Jack to School: Jack to School: Part II

Dear Faithful Readers,
Thank you for being so faithful. I know I have been lax in my blogging. I was on vacation for a month and had nothing school-related about which to inform you. But, alas! I am Jack to School once again. And so, I promise to be a better blogger. At least until the end of the school year in May.
Love, Jackie

P.S. I am almost finished with my first week of classes for this term. Only seven more to go! I really have only had three days of classes, but already I am swamped with reading. Yes, I said "reading". Notice how I didn't say "problem sets" or "suffering through fake math". Well, friends, that is because I do not have biostats class. Thank the fucking lord. This term is already shaping up to be way better than last. I also don't have the asinine required theory class that I couldn't stand, nor do I have the waste-of-time seminar with my cohort where each week we heard from alumni who couldn't stand their jobs. Done and done.

This term I'm taking an Environmental Health class, which I am very excited about. Because, like last term's US Health Care class, I am actually learning useful, factual information about our world. (I think I miss liberal arts). I learned last night that one of the ways to determine if there are serious toxins in a location is by finding frogs with extra legs. I will try to get the picture from class of the extra-legged frog. Ca-razy. If you just can't wait, I recommend googling it.

What else, you ask? I'm taking a class on children, media and health, which I haven't had yet, but which I'm very excited about; a two-term class on health communications, where we'll be designing a health campaign-- again very excited, as I'm figuring out that I think I want to get into advertising or social marketing; a research design class, which is required-- I wouldn't choose to take it, but it could be good (although we were warned that there will be some statistical analysis... but maybe it'll actually be useful as opposed to ridiculously complicated?). I'm also taking a class on managing NGOs. Haven't had that one yet either, but we shall see (We're required to take a management class, so... ). Hmm... I think that's it. I need to get organized. I need a three-hole puncher. I wish I still worked in TV, so I could just steal one from the supply closet. (Where did my stolen three-hole puncher go?) But, I don't. I work at a non-profit, and stealing from them just feels wrong.

In other news, I got a redonkulous bill from the time I was forced by the health clinic to go the E.R. for a cold this past September. I'm in the process of fighting it, both the bill and the system. My goal is to get Hopkins to allow walk-ins into their health clinic on the medical campus, like they do for the undergrads. Bastards.

I almost forgot! Barack Obama! New pres! Love it. I saw him speak along his whistle-stop tour in Baltimore. Pictures are up on Facebook, for those of you who are my "friends". For those of you who are just my friends, and not my "friends", enjoy these few:

Baltimore folk on their (our) way to the square to see Obs...

The Man!

Peace, man!

I also went to D.C. on MLK day, the day before Inauguration. Very exciting. (My health communications professor sent out an email urging us all not to miss the first day of class for the inauguration, and so I watched it in the warmth on my TV). But, I was very glad to be there the day before, to experience a bit of the excitement and to see the mall all set up and ready for the 1.5 million people the next day. Plus, it was about 40 degrees on Monday, compared to 15-ish on Inauguration Day. Tropical! The bf and I went to a very cool art exhibit in Georgetown called "Manifest Hope" with Obama- and political activism-inspired art. Here are a few favorites:

An oil well shooting out flowers... (and a profile of a guy with an asthma inhaler)...