That's my kind of Stimulus!

[Gaspar]

Last year the state department spent $300,000 for alcoholic beverages — about twice as much compared to the previous year.

We gotta party with those dudes.



http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/15/taxpayers-foot-state-departments-stiff-liquor-bill/

[guido911]

This, however, is NOT my kind of stimulus:

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spent $823,200 of economic stimulus funds in 2009 on a study by a UCLA research team to teach uncircumcised African men how to wash their genitals after having sex.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/75198

A new government cheese program. Great to know where our priorities are.

[nathanm]

Washing your genitals after sex significantly reduces your chance of contracting HIV. If you can't teach 'em to use condoms, that's the next best thing.

Edited to add: I'm just saying that it's not a ridiculous use of funds, even though I'm not entirely sure it should be our government spending the funds.

[guido911]

Washing your genitals after sex significantly reduces your chance of contracting HIV. If you can't teach 'em to use condoms, that's the next best thing.

Edited to add: I'm just saying that it's not a ridiculous use of funds, even though I'm not entirely sure it should be our government spending the funds.

Are you now a smegma expert?

I know, I'm being gross.

[Breadburner]

This, however, is NOT my kind of stimulus:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/75198

A new government cheese program. Great to know where our priorities are.

Is it the new Fumunda Cheese distribution program.....I think first come first served.......

[guido911]

Is it the new Fumunda Cheese distribution program.....I think first come first served.......

Thanks BB for being BB.

[nathanm]

Are you now a smegma expert?

Nah, I just happen to read a lot of weird stuff. I was once reading a discussion about HIV's prevalence in Africa and the discussion had turned to prevention and this came up as one of the things that reduces transmission.

[guido911]

Here's more stimulus abuse:

[Conan71]

Nah, I just happen to read a lot of weird stuff. I was once reading a discussion about HIV's prevalence in Africa and the discussion had turned to prevention and this came up as one of the things that reduces transmission.

You don't happen to know how to make a two way radio from a diode from an AM radio and some coconut shells by any chance do you?

[guido911]

You don't happen to know how to make a two way radio from a diode from an AM radio and some coconut shells by any chance do you?

Can he construct some sort of rudimentary lathe?

[Gaspar]

Nah, I just happen to read a lot of weird stuff. I was once reading a discussion about HIV's prevalence in Africa and the discussion had turned to prevention and this came up as one of the things that reduces transmission.

AIDS is certainly a problem in Africa, however we have a very skewed view of the numbers, and this has been known for some time.  The problem is, they very seldom test patients for AIDS because of the expense, and unskilled healthcare providers.  In 1985 the World Health Organization developed a criteria for classifying "AIDS" that is still in use today.  It's called the "Bangui Definition."

To have "AIDS", according to the Bengui Definition, the patient must have two of these three symptoms: "prolonged fevers for a month or more, weight loss over 10 percent, or prolonged diarrhea."  This can be combined with any number of other related or unrelated symptoms.

Many of the patients diagnosed with "AIDS" are suffering from multiple parisidic diseases and other treatable conditions.  Many recover completely, or are diagnosed with treatable conditions at a later date, and this is never taken into consideration.

I don't mean to downplay the impact of AIDS as a world wide epidemic, but it has been known for quite some time that the numbers reported by the WHO from Africa are at best inaccurate, however the WHO relies on these numbers for increased program funding, so they are reluctant to investigate more accurate diagnosis techniques.

[Conan71]

And how much more money has been thrown at the problem in the past with marginal results?  You can educate all you like, but if people feel the gratification outweighs the risk, they will keep up the risky behavior.

[guido911]

1 in 5 homosexual men in this country are HIV positive:

One in five gay men in the United States has HIV, and almost half of those who carry the virus are unaware that they are infected, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

The study tested more than 8,000 men in 21 cities in 2008, making it the most comprehensive such research by the CDC. It found that young, sexually active gay men and those in minority groups are least likely to know their health status, even as infection rates are climbing among men who have sex with men, while the rates of other at-risk groups - heterosexuals and intravenous drug users - are falling.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092306828.html

But by all means let's spend stimulus money on educating men in Africa on how to scrub their junk.