A happy Halloween poem!

No musical theme today either...if I have time next weekend I'll make an audio recording of my poem with spooky sounds.

In honor of the Halloween festivities I will write a poem about the many things I find scary. Boo.

'twas the night of the 'ween!
The evening of all hallows!
As I lay in half slumber,
fearing the diet I start tomorrow.

"No cookies!" they say
Cakes and chocos? Out of question!
Nothing savory, nothing packaged
"Try some flackers" was the suggestion.

Tonight the dreams turn into nightmares of insects, rodents, birds, and massages.
Yucky mold and mildew, and dust that covers all visages.

Kidnappers, burglars, stalkers and bandits.
Ghosts, goblins, witches and all those spooky spirits.

Escalators, shaky trains
Going gray from my growing pains.
Getting shorter, getting smaller
The MCAT, AMCAS, and med school soon to follow.
"Oh forget it!" I exclaimed. The diet can wait for after tomorrow!

Happy Halloween! Stay safe during trick-o-treating!

If you love someone, act on it

Bon Iver "Skinny Love"

I saw this wonderful billboard in South Station today that states "If you love someone, act on it" (sorry so blurry, not sure why):

I would just like to leave my post with that. Quite a storm last night, hope my cousins and everyone else in New York/Jersey are doing alright.

This week's lessons learned

Wiz Khalifa "Work Hard Play Hard"

(1) Stay SAFE
(2) Aim to be healthy
(3) I really need to watch the news/weather more or at least get a weather app. I almost missed this hurricane if it wasn't for the kind people in my building.
(4) Get pumped
(5) Nothing is fun until you're good at it. Nothing is more fun until you're good at something hard or that you once sucked at. Nothing is most fun until you're an expert at what was once hard for you.
(6) We are what we repeatedly do. 10,000 hours--I do believe it. If that doesn't work, then do 20,000, then 30,000.
(7) It's always a choice to NOT to take the easy way out.
(8) I'm in the midst of trying to conquer myself.
(9) Along the same lines, I employ a lot of people to fix my life.
(10) Per the coast guard, Semper Paratus

Other Blogs of interest

Something fun today! Cobra Starship-"You make me feel"

 For some time now I've been wanting to link to other blogs I read frequently so here goes:

(1) The Stone (NYTimes) http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/the-stone/
-This is my favorite blog as it is a forum where modern philosophers share, explain, and express philosophical ideals in a contemporary context.

(2) Get better at being a human: http://www.raptitude.com/
-I don't think I realized the power of blogging or even its impact until I started reading this. I came across it through stumbleupon (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1j8TcW) and have been hooked ever since.

Alongside this is Barking up the wrong tree: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/
-I just read lots of interesting and informative things on here (see some of my previous posts.)

(3) Health Blogs: hard to choose but I love all of these: WSJ health blog http://blogs.wsj.com/health/ and NEJM's physician blog http://blogs.nejm.org/now/
and another blog from NEJM from some current residents http://blogs.jwatch.org/general-medicine/

(4) Frontline of leadership from HBR: http://blogs.hbr.org/frontline-leadership/
-I used to read this when working on that end of things and I just found the posts to be very enlightening on the parallels of leadership in the corporate world and leadership in the military.

(5) Hotties on the T: http://hottiesonthet.blogspot.com/
-This blog is just pure genius. 'Nuff said.

(6) This last one is from one of my posts a few weeks ago where I mentioned reading a profound blog post, so here is that blog: http://www.colinsshorts.com/  I urge my readers to read this because Colin is a super talented writer.

In honor of ether day...

No music, NEJM videos instead!

Ether day was last week at MGH (the first public demonstration of ether used as anesthesia.) Here's a video from NEJM that reminded me of ether day:
http://nejm200.nejm.org/explore/medical-documentary-video/?v=1

I'm also in the midst of reading Dr. Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto (the actual checklists he has implemented at Brigham are shown in the video.) I love the ideology behind this book especially since it reminds me of a checklist I used to use as an engineer when designing things. It makes sense that engineers and production sites use checklists, but I always enjoy seeing a core principle that has already streamlined/improved one industry transcend disciplines (especially when the application is in medicine.)

Don't ask why I'm up this late. I got lost in reading about medicine again. Enjoy folks!

7 Things I want to see/do in life/ GO TIGERS!

Mariah Carey "Triumphant"

Obviously the thing I want to do in my daily life is be a practicing doctor, but beyond that here are six natural landmarks or things in nature I want to see or do in my life. Hope this encourages you all to think about what you'd like to see in nature too!

