Marvelle Musings' 101st post!! & Facebook 25 things

Why do I note that this is our 101st post? Well, just to point out that last night the Tar Heels scored 101 points against Duke to continue their domination at Cameron for yet another year... GO HEELS!

In other news...

In the past few weeks, a chain letter called "25 Random Things About Me" has wormed its way through Facebook at an alarming speed and Slate wrote an interesting article about it (as well as The Post and The Times and many others) trying to track its origin and why THIS trend has spread so quickly. If you've been involved in this "25 things" craze go to their website: http://www.slate.com/id/2210697/ and fill out their survey.

I've decided to post my 25 things for those of you who aren't on facebook:
1. I wrote 20 random things then my Firefox shut down and I lost them...

2. I am a procrastinator, so I am writing them again.

3. We adopted a dog named Pancake. Could he have come with a better name?

4. I met Nathan at a free CAKE concert on 8th and G in DC.

5. I will NOT eat mayonnaise, American cheese, or drink milk. I believe I can trace this back to a traumatic experience in day-care, but who would want to eat those nasty things anyways?

6. Thank God for the red underlines in Word and Firefox, because I can't for the life of me spell.

7. I have been focusing on Genetics for over 7 years (grad school + pre-grad school), but I still don't know what the heck I want to do with my life. Maybe open a tea shop? Maybe I'm afraid of making a decision? Maybe I will always be looking?

8. There is nothing better than a brunch of tamales, eggs (with cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos of course), tortillas, beans, rice, and coffee at Don Jaime's in Mt. Pleasant.

9. I am in love with This American Life and more specifically Ira Glass. I have joked that I would marry Ira if we were both single (and he wanted to, of course). My "joke" was broadcasted on the NPR station for over a year on their My Source soundbites.

10. While studying abroad in Denmark, I went to a crazy week long rock festival, The Roskilde Festival. In order to pay for my ticket I drove a cherry picker and took down the electrical wiring afterward. You evidently don't need a permit to drive one of those things in Denmark.

11. I will be going to New Zealand in February. I hope to do an extreme sport - maybe skydiving? bungee jumping? or luge down the side of a mountain? Only if Nathan is up to it and well, let's just say, he's not too enthused by my eagerness.

12. I love documenting events with pictures and posting them on the web for everyone to see - I wish everyone did the same so I could see all the pictures from events where I didn't have my camera!

13. My legs are disproportionally long, and I have a hard time buying pants. I went through the first few years of adolescence wearing high-waters.

14. I have always dreamt of running 400 meters in less than 60 seconds. I once ran it in 60.1 (seriously! ) and have now resolved that I will never be able to obtain this dream. At 27 years old, I am way past my prime...

15. I cannot resist a sliced fresh picked tomato with a dash of salt and pepper. The best is if it is from my parent's garden.

16. I am a nerd, and I'm proud of it.

17. I had a belly button ring for almost 10 years... to top it off my mom was the one to initially pierced it - I had it redone a few years later with my friend Kim at a computer science conference in Pigeon Forge, TN. I'm a nerd as established in #16.

18. I have never broken a bone, but I have dislocated my shoulder on multiple occasions and tore my ACL to shreds. I think I would have much rather broken a bone than had two surgeries with extremely long recoveries.

19. I am addicted to the internet. I know that an iPhone or Blackberry would be detrimental to my health.

20. As a freshman in college, I drop-kicked a guy who was trying to pick me up and broke his nose. I could have killed him with my ninja moves.

21. When I find a song I like for the first time, I will listen to it over and over on repeat (up to several hours at a time). Is this crazy?

22. I am the handy-(wo)man around the house.

23. I thrive on doing things with other people and could easily do something every night of the week if given the opportunity. So if you are doing something, let me know. If I'm free, I'll join you!

24. I've swam with penguins and sharks in the Galapagos Islands.

25. I love Durham, and want to live here for a long time! My dream is to buy a historic home in downtown and renovate it.

This week's edition of MarvelleHD

We've gotten to babysit Camden every other Monday for the past few weeks. During this time we have been able to see him progress from a little scooting to a full on crawl. Here is our documentation of him learning to crawl.


Camden Learning to Crawl from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.

Poor Mr. Pooch

This weekend Pancake had an accident and cut himself on his snout. He had to have multiple stitches and is wearing an Elizabethan collar. He is not at all excited by this and we think that he actually might have doggie depression. Here is a pitiful picture of him with his collar on.

How do I leave my individuality on the world?

As I was listening to Radio Lab, an NPR podcast that delves into a variety of scientific topics in an interesting way, I was exposed to an insight about science that I had never really thought about. Everyday I’m reading papers, doing research, and learning about science in general. However, this was above and beyond the actual day-to-day science; it was more of a philosophical take on science.

