jTomasini.com

Mom & Dad, Fall 2008

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-12-31T16:09:15-06:00

Eric & Dana in Chicago

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-12-31T12:32:46-06:00

Darryl & Connie's Wedding

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-12-31T00:44:21-06:00

Lots to Celebrate

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-06-22T23:33:49-05:00

For Mom

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-05-25T21:46:10-05:00

Actually the 2nd...

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-05-02T10:30:03-05:00

It was actually the second snowiest winter in Milwaukee's history, but according to the National Weather Service, we got over 120" this winter. Crazy! That's double what we got last year.

Always an Uphill Battle

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-04-17T22:55:16-05:00

And these are statistics from 2002... Current numbers indicate a 30% unmatch rate for Urology.

Snowman Building Contest

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-03-23T00:00:20-05:00

All 22 pictures can be downloaded here

Eric & Dana's Wedding

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-03-23T00:44:13-05:00

All 122 pictures can be downloaded here

Lunar Eclipse

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-03-16T22:04:36-05:00

This was a full lunar eclipse that occurred on February 20, 2008.

Milwaukee's Fourth Snowiest Winter

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-03-16T21:20:20-05:00

As I write this, we have had 85" of snow since October, which is more than twice normal. Only three other winters in Milwaukee's recorded history have had more snow. The dogs had a lot of fun when the snow was fresh, but less so when things warmed up enough to turn our walkways into sheets of ice.

Crazy Snow-Lovin Dog

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-02-07T00:09:58-06:00

We just had about 12-18" of snow in the last 24 hours. This crazy dog loves it, she can't get enough. She runs and hops in it to the point where she is only a head sticking up over the snow banks. Bella is not so much a fan of the snow. Kaiser, on the other hand, eats it until she pukes up a bunch of water, then keeps eating some more.

The Packers Never had a Chance

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-01-21T23:46:05-06:00

Playing in the Snow

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-01-13T16:17:44-06:00

Summer Landscaping

Jeff Tomasini — 2008-01-06T23:22:44-06:00

Just a few shots taken in August of some of the work we did outside. The retaining walls in both the front and back are new. We also planted 4 trees, as we had none to start with.

No More Catalogs in the Mail

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-10-18T11:17:45-05:00

Catalog Choice is a new, free online service that helps you stop receiving all those catalogs that you don't want in the mail. It's easy to set up, and all you do is specify any companies you don't want to receive catalogs from anymore. They take care of the rest, and in about 2 months you should stop getting all that wasted paper. Over 16 million pounds of trees are used to make mail-order catalogs every year.

Mackinac Bridge

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-26T22:29:14-05:00

First thing in the morning, we set off for St. Ignace to see the bridge. On the way there, we stopped at a spot on Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior to look for moose ... supposedly a common place for sightings, but we weren't so lucky. The Mackinac Bridge is, at 5 miles long, the longest suspension bridge in the country. While taking pictures of it, some old luddite wouldn't leave me alone, claiming his Pentax film body and Tamron lens were far superior to my digital hunk o'junk, which could never be as artful as his ebay "finds". We finished off the day at the Upper Falls of the Tahquamenon River, which, due to dry conditions, was not at it's peak beauty.

Mackinac Bridge, from St. Ignace, Upper Peninsula

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-26T17:14:30-05:00

After setting up our tent in gale force gusts, we hiked to the Lower Falls of the Tahquamenon River, which empties into Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior.

Lower Falls, Tahquamenon River

Pictured Rocks - East

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-26T15:45:09-05:00

On day two, after several hours of brain-rattling dirt roads, we made it to a spot on 12 Mile Beach in the eastern portion of Pictured Rocks. We also spent some time at the Log Slide, where you can see Au Sable Lighthouse to the west and 200 foot tall sand dunes/cliffs overlooking Lake Superior. We ended the day at Grand Sable Lake and Sable Falls near Grand Marais.

12 Mile Beach

Pictured Rocks - West

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-26T15:34:26-05:00

On our first full day in the UP, we spent most of our time in the western portion of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We spent time at Miner's Castle, Miner's Beach, and Munising Falls. There are also pictures from our campsite on South Manistique Lake.

Miner's Beach

The Pressure Mounts

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-25T01:49:33-05:00

The Dean of Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine reported on August 15, 2007 that, "animals are no longer used for teaching purposes in the MD curriculum in our School of Medicine."

This action is in response to a letter from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) regarding the resolution passed by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) in March. This resolution "strongly encourage(d) the replacement of animal laboratories with non-animal alternatives in undergraduate medical education." SLU has now eliminated the use of pigs in their M2 cardiovascular physiology module.

SLU's move forward in medical education marks the tenth medical school to stop live animal use since 2006, leaving only 11 allopathic medical schools in the US still using live animals in their curricula.

