Music, I've been tagged

Music, I've been tagged
I was tagged by Jennifer over at Flawed and Disorderly to list three songs I would want to hear if I could only hear three songs before the music died.

So without further adue:

My first would have to be:

Pachelbel, cannon in D major, by Motzart I believe.

No lyrics, obviously.....but the best way to describe it is....its music that is life itself. If you have never heard it, go find it now. I can honestly promise you it wont disappoint you.

Second song would be:

Kenny Rogers, The Gambler.

Another song you can learn something from. I'm not going to get the lyrics for you. If you dont know this song, go away, I'm not explaining it.....

Third song would be:

Josh Turner's, Would you go with me.

A love song if I ever heard one.....

lyrics:

Would you go with me if we rolled down streets of fire
Would you hold on to me tighter as the summer sun got higher
If we roll from town to town and never shut it down

Would you go with me if we were lost in fields of clover
Would we walk even closer until the trip was over
And would it be okay if I didn't know the way

If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Let me know if you're really a dream
I love you so, so would you go with me

Would you go with me if we rode the clouds together
Could you not look down forever
If you were lighter than a feather
Oh, and if I set you free, would you go with me

If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Help me tie up the ends of a dream
I gotta know, would you go with me
I love you so, so would you go with me

Ego Boosting Parenting

Nothing is more ego boosting than being at a McDonald's playground and mom's looking at you strangely, because your kid actually listens. *grin*

Sarah wanted to go up the slide, and all I did was turn to her, up from my food and book and say, "No Sarah, slides are for down, stairs are for up." and she stopped and went to do it the right way.

The mom next to me was like in shock. A short while later she turned to me and commented "I was amazed, and told my husband he just said it once and listened. We say it a couple times and she might not."

My response was simply "she knows I will pick up the food and leave if she doesn't listen. Do it once or twice and she'll listen and take you serious."

I was amused.....

Vaccine again

TRENTON, N.J. - Merck & Co., bowing to pressure from parents and medical groups, is immediately suspending its lobbying campaign to persuade state legislatures to mandate that adolescent girls get the company's new vaccine against cervical cancer as a requirement for school attendance.

The drug maker, which announced the change Tuesday, had been criticized for quietly funding the campaign, via a third party, to require 11- and 12-year-old girls get the three-dose vaccine in order to attend school.

Some had objected because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease, human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually are for diseases easily spread through casual contact, such as measles and mumps.

"Our goal is about cervical cancer prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil," Dr. Richard M. Haupt, Merck's medical director for vaccines, told The Associated Press.

"We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," Haupt said, adding the company will continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government officials.

Merck launched Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, in June.

Sales totaled $235 million through the end of 2006, according to Merck.

Last month, the AP reported that Merck was channeling money for its state-mandate campaign through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators across the country.

Conservative groups opposed the campaign, saying it would encourage premarital sex, and parents' rights groups said it interfered with their control over their children.

Even two of the prominent medical groups that supported broad use of the vaccine, the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Family Practitioners, questioned Merck's timing, Haupt said Tuesday.

"They, along with some other folks in the public health community, believe there needs to be more time," he said, to ensure government funding for the vaccine for uninsured girls is in place and that families and government officials have enough information about it.

Legislatures in roughly 20 states have introduced measures that would mandate girls have the vaccine to attend school, but none has passed so far. However, Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Feb. 2 issued an executive order requiring that schoolgirls get the vaccinations, triggering protests from lawmakers in that state, who may seek to pass a law overturning the order.

The National Vaccine Information Center has been publicizing reports of side effects — mostly dizziness and fainting — in several dozen people getting Gardasil, which is approved for use in females ages 9 to 26. The center, a group of parents worried that vaccines harm some children, questions whether the vaccine was tested in enough young girls.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, say that reports of side effects through the end of January don't raise any red flags.

The vaccine also is controversial because of its price — $360 for the three doses required over a six-month stretch. Because of that cost and what pediatricians and gynecologists say is inadequate reimbursement by insurers, many are choosing not to stock the vaccine or requiring surcharges to administer it, increasing the cost for many families and making the vaccine hard to come by.

Merck shares were down in after-hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange, falling 35 cents to $44.15 after rising 22 cents in regular trading to close at $44.50.

---------------------------------------------

So they're shilling through a third party huh? I wonder if this will have any effect on you texas folks.

Lazy Monday Roundup

So I took the day off, and spent some time with home. Kim had a doctor's appointment, so we all three of us went to hear the baby's heartbeat.

It was nice, a bit long of a wait for the 5 minutes we actually saw the doctor. Sarah, in her infinite wisdom, called through the bathroom door to see if mommy needed any help with a sample.....The little bugger inside wouldnt stay still long enough for the doctor to get a good check, but eventually he found the baby and we got to hear the heart beat. Sarah loved it.

Four more weeks and we'll see whether its a boy or a girl.....and with the 3D/4D scan, no chance of not knowing......


