Author: lekiare

The FDA recently approved a new vaccine meant to prevent a virus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. Now Texas wants to introduce legislation that would make it mandatory that the vaccine be administered to 6th grade girls. Truly innovative thinking from the lawmakers taking steps to save these girls, but this is Texas after all.

The vaccine called Gardasil is administered in a series of three injections over six months.
More than 85 percent of all cases of cervical cancer are linked to HPV and the makers of the vaccine say it could virtually wipe out this cancer threat…
Van de Putte is sponsoring Senate Bill 110. She says since the Centers for Disease Control have put this new vaccine on its list … a state law would be a way to keep some young women from falling through the cracks.
"What states can do to help encourage the compliance is to make sure that just like your measles and your mumps and your chicken pox. That it’s in the set of vaccines that students must have before entering school," said Van de Putte.
Farrar is sponsoring the House Bill 215.
"I think people are going to have to open their minds and look at the science and the medicine and put that at the forefront," said Farrar.
The shot has not been without controversy. Some parents are voicing fears that the vaccine might encourage promiscuous behavior if young women felt they were somehow protected, but just like other school shots, parents would be able to officially opt out by applying for an exemption.

This one is definitely something to keep an eye on.

To announce that I rock. I just do.
I remarked to my brother on the phone yesterday that I was having a terrible time installing jabber on Trillian. It just wouldn’t connect, but hopefully one of these days I could figure out what I was doing wrong. He laughed at me. He laughed!
Well, I had a brainstorm today, and voila! I can now use Google Talk on Trillian. Go me.
The problem wasn’t with the configuration, rather it was with the files I downloaded with the latest jabber update. They include files that look like they should replace the files in the Trillian folder, but no. Those shouldn’t be touched, and thankfully I had backups. So, for anyone having the same trouble as me, only replace the files in the plugins folder and languages folder.

My last post got me accused of being on LSD or some other happy-inducing drug by some family members. It was very amusing. I swear I’m not that liberal, and I’m not literally calling our authority figure a dictator. Honest.
No. Really.
So I’m completely baffled that I scored a 10 on this quiz. It determines one’s political nature. Apparently, Hillary and I have a lot in common. Can I cry now?
Danke Yin.

In the news overlooked last month Mr. President decided to tack yet another one of his signing statements to the new postal reform bill. He finally confirmed what some legal and political pundits have been hinting at. He’s a dictator, or would like to be in the name of National Security.

President Bush says he and other government officials have the power to snoop through your mail without a judge’s warrant.
Bush made the claim last month in a signing statement attached to a postal reform bill. Bush wrote that the bill "provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection."
After last year’s revelation of Bush’s secret domestic eavesdropping program, the move caused waves on Capitol Hill among some legislators who said that it contradicted the postal reform bill, as well as existing law.

Signing statements are just that. They have no legal weight. He’s not a judge, and he’s not a legislature. Mr. President would love to invade his citizens’ privacy a bit more, but his "statements" have no legal effect. Thank goodness checks and balances still exist.
Barely.
This is kinda creepy.

Soap actor, Drake Hogestyn, was attacked by a fan who thought he was possessed by the devil. Unfortunately for the fan, he was a few years too late. Besides, wasn’t Marlena the one who was possessed, and John was the one who rescued her with a little help from Isabella, his deceased wife?
I so don’t miss Days of our Lives.

2007 and I are not best buds. My made up karma says I’m due for an awesome year, so the badness has to stay away!
I did realize something today. I missed my blog anniversary. It’s not that much of a big deal for me since I started this way back before blogs became popular. I couldn’t even remember when, so I looked it up on the net archive, and it was last month. My blog is a December baby too.
So here’s to four lovely years of rants, ramblings, and sarcasm. I do promise much more.

Less than 24 hours from now people will wake up with one thought on their minds, assuming that thinking is possible: why. Why does it hurt so bad! That pounding. Oh my goodness, is that light? Turn it off. I don’t care if it’s the bloody sun.
So on and so forth.
New Year’s just wouldn’t be the same without that special hangover — jello shots here I come — but what if there were a pill that could spare one’s over indulgence for that nasty sustanance, and say, wake up on Monday morning all bright-eyed, etc? Cheers!
Experts say that it’s never going to happen. Boo hiss.
So here’s my advice. Get plenty sloshed. Don’t drive drunk. Hydrate. Then swallow a couple of ibuprofen.
Happy New Year!

The Wizbang blog has the video of the execution and a picture of a very dead Saddam Hussein. I would link to it except that I think people have seen enough, and I certainly wouldn’t want to lead anyone to a gratuitous image of a dead man. A dictator and murderer is dead. Why glorify that violence even if he deserved it? I have some respect for Wizbang, but I hate seeing images like these. Gloating never did anyone any favors.

Saddam Hussein has been executed. But wait! 2006 still isn’t over.

I used to think you had a wonderful product with iTunes 7, but it won’t stop skipping. My music sounds like it’s on a rollercoaster, and if I can’t get it to behave I’m going to scream. ::pout:: Frou Frou shouldn’t sound like a garbled chipmunk!