I was astounded to read the news about scientists essentially promoting pills to improve brain function - surely I had read the article wrong, I thought. But no.

The BMJ published a retrospective cohort study today showing only 3 out of 380,000 females ages 12-26 in Australia had 'probable' hypersensitivity to the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil.

Unlike the U.S., where for some unfathomable reason some people still fight tooth and nail against vaccines, Australia has had a nationwide program to vaccinate females in that age group since April 2007.

There were 35 reports of suspected hypersensitivity, but only reactions from three of the 25 patients that agreed to skin-prick and injection (to confirm reactions) were likely tied to the vaccine.

The blurb on the BMJ site says:

Continuing my two-day streak of checking the Daily Telegraph, I found another story that seemed blog-worthy. Now when you hear that old joke about a doctor telling the patient he can play piano or the violin again, you can completely ruin the joke and say, "Actually, science suggests that he can!" Take that, joke tellers of the world.

London's Daily Telegraph features a great article that reads like a country music song - old couple, still in love after all these years, old guy still wants to express his love, old lady gets scared and calls the cops, family gets involved.

Here's the headline: "Wife calls police to restrain 82-year-old on Viagra."

Here's the subhead: "A woman had to call police to fend off the attentions of her amorous 82-year-old husband after he took Viagra, fearing that he might die of 'passion.'"

This was such a great beginning to a story, I had to include it in a blog. AP's Mike Schneider had this winner posted recently: