For those of you following Shawn Shoup's eczema as noted in recent Must Reads, here is a link to an extensive blog post on his symptoms--plus a major bonus--photos! Click here.

And Shawn, thanks for being a good sport about my kidding. I hope you get over the eczema. Doesn't it itch like heck? I'd shake your hand but I think I'll wait until you are symptom free.

Technorati Tags: eczema, George W. Bush

 

I’m sitting on my couch watching TV. Every fifteen minutes or so, an ad for the anti-genital herpes medication Valtrex airs.

As I watch the onslaught of Valtrex ads, it strikes me that that happiest, wealthiest, and most active people in America have itchy genitals and take the wonder drug Valtrex to keep them from itching too much.

Seriously.

Have you looked at these people with herpes?

They are handsome/beautiful, successful, well traveled, wealthy, and happy beyond all human belief.Damn, I almost wish I had herpes.

This is at least one STD that looks like great fun.

Not that I’m looking to take a chance on that.

Meanwhile, enjoy this parody TV ad.

Technorati Tags: Valtrex, genital herpes, parody, humor, STDs

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I love irony.

The Rapid City Journal reports today that Sen. John Thune is pro-choice when it comes to pill counting pharmacists having a right not to provide birth control pills to women so they can avoid an abortion.

Read: Thune supports pharmacists on moral ground

An excerpt: 

U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Monday he opposes a move in Congress to force pharmacists to fill prescriptions for birth-control pills or other drugs they find morally objectionable.

“I believe that, if a pharmacist or pharmacy owner has a religious or moral dilemma with filling controversial prescriptions, he or she should not be mandated by the federal government to do so,” the South Dakota Republican said in a quote provided by his communications director, Kyle Downey.

Yet Thune and his anti-choice ilk have no problem telling women that they can’t choose to have an abortion—and now, that they can’t choose to take birth control if they have a jerk as a pharmacist.

Perhaps the next step for Thune and Gov. Mike Rounds is to establish state or federal gestation farms for all the women they are going to force to have babies so the pasty white guys in white smocks who put pills in a bottle can preserve their “rights.”

But of course, sex is bad.  That is, when it comes to other people having it, unless you’re a holy “servant leader” NeoChrisCon like Sen. Thune The Pure.

 

(Cross-posted to SD Watch and SDW @ KELOLAND.com.)

Technorati Tags: Sen. John Thune, Gov. Mike Rounds, abortion, birth control, birth control pills, contraceptives, pharmacists, pill counters

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Last year, Gov. Mike Rounds signed an abortion ban bill.

This year, he says the state is too strapped to increase funding to help pregnant poor women.

• Read: Rounds: S.D. can’t afford to expand Medicaid

An excerpt:

PIERRE - Gov. Mike Rounds says he agrees with a task force proposal to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income pregnant women, but the state can’t afford it right now.

“We certainly don’t have the resources today to do that,” Rounds told reporters in a briefing on the budget he presented to legislators Tuesday.

The Zaniya Task Force, created by the last Legislature to recommend ways to assure that all South Dakotans have access to affordable health insurance, included the expanded Medicaid concept in its final report.The report says the state offers Medicaid eligibility to pregnant women if their income is 133 percent of the federal poverty level or less. Expanding the program to include more low-income women would “promote healthy birth outcomes for all low-income children,” the report said.

It is sadly ironic—but not unexpected—that the allegedly “pro-life” Governor is willing to “protect” the unborn but not scrape up a few more dollars to help those fetuses turn into healthy babies.  And healthy babies and mothers will actually save the taxpayers money in the long run as they won’t need to seek as many health services in the future.

I think it is safe to say that Gov. Rounds is “pro-life”—as long as it doesn’t cost anything.

Disgusting.

Technorati Tags: abortion, health care, healthy families, pro-life, South Dakota, Gov. Mike Rounds, South Dakota Legislature

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[where: 57501] 

 

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I spoke today with a very, very well placed Bill Janklow source today and asked them about what I had heard and theorized about yesterday on a possible Janklow 2010 comeback.

They said it was an intriguing idea but didn’t think it was in the works.  This person said Janklow likes being a trial lawyer and it would be too difficult to overcome the Randy Scott accident.  But they also thought Bill would do a great job if he was re-re-elected.

So, just wanted to let you know from another good source that they didn’t think this was in the cards.

But golly, 2010 would sure be even more interesting than it’s set out to be if Bill did run for his old job again.  Why not the Restoration of the House of Janklow after the Rounds Interregnum in the Kingdom of South Dakota?

Unless, of course, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin or Scott Heidepriem would like the job instead. 


Technorati Tags: Bill Janklow, William J. Janklow, Gov. Bill Janklow, 2010 election, governor’s race, South Dakota

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In the local media’s and blogosphere’s rush to pat itself on the back for South Dakota having the lowest rate of depression in the nation, they failed to read much past the first sentence or two of the Mental Health America report.

While South Dakota leads other states by a slim margin over other states in an overall rate of depression, it is in the top ten regarding suicide.

So, we’re depressed but yet we kill ourselves at an alarming rate.  And our mental health system, while better than some, isn’t all it should be.

You didn’t see that in the stories.

Here’s an extensive excerpt on all this from the actual press release:

This report found significant variation among the states in the levels of depression and in its most tragic consequence: suicide.  Rates of depression among the states vary from around seven percent in the least depressed states to over 10 percent in states where residents reported the highest levels of depression.  This difference represents a nearly 40 percent variation from the least to the most depressed states.

To achieve top ranking in the country, South Dakota yielded the best results for the four measures used to develop a composite depression status indicator. Among adults, 7.31 percent experienced a major depressive episode in the past year and 11.6 percent experienced serious psychological distress. Among adolescents, 7.4 percent had a major depressive episode in the past year. On average, South Dakotans reported 2.41 poor mental health days per month.  Even though South Dakota ranked well in overall depression status, it is also important to note that the state had an age-adjusted suicide rate of 14.85, ranking South Dakota 40th in the nation, which is 300% higher than the District of Columbia, which has the lowest suicide rate. 

Utah ranked 51st in depression status.  For both adults and adolescents, 10.14 percent reported experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year.  Among adults, 14.58 percent experienced serious psychological distress.  On average, residents of Utah reported 3.27 poor mental health days per month.”Despite the fact that some states do better than others on rates of depression and suicide, no state can be satisfied with its current status,” continued Shern. 

“These rates can be driven lower by encouraging state policies designed to improve coverage, end discriminatory practices in insurance, and assure that qualified mental health professionals are available to serve everyone in need.”

As my friend Steve Sibson would say, this is drive by media at its worst. 

We South Dakotans are so obsessed with looking anywhere—ANYWHERE—for some sort of self-validation of our supposedly superior ways.  But ask women prisoners in Pierre if they think they’re getting such wonderful mental health treatment.  Ask at-risk teenagers in our high schools and mental health workers on our state’s Indian reservations on how things are going.  Ask a farmer who’s gone through the drought how they’re doing.

So, Utahans, many of whom are deeply religious Mormons and very family oriented, are some how “weaker” or “worse” than South Dakotans because they are slightly less depressed?  I don’t buy it.  And, based on this same logic, those shiftless liberals in DC are “better” than us because they don’t kill themselves with as much regularity?  Must be so.  I read it in a report.

Better yet, ask a friend who is actually depressed if this all means diddlysquat.  Depression is a deeply personal affliction that also impacts friends, family, and co-workers.  If anything, rather than a feather in our state’s cap, this should be a wake-up call to be more mindful and supportive our those we know and love who suffer—often silently—from depression and other mental health disorders. 

(Cross-posted to the Home Edition of SD Watch and SDW @ KELOLAND.com.)

Technorati Tags: mental health, depression, suicide, South Dakota, Mental Health America

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Received the following this morning from Sen. Tim Johnson re SCHIP:

Today, I will vote, once again, to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Now, once again, President Bush must ask himself, “Will I turn my back on 10 million children across America?”

The American people have spoken. We heard you and that is why Congress is sending this bill back to President Bush. Now I need your help to make sure he hears you loud and clear.

Click here to email President Bush. Tell him to sign the bill to reauthorize SCHIP today!

I was deeply disappointed when President Bush first vetoed the bipartisan legislation to reauthorize SCHIP.   Our nation should provide the poorest of our children with health insurance.

In an average month, 11,000 children in South Dakota are enrolled in SCHIP. However, another 18,000 of South Dakota’s children are uninsured with as many as 12,000 of them eligible for SCHIP but unable to access the program because of a lack of funds. 

