Rock On

Rock-It absolutely rocked this weekend! She got her first flyball title and ran a 4.1 with a bad turn and a bad pass. She's definitely going to be an under 4 second dog. We even got her running in the right lane. I had so much fun running her! What a blast. I do need to get in better shape to run her as I have to do a lot of running myself.

Autumn also turned ina 6.9 second run. For a dog her size, that is pretty awesome. Skye did some nice run backs. We have to work on ball drive with her so we didn't even try to race her.


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Dust

I have been reading the "His Dark Materials" series by Philip Pullman. I am a little over halway through the third and final book. I am quite caught up. In fact, right now I am finding it very hard to concentrate on work because I am so distressed about the fate of Pantalaimon. If you haven't read this series and appreciate a good book, especially in the fanatasy realm, I highly recommend you pick up book one, "The Golden Compass" or "The Northern Lights" as it is titled in the UK.

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The Evil Empire

Ok. So I'm a little pissed off at something going on right now and I want to rant about it. Merck, the company that brought us Vioxx, has developed this HPV vaccine. That's great and all-- a vaccine for cancer. But here's the thing that's pissed me off. They want the states to require this vaccine in order for children to be able to attend school. Bear in mind this vaccine is only approved for girls starting at age 9; boys wouldn't have to get the vaccine to go to school. Do I think this is discriminatory or just looking out for the health of children? Both, but mainly I think it if looking after the financial health of Merck. Remember, they brought us Vioxx--which had to be taken off the market because people died from taking it? So they are dealing with a lot of lawsuits and losing a ton of money. Maybe they should have tested more extensively before the drug was approved by the FDA. So, just how much testing do you think they did for this vaccine that costs $125 a pop? That's not enough, in my opinion. But, it's not just Merck doing this. Ever heard of a drug called Seldane? Manufactured by Hoechst Marion Roussel, Seldane was used for allergies, specifically hay fever. Here's a little quote I got from the UC Davis website ( http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/healthjournal/mar_apr_97_hj/articles/seldane.html) "For several years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports that in certain people, Seldane (terfenadine) is associated with a potentially fatal heart condition, ventricular arrhythmia. Those at risk are people who have liver disease or take Seldane with certain antibiotic and antifungal drugs, such as erythromycin and ketoconozole. Eight deaths have been attributed to Seldane use."

I used Seldane and Seldane D and while I was taking it experienced some pretty scary tachycardia (that's fast hearbeat and it's an arrhythmia). Just like Vioxx, people died from this drug and the FDA and the drug companies knew about it. I realize that with drugs for diseases like cancer or AIDS, you might want to push them through the approval process a bit quicker. And when I say cancer, I'm talking about treating cancer that someone already has. But with other drugs, we really ought to take some time testing, and retesting and then testing some more. Especially when they are to treat non fatal health problems.

But wait, you say, isn't cervical cancer a life-threatening illness? Yes, it can be if it's not detected early enough. Yearly pap smears can generally catch it pretty early. And it's fairly certain that those same folks who don't get a yearly gyn exam, won't go out to get shot with a $125 vaccine. But I'm not saying women and girls shouldn't get the vaccine. What I am saying is that vaccines are not without risks in and of themselves. I have a friend whose niece is physically and cognitively disabled because of vaccines and I know of plenty of cats and dogs that have nasty to mild reactions to vaccines. So, more testing and time is needed. Should the vaccine have been approved by the FDA and made available to the public? Absolutely. Should state and local governments cave in to pressure from Merck to require a vaccine in order for girls to attend public schools, absolutely not. Remember, we're note talking about mumps, measles or whooping cough here. HPV can only be spread through sexual contact. So, even if an 11 year old had it, none of her fellow classmates are going to catch it just by sitting in class with her, or even sharing a sandwhich or a first kiss. It's just not going to happen.

Parents and women should discuss the vaccine with their doctors and make their own decision. That's what I plan to do. The FDA and CDC should recommend it. But state and local governments should NOT require it for little girls and teenage girls to attend public schools. The only one to benefit from that is Merck. Remember, they have all those legal bills to pay from Vioxx. Imagine how much money they could make if all 50 states required a $125 vaccine! And just think about all those folks in this country without insurance. How would they pay for it? They won't be able to so it will come out of public health dollars which means our tax money will be going to Merck too. And that's why I call drug companies the evil empire.

Pilgrim

This is Pilgrim. Isn't he handsome?! He had a little eye infection in this picture, so one eye may look a little gooey! Anyway, Pilgrim used to be a puppy mill breeder dog. From birth to 18 months old all he knew was a cage. His feet never even touched the ground, just wire. Now is my happy, healthy little dog! This picture was taken by Willie Moore at the flyball tournament we put on Memorial Day weekend. Check out http://www.wmconsulting.com

Another World

Mmmm, tasty! Now, if I could just figure out how to get in there.

The Dragon

Rock-It, the whippet in the forefront, shows her best dragon face!

Reflections on "Night"

So on a recent episode of "The Colbert Report," Stephen was talking about the controversy over the James Frey memoir "A Million Little Pieces" and that Elie Wiesel's "Night" was being questioned by, among others, Mel Gibson's father--someone who purportedly believes that the Holocaust didn't happen. I had never heard of the book which is apparently taught in a lot of high school English classes. We only read Anne Frank. Anyway, my husband mentioned what a good book it was and I borrowed it from my step-son. Chilling. In terms of sheer numbers, the American Indian genocide was worse, but in terms of what was done to these human beings in the camps... Even seeing it in a film like "Schindler's List" doesn't hit you as hard as hearing someone who lived it relate his experiences. How can some people think that humans are the pinnacle of evolution when no other species on earth commits such cruelty. The passage that haunts me is where Elie says that the first night in the camp so many things in him died seven times over. Those words will haunt my mind forever. I think that is their purpose.

Signing off for now...