Thanks for Attending and Happy Halloween!

Thanks to all the 215,000+ people who came to the National Mall yesterday! You all really made it a fun, crazy, special, awesometastic day.

Needless to say, I spent today sleeping, eating candy, taking naps, and eating more candy.

Happy Halloween, Readers!

You Can't Patent Genes!

a big win for doctors, patients, and researchers everywhere today - the DOJ now says that you can't patent genes that haven't been chemically altered. Why this was ever an issue in the first place boggles my mind, and there's no way of knowing if or when this issue will end, but simply isolating a gene from the rest of the body is (obviously!!) not making something new, and, therefore, cannot be patented. It is a part of nature.

You can read more of the NY Times article here (though, beware, there may be a paywall - silly NY Times!).

Goldendoodle VS Goldendoodle

Woah! Daily Puppy has devoted another day to a Goldendoodle! That's a pretty quick turnaround for a not-so-usual breed. I ask you, then, which Goldendoodle do you think is cuter? Webster or Truman?

Truman (a refresher):

Webster (the new pup on the block):

Or do you think this is a silly debate, as Tucker the Corgi is the clear winner?

It's your call! What do you think?

The Dirtiest Attack Ads Ever

While I don't really agree with the message that Reason TV's trying to get across (they make the point that negative attack ads have been in the media since before the 1800s, but they certainly didn't have a 24-hour media cycle then. Also, aren't we supposed to learn from our mistakes? Should we really be happy that our attack ads are only slightly less vicious than ones from 200 years ago?), I do think this video is hilarious.

Enjoy!

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More Harry Potter Making Of Videos!

Ok, everyone! I learned my lesson. No more embedding Making Of clips - they start automatically and that can be terrifying!

Therefore, I'll only post the links. That being said, these are really fun behind-the-scenes clips of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and you should totally watch them!

Epic Finale

The Story

Forest Run

Animal Stare Down

I just saw this cute little OK GO Video featuring Animal! Yes, Animal the Muppet! It's super cute, and further confirms my theory that "Ok GO" might be better at making cute videos than making cute music. Not that their music isn't good, I just something think their videos are even better. Hmm... if all comedians really just want to be rock stars, maybe all rock stars also really want to be comedians!? This is getting weird. Also, apologies if everyone's already seen this and it's super old, I just watched it for the first time today and thought I'd share!

Goldendoodle on my Noodle!

This Goldendoodle looks more like a scruffy Golden Retriever than a Golden Retriever-Poodle mix, but he's still super cute! Look at those puppy paws! Thanks, as always, to The Daily Puppy.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Making Of Online

Making Of brings us a behind the scenes glimpse at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. How is this movie not out yet!? I need to see it soon or my brain will implode with anticipation.

A Game of Cat and Mouse is Always One-Sided

Too true. I really love the animation style and the sound effects. It's super cute, super concise, and super funny.

Today's Words Are: Writing for Sesame Street

Here is a fun article about what it's like to write for Sesame Street, especially in light of the number of parodies they've been doing lately.

Here are a few of the songs/parodies they're talking about:

"I Love My Hair" (I really like this one!)

"Smell like a Monster"

"True Mud" (this one's a little weird!)

A Bomb Full of Kittens!

This is how every bomb suspicion or threat should end - with a box full kittens and a heart full of smiles!

So cute I almost thought it was fake, but sometimes the world is happy like that. Now somebody adopt those kitties ASAP!

On Justin Bieber

That should be the elegant title to Bieber's recent memoir, as read aloud by the graceful thespian, Gordon Pinsent. Enjoy with light applause and many grilled cheeses.

Dining on a Budget

Here's a fun and informative infographic about whether dining out is more expensive than cooking at home.

Obviously, it argues that eating out is way more expensive to your wallet and your waist than cooking at home. I've been cooking at home way more (and when I say "I" I mean my boyfriend, which has been awesome!) and it's been great. He'll make a meal that will last me for lunch/dinner for the whole week. It's tasty, healthy, and affordable.

