Kudos to GSK!

My recent curiosity on HPV and cervical-cancer vaccine has caused me to do some research and readings (ahem…ahem… I said ‘just some’). I found out that GlaxoSmithKline has reduced the price of their cervical-cancer vaccine. This is definitely good news to all women. The article I read says:

In an effort to meet the Filipinas need for more affordable health care, GSK has slashed their cervical cancer vaccine, Ceravix, by 71%. The move highlights GSK’s dedication to cervical-cancer prevention and its continued advocacy to give Filipinos quality medicines and vaccines they need at prices they can afford, GSK said. This initiative is GSK’s response to the Filipinos’ need for more affordable health care.

According to GSK president and managing director Rich Gain, The Philippines is the first country where GSK Cervarix is made affordable to all. They (GSK) hope that this will help save more lives and protect women against cervical cancer.

Cervarix, as approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs, is a vaccine to protect against the two most common cancer-causing types of human pappilomavirus (HPV)-16 and 18. It has also shown efficacy against persistent infection caused by 12 other cancer-causing HPV types. So far, clinical data demonstrated that Cervatix provides this protection.

*Source: Medical Observer, year 17, issue 10, Nov-Dec. 2008

HPV = CERVICAL CANCER = POSSIBLE DEATH

HPV! I have been seeing this three letters a lot lately. At first I thought it was a new virus that has replaced the menace also known as the HIV virus. Then I learned from extensive research (ahem ahem) that HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is the virus that causes cervical cancer. Acquiring this virus is no laughable matter as cervical cancer is reported to claim as many as 4300 lives each year here in the Philippines alone. Cervical cancer produces the second biggest number of deaths from any cancer type that affects women. It is pretty scary for a thought but there is good news for us women. In light of the recent developments, the medical community came out with a vaccine that aims to prevent cervical cancer.

I think the vaccine officially came out mid last year but skeptics are quick to point out the adverse effects and also question the potency of the said vaccines. I also heard from fox news that some schools in the U.S. were actually mandating high school girls to receive the shots. This action was of course met with a lot of opposition from the children’s parents and even community elders. Here in the Philippines, women are starting to pick up with the trend although the vaccine is not yet as well known as in the U.S. I have seen advertisements already and also advocacy groups. I’m thinking about getting the vaccine too so I did a little research. I wanted to know how much the entire package cost. Unfortunately this information is never to be found. For some reason, vaccination rates are never stated in any website or ads. I can only guess that it might be a little expensive for the regular gal. So I wonder “how will a regular Filipina like me afford the vaccine.”

WTF!!!

That's right! WTF! i wanted to write something today but after a long contemplation.... nothing came...... my head is so below normal functioning and it has been like this for like ... 4years now i think. :( better see a doctor quick before the worms consume the other functioning part of my brain. argrhh.... when will i get my wish- a new brain! :)

Win $1000 while learning the secrets of the blog world.

Last year we saw the whole world scramming to save their own lives from the onslaught of the ever fearful global financial crisis. Even the blogging world was not spared as advertisers and big companies whittle down their spending. Fortunately, the blogging community seems to be reversing the actions of last year.

After a quick perusal of several blogs, I discovered that a good number of bloggers are hosting contests, promos, freebies, and goody giveaways this early january. This is surely an effective way to keep the blog world alive and kicking. One such site that will definitely keep the blog community robust is 15-year-old boy wonder’s Tech Ravings.info as it greeted the year 2009 with a big bang! Not only is the site very insightful but it is hosting an online contest. So, if you want to earn an instant $1000 or $500 then you should definitely check it out.

Tech Ravings is literary all about the tech ravings of a 15 year old boy from India. He talks about the latest and hottest on the blog world, sharing advice, tips, and information about Search Engine Optimization and other blogging resources to help improve your site. It also features blog promotions and tips, and software and web reviews. The site is relatively new but already it has a lot of followers as it offers tons of useful and effective suggestions, recommendations, and advice to help drive more traffic into your site and also improve the overall functionality of your web tools. I read a couple of his post and surely it has a lot of helpful “How To”. If you are more into the latest technology, then this site is also worth visiting as his reviews are pretty much honest and straightforward. But the best part on visiting his site is that you can actually win an instant $1000 while learning the secrets of the blog world. All you have to do is to join his contest. Read on to know more.