I need your help to remind the President that health insurance for these children is not wasteful spending.  It’s smart fiscal policy too. Giving kids health insurance at an early age will save money down the line.

Please send a message to George W. Bush: Do the right thing. Reauthorize health insurance for millions of children today!

The U.S. Congress has crafted another bipartisan bill to provide health insurance to children eligible for SCHIP.  Our children’s health is too important to jeopardize by failing to reauthorize this effective program.

Sincerely,

Tim Johnson
U.S. Senator

Technorati Tags: SCHIP, health care, universal health care, Sen. Tim Johnson, Tim Johnson

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This just in from the Wall Street Journal:  President Bush has vetoed the SCHIPs expansion:

President Bush vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have greatly expanded children’s health insurance. It was only the fourth veto of his presidency — following vetoes earlier this year of war-funding legislation and two stem-cell reasearch funding bills — and one that some Republicans feared could carry steep risks for their party in next year’s elections. Congressional Democrats, with significant Republican support, passed the legislation to add $35 billion to allow an additional four million children into the program. It would have been funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 a pack. The president said the bill was too costly and took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, see: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119141523405247609.html?mod=djemalert

Despite bipartisan support for the program and despite the fact it would not use an increase in general taxes, the President seems to think smokers and tobacco companies are more important than healthy children.  Bush has done a lot of disgusting things—namely, the Iraq Civil War—but this ranks right up there. 

This is simply shameful. 

Billions for a phony war but nothing for a program that will actually make our people and our nation stronger.

Sickening. 

The USD Volante has just reported that University of S.D. President Jim Abbott is donating a kidney to a USD staffer.

From the Volante:

King to receive kidney from Abbott

Both have a wife and three children. Both work for the University of South Dakota. Both blood types are O positive. The difference? One has kidney failure. The other has a kidney to give. USD President James Abbott will donate his kidney to Chief Diversity Officer Bruce King at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester June 4.

Full Story

What a generous gift! Now that’s a boss that goes above and beyond for his employees! Jim Abbott may have lost the 2002 race for Governor but he wins in the more important one of South Dakota’s best and most humane citizens category.

I will try and track down this decision and comment on it later this weekend. Here’s the take from Planned Parenthood in the meantime. This is not good news for those of us who work against sex discrimination in the workplace and in reproductive rights.

Dear Todd,

We want to alert you that yesterday women’s health suffered a significant setback. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a shameful ruling that limits access to birth control. It all started when Union Pacific, the largest railroad in North America, made a reprehensible decision to cover Viagra and deny coverage for birth control.

Birth control is basic health care and insurance plans should cover it —just like they cover other prescription drugs. Contraceptive coverage provides women with critical access to birth control they might not otherwise be able to afford. Yet, Union Pacific deliberately chose to exclude coverage of prescription contraceptives from its health care plan. And now, in a decision made public yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has decided to let them get away with it.

Planned Parenthood has worked for years in Congress and the courts to advocate for this basic fairness issue. We know that access to birth control leads to healthier pregnancies, children, and families. Help Planned Parenthood continue its vital programsand fight back against this outrageous step backward for women’s health.

Donate now. Planned Parenthood Federation of America must step up its Prevention First campaign making it against the law for health plans to deny coverage for prescription birth control.

Planned Parenthood attorneys helped win an earlier district court decision that rejected Union Pacific’s unfair treatment of its women employees. That court refused to let Union Pacific get away with denying women coverage for prescription drugs and devices to prevent pregnancy, while providing coverage for a broad array of prescriptions to prevent other non-pregnancy-related conditions.

The court called it what it is — illegal “pregnancy discrimination.”

But now, in a split decision, two judges (one appointed by George W. Bush, the other by Ronald Reagan) have decided that, in spite of this different treatment of women, Union Pacific is not guilty of sex discrimination.

This wrong-headed decision is binding on courts within the seven states in the Eighth Circuit —Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. And it will have a deep and damaging impact on all unionized women employees of Union Pacific, wherever they live.

That’s why we have to step up our efforts to undo the damage by urging Congress to pass the Prevention First Act. Donate Now!

The Prevention First Act advances a wide range of measures: expanding access to reproductive health care services and education programs,increasing access to family planning services, preventing the spread of STIs, and giving women the tools they need to make the best decisions possible.

