Did I mention this is a rant?

wicked_trouble_now · Did I mention this is a rant?

Okay, we have our bragging topic, now we need a rant topic!

I'll go first.

In my town our teachers get paid crap, so now they are like: Give us our raises or we'll rebel... that so wasn't word for word.

So, the teachers went to contract hours which means no tutoring or AP study sessions which makes our scores look like crap. I'm not in AP cause I'm lazy, so I really don't care. Except I am failing a class that I need to pass in order to go to college. Algebra II. I'd rather have dinner with Caleb then go to that class. Honestly... well, okay, the teacher called the class flirt a slut the other day which was great, but besides that... I'm currently failing the class and I so wouldn't be if I could get tutoring... so, now I'm screwed.

cardboardy

ok i'll have a go.
whats been really pissing me off lately is the fact that suddenly in the last few months (in mycountry anyway) everybody (people, media, policy makers and governments) are all in a mad flap about global warming climate change and the general destruction of the planet by human and industrial overconsumption.

?? hello where have they been???

did they only just out that these things are imiminent?
did they forget that we knew a decade ago, even more, that the future looked grim.

WHY NOW?
some say its kinda too late, the rivers are drying up, the ice is melting, the fires are burning, the floods are flooding.
others say better late than never, change of consciousness is a good thing.

I really dont know. but thats my rant.

beagle

Most annoying driving practices.

Following too close. This is just plain stupid. If you are less than 2 seconds behind the person in front of you, you are too close. What are you trying to do? Get there 1.5 seconds sooner?

Inproper use of turn signal. Initiate your turn signal a few seconds BEFORE you turn, or change lanes. Turning on your signal an instant before, or after you start turning is USELESS. I can see you are turning, I don't need a signal then. Remember, your turn signal is for the people you don't see, not for the guy in your mirror, you can tell you are clear of him. Also if you change lanes too quickly, especially without an adequate warning the guy you don't see doesn't have time to avoid you. Of course, if you are one of the people who never make a mistake just keep on changing lanes at your will. DumbA$$'s

MERGE you idiots. Merge - To become as one, It is difficult to merge with 60mph traffic when you are traveling at 35mph. Also it's hard to merge when everyone is following too close. #1 cause of traffic conjestion you idiots!

Whew!!!!!!!

Jess

Eircom are taking FOREVER (so far 2 months) to set up a phone line and broadband at my house, so I can't access my lovely websites very much (unless I sneakily do it at work - like now). I've just found out it'll be at least 9th November before I get a phone line too.

Deep calming breaths!

And Beags - I sold my car in July after having the pants scared off me by crap drivers. I've walked, cycled and taken buses since. It makes me feel very smug!

beagle

You go Jess! I sold my motorcycle this week for the same reason. Unfortunately, without the same consoling smug aftereffects.

Sunnydalehigh

You go, Jess and Beags! I have to agree with everything Beags said too. Following too closely and improper use of turn signals really burns me. As a former professional driver of semi trucks, I've seen more than my share of bad driving. Another thing that burns me is when cars change lanes right in front of semis. Don't they know that an 80,000 lb. vehicle outweighs them? Don't they realize that if they had to stop suddenly they'd be squished flat? Just because there's an opening in traffic in front of a big truck doesn't mean someone should fill it. Grrrr!

An unrelated vent: Last week I told my client about an error I found in the textbook. It was a very glaring error and I KNOW that the company whose textbook it was would fix it if they only knew about it. However, when I brought it to the attention of my client, they totally blew me off. They told me it was okay the way it was (which it totally ISN'T) and they weren't going to pass on my comment to the textbook company. Hello! I've worked directly for the textbook company for the last 15 years. I only recently started doing work through this client.... Aw, screw it. This is the sentence in the textbook. Decide for yourselves if it is correct or incorrect:

A snowflake has 6 sides.

Duh! A snowflake does not have 6 sides! Yes, a symmetrical snowflake could fit inside a regular hexagon and it would have 6 lines of symmetry, but the snowflake itself has many, many sides. The sentence above is totally false. I know what the writer was trying to say, but the way it was written is WRONG! And they blew me off! Idiots! How can we educate the children in this country when the adults can't even get it right?

Okay. I'm done now.

wicked_trouble_now

About the driving thing... okay, I don't drive. Part of it has to do with the fact that I have short legs and I feel like the steering wheel is molesting me every time I attempt to drive. But, people are just stupid. I swear, this weekend I saw someone use thier left turn signal and then turn right... W.T.F?

TwoToGo-Grave

As for a rant, I feel that I must gripe about this new anti-gambling law that has been slithered through Congress and has now become a law. The law makes further restrictions to the (already illegal) act on playing poker online (among doing other things online), and has caused most poker sites to stop allowing U.S. players. What bothers me about this bill, besides that it makes it harder to deposit and withdraw money from a site and that it makes it harder to play poker online, is two things. First, it was attached to a port security bill to avoid debate on the matter. Second, lotteries (which are run by states and make them gobs of money) and horse racing were exempt, so I guess that the crooks in Washington got some back scratching from them. Furthermore, it is not the place of the government to legislate values and to disallow people from doing things that do not hurt others. They claim that it protects people by preventing them from getting themselves into gambling troubles, but that is bogus. In a democracy (which is what the U.S. prides itself on, or at least used to), shouldn't the people be able to make decisions such as this for themselves. This seems like a law that would exist in a totalitarian system, and not in America.
Sorry for the length of the rant, but I feel strongly about this.

Sunnydalehigh

I'm with you, 22Go-Grave. It's like prohibition for gambling. It's not going to work and it's only going to make people sneak around and do it. Yes, compulsive gambling is a problem, but so is alcoholism, which is far more rampant. That's no reason to enact such a stupid law.

Just wondering though, who profits from the poker tournaments you enter? Is it a company or a person? What do you know about them? Maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm just curious. Why do you choose to play online instead of in person with your friends or in a poker club? There's nothing wrong with that, again, I'm just wondering what the draw is.

wicked_trouble_now

cardboardy

alcohol (a legal drug) kills more people every year than every other illegal drug combined.
not to mention the other big killer, tobacco (oh yeah, that's legal too)

wicked_trouble_now

I don't have an opinion on school shootings, or so says my Journalism teacher.

TwoToGo-Grave

MysteryEND

My rant.....

Going without My Best friend.....BtVS...Angel.....And this forum.....
While I was in Darwin....

I missed you guys

TwoToGo-Grave

Welcome back. I hope you had fun.

MysteryEND

Rant:

HAVING NO JUICE!!
we have none left!!

MagicBone

Rant:

The need people feel to scream whenever the frickin bus goes over a bump.

MysteryEND

RANT!!

SOMEGUY JUST TOLD ME THAT BtVS IS.....THE OC .....WITH VAMPIRES!?!?!......

GRRRRRRRRR......

Wynter

MysteryEND

The OC?!?!
How could one compare the two....GRRR...
HOW IS BtVS remotley like The OC ?!?!?!

beagle

teenagers in love? by that logic, the Bible is just the Koran, only with Jesus.

cp_angelbuff

Not to say that he was right in anyway...

Maybe he got "Beverly Hills 90210" and "The OC" mixed up... He does sound like a bit of a dizzyhead.

Now what I mean by this is that the Sunnydale Highschool outside set was the same school used by "Beverly Hills" . But that does not necessary justify the comparison.

I hope you pulled out your Ausse Stake and dusted him!!!

Wynter

I'm extremely pissed off at the moment. Won't say why, but it's not pretty. And I'm getting more annoyed at the fact that I'm annoyed. Vicious cycle.

Fuck.

Wynter

P.S. Sorry in advance if I say something snappy or mean, or something.

beagle

Don't let them get to you Wyn. Go away to a good Buffy place.

wicked_trouble_now

cardboardy

this morning
bleary eyed
big weekend
(yes i know its wednesday but im australian)
grabbed frozen cube of leftovers
(in our house we have a system)
for my lunch
so at 130
im getting ready to defrost
and
yum yum
uh oh
a tub of pasta sauce.
withought any pasta.
system malfunction.
hungry cardboardy.

MysteryEND

Rant....
I got electrocuted....Stupid Digital Set-Top Boxes ( its makes TV go Digital...) I was trying to move it...and It zapped me....It was scary all the muscles in my arm contracted.....and now my wrist is hell sore....They are so stupid...when you get bad reception during a storm....instead of going fuzzy and snowlike...it goes all spazzy and says "No Signal"... GRRR.....

Cardy did u go for any horses in The Melbourne Cup?....
Mine came second.....

Wynter

beagle

Did anyone happen to see the American "Country" (see bubble gum pop music with a steel guitar and a southern accent) singer Faith Hill's incredulous reaction to not receiving some meaningless award that those types heap upon themselves??? I hate pop music singers...
What? you can't play an instrument or write? well thats okay, as long as you are pretty and skinny we'll take care of the rest. Anyway, a guitar would only coverup those abs and belly button ring that are so essential to being a music artist... AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHH MTV killed music

MysteryEND

Mel

I am watching the X Factor over here at the moment (I know, but I am sad!) and there are two boys who have made it to the live shows who come from a small town near me.

They are called The MacDonald Brothers and although they are not what I would call excellent they are good singers and can play a variety of instruments.

Yet, Mr Simon, I know it all, Cowell has been slating them every week and even insulting them by getting their name wrong on purpose.

I have went onto the forum (I know....I didn't mean to be unfaithful to the BATG) and posted that I like these lads and the slating I have been getting from people as young as 12 has been really pissing me off!

Not only that, but all I ever see posted is that the lads are only still on the show because of the "Scottish vote" and this pisses me off as somehow I dont think there are enough people in Scotland who vote and be enough for it just to be the Scots that are keeping the lads on the show.

And some of the things posted has been just been downright nasty.....so I have to come back here to the love and friendliness that is the BATG and I promise that I will try not to stray again.

Oh, and I also have a headache Surprised

)

MysteryEND

The X-Factor lasted a season here.......IMO it was lame.....

I hope your headache goes away!

ildjarn

beagle

cardboardy

MysteryEND

No I didnt win any prize.....before the race started I said I shall go for that one....Im not a big fan of the race either.....I was just bored....

ildjarn

wicked_trouble_now

Rant:

Life.

MysteryEND

wicked_trouble_now

I love how pets cost so much money.

My rant:

I got sick due to lack of sleep since I pulled an all-nighter in order to study for Alg. II... and I don't even know if it paid off. And now I missed more school, I'm getting truency letters sent home or whatever... it's crazy. They think I'm down at the creek doing drugs or something, lol.

edit:::

I failed my Alg. II test. I now have D-. The only way I could possibly get a C- by semester would be to sell my soul, which I've become quite fond of. Selfish, I know.