The Beautiful UP

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-21T22:20:14-05:00

I'm working on just about 200 pictures from our trip last week to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I'll be posting them as soon as I'm done, but I thought I'd show some of what I've finished from just our first day. Lake Superior and the surrounding lakeshore and rock formations is one of the most picturesque and beautiful places I have been. It's possibly even more beautiful in the fall.

Sunrise over South Manistique Lake. This is the view from our campsite.

Miner's Castle in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Miner's Beach in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Breathe Free Wisconsin

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-04T17:00:32-05:00

The “Breathe Free Wisconsin Act,” Senate Bill 150, requires every workplace in Wisconsin—including bars and restaurants—to become smoke-free. SB 150 had a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy on May 31, 2007.

Momentum is building for Wisconsin to join more than 20 states that have enacted such bans. Two of our neighboring states, Minnesota and Illinois, recently passed laws that will enact statewide bans within a year.

Contact the members of the Senate Committee on Public Health and ask them to support SB 150, and to pass it out of committee.

Veteran's Park

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-08-03T18:52:05-05:00

Getting Hosed

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-07-31T00:53:43-05:00

A Good Start

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-07-30T00:12:13-05:00

On Thursday, July 26, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Israel-Doyle Amendment to the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill focuses on agricultural policy and tax provisions, and is debated on Capitol Hill every 5 years. Elected officials can add on amendments to the Bill, which are voted on independently. The Israel-Doyle Amendment is named after the two democrat representatives who introduced it - Steve Israel and Mike Doyle, from New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. This amendment seeks to prohibit the use of random source (Class B) animals like dogs and cats in medical research and education, as well as in sales demonstrations for medical equipment.

Animals of all sorts are used routinely in medical research, and have helped to advance our scientific knowledge to where it is today. There are very strict guidelines as to how an animal can be obtained, used, and treated. Because of these ethical standards that all scientists must adhere to, the cost of using animals is very high, often prohibitively so.

One way around this problem is to use random source instead of purpose-bred animals. What's the difference? Purpose-bred animals are bred with the sole intention of being used in an experiment, and from birth to death are treated very humanely. Their entire existence and how they are treated is monitored closely by various agencies. The origin of random source animals is often suspicious. Class B, or random source dealers can legally obtain animals from shelters that will euthanize the animal, or from an individual who bred the animal on their property. These dealers, who fortunately are being forced to extinction, often get their animals from sources other than shelters. While they must be licensed by the USDA, most do not follow the rules very well. There are cited cases of dogs obtained from flea markets, "free to good home" advertisements, and even stolen out of their owner's yards. Class B dealers turn around and sell these animals to research institutions at a much reduced cost, as compared to purpose-bred animals.

There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. With the Israel-Doyle Amendment passing the House recently, it should be voted on in the Senate soon. Please, contact your Senators and let them know how you feel about the Amendment. The very best thing you can do is to call and also send an email. It only takes a few minutes to call, but it can really make an impact on your Senator votes.

Bella's 4th Birthday

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-07-10T22:04:09-05:00

Springtime Outside

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-06-04T18:44:43-05:00

Mom & Dad in Milwaukee

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-07-10T16:22:47-05:00

Real Ballpark

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-06-03T23:40:00-05:00

Marlins 5, Brewers 2

Yes! It is worth it

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-05-23T18:01:49-05:00

Dr. Centor's reply to Panda Bear's question:

I give a regular talk to 3rd year students on picking a career in medicine. Each time I give this talk I stress the importance of picking a specialty which you will love. Many students pick a specialty which is trendy, especially one which their colleagues think provides “good lifestyle and high income.” If one does that, he/she often makes a big mistake.

Those of us who are fanatics cannot imagine any other career. I know many physicians who feel this way. At age 58, I still regularly get excited discussing a patient situation, making a diagnosis, and helping a patient through conversation.

When I awaken each morning and look in the mirror, I see someone who wants to help.

Many students start medical school with that attitude. Unfortunately, we (medical school faculty) turn eager incoming 1st year students into jaded 2nd year students. I often have stated that 2nd year students are the most undesirable students to teach. But then the 3rd year comes and most students have their joy rekindled. 3rd year students should learn the humbling power of the white coat.

"Is it Worth It?"

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-05-22T18:18:47-05:00

From pandabearmd.com:

I wouldn’t presume to imply that you haven’t given your decision to apply to medical school a lot of thought. Of course you have. The application process alone will weed out anybody who is not completely serious. Still, you may have some lingering doubts and if you do, it is better to hash them out now than when it is too late and you are so deeply into it that to withdraw will mean an unacceptable loss of your considerable investment in time and money.

The first thing you need to do is to cool your jets. Medicine is a good career but it’s just a job. I’m sure you will meet some zealots who seemingly breathe, eat, and live medicine but for the most part, by the time you get into residency you will find that most of your colleagues want pretty much what other working people want, namely a useful job with good pay and decent hours. In this regard, maybe the years of working long hours for little of no pay like you’re going to do in medical school and residency beats the idealism out of people but I prefer to think it teaches them the difference between professionalism and fanaticism. Naturally you have to pretend to be driven to get into medical school as showing passion is a de facto requirement. Your real reasons for wanting to be a physician, while perfectly legitmate, would sound trite and self-serving if you even dared breathe them aloud. Just between me and you I didn’t want to save the world either and just applied to medical school because I thought being a doctor would be kind of cool.

Life Isn't Fair

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-05-22T01:00:04-05:00

Oh noooo!!!

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-05-15T11:22:02-05:00

The Life of a Med Student

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-05-16T00:34:12-05:00

Eric & Dana's Engagement Party

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-04-25T19:09:26-05:00

St. Pat's in Chicago

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-03-19T01:43:20-05:00

Big Number 5

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-03-10T17:34:07-06:00

March 1st was Kaiser's 5th birthday. Of course she had a party, complete with gifts and cupcakes.

Engaged!

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-02-23T20:13:35-06:00

On February 18, 2007, Eric and Dana got engaged!

More Fun in the Snow

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-01-21T18:37:17-06:00

Wintertime

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-01-18T19:24:03-06:00

It finally snowed again! Hopefully this time the snow will stick around for more than a week.

It's Great... To Be... A Florida Gator!

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-01-09T14:55:28-06:00

The University of Florida is the first school to win the NCAA Basketball and Football Championships in the same year. The SEC will finally get the respect it rightly deserves.

I've never been more proud of being a Gator.

Christmas Week

Jeff Tomasini — 2007-01-01T20:55:37-06:00

It was a busy week! Mom & Dad flew in for Christmas and got to see Milwaukee, unfortunately snowless aside from the occasional flurry. Amber cooked an amazing Christmas dinner and Mom made meat pies and cookie dough things. We also got to see Barb, Gerry and Dev, which was a lot of fun. Now, it's back to the real world.

Snow!

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-12-17T17:43:03-06:00

On December 1st, we had our first blizzard. It was even more fun that I thought it would be! As I write this now, there is not a single snowflake left in the yard, as we've had unusually warm weather for the past week or so. Hopefully, we'll get another blizzard soon.

Snow Dogs

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-12-17T17:38:26-06:00

Mom & Bill's Visit to Milwaukee

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-11-20T23:01:27-06:00

Mom and Bill came up for the weekend. Unfortunately, I had to study, but Amber took them hiking up north a bit and to see the rest of the sights downtown.

Snow Dogs

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-11-10T00:00:55-06:00

We got our first decent snow of the year, around an inch or so. It was very different, and the dogs sure loved it. They get pretty spunky in the cold.

The Very Windy City

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-11-18T00:01:44-06:00

Amber and I spent the day in Chicago doing the typical touristy stuff. We walked all over the city, from the Sears Tower to the Hancock Building, and of course the Navy Pier. We also ate Chicago-style deep dish pizza at Uno's Pizzeria. It was also pretty cold, so I wasn't so eager to take a bunch of pictures. We can't wait to go back ... next time, we'll have to stop by and see Wrigley Field.

Happy Halloween

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-10-21T19:24:57-05:00

A Little Bit of Fall

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-10-15T21:43:17-05:00

Block two exams are finally over, and Dad came up from Ocala to visit. Unfortunately, most of the autumn color is gone - I'll have to wait until next year to get some good, colorful shots. We went up to Harrington Beach State Park on Lake Michigan, just north of Port Washington, where most of these photographs were taken. The next batch of pictures will be of the first substantial snowfall. We already had some flurries, but nothing worth taking a picture of.

The Good Life

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-09-03T00:23:27-05:00

I haven't had the chance, at all, to take any pictures since I started school last month. In fact, almost all of my free time has been spent studying and sleeping. Even though I can't do a lot of the things I used to do, and would like to do, I really can't complain. I'm enjoying school more than I ever have. It's really exciting to be learning something new everyday, and to be completely interested in it too (okay, well Biochem isn't always a party).

Since I don't have much time for photography, I'll try to write up here from time to time to keep everyone up to date with my new boring life. I'd write more right now, except I should be studying for my first round of exams coming up in the next few days.

White Coat Ceremony

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-08-11T23:16:22-05:00

Milwaukee Art Museum

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-31T01:11:10-05:00

On our way to Germanfest, I took some pictures of the Milwaukee Art Museum on Lake Michigan.

Done for the Summer

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-23T18:53:16-05:00

With only two weeks left until I start school, we won't be doing much else to update the house for a while. So, I've posted some pictures of the house as it is now. Hopefully by the end of the year we will have the kitchen/hallway/bathroom floors tiled. Next summer, we're planning to paint the outside of the house, construct a new retaining wall in the back yard, and do some landscaping as well.

Milwaukee County Zoo

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-21T22:21:13-05:00

For some reason, the chimpanzees and gorillas were not out playing, so I was disappointed that I didn't get to see them. Otherwise, there were a lot of animals out, and all very active, which was great. One sea lion had this ritual where he looked like he was sleeping, but then would make some crazy sounds. Am managed to get it on video with her Razr. It's hard to see the sea lion, but you sure can hear her grunting.

Fourth of July

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-10T00:26:15-05:00

Fireworks display by the City of West Allis at the Milwaukee Mile / Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.

Bella's Birthday

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-05T12:23:04-05:00

Bella had her third birthday, complete with gifts and dog cake.

Wild & Crazy Dogs

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-07-01T19:00:19-05:00

Apparently, high-pressured water makes Bella go crazy.

Cross Country Trip

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-06-19T02:50:03-05:00

I posted some of the pictures I took on our drive to Milwaukee. They are mostly in chronological order, and start in southern Tennessee (I was too lazy to photograph anything in Georgia). If the picture is boring to you, it's probably in Illinois somewhere. I also included a couple of shots of the wood floor in the bedroom after the refinishing, along with the beautiful hallway linoleum. And yeah, that's a rabbit in our yard.

Getting Settled

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-06-13T23:51:04-05:00

Am and I are just now getting settled after almost 3 weeks. The floors in the bedrooms have been refinished, so all we have left to do is refinish the living room floor and we should be done with the major things. Still tons of odds and ends to take care, but I have some time to do all that. When I get the time, I'll post up the pictures from our trip up to Wisconsin along with pictures of the progress we've made on the house.

Mother's Day

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-05-14T23:32:22-05:00

Mother's Day at Nanna & Poppie's new house.

One last time

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-05-14T22:25:14-05:00

Natalie, Josh, Sarah, Rosie, and Jim had us over for one last get together. Lots of good food and even better company. We'll miss you guys a lot!

Morgan Kate

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-05-05T22:37:54-05:00

Morgan Kate's first Birthday, May 5, 2006.

Easter

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-04-22T10:33:47-05:00

The pictures from Easter are now online.

Photo Galleries Design Survey

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-04-20T15:57:24-05:00

I've put up a second Photo Galleries site using a Flash-based program called Photofolio. Initially, it's more work to set up and modify, but it's a lot easier to maintain and update than the orange Rapidweaver site that has been in place for the past month or so.

Check out the two sites, then take this SURVEY to let me know what you think.

Movin' on up

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-04-10T21:44:18-05:00

Well, not really. I got a summer job in Milwaukee today at American Eagle. It's a serious paycut, but at least it's a paycheck.

Videos of Bandit

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-04-06T19:52:42-05:00

UPDATE: Apr/10/06
The videos are now streaming, so you shouldn't have to wait for them to load now.

I've added six videos I took of Bandit this past Christmas. Even though the picture quality isn't very good, they're great memories. Just be patient and let them load, too - the videos are pretty big.

Accepted Offer!

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-03-21T22:27:57-06:00

The sellers have countered our offer, and we've accepted it! We're moving to Milwaukee!

Cross your fingers

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-03-20T22:58:33-06:00

We made an offer on the house we like in West Allis on Monday, so hopefully we'll hear back in a day or two if they've accepted it.

Hillsborough River Camping Trip

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-03-06T21:45:31-06:00

UPDATE: Mar/21/06
I've processed and uploaded all the pictures from the trip, so they're actually online now.

We just got back from a weekend at Hillsborough River State Park near Tampa. I took lots of pictures of Eric, Dana, Am, the mutts, and there's even some of me in the Camping galleries. For more scenic shots like the one above, go to the Florida galleries. I will be putting these pictures up within the next week or two.

Our first house ... maybe

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-02-08T22:24:53-06:00

While in Milwaukee, we found one house out of more than 30 that we fell in love with. Great price, good location, and not much renovation needed. We are very excited. Check out the house here.

Antigua

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-01-28T15:36:27-06:00

Over the next few days, I will be putting up my favorite pictures from my honeymoon in Antigua last year.

Welcome

Jeff Tomasini — 2006-01-26T14:58:55-06:00

I am in the process of adding pictures to my portfolio, which is basically the best or most interesting of my work. For a more complete array of photographs, visit my photo album.