HIV/AIDS vaccine: a giant step forward

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 09, 2010 · 9:12 AM PDT

2010/07/09 · 09:12

The Wall Street Journal reported July 9, 2010, that there's been an Advance in Quest for HIV Vaccine. Although it may take years to develop a vaccine, finding antibodies to the set of HIV viruses that cause AIDS is a gigantic step forward.

NOTE: This has been diaried before, here and here, but I think it's important enough news to diary again so that more people will see it. The announcement is not for a cure for AIDS, nor is it a vaccine. Yet. It's just a big advance in the field.

Poll

186 votes Show Results

This is:

186 votes Vote Now!

This is:

GREAT news.

132 votes

good news.

37 votes

boring news.

5 votes

Meh.

7 votes

Pie.

5 votes

Congress.org: We bolster our agenda with non-partisan polls

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 27, 2010 · 5:01 AM PDT

2010/04/27 · 05:01

Congress.org has an article out about the use of polls as weapons in politics. The article talks a bit about the history of polls, then goes on to talk about Daily Kos's use of Research 2000 polls.

More after the jump.

Poll

15 votes Show Results

Obligatory diary poll.

15 votes Vote Now!

Obligatory diary poll.

Heh.

3 votes

Meh.

4 votes

Other.

3 votes

Pie.

5 votes

Hey! Try them terrorists in rural Kentucky!

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday January 30, 2010 · 7:59 AM PST

2010/01/30 · 07:59

Some of us who live in rural Kentucky are appalled at the suggestion that an Ay-rab terrorist like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed could be tried all Constitution-like at the scene of the crime in New York City. The US would have to spend a lot of money making security arrangements to protect big-city Wall Street folks and make them feel secure and blocking off streets and making it hard for them to go about their daily lives and doing their daily jobs of ripping off the public. Even non-banker big-city folks could be inconvenienced, and that might make them get rude, and out here in the sticks, we've heard that no matter what, you don't want to make New York City folks get rude. So we think y'all ought to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and them other boys here in rural Kentucky.

Poll

43 votes Show Results

Well?

43 votes Vote Now!

Well?

Huh?

1 vote

Hillbillies RULE!

29 votes

JimBeam?

0 votes

Chess pie.

5 votes

Pecan pie.

6 votes

Other pie.

2 votes

One health care wingnut crazier than Beck - Insanity 101

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday December 03, 2009 · 7:49 PM PST

2009/12/03 · 19:49

Updated title to better reflect content. :-)

My head is virtually spinning on its axis.

My local newspaper - which isn't nearly as conservative as it used to be - printed a wingnut's view of why we don't need health care reform / a public option. His answer: we don't need any of this stuff because health care is free. Yeah. He really wrote that. He also wrote a lot of other things that make less sense than Beck's craziest ramblings. My only coherent thought right now is HOLY SHIT!

Poll

60 votes Show Results

The guy who wrote that letter is:

60 votes Vote Now!

The guy who wrote that letter is:

crazy.

1 vote

batshit crazy.

9 votes

astonishingly crazy.

2 votes

@#$#%&& crazy.

6 votes

a crazy lying leech.

2 votes

all of the above.

40 votes

Innocent Arab-Americans and Muslims may die because of this.

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday November 06, 2009 · 5:32 AM PST

2009/11/06 · 05:32

I apologise if this has been diaried already. And, for what it's worth, I'm not an Arab or a Muslim.

Faux Noise has a video up that consists of a paranoid-drenched interview with a retired Colonel talking about the Fort Hood shooter's "outlandish comments." The video mentions Muslims many, many times.

The Faux Noise home page, like other news organisations, has a big Fort Hood-related picture. Unlike other news organisations, though, the Faux News picture caption is:

Authorities search apartment of Fort Hood suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who reportedly gave away his furniture and copies of the Koran to neighbors before the shooting. [my bold]

Poll

80 votes Show Results

Arab-Americans and Muslims:

80 votes Vote Now!

Arab-Americans and Muslims:

are people, too.

