The city of Chicago wants to add sparklers to the list of banned fireworks

So long Columbus Day! Chicago Public Schools may allow some schools to reform their calendars if the school board and state education officials approve.

The new cast of Dancing With the Stars wasn’t supposed to be announced until Wednesday morning on “Good Morning America,” but TMZ.com has leaked the list.

Who made the list?

Mel B - Spice Girl
Marie Osmond - Singer/Entertainer
Floyd Mayweather - Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Helio Castronetes - Race Car Driver
Jennie Garth - Actress
Cameron Mathison - Actor, “All My Children”
Albert Reed - Model
Jane Seymour - Actress
Sabrina Bryan - Actress, “Cheetah Girls”
Mark Cuban - Owner, Dallas Mavericks
Joise Maran - Model
Wayne Newton - Entertainer

Today the RedEye posted a list of websites, varying in topic, that should be an indispensable tool for students.

Personally I’m a fan of Human Anatomy Online and Bartleby’s Grey’s Anatomy.

Check out the rest of the helpful links here

I get a lot of hits from people who are looking for “cadaver dissection tips” and “cadavers.” I didn’t think I posted that much about my experiences in this blog, but it’s come to my attention that maybe I should spend some time talking about it so the people who search for these items are not disappointed when they end up here.

So. Cadaver dissection 101.

First tip, if you have a weak stomach, cringe at the sight of a dead body, have unresolved issues with death, a fear of body bags or an impecable sense of smell, I don’t think these types of lab/courses would be good for you.

It’s more than normal to feel uncomfortable around a dead body. Forget what you saw at Bodyworlds. Those bodies were preserved with plastic and haven’t had a chance to begin the decaying process. There is a big difference between Gunther’s exhibits and a real life cadaver. Don’t go into it expecting a colorful work of art. Cadavers muscles have “deflated” for lack of a better work. The tissue turns slightly brown and dark because of the lack of oxygen and blood flowing through it. As for the smell, that would be the formaldehyde. It is used in embalming fluids to preserve the body.

A good way to overcome the smell is to dab a bit of Vick’s Vapor Rub underneath your nose. You become used to the smell in time. But I found that the vapor rub helps tremendously when you’re not used to being inside of these labs. Some of you might remember high school biology - smelling a funky stench inside the class room because the previous group dissected pigs.

Something else to keep in mind, make sure to bring your maturity and respect. These are real humans. They donated their bodies to help the future of science. It’s not a good idea to make their arms flail around or move their jaws and pretend they’re talking. Some of these people died from serious diseases and even in death, deserve our respect.

In most dissection labs, the bodies have already been dissected. In rare cases will the instructor/school allow you do to the dissecting unless you are enrolled in a course for such a thing. A one-day lab probably won’t have that option. Because they’ve already been dissected, the bodies may or may not be missing certain things. Some may have been dissected to view the digestive tract, while others focus more on the respiratory system. Typically there should be more than one body to view. Sometimes dissection labs only have body parts.

I’ve been to a couple where I’ve only seen a torso, a knee, an arm and a brain. Don’t be alarmed if your cadaver is missing his or her legs. If it’s covered by a sheet, it’s best not to look under it until who ever is running the lab removes it for you. This limits the the number of surprises. For privacy reasons the cadaver’s face and groin will be covered. I find it more comforting not being able to see the person’s face. Some people find it easier to work on a cadaver when they remain emotionally detached. Seeing a face often reminds someone of someone in their own family and in very rare cases, they recognize the person who is on the table.

The last tid bit of advice I can give is to have fun. It’s not every day that we can see human anatomy in this form. What we learn in books is brought to life (no pun intended) when it’s sitting right in front of you. If any one is enrolled in an anatomy and physiology course, it’s more than likely you’ll visit a cadaver lab. Don’t fear it, chalk it up to a learning experience. Not every school has it available to them so you should take advantage of it. It’s truly amazing to see how the body is put together first hand. Most instructors will be willing to answer any questions you have, so don’t be afraid to ask.

I forgot to mention that cadavers are usually kept for about a year and then replaced with new cadavers. This depends on the financial budget of the school. It hasn’t been unheard of to keep cadavers longer than a year. If they’re only using specific parts they may keep that for up to 10. They are typically kept cool and moist, wrapped in plastic and a body bag.

I’ve already mentioned it a few times throughout my blog, but a great book about cadavers  and their uses is “Stiff” by Mary Roach. I suggest reading this before attending a lab.

Okay, so I haven’t seen the movie yet. But somebody leaked it to YouTube.

I’m convinced these are the best thus far for the following reasons:

Lisa’s reaction to the Irish boy.
Spider pig.
Naked bart.
Spider pig.
Homer eating electric fish.
Spider pig.

Enjoy, it probably won’t last on YouTube very long

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Nuhj2OG5o]

I went shopping during my break between clinic and student rep meeting on Friday. I had a gift card for Old Navy and the store downtown has a much bigger selection than the one near my house. Excited to purchase a new pair of jeans, I was quickly disappointed when I noticed only three styles were available: the Flirt, the Diva and the Sweetheart. Now I don’t know the difference between these styles. Believe it or not, I’m not a fashionista. I found a size 6 (yes, I’m a size 6) and they happened to be short, too! I was excited! I ran to the dressing room to find out that hey were too big! Wtf?! I also noticed they were just normal boot leg jeans.

