Moving, Vaccine, Iran and Electronic Cigarettes

Q1 - Moving: Americans have apparently tamed their wanderlust during the recession. According to the latest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, only 2.4% of Americans moved from one state to another in 2008, down from 2.5% the previous year. Do you know anyone who recently moved from one state to another?

Yes. My dad is moving from Michigan to Florida this November. He is going to rent out his condo in Michigan, and lease or purchase a house in Florida. He is retired. My wife's friend will be moving from Las Vegas to Michigan too. Well, seem like everyone is moving out of state now..

Q2 - Vaccine: A vaccine to prevent HIV infection, the virus that leads to AIDS, has shown modest results for the first time, researchers have found, raising hopes that a disease that kills millions every year may someday be beaten. Do you believe a vaccine to prevent HIV will be developed in the next 10 years?

Possibly, which would be great. However, there are other diseases that kill more people per year than AIDS, but those diseases receive less research funding, probably because they are not tied to any political agenda, like HIV and AIDS are.

Q3 - Iran: President Obama said today "Iran is on notice" regarding its nuclear efforts, and that the international community is united in its opposition to the country's nuclear program. Do you think Iran's motives for developing its nuclear facilities are peaceful?

Not at all. Iran has not shown any evidence that their intentions are peaceful. In fact, they've shown much evidence to the contrary, past and present.

Q4 - Electronic Cigarettes: In the hunt for a safer cigarette, electronic cigarettes, often referred to as ecigarettes, are becoming a popular option among those either trying to quit or who are looking to replace standard tobacco smokes with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer. Ecigarettes vaporize a solution often containing nicotine, but there is no smoke, just odorless water vapor, and produce almost no dangerous carcinogens. Have you heard of electronic cigarettes, and do you think electronic cigarettes should be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the same way smoking patches, gum and lozenges are regulated?

I have seen ecigarettes being sold in stores. If the amount of active drugs in these types of cigarettes is low enough, I would be against their regulation. The patch, gum and lozenges also deliver a small amount of nicotine, but the amount is high enough that these items must still be regulated by the fed. But I wonder, if the amounts of nicotine were any lower in any device used to quit smoking, would it then be any different from just quitting cold turkey? Maybe not. So, probably the amount in e-cigarettes is high enough to allow a smoker trying to quit, to quit slowly, but high enough to require regulation. In this case I would be for their regulation. I guess the best way to quit is to never start!