West Nile Virus in Contra Costa
For those of you who didn't realize, I'm now firmly ensconced in Contra Costa County (say that one ten times fast). And we've had our first fatality due to West Nile Virus. Granted, it was an elderly woman, and she probably got it during the big July heat wave, but summer's not over yet and I'm now very, very afraid of mosquitoes.
Though, when I think about it, I suppose so long as I am armed with knowledge, I'll be okay.
Way To Go, Obama!
Senator Barack Obama (D--Illinois) is making a trip to his father's native country, Kenya, to have a public AIDS test taken this weekend. The region of Kenya he is visiting has one of the highest daily death rates related to AIDS, so this kind of publicity for testing is very important in the sense that it might just encourage more people to be tested before they unknowingly spread the disease.
Many Kenyans count Obama as a hero, and a man they can relate to and invest their hopes in. It is wonderful to see a U.S. politician bringing hope and pride to a country so ravaged by poverty and illness.
A Big Win For Mother Earth
The Bolsa Chica wetlands in southern California are being reclaimed by their rightful owners--birds, plants and other species of life. After 107 years of being dammed off from the ocean, today, a bulldozer swept away the last of the barrier and ocean water poured in.
As my headline states, it's a huge victory for our planet, and I hope that other habitats will be restored and encouraged to return to their natural state in future. We've only got one planet--let's show a little love, why don't we?
I'm doing what I can. I've got laundry hanging up to dry on my patio, and I want to get some small bins for recycling. I try to minimize my energy consumption by not leaving lights on, etc. I chose to live very close to my new job so that I have minimal driving, or even the option to walk. Every little bit helps!
A Big Story for Women
Why this is at the bottom of the headlines, I don't know, but hey, I found it, and I'm passing it on.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Plan B pill for sale in pharmacies. It must be behind the counter, but it can be sold to women 18 and over without prescription.
While women's rights groups claim the sales approval could halve the number of unplanned pregnancies in the US, conservatives warn the decision could encourage sexual promiscuity.
These conservatives need to get it through their thick skulls that a pill is not going to promote sexual promiscuity. If you want your teenagers to abstain, sit down and talk to them!! And for heaven's sake, turn off the TV, monitor what they're doing, and be active enough in their lives so that you don't have to worry that some little pill's presence in a pharmacy is going to make them want to have sex.
Believe me, if someone wants to have sex, they're going to, whether there's a Plan B pill on the market or not.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Cheers,
Meg
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