Kenya 101

So I have more information about Kenya from our handy dandy trip packet that I am only partially through... but the best part so far is that everyone has to change into closed-toed shoes at night to protect ourselves from snake and scorpion bites... and to shake your shoes before putting them on to get out those pesky little scorpions.

Other than that, we are going to live in "bandas" which are little but sturdy-looking shelters, with three other same-sex individuals, have a track nearby to run at and a fence surrounding to keep ourselves protected from wildlife, who obviously sometimes get in but largely stay on the other side of the fence. I'm going to start learning Swahili, or at least enough to survive, and doing a zillion other things on our pre-departure checklists. The schedule sounds intense, but amazing.

I promise I'll stop talking about this and get back to other more interesting blog topics soon, but with so many offers to fold yourselves into suitcases for me to bring along (including one from my brother, who is apparently going to start doing yoga to be able to fit into said suitcase), I figured that at least highlights were necessary.

Happy Friday!

Kenya!

Many already know, but I'm going to Kenya. To celebrate, I have been practicing the dances in this awesome video found by Adam and passed along via Ben. In two short months, I will be the person in the middle of the bus double fist pumping in excitement.

Keep an eye out for updates - as I get more information, I'll be sure to pass it along!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Nemo might be more right than we give that little guy credit for.

Researchers have recently found that a little everyday exercise (such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator) has larger implications than previously thought for long term risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk. This is good news for busy people who feel they don't have a lot of time to dedicate to hitting the gym... and for those of you/us who enjoy extracurricular exercise, keep it up. The more the better!

Just keep swimming, walking, running, climbing, hiking, biking, lifting, yoga-ing or any other "-ing" words as long as it's not "sitting" :) Spring is here!

And the winners are...

So, I'd been waiting to comment on this whole Rush Limbaugh thing (find a timeline of events here in case you have missed out) both because I wanted to find a poignant article/show to take in and be able to site on the blog... and I had midterms. But believe you me, I was a little sponge for a lot of the media swirling around about this. To summarize, Rush called Sandra Fluke, who testified in federal hearings about mandatory insurance coverage of birth control under Obamacare, a slut and a prostitute for favoring said coverage. Anyway, there are two winners:

WBUR's On Point, "A Sexual Counter-Revolution?" wins for its wealth of information and different yet respectful points of view from people who actually know what they are talking about. It's a bit lengthy but a good debate, for sure. The best quote? "There are two certain things in life: death and sex."

Jon Stewart's show is the other winner because he made tears of laughter stream down my cheeks and he knows how to make people laugh about this divisive issue funny. And this is a more concise version if you don't feel like listening to the whole WBUR bit. But really, people get pretty heated about politics, and recently especially birth control, so it's good to remember to laugh.

Enjoy!

Gracias por todo

First, let's all have a moment of thanks that the DNA shipped to me from England for a work project is alive and well. This is quite the miracle given that it was stuck in Customs for a few weeks. Thank you to all of the higher powers that made that possible, as well as those resilient little (very, very little) double helices.

Second, thanks go out for an amazing week in Atlanta last week, volunteering at the International Rescue Committee. They are doing incredible work, helping refugees/clients from all over the world start new lives in the United States by teaching them English, helping them acclimate to the culture, and generally sending them on their way to becoming self-sufficient and productive members of the society in their new home country. I felt welcomed by staff and clients alike, and so fortunate to live in a country where I am allowed to decide what religion to practice, politics to believe and clothes to wear without any concern for my safety.

Third, a happy boyfriend and dog awaiting my return... as well as the enormous M&M cookie purchased for the occasion. Yum!

Finally... this gorgeous weather. Enough said.

Super Tuesday

This is my public service announcement that it is voting day! Well for at least Massachusetts and nine other states. Whatever your thoughts on anything you've read here or on your other favorite, witty and useful sources of information, make sure you get those to the polls (here is how to find yours if you've forgotten) and pick your favorite GOP candidate (here is a fun tool to compare them on major voting issues).

So, now you really have no excuse - you can spend today laughing at T-Rex researching the candidates and know exactly where you are going to vote.

...and Happy 100th birthday to the delicious Oreo!

T-Rex

Check it out!

NOklahoma

I think I found a kindred spirit in the woman who wrote this poignant protest sign. Seriously, I sort of wish the writers and supporters of personhood bills (which try to define any fertilized egg as a person) and other such attempts at massive infringement on reproductive rights would just go ...rot. And stop thinking that what they're trying to do is okay while they were rotting. I also wish that Oklahoma would learn from Mississippi's previous failure and give up.

Say No, Oklahoma.

I am comforted by the fact that, if passed, eventually this law would be struck down as unconstitutional, as many similar laws before them have, but that is assuming that someone challenges it... and in the time when it would be a law, it would make for a lot of illegal acquisition of contraception and abortion.

I find it really interesting that one of the arguments against the Affordable Care Act is that it intrudes on citizens' financial lives both in a way that the federal government never has and in a way that they have debatable jurisdiction... but that when it comes to the government intruding on reproductive decisions, many of these ACA opponents suddenly see no issue with governmental intrusion.