A Sign Of Things to Come?

In what may be a sign of things to come in this country, Britain is reporting 100,000 new cases of swine flu recorded in the last week. Of those cases, 840 have been hospitalized and 63 in intensive case.

The situation is getting so bad that one patient has been sent to Sweden because of a lack of beds.

The WHO has stopped tracking swine flu cases and deaths around the world. Still, it is has asked countries to be on the look out for "unexpected clusters of severe or fatal cases of H1N1 or "unexpected, unusual or notable changes in patterns of transmission" (WHO Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 3, 7/16).

One such notable event may be occuring in Mexico where it appears they are seeing a bit of a reurgence of the swine flu. Several states in southern Mexico have seen massive increases in swine flu infections in the past few weeks. H/T H5N1

Another notable event is a sharp increase in hospitalizations in Australia. Once again being tracked by H5N1, probably one of the best swine flu blogs out there and conveniently provided in the Swine Flu blogroll on the left column of this blog.

As if this weren't enough we are being told to expect shortages of any possible vaccine as the viruses aren't producing large quantities of active ingredient. (WSJ)

This virus is already acting different than other flu viruses. It has not tapered off in the summer months as most viruses do. Though not expected at this time, worst case scenarios suggest the possiblity that 40% of American workers could be affected.

Of course ultimately, these are only guesses. Perhaps the best advice is to "hope for the best and plan for the worst." This is common sense of course and good advice in any situations, be they medical, or weather or man made disasters.

Toward this end I offer this advice from Avian flu Diary:

The HHS’s Flu.gov website offers this advice on preparing for a pandemic:

You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.

To plan for a pandemic:
Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.

Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.

Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.


Given the current virulence of the novel H1N1 virus, having 2-weeks worth of supplies on hand is probably sufficient. And two-weeks is also a reasonable amount of supplies to have on hand to weather practically any other major disaster.

Funny Friday-Diary of a Dog - Diary of a Cat

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DIARY
Day number 180
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm - OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!
Day number 181
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm - OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!
Day number 182
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DIARY

DAY 752 of my captivity- My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.
DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair ... must try this on their bed.
DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan.
DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.
DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer". More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.
DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...

ACORN and Organized Crime

"Is ACORN Intentionally Structured As a Criminal Enterprise?"

That is the question being asked by minority staff on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The full report can be found over at The American Spectator but here is an excerpt:

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud. Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate. (more)

$53 million dollars has gone to this group since 1994 and Obama is trying to up that amount to $8.5 billion. Just one of the many goodies slid under the mat in the stimulus bill that was shoved down our throats.

But wait, there's more. according to Judicial Watch:

The corrupt taxpayer-funded leftist group best known for its fraudulent voter registration drives has filed a federal lawsuit to kill a Pennsylvania law banning its shady quota system for registering new voters.

Already facing criminal charges in various states, the renowned Chicago-based “community group” (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—ACORN) with close ties to President Barack Obama is trying to rewrite a Pennsylvania law to accommodate its crooked method of recruiting new voters in low-income, “underserved” communities.

The lawsuit is a response to criminal charges against five ACORN workers who collected and submitted bogus voter registration forms in the Pittsburgh area during the 2008 presidential election. Prosecutors in Allegheny County charged them with forging cards, falsifying dates of birth and Social Security numbers to fulfill ACORN’s daily quota of 20 new forms. (more)

Another Good Reason To Retire

From Michelle Malkin, another good reason I'm looking forward to retiring:

Flashback 2007:

Kansas Rep. Nancy Boyda is defending her decision to step out of a hearing room last week while a retired Army general testified about U.S. progress in Iraq.
But Republicans on Monday accused Boyda of refusing to listen to the positive aspects of the Bush administration’s new Iraq strategy.
Boyda, a freshman Democrat from Topeka, said she left the House Armed Services Committee hearing on Friday for about 10 minutes during the testimony of retired Gen. Jack Keane.
“There was only so much that you could take until we in fact had to leave the room for a while,” Boyda said after she returned, according to a transcript of the hearing. “So I think I am back and maybe can articulate some things - after so much of the frustration of having to listen to what we listened to.”
Keane had testified that since the troop surge began, U.S. forces “are on the offensive and we have the momentum.” He also said that security has improved in every neighborhood and district in and around Baghdad, and that “cafes, pool halls, coffee houses that I visited are full of people.”
When Boyda returned to the hearing, she ridiculed Keane’s description of Iraq “as in some way or another that it’s a place that I might take the family for a vacation - things are going so well - those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying, ‘Here’s the reality of the problem.’”

And now, why glory be, she’s at the Pentagon as a new assistant deputy secretary of defense! (more)
You can't make this stuff up.

Monday Morning Office Talk

The following is a conversation between a few of my military co-workers and I on Monday morning.

"I had this great idea this week-end."

"Oh, yeah? What was that?

"Well, I've been TDY the lst few weeks and had drill last week-end and thought my wife and I should do something special this week-end."

"so what was your idea?"

"Well, I thought I'd take my wife to Fredricksburg, we'd visit the wineries and then I'd take her antique shopping." (reader's note- Fredricksburg is a town of German origin famous for its peaches among other things)

"So how'd it go?"

"My wife had other plans. She wanted to go furniture shopping, so we butted heads."

"So- what kind of furniture did you end up getting?"

(with dropped head) "A bedroom suit."

"Where'd you go to buy the furniture?"

"I don't remember."

"Oh, I see, 'I may have to go furniture shopping but I don't have to like it'".

"Right. But I did get something."

"What was that?"

"I got to buy some wine from the grocery store."

"What'd she do, hum a German polka tune while you picked it out?"

"Here honey have a peach while you pick out your wine."

Good laughs and a good way to start a Monday.

New Zealand just got a little bit bigger

I figure neither the Australians nor the New Zealanders are very happy about this but it is striking news:

WELLINGTON (AFP) – A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said Wednesday. (more)

Wow even if it is only a foot, that's pretty amazing. Next thing you know they'll be sharing a beer.

Obama Says, Don't Bother Reading the Contract

A reminder that we are dealing with a slick salesman rushing us to buy that car in the lot without looking under the hood. After all, this deal "won't last long." From Human Events:

How many television hucksters rush you to buy something because the opportunity will not last? How many used car salesmen have told you that you that you need to ‘sign on the dotted line’ without fully reading the contract because the details are simply ‘boilerplate’? When was the last time some stock broker showed you the numbers for just the first few years of a loan repayment because ‘the investment will pay for itself’despite a huge balloon payment coming up? Welcome to health care reform, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid-style.

Steny Hoyer (D-Md), the House Majority Leader, recently responded to a question about members of Congress actually reading the health care reform bill before voting in favor of it. “If every member pledged to not vote for it if they hadn’t read it in its entirety, I think we would have very few votes.” In other words, do not bother to read the contract you are about to sign. Do not worry about what is actually in the bill, or what it means. Trust us -- it does not ration care to seniors, it does not raise taxes on small businesses and millions of the uninsured, it will not force you to give up your doctor or the health plan you currently have. (more)

Uh, yeah.....right.... Remember when asked about whether the Investors Business was correct in its assertion that the new plan wouldn't force you to give your doctor or health plan, Obama said he couldn't recall...

Mr Transperancy Strikes Again

Let's see, if Bush did it, it was bad, if Obama does it, it is good. More hypocrisy from the Obama.

From Judicial Watch:

To conceal the industry executives who will influence the nation’s massive healthcare overhaul, President Obama is utilizing a Bush Administration secrecy shield he has repeatedly chastised.
More than a dozen influential players representing physicians, health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals have visited the White House to discuss Obama’s coveted healthcare plan and he doesn’t want Americans to know who they are, even though the outcome will greatly affect them.

Its All About Obama

From JammieWearingFool:

Recall Barack Obama whining the other day how "this isn't about me"?Well, that's nonsense. Of course it's all about him.

...A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn't going to pass if there weren't some changes made ... and the president says, 'You're going to destroy my presidency.' " (read more here)

Obama Says the Time For Talk Is Done

When were we talking? How can you talk when things are being crammed down your thoat?

From the Weekly Standard blog:

"The time for talk is through." -- President Obama, talking to liberal bloggers on a conference call Monday night.

The Democratic bills in the House and Senate are a thousand pages long. They're still changing as committees try to mark them up, or as they mark up other versions of health insurance legislation. There's huge uncertainty about how lots of provisions in the bills and under consideration would work--OMB Director Orzsag and HHS Secretary Sibelius couldn't answer straightforward questions on Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press. Nothing goes into effect in any case until 2013--except the tax provisions, which would begin in 2011. Yet President Obama wants everyone to stop debating and deliberating, and act now--because he and he alone has decided "now is the time to go ahead and act."

Mayo Says Health Bill A No Go

From the Washington Times:

A world-renowned clinic that President Obama held up as an example of good medicine said Monday that the American people would be "losers" under the House's health care proposal, joining the growing chorus of critics the Obama administration is trying to fend off as the debate intensifies from Capitol Hill to Main Street.
Minnesota's not-for-profit Mayo Clinic, which Mr. Obama has repeatedly hailed as offering top quality care at affordable costs, blasted the House Democrats' version of the health care plan as lawmakers continue to grapple with several bills from each chamber and multiple committees. (more)

Until the people who make the bills are forced to live by the same rules (i.e. make congress have the same health plan they foist on the rest of us) we should not let one thing pass.

Obama "Not Familiar" With the Health Care Bill

With Gallup saying that more Americans disapprove than approve of the way U.S. President Barack Obama is handling healthcare policy, here may be one reason why:

Obama hosted a conference call with leftist bloggers urging them to pressure Congress to pass his health plan as soon as possible.
During the call, a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: “Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?” President Obama replied: “You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.” (quote begins at 17:10) (more here)

Now don't that just give you a warm fuzzy.

Harvard Prof Outraged and So Am I- sort of..

The WaPo says that Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr is outraged by his arrest at his home. Looking at the arrest report, report and news reports by various news agencies, provided by American Spectator, I too find myself approaching something like outrage. Outraged that one of the nation's most prominent scholars of African-American history, would act in such an embarrassing and childish manner showing complete disrespect for his neighbors and the police. With such belligerent actions I wonder at the patience of the police and why he wasn't taken in sooner.