2 votes

are subject to the US (or Army) justice system like everybody else.

13 votes

should not be lynched.

2 votes

All of the above.

52 votes

Pie.

11 votes

Healthy Air Force airman dies of H1N1 flu; GET THE VACCINE!

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 12, 2009 · 3:55 PM PDT

2009/10/12 · 15:55

I apologize if this has been diaried already - I didn't see anything on it.

This was just covered on our local news - Shawn Rankin, a 25 year old sergeant in the US Air Force, died of the flu early Sunday morning. He had passed a physical on Thursday, and felt sick Friday. He had a doctor's appointment Monday morning, but by Sunday morning, he was dead.

Poll

222 votes Show Results

Will you get the H1N1 vaccine?

222 votes Vote Now!

Will you get the H1N1 vaccine?

Yes.

112 votes

Maybe.

50 votes

No.

55 votes

I don't believe in germs.

2 votes

Pie.

3 votes

Netroots Nation Auction: Buy some stuff, willya? It'll make you happy.

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 25, 2009 · 7:09 AM PDT

2009/09/25 · 07:09

I've never been to a Netroots Nation conference, and I'll never be going, either, unless they decide to hold one in the red, red Bluegrass state. All I can do is send auction stuff. So I did.

Your turn: y'all have to go bid on it, or on anything on the Auction pages.

For what it's worth - and it's actually worth a lot - please consider reccing this diary (or other NN Auction diaries) so that others can see those diaries and go bid on Netroots Nation Auction stuff. It's for the best of causes.

Poll

20 votes Show Results

I *WILL click on the auction link and at least LOOK at the Netroots Nation Auction stuff.

20 votes Vote Now!

I *WILL click on the auction link and at least LOOK at the Netroots Nation Auction stuff.

Yes, I will.

3 votes

Yes, I will!

0 votes

Yes, I will?

2 votes

Yes. I. Will.

1 vote

Yes! I! Will!

5 votes

Do they have pie in there?

9 votes

Can we make it an ActBlue Million for Miller?

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 14, 2009 · 5:30 PM PDT

2009/09/14 · 17:30

This isn't much of a diary. It's just a plea for more Kossacks - and anyone else who wants to see some civility restored to our government - to donate just a bit more money to the campaign of Rob Miller for Congress. We're very, very close to hitting that symbolic $1,000,000 mark - from ActBlue alone!

Just a bit. Not a lot. A buck, five bucks, maybe 10 bucks. I just tossed in an extra five dollars myself.

I don't live in South Carolina - I'm in Kentucky. We do get the news here, though, and it's being said that the wingnuts have raised over a million dollars for Joe Wilson (Asshat, SC-02). He's now a redneck hero. We can do better!

Poll

19 votes Show Results

YES WE CAN!

19 votes Vote Now!

YES WE CAN!

Yes, I can spare a wee bit more money for Miller.

10 votes

No, I can't spare even a dollar more for Miller.

5 votes

I can afford pie.

4 votes

NRA Fearmongering for $75 or $100

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday September 06, 2009 · 4:09 PM PDT

2009/09/06 · 16:09

This isn't much of a diary, but it's something that just happened to me, and I'm a bit upset about it.

I got a call from the NRA (National Rifle Association) last night. I simply said "No, thank you" and hung up. I immediately decided that if I should get another such call, I'd listen, to see WTF they wanted. I got another call today, at the same time, from someone who sounded like the same female. Both calls asked for my spouse. Today, I said my spouse wasn't available, but she could talk to me.

She asked me to wait a minute. I waited a minute. I think she was expecting a simple "Yes, I'll send money, how much do you want?" but got me instead, and had to look for Plan B.

My best recollection of the exchange is below the fold.

Poll

22 votes Show Results

Did I sound rednecky enough?

22 votes Vote Now!

Did I sound rednecky enough?

Yes.

2 votes

No.

9 votes

Maybe.

2 votes

Possum pie!

