A New Infectious Disease May Be Emerging in Southern Africa

The Mail and Guardian reports that four people near Johannesburg have recently died from an unknown, apparently contagious illness that begins with flu-like symptoms. It may have originated in Tanzania, from whence the first two victims originated. Three out of four victims have tested negative for hemorrhagic fever, and the fourth will be tested today.

Republicans don't want middle class kids to have health insurance

George Bush is against government spending when it helps middle and low income families maintain health insurance for their children. He is in favor of government spending when it is to be wasted on a hopelessly futile, unjust war that he dishonestly misrepresented to a skeptical nation in order to obtain its assent to [attempt to] wage.

Democrats, who control the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by one vote, are urging their fellow partisans to pester the Republicans, who control the Pennsylvania Senate by a slim margin, not to fail to fund the Jonas Salk Legacy Fund, which could create thousands of decent jobs in the healthcare and biomedical research sector of the Commonwealth's victorian but plucky economy as well as help cure devastating diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Republcan spokesdemons say, "Not only is failing to act a good way to screw the poor in need of decent jobs, it's also a conveniently indirect and underhanded way to support the Bush-Cheney junta's opposition to stem cell research, which is incredibly unpopular amongst voters in this rapidly aging state. But no, wait, the best part is, it actually makes it easier for Baby Jesus to smite people afflicted with horrible diseases by preventing the discovery of so-called cures, which we believe are actually nothing more than spells cast by witches."

I always thought John Street was mean. I voted for him once, but only because the Republicans made constitutional discrimination against gay and lesbian families an official part of their platform, and I felt like I had no choice after George Bush had stolen the presidency, twice. At least JS stopped acting on his own bigotry in the 90s after the city passed domestic partnership legislation with a clear majority. He realized that if he was going to survive politically, he had to stop bashing the gays and lesbians.

He hasn't had a similar change of behavior when it comes to firefighters, rescue workers, and police officers who have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) while doing their jobs. [Everyone knows that I'm no big fan of police states {except for the beach in Delaware where I like to go on vacation and don't mind not having to lock my tent or bike or get runned over by a car}, but I have had more than a few interactions with individual Philly cops, some in which I may have had a few beers or been driving like I was playing Grand Theft Auto, and they always treated me very fairly.] It's sad that the legislature had to enact a law forcing the city to pay to right this wrong. To this day, the mayor's spokespeople insist that leaving people like Mary Kohler out in the cold is the mayor's "fiduciary responsibility." The mayor himself can't be bothered to "follow that."

Quickly! Bring the fresh, virgin unicorn blood. The vice president is turning back into a giant clot again.

Unhealthy IHOP Food Now For Straights Only

A lesbian family was asked to leave an IHOP in Alabama and not return because their presence was disturbing a heterosexual attempting to feed. Detailed plans for an international boycott will be released shortly. In the meantime, don't eat there. Your cardiovascular system and Queer friends both will thank you.

Regular exercise might make you smarter and less likely to get disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.