But, you see, this D- means a little more than a low GPA, it means I don't go to college next year.

And it sucks ass that this one stupid little grade, this stupid little letter, really, determines that much of my life.

I don't know if I should even try now, why work hard if your goal isn't going to be reached. You don't get into college because you tried hard, you get into college because you did something.

College's don't care that you got three hours of sleep so you could study for test and in result of lack of sleep you get extremely sick.

College's don't care about the circumstances, that you have to share your room with your nine year old sister. The room which happens to be the houses attic (yeah, you think Harry Potter had it bad. At least he got his own room.)

College's don't care that you devote so much time to something that you love that you spend twelve hours a day at school, the last place any teens wants to be.

College's don't care that you have to sit in the car eight hours every weekend so you can visit your Dad- and then him be on the phone talking to clients all weekend.

And, maybe this relates to life in general. Maybe I've been incrediably lucky to come across people who genuinely care about me, or falsely care about me. I don't care, as long I feel as if someone is pointing me in some direction, however vague it is.

God, I totally turned this into a blog entry.

Ranty enough for you.

beagle

Wicked, Sounds like you are having a tough go of it lately. I hope you feel better. Don't let all that stuff get you down. You can do it!
Seriously, I would go talk to my Alg. teacher sometime during lunch or when she/he is alone. Be earnest and tell she/he the truth, but really try not to say anything that sounds like complaining. Tell them how hard you're trying and how much it means to you. Ask if there is any extra credit or anything you can do to get to a C. Make sure you take full responsibility. If you act in anyway as if it's not your fault (although in many ways it isn't your fault) it will NOT help your chances. But if the teacher does happen to ask if there are circumstances that have hurt your performance then tell the truth. Just don't make that the center piece of your plea. Make the centerpiece your desire and willingness to work to make the grade you need.
If you are earnest and respectful I have a feeling you might get what you need.
I mean this Wicked. Talking earnestly to my teachers/professors did more to help my grades than I ever imagined. It took me years to learn that but I found it a small price to pay for academic success.
Good Luck, You can do it.

greengirl00

Awww, Wicked that sucks. I definately agree with beagle though. Good Luck *hugs*

wicked_trouble_now

Oh, I've talked to the teacher. I had her for some of Geo (which, I also failed and then retook during summer school where I got a B.... I blame the teacher.) She doesn't give extra credit, I have a 64% right now, I have a retake test (the highest I could get is a 75%) another chapter test and a final and homework and quizzes.

There's really now way I could get a C unless I suddenly began doing exceptional. Which isn't going to happen, since I do understand it, I just can't apply what I understand to math problems. Like, I can't see what to do.

I'm still going to talk to the teacher and if nothing short of selling my soul will help I'm gonna see if I can drop the class right now. I don't want to stress myself out for another three weeks.

Apparently the Alg. II class at the community college is a whole lot easier and it only meets twice a week, a full three days to do homework. I would love that.

It will all work out... it has to.

You know, this would make an interesting Buffy episode, a student begins to deal with demons or something in order to pass classes...

TwoToGo-Grave

If a C=70, and you have two tests, a retake, and homework and quizzes left, then I wouldn't be surprised if you can make it to a C. Also, just try to talk to her/him, like Beagle said. I think that things will wind up working out for you; you just have to give it your best shot.
Anyway, I really hope that it all works out for you.

wicked_trouble_now

I'd have to get A's and B's on everything, the homework wouldn't be a problem except I'm one of the few students who won't BS homework because 1) if your doing it wrong why should you bother at all and 2) I don't do anything wrong. When I was younger I rarely talked then one day I went up to my mom and told her that I knew all the words so I was going to talk now... yeah.

And even if I do pass this semester, next semester is just going to get harder...

I'll talk to the teacher on Monday, I'm sick right now. Have been for the past three weeks, thank you stress!

beagle

Good luck Wicked. You know we are all pulling for you!

cp_angelbuff

Hi "Wicked",

I had a teacher in school that wouldn't except my late homework... (I was off sick with a bronchitis cold.) He gave me a 50 on my test that I missed instead of letting me retake it... thought I would get a copy from other students and he did not want to create a new one. I was doing very well in the class; but with the 50 in brought my average down quite a bit.

Anyway, my point is... I talked to my teacher about other ways to bring up my mark from a 50 without him have any extra work and me being able to show him I knew my stuff. He thought about it and asked me how can I prove I know the theory behind the math (Algebra/Finite). I suggested that I could do a verbal test...(I really did not want to do this, but I was desperate). That's when he suggested that I read up on the subject and report it back to him... I was confused so I asked him... You want me to do a book report for Math??" With that he just smiled and laughed a little... and he said that he was not thinking about that, but that was a great idea.
---------
My point here is... if you are better in the reading/writing school stuff, suggest that you will write a book report on an author of his choice that deals with the theory behind that section of term. This will also help you understand the problems better and you will ACE the final. (Plus he will appreciate the fact that you are thinking up ways to resolve both your comprehension of the topic and your required mark improvement).

-----
I ended up getting an 90ish on the essay... not sure if he actually read it or not, but he used that solution on a couple of others students in years following. When I returned years later .. I was in University by then... I saw him over the X-mas holiday in the local pub and I had a beer with him... He still has not told me if he actually read it or not... he just thought that anyone that was willing to take a stand like that, did not deserve to have their College/ University chances spoiled by some little high school math test... Now I don't know if your teacher is as cool and openminded, but it is worth a shot (He was in his early-mid twenties when I was in school with him... just out of University a couple years)

Good Luck!! I hope your teacher likes to "think outside the box" too!