The set-up: Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are interviewing Alan Lightman, an ex-theoretical physicist. Alan was working on the problem of how globular clusters (a glob of stars) hang together - the gravity that links them. He thought he had found something so unique, but as he was in the process of writing up his research, he began to look at papers of other people who did simlar work. He was flipping thorugh some current journals and stumbled upon a title that look alarmingly like it could have been the title to the paper he was working on. After reading the paper, Alan realized that two guys from Japan had found exactly what he had found...

Below is my attempt at a transcript from the interview:
Jad Abumrad: So what they had found was exactly what you had found?
Alan: Well they would have had to find exactly what I had found, because this is the world of science. And the world of science has this terrible precision.
I was crest-fallen. I was so disappointed. I felt humiliated. I felt stupid.
And then another sensation went through me and that was a felling of amazement. That these two guys on the other side of the planet with no communication with me, sitting at their desk, worked on the same problem, and had gotten the same results.
Jad: The exact same results ...
Alan: Any scientist anywhere in the universe solving this problem would have gotten that answer. There really IS something outside of our bodies and independent of our minds. This is both a wonderful thing and a terrible thing.
It’s a wonderful thing because there is a beauty to it, there is a feeling of power and control.
But the tragedy of this, which I felt at the same time, is that, what is the relevance of me as an individual person if anybody else could have solved the same problem? Then why was I needed? What was the meaning of my life? How do I leave my individuality on the world? Certainly not through - science.
Jad: Here is what happened. Alan gave up the practice of bench science and became a novelist. Einstein’s Dreams won the Pulitzer Prize. (great book) That’s his work. It couldn’t have happened without him.
Alan: And that is a profound difference between the sciences and the arts.
Jad: If the Ode to Joy had not been in Beethoven's head it might not necessarily been come around.
Alan: The Tempest would not have been written by anyone but Shakespeare.

You can listen to a stream of the podcast "here" under Thrill of Discovery.



So here's the question... When a scientist makes a discovery, is it their brilliant work, the product of a beautiful mind, or is it just out there in the world, waiting for whomever happens to get there first?

This whole concept is weird to think about. It's not that I am not fulfilled in making discoveries that others could make if they were working on the same problem. It is just something that I have never thought about before.

MarvelleHD travels to Manhattan

Alex's Birthday from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.

Pictures are here.

CNN Map Insanity

The folks at CNN clearly have not seen the parody SNL did of their map fetish. Its about a minute into the clip.

A love affair with my slow cooker

For Christmas my mom got us a slow cooker. Admittedly, I never bought one or put it on our wedding registry because I could never imagine using it often.

With a perfect storm of a left-over ham bone from our New Year's Fest weekend at the beach and a brand new slow cooker, I christened it by making split pea soup. It was the easiest thing I have ever done. 1 bag split peas, 1 Ham bone with lots of delicious ham still on it, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 quarts chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, some celery. Put it all in the pot for 8 hours on low. And Voila! liquid gold! It was so so yummy!

The next week I decided to try my hand at another dish, corned beef. Again some potatoes and onions on the bottom of the pot, a bay leaf, a juicy corned beef brisket on top of the veggies and a little water. 8 hours later we had a wonderful meal.

Well, I was on a roll so when I offered to make dinner for Michelle and Mark I decided the slow cooker was the best bet. I Googled the ingredients we had on hand - chicken and sweet potatoes and came up with this wonderful dish:

Slow Cooker Latin Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

Ingredients

• 3 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• salt
• pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• lime wedge

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.

2. Heat 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until hot;add chicken and cook until browned on all sides.

3. While chicken is cooking put beans and sweet potatoes in slow-cooker.

4. Place chicken on bean mix in slow-cooker.

5. In skillet, mix paprika, allspice, broth, remaining cumin, salsa, and garlic.

6. Pour this over chicken in crock pot.

7. Cover with lid and cook on low 8 hrs or 4 hrs on high.

8. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

There is no end to what the slow cooker can do!

Yes, we did.

Wow! it is almost here...

...Future generations of Americans will look back at this moment of crisis and opportunity and they will judge us -- but not by our words. They will measure us -- but not by the promises we make. For language has the power to move us to action, but it is never a substitute for it.

Our children's children will ask only this: What did they DO, back then? Did they rise to the challenges providence had set before them? Did they unite as one people, with a common destiny? Did they set aside the old partisan rancor in order to protect our great nation, to strengthen democracy and human rights at home and abroad and to safeguard the blessings of the natural world for all time? Did they live up to the great promise cradled in that name: America? What will these future generations say?