So we got home and repacked up and off to visit some friends from PA who were back in NJ with family. A short hop into NJ and we would be there. Of course, there was the car incident...

Stopping at MD's drive through, they had old toys, and sarah got a Ariel crown. Sarah said "Another one? Now I have two crowns. Its awesome!" to which mommy was like "uhm, no it got thrown out"

Sarah was agasp! "YOU threw out MY stuff? Why?" Mommy's quick response was "uhm, it a broke"

"WHY did you break my stuff? Couldnt you have just fixed it? What were you doing breaking my stuff?" and on and on....my wife looks at me, but I'm just trying not to laugh and said "See? Now YOU know how it feels to be on the other end of an interrogation.,....." She was not amused.

So we got there, had some fun, and went shopping. Sarah just wont stop growing, despite not feeding her, so she needed new shoes. Daddy found(and bought) her new pink cowgirl boots with leopard skin inside....and then finds some pink shoes. Sadly, nothing in brown or sneakers fit.

Word of advise though, NEVER again go to a mall on president's day weekend...way too crowded.

So back at their house, the girls have some more fun and then the drive home....Sarah was a trooper and stayed awake the entire time.

So once she is in bed, we get a movie and crawl into bed and snuggle down.....all in all a nice day...

Daddy, what does this word mean?

So sarah comes up to me now, and askes: "daddy , what does Fuck mean?"

"Excuse me darling, what was the word?"

"fuck"

"Come with me." We walk over to mommy.

"tell mommy the word."

Repeats.

"Now honey, where did you hear that word?"

"Grandma and grandpa"

I see. So between grandparents on both sides she has a new vocabulary.


Oh and the answer to what it means? It means if you say it again you get a spanking....

Snow Day!

So there are several inches of snow on the ground at 7:30 and its sleeting....so now WAY am I going to work today. I might go walk in and check the place, but I'm taking a snow day....!

Sarah is such the wheeler dealer. She has 2 snow shovels.....and decided that her friend C up the street can have one. Well, that's not true. She'll SELL him one, in the time of need and deep snow.

That's my girl.....

And a Saturday roundup.....

Sarah spent half a day at Grandpa's while daddy went to work. By the time I got there, we have a new rock star on our hands....Her uncle was playing guitar while Sarah jammed on the drums...a full set of drums. She LOVES making noise.....er.....Music with her uncle....


Ballet was good. Apparently there is a full moon or something because every other kid but Sarah was out of control.....Poor teacher. All the moms commented on how focused Sarah is when she is in there...

Sadly, its coming to and end in March and judging by the trials a couple of mom's went to, there aren't any really good schools around. The one nearby has a small wait area with no chairs, so they expect, apparently, you to drop your kid off and come back later for them....Uhm, no. Not a 3 or 4 year old. Not happening. Don't know you, not leaving my child with you, thanks....

But good news is, she may open up in the fall, so if this teacher does, we'll be back. And she's making up the class she missed. She's going to add 15 minutes to the next couple classes so it'll all work out. I like that better than a makeup day....Trying to rearrange a schedule is harder than just sticking around a little longer....

Texas PSA update

Figure I throw down some more facts as a friend of mine pointed out:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some HPV facts: "Most women with HPV infection do not get cervical cancer. Doctors believe other factors must come into play for this cancer to develop. Some of these factors are smoking, HIV infection, Chlamydia infection, diet, long-term use of birth control pills, multiple pregnancies, low income, mothers who took hormonal drug DES, and family history. These are not typical risk factors affecting junior high girls.

A large percent of the population already has the virus, and there is no research saying that the vaccine will prevent cancer. According to the National Institutes of Health National Cancer institute, in more than 90% of the cases, HPV infections are harmless and go away without treatment. The CDC says there are more than 100 strains or types of HPV and over 30 strains are sexually transmitted.

Yet the vaccine under consideration for mandate covers only 4 strains. About 30% of cervical cancers can’t be prevented by the vaccine, so women will still need regular cervical cancer screenings.

The only current vaccine manufacturer for the HPV vaccine, Merck, admits on their package insert that the [b]duration of immunity from the vaccine is unknown.[b] In clinical trials, the vaccine’s effectiveness was only followed for 4 years. Yet we do know from the CDC that the incubation period for the HPV virus is about 20 years and the median age of women diagnosed with cervical cancer is 48. Therefore, no claims to proof of cervical cancer prevention by vaccinating preteen girls should be made." TLC www.texlife.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

So ladies of the jury, what can we conclude? We have a drug that only affects 4% of the HPV, anapparentlyly will NOT cover most cervical cancer issuses as claimed. FURTHERMORE, the manufacturer admits on its own PACKAGING, that idoesn'tnt know how long the immunity lasts(shock ansurprisese since its only been out a year), and gee, most cervical cancer happens later in life, WELL past the high school age.

This is a BAD idea. No, scratch that, this is a fucking HORRIBLE idea. I might have been on the fence before about it...But now there is no way my kid(s) would get this vaccine.

Good luck you ladies in Texas. Apparantly they do make things bigger in TX, including stupidity.