Take care, CP in Canada

wicked_trouble_now

Lol, thanks. I've actually thought about that, write an essay on why math is important or something. Except, this is the teacher that called a student a slut, to her face.

She's unforgiving.

Which, I'm fine with. Because, it's not entirely her fault that I'm doing so poorly. Now, if I was on top of homework, I would go and ask for some extra work or something, but as explained before, I'm not on top of it.

It will work out. It has to.

cp_angelbuff

Well don't worry about it tooooo much. Like you did before... there is always summer school... and late admissions
-------------
(or check out Accepted with Justin Long for ideas.... "When a high school burnout discovers he's been rejected from every college he's applied to, he creates a fake university in order to fool his overzealous parents" from IMDb)

wicked_trouble_now

cardboardy

hey wicked... on a different note....
if all the awesome advice from this forum and any other peeps you've been talking to doesnt work out for ya, here's a thought...

is going to college the only way to succeed in life? allow me to answer my own question with a resounding "no".
i dont know much about the nuances of the educational system in north america but i do know that there are plenty of people all over world who didnt gain entry into college/ university for a whole range of reasons.
FINANCIAL parents couldnt afford to send them, students couldnt afford to feed themselves
ACADEMIC students couldnt make the selection criteria for a whole range of reasons... circumstances, not testing well, not having the skills to pursue the 'academic life'. did you know that lots of people dont finish developing their academic skills until their early twenties? thats not, really very fair, nor is it reflected in the college entry processes
LIFESTYLE some young people dont want to commit to four more solid years of (expensive, high pressure) study after just finishing 13 years of schooling. others need to let loose and live a little, work a shite job and save a little and buy a car, travel across country etc etc

whatever the reasons, one things for sure, not going to college: doesnt mean your stupid. infact i believe its quite the opposite. there must be heaps of vocational pathways for you, that will help you to work out what sorts of things you want to do. these days, the idea of having ONE career is a complete anachronism... most people have several different career paths. I mean who knows what they want to do when they're a teenager?

i think theres heaps to be said for college, but its not the be all and end all of existance. sure, the drunken parties sound like fun (?), but hello, reptile boy?! not your scene i'm sure, wicked. anyway, just do the best you can and remember that what matters is that you are totally ACE and we love you, no matter what you end up doing.

wicked_trouble_now

Aww, thanks so much. You definately have a point, but California is so effing expensive that the only way to decently survive is with an education. Example: for what my four bedroom, two bedroom house is worth I could get a 4 huge ass houses on acerage in Nebraska. Except, I really can't see myself living anywhere else.

That and I really want to be a special education teacher, that means college.

Everyone, you all rock so much, you really don't understand how much this support means to me. For me, it's a lot easier to get support when it's not face to face. I know, weird, but it's cause I get all emotional and then panic attacks come- and it's just bad.

MysteryEND

For those of you who dont know....
I have a really really bad fear on Spiders...I cryed when a small one jumped on my hand....
The other day I was walking past my Piano.....and there sitting on my piano...
was the BIGGEST SPIDER I HAVE SEEN IN REAL LIFE!!.....It was huge...and it was Hairy and ewwwww.....
I was that scared I couldnt breathe and I went Numb and couldnt move....
My Twin who dosent have a fear of em....was so mean and payed me out after....cos I screamed....

wicked_trouble_now

ewwww! There was just a spider crawling on my comp!

MysteryEND

Poor you...
I hate em more then Willow!!

Wynter

Spiders = bane of my existance. I absolutely hate them, I've had a phobia of them since I was a kid. Watching the movie Arachnaphobia didn't help either :-/

wicked_trouble_now

Frick. I failed my math retake and my quiz today. I don't even know what happen. The teacher went over every single problem with me yesterday and I understood and redid them. Maybe it's like hardcore test anxiety that I don't even notice... yeah, that's it.

At this point, I'm so fed up with it I don't care.

On another note, I'm meeting an uncle that was kicked out of the house for doing drugs when he was 18 tomorrow.... no one has heard from him since he was kicked out, turns out he lives three miles down the road from my dad's vacation house. Small world, eh?

Like, what do you do when you meet an uncle you've had your entire life, lived in the same town during the summers and yet never met...

TwoToGo-Grave

Wicked, just don't give up on the class. Give your true best shot and it should all work out for you. We've all been up against it like this (maybe not to such an extent), but you just have to do whatever you can. Oh, and good luck with it (I realize that all this support might be getting a tad tiresome, but it is for good reason that we keep writing it).

MysteryEND

Back on the Spider thing...
I was on the phone talking away to my best friend 3 hours ago...and I walked into my kitchen....AND ON THE WALL WAS A SPIDER NEARLY TWICE THE SIZE OF THE ONE FROM THE OTHER DAY!....My poor friend who was on the phone had to listen to me scream and drop the phone...This time I could move and ran screaming to my room....at this point no one knew what had happened....Sadly my mums boyfriend came to ask me what happened...and shame...I did a whole Dawn thing...and Screamed "Get Out of my room!.. Get out!"...I wouldnt come out of my room for ages...until the spider was outside...
2 HUGE spiders in the period of a few days....Im going to end up going insane...or locking myself in my room

cp_angelbuff

Take notice..... heed the warning below..

Anya: There was just so much screaming, so much blood.
Halfrek: Mmmm
Anya: I..I'd fogotten how much damage a Crimslaw demon could do.
Halfrek: Oh tell me about it. They can be feisty little guys. And impossible to house-train. I mean, once they start nesting, foget--... Are you okay? Oh did something happen?

If I were you... I would sleep with your Stake under your pillow!

------------
Good Luck with that Mystery... hope you don't get bad dreams... keep your mouth closed...

MysteryEND

On Sunday I was bitten by a tick near my ear...and I didnt notice it until tuesday....
Early this morning...The glands in my neck starting to swell really bad...and I couldnt drink or move my neck without it hurting...So my mum took me to the hospital...We waited there for 3 hours....After waiting three hours to see the doctor...It was busy because of schoolies(In Australia when the year 12s finish school they come to the Gold Coast and drink and party for a week) It wasnt the tick that caused my neck to swell....I now have tonsillitis....So now Im sick...

TwoToGo-Grave

greengirl00

I'll second that! =D Hope your feeling better, tonsillitus is really miserable

MysteryEND

Thanks TTG-Grave and GreenGirl...

Sunnydalehigh

Mys, I hope you get better soon. Be thankful you didn't get Lyme's Disease from that tick. My husband got it a couple of years ago from a tick bite and I've never seen someone so sick in my life! It scared the crap out of me--I thought he was going to die. It's WAY worse than tonsilitis, although I'm sure that sucks too. Anyway, count your blessings.

MagicBone

Aww, Mystery, sorry about your tonsilitis. I hope you get better. Do you think you will have to get your tonsils taken out? Yeah, like SunnyD said, just be thankful that you haven't got Lyme Disease.

This isn't really related, but have you guys heard about the humanpapilloma virus vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer and this new test has shown that this "abortion pill" can prevent breast cancer? Talk among yourselves. Discuss.

wicked_trouble_now

Lol, we need a discussion forum!

But, I don't know. My mom asked me if I wanted the vaccine, a way akward conversation, I'd rather talk to her about her having sex with the librarian... and considering the librarians a girl...

Anyway, I think it's great but if people just weren't sexually permisquious (go spelling, rebel against dictionaries!) it wouldn't be a problem. But, that's my personal opinion.

Okay, this whole thing is personal opinion.

I hadn;t heard anything about the "abortion pill" thing. Do, it's like the morning after, but instead of also not getting a kid in nine months you also don't get breast cancer, ever? Why is it combined with an abortion pill?

I'm so confused.

RANT:

It's so cold, my nose hurts. This is so unfair, four days ago my friends and I were talking about going to the beach.

TwoToGo-Grave

Good that I'm not the only one who doesn't know about this pill. I was feeling pretty dumb for not knowing about it. Personally, I'm against abortion, but I know nothing about this pill, so I cannot offer any opinion here.

Oh, and Wicked, I sympathize, but down here in northwest Georgia, we don't have a beach to go to anyway. Although I'm not big on the beach anyway, but checking out the pretty girls there is fun.

wicked_trouble_now

wicked_trouble_now

I could just edit my old one, but no.

So, my dad called and said he was really dissapointed in me for giving up in math and that he expected more of me. And... something about blazing my own path.

I know it's his issue... and I wanted to tell him that. I wanted to tell him to put his issues in a juice box and suck it up.... to build a bridge and get over it.

But no!

I told him I didn't do it on purpose and it sucked that he didn't believe me and I left it at that-

and then he repeated his original arguement. About how I never applied myself.

So I told him the hours I missed from theatre- a class that I get TWO grades from and not one, a class that can get me TWO A's instead of one C- the hours I missed for tutoring.

And he didn't believe me and he said I had my priorities mixed up and I spent too much time watching Buffy/Angel and going on Myspace.

So I brought up the fact that I spent half my summer retaking Geo AND getting ahead by taking Econ.

Whatever!!!! It his problem and I just need to put that in my juicebox and suck it up.

Stupid drama.

And now I'm having to reorganize classes for next semester.

cardboardy

(tiptoes in to respond to request for further info about this highly controversial topic)
the 'abortion pill' (which is also sometimes called RU486 here in Oz) is basically a pill that provides an alternative to surgical pregnancy terminations. the 'abortion pill' is different to the 'morning after pill' which is a pill that cna be taken immediately after unprotected sex when there is a concern about pregnancy. for RU486, the idea of an alternative really refers to availability of surgical terminations, for example in rural and remote areas where there may be no option for surgical termination, but going ahead with the pregnancy will put the health of the mother at risk (as is the legislative condition for abortion in Oz). There are very loud and strong arguments between right-to-life and pro-choice groups, debates that have been raging for decades. they really are a product of modernity however, in the past women dealt with unwanted pregnancy is all sorts of ways (using herbs etc), but things are very different now, with many confronting and disparate ethical positions.
The RU486 pill is only slightly less physically traumatic than surgery, with no invasive precedure but plenty of sickness and side effects etc in order for a pregnancy to be terminated.
this highly controversial drug was recently approved in Oz, though its not available yet. sitting members of parliament were called to make a 'conscience vote' on the issue. this means that rather than vote along parliamentary party lines, individuals were able to weight up the arguments and evidence with their personal positions and vote on this basis. the result meant the drug's approval.
the 'morning after' drug has been available for a lot longer (not sure exactly?

as for the links to cervical cancer, i'm not sure.
when magicbone says 'links' between this pill and cerivcal cancer, im not sure which 'pill' magic means... i dont think ru486 has been around long enough for large population samples to be followed up by researchers with clipboards, so maybe its the 'morning after' pill.
but im pretty sure that this link refers to a discovery, quite by accident, that women who had ever used the pill had a significantly lower incidence of cervical cancer or abnormalities in later life.

it doesnt mean that there is a '2-in-1' drug to deal with cancer and pregnancy, its more of suprise that turned up in research.
interesting...

(tiptoes out quietly, hoping to have provided information but not trying to start up a debate !)

TwoToGo-Grave

Thanks for the info cardboardy. It's always good to be informed about stuff, and it doesn't appear that most of us are knowledgeable on this, and now we have a lot more information here. I don't know think that you really started a debate here anyway; just helped some people out with information.

cp_angelbuff

Good evening everyone,

I thought I might add some information about the "vaccine" that seems to prevent cervical cancer and some STD's. The debate to include this vaccine in the schools 'booster shots' has caused a bit of a controversy in the USA as of late. Much like a childhood booster shot, youngsters who are innoculated early in life with an inactive, non-infecting particle of HPV might be able to train their immune systems to recognize the virus and later destroy active HPV when they are exposed to it.

One side says anything that will prevent the chances of catching cervical cancer in women up to 90% should be available to all high school girls.

The other side debates that this drug is in use for STD's and that might encourage girls to become sexually active at a younger age. They feel abstinence is a better method for prevention, since this type of cancer occurs when people become sexually active.

Check out the following articles at: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,152685,00.html
and http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Article...accine/Health?s_name=&no_ads=
-------------
As for the Pill and cervical cancer: here is an article from BBC Health page:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2913465.stm

---------------

Very good sites that can help answer your questions about this type and other cancers:
1) http://www.apjohncancerinstitute.org/cancer/cervical.htm
2) http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/cervicalresearch

------------------

Currently, at least six vaccines are under development worldwide. Below are capsule description of work now under way in the United States or involving American companies:

- National Cancer Institute is testing a virus-like particle from HPV16 in a phase I/II study in people at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Preliminary results indicate that a low-dose injection of the vaccine induces high levels of protective antibodies against HPV.

- MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., recently completed a phase I vaccine study in people, which was conducted at the University of Rochester in New York. The study, which used a virus-like particle from the outer coat of HPV11, showed that the candidate vaccine produced high levels of antibodies against the virus. The company also has cervical cancer candidate vaccines under development in collaboration with SmithKline Beecham, Philadelphia.

- Apollon Inc., Malvern, Pa., is developing naked DNA HPV vaccines.

- Merck Pharmaceuticals, West Point, Pa., has a collaborative clinical research program on HPV vaccines with the University of Queensland, Australia, and others.

Hope that helps, CP in Canada ;>)

cp_angelbuff

Hi again, I just was surfing and found another good article: see below

Printed from www.healthatoz.com

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise : By Louis Neipris, M.D., HealthAtoZ writer

The FDA has approved a new vaccine against cervical cancer - the very first against any cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease. Each year, 10,400 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the United States and about 3,700 women die from it. Even if cervical cancer is detected early, the cure often causes reproductive problems.

Known as Gardasil®, the vaccine is expected to save thousands of lives.

How effective is the vaccine?

The vaccine is very effective against the two HPV sub-types that cause most cervical cancers. The vaccine is also effective against HPV cancers of the vagina and vulva as well as most cases of genital warts. In clinical trials, 18,000 women from all over the world were followed for two years. They have been well-protected by the vaccine, but it isn't yet known how long that protection will last. A "booster shot" may be necessary at some point.

How does the vaccine work?

The vaccine doesn't contain a live virus. It is made up of harmless proteins, which produce antibodies that block HPV. These proteins can't invade cells or reproduce themselves.

In most women, the immune system fights off HPV. In at-risk women, HPV enters cervical cells and changes the DNA, which can lead to cancer. The vaccine prevents the virus from breaking into the cell in the first place.

Are there side effects from the vaccine?

The only side effects are slight pain and tenderness at the site of the injection and perhaps a low fever.

Is the Pap test still necessary?

Yes. The vaccine doesn't protect against all HPV strains that cause cervical cancer. All women, immunized or not, should have a Pap test every two years to screen for cervical cancer. This should begin within three years of becoming sexually active.

Who should receive the vaccine?

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that the vaccine be given routinely to girls 11or 12 years of age. The ACIP also recommended the vaccine for girls as young as 9 years old at their doctors' discretion. The vaccine holds the greatest benefit for women who receive it before becoming sexually active. However, the ACIP has also approved the vaccination for women closer to age 26 as part of a catch-up schedule - regardless of sexual history. The vaccine is still being studied in males to determine if vaccinating them would reduce the spread of HPV.

How will the vaccine be given?

The vaccine will be given in a series of three shots over six months. It is still uncertain whether the vaccine will be required before attending school. After the recommendations become CDC policy, each state will decide on whether to make the HPV vaccine mandatory for school attendance.

How much does it cost?

The list price for the three-shot series is $360, which may or may not be covered by your insurance plan.

External Sources :

Lowy, D. R., Schiller, J.T. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2006; 116(5):1167-1173.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Wynter

My rant is trivial compared to the discussion going on at the moment but yesterday our internet was iffy ALL day, and wouldn't let me stay on for any significant periods of time. It would be ok, then the connection would screw up for 30mins +, then be ok again for like 10-15 minutes, then screw up again. Pain in the ass!! Eventually, I just gave up because it was getting too frustrating waiting for it.