9 votes

Flu Preparedness (THANKS, DemFromCT!) (w/poll)

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 28, 2009 · 7:08 AM PDT

2009/08/28 · 07:08

Thanks to DemFromCT, we've had a great source of H1N1 information here on dKos. One would think that local health departments would be the local clearinghouses for H1N1 information. In our case, one would be wrong.

I've nagged. I e-mailed the head of our health department - no reply. I wrote a column for the paper; the short version will be published today. The paper did a story about the H1N1 flu, and I suspect that my whining contributed to that. Our health department finally got off their butts and put up a single graphic and a whopping 3 links (to the CDC, to flu.gov, and one swiped entirely from the State).

Below the fold is the long version. Please swipe my column and send it as a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper. It should be 250 words or less, so take out your butcher knives and chop away. Try to leave in the important stuff, the whats and the whys, OK? GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE!

Poll

51 votes Show Results

Are you prepared for a pandemic?

51 votes Vote Now!

Are you prepared for a pandemic?

Yes.

18 votes

No.

13 votes

Preparations in progress.

12 votes

Need... pie...

8 votes

Don't like dog fighting? Boycott the Eagles and their advertisers.

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 14, 2009 · 6:10 AM PDT

2009/08/14 · 06:10

I'm appalled at the decision of the NFL to allow Michel Vick, convicted dog torturer / killer, to play football again. I'm even more appalled that any team would sign him. I've been a football fan since I was a kid, through many of the NFL's scandals. I've seen the NFL try to improve its image by community outreach programs and events aimed at demonstrating to kids that pro football can be an honourable career. I've seen pro football players work hard in their communities to improve the quality of life for the residents, and I've seen many of them give their time and effort to local charities.

The Philadelphia Eagles have decided to forgive, forget, hire, and pay more than a million dollars to one of thousands of people who can toss a football. I will boycott the Eagles and their advertisers - because I will not forget.

I know this isn't much of a diary, but I'm really upset that a proud NFL team will spotlight a man whose main contribution to society is participation in dogfighting. I didn't see any other diaries on the hiring of Michael Vick, so I also apologise if I missed any.

Poll

292 votes Show Results

Will you join me in boycotting the Eagles?

292 votes Vote Now!

Will you join me in boycotting the Eagles?

Yes.

178 votes

No.

102 votes

Meh.

8 votes

Pie.

4 votes

Other.

0 votes

How to fight your health insurance company and WIN (with poll)

SciMathGuy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 05, 2009 · 11:11 AM PDT

2009/08/05 · 11:11

This diary is about a long process of trying to get our insurance company, Humana, to cover administration of a life-saving vaccine to me and to my spouse. How do you win your case with a health insurance company? Persistence. Don't take no for an answer.

We had to discern what Humana wanted us to provide as proof of needing this vaccine (our doctor's order wasn't sufficient). S_____, our physician's assistant, spent more than 80 hours fighting with the insurance company. She called and faxed snail-mailed and and snail-mailed and faxed and called. During this time, S_____ couldn't do the other things she's paid to do for Dr P_____ because there are only a limited number of hours in each day. S_____'s persistence got us our vaccines, which may save our lives.

There was no "government bureaucrat" standing between us and our doctor. There were dozens of insurance company bureaucrats, clerks, secretaries, case workers, claim deniers, phone answerers, and the like, standing between us and our doctor. There was no government rationing of our health care - but there was certainly insurance company attempted rationing of our health care.

More below the fold.

Poll

61 votes Show Results

Have you had physician-ordered treatments altered or denied by a private health insurance company?

61 votes Vote Now!

Have you had physician-ordered treatments altered or denied by a private health insurance company?

Yes, denied.

21 votes

Yes - approved after initial denial.

8 votes

Yes, treatments, including doctor's prescriptions, changed to other treatments by insurance company.

4 votes

More than one of the above.

13 votes

No, my insurance company always approves all claims the first time.

2 votes

Other - never had private health insurance.

2 votes

Other - have private health insurance, but never made a claim.

4 votes

Other - just plain old other.

6 votes

Pie, cooked well enough to kill the rabies virus.

1 vote

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