You won't hear me say stuff like this about gun-toting, radical conservatives too often, so enjoy. Way to go President Bush! It takes guts to threaten to veto a bill that also includes spending for veteran's and housing in order to signal your support for space exploration. And here's another rare one, a second way to go for my Rep, Tom Delay, usually playing the roll of evil-re-district-er, seems to be the mastermind behind the veto threat.



I'm now poked, prodded and vaccinated against horrible, bizzarre diseases. The funniest thing was the trip to my personal doctor yesterday. He was really excited about my trip -- as it turns out, in the day before setting up shop as a GP, he had some specialty adventure-sports medicine and has lots of friends that go on exotic vacations. Anyway, I had gone to get Diamox (to help with the altitude in Colorado and Peru) and an anti-diherrea (to help with potential food problems in Peru). But as the conversation progressed, the Doctor decided "just to be sure" I should take some other medicine with me "so that a nasty bug or bad food doesn't ruin your entire vacation." The doctor started scribbling madly on his prescription pad, and I ended up a package of strong antibiotics, anti-naseua medicine, something to supress vomit in case I can't keep the other medicine down, plus the diamox and anti-diherrea. Plus he encouraged me to take peptobismal before eating any meals. So, now I'm going to Peru with the contents of most neighborhood pharmacies.

Anyway, he gave me several pages of instructions on how to determine what I should take when, so hopefully they won't take a rocket scientist to figure out... oh wait! Then this morning, I went and got vaccinated against Hep A, Tetanus (apparently you are supposed to get these every 5 years to protect against dirty cuts -- you'd think they'd tell you this 'cause I could step on a rusty nail just as easily in the US as Peru), and Typhoid (which is actually a pill). So, if I get sick after all this... well, someone has it out for me.

I am officially ready for Colorado, in case you're wondering. Just need to pack the backpack.

And Cari was all about the links today. First was awesome, a link to Lemmings, Possibly my favorite old-school computer game EVER. I can't wait to go home to my personal computer rather than my government-purchased-and-monitored work computer to play it! She also linked to this personality test. Here are my results (I don't necessarily agree with them all):

Wackiness: 16/100

Rationality: 38/100

Constructiveness: 60/100

Leadership: 64/100

You are an SECL--Sober Emotional Constructive Leader. This makes you a politician. You cut deals, you change minds, you make things happen. You would prefer to be liked than respected, but generally people react to you with both. You are very sensitive to criticism, since your entire business is making people happy.

At times your commitment to the happiness of other people can cut into the happiness of you and your loved ones. This is very demanding on those close to you, who may feel neglected. Slowly, you will learn to set your own agenda--including time to yourself.

You are gregarious, friendly, charming and charismatic. You like animals, sports, and beautiful cars. You wear understated gold jewelry and have secret bad habits, like chewing your fingers and fidgeting.

You are very difficult to dislike.



Update 11:06 am - In case you were wondering, my mother is an EVIL GENIUS. Here are the results of her test


Wackiness: 26/100

Rationality: 50/100

Constructiveness: 32/100

Leadership: 50/100

You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting.



Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable.



You are not to be messed with. You may explode.