If we can get this done, Union Pacific and the judges that have excused their reprehensible actions won’t be able to disregard women’s health any longer.  Let’s get to work. Let’s win a big, powerful victory for contraceptive equity!

Sincerely,



Cecile Richards
President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

P.S. Let’s take our outrage at this court decision and use it to add new momentum for Prevention First. Please donate right now.

technorati tags:STDs, Viagra, BC, birth, control, reproductive, Rights, planned, parenthood, 8th, Circuit, Courts, justice, dakota, federal, appeals, courts

Blogged with Flock

Bob Ellis, my favorite dark side lower companion** and edior of Dakota Voice, has had several postings on national health care, in part from a recent column of his on the subject in the Rapid City Journal.

• Read Bob: Oppressing the Little People

As you would probably guess, Bob opposes national health care. And as you might guess, I support it.

Bob was kind enough to feature my comments on the subject on this blog.

• Read Todd: Feedback re: Oppressing the Little People

See, we can talk about these things like civilzed people.

Thanks for the vine, Bob.

*Just kidding, Bob. It makes for a catchy headline.

**Unlike some Rightwing bloggers, after Bob calls me a socialist, he smiles. I’m down with that. My previous (and now second) favorite dark side lower companion was (and is) Pat Buchanan. It scares me when we agree.

technorati tags:healthcare, insurance, 2008, election, president, dark-side-lower-companions

Blogged with Flock

"Slime in the Ice Machine!" comes to Sioux Falls--sort of.For those of you who have never seen KTRK-TV (ABC)'s consumer reporter Marvin Zindler in Houston, you have missed one of TV news' greatest delights. Dressed in a white suite, white tie, dark sunglasses, and with a marvelous shock of white hair, Marvin (also of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas fame) does a weekly "Rat and Roach" report on Houston area restaurants.
The man, the myth, the legend, "Marvin Zindler, EYEWITNESS NEWS!"

He spares no details. You find out about spoiled food, dirty floors, and cockroaches. But the coup de grace IS his pronouncement of which restaurant had "Slime in the Ice Machine!", accompanied by school kids shouting the phrase and catchy music. When I attended the University of Houston for a year, I lived for his 6 p.m. Friday reports because while they were complete and utter camp, they still conveyed useful information.

While not quite screaming "Slime in the Ice Machine!," the Sioux Falls City Health Department is now posting the latest health inspection scores for local eateries, as well as detailed information about the report. It is a good step in providing useful information to consumers and citizens.  Here is the link: http://www.siouxfalls.org/health/scores.aspx

The 10 best restaurants?

Name	Street	Last Score
AMERICINN MOTEL	3508 S GATEWAY	100
BLACK DIAMOND CASINO	5113 W 41ST	100
BUMBLE BEANS COFFEE STOP	201 S KIWANIS	100
CARNAVAL BRAZILIAN GRILL	2401 S CAROLYN	100
CAROUSEL SKATE	2901 W 3RD	100
CASEY'S GENERAL STORE #2334	701 S SYCAMORE	100
CATFISH BAY	5500 N SHOW	100
CHEF JENI & COMPANY	4300 S BEDFORD	100
COFFEE SHOP	415 N DAKOTA	100
COLD STONE CREAMERY	5416 E ARROWHEAD	100

And good news. There were many more eateries with scores of 100.

The 10 worst restaurants?

Name	Street	Last Score
HIBACHI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE	2520 S LOUISE	63
COUNTRY INN & SUITES	200 E 8TH	70
EL PARAISO	2401 E 10TH	70
LONG SHOTS SPORTS BAR & GRILL	330 N MAIN	72
SHALOM ETHIOPIAN COFFEE HOUSE	1701 E 10TH	72
GRAIN BIN RESTAURANT, INC	5015 N CLIFF	75
ROYAL PALACE INC .	3801 W 34TH	75
COMFORT INN NORTH	5100 N CLIFF	77
PERKINS	3400 S GATEWAY	78
COUNTRY MARKET RESTAURANT & BUFFET	5201 N GRANITE	79

"At least Scooter will have three hots and a cot if he's convicted."Exhibit 1 that life for most Americans is not so great in George W. Bush's America: Today's Gallup Poll results:

http://www.gallup.com/nl/?19576,AlertBE,11/3/2005,

Just another thing to make you go "hmmmm."