Blog Hop- Brrrrrr With a Side of Ef Don DeLillo

Blog Hop time! Or, as we like to call it- Christine is too lazy to think of a topic and needs to go hammer out a long run before her Sunday half marathon (just running with my nearest and dearest 40,000 fellow runners on the Las Vegas strip Sunday night).

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish- Top Ten Books on My "Going to Read" List for Winter:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I caved and bought the set with a gift card. We'll see... I can confidently say by reading one page of Twilight that it sucks balls; I need to read these myself to say one way or the other.

2. The Women by TC Boyle- I have three books of his that I haven't read yet! I'm a die-hard Tortilla Curtain lover and was mesmerized at his reading, so I'm confident they'll be awesome.

3. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach- A book that I got several months ago through Amazon Vine that has seen a lot of initial success.

4. Light Boxes by Shane Jones- a short little experimental-esque novella that has gotten quite dusty.

5. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro- A short story collection that will be perfect for when we go on our short San Francisco trip in December. With the constant rushing traveling involves I feel that short stories work best for me.

6. The Time of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda- Honestly, I know very little about this book except that it is set during the Spanish Civil War and is a translated work (a book club selection).

7. Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith- This collection of essays by the anti-chic lit queen is also a contender for travel.

8. Underworld by Don DeLillo- I've been "reading" this beast for years (somewhere around 6) and it's on my 2011 Literary Resolutions list to finish. Fuck DeLillo and fuck this book. The bane of my existence. But, godammit, I'll do it.

9. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov- A classic, shall we? Plus everyone loves a good tale of underage sex. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Yay Kwanza.

10. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins- Must have at least one non-fiction title.

Please note that:
a. I probably will not stick to this, as I find rules stifling
b. i consider winter from now until May
c. I seriously mean it when I say "fuck Underworld"

Nonfiction Nagging- Antibiotics

Before I begin, I suppose it is my ethical duty to state that I am not a healthcare expert and that my knowledge and opinions come from being a concerned, semi-informed citizen. Wanting to be a doctor and holding a biology credential may make me a nerd, but definitely not a professional.

So, while everyone in the world today was out snatching up TVs for $20 and macing fellow shoppers, I was holed up on my comfy couch reading Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis by Karl Drlica and David Perlin (please note that all information in this blog was acquired from this text, unless otherwise noted). For fun. This was not for a class or for credit, it was total self-education. And boy did I learn.

Personally, I stay away from antibiotics because a) they make my birth control ineffective and, more importantly, b) the body can often fend for itself. My cheap-ass younger self spend some time insurance-free time in college and got sick numerous time... and survived. Interestingly, now I don't get sick (knock on wood) often- my personal opinion is that I built up resistance then and during my years teaching elementary school. I've been aware for many years that the world is rendering antibiotics ineffective by overuse and I have wanted no part. Unfortunately, my concerned have now been affirmed: I have no choice.

Antibiotic resistance is a global problem that impacts us all, no matter what. It stems from:

Pushovers
Doctors prescribing antibiotics for viruses (colds!), possible infections, and other inconvenient symptoms. Some studies have found up to half of the 100 million antibiotic prescriptions distributed each year are unnecessary (bets on how many go to kids with slight ear infections, adults who swear they have sinusitis, and people tired of coughing?). We don't like being sick- there's nothing wrong with that. What is wrong, though, are doctors that lack the balls to say "rest, drink fluids, and let your body give it a go for a week or so." Oh, and old-school docs calling in meds without seeing patients? Augh! No! No! No! Doctors admit they simple don't have the time or energy to fight with people. No one likes an unhappy customer.

Moo, Gobble, Oink
The agriculture industry has used antibiotics and growth hormones for years now at an alarming rate. The cows take the antibiotics and we eat the meat. Need I say more?

A Spoonful of Medicine...
Dosing guidelines are too conservative. Resistance happens because of mutation; low dose antibiotics aren't always strong enough to kill a bacteria population before the whole natural selection/survival of the fittest theories kick in. Little Joe Bacteria mutates to resist Penicillin, reproduces, and all the sudden it's not working anymore. Joe Bacteria reproduces... and reproduces... and reproduces... and then escapes the body so your coworker/child/friend/bus seat partner then picks it up. Boom. Higher doses does mean a possible increase in side effects; the pharmaceutical industry is too concerned with low side-effects instead of the resistance problem.

It's All About the Benjamins
Drug companies aren't terribly concerned with developing new antibiotics (or possibly more effective combination drugs) because the money is in more expensive prescriptions for diseases that require prolonged dosages. Pneumonia is temporary (if treated appropriately), while diabetes requires a lifetime of prescriptions.

The authors of this text, nor I, aren't calling for an end to antibiotic usage. They are absolutely necessary, and life-saving, sometimes. There are certain people that should not put off going to the doctor when symptoms show (those with compromised immune systems due to HIV or other diseases, the elderly, young kids that are obviously suffering, etc...), yet most of us need to trust our bodies a little more. And, we need to take care of ourselves so we're strong enough to fight off infection in the first place. Stop stressing! Start eating better! Workout! Laugh! Have more sex! Wash your hands! Go to bed earlier!

