Chalkboards

This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while, partly stolen from friends and, of course, the intarweb. Regardless, I find it worth sharing:
Recipe for Chalkboard Paint:
1 cup latex house paint or acrylic craft paint
1 tbsp non-sanded tile grout 


Mix together until there are no lumps. Paint surface with mixture using a small roller. Allow to dry completely. If the surface is rough when dried, sand the surface lightly with a fine grit sand paper, then, using the side of a piece of chalk, rub it across the entire surface of the board.  Wipe off the chalk afterwards.
Recipe courtesy of Salt Tree.


Then, get creative. 

Chalk headboards look creative, but I think this would work on any wall, really. Go at it!

Winter Days

Days are short this time of year, but somehow seem to drag on and fly by at the same time. Certain pleasures are required to stay grounded in the moment and maintain sanity...here are a few of my momentary pleasures:

Music...I've recently been enjoying the work of the Soil & the Sun, a native Michigan band with a bit of Fleet Foxes in their voice. Good for studying or active listening. Songs are available for a listen here.

Yoga...I bought a groupon for 20 yoga classes and need to make good on all of them! Wish I had as beautiful a setting as this...

Tea...cold Michigan chill calls for a bit of warmth. My current favorite is a loose-leaf bergamot sage that I picked up at a local tea shop. mmmmm.

Hope you're enjoying your winter chills similarly!

Pilgrimage

I recently read about (and soon thereafter, bought) Pilgrimage, a book by Annie Leibovitz, chronicling her search for renewal through exploring the past. She traveled with her camera around the US, and a little outside, taking pictures of places in which important events occurred, national monuments, and most inspirationally, places where people lived their lives. I have long been a fan of Annie's portrait photography, but this book is compelling in a different way. Her shots of landscapes are breathtaking, but it is pictures such as Georgia O'keefe's handmade pastels or Emily Dickinson's only surviving dress that really move.

All photos by Annie Leibovitz.

Been a while

It's been a while since I posted...I guess that's what the last year of grad school will do to a person! Life has been busy, but full and good. I recently landed a job that will cover my tuition for my final semester, which will be a wonderful blessing. Now on to figuring out what to do next! If anyone has any job leads in public health, I am very open to suggestions...

Beyond us-versus-them

I have long been a proponent of greater use of mulitdisciplinary studies, translational research, and bridging gaps between us-versus-them camps, both in science and outside of it. Basically, we don't work together enough and it becomes too easy to retain ideologies of exclusion and maintain status quo. This occurs in many different spheres, but I believe it is especially problematic in the realm of health. When certain groups are profit-driven and others non-, the ability to problem solve deteriorates rapidly. Thus, I was very excited to read about the work being done by Melinda Moree and her group Bio Ventures for Global Health. Essentially, they are launching a new collaborative effort with pharmaceutical industries aimed at increasing access to intellectual property and giving scientists working on neglected diseases access to archives of compounds and incomplete trials. This will potentially (and likely) accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs aimed at diseases affecting billions of people. This type of collaboration between the academic and industrial is essentially uprecedented by drug companies and is an exciting look at what future changes could be possible. As Moree states, the problem does not need to rest solely on ideology - the problem is that poor people are not getting the drugs they need. "The global health and humanitarian community, like some religious communities, can suffer a bit from closed-mindedness, adherence to dogma, and simplistic notions of us-versus-them,"she states. By breaking these barriers and increasing communication between polarized groups, the potential for increased rate of change is astounding. More people actively crossing cultures between such groups would be a welcome change, in health and many other spheres.

[A rather long but interesting press release can be found here]

Breather

A terribly busy week was followed by a bit of a breather last weekend when we were given fall break. A group of friends and I headed up to Bruce Peninsula, Ontario for a bit of R&R. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate entirely, but we still had a wonderful time and came back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It might have a little to do with the magnificent scenery...my take on the Great Lakes region is expanding...

Fly Away

Sometimes I dream of just picking everything up and flying off on another adventure. It would be really helpful to have a pilot's license. Since that may not happen anytime soon, I have instead been thinking a lot about getting a sport license and buying (or building) an ultralight. How cool would that be?! This is one of the models I'm looking at...

I think pontoon floats are a good idea for water landings, but I'm thinking versatility might be nice. Any leads on a dual-landing gear/float ultralight? This would be ideal.

Unfortunately, one component of any pilot's license is being able to navigate. My navigational skills are a bit notorious, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe this is where I will begin.