"Let's fight with ballots, not bullets..."

T.R. Reid's latest article on health care reform, in the Washington Post:

Universal health care tends to cut the abortion rate

Finishing from scratch.

Somewhere between not posting, attempting to keep up with grad school and work, and completely forgetting about the existence of this blog, I've gained 21 followers - how awesome.

Two months, two never-before taken whirlwind trips - to Calcutta and NYC - and way too many updates to summarize in one post. In an effort to blog smarter and not harder, here's a very brief recap of choice memories from 2010 thus far:

1) Favorite street side snapshots from abroad:

Missionaries in a foreign field

Trying to change the city's infrastructure is like Chasing Pirates.

2) Favorite places/eats in NYC:
- Westville, between Bleecker and West 4th. Try the veggie burger with bacon on a Portuguese muffin... the best contradiction you'll ever consume.

Red Velvet Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery

- Mamoun's falafel in Greenwich Village
- And, of course, no NYC trip would be complete without a visit to... the NY Public Library!

3) Noteworthy developments & accomplishments:

Finished with PhD apps... in pre-interview, post-interview, & post-acceptance stages for various schools now.

- Checked a couple things off the iconic "should've done this in college (or just earlier in life)" list: ice skating for the first time, brunch at Rise & Dine with an amazing group of Emory students (see above photo), and dinner at Mary Mac's in Atlanta (the closest I'll get to real Southern food until I visit home again in a few months)

- Last, but not least...

The adorable bridesmaid dress for Nick & Emily's wedding!

So what will your legacy be?*

On the day before the presidential inauguration, I saved a quote from an article by Tony Rhodin, an editor for a local Pennsylvania newspaper (The Express-Times Daily). What he wrote was surprisingly simple, but true:

Obama's early legacy will be based on his actions, not his rhetoric. He has a huge majority in Congress and has huge public support. He is positioned to do great good. The real question is if he can.**

I think it was Gandhi who said that action expresses priorities. If the Senate is ultimately successful in passing the health care reform bill this week, then we'll not only have concrete proof of our government's political priorities, but also a poignant preview of the presidential legacy that Obama is poised to leave behind.***

*Lyrics from Wakey Wakey's "War Sweater".
**Rhodin, Tony. "Barack Obama's legacy will be one of action -- or lack thereof." LeHigh Valley Express-Times. 19 Jan 2009.
***Read more about the current developments & some of the basic reforms included in the health care bill here, on the NY Times: "Health Bill Passes Key Test in the Senate with 60 Votes".

"...I just want to say that I believe there are options out there! A take a number option, like they have in a deli."*

From The Wall Street Journal | Health

The Henry Ford of Heart Surgery
In India, a Factory Model for Hospitals Is Cutting Costs and Yielding Profits

One of the best quotes?

"What health care needs is process innovation, not product innovation."
- Dr. Devi Shetty

Also, Holy Taco (in East Atlanta) is my new favorite restaurant option for Mexican food. Much better than standing in a deli line for a chicken quesadilla...

*Quote from the latest episode of The Office. Don't know how many options there will be for health insurance if the vote for the recent bill doesn't go through, though...

H.R. 3962, in the House.

Recent weekend developments worth mentioning

In Atlanta:

Crystal Method

Via @ Buckhead

And in health care reform:
- Obama Calls Health Care Bill's Passage 'Courageous' (NY Times)
- Is the House Health Care Bill Better than Nothing? (Huffington Post)
- House health care bill has nowhere to go in Senate (Yahoo News)

Let the health care debates begin... again. Try to formulate your own opinions after actually reading the bill.