Seems like it's ok so far today though, so woot!

cardboardy

thanks for all that info CP
we've been having similar debates here about including the cervical cancer vaccine in the school immunisation process... but the discussion is not around sexual activity at all (sexual abstinence is just not a concept that is widely used in contemporary political or social dialogue here in Oz, which is vastly different to the USA ), its really more about the question "do we know enough about the long term fx of this vaccine" and similar concerns, also costing concerns for national implementation.

anyway yall have a good day!

MysteryEND

1. My goat Gus got his head stuck in the fence today. Gus put his head through the square in the fence and I tried to help him out by putting his head back through... But Because he was all worried he ramed me and smashed my thumb after about 5 mins of saying not very nice words I tried to help him again and the same thumb got caught in between him and the fence..In the end I had to cut the fence to get him out. I now have bruises all over my thumb....Stupid Goat...Oh well

2.) Im reading the Harry Potter series again and I cant find my Chamber Of Secrets book....

NotFadeAway

Good posts cp. I just can't stand it when these morons state that "abstinence" is the answer to all problems. I mean, it's as if they think that anyone who is sexually active deserves what they get or something. These people don't care about doing what's right or about helping people, but instead care about shoving their "values" onto everyone else and about appeasing other morons in order to win the moron vote.

By the way, sorry about getting all riled up here, but it just makes me mad.

Sunnydalehigh

I'm with you, NFA. Everyone knows that knowledge is power. I'm fine with teaching abstinence, as long as you also teach birth control methods and how to prevent STDs. The more knowledge kids get, the better.

The problem with teaching JUST abstinence is that kids learn just as much from other kids as they do in the classroom. There's no way to prevent kids from learning about sex from other sources (peers, siblings, TV, etc.), so you might as well teach them everything and teach it correctly so they can make an informed decision. That's my opinion, anyway.

wicked_trouble_now

Let me start off by saying, I had this all figured out! My class schedule would be:

Photo
Photo
Genre Studies (Creative Writing)
Newspaper
Special Ed Tutor
Independent Living
Theatre
Theatre

It was going to work out and it was going to be freakin' awesome!

But, the world is constantly against me, as we all have seen in the past few weeks.

Genre studies is only first period and Newspaper is only fourth. Photo is 1st/2nd or 3rd/4th. And Independent Living is only offered first semester.

So, I could drop Photo and take Genre Studies (and come up with another class) and I am signed up for Film Analisys.

Me:So, you get credit for watching movies?

Counsler: Yeah.

Me: I love Senior Year!

Then I laughed to myself.

And then theatre was going to be obvious, except I was offered a job to tutor a special ed kid in the next town. If I'm able to get this job, I would drop theatre in a second, but we have to check about age restrictions. I hate being young. Way lame.

But, omg, if it worked out, it would be so freakin' awesome......

I've used that phrase already...

I'm just so confused! Does it ever slow down!?!?

cp_angelbuff

beagle

wicked_trouble_now

That's so selfish though! It's kinda like the whole religion thing, like people want to force their religion on you, now they want to force their opinon on sex on your which just so isn't cool!

People piss me off.

I don't have a rant today, besides the fact that I want to kill my assistant stage manager since she is totally trying to take over my job. Bitch.

NotFadeAway

I feel the need to rant about something now. I live in Cherokee County (in Canton, to be more specific) in Georgia, and yesterday the dinky Cherokee County board of something or other (it may sound bad, but I don't honestly know what it's called) decided to enact a highly controversial law that makes it illegal to rent housing to illegal immigrants. This has been very much in the news around here (and around metro-Atlanta) lately, and now it's been done, although this new law still has to survive court challenges.
Now that I've explained the law to some extent I want to go on a rant about it. First off: it is simply outrageous. I don't know what everyone's opinions on immigration are, and I don't want to upset anyone with this rant, but this law is nothing but racist, jingoistic trash. It reeks of trying to run out "them" and keep the county as white as possible, while also attempting to return to the Georgia of the "good old days," when government-instituted racism was open and accepted. Add this to the gay marriage ban that the fine (that is sarcastic, by the way) people of this state approved overwhelmingly in 2004 and you can see that there is still some nasty residue of the past still existent around here. Anyway, I know that this rant has been long and angry sounding, but I just had to vent about this law somewhere.

NotFadeAway

wicked_trouble_now

NFA, if someone wants to tell me they believe in God that's great. But my mother forced me to go to church for ten years, which not only turned me off from organized religion but also had me relate anything annoying to church. Good job, Mom!

Sure, you can display your religion, I don't care. I'm not offended by my cousin's pentagram or having to have a menorah around during xmas for my step mom. But they aren't like: Wicca/ Judism (you know what I mean, I just can't think of the spelling!) is the only religion out there and your going to hell (or whatever Wicca believes in) if you don't follow this religion. Which so isn't my mom's case.

Religion's an interesting topic to talk about since everyone has such varying opinions and beliefs. It would be interesting to hear anyone else's opinion on religion.

Sunnydalehigh

NFA, you make an interesting point about the immigration laws. I never thought of them as being discriminatory or racist before. I have to disagree with you somewhat though. I have nothing against more people coming to this country to live. My beef has to do with the fact that many immigrants come to this country illegally and then manage to take part in our social services, such as schooling, social security (yes, even SS!), medical care, etc. without paying their fair share of taxes.

