The More You Know

I recently engaged in what I would call a debate (while others on the receiving end might call an attack) over whether or not it is alright to stop taking antibiotics before all the recommended doses are finished. And yes, I was on the side that said an antibiotics course should be completed no matter how good you feel during the middle of it. Since I needed a little research to back me up I went to my trusty friend Google and here are three reasons I found on this website for staying the course.

1. Re-occurrence: You might not have taken enough to kill the infection and it could come back, in the same place or somewhere else

2. Resistance - If you don't kill all the bacteria rapidly, they may have time to mutate and build a resistance meaning the next time you or someone else takes antibiotics, they won't work.

3. Revenge - Some bacteria can make your immune system turn on you. Dr. Steele gives the example of Rheumatic Fever which can happen after you have strep throat and involves your immune system getting confused and attacking itself. The quicker you get rid of strep throat, the less likely you are of getting the fever.

So let's say you feel awful. The doctor prescribes you penicillin and you start to feel amazing. That's great because that's exactly what is supposed to happen! But here's the catch, you still have a few more doses left. What should you do? Just take the last few pills. If you are going to take the natural approach and let your body heal itself, that's fine. Just start thinking that way from the beginning and not halfway through a course of antibiotics. You'll save yourself, along with the rest of humankind, from the "three R's". And that would be a little amazing.

Want to research for yourself? Check out google or this site:

20 things to know about antibiotics

Say it, "Fa-yeh"

I discovered the best mid afternoon/morning/small meal replacement/dessert ever! It's Fage greek yogurt 2% with honey. There is yogurt on one side that is loaded with 10g of protein and has a bit of a tartness to it. Then you take the other side which contains deliciously sweet honey. Mix them together and you have something a little amazing that you can enjoy everyday. I know I sound like an infomercial but you really have to try it! Stay tuned for non-product-endorsing blog entries coming soon.

For Good

Idina Menzel + The San Francisco Orchestra = a little amazing. If anyone gets the chance to see her, I highly recommend it. The other weekend she performed some of her own songs in addition to those from Rent, Wicked and Glee, and some other classics at the Davies Symphony Hall.

I didn't know I was such a fan and had originally bought my ticket on a whim (at the height of my Glee addiction). Not only did I end up loving every song but I also loved how personable she was with the audience. In between numbers she was telling jokes and stories and keeping everyone entertained.

At one point she put down her mic and the symphony stopped playing. She began to sing the song, "For Good" from Wicked. At first I was worried we wouldn't be able to hear her without the mic. Thanks to her amazing voice and the fact that the entire audience fell silent, my fears were never realized. The whole thing was beautiful.

I'll admit that the orchestra often looked a little bored and unamused by both her stories and the fact they were playing backup to a Broadway singer. However, the audience showed their love by continuing their standing ovation until Idina came back out and sang an amazingly unique version of "Tomorrow" (one that didn't even make me think, oh no not this song again). My only question is, when can I see it all again?!

Chocolate Chocolate

What's that in the picture you ask? Why it's the double chocolate chip cookies my friend made me for my birthday. They were definitely more than a little amazing. Once more, she sent me home with the remaining batter so I could continue to have fresh baked cookies all week long! And, she did so in spite of my well known and dangerous addiction to chocolate. Some might call her an enabler. I call her a good friend. Word on the street is she might be getting a blog of her own with her favorite recipes. If the rumors are true, I'll set up a link so you can try making the cookies yourself. Until then, here are the secrets I've learned to making a good cookie:

1. Keep the batter in the fridge over night before baking
2. Use Ghirardelli chocolate chips
3. Share some of the cookies with friends so that the taste of of guilt doesn't overpower the chocolate

Viva La España!

You know what I find a little amazing? Spanish food made by an authentic Spaniard. Since Spain made it to the World Cup Final, I thought I'd celebrate by having Paella with my old Spanish roommate. To top it off we had some delicious Spanish white wine. The whole thing was delicioso! Granted I was a little sad when Germany lost the game but this meal totally made up for it. Viva La España!

Un magnifique petit

Here's something I find a little amazing: Foreign films. They can be a refreshing change of pace from movies like Twilight. Now don't get me wrong, I read two and a half of the twilight books and even enjoyed 70% of the movies.

But watching a foreign film lets you see someplace you might not have been, listen to a beautiful language (or German), and even learn a little about other cultures. Most importantly they are good conversation starters and can gain you street cred with your European backpacking friends. Let's face it, the fact that you saw Amelie and Life is Beautiful will only go so far.

