Are People Really This Stupid? Issue No. 18 - Divorce Your Spouse If They Get Alzheimer's

You think I'm kidding?  It's true!  Some wacko wrote a letter asking Pat Robertson for advice on his 700 Club show last year.  In the letter, a man said he was writing on behalf of a friend (don't we all), whose wife had Alzheimer's and no longer knows who he is.  So what does this God-fearing Christian man say?

"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her."

Are you fucking serious? If there is one thing I learned from the Bible and my Christian upbringing was to love your spouse unconditionally. I know for a fact that if something happened to Ryan I would be there with him until the very end, or vice versa.  But here is a religious man who speaks to millions and millions of people around the world, who listen to his advice, and faithfully admire him.  How is this possible?  Are people really this stupid?

What a Hot F**king Mess: HIV Positive Man Purposely Infects 3,000 Men and Women

I'm sorry, but I couldn't just title this "What a Hot Mess".  This kind of thing just irks the hell out of me.  Why would someone do such a horrible and inhumane kind of thing to another human being?  I can't fathom ever finding out that I slept with someone who was dishonest with me, much less have unprotected sex with them.

David Dean Smith casually walked into a Michigan police station 3 weeks ago, and admitted sleeping with 3,000 men and women over several years.  He doesn't remember when he was diagnosed with the disease, but that he says, he "intentionally attempted to spread the disease to kill people."

So far only two people have come forward, and one of them went so far as to say that she immediately knew it was Smith who infected her.  After speaking with MSNBC, she called him a "sociopath" and a "predator".  

What else would you call him? He's a fucking monster!

Rethink Breast Cancer: Your Man Reminder

As most of you already know, I work in the Breast Medical Oncology department of the #1 cancer hospital in the world.  So when I saw this video, I couldn't wait to share it with my readers, friends, co-workers and Facebook pals.

The video is an advertising campaign for the new mobile app, "Your Man Reminder" released by the folks at Rethinkbreastcancer.com.

Rethink Breast Cancer is a charity helping young people who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer through innovative breast cancer education, research and support programs. Rethink is a national volunteer-driven registered charity with a bold, enterprising and entrepreneurial approach.

I'm sure the ladies and the gays will love it, but honestly, we can't overlook the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness.  Do your part and share this with everyone you know.  And men, you too, can get this terrible disease, don't overlook it.

Where Is All The Water? - Continued

Last Monday, when I originally posted "Where Is All The Water?," I didn't realize someone had actually cut off part of the chart.  While doing research for my "Foods That Will Make You Fat" series, I stumbled upon the other half of the chart. This took me by surprise, because I wasn't looking for it. Too Weird.  In either case, here is the other half of last week's post, "Where Is All The Water?".

click to enlarge

AIDS - 30 Years and Counting...

It may no longer be a death sentence, but it is still a problem.  It is still a disease we haven't found a cure for.  It is still an epidemic.  If you are not playing safe, you are playing with the very people you love, the very people you call your friends and your family.  Get tested regularly.  If you got tested yesterday, do it again in a few months.

You may think that it is nowhere near you, but I advise you to take a look at this map.  You can click on it to reach the interactive version, it is the most recent statistics of HIV across the United States.  You can zoom into the county you live in, and find out how prevalent the disease is there.  The map is actually quite creative.  It was put together over a period of 14 years, and is currently being updated yearly.  The map is also searchable by gender, ethnicity, and age.  New York City and Washington D.C. are the cities most affected by the disease.  But don't discount the rest of the country, look at the entire eastern seaboard, the bible belt, through the east of Texas.

AIDSVu has created the interactive map based on 2008 data from the CDC, but as I mentioned earlier, it is being updated annually - next year they will have 2009 data, and continue yearly, thereafter.

The World's Most Dangerous Animals - The Mosquito

If you're thinking it's Panthers, Cheetahs, and Killer Whales, you're wrong.  Sure these beasts will tear human flesh straight off the bone, but an attack by one of these is highly unlikely.  Now, the mosquito on the other hand, is a different story.  Mosquitoes are currently considered the planet's most dangerous creature, because it has the ability to spread diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever and the West Nile virus.  And we all know how annoying they can be, they develop shortly after a rainstorm, and wherever standing water exists.  Even if it doesn't rain, if you have a bucket of water laying around the backyard, they will appear.  Adults live 4-8 weeks!

Responsible for: An estimated 2-3 million fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Worldwide; harmful in Africa, Asia and North America.

Method of dispatch: Using serrated mouth parts, female mosquitoes pierce the skin and inject saliva containing a thinning agent to liquidise the blood. Most people won’t know that they have been bitten until the immune system reacts, resulting in red, itchy bumps that continue to itch for days after the initial bite.