They will say, "Yes, they did."

Because, my fellow Americans, yes, we will. We embrace these challenges, all of them. Because that is where we find meaning in our lives...

This is an excerpt taken from the collaboratively written inauguration speech done on our friend's site: MixInk. This site allows large groups to democratically create a single collaborative document. This speech was created by 454 members of Slate using the democratic, collaborative writing tools at MixedInk.com.

New Year's at North Topsail Beach

New Years 2009 from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.

Our photos are posted here

A confession

There are many things I indulge in: ANTM, Cook Out milkshakes, American Idol, the list goes on and on...

Tonight, I admit I watched a Lifetime movie, Flirting with Forty. With a mindless predictable plot, this movie is not worth noting except for the fact that the co-star was one of the hottest actors I have seen in quite some time, Robert Buckley.

In thinking of words to describe this man I realized that I could not do any better than this blog which said:

"Ah Robert Buckley... what appropriate adjectives can I use to describe this 27-year old former financial consultant turned model/actor from West Covina, California...

I'd like to call him hot, but his sexiness tends to override his hotness. I'd like to call him sexy, but his cute side threatens to overshadow his sexiness? Maybe settling with 'the total package' might do him justice... great personality complemented by killer looks always make for a dangerous combination..."

In addition, he has a crazy resemblance to Ben (Scott Speedman) from Felicity. I fawned over him during high school. But Buckley is way hotter!

I might be setting our DVR to tape Lipstick Jungle, Buckley's latest endeavor. OK, I WILL be setting my DVR - who am I kidding? Add one more thing to my list of indulgences.

The Monti at Alivia's

This month the Monti featured Holidays from Hell at a Durham staple, Alivia's. [Side note: they serve amazing stuffed challah french toast with mascarpone at brunch]

Jeff, the organizer and founder of the Monti events, started off with a racy story about a stuffed unicorn and a great dane... use your imagination. The following stories were just as hysterical.

There was not hint at what the next show will feature or where it might be - Durham, Chapel Hill, some where far away (oh please no!). So until next time, Jeff and 5 or 6 of the best ever Monti stories will be on The State of Things sometime late in December... be on the look out!

An attempt to chase down Only Burger

We have been anticipating our first taste of Only Burger for several months! Many Durham food blogs have written about this restaurant on wheels. It has been described as the Triangle’s latest dining innovation: a white truck that randomly drives around Durham and serves burgers and fries. It was started by our favorite caterer, Tom Ferguson of Durham Catering.

Friday the 5th, Nathan stumbled upon Only Burger's site which stated: "OB is in the move and will be on East Campus shortly!! Thanks for your patience." I-was-pumped! We invited Michelle, Camden, and Mark to join us for this experience. So independently, Nathan, M&M, and I drove from our separate work places to meet at East campus. None of us spotted anything looking like a tasty burger truck. A quick stop at M&M's to check the internet revealed OB website had stated: "OB experienced a collision today and will not be running for some time. We'll keep you posted. Happy Holidays." OH NO!

Our next stop, our favorite burger place in Durham, Dain's Place on 9th street (also our favorite bar). And we were again disappointed because at 7:30 they were already packed! We resolved to go to Elmos. I ordered a burger, but was severally disappointed. It was dry and hockey puck esque.

ONLY BURGER WHERE ARE YOU!?? I want to eat you!

Here is a picture of Camden at Elmos... the highlight of the evening. What is cuter than a baby in a hat with eyes?

Nave/Marvelle/Lankford Second Annual Thanksgiving Gathering

This was our second year of hosting our families for Thanksgiving. This year the guest list included my family (mom, dad, Jesse), Nathan's family (mom, dad), my sister and her family (Michelle, Todd, Alex, and Lily), and our friends Keith and Erin.

What family Thanksgiving is not complete without a bird incident? We did not disappoint. I took the bird out of the freezer on Tuesday evening... giving it only a little more than 24 hours for a 21lb. bird to thaw. On Wednesday night when I poked the bird, it was still rock solid! So into a sink of cold water she (I named her Elvira) went. The next morning my mom, Nathan, and I woke up at 6:30 to put the bird in the oven to cook its allotted 5 hours to be ready to eat at 1pm. I could hardly get the bag of gizzards out because Elvira was still frozen - her wings were frozen to her body. I knew this was a bad sign!! After rubbing Elvira down with some butter and seasonings off to the oven she went.

Notice that it is still dark outside!

For breakfast we had fruit and bran muffins. I followed a cook's illustrated recipe for the muffins, but I would recommend not cooking them as long AND adding more yogurt. They were not as moist as they have been before.

