Cherished time

As I become aware of the expanse of time that stretches before me, I wish I could clasp it to my breast and savour it. This is mine, I want to whisper, as I gently caress it.

Perhaps the way I grasp at it and hoard it is childish. Time, like money, is to be spent. Is it so strange, nonetheless, to take pleasure in the knowledge that there are no restrictions, no deadlines, no obligations?

I treasure it, but the real question is, will I respect it in the morning? Or will I look back and curse all the wasted time, hoarded to no benefit?

Please forgive me if I am reluctant to loosen my grasp. This is mine, this time you covet. This is my luxury, the metaphorical boudoir where I fall deep into the plush, soft cushions and sleep until I wake refreshed and renewed.

God damn, I need a time machine.

HPV Vaccine now available in Canada AND US

Gardasil, the vaccine against HPV strains 6 and 11 (which cause 90% of genital wart cases) and 16 and 18 (which cause 70% of cervical cancers), was approved last month in Canada for use in women ages nine to 26. In the US it was approved a month earlier for women ages 11 to 31. Edit: ignore that part of the survey below... apparently the thing I read that said this was confused. Also, keep in mind some doctors may be willing to administer for older women; it just might not be covered by your insurance.

The vaccine requires three doses over a six month period (day 0, month 2, and month 6), and costs $135 Canadian per dose, for a total cost of $405. In the US it is going for a total of $360 USD.

In July, the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) said it was reviewing scientific data and expected to make recommendations by the end of this year on whether provinces and territories should fund mass immunization programs.
-From Canada.com

In clinical trials Gardasil, manufactured by Merck, has been 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause 70% of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is also 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases. Gardasil also protects against vaginal and vulvar cancers, two other gynecological cancers that also are linked to HPV, according to another study.
-From about.com

There are many other cancer-causing strains, but the ones that are most implicated aside from 16 and 18 are: 31, 33, and 35

[Poll #805885]

Dear world...

I go to a musical for two hours and I come back to find you being dumb.

(1) people in my life: stop being dumb
(2) people who may be positive with an STD... dude, disclose!
(3) Doctors who say there is no test for something for which a test exists... WTF?
(4) those of you who are reading: No, not every poll I put up applies to you. No, I DON'T CARE. Stop commenting to tell me that the poll doesn't apply to you. Maybe if it doesn't apply to you, you should skip it!
(5) To Dr. Vernon Ingram, you were a wonderful influence in our lives. I am shocked and dismayed to hear of your passing, and I will not forget what a vibrant presence you were.

I give up. I'm going to bed. The world had better make more sense in the morning.