It's also really important to remember that there are good little bugs out there- all you germaphobes who carry around hand sanitizer on your key chains need to calm yourselves. Some microbes are good- they help build resistance and break down certain things in our bodies (like in the digestive tract). The authors mention the fact that antibaceterialing (yes, I made up a word... artistic license) the hell out of your house can actually be a disservice to your kids- living in bubbles do not help build up immune systems for a healthy adulthood. So yes, keep your house clean, but it's not necessarily to clean everything with Lysol every night.

So, at the end of the day, it's like voting. I personally can't really do much about this global problem by turning down a Z-Pack, but if we all started working together to reduce antibiotic consumption we could.

PSA for Today

I just/finally finished Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot, and, while the end of the month review will be forthcoming, I had to take a few minutes to discuss one of the major concepts the novel deals with, as it's something that has unfortunately been a huge part of my life.

For those unfamiliar with the text, it's about three college graduates stuck in a love triangle. The novel follows them through their late college years into the year following their graduation. Madeline is the one coveted by both Mitchell and Leonard; she chooses Leonard, while Mitchell sets off abroad instead of dealing with the shitty economy of the 1980's recession.

Madeline and Leonard's relationship is quite tumultuous, given that he is bipolar, which is where my connection to the novel comes into play. Stop getting excited- this isn't me announcing a personal diagnosis of mental instability to the world (I'm admittedly moody at times due to running out of cereal or the dog waking me up at 4 am). My father suffered from this mental illness and eventually took his own life when I was a freshman in high school, making me a decent judge of how people with the illness act and how it impacts those around the person. I went into the novel on the lookout for bullshit, but am pleased to say that I feel Eugenides did a good job portraying a bipolar patient. Leonard had highs and lows, his medication was ridiculously hard to stabilize (this was a huge part of my dad's struggle), and those around him felt a wide range of emotions ranging from anger to helplessness to frustration in regards to his behavior. One day Leonard would be throwing parties and leading midnight adventures to casinos and then a few days later he would disappear. Eugenides obviously did his homework- not sure why I had any doubt.

What frustrates me is the false perception of manic depression/bipolar disorder many people have. The word is thrown around constantly for people who are emotional or at times unstable. Let me tell you, there is a definite difference between being moody or depressed and actually having this disease. While I'm not a doctor, healthcare professional, or sufferer, here are some of the more interesting aspects of the disease:

- More than 50% of cases start before the age of 25 (although they aren't necessarily diagnosed til until later)
- Can't be "cured," just managed
- Mania is more than just being hyper; it generally includes fast talking, breathing changes, extreme distraction, prolonged periods of feeling "high" or even irritable, sleep changes, unrealistic expectations, or risk-taking (impulsive sex, spending sprees, etc...)
- The severity of the cycles can differ
- People who are bipolar often have greater risks for anxiety disorders, substance abuse, thyroid problems, migraines and even diabetes
- Genetics play a risk; children who have a parent or sibling are 4 to 6 more times to develop it (so if I stay clear then my kids won't necessarily have the heightened risk). The odds are low already, though, so don't let the statistics fool you. And of course genes aren't the only risk factor- hello nature vs. nurture
- There are lots of available medications that continue to produce more favorable outcomes, but there are still side effects and balancing issues
- Obvious increased risk of suicide
- Those that feel they have symptoms or know someone who may should consult their doctor
[source]

And that's my literary-inspired PSA for the day.

Lucky to Be Alive

This is Chomsky:

Sometimes he's referred to as "Buddy," "The Fat Kid," or "Chomskito" (okay, the last one is just by me).

Today he was referred to as "you effing little shit!"


In retrospect, it was partly my fault- I left the book down while I shut my eyes for a few minutes (I just came back from Vegas, so give me a break), and he is still a puppy at 9 months. But, then again, books are NOT TOYS. He's pretty good about only destroying his personal possessions, but today- not so much.


After putting him in his crate and going upstairs to collect myself (thank for the deep-breathing lessons, Yoga Den) I realized that it was still readable and would look fine once put back in the jacket, which I take off before reading. But still. It's my book and he hurt it.



Little effing shit.

It's That Time Again

I'm not really a big birthday person- I don't declare the week before the 22nd "birthday weekend" or make lofty gift requests. I think this comes from growing up- my family was on a budget so we did lots of modest family parties and no one went crazy on the gifts (which, by the way, I have no qualms about and is the way I'll strive to raise my kids too). Add in the fact that I'm getting older (no, not my late 20s), I'm cool ignoring it.

That is, unless I get a birthday book cake.


My awesome friend Joanna (check out her food and healthy living blog) made me a book cake, including fondant and legible writing (you should see my lack of frosting skills). So cute, such a great color, and so good (running fuel for my impending 3-4 miler).

Growing old sucks, but having true friends there with you makes it a bit more manageable.

Especially when they come to your house with chocolate cake.