Useful avoidance techniques: Mosquito nets treated with DDT are the most effective way to keep them at bay, as well as combative sprays and treatments that can be applied directly to the skin. Wear light-coloured, long clothes in the evening. If travelling to malaria zones, ensure that you take your full course of tablets before, during and after your stay.

Read More About It Here

Polio Heading Towards Extinction!

This is so darn amazing.  If any of you know about polio and it's history, it was one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20th century - it killed thousands worldwide.  Our own 32nd President,  Franklin D. Roosevelt was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 39.  It may be a shock to some of you, but yes, I know my presidential history.  Hell, I just finished watching my History Channel DVD collection of The Presidents, and I loved it.  President Roosevelt hid his paralysis from the American public through the 12 years of his presidency, hence the reason everyone was shocked when the president died in 1945 - a few months after he was inaugurated to an unprecedented 4th term in office.

The disease was a horrible one, and children were dying by the thousands up until the 1950's.  A race went on for years to find a treatment, and eventually one was - by American medical researcher and virologist, Jonas Salk.  Since that time, countries have been eradicating the disease at an astronomical level, and this is why the chart down below is so darn amazing.  In 1988 there were still 125 countries where polio had never been stopped.  But by the year 2000, only 20 countries still had the disease, and by 2010 only 4 countries, Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan had reports of 240 cases at most. This is astonishing!  Within a year or two we could see the complete eradication of a disease that affected millions worldwide!

Now, let's hope and pray we can accomplish this with countless of other diseases as well.

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Do Not Allow Judge to Take Her Children Away Just Because She Has Cancer!

I just signed the petition a few seconds ago; I have a couple aunts and uncles who have succumbed to cancer - it's a terrible, terrible disease.  Signing this has made my Sunday even brighter.

A friend of mine sent me an email on Thursday on a mother who is on the verge of losing her 5-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.  It truly brought me to tears when I read the reason behind it.  As most of you know by now, I work for The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and ironically enough, this post is based in part, in the field I work in - Breast Cancer.

Alaina Giordano was diagnosed with breast cancer 3-1/2 years ago when her children were only 2 and 8-years-old.  As she puts it, she goes for treatment once a month and her disease is currently stable.

"my kids know that I have cancer, they know that I go for treatment once a month now, they know that it's stable. They know me as mom, and it doesn't affect our daily life."

Well, a judge in North Carolina has used the cancer, and Alaina's treatments, as the main reason to transfer custody of her two kids to her ex-husband.  And all this, after she specifically told the judge this man was abusive, and furthermore, lived 700 miles away.  

The media has just started to cover this; she was recently interviewed on Good Morning America and the Today Show.

She only has two weeks to appeal, so maybe with all the noise everyone is making, and the public standing behind her, Alaina will be able to reverse this decision.

Do your part - sign the petition - it could be one of the best decisions you've ever made.  

A Chart That Reaches Out

A reader from the site I grabbed this chart from made a comment, and submitted his very own chart.  In his message he asked for help for a friend of his...  So I thought I'd help by getting the word out.

"Hi, I know you get a ton of submission daily but my friend’s little sister is in dire need of a blood marrow transplant and the problem is, is that there are no matching donors. It is a very simple procedure if we could just get the word out. Please check out helpuma.com and i even made a chart for y’all. Thank you so much!"

My Chevron Breast Cancer Car Collection

As most of you already know, I work for the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Breast Medical Oncology department.  I currently work with four Research Nurses (9 nurses since my employment), who have helped guide me in my career.  I've been working in cancer research for 9 years, with 6 solely focused on the terrible disease we all know as Breast Cancer.

Several years ago my Aunt, Lupe Flores, passed away to this terrible disease; a devastating loss to a beautiful family to say the least.  They miss her everyday, but together we have managed to look to the future in making sure we support the cause.

Over the years I have seen people die to this terrible disease, leaving me heartbroken beyond repair, and I can't imagine what it's like for the families who go through the turmoils they face everyday. But I've seen countless others survive this disease and this is why I dedicate this post to them.

As of 2007, I have been collecting the Special Edition Chevron Breast Cancer cars.  In 2001, Chevron launched a toy car named Hope to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness.  Since the launch, the popularity of this car has been astronomical.  These cars usually sell out in three months!  Luckily for me, I had a nurse who bought me my first one in 2007 and 2008.  And ever since then I have been buying the rest.  I currently have every issue, minus the very first one.  I have them set up in my office and will take a picture of them when I remember to.   But for now, here are the cars over the years.

Do your part in help promoting Breast Cancer Awareness by buying a car, walking for the Susan G. Komen foundation, or buying products from companies who donate part or all of their proceeds to research.  

 

With 100 percent of the net proceeds contributed to promote the early detection of breast cancer, I have helped contribute more than $1.8 million by sharing Hope, Faith, Cherish, Promise, 

 
Courage, Spirit, Devotion and Harmonee as a friendly reminder with loved ones affected by the disease.