Last night, NASA successfully landed its unmanned rover “Curiosity” on Mars. Bravo. This single bold mission of exploration will cost $2.5 billion. That considerable sum of money is just a rounding error in the $3.8 trillion federal ‘budget’ in fiscal year 2012, but here’s a striking comparison: the National Cancer Institute’s cancer research budget has averaged $4.9 billion per year in fiscal years 2005-2010. And just over $100 million was spent on melanoma research in fiscal year 2010.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a supporter of funding a space exploration program and am disappointed that U.S. astronauts currently have to buy a ticket to space from the Russians, who also operate Aeroflot-- the world’s most dangerous airline. But shouldn’t Uncle Sam be more than twice as curious about kicking cancer to the curb as he is about whether Mars once supported any form of life?
The Hotel Melanoma rendition of The Four Tops’ “Baby I Need Your Loving’”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUOntQocGWk
Black C, you need more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Although you're ever near
Our voice I rarely hear
Another day, another night
I long to halt U fright
'Cause it kills coldly
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Some say it's a sign of weakness
For a man to beg
Then weak I'd rather be
If it means kickin’ you to street
'Cause lately it’s been losin' streak
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Angry cries echo your name
Whoa, sometimes I wonder
Will we ever ease your pain?
Oh yeah
When you see me smile, you know
Songs have gotten worse
Any songs you might see
Have all been re-versed
Star thing, I can go on without you
This SPF will let me live without you
This chemo mess inside me, star thing
Made me steal half a life
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
Black C, you need more funding
Got to have lots more funding
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Practicing Safe Sun Since 2003
Introduction
The "Hotel Melanoma" moniker is a metaphor for living with my particular brand of cancer. Except for those lucky few of us deemed "cured", all we cancer survivors are guests of one of the many, many branded hotels in the "Hotel Carcinoma" chain. We can check out any time we like, but we can never leave. Meanwhile, let's be livin' it up; and please support cancer education, prevention, and treatment research.
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About Me
- Rich McDonald
- My blog reflects an ongoing quest to find the good stuff and the funny stuff I've stumbled into during my stay at The Hotel Melanoma since receiving a Stage IIIc diagnosis in 2003. And to raise awareness about this relatively unknown brand of cancer. If you find it of value in your own quest, please share it with others and make a donation to your favorite melanoma nonprofit organization to fund melanoma education, prevention and treatment research. If you're wondering why my golden retriever, Jordan, is pictured here, well, he actually writes most of my posts and he's a lot better looking than me.
Practicing Safe Sun Since 2003
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A Thank You Note to Commenters
Comments, positive or otherwise, are the lifeblood of a blogger and I really do appreciate receiving and reading them. So, thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think about my blog. I know that some of you are currently enduring some pretty rough times. Please let me know how you are doing and whether there is something I can do to help.
Important Disclaimer!
At great risk of sounding like the corporate lawyer I used to be by making the perfectly obvious perfectly clear, here goes. Neither The University of Colorado Cancer Center nor any of its affiliated entities or individual persons (whether living, dead, or in some alternate plane of existence) has anything whatsoever to do with this blog. They don’t endorse it, sponsor it, approve it, or sanction it. Most likely they are completely unaware of it because they have better things to do than search the ‘net for blogs of patients, much less read them. Moreover, to the extent they are aware of it, they may not even like my writing or sense of humor. Nevertheless- and I’m acting solely and exclusively on my own here- I still hope you give them money to support the cause of melanoma (or other cancer) research. They do good work.
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