So here are my recommendations for some foreign films that will expand your repertoire and trick people into thinking you're as cultured as you always wanted to be:

Sophie Scholl - German
About the final days of Sophie Scholl, a youth in the anti-nazi movement in germany during world war II. Based on a true story.

Tsotsi - South African
This is an oscar winner about a teenager in johannesburg who is on the wrong path. After a serious of violent robberies he finds a baby that he has to take care of which begins to change his behavior. The whole movie takes place over six days. The movie is really good and the soundtrack is beautiful.

Das Wunder Von Bern (The Miracle in Bern) - German
This is about a the German soccer team in the1954 world cup which is intertwined with the story of a young boy who's father has been in a Russian prison camp since just before he was born and returns right before the world cup. Most German movies deal with the war so it is interesting to see a movie about the time right after.

The Orphanage - Spanish
A psychological thriller about a woman who was raised in an orphanage when she was younger. She never knew what happened to the other girls in the orphanage after she was adopted into a good family. She goes back to re-open the orphanage along with her son and husband. Something terrible happens to her son and a series of mysterious events unfolds. The whole thing is really well done.

Les Choristes - French
Set in 1948 in the countryside in France, a music teacher gets a new job at a school for difficult boys, many who have been orphaned from the war. He starts a choir against the wishes of the other teachers and staff. The story is touching and the music is beautiful.

The Eye - Japanese
A blind girl gets a corneal transplant and is able to see ghosts which unravels into a suspenseful mystery.

You got me

I tried everything I could to avoid signing up for twitter. Then one day I just happened to wander onto the site. I can't even remember how it happened. I just know that one minute I was clicking on Firefox and the next minute I was on Conan O'Brien's website laughing at one of his tweets. So then the next day I went back to see if he had written any more. That was a slippery slope. I started finding other "tweeters" who were also funny and started going to multiple people's sites.

The next thing I knew I had signed up for my own account and was following 25 others. After that, things started to go downhill. My non-twitter following friends felt betrayed. I realized I was spending tens of minutes a day online looking at comedian and celebrity tweets. I knew I would never get that time back. But then I turned a corner. I realized that it was okay to read about comedians and celebrities as long as it was in 140 characters or less.

Today I think I'm in a good place. I still follow twitter but I've got it under control. Do I follow the comedian Chelsea Handler's dog Chunk? Yes. Am I ashamed? No. He's one funny dog. Plus, thanks to Twitter's follower count, I know that 60, 476 other people are also following him.

So in case you're looking to catch up with the 21st century, here are a few twitter celebs to get you started:

Joel McHale from The Soup - @JoelMcHale
Chris Colfer from Glee - @chriscolfer
Chelsea Handler's Dog from Chelsea Lately - @chunkhandler
Conan O'Brien - @ConanObrien
Kathy Griffin from My Life on the D-List - @OfficialKathyG

and a link of other celebs w/ accounts - famous tweeters

P.S. - If you're new to twitter, you can also follow your friends. However, if your friends are currently boycotting twitter like mine are, you'll have to stick to celebs for now.

I like you

If any of you are David Sedaris fans, you'll appreciate his sister Amy Sedaris' book, "I like You, Hospitality Under The Influence". I recommend this as a gift for yourself or someone else (as long as they have a sense of humor). It has actual helpful tips and recipes but every page is full of humor and anecdotes. For example she talks about not inviting a psychiatrist and a psychologist to the same party, how to get rid of guests that stay too long, and what to do about the "barnacle" party guest who clings on and never lets go. I recommend buying a copy and leaving it on your coffee table. When you've had a long day it'll give you just what you need - either a good idea for dinner or a good laugh.

p.s. - check out her interviews on you tube with letterman, she's a riot!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter

I'm not sure if it was God or chance that brought these two together. Either way, I find them more than a little amazing. I'm always looking for creative ways to enjoy my two favorite flavors. Here is one of my favorites:

Girl Scout's Tag-along Blizzard with extra Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.

The good news: it's a amazing. The bad news: it's only available one month out of the year. So keep an eye out!

Here we go... my first blog post

I've been told I have a habit of repeatedly telling others about random things I love and then forcing them to share my beliefs and opinions. I thought, what better way to continue that tradition than a blog? Plus, I couldn't quite think of a topic for my class blog so I thought this would at least hold my interest if not yours.