Monday, October 26, 2015

WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?

Here is an interesting poll result. A recent Gallup Poll  found that 56% of Americans who responded said that we would be safer if more people were armed with concealed weapons. Who are they afraid of? I suppose it must be that they fear people who are armed with concealed weapons.  Doesn't make sense to me. The power of the armed 'good guy' to prevent the kind of carnage we increasingly witness is a myth. Strapping on a gun does not make you or I into a superhero, much less a good shot. Actually the ready availability of fire power dramatically increases the number, and success rate, of suicide attempts. The NRA makes it difficult to study the effects of guns on the health of Americans, but there are some interesting and disturbing trends. Take this one. One research project found of the 763 people killed in 579 shooting incidents (yes, more than one person died in some of the events too numerous to recount) occurring since 2007, the vast majority of those licensed shooters took themselves out or others who were not perpetrators. 223 of the deaths were suicides. I am afraid to ask about deaths (mainly women) resulting from domestic violence. Recent concealed-carry excesses include shooters firing at shop-lifters and other non violent offenders running in public places. Try to think of one of those vigilantes plugging away at a kid running in Shaw's parking lot with a purloined bag of Gold Fish. The Second Amendment says something about a WELL-REGULATED militia. What I think we are seeing is strong lobby groups using that amendment to prevent any sort of regulation. The result is tragic. That my neighbor is (literally) packing only worries me.

Monday, October 19, 2015

SO, WHO NEEDS TO GO TO A MALL?

WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' MALL! WE'VE GOT THE

NOT AT HOME HOUSE PARTY!


Saturday, November 7 in Deering Town Hall, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm representatives of several suppliers of home goods, fashion, and cosmetics will present their wares for you. No angst over trying to find an obscure address -- in the dark. No need to drive long distance and fight traffic to go shopping. No need to worry about feeling guilty if you don't buy something from that oh-so-earnest representative of -- whatever. For about six hours Deering Town Hall will be transformed into a local version of the Mall of New Hampshire thanks to the Greater Hillsborough Senior Services. 

GHSS invites  you to come to  Deering  Town Hall, where you will find high quality items from Norwex, Thirty-one, Tupperware, Discovery Toys,  It Works, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Stampin' up, Usborne Books,Traveling Vineyard, Handmade jewelry, Petra Fashions, Deering Community Dhurch, Kalypso Twistz Jewelry, Lemongrass spa, Avon, Jarred Powers, and Karen Booth.

Deering Town Hall is located at 762  Deering Center Rd (NH Rt 149), just up the hill from Hillsborough. There will be lots of parking and beautiful scenery. 

If you have any questions, please contact Marie Mogavero at mariemogavery@comcast.net or call her at 603-464-4726
 

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

AN INJECTION THAT MIGHT PREVENT LYME DISEASE

A number of my friends here in Deering have experienced Lyme Disease. It's not a nice experience. Apart from carefully examining EVERY inch of your body and removing all the ticks after you've been outside during the 'tick season, there is no way to protect yourself against infection by the deer tick-born bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. So, this article from the Boston Herald brought with it some pretty good news.

Researchers at U MASS med school found that when individuals were injected with a vaccine that was developed about ten years ago, they developed a bunch of antibodies. They were able to isolate and identify one of those antibodies that, when injected into mice, kills the bacterium in the gut of the tick before it can be transmitted to you with the tick bite.

Preclinical trials are currently underway to determine the human dosage.

Clinical trials in humans are expected to begin next year, and if the Food and Drug Administration approves the antibody drug, it could become commercially available in roughly three years. It is expected that a single yearly injection with the antibody drug will be required to protect from Lyme Disease.