And now for a serious moment

As serious moment, news article(a PSA for some of you folks out there, especially TX)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/...ervical_cancer

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry ordered Friday that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots.

The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.

Details of the order were not immediately available, but the governor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that he was signing the order and he would comment Friday afternoon has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.Toomey was expected to be able to woo conservative legislators concerned about the requirement stepping on parent's rights and about signaling tacit approval of sexual activity to young girls. Delisi, as head of the House public health committee, which likely would have considered legislation filed by a Democratic member, also would have helped ease conservative opposition.

Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the order would last and whether the legislation was still necessary. However it could have been difficult to muster support from lawmakers who champion abstinence education and parents' rights.

Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and stem-cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base.

But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different than the one that protects children against polio.

"If there are diseases in our society that are going to cost us large amounts of money, it just makes good economic sense, not to mention the health and well being of these individuals to have those vaccines available," he said.

Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit stating that he or she objected to the vaccine for religious or philosophical reasons.

Even with such provisions, however, conservative groups say mandates take away parents' rights to be the primary medical decision maker for their children.

The federal government approved Gardasil in June, and a government advisory panel has recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 and 12, before they are likely to be sexually active.

The New Jersey-based drug company could generate billions in sales if Gardasil — at $360 for the three-shot regimen — were made mandatory across the country. Most insurance companies now cover the vaccine, which has been shown to have no serious side effects.

Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore would not say how much the company is spending on lobbyists or how much it has donated to Women in Government. Susan Crosby, the group's president, also declined to specify how much the drug company gave.

A top official from Merck's vaccine division sits on Women in Government's business council, and many of the bills around the country have been introduced by members of Women in Government
-------------------------------------------------

Shall we list the reasons why this is incredibly bad?

Drug company lobbying HARD with money to make a new drug mandatory(who's long term side effectaren'tnt exactly known yet). Oh wait, you caofop out....if you go get aaffidavitit. So I have to make my parental choices in legalease now?

Further more....No thiisn'tnt like polio. You may only get the virus via sex, not through human wastcontaminantsts....

Look, I'm now prude...Butut a new drug on the market that you have to worry about the long term(10 years, 20 years from nowaren'tnt exactly know..Andnd a drug company pushing hard for and getting mandatory is scary. I would need aaffidavitit to NOT allow it in my child? Huh?

And you can get it until your 26.So if I decide its bad for my girl..Shehe can make up her own mind in 20 years...

I dont care if you want it for yourselves or your girls. I have no problems if you make it voluntary. But keep your hands off my kid...

Watch your backs folks....that concludes today's PSA.

Target

I hear alot of you gals out there complaining about the shoppers in Wal-Mart....Some of them are truly frightening.....I guess I'm lucky. Our Walmarts seem pretty good.

Target, on the other hand, seems to bring the stranger sorts out around here. Like tonight.

So I was out making the sick kid run. And you parents know the run- meds and a little something to make the kid feel better....In this case dinosaur pajamas. Sarah LOVES her dinosaurs, the beat out the the Disney princesses at the moment. Heck she was at the library and took out the Aubons field guide to dinosaurs(why there is a field guide, I'll never know, I thought they were all dead).

So I get there and get the right meds after consulting by cell phone with her doctor(ie-my wife)...I head over to the boy section for pajamas(because the girl section doesn't have any dinosaurs)...I over hear crazy lady.

Crazy lady is in the women's section, looking for a bra. Now that's pretty normal, except she's arguing her bra size with a 4-5 year old boy(which I hope and assume is her son). The conversation went something like this:

"No, I'm looking for a 34 C, that's not the right size."

"I said no, I'm not a 36 B."

"What did I jut tell you, look for a 34 C. C cup."

"Do I look like a 36 A cup?"

I'm leaving pretty quick giggling to myself. But seriously ladies, if your consulting your 5 year old son on bras, and asking him what your breasts look like.....You aren't exactly playing with a full deck.

So around here: Wal-Mart= sane folks.....The crazy ones shop Target.....

Ok, a question for the mommies out there

Ok, I saw something the other day that threw me for a loop, so let me ask you mommies out there.

Now understand, I only have one kid. I haven't had the joys of transporting 2 around(yet, soon), so maybe its just me.

Dropping Sarah off at school yesterday, her school is at a church basement rectory. One side is a busy main road, the other 2 are side roads and where you part are houses. The lot is only 20 feet from the door.

Normally you park. Walk the kid in, take off their coats, sign the sign in book, and maybe talk to the teacher.....You know, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes worth of stuff.....

So as I'm leaving, I overhear the two moms behind me talking.....One says "so hey don't you have a 5 month old? How is he doing?"

"Oh yeah he's great. He's in the car sleeping...He naps every time we come we come to school, so I leave him in the car...." And I look over and the car is running.....Like it is every morning.

So, like I said, I only got one, but tell me ladies, am I wrong thinking this lady is just stupid for leaving her kid in the car running....Every morning that she comes to school?