I'm a Real Teacher
Well, I finally got my first "real" teaching job. I'm teaching a couple summer school courses. Because of the unbelievable time suck, I doubt I'll be posting any entries. (Not that I have been lately anyway). I'm basically the school district's bitch. I'm just hoping I get through the next six weeks without having a complete and total breakdown. Wish me luck.2006-06-21 13:20:03 UTC
Vag-loose and HPV-free
The HPV vaccine was approved! I really thought the religious right was going to scare the FDA into withholding this vaccine that will help stop cervical cancer, the second leading cause of death among women (in the world). In your face, Focus on the Family! "We can prevent [HPV] by the best public health method, and that's not having sex before marriage," said Linda Klepacki of the Christian advocacy organization. Your worst nightmare is about to come true, Linda. You stupid twat. So far, the only thing preventing 11 year old harlots from having wild 
anonymous sex (with your husband) was the threat of HPV. Now that they'll be vaccinated, there's no need to hold back. Soon there'll be hordes of lolly-lickin' lolitas on the prowl. Watch out for this little tramp on the left. Unfortunately it seems the vaccine is going to be expensive ($350). Insurance companies will almost surely cover it, but what about girls and women without health insurance- here and worldwide? In the US, federal programs will probably ensure that up to half of the girls who need it will get it. Otherwise people will have to cough up the cash. And who's gonna pay $350 out of pocket for a vaccine for a disease most people don't know anything about? It's not HIV. It's just HPV.
Also, the vaccine is not recommended for men. Men often don't experience any symptoms; they usually just spread the disease. Merck, the company selling the vaccine, (of course) wants men to eventually receive the vaccine, but they have found that men rebel "against the use of emery boards to collect cells from their penises." I'm stunned. One doctor compared the sensation to that of a "loofah." While Bill O'Reilly may get turned on by loofahs, generally humans aren't aroused when layers of their genital skin are scraped off. However, speaking from the gender that dies from the disease, stop being such little babies and take your vaccines like men! I imagine if the vaccine was for a disease that killed males you'd happily take a little sandpaper to your penises. I'd do it for you!
2006-06-09 09:45:57 UTC
Without a Guide
The latest issue of Bust features an article on how to have your very own Indie Wedding (TM), an "indie bride guide." Having just gotten married (today's our two-week anniversary), I approached the article with suspicion. I know this is shocking, but somehow, we managed to plan a non-traditional (aka "indie" in the hip lingo) wedding without the aid of a bride guide! How, you're likely to ask, did we ever manage it? Contrary to popular belief, human beings do not actually need guidebooks to accomplish their myriad goals. By using our own brains and seeking ideas from the brains of friends and family we were able to do what we intended: have a wedding that was, if nothing else, absolutely OURS. Here's a picture of the cake that we made.
Some of the plastic toys include: tiny babies, a pig, a policeman, a catfish, a donkey, a bathing beauty, and a spaceman. Do you really need a guidebook to give you centerpiece ideas? Here's a picture of our table decorations. 
They're flowers made from colored saran wrap by our friend Karin. I just wanted to share these examples to illustrate my point that as reliance on impersonal guides increases, meaning and intimacy decrease. How is following the Indie Bride Guide any different from following any other prescribed plan? They both seem pretty hollow to me. You can either be hip and empty or lame and empty. OR, you can chuck the guides and plan your wedding with a little bit of soul. Here's one of my favorite photos from the Best Day Ever. 
(All photos were taken by our friend Jessika.)
2006-06-04 12:39:03 UTC