Why is that you ask? Well, I'll tell you. It's because the people who hire illegal immegrants pay them poverty wages to do crappy jobs. They simply don't make enough money to be required to pay taxes into the system, yet they suck resources through no fault of their own. If you want to stop illegal immegration, start enforcing the laws THAT ALREADY EXIST that say it's illegal to hire illegal immegrants. Fine the heck out of the companies that are making millions off of cheap migrant labor in this country. They won't come if they can't find work. I GUARANTEE that the inflow would come to a screeching halt OVERNIGHT! OR...and this is what I would prefer--let them come, but pay them at least minimum wage, or even better, a living wage so that they can contribute to the system from which they are benefitting.

What's that you say? It would upset the whole economy? Businesses would go under? WELL TOO F---ING BAD! Why is it okay for businesses to function only by BREAKING THE LAW! If they can't function legally, they shouldn't be functioning! We need to fix the system and if we need to clean house to do it, then so be it.

NFA, I think that housing law is a shoddy attempt to fix the problem. Besides, it's not like they can enforce it. I mean, they don't even enforce the illegal employment of illegal immegrants. I doubt this will get enforced either.

Okay, that was my rant for the day. I'm interested to know what other people think though. Feel free to weigh in here.

beagle

I feel strongly that the US should strive to have welcoming immigration laws that, if not encourage, welcome immigration.
I also agree that the best way to attack the problem of illegal immigration is to attack the source. The scum that exploits these, mostly honest and hardworking people that come to OUR country to escape the corruption that has made their homeland so inhospitable. I live on the coast, in an area were many of these people are taken advantage of in the agriculture fields. We all know were these people are working. The question is why isn't something done about it?? I'll tell you why. Because these business' are friends of the government. The good ole' boy system at it's worst. The same demigog on the anti-immigration soapbox is the same one protecting his greedy scum-sucking friends. Like NTF said, this is another opportunity, as the gay marriage ban was, for P.O.S. politicians to make political hay, and money, from prejudice and hate.

beagle

I am angry, tired and sick of work.. working on a stupid, idiot access control, intrusion, camera integration that was thrown together with little thought from some greedy salesman who seems to remember not what he sold or why... AAARRRRGGGGHHH.. I'm going to goof off for the rest of the day, 30 min. listen to some music on my headphones, maybe even watch a buffy ep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lunch time be damned!

MysteryEND

Rant: I got my Plaster Casts on today....Its so hard to do anything in them

Positive side:
They let me choose the colours so I got Black with Purple....
and I only have to wear them for 10 days...then they are going to leave them off for Christmas and put it back on if needed..so there is a slight chance I might have them for New Years...But at least I have Christmas without them

TwoToGo-Grave

I hope that everything works out for you with those casts. On the plus side, hopefully you can sit back and relax and watch lots of BTVS.

beagle

Black and Purple! I decree that the official Mystery colors! Get Well Soon!

cp_angelbuff

Hey Mystery, I had a blue cast on my right wrist at X-mas last year and not soon after I got it off... I got a blue and bright yellow cast on my Left arm. They ran out of the blue.
(I broke my right wrist slipping on the ice on my way to my indoor soccer game early in Dec. In Late January, I dislocated my left elbow playing indoor soccer... goalie... think "L" but the wrong way... ouch! I saved the shot though! So now I coach my mens team... well okay I go watch and drink beers after the game, but I do critic the game.)

Just thought your colours scheme was a good idea if it keeps your spirits up through out the holidays. I was teased a lot at work for "my" colour choices. Take care of yourself and get well soon. Who knows you might get a visit from the "tiny Jewish Santa", (Willow).

wicked_trouble_now

My Photo final is going down hill fast... I have one chance left to make the 'perfect' picture... gah. I'm gonna be crying tomorrow as I hit the button.

Oh, I got a 10% on my math test, but it doesn't really matter anymore.

MagicBone

Mys, I feel your pain (in the non-literal way because I am lacking in broken bones) but at least you have cool coloured casts!

Wicked, I'm sorry about your math test and your photography final. We don't have finals until after Christmas vacation is over. Stupid, huh? Thirteen days to forget everything and then the biggest tests of the year.

Our foot and a half of snow melted and my school, gross and decrepid as it is, is leaking everywhere. The ceilings, I mean. My math classroom was flooded for the past two days we had to have class in one of the science rooms (they were having class in the computer lab) and the weight room (stinky! gah!) and we still have huge buckets of water underneath the huge leaks and the BITS OF CEILING THAT ARE FALLING OUT. Uggh.

Plus, my mom has decided not to order anymore stuff on the internet for me (as I don't have my own credit card, I cannot and so I do it throught her, usually) but she thinks that I've done enough interweb shopping and I must be stopped. I guess I'm going back to the mall ... alas, it so much easier on the computer.

wicked_trouble_now

MB, our school used to do that before I was there but then they kinda clued into the fact that people would forget everything.

I was up till 2:30am finishing my report.

greengirl00

Poor mys. Get well soon! At least they're off for christmas though!

MysteryEND

Thanks everyone!!

It really sucks I cant sleep....even with Sleeping Pills....

MysteryEND

My Biggest Rant of the Year:

I spent my Christmas Day in hospital..
I got really sick on Christmas eve and had to be rushed to the hospital early Christmas morning

I AM SO GLAD THIS YEAR IS NEARLY OVER...
Worst Year EVER!!