I prefer the jeans that hug your curves and flare out toward your feet. So I put them back, reluctantly, because they were the first pair of jeans I found that I thought would fit in a long time. I dug through the racks of jeans and found plenty of 0s and 2s. Nothing short. Many longs.

It didn’t take long before I began feeling bad about myself: I wish I were taller, had less hips, smaller boobs and a longer torso. I looked at the mannequins and the cool styles of clothing they had up and around the store and sighed. I could never dress like that because the pants won’t fit me and the stupid button down shirts won’t button down because of my boobs. If I get a bigger size, it hides my already small torso and I look like I’m drowning in my shirt. I don’t like having my pants shortened. Sometimes they end up being too short or messing up the style of cut of the pants. Most of the time I want to wear them right away and don’t want to wait for the alterations.

I’d shop in the junior section like most short people do…but because I actually have hips and some meat on my bones, the waists are too small - this then makes me feel chunky. It doesn’t help that I’ve been gaining some weight lately. Note to self: don’t shop after checking the scale.

I have one pair of jeans. I found them on my first trip to American Eagle. I paid an arm and a leg for them, but they didn’t need to be shortened or altered in any other way. I want to bring the jeans in and tell someone to find me these exact jeans. Unfortunately, there is no size on them and I have no idea what they are. It seems sizes are different at every store.

This answers the question in my subject line. I always walk out of the store with another tank top or T-shirt because they fit. I can put the tanks under the stupid button up shirts that won’t button up. But I end up with no pants. I don’t want to wait until there are holes in my jeans before I find a new pair. So…with that said…I am on a mission - starting two weeks from now after I get paid haha.

Clothing stores, watch out! I will question you, make you climb to the top shelves to grab my size, dig through bins in the back, I might even make you cry, but you will sell me a pair of jeans that fit!

If transit riders thought the 2007 “doomsday” scenarios are bad, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” RTA Chairman Jim Reilly said.

Chicago Transit Authority service cuts that could take effect next month are just a small taste of what could come next year without new state funding, an agency executive said Thursday.

“CTA service would be completely decimated,” cut as much as 75%, CTA Executive Vice-president Dorval Carter said at the Regional Transportation Authority board meeting. “You’ll see CTA customers stranded as their transit options disappear.”

Without a new transit funding package from state lawmakers, the CTA could also raise cash fares next year to as high as $6 to plug what could be a $250-million hole in its operating budget, Mr. Carter said. Single-ride cash fares are currently $2.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a state budget Thursday for fiscal 2008 that does not include new transit funding.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said his agency could be forced to raise fares 10% to 15% next year, reduce weekend service and possibly reduce weekday rush-hour service. Pace Executive Director T. J. Ross said his agency would cut all suburban weekend bus service and raise the fare for paratransit service, for riders with disabilities, to $4 from $2.25.

The committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the public transit plan on Sept. 4, RTA Executive Director Steve Schlickman said.

The CTA has warned that it will cut 39 bus routes and raise some cash rail fares by half, to $3 from $2, on Sept. 16 if it doesn’t receive assurances of additional funding from Springfield.

Once again I have to wonder how Mr. Daley expects to hold the 2016 Olympics here. With hundreds of thousands of people coming to Chicago for the Olympics, how are they expected to get around? How are people staying in the suburbs expected to get downtown for the Games? With decreased public transportation we’re increasing the amount of cars on the streets, thus increasing pollution, traffic, accidents, etc. We cannot put the games on hold because the few CTA trains running were delayed.

Chicago needs to get its priorities straight and soon. With all these cuts, public transportation will see a huge decrease in riders. I suggest funding something that matters instead of giving legislators another salary increase Mr. Blagojevich.

I know it’s not Sunday quite yet…but somewhere in the world it is!

Here are my favorites from the new bunch posted over at PostSecret. Don’t forget to check out the rest of them.

Ah…irony

They always have sticky hands

At least she didn’t key it!

The Bears game against the 49ers tonight ended wonderfully, as hoped. The Bears won 31-28. They’re starting the pre-season on the right foot. The Superfans would be proud.

However…as a true Chicagoan…I won’t hold my breath. We don’t have much luck with our sports teams. Anybody heard from the Blackhawks in the last five years? Me neither.

From what I’ve heard, the Cubs are doing pretty well this year. However I’m sure the curse of the billy goat still lingers around Wrigley Field. Too bad for the White Sox though. They were beat, yet again, by Boston’s Red Sox 14-2 this evening. Tonight’s win gave Boston a sweep in the three-game series against the White Sox.

Look at me talking sports….I’m so proud.

And after a grand 82 minutes in jail, Miss Richie was released due to…..

overcrowding.

Oh, there’s more…

apparently a DUI is worse than what LiHo did. She only has to serve a day in jail. ONE day.

The judge said Lindsay will serve 36 months probation and attend an alcohol education program for 18 months for the first DUI.

As for the second DUI plea, she’s ordered to serve 48 hours in jail. She must serve 24 hours by January 18th. Lohan had already served time when she was arrested and that will count towards her sentence.

Lindsay must also perform 10 days of community service and she was ordered “not to associate with people with controlled substances.”

Yeah…right…she’ll be arrested again within the year.

I hate these girls. I really do.