Love, Jenna

A while back I found this blog and immediately loved her calligraphy. I just wish she updated more.

Some of my favorite pictures I’ve snapped

This was taken in a beautiful August evening in my hometown in Michigan.

This was taken while visiting Austin during the last week of December a couple years ago.

These were taken during a trip to Italy with two great friends. My last spring break trip.





I love that in this last picture no two sets of shutters/windows are the same.

New Apartment Means Decorating

So in June I am moving into a new apartment in the same building I am currently living in. It is bigger and it will be cheaper. Yay! This also means I get to decorate and I have been searching the interwebs for ideas. I’ve also been watching a lot of HDTV. On an episode of some home makeover show on there, the designer used a “wall tattoo” that I thought was pretty neat, so I started looking into those.

I found these chandelier wall adhesives for $30 each. I definitely like the idea of having multiple though, and the whole idea behind this is to be cheap. So next, I went on a hunt to find a cute chandelier stencil and that led me to Etsy where I found this:

I still love the idea of putting chandeliers on a wall, but I think I might forgo the idea because the style doesn’t match most of what I already have in my room. It could be a really cute decor idea for the dining area, however.

ACLU lawsuit against gene patent holders

ACLU Challenges Patents on Breast Cancer Genes

On May 12, 2009, the ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (PUBPAT), filed a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and invalid. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four scientific organizations representing more than 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals, as well as individual researchers, breast cancer and women’s health groups, genetic counselors and individual women. Individuals with certain mutations along these two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a significantly higher risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has granted thousands of patents on human genes – in fact, about 20 percent of our genes are patented. A gene patent holder has the right to prevent anyone from studying, testing or even looking at a gene. As a result, scientific research and genetic testing has been delayed, limited or even shut down due to concerns about gene patents.

As a result of the PTO granting patents on the BRCA genes to Myriad Genetics, Myriad’s lab is the only place in the country where diagnostic testing can be performed. Because only Myriad can test for the BRCA gene mutations, others are prevented from testing these genes or developing alternative tests. Myriad’s monopoly on the BRCA genes makes it impossible for women to access other tests or get a second opinion about their results, and allows Myriad to charge a high rate for their tests – over $3,000, which is too expensive for some women to afford.

The lawsuit, Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al., was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan against the PTO, Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on the BRCA genes.

I had no idea this happens and I can not believe it is allowed. People can patent genes??? I can understand wanting to get the recognition when it comes to having discovered say, the gene that causes Parkinson’s or Alsheimer’s, but when this causes research and exploration to be limited, why would anyone want to do that. I find it to be incredibly irresponsible on the government’s part to allow this to happen.

I understand that America is the greatest country in the world, blah blah blah. I also understand that we have some of the best medical research in the world right here in the good ole USA. I know that if medicine was never turned into the business it is treated as, we would never be able to afford the research we can. At the same time, however, my family has a BRAC mutation. Every woman in my mother’s side of the family as far back as anyone can remember has died of “women trouble” and then Ovarian Cancer once we had the technology to identify it. My mother is the first woman to live to her age without being sick and this is because she had a hysterectomy as a result of our knowledge of this genetic mutation.

It takes so long to be tested for this gene, they need family records of other people with it, and it is so expensive. I had no idea this was because there was a patent on the gene. Why would anyone ever want to do something that affects people’s lives and could be essentially allowing thousands to die? I understand that research is a business and labs need funding and scientists, but what if lab A has the patent and there are scientists at lab B and lab C who went to school with lab A’s scientists, but graduated with better understanding and grades? I want lab B and C’s scientists researching cures for my potential cancer. Problem is, they can’t. I find something wrong with this. Morally, shouldn’t we be doing everything we possibly can to find cures to things? Doesn’t competition bring out the best in people? Wouldn’t competition challenge people to work harder and think better? We don’t allow monopolies in our country (technically), so why this?

Reading this article disgusted me and really, it made me want to cry. To learn something that so personally affects you and your well being is controlled by politics when the issue is health and life is disheartening. I suppose then you could start to argue about stem cell research and abortion, but I’m so not looking to get into those topics.

