STDs reach historic levels

And it's not just because the stripper town of Gulfport was flooded....

Taken from www.thehawkeye.com:

STDs reach historic level
By DAVID PITT
The Associated Press

DES MOINES -- Public health officials say the number of sexually transmitted diseases in Iowa are at new highs, and the greatest number of cases are reported among teenagers and young adults.

The Iowa Department of Public Health says total cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reached new records last year.

"The figures are alarming," said Tom Newton, state public health director. "It's especially concerning that we're seeing the greatest number of cases reported in teenagers and young adults."

The updated figures show a 67 percent increase in chlamydia cases over the last decade to more than 8,600 cases. Syphilis cases rose 52 percent over 10 years to 64, and gonorrhea cases rose 19 percent to 1,928.

About 74 percent of chlamydia cases and 60 percent of gonorrhea cases in Iowa were among people aged 15 to 24.

Iowa ranks 37 in the nation for number of chlamydia cases, 35th in gonorrhea and 43rd in primary and secondary syphilis, said Karen Thompson, the STD program manager for the health department.

The statistics are from 2006, the most recent available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We're not unique. This is happening all across the United States," Thompson said.

Some of the increased number of cases could be attributed to advanced testing techniques that didn't exist 10 years ago. However, the numbers have been increasing long enough to rule out more accurate testing as the only explanation for the increases.

The jump in the numbers is likely a combination of unprotected sex, improved testing capability and development of a focused approach that tests the populations most at risk, Thompson said.

"This is an issue that must be talked about openly," she said.

Bridge status

I can't believe that the Great River Bridge closed...or all of the other closings.
Taken from www.thehawkeye.com

Bridge status
With water flowing quickly into the Mississippi River from flooded Iowa rivers, several Iowa river crossings are either closed or in danger of closing.

Status of bridges over the Mississippi River in southeast Iowa

* The U.S. 136 crossing at Keokuk is open to only local traffic. Flaggers are in place to assist motorists.

* The Iowa side of the river is flooding in Fort Madison causing the U.S. 61 bridge to close.

*A levee breech south of Gulfport, Ill. caused the U.S. 34 bridge at Burlington, Iowa, bridge to close. Traffic is being rerouted at Biggsville, Ill., and at Central Avenue in Burlington.

* While the Iowa 92 bridge in Muscatine is open, portions of the roadway south of the city and along the riverfront are closed due to flooding. Iowa 22 east of Muscatine is also closed, making it difficult to reach destinations beyond Muscatine. U.S. 61 north of Wapello is closed, interrupting the direct Burlington-to-Muscatine route

* Travelers on Interstate 80 or points north should use the Mississippi River bridges in or north of the Quad Cities. Travelers hoping to cross the Mississippi south of I-80 will need to travel to Quincy, Ill., and use the Bayview Bridge on Illinois Route 96. The Bayview Bridge is temporarily carrying traffic in both directions. The Memorial Bridge in Quincy is closed.

DOOFUS!

Ok, I am such a nerd. Today, I was walking home from the tanning salon and straight into the sun. I reached in my bag and pulled out my sun glasses to put them on. I kept walking and squinting not understanding why it was still so bright. After about six blocks and numerous people, I took off my sunglasses and looked at them.

Oh, yes, I was squinting because a lot of light was being let through. One of the lenses was out of them! I had been walking past all these people with one lens in my sunglasses and one out. I looked like a total idiot. When I realized what happened I about died laughing.

I love Nate Kaeding

Former Hawkeye raising funds for flood relief
The Associated Press

IOWA CITY -- Former Iowa Hawkeye and current San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding says fifty percent of the proceeds from his annual golf tournament will go to flood relief efforts in Iowa City and Coralville.

This is the third year of the Nate Kaeding Golf Tournament and PAR-TEE. This year's charity event will help establish a Coralville/Iowa City Area flood relief fund, which will be managed by the Community Foundation of Johnson County.

Despite this week's flooding, the event is scheduled to go ahead on Thursday and Friday at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville.

Tickets for the dinner and golf tournament are still available.

stumpy or not?

Do you ever just sit there and start to over analyze things? I do it, all the time. Today I was sitting at work and looked down and saw my hand. I realized that I might have kind of stumpy thumbs in proportion to the rest of my hand, but I'm not sure. I have kinda big hands for a girl. From the palm side they look really stumpy, but not from the back of my hand.

So, are they stumpy or not? Yep, that's the kind of thing that was running through my mind today.

my current obsessions

I thought I would be nice and give you a break from my constant posting about the floods.

Instead, I'll bore you by telling you about the things I am loving right now! Lucky you.

Music selections:
* falling down by scarlett johansson(its really pretty awful but I like it for some reason)
* love in this club
* forever by chris brown
* leaving' by Jesse McCartney

Other:
* cracked pepper and olive oil triscuts
* sabra hummus
* mushrooms(the veggie not the drug)
* diet mt dew(less teeth staining than diet coke)
* pale pink Essie nail polishes like mademoiselle and sugar daddy
* linen pants
* sun dresses
* eating outdoors

Things I'm very excited about:
* kenny concert with lisa and aaron this weekend
* megan's graduation party
* my brother visiting next weekend

flood

With the Iowa river expected to crest today or tomorrow in Iowa City, I continue to be sad about the destruction the flooding has caused. I can't believe that 83 of the 99 counties in Iowa are proclaimed disaster areas. I remember the effects of the flood of '93 and can't believe that this one will be worse. Everytime I see pictures of Iowa City, the Coralville strip and Cedar Rapids(which I am obsessed with looking at) my jaw drops at how far the water is out of its boundaries. Just two years ago Iowa city took a beating from a tornado, rebuilt and is having to deal with this. My poor alma mater.

What did the state do to deserve all of this? It's a state full of nice people and corn. Leave them alone.

Little Sioux Tornado

I was devistated to hear about this in the news and the story made me ill. Thinking back on the 5 summers that I worked at a Girl Scout camp and the countless times that we could take shelter in a basement, we were lucky to have never had an incident like this.

Little Sioux Boy Scout Camp destroyed by tornado, 4 killed

The waters keep rising...Iowa under water

Inmates fromt he Benton County Jail in Vinton iowa are being reloated after being transported out by boat as flood waters rise.

University of Iowa quaterback Jake Christenson helps sandbag along with the other football players as the waters rise in Iowa City, IA.

North of Iowa City.

Lower City Park in Iowa City, where I always used to play tennis.

Sandbagging behing the Iowa Memorial Union. President Sally Mason, her husband and UISG members were there to help.

*All pictures taken from the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Iowa City Press Citizen.

Interesting news aeround the state of Iowa

Corn prices rise with water - Metro


Iowa football players help clean up Parkersburg after tornado
http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2008/06/12/Sports/Iowa-Football.Players.Help.Parkersburg.Recover.From.Tornado-3381320.shtml

Thoughts of a Jersey Chaser

I like sports. I like guys. I like tall guys. Athletes are often tall. This makes me often like athletes, and apparently a jersey chaser. 

But see, I think it is just the coincidence that athletes are often taller than your average guy. The average height of the American male is 5'10". I am 5'11" and prefer guys that are taller than me. If I used height as a deal breaker(which I don't) that would automatically eliminate over 50% of the US population of men. 

All I'm saying is that if there was a group of professional scrap booking men that were all well above 6 foot tall, I am sure I might like some of them too, but  would you be calling me a scrap booking chaser?

Go team.