(1) Aurora Borealis--also known as the northern lights (OR aurora australis -the Southern lights.) See how pretty they are!

http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ/

(2) The Great Barrier Reefs in Australia-This should come at no surprise since I adore all things aquatic. I think I once read that if you touch a coral it dies. Hmm...

http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-diving-trips/scuba-diving-resort-vacations/australia-great-barrier-reef/

(3) Whale watching in the Atlantic and hopefully a sighting of the elusive humpback whale or better yet a Blue Whale (the largest animal!)

http://twistedsifter.com/2012/04/15-of-the-largest-animals-in-the-world/  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/blue-whales/brower-text

(4) A Safari during the largest land migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Apparently millions of large land animals migrate towards food/water. Now I don't just want to go on a lame jeep tour. I want to do one of those adventures where you sleep in cabins in the middle of Sahara and the Lions and Cheetahs walk around your cabin and scratch on your doors in the middle of the night. Adventure? I think so!

(5) Caves- ok I know i'll have to overcome my fear of small animals (i.e. bats) and insects but I really want to see the stalactites ever since I was 8 and received a book from my teacher on Caves.

(6) Hold a Panda in a Chinese Panda Sanctuary. This goes hand-in-hand with holding the Koala at a Koala sanctuary. Anyone who knew me between the ages of 6-8 knows that I was obsessed with Pandas to the point where I'd memorize facts and make presentations to my parents about this animal.

http://www.chinagiantpanda.com/pandaprogram/interactpanda.htm

(7) Climb some sort of mountain. I always talk about how it's important to me to push myself physically and aside from getting in shape to do this, I think the experience itself would be amazing. Now I will be realistic and not try to do something ridiculous, but there's these luxury hiking tours from Abercrombie & Kent where other people carry your packs and food and you stay at nice hostels along the trail. 

Lastly, yay to the Detroit Tigers for beating out the Yankees 8-1 and making it to the World Series! Detroit seriously needs a win, let's hope this is one for the books!

This week's lessons learned

Sia "Breathe Me"

(1) I need to invest in myself as much as I invest in others.
(2) Worry about myself/have some faith in myself.
(3) I can do this, but I need to catch my breath.
(4) I need to stop chasing after what's not mine, not worth it, not worthy of being mine, or what's not right for me.
(5) I need to find a way to stop being so critical of myself to the point of self-persecution.

Moonrise Kingdom and Love and other things

Once Again The Lumineers "Stubborn Love"

(1) Whilst browsing through iTunes I came across Wes Anderson's  most recent film Moonrise Kingdom. I guess this was released for rent earlier this month (and evidently I somehow missed the theatrical release earlier this year.) Now I don't recall the last time I've watched a film, probably almost 2 years (and it's been more like 5 years since I've been to a movie theatre.) I might stick out the 90 minutes for this one because I find Wes Anderson to be a cinematic genius for a number of reasons: his choice of retro style, outlandishly crazy/compulsive characters who proceed as normal throughout the films, his portrayal of dysfunction within a family unit, the dry humor, and of course his use of imagery. Here's the trailer of this film which I find darling.

(2) After watching this trailer I couldn't help but stop and ponder about some aspects of love that I think are just forgotten these days. I love that this film brings back the art of letter writing. I think part of why I adore the idea of letter writing is that it is so much more personal than an email. Now if only I can find a pen-pal. Secondly, I'd like to refer back to a previous post of mine that talked about vulnerability's role in clicking with another individual. The article I posted also referenced a questionnaire that was given to accelerate the level two daters connect. The questions are very interesting: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/08/is-there-a-shortcut-to-bonding-with-a-romanti/

(3) Anyway, naturally I've progressed to pondering about the concept of love and how it makes its wicked way into our world in unexpected places. Of course it's prevalent in music and other art forms but I often consider how love is everywhere. Obviously I love medicine, but a lot of the philosophy literature I read is soaked in visions of the philosopher's love for thinking. Lastly, I noted in an earlier post that I've finished my book. (Obviously that is until I read it again and completely change it seeing as I'm constantly editing my work and as I think Marquez said it best that you never stop editing your work, it just gets published.) At any rate the only reason I mention this is that I think my book of poems has emerged from my encounters of love's dark side in many ways. I have purchased my Writer's Market and now am hoping I find a publisher. I give myself 8 months...wish me luck (or better yet hook me up with a publisher.)

(4) Before I end this post, I'd like to lament for ten seconds that today is my half birthday. Ughh twenty-six and one half is flipping old.