Aging

So I have a broken capillary on the right side of my nose. It goes straight out from my nostril. I also have what I think is an age spot that seems to be taking over my forehead – to the point that my roommate asked me if I have a bruise on my forehead. I’m getting a little paranoid that it’s skin cancer or something. While I’m sure it’s not, I might just get it checked out anyway. Anyway, my point is, I’m 26 and I’m old.

That leads me into the topic of the “quarter life crisis.” I would just like to say, I think it’s crap. Someone sent me an article about QLCs and I couldn’t get all the way through it. It’s crap. People blame irresponsibility and a desire to stay young forever on age, when in reality, we are immature.

Look at generations before ours. People were married, living on their own, raising children, working jobs, paying bills all by like 22 or 23. Now at 23 people look at you funny if you’re engaged. They say “you’re too young,” and we buy it. People make excuses for our irresponsibility, so we feel better and the cycle is perpetuated. We continue with our bad behavior, we live with our parents, we travel for a year, we live off of our parents, and all the while, our stupid decisions and mistakes are forgiven because we’re “young.”

30 years ago 26 was not young – at 26 you were expected to be an adult. Albeit, gender rolls differed 30 years ago from what they are now, but I don’t want standards lowered for me.

I basically think the whole “quarter life crisis” thing is crap, and I also don’t think it is a “crisis.” Now, acting out in your mid 20s is tolerated and almost encouraged now which really bothers me. It encourages a lack of responsibility and accountability. People have little to no expectation of what they can accomplish – or have to accomplish for that matter – in their 20s. No wonder people do terrible things in life and think they can get away with them – because we all feel entitled to x and that behavior is tolerated by society as a whole.

Take, for example, all the people who encourage not getting serious and “exploring your options” – in both relationships and work. How is it benefiting anyone to sleep around and not get serious? Isn’t the point of dating to find a mate, if you will? I don’t see how sleeping around does anything but hurt. Sure, it’s gratifying in the moment and it might feel good, but what’s beneficial about it? As far as work, I don’t see how not getting serious about a job can be good. That can set you back and who really wants to be the 30 year old just starting their 1st real job? Or why would you want to start a job that’s not going to lead to the career you want for your life? Why waste your time?

There are so many arguments from so many points, and it can be really interesting. Regardless, I don’t think the way 20 somethings act is the direct result of a crisis, I think it is a title that was kitschy and cute that caught on. Because of that people have made bad behavior acceptable. It makes things interesting. I like to see how people who don’t adhere to this mindset make it in life as opposed to people who do make room for a QLC.

Grey’s Anatomy Season Finale

Tonight’s show was SO good! I really how liked how it was all about story lines and not so much about them being doctors. I mean, obviously it was, but some shows are more about surgeries than stories and tonight was not. I knew that TR Knight and Katherine Heigl were leaving the show, and I knew Izzy was going to die tonight, but it was still sad. I still cried.

I didn’t get the 007 reference that George used to tell Meredith who he was. I don’t remember that ever being in the show, but who knows, I’ve been watching this for what, 4? 5 years now? Crazy. Either way, I did NOT see that coming! I just figured George would join the army and go off to Iraq with the possibility of the character returning at some point in the future.

Derek and Meredith’s “wedding” was cute and it fits them, but I thought it was disappointing. Put life ahead of work, just go to the stupid court house. I do love that Christina is finally becoming a human though.

Arizona’s speech to Callie about the army made me cry. The whole stupid show made me cry, but I couldn’t help but cry when they actually showed a positive perspective about joining the army on the show – so many people are so against it all and I definitely feel like there is a negative connotation when people talk about “serving the country” although it’s masked by the patriotism people feel they are supposed to show – the majority of people are too PC to openly admit opposition to the army and if they do, they oppose the war, not the individuals. I don’t see the separation.

I guess the only real questions I have are what happens with Bailey? Does someone talk her into doing pedes or is that the end of it? What does Alex do? Does he stay in the program? What happens with McDreamy and Little Grey? Do they stay together? They’re my fav right now.

Sorry if I just ruined it for anyone…

Change in Direction

I find it interesting that when I moved here I intended to write about work and advertising and my life in work and advertising. Since I’ve moved here I’ve essentially made an effort to write nothing about work on this blog for fear of the wrong person running across something, taking it wrong, and putting my job in jeopardy. I now write about things I see and things I find interesting and funny. I suppose there’s not a lot of content here. Funny how things in life never turn out the way you expect them to – even blogs.

Weight Loss

I weigh myself every time I go to the gym since I don’t have a scale. I know it’s more accurate to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, but that’s not when I go to the gym, and since I am consistent about when I weigh myself, I figure it can’t be that off.

So at the beginning of the year I weighed 137-138. I would say now on average I am about 133. I have managed to lose about 5 lbs, which I’m totally happy about. What girl wouldn’t be? Don’t we all want to lose weight no matter our size? Ok, maybe not all, but I’d say that’s a pretty consistent woman desire. I would really love to be about 125, so we’ll see what I can do. It’s all going to come down to exercise right now, because I’ve cut so much out of my diet already. I’m eating red meat once every couple weeks now, I haven’t had a Coke in months, I’ve replaced sugary sweets with fruit, I’m eating more vegetables and cooking more of my own food now (that also helps save money), I’m still not really eating fried foods since I gave that up for Lent. I’d say I am pretty disciplined about my diet.

For the most part, this desire for weight loss has come from a skirt I bought. I saw a skirt on the J Crew website that I had to have in Jan. They were sold out across the country – turns out Michelle Obama and I have the same taste – she wore it on a late night show she did an interview on. One night after being out with some friends and a few glasses of wine, I came home and ordered it from someone on EBay. I ordered a 4, cause that’s what I wear and when it came it was the smallest 4 EVER – like European size 4. I can’t wear the skirt as it, it will tear when I sit down, so I’m motivated to lose some of my ass because I really like the skirt. Oh the things women will do!

Free Stuff Day

The other day I was walking to work and there was free promotional stuff like whoa. There was a Snapple tent set up and they were giving away the best stuff on earth. Then less than a block away there was a Monster truck energizing people for their day.

When I left work there was a girl pushing a bin down the sidewalk and giving away Coke Zero – same great taste without the calories.

Why can’t someone give away area rugs or couch samples on the side of the road?

Justin Timberlake Tweets

The other day while looking at my facebook, I noticed a status update from Taylor Swift. Seeing anything on a social network by Taylor Swift makes me smile, because it’s actually her who does her updating and tweeting. She’s a normal young adult with an incredibly not normal job, but that doesn’t take away her interest in interacting with her friends and peers that we all have. I follow her on Twitter and her tweets are always sincere and real. I love it.

Then, yesterday I was looking at facebook and noticed a status update from Justin Timberlake, yes, I follow a small handful of celebrities on social networks. Ashton Kutcher is not one of them. It said something about him having a hard time making friends on Twitter and linked to this video.

Seriously though, this is Justin Timberlake. I’m sure his putting that on facebook immediately got him several thousand followers on Twitter. I don’t know. On one hand, if I’m a celebrity, I want people to follow and like my brand, so I want as many friends as I can get. On the other hand, I’m still a person and I don’t want crazy people I don’t know watching my every move. I’m sure that this is where discretion comes into play and you only provide limited updates about things or simply update only about your career. I’m not good at censoring myself though and I don’t like feeling like I have to do it. I suppose this is why I have no desire to be a celebrity. I would never want to be in a position where I can’t go out to Chili’s or the grocery store or the mall.

I just found it to be odd that he was basically like, I can’t make friends…be my friend! I wonder how many of the people he’s friends with or who follow him actually know him. This leads me to wonder how many friends celebrities really have. Sure, they’re friends with other celebrities, probably the same way I am friends with people I work with, but what about true friends like the ones I have from high school and college. A lot of these celebrities didn’t go to either of those places, they were tutored and then pursued their career in one form or another. I wonder if being a celeb gets lonely. What do you do on a Friday night when you don’t want to go out? How many people can you call to come watch a movie with you or play Wii with you and just chill?