Cows and lipstick

Modern society and its pressures. Not enough time. Traffic congestion. Focusing on the look. Stuck on a main artery into town. Mirror mirror. Rush rush rush.

A recent British survey has indicated that nearly 500.000 road accidents per year in the UK happen because women are busy putting up make-up while driving. Yes indeed half a million car crashes because of a touch of lipstick or eye liner. It’s beauty with a bang.

The study claims that 1 in 5 women admit being occupied with make-up duties while being behind the steering wheel. Are these the same women that complain about male road rage or mad drivers causing death and destruction? What do these women tell their victims after the crash? “Sorry, I didn’t see you. I thought my eye liner was a bit too dark for a Monday board meeting.” Or something like “Sorry but I got an important rendezvous this morning and I just wanted to look oh so extra special.”,... as she smashed her sedan into a biker and maimed him for life. And then probably coming home and telling the husband or kids or life-partner or mum or dad or the cat that the dent in the car is because of an arrogant driver that cut her off.

It’s clearly a habit where sometimes plastic face surgery might be needed instead of just a touch of lipstick. Lipstick carnage.

From beauty to health is probably just a tiny little step. From outside looks to internal body care.

Nabi Pharmaceuticals in the (tiny) US State of Maryland is getting US$ 10 million to fund a clinical trial for an anti smoking vaccine.

In fact it’s a vaccine that should prevent smokers whom have just quit the habit to lighten up again. So an anti-relapse vaccine. Pretty cool news. Once the trial is positive the vaccine can enter the market and be sold to all ex-smokers to stay of the cancer sticks.

Smoking has a massive impact on the health budget. It’s big business for tobacco giants and undertakers, but it’s a massive weight on the healthcare resources ($ and staff). So many hospital patients are there because of smoking related illnesses. So this vaccine seems a good move forward for quitters to quit forever.

The tobacco lobby is probably red hot angry. Sorry but health before profit! For once at least. Obviously Nabi Pharmaceuticals will make a good healthy profit at the end of it all. But rather Nabi with this vaccine than the useless tobacco giants.

From smoke to keeping an eye on the road. And not lipstick related this time.

A hospital shuttle ambulance, taking patients from one medical facility to another, is driving on a road in South Africa. Happens every day. But it hits a cow and overturns! All 22 patients and 2 staff members injured. How bad luck is that?!

So you are in hospital needing treatment. Then the nurse tells you they gotta take you to another hospital for further specialised treatment. You don’t feel too comfortable but live in hope. On the way to that extra treatment you hit a stray cow. Just like that. Out of the blue. You now have extra injuries, and thus require extra treatment on top of the specialised treatment. It’s just a rollercoaster of bad luck. Unfortunately no news about the condition of the cow.

Oh and to top it all the road on which the cow encounter happened is called ‘Help Each Other’ road. No kidding. Some days it’s just better to stay indoors.

Cow behaviour is unpredictable.

After the tensions, stand offs, cries of sanctions and military planning, Iran is finally in some kind of talks with the outside world about its nuke dreams. The so called 5+1 (yeah indeed) are sitting around the table with Iran’s representatives in Geneva. Neutral territory. Why not just call the 5+1 the ‘Group of 6’. Would make life easier. Call them the Iran Watchdogs. The 5+1 formula refers to the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, UK, China, Russia, France) + Germany. Why Germany is so related to Iran, I don’t know. Maybe because the Europeans are pretty much involved in the whole Iran nuke crisis and Germany is Europe’s biggest player. Maybe.

Anyway the 6+1 (the 6 + Iran) are talking and that’s good news. Better than shouting at each other and exchanging threats and warnings. Talking is always good. We live in hope (kind of).

North Korea is likely to watch these developments closely. I wonder if it is checking out the Geneva talks on the BBC or CNN, or does it consider those so called imperialistic media pure evil and only relies on reports from its spooks in Switzerland.

After talking to the Iranians, the 6 (or is it only the original 5 when North Korea is at stake?) can hopefully bring the North Koreans to Geneva too. Talking is indeed always a good option.

Throw out. Been listening the Higher Giant’s new, 4 track release called “Al’s Moustache”. Melodic punkrock from NY with at the heart of the band a man with an amazing musical journey in America’s underground punkrock scene (aka hardcore): Ernie Parada. He started as a drummer for Gilligan’s Revenge in the early 80s. Then the breakthrough in the NY underground scene came with Token Entry. Its debut album “From beneath the streets” is still considered a classic. Shorter stints followed with other local bands. Then Ernie switched to guitar and formed Black Train Jack. The journey moved on through bands like Grey Area and The Arsons, and now Ernie is guitarist and vocalist for Higher Giant. More than 25 years already on stage and in studios. Amazing. And he also drew artwork for several album covers.

C-Ya

collateral – sometime first half of October 2009