The CDC Plays Hardball - with a piano

The CDC has expanded its recommendations for children getting the flu shot to all children up to age 18 (who aren't otherwise ineligible due to egg allergy or other serious health complication). IMO, being vaccinated is a civic responsibility, like learning CPR and first aid, donating blood if eligible, frequent handwashing, voting, or serving on a jury. It is part of being a lawful and responsible citizen.
The captioning describes the music as "somber", and most of the parents talking about having lost a child to the flu remain composed, but the CDC is not fooling around about the need to get kids vaccinated. A talking head points out that even though "only" 100 children a year dies from flu, each death is a tragedy, and the video makes this fact more than a statistic.

Angelina was vaccinated for menningitis in August, and I'll be calling Dr. Sharma today to find out when her office will have the flu vaccine available for her to get her flu shot.

(Re)Introduction to Meditation

I'm so glad I went to this program last night. Don't be fooled by the blurb. This "introduction" to meditation techniques was not the for-dummies version, it was a methodical and detailed presentation of the reasons meditation is necessary, the obstacles to meditation or to effective meditation, and the benefits of increasing practice. (The Tibetans are so methodical and they count everything, I love that! It reminds me of pre-school when the teachers would tell us "this is blue" or how to draw and "A", could it have been that long ago that I felt "taught"?)

This re-introduction to meditation was sorely needed by me personally, and I liked this Lama. Here's his picture:


TRAGA RINPOCHE

Cowboy Junkies cover "One" (U2)

I came across this the other day and really liked it, so I decided to upload it as my first video to RFoRC. (Man, these things take way longer to upload than download...) I don't really approve, since I think the song's bigger than some squeeze-y love story, but the shots are all from Ridley Scott's Tristan and Isolde, which I haven't seen even though it's Ridley Scott. I'll see if I can get Angelina to watch it with me sometime. I'm a mystery/thriller kind of gal (I'll be watching We Own the Night tonight), not much into historical drama, disappointed my Sainted Mommy by flat-out refusing to see Brideshead Revisited with her (sorry, Mom), but this is Ridley Scott, so there's fighting at least. ;)

Joseph Petcka, @5540!3

In this, the Inaugural Post of The "@5540!3" Report, I introduce one Joseph Petcka, whose notoriety as an @5540!3 has elevated him to the rank of Forever Undateable. To summarize briefly, said @5540!3 got drunk in the apartment of his girlfriend of 6 weeks, picked a fight with the girlfriend which she tried to end by going to sleep, picked a fight with his girlfriend of 6 weeks' 7 pound cat (Norman), got himself bitten by the 7 pound cat, assaulted the girlfriend of 6 weeks at 3am in her bed where she had been asleep, accused her of loving the cat more than him [gee, yathink?], and then beat the cat to death "in self defense" after she fled the apartment. Not to put too fine a point on things, but the 7 pound cat was declawed. Any woman who would knowingly date this creep, for the rest of his life, a) deserves what she gets, poor twit, and b) had better not have pets or children, because they would not deserve it.

Where have all the cowboys gone?

Pshaw!

We don't need no stinkin' cowboys!

Kitties just want love...

I'm so sorry, Norman. Om bo la mo ling to ning so ha