Anti-Vaxxers magically deny science, cite debunked papers, and threaten all of our well being. Only the smartest people are anti-vaxxers, like President Trump.

WHO:

Vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease – it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.

Measles, for example, has seen a 30% increase in cases globally. The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy. However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence.

The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex; a vaccines advisory group to WHO identified complacency, inconvenience in accessing vaccines, and lack of confidence are key reasons underlying hesitancy. Health workers, especially those in communities, remain the most trusted advisor and influencer of vaccination decisions, and they must be supported to provide trusted, credible information on vaccines.

In 2019, WHO will ramp up work to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide by increasing coverage of the HPV vaccine, among other interventions. 2019 may also be the year when transmission of wild poliovirus is stopped in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Last year, less than 30 cases were reported in both countries. WHO and partners are committed to supporting these countries to vaccinate every last child to eradicate this crippling disease for good.

MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAAAT!

I haven't paid attention to Mortal Kombat since the 1995 movie. There was a time it was my go-to coming down off of hallucinogenic drugs film. This game trailer would have made my eyes explode out of my head.

I do not put a lot of stock in the whole "video games are making kids violent" thing. Kids can't develop magic superpowers that allow them to flash freeze the freshly-ripped-from-a-body-with-the-eyes-still-a-blinking-skull and then grind it to dust in front of their remaining opponents. They just can't.

I kinda of sort of remember the Mortal Kombat storyline as being pretty much over in the 1995 movie. The great battle only comes around every 1000 years? I dunno. MORTAL KOMBAAAAAT!!!! Read the rest

Sho nuff!

(via 10NEWS WTSP/facebook) Read the rest

Do not ever mess with a guy's dog. Read the rest

Peng Shepherd's The Book of M delivers the confusion and frustration of massive world change by playing on the strings of your heart. Read the rest

From the WTF why? files comes this hidden umbrella! Read the rest

LISTEN CLOSELY: "I thought it was a joke," says Clemson athlete upon learning the White House was serving him Wendy's.pic.twitter.com/bRNRhLmDBF

— Ʀogue US Mint (@RogueUSMint) January 15, 2019

You can clearly hear one attendee state that they thought this was a joke.

I believe I hear the declaration "It's absurd" over and over, however that may be a southern accent repeatedly hailing "Thank you, sir!"

Folks are clearly grateful Orange Julius provided this fast food bonanza. Read the rest

This year I missed the party, but as usual stellar photographer Star Foreman captured an amazing gallery of images! Read the rest

NBC declined to comment.

Huffington Post:

NBC News’ standards department sent an email to staffers Tuesday telling them not to directly refer to Rep. Steve King’s recent comments about white supremacy as “racist.”

“Be careful to avoid characterizing [King’s] remarks as racist,” reads the email, which two NBC News staffers shared with HuffPost. “It is ok to attribute to others as in ‘what many are calling racist’ or something like that.”

The email was sent to staffers by Susan Sullivan, a senior employee in the standards division at NBC News. In a news organization, the standards department offers guidance and issues rules about what is legally and ethically appropriate to report, and about how certain topics should be covered.

NBC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.

My dog had some pretty massive surgery. Pet insurance did what it was supposed to do. Read the rest

Anti-vaxxers are winning the war on life. Measles outbreaks are happening with increasing frequency.

US News and World Report:

In late December, one person who was sick with the highly contagious viral infection visited several stores and restaurants in Malibu, Pasadena and Santa Monica while contagious, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Officials said there is no remaining risk in those areas, but people who may have been near the infected person should watch for any symptoms of the illness, which is spread through cough or sneeze and causes fever, red eyes and a rash. Most people who haven't been immunized will get measles if they are exposed to the virus, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said.

"If you think that you or someone you know has been exposed to or has measles, contact your healthcare provider by phone right away before going in," Dr. Muntu Davis, the county's health officer, said in a statement.

The alert comes amid a slew of measles outbreaks in recent months, nearly two decades after the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S.

New York, for example, has seen more than 160 cases since September and is experiencing what Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, called "the largest measles outbreak that New York state has had in recent history," CNN reported.

In 2018, a total of 349 cases in 26 states and the District of Columbia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 120 cases in 2017.

Looks like Hulu is going to beat Netflix to market with their Fyre Festival documentary.

Two documentaries on a festival that didn't happen. I was not one-documentary interested, but Mark is making popcorn.

Hollywood Reporter:

Fyre Fraud, a documentary chronicling the lead-up and aftermath of 2017’s disastrous Fyre Festival, is airing on Hulu.

Hulu dropped the documentary, produced and distributed by The Cinemart, Hulu, Billboard and Mic, Monday morning, with no advance notice. Netflix’s competing documentary, Fyre, comes out Jan. 18.

The 96-minute Hulu doc features an exclusive, extensive post-festival interview with 25-year-old entrepreneur and Fyre Festival mastermind Billy McFarland, who is serving a six-year prison term after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges. By turns repentant and defensive, he seldom takes direct responsibility for allegedly defrauding investors out of more than $26 million, nor does he admit wrongdoing.

BREAKING: Donald Trump asked by reporter: "Have you ever worked for Russia?" pic.twitter.com/a2ph4Raduq

— Paul Lee Ticks (@PaulLeeTicks) January 14, 2019

No sniffles tho. Read the rest

Bob Einstein will be sorely missed. Read the rest

Frazzled American nerves should be calmed by Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen L. Arberg's statement that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is cancer free. The beloved justice is recovering and will return to hear oral arguments next week.

The Trump Administration was reportedly chomping at the bit to replace this well-loved member of the Supreme Court.

NPR:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has no remaining signs of cancer after her surgery last month, requires no additional treatment, but will miss oral arguments at the court next week to rest, the Supreme Court said Friday.

While odds for a recovery from the surgery she had are good, they go way up if the subsequent pathology report shows no cancer in the lymph nodes. On Friday, the court released a written statement saying there is no additional evidence of cancer.

"Her recovery from surgery is on track," court spokeswoman Kathleen L. Arberg said of the 85-year-old justice. "Post-surgery evaluation indicates no evidence of remaining disease, and no further treatment is required."

I wanted to make fudgy brownies. Read the rest

Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot was some important TV viewing for younger me. Read the rest