The Running Commentary That Is My Brain

Just wanted to say hello and let you know I am still alive. Mostly I am just working on the last few details of the last few weeks of school, which makes for boring blog entries so I will spare you the details. One of these days I will write something interesting. For now my brain is pretty much fried so I will just share a few random thoughts I have had lately. In no particular order.

If I had to nominate the world's worst singers, the "winners" in the male and female solo artist category would be Neil Diamond and Madonna, respectively. Sorry mom, I know you love hairy bear man, but I think he is not "pretty amazing." And Madonna just needs to fade into oblivion. She's kind of like the fire alarms on campus. They are blaringly loud and sound important but usually just mean that somebody has burned soup in the microwave or overdryed their hair. And I don't usually like to attack other people's physical appearance, but honestly, with all the dental technology we have now you'd think she could do something about the grand canyon in her front teeth. It's amazing she isn't a famous whistler instead of a singer. She doesn't have much talent in the latter category so I am not sure why she is even famous for that.

People seem awfully concerned about death. And don't take this the wrong way or think I am suicidal, but I want to die. Someday. In the distant future, of course. Maybe this is a symptom of working in a nursing home for the last 18 months, but I honestly think I would just get bored if I lived to be 90. Of course, it's possible that I will change my mind if I get to 89, but I guess I don't get what the big deal is. This is probably a symptom of thinking too much and means I should probably get out more (But even if you get out, can you really escape your thoughts? I can't. I have a sort of running commentary going on in my head all the time, like I am being interviewed for a tv show or something and for some reason everybody is interested in my opinions. Which is kind of funny to me because I am not a strongly opinionated person. At least, I don't think I am. Maybe I am wrong on that. )

Anyway, I got to thinking about dying because of a combination of epidemiology and books I have been reading (Neither of which are particularly morbid. I don't know why they got me thinking about it). Anyway, I won't bore you with the details (too late) but it has just amazed me the lengths people are willing to go to in order to live longer, no matter what their quality of life might be. And the whole reason that studies are done is to influence health status. If we weren't trying to reduce the death rate from heart attacks, why would we study them right?

But it all just begs the question, what do we want? Ten more years? 15? To never die? Do we think that is possible? And are we willing to give up life now to gain more life later? Meaning, if you never let yourself have that cupcake that you want because you want to achieve some holy grail of health, aren't you missing the point that health is not an end goal but a means to an end. Is your health good enough to allow you to do the things you love to do, and if it is then why do you want "better" health? I am just now realizing that is something I have probably been looking at the wrong way, which as a health educator is kind of ironic. So I thought I would share it with you. I may have to revisit it later but my thoughts are kind of jumbled right now so I will just leave it at that. And also, I really am not suicidal so don't worry :)

Have you ever wondered why they are called third world countries? It begs the question (and where does that phrase come from really?) are there first and second worlds and if so what are they? I figured the US would be a first world country if such a phrase existed but second world kind of threw me. Anyway I have always wondered about it but never got around to researching it. But I had the good fortune to find out as I was reading something the other day.

Turns out the US is a first world country and that second world countries do exist. First world denotes a democratically free, economically stable country. Second world was a phrase coined (another phrase whose meaning I need to look up) for countries that are economically stable but not democratically free. Places like what Russia was during the Soviet era and like China today. (Basically, it was a euphemism for communist countries.) The third world countries are mainly categorized by being not economically stable. They may actually have communist (or more likely fascist) governments, but they aren't doing anything for the common man. Thus they have the opportunity to become first world countries (which is what the US would want. Notice how the options are ranked. Not Blue countries and Yellow countries, but first and second. And nobody wants to be second. Clever strategy. I wonder if China thinks of itself as a second world country?)

Bananas are dying. I read it in National Geographic, which I have decided is a guilt and fear inducing magazine that I should avoid except maybe for some of the photos. Basically they show you all the cool things in the world and then tell you how they are dying off and going extinct and that it is probably your fault. Really. So it turns out that bananas are on this list. Apparently some weird fungus is attacking them and it makes them shed their leaves and exposes them to too much sunlight which kills them. And since the bananas are all genetically identical it is going to kill them all. Scientists are working to develop new breeds of bananas but we may have to make do without banana bread (which is not bread at all but cake. Now there is some clever marketing for you.) and certain flavors of smoothie. I wonder if there will be a save the banana group? Will you join with me if there is?

Ok. I think that is enough from my head today. In summary, Madonna has no talent, man's perspective on health and death are weird, China might think the US is a second world country, banana killing fungus is proliferating. What does it all mean? Lindsey has a lot of homework she has been avoiding. Back to the grind. Save the Bananas!