I asked to sit down and was wheeled to a room where apple juice and graham crackers saved me. Perhaps the culprit of my not-so-great first impression was my insufficient breakfast, the earliness of the day, the bright surgery room lights, or the standing. Whatever it was, I really feel embarrassed. Now I am the weak girl who faints on the job. Of course, they tried to downplay the situation, telling stories of similar fainting experiences, but now I have become another anecdote for them to tell.

Permanent tattoos can be removed by surgeons. Can permanent embarrassing stories?

~Jenny

How to Make Life Less Awkward

Get a miniature dachshund if you want to lead an awkward-free life. Not only are these long-bodied, stubby-legged canines adorable, they also make the best conversation pieces. The dachshund I have been pet-sitting this summer has made everyone from infants to the elderly smile. The only person she has yet to befriend is the mailman.

Here are some of the more memorable interactions I have experienced while walking Parley, the dog:
-Parley made a wailing toddler immediately start laughing once he saw Parley's charming self. Unfortunately, the toddler began to wail again as soon as I left.
-Two ladies ran out of a fancy restaurant to pet the dog. Actually, this encounter may have been a tad awkward because Parley tried to climb up one of the lady's dresses. However, Parley's cuteness trumped that detail.
-A 6 or 7-year-old girl commanded Parley to lick her toe since she had a boo-boo. According to her expert scientific opinion, a dog's saliva is the cure for a boo-boo. Her equally knowledgeable friend also had heard of this treatment. I guess this is what I will learn in medical school.
-Perhaps the sweetest moment occurred when an elderly woman looked at Parley and reminiscently stated how Parley brought back memories of her own dachshund she had years ago. This was a true dachshund connection.

What is my favorite dachshund moment? Perhaps this is just a Parley moment, but I love when she stands on something, e.g. a body pillow, and then tries vigorously to move it with her paws. Of course, she doesn't realize she is her own obstacle and continues this until I stop being amused and begin to feel bad for her. This action reminds me of the activity-based anorexia rats in my lab. They just keep running in their wheels forever...too bad that's the point of the experiment.

Normally, I don't trust hot dogs, but I make an exception for this type. However, I hear that Hebrew National isn't bad.

~Jenny

iCrazed

iMac. iTunes. iPod. iPhoto. iMovie. iDVD. iWeb. iWork. iLife. In case you missed it, this will be a blog about the iCraze. Apple has managed to conquer everything, even life itself (iLife). Before you know it, people will be asking for iFries with their iDrinks or reading the iNews while sitting on the iTrain.

However, there is one sphere Apple has not yet monopolized. Verbs. I think (or is it iThink?) their submission to the pomaceous empire will come soon enough, but for now, I am probably the only one who will iRun while iListening to music. The end of the sanctity of verbs seems inevitable, especially considering the fact that Apple took over the first person personal pronoun. Instead of "i," they could have used a letter of the alphabet that didn't stand alone as a word, such as a zPod or zMac. Ok, now I officially feel like the bad comedian who overextended his stay on stage.

Why did I tell this lengthy bad joke? I told it for the same reason that girls are mean to the guys they secretly admire. MacBook is my crush. I think Apple computers are so posh and apparently, they have good operating systems. I really don't mind the iMonopoly as long as I can have my MacBook.

Who needs iBanking when you have iTunes?

~Jenny

Title Says It All!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to my blog! This is new for you AND me. I plan to post random tidbits to amuse you (and myself). As the name of the blog indicates, all posts will relate to nothing important. Trivial Pursuit will include random anecdotes from my daily life or from stories I hear about in the news, from friends, etc. Thus, don't worry - if you miss a post, it's not like missing your period and thinking you're pregnant (I am currently watching Knocked Up).

I think my blog has potential for several reasons:
1) Sometimes, taking a break from The Economist or The New Yorker IS productive. Just ask yours truly because I'm on permanent leave of absence.
2) Memory. Psychologists always talk about the short-term memory span of 7 +/- 2 digits. I need a way to make sure I stay on that "plus" end. Writing seems to be a good enabler.
3) As part of the YouTube, Facebook, iPod/Phone/Tunes generation, blogging only makes perfect sense. We heart technology.
4) Do I need to justify my blog? Seinfeld writers would say no.

Here is my first taste of nothing:
As any normal person, I really dislike unwarranted personal attacks from anybody. Make that from anything. Namely, squirrels. Within the last two weeks, I encountered two such attacks. The first attack occurred as I was waiting for my 6:37 am Dinky ride. I was quietly eating my breakfast sandwich while sitting on a bench. I noticed something somewhat odd about the two squirrels bustling near me... but not really that odd considering the fact that Princeton squirrels are half-tamed freaks that I have seen eat everything from McDonald's hashbrowns to apples. The squirrels were jumping in and out of the trash cans near me. I'm sure they were just foraging for that leftover hashbrown. However, the personal attack came as they must have noticed my sandwich. They creeped up to me until they were merely inches from my feet. Because I am not a rabies fan, I got up and started walking away. Those pathetic excuses for rodents followed me around, maintaing an uncomfortably close distance! Luckily, the Dinky came to whisk me away.

The second attack happened today, circa 3 pm. I had happily finished my Bent Spoon ice cream (kiwi lime on top, peach on the bottom) and had to dispose of my cup and spoon before I returned to Firestone. I noticed the trash can had flies swarming around it. This observation probably would have been forgotten if it were not for the loser squirrel that almost attacked my face and made this incident a bigger deal. I threw my trash in the can and WHAM! A squirrel jumped up from inside the can and came way too close to my cheek. James-Lange theorists say that physiological responses come before the awareness of the corresponding emotions. This was definitely a James-Lange -ish moment because I freaked out before I realized what I thought was a bird was actually a squirrel that jumped way too high.

Two annoying close calls with squirrels. Two too many.


~Jenny