HOW TO JOIN:

1. Leave a comment on any of the posts on the TechRavings.info blog, and subscribe to the RSS feed via email.

2. Write a blog post about TechRavings.info, as well as the site's writing/blogging contest. The blog post should be at least 250 words long and contain a link back to TechRavings.info with the anchor text “blogging resources” or "tech ravings" or "search engine optimization" or "latest technology" and a link back to the Blog Contest post.

3. After the above two steps, leave a comment on the contest page with your correct e-mail address and the url where you have reviewed TechRavings.info

*Only blogs that were started on or before 15 December,2008 are eligible for this contest and should have minimum of 12 posts. Deadline is on 19 January 2009.

PRIZE:

One winner of $1,000 in PayPal Cash
Two winners of $500 in PayPal Cash

East meets Middle East

This photo was taken last year during my delicious trinoma food tour. The event was successful as all of us went home with a full stomach and appetizing stories to tell. Amongst the food presentation feature, this one is my favorite because it looked so scrumptious that I wanted to sink in my teeth immediately. It is a meat dish with pita wrapper, hummus, and side salad. It’s from Hussein.

It was my first Middle Eastern food experience which makes it all the more interesting for me. At first I was having second thoughts trying for fear of strong aftertaste (i sometimes hate the feeling of aftertaste when you burp). But my group mates were quick to convince me to give it a shot, telling me to slice the meat into small pieces before wrapping the pita around it. Then, they told me to dip it in the hummus to complete the wonderful experience. They were so right to push me into trying it because it tastes good. I loved it. It was one of the best foods I tried on that day and it is also one of the most interesting meals I’ve ever had.

How about you? What is the most interesting meal you’ve ever had? If you got one why not share it and you might even win yourself the book “A cook’s tour” signed by the famous Anthony Bourdain. Learn more by going to www.kitchencow.com.

Thesis Days are Back!!!

After a long vacation from vacationing, its time to get down to business again. That means, i have to once again face something that i have been procrastinating or trying to avoid...... (drum roll) YES! my very good friend Thesis! Yes! i haven't finsih it yet (for th nth time). Yes, of course, im working on it.
Today, i just met with my advisor, well we had a chat about it. While the draft i shown her is not perfect and was butchered by her red pen (oops, i emailed it so its the computer red text), she said it is workable and promishing. I hope she is right.
right now, im kind of sleepy but since it is not allowed to sleep inside the library ill just keep on blogging to keep my mind active anyways.
So, this will definitely be a challenge to me because year 2009 i'd like to accomplish alooooot of things. this time i won't give up.

Recession hits Porn industry

I was reading the newspaper this morning and was amused over the article that says the US porn industry is also seeking a Bailout from Washington. The paper reports that porn mogul Larry Flynt, of Hustler magazine, and Joe Francis, of "Girls gone wild" videos are seeking a $5 BILLION bailout from the congress. Both are soliciting for the same kind of assistance Washington gave to the Auto manufacturers. According to Joe Francis, adult DVD sales and rentals figures showed a 22 percent decrease in 2008.

WOW $5 Billion to help beef up the porn industry??!!?? i don't know but that kind of sound crazy to me. I guess if there is any good recession has made, it's probably this :)

2009 Wishes!

In case you read my title post, you'll notice its 2009 wishes not 2009 resolution or new year's resolution . Yes, I deliberately choose the word "wishes " so as to avoid any responsibility in case none of them ever gets fulfilled. Okay, that is pretty lame of me. But like most of you, im tired of making resolutions that will never see a single daylight. So, why make a resolution anyway. It is easier to forgive thyself by writing it down as "wishes" since the word itself does not require absolute action. So, here goes my 2009 wishes!!!

1) Write more on this blog.
2) Fix my other blog.
3) Finish my thesis.
4) Find a job related to my course.

This is just the partial list of my wishes because the actual list is pretty long... But for now, these are my top priorities.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE