There’s a new presidential candidate, but his backers have their tongues planted firmly in their cheek. And “Planted” is a very apt word for the campaign of “Chris P. Carrot.” Joe Haptas with PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — calls himself Chris Carrot’s campaign manager.Chris P. Carrot is a 7-foot orange mascot for PETA who, Haptas says, wants to be the next president, a carrot “with vision for America.” He says the candidate wants animals and humans to be free of exploitation, and we should think about how animals are treated. The campaign’s described as “not garden variety,” and Haptas says it’s publicizing the candidate with advertising and appearances. He says all kinds of things are planned, even campaign songs you can hear at the website www.carrot2004.com, and they’ve purchased billboard ads in Iowa and New Hampshire. Haptas says the carrot candidate will be “all over” Iowa in the next couple weeks and plans to follow the better-known candidates around. The campaign includes a VICE-presidential candidate, too. The running mate is Colonel Corn, who he describes as being “all ears.”
More Iowa Guard soldiers say goodbye
A ceremony at ten this (Wednesday) morning salutes about 20 Iowa National Guard soldiers in a highly-skilled engineering team being called to active duty. Major Greg Hapgood says they’re firefighters and paramedics who work in emergency services in their civilian life. Those skills will be used in their support of the U-S military abroad. Hapgood says it’s “somewhat unclear” where the mobilized troops will be assigned. That kind of information, he says, is “held closely” so it doesn’t jeopardize missions, but it looks likely they’ll travel to the Persian Gulf region to serve. The major admits this is the kind of deployment that leaves a big gap back home in the communities that will be missing these firefighters and EMT’s. Hapgood says five soldiers from this unit work at the Des Moines fire department, and he says their skills are critical at home as well as with the Guard. As professionals, he says they’ll do their best whether here at home or “somewhere across the water.” Hapgood says there’s no sign military activations will slow down following the capture of Saddam Hussein. In the next five days alone, the Iowa National Guard has three sendoffs scheduled for about 100 soldiers in all. He adds 450 members of another unit are currently on alert, and though they’ve had no formal mobilization orders, that could come in the spring. Two send-off ceremonies will be held at Camp Dodge on Saturday.
U of I students sought for study of flu vaccine
The University of Iowa is one of the sites for a national study of the effectiveness of this year’s batch of flu vaccine. Dr. Gregory Gray, a University of Iowa professor who will be one of the investigators on the study, says the circulating strains of the flu this season are very different than the strains that are in the vaccine, and they’re concerned about the mismatch. College students are a good study group because they travel nationwide over the holiday break and then come back to a concentrated area on or near campus. But Dr. Gray says that’s not the primary reason Iowa students were selected. He says they were chosen for the study because the university’s Student Health Service has good information about the health status of Iowa co-eds. About 2,000 of the 29,000 students on campus got a flu shot from the clinic. The study is for any U-of-I student, though, not just those who got a flu shot. Participants must be at least 18 and have access to the Internet. Gray’s goal is to enlist just over 4,000 students for the 16-week study. For more information, check out www.hawkeyeflustudy.net. Gray says by studying a group of students who’ve had the flu vaccine and a group of students who didn’t, researchers will be able to compare how many in each group develop influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is paying for the study.
Iowa Legislator sought state ban of ephedra
An Iowa legislator who tried to enact a statewide ban on the herbal supplement ephedra is applauding federal officials who yesterday yanked ephedra from the market nationwide. State Representative Clel Baudler, a republican from Greenfield, says athletes use the supplement because they believe it’s a muscle enhancer and causes weight loss. Baudler says in his opinion, it’s both a useless and a dangerous drug. Baudler says many deaths are attributed to the supplement; federal officials say ephedra has caused 155 deaths. Baudler had planned to offer a bill in the 2004 Iowa Legislature to ban the possession or sale of the substance, but now that the federal ban’s in effect, he won’t. Baudler says the dietary supplement industry launched a massive email drive last year to protest the ephedra ban Baudler proposed. Makers of the supplement contend it’s safe, and more people die from taking over-the-counter cold medications than have died from using ephedra.
Ferentz says QB Chandler poised, tough
Iowa quarterback Nathan Chandler may not have the numbers some of his predecessors had but when Iowa plays Florida in Thursday’s Outback Bowl he’ll try to become the first Iowa quartberback to win a January Bowl since Randy Duncan in 1959. Chandler took over for Heisman Trophy runner-up Brad Banks and has led an offense that lost four offensive linemen, All-American tight end Dallas Clark and spent much of this season without standout receiver Mo Brown. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was “banking” on Chandler having the poise of a fifth-year senior, and Ferentz says Chandler has displayed good mental toughness and ridden through the ups and the downs. “He’s had some disappointments, as we all have, and his are a little bit more noted than everybody’s elses…but I’ve been impressed with how he’s bounced back from some tough situations,” Ferentz says. Chandler has 17 touchdown passes and he rushed for five more. Perhaps most important, the Hawks finished third in the Big Ten in turover margain. “To me, the bottom line is we won nine football games with him as our quarterback,” Ferentz says. “That puts him in pretty select company.” Chandler knew he would have one shot at being the starter and feels he’s made the most of it. “I was excited about the opportunity,” Chandler says. “I knew we were going to have a good team. We set some high goals…it’s recognized as a team that’s tough and resilient, and I’m proud to be part of that team.”
Hotline for smokers who resolve to quit
The top three new year’s resolutions are to quit smoking, lose weight and handle money better. An Iowa City-based hotline can help with that first resolution. For smokers who are serious about quitting, the experts say the key to success is adequate preparation. Esther Baker, at the Iowa Tobacco Research Center, says Quitline Iowa can help with that, now, before the new year arrives. Baker says telephone counselors can help equip smokers with the proper tools and information they need to be successful. Quitline counselors can offer callers smoking cessation services over the phone. Callers can also request free material to be sent in the mail, or referrals to smoking cessation resources in their community, including support groups, clinics and consultants. Counselors will offer to call the wanna-be ex-smoker to check on their progress, as Baker says research shows a person who receives phone counseling during the quitting process is twice as likely to stay smoke-free as someone who tries to quit on their own. You can reach the hotline from 8 AM to midnight tollfree any day at 866-U-Can
Kerry promises more money for farmers, if elected
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s campaigning in northern Iowa today, promising more money for agland conservation and less money for “big corporate farms.” During a stop at Waldorf College in Forest City, Kerry told the group of about 50 people that President Bush has done the bidding of corporate agriculture rather than family farmers. Kerry says it’s not only mission not accomplished, it’s mission abandoned — a reference to Bush’s speech declaring the end of major combat in Iraq, a speech delivered on an aircraft carrier in front of a “mission accomplished” banner. Kerry says two-thirds of all federal farm payments to to the largest ten percent of farm corporations, and he says that’s a “call to action.” Kerry says federal farm subsidies should be targeted toward family farmers not corporate farms.