(5) I ramble on about all kinds of negative things on here so instead I wanted to end this post by sharing a random act of kindness I encountered today on my way home. I was pulling out my keys from my pocket in front of my building when my eye drops fell out of my pocket. I adjusted my items (phone and keys and things) before considering bending down but in the mean time a nice gentleman wearing a pinstriped suit must've seen me drop them and bent down before me to pick them up. I think, especially on the east coast, it's been rare for me to find individuals who are just kind people. I'm not naive to think that life was going to be like Sesame Street when I grew up, but I do believe in others and society and I do think everyone has the capacity to just be kind. Hopefully this encourages anyone reading this to pursue a random act of kindness to a stranger on the street.

Hemingway Once More

The Fray "Vienna"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x4THOTVz34&feature=plcp

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially.
-Hemingway A Farewell to Arms

This Week's Lessons Learned

The Fray Cover "Heartless" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgnFKNvmV7o

(1) Sometimes I'm just not enough.
(2) Boundaries.
(3) Always keep building on who you want to be. (Maybe contentment will be achieved one day...)
(4) Apparently vulnerability has something to do with establishing a firm/solid relationship. Perhaps this is why I make friends so easily?:

http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/10/what-makes-you-click-with-someone-else/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bakadesuyo+%28Barking+up+the+wrong+tree%29

(5) There's an appropriate time, place, and audience for the real me.
(6) First impressions are rarely incorrect. Trust what you have already seen.
(7) I live next to Marmaduke. Woof woof.
(8) Failure is never permanent! (a repeat)
(9) I really really really need to find a publisher for my book.
(10) The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. -Hemingway

Some med school videos

No music again because of these videos.

So there are several parody videos and one motivational video. Enjoy!

(1) Med school in paris soo funny--the suga?!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo3CXkPszQc&feature=fvwrel

(2) Um, someone here in Boston find me the dude in this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ygTTdZpECI

(3) Paris from some other school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HpaUVtbVbQ
I'm sure there's better ones out there but the shingle ladies line makes it.

(4) The actual video quality is nice on this one and I wanted to post something from Michigan but MSU will have to suffice for now... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE3BgR8H6uQ&list=PL62454070B8FB7EB3&index=11&feature=plpp_video

(5) How to get into med school part 1 and 2 videos: ok this guy I guess is a DO but he's very enthusiastic so I threw him in the mix of fun videos:
PART 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r02wZFzh3g&feature=related
PART 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy4zPDGti9M&feature=relmfu

Untitled

There is no music for this post. Just words. I did not intend to write today...

Until I read the blog of a friend and the ticking clock of life was thrown into the foreground of my current existence. I will link to that blog in a later post (as it is one of my favorite blogs) but would like to leave my readers with this impromptu short prose:

What do you do when a fire emerges that quickly turns into the uncontrollable conflagration which inevitably will consume your soul? Those of you who've walked through fire understand this feeling of helplessness; you are just one individual fighting a war against an army of great numbers eager to devour the essence of your existence. Perhaps the question is not what do you do, but rather what can you do? Furthermore, what will you be left with when all is lost and over? We would not have remorse for lost time or missed opportunities if we always lived with that ephemeral feeling of urgency that lifts our spirit into an everlasting-awakening.

I often reflect upon a story that one of my former bosses from Michigan once told me about the manager of the army depot we used to frequent for our vehicle production. (Forgive me if this story is a duplicate--I am suffering from déjà vue and sense that I've wrote this somewhere before.) The story goes that the manager had inquired about the quantity of some material or part and the response from an employee was that we don't have enough parts or materials to finish all the vehicles on the line. The manager cleverly responds "I'm not worried about finishing production at this point, I just want to start."

I think about that phrase a lot especially as I've been removed from my engineering career and the workforce for some time and I'm left suspended in this existence of being "in-between." I just want to start. I moved here to Boston under the premise that this aligns with what I eventually want to do with my life and it does--I don't spend a lot of my time convincing myself that this is part of the journey. I'm just trying to go along with it. I spent today in an orthopedic surgery conference thing learning about arthroplasty. I just want to start. I spent the summer and most of my time in Boston thus far adjusting and working to move forward against multiple resistive forces of life that keep jilting me back. I just want to start. I just want to start. I just want to start.

Now, in reference to that blog, this week, and some other stories. Outside of my pathophysiology class I have encountered on numerous occasions this week the degenerative diseases that I've learned thus far. There are no coincidences in life. Fatalism prevails. Before I read my friend's blog tonight I was remembering how this individual used to talk to me about his plans to become a writer and his plans to allow him to take leave from work to become a writer. While I did not disclose this to him at the time, I promised myself that I would invest in his "kick-start" (I think that's what he called it?) because I believed in him and I also felt the lingering ghosts of dreams, aspiration, your life's purpose that you know are/is attainable because they hauntingly beckon your motivation and existence now. We kept thinking "we just have to be patient." We just want to start.