Malaria

Oh, werd?
So, I am very excited that Ben's blog ( http://bsom.blogspot.com ) has made note of my blog coming out of hibernation. My dad's blog is linking me now as well. Perhaps you saw my Facebook message noting that I am blogging again. Now is, of course, the best time to take another long hiatus.
I am going to Ecuador for three weeks on Wednesday, so I might not update much until Thanksgiving, but don't despair dear readers (all 4 or 5 of you including my dad!), my blog will return, with cool tropical parasites, Thanksgiving weekend.
One cool tropical parasite it will NOT return with is malaria. That is because, as of yesterday, I am taking mefloquine hydrochloride. This will not kill malaria eggs, but it will kill baby malarias (?) once they hatch in my bloodstream. I have to take it until Christmas (it's almost Christmas!!!).
I like to read the directions of strange medications, so I found the following interesting side effects:
-"severe anxiety"
-"mild bad dreams"
-"hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there, for example)" (I love the explanation.)
-"feelings that people are against them"
Halloween is a funny time to take hallucinogenic medications. Also, I'm not sure if my "feelings that people are against me" are due to the mefloquine tablet or the fact that we canvassed a hardline rightwing neighborhood the past two evenings.
KPd: We are working on farmland preservation.
Rightwing Neighborhood: Barack Obama is a terrorist.
KPd: Uh... back to farms...
RWN: Did you know that Yasir Arafat is one of Obama's advisers?
KPd: He's dead. Happy Halloween?
My extremely unscientific poll of likely rightwing crazy people concludes that Republicans, like tourists traveling to South America, have strong feelings that people are against them. The mood in red towns is a paranoid angry vibe stirred up by two months of Sarah Palin telling them that the elite media is hiding Barack Obama's secret plan to use their taxes to destroy Israel and outlaw Christianity. I spend a lot of time diffusing this anger and talking people down.
KPd: Yay farms!
Rightwing Lady: Yay farms!
KPd: Yay Green Acres program!
RWL: You are a radical. Please leave.
(30 seconds later, door reopens)
RWL: Can I ask you a question? Are you pro-choice?
KPd: (sensing correct answer and wanting to continue curious conversation) I'm a Christian environmentalist.
RWL: Oh! I didn't know there was such thing! I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's this election. I feel like the country is against people like me. Can we hug it out?
Okay, so I fudged the truth and let her assume that I am anti-choice, but it was worth it for the hug. Republicans need more hugs right now. They have feelings that people are against them.
They likely also have severe anxiety and bad dreams. Many of them, looking at the polls, may also hope they are experiencing hallucinations.
Happy voting everyone!