We cooked the bird for 4 hours while we prepared a few other dishes that needed to go in the oven to cook. We took her out to rest while other dishes baked. I was stressed by the challenge of keeping things hot at the same time - with one oven. We need two ovens and a warmer next time we try to have so much food. After the dressing and other dishes that been cold from being in the fridge the night before had baked. We put the bird back in to crisp and brown the outer skin. We were looking at being on time... but then after about 30 minutes at 400 for crisping, the internal temp was only 150 - is was supposed to be 180. We put Elvira in for another hour and half. Finally she was ready, and we warmed the other dishes up (again) and had dinner at 3... 2 hours after we had initially hoped. Oh well - people were very hungry, but satiated with such a big feast!

Our menu (for posterity):
Nave family:
Tofurkey Fest (for the vegetarians)
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows
The famous (but rarely consumed) orange fluff
Pumpkin gooey cake

Naomi and Kevin
Sweet potato soufflé
Cranberry sauce
Mama Stamberg's horseradish cranberry relish

The Lankford family
Corn pudding
Macaroni and cheese
Pumpkin cheese cake

Keith and Erin
Collard greens
Cranberry cream cheese appetizer spread
Gerdes family appetizer surprise (I will let the cat out of the bag - it was celery with pimento and blue cheese)
Apple pie

Amanda and Nathan and anyone who wanted to help
Mashed potatoes
Thyme and buttery peas
Roasted Pears with cream fresh
Cornbread dressing
The Turkey
Gravy
Trader Joe's Challah Rolls
Pecan pie

Here's to another year of many more things to be thankful for!

Amanda with Alex and Lily - Nathan was able to capture Lily looking at the camera!

Nathan and his dad carving the turkey

Alex showing Pancake her coloring

The kitchen was crowded!

The table was set up in the living room - we moved one of the
couches to the dining room (see below)

Mom coloring with Lily

Cornbread

Growing up in Asheville, I would consider myself a Southern girl. And where I'm from, we don't put sugar in cornbread. A real southern cornbread has buttermilk, no flour, and is cooked in a cast iron skillet. It is savory and juicy with the edges crunchy from the oil in the skillet. It is not a cake or a desert.

If you haven't tried a "real" southern cornbread right out of the oven, then you don't know what you've been missing!

Bored? Here is a way to waste your time

Sometimes when I get bored I peruse some related blogs Lolcats, Loldogs, LolCelebs, Funny Look-Alikes, Lol News & Politics, Fun With Charts, Fail Pix & Vids, and Engrish.

My favorite is Fail Pix & Vids, which shows pictures and videos where the situation that is supposed to be represented has failed.

Here is a recent post where an ad was placed to make the headline read "Obama, McCain are dead" :
Here is a recent post from the fun with charts which speaks so true!

Animals of the Galapagos

The Sea Lions of the Galapagos

Check out our video - lots of baby sea lions. And one sea lion ATTACK!!

We're hoping to put up the rest of our Galapagos videos soon and we're thinking more and more about getting a video camera. You can get a HD video camera now that will fit in your pocket.

Quilting

Michelle and I have decided that we should go into quilt making (forget this PhD business!).

Here is the quilt we put together for Andrea.  Each of the squares were made by someone who attended her baby shower, so we can't take too much credit for the art.  However, we did pick out the fabric and gave some suggestions on what shape to put on the square.   It was so much fun to put together!  You can see my blue footed booby in the bottom corner.

History

“America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.”

-Barack Obama

Election night before...

Election night after...

Shut your fly trap!

Believe it or not, Sarah Palin gave a "policy" speech on Friday in support of (and in support of full government funding of) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

In her speech, Palin stressed that “the most valuable thing of all is information” and that “[e]arly identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference.” However, she also criticized certain “pet projects,” such as fruit-fly (Drosophila melanogaster) research, that are funded through earmarks and that, according to her, are utterly pointless:

Where does a lot of that earmark money end up anyway? […] You’ve heard about some of these pet projects they really don’t make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not.

No, she kids us not. In her view, such research is a joke and, needless to say, shouldn’t be funded. It’s all a big waste, government largesse at its worst!

Oh, Sarah! please do some reading before you open your mouth...

The Drosophila was used in research to show that genes are passed on by the way of chromosomes for which Thomas Hunt Morgan was awarded a Nobel prize in 1933. And the same fly is being used for research into autism at the University of North Carolina in America. And this denouncement was in the same speech outlining aid for special needs children! Let's stop doing research to help these kids just because we use a fruit fly as a model organism.

In Slate.com yesterday, the entertaining and often spot-on Chris Hitchens, concludes an opinion piece with these words:

This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just “people of faith” but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity.

Text taken from and modified from here and here.