We do go out once or twice a weekend. Going out to eat is a special thing to do for us. We don't go to just any place, but rather places that are fun and serve high quality food. Otherwise, what's the point? Since I don't drink, going to a fancy dinner makes for a great date or friendship gathering, so I don't waste it on a lame restaurant.

That being said, in college I dined out or ordered in all the time. I was too busy and tired to cook. The options were usually cheap or healthy, though, since it's really tough to find cheap and healthy food out there - especially in a campus situation (even a campus in New York situation).

How about you, Readers? Do you cook more or go out more? Which do you prefer? What's your dining philosophy?

2010 Kidney Walk!

The Kidney Walk was a huge success!

I've read a lot of articles about how walks or runs for charity in general don't do as great of a job at fundraising as other forms of fundraising do. This is because a lot of resources and money get spent on getting the walk together in the first place instead of going directly towards the cause itself.

This definitely makes sense, and is a valid critique. However, having actually participated in one of these walks now, I really get why people do them. They're fun, they make you feel connected to other people who have gone through the same issues you have, and they help you bring awareness and funds to your cause. You all raised $790 for the NKF by sponsoring me. Would we have given that much without the frame of the walk? I doubt it. Plus, getting this far has certainly made me excited to raise even more money for the walk next year. The NY Kidney Walk in total raised $665,232.48. That's pretty amazing. Especially because where did that $.48 come from? Seriously, like, who just donated $.48? Weird! Anyway...

So while there are concerns about the amount of money spent on getting the walk going versus getting the charity going, I can definitely say that doing the NFK Kidney Walk was an amazing experience and I will definitely be doing it again next year.

Also, if you're interested in exactly where your money is going, here is how NKF divides their funds. Seems like a pretty fair division to me.

PS. I wish I had photos, but I forgot my camera. I'll definitely bring it next year. Also, Grizz Chapman from 30 Rock was there and I met him and shook his hand and everything! It was awesome.

New Improvements on Treating Kidney Cancer!

Fortunately, I do not have kidney cancer. But having just walked the 2010 NKF Kidney Walk, I realize that kidney cancer is a serious issue affecting thousands of people every year. Therefore, when I found out that the Mayo Clinic just came up with a new way to get rid of tumors on kidneys and livers, I was so happy! I just had to tell you guys.

The basic gist is that they're using lasers to blast off tumors with heat - awesome, right? And the great news is that they've successfully done this with five patients.

They've used this technique, laser ablasion, in brain and spine cancer patients before, but this was the first time it was adapted to liver and kidney tumors. The idea is that the more they use this procedure, the more they'll be able to adapt it to other tumors on other organs in the body.

Way to go, Mayo!

Cake is Good

Speaking of the silly things that people do... Hyperbole and a Half has a new comic all about the joys of cake and the things we do to obtain it. Well, at least the things that a four-year-old will do to get it.

Spoiler alert! It doesn't end well.

But as with things involving cake... does it ever?

Puppy Photo Shoot!

Doc the puppy is super adorable, but I really have to wonder if his owners only got him a photo shoot in order to get him on The Daily Puppy.

If so... Totally worth it! We should have done this with Sunny.

Female Character Flowchart

Speaking of women in comedy...

This has been making the blog rounds for a while now. Overthinking It made a female character flowchart and it has pretty much all your standard 1-2 dimensional characters on there, as well as how to turn your two-dimensional characters into three dimensional characters.

It's both funny and serious, so check it out. It takes a little while to go through, but it really does cover a lot of ground.

Writer on Writing: Kay Cannon

Splitsider has a great interview with 30 Rock writer/producer Kay Cannon.

Read it here!

I'm good at taking sitcom writing classes and doing assignments last minute!

Now if only I was friends with Tina Fey I could get a writing job, too...

Kidney Walk 2010!

Hey Readers!

Tomorrow is the National Kidney Foundation's Annual Kidney Walk in NYC! My bf and a couple of friends are going to be walking. It's going to be great!

If you haven't already donated (or if you have and are just feeling extra spontaneously generous), please sponsor me!

And to those who have already donated, thank you so much! I really appreciate all the support I've received throughout my transplant process and beyond. You all rock!

A million hugs!

The Flowchart of Female Characters in TV, Film, and Books

Here's a great, comprehensive flowchart of all the female archetypes, stereotypes, and crazy concoctions that exist in this wacky, media-driven world of ours.

The crew over at OverThinkingIt came up with it and it's pretty great. Read the disclaimers before you start the chart or you might get confused as to what it's all about, but I found it interesting and extremely thorough. The only thing I was a little tripped up over is that she asks if your female character has flaws, and yes brings you to a three-dimensional character, but at the bottom right corner of the chart she has a whole section of singularly-flawed female character types. While I get the nuance, it might have behooved her to consider rephrasing or delineating the difference between a flawed three-dimensional character and a flawed two-dimensional character. Otherwise, I think it's fun and insightful.

What do you guys think? Any tropes or major characters missing? Anything you disagree on or very much agree on?

What the Organic Label Means

While by no means intensive, this video provides a brief summary of what the certified "Organic" label means. So if you've ever been confused (and organic stuff can be confusing especially in regards to meat, I've found), here's what you basically are getting:

Sounds good to me. How about you?

Things That You Think - Ben Folds Plus People!

Ben Folds and Nick Hornby (yes, THAT Nick Hornby, of High Fidelity and About a Boy fame) just released a new record. And they wanted to do a fun internet video to promote it. Since Ben Folds is one of the coolest people ever, he knew the people to do it with: Pomplamoose, the duo who do "video songs," songs which basically means that they play a bunch of instruments and record themselves playing the instruments and then put it in a video. This is somehow different than a music video. Whatever type of video it is, it's great!

New Drug to Treat CKD in Women!

Good news!

Testing is underway on a new drug that could treat or at least slow kidney disease in women! Read more on it here.

The initial human trials have gone well, but I'm curious as to what determines a "less of a decline" in kidney function. Does that mean that the women who were taking the drug kept their kidney function 70% higher than those not taking the drug or 7% higher? Because, depending on the study, it could be mean either.

We'll have to wait to see what this means for the future, but for now let's just be happy about the sheer number of drugs and tests and research that is going on to cure kidney disease. We can do it, world!

Speaking of Harry Potter... New Trailer!

I forgot to post this earlier, but there's a new trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

I finally have a reason to look forward to winter! Hooray!

JK Rowling's Spreadsheet for HP 5 is Classy

/Film put up this incredible image of JK Rowling's outline for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." I'm sure she had a ton more, but this is a very clever way to keep each chapter, date, and moving piece (and knowing HP, there are many moving pieces) integrated with the whole while still being clear and simple.

Maybe this is how I should be outlining my screenplays. Hmm, I don't know... then I'd run the very real risk of actually getting something done.

New Muppets Video! Starring Grover!

Grover was always my favorite Sesame Street muppet as a kid, probably because he's goofy but very, very sweet. Plus, he never got obnoxious like Elmo. Once he got tickled-me, he was never the same.

I'm not sure if I quite understand the point of this clip, but I still love it. Grover!

Cleverest Wedding Invite Ever!

This wedding invite is super cute! I'm not saying I would have gone to that wedding, but I at least would have bought them a cool under $50 present on their registry.

The World's Smallest Stop-Motion Animation!

Created, of course, by Aardman.

I think it's pretty darn neat.* How about you?

*Though the use of the dead bee totally weirded me out.

New Simon's Cat Cartoon!

This time he's chatting up a hedgehog and it's super cute! Love the hedgehog's chatty noises, but I do wish there was more clawing of things or licking of paws. You understand.

Enjoy!

Happy World Habitat Day!

Today is World Habitat Day. I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity a lot when I was in high school, but found it too difficult to do the builds on Friday in New Jersey once I moved to New York. It was really a bummer, since I loved helping out Habitat for Humanity and it's such a fun, easy way to get a lot of good done.

Fortunately, over at World Habitat Day News they've got plenty of ways you can help with just the click of a mouse! Check it out. Maybe you can even find a build happening near you!

I know I'm going to send a letter to my representatives and take a picture to put on their Habitat wall tonight!

Plus, if you can't do anything today - that's ok! They've got plenty to do all week, so I'm sure if you send in your email or picture a little late, that'll be just fine.