Category: science

  • Iowa Legislature Ivermectin Bill A Game of “Captain, May I?”

    Iowa Legislature Ivermectin Bill A Game of “Captain, May I?”

    I’ve been comparing the Iowa legislature bills on allowing ivermectin to be available over-the-counter in pharmacies. There were two of them and then there was one. In the first bill, HF 2056, the language in it seemed to strongly direct pharmacists to make ivermectin available by using the word “shall”: Notwithstanding any provision of law…

  • Iowa Legislature Offering Cheese and Crackers on the Bill of Fare

    Iowa Legislature Offering Cheese and Crackers on the Bill of Fare

    I heard a song entitled “Cheese and Crackers” on the Big Mo Blues Show last night. I’ve heard a few times over the years, but I never looked up what it meant until today. The song was originally written by a rockabilly singer named Hayden Thompson, although I’ve only heard it sung by blues artist…

  • Update to the Anti-Vaccine Bills in Iowa Legislature

    Update to the Anti-Vaccine Bills in Iowa Legislature

    This is just a quick update to the Iowa legislature anti-vaccine bills as far as which ones have passed what is called the first funnel. Here’s a link to the definition of a funnel. Which bills got past the first funnel: SF 2095: This bill is about private colleges or universities that would be punished…

  • Iowa Legislature Bills I Could Live Without

    Iowa Legislature Bills I Could Live Without

    I should stop reading the news. I’ve just found a couple of other Iowa Legislature bills that are anti-vaccine. One of them is the HF 2287 I mentioned yesterday that would make vaccine manufacturers steer clear of Iowa altogether. Another two I just discovered today: HF 2171: This one which seeks to make vaccines for…

  • Iowa Vaccines and Legislature Proposed Bill Deja Vu

    Iowa Vaccines and Legislature Proposed Bill Deja Vu

    I see we have yet another bill introduced in the Iowa legislature seeking to make vaccine manufacturers liable for “design defects” resulting in injuries related to vaccines. This feels like déjà vu. Last year HF 712 targeted the Covid 19 vaccine. The bill died in the funnel. This year, the same sponsors introduced HF 2287—which…

  • Finally Saw the Movie “The Day The Earth Stood Still”

    Finally Saw the Movie “The Day The Earth Stood Still”

    We watched the movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” today. It was made in 1951 and I’d never seen it. Sena thinks she did a long time ago. You can watch it on the Internet Archive. Similar movies didn’t make much of a splash, some of which you might remember: “The Sacking of Punxsutawney…

  • Pelicans on Parade!

    Pelicans on Parade!

    The weather was superb yesterday and we visited our favorite walking trail out at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area—along with a lot of people who had the same idea. It was around 60 degrees and not a cloud in the azure blue sky. The highlight was the big flocks of white birds with black markings under…

  • Update to the Iowa Legislature Bill to Make Ivermectin Available Over the Counter

    Update to the Iowa Legislature Bill to Make Ivermectin Available Over the Counter

    Pursuant to my previous post about the debate in the Iowa Legislature over a proposed bill to make Ivermectin available over-the-counter (OTC) in Iowa, it looks as though hydroxychloroquine was recently dropped from the bill. Although few people say it out loud, in my opinion, it’s no secret that the main reason for the bill…

  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pentagon

    A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pentagon

    So, just for laughs I sometimes watch Ancient Aliens (you know, the UFO show with the hair dude). Last night, they were talking about some guy named Valiant Thor as if he were a real person. Maybe some of you know about the book, “Stranger at the Pentagon,” which you can read for free on…

  • What Wildlife Does Not Know About Nature Valley Snack Bars

    What Wildlife Does Not Know About Nature Valley Snack Bars

    We finally finished up the batch of Nature Valley Chocolate Peppermint Wafer bars. The label says says they are “naturally flavored with other natural flavor.” The comical TV commercials in the last couple of years show cute woodland creatures like squirrels bitterly complaining about the dirty nuts they have to put up with compared to…