The Anunnaki Technology Coming Full Circle

The following link applies to a story about the use of human D.N.A. in animals and the ethics and controversies surrounding such experiments. (Are the photos above a combination of images of what OUR creators looked like??)

The funny thing is that if anyone has read the likes of Zacheria Sitchin (The Earth Chronicles series of books)...
http://www.sitchin.com/

...they would immediately connect what we are doing today with what Sitchin thinks the beings that "created" us many millinia ago exactly did which was mixing their D.N.A. with that of a primitive animal species who inhabited the earth.

It is akin to the children growing up and learning the secrets and demystifying the wonders of their parents....how far we have come.

I think all of this is very exciting but I also think we need to be very careful in how we tread with all of this stuff. We could create something that we may have not intended and that we will be responsible for and I don't think we as humans are ready to be "Gods" to another intelligent species. Not yet at least.


To read more on what we are doing with our D.N.A. click on the link below:
JSOnline.com AP News

Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.2%

And some say the economy is getting better....

I dont see it and neither do these 10.2% of the population.
Things are very slow at the place I work at and dont seem to be getting any better anytime soon.
What is the Stimulus package stimulating???

I just dont get it....

From the NYT article that I have a link to below: "The biggest losses came in the construction, manufacturing and retailing sectors. Health care companies added 29,000 jobs to their payrolls, and the number of temporary workers grew by 34,000 — a significant gain that could indicate employers are beginning to expand their businesses again."

So what is going on??
Is it a new world economy where temporary help at a LOWER wage is taking effect?
And all the stress of this unemployment among the masses is taking a physical toll on people to the effect that they are needing more medical attention thus increasing the roll of health professionals and thus more jobs in that sector??
Just a few questions to ponder....


Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.2%, Offering Little Reassurance to Job Seekers - NYTimes.com

Capone's North Woods hideout (up by my Great Uncle's Homestead) sells for $2.6 million

I have always wanted to see this place. It is close to where my mom's ancestors (John Dietz of Cameron Dammfame) had a homestead in the early 1900's. Maybe someday....

If anyone is interested in him and a part of my family history I have also included a link below to one of the sites that tells a little of the story of this relation of mine(he was my great uncle-my great grandfather's brother)...

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wisawyer/deitz/deitz1.htm

Capone's North Woods hideout sells for $2.6 million - JSOnline

Milwaukee County Happenings: King Lee Holloway Calling the "Kettle Black"??

So His Royal Highness, The County Board Asshole (I mean Chairman) Lee Holloway is comparing Scott Walker to David Duke..
And he says Walker is Racist? That is like the pot calling the kettle black.

This guy (Holloway) has got to go.
I dont know how the rest of the county board or the executives in Walker's cabinet put up with this guy. Everytime I read an article about the county board or the budget or Scott Walker and Holloway has anything to do with it, I start to cringe at his one sideness and his inability to see the big picture.

His entire persona smacks of racism, a self serving attitude and utter disrespect for his colleauges in the courthouse (I know 1st hand as I have friends who work closely with him) and I would be glad to see his "lordship" come to an end.

Maybe someone (I dont have time) should start a "recall" process on this idiot!!

And as Lee says: "through my "spokesman"...I wont aopolagize and I wont comment further on the matter"


Read on for the latest dribble to come out of Lee's Ass (I mean mouth):
Scott Walker recalls his debate with David Duke - JSOnline

And if your still bored and want to see what this guy is like in person, check out this video of him "reminsiscing" about his high school days (it is quite funny in a vomit like way):

http://www.youtube.com/user/numa1930#play/uploads/14/8rb_gqXwLo0

As Classrooms Go Digital, Textbooks May Become History

I figured it was just a matter of time until I saw this headline. The classic textbook is nearing the end of it's life. Soon you will probably see the "Textbook" in the list of items that kids of the next generation will not remember along with VHS, Analog TV and many other things that I (and alot of others) grew up with.

So the kids of today and tommorow will miss the experience of taking a paper shopping bag and making it into a cover for their books (which most in my generation did quite often), writing on them to make those course books that all of our peers carried, just a bit more individualised than our friend's books.

And they will miss looking at the front "sign in page" of the books to see who the prior "owners" may have been (secretly hoping that the book that they called their own was either one of their "siblings" or a school hero that they admired from the previous year or so....

I have to admit that I have not seen an episode of the 70's iconic cartoon series "The Jetsons" in quite a while, but I wonder if the people who created that series, forsaw the demise of this venerable institution as they potrayed Elroy leaving for school in the morning??

To think that just 30 years ago....the very item (computers) that are taking their place in the classroom, did not even exist in my vocabulary. How fast the world changes.

Read on for more on the demise of the quitisential classroom textbook.....

As Classrooms Go Digital, Textbooks May Become History - NYTimes.com

Some Awesome (I mean AWESOME) photos....

The following photos are probably some of the coolest I have ever seen. If I could only find the artistic talant in myself to be able to take such amazing photos....
Click full screen to get the full effect of these utterly fantastic pictures.....

Photos Rares

View more presentations from clifnotes.

Wisconsin Rapids' Very Own Jeffery Dahmner

What is it with these people?
He had a fantasy and he acted it out in real life....
He took two unwilling men and put them into his little fantasy of bondage and sexual assault.
All I can say is this guy had a lot of courage and guts to do this to these two men and to think that he wouldnt be found out........how deranged can one person be??

It is stories like this that make me ashamed to say I was born and raised in this burg.

Read on for the story and the sentance that he recieved for doing these horrendous acts:

Man gets 50 years in Rapids abduction, assault case - JSOnline

A Manager's Worst Nightmare

I am sorry but this woman is a complete "nut job" or as my parents used to say...."she is one sandwich short of a picnic basket".....

It is people like this woman who make managing others and their own jobs all that much harder.
Come on now.....filing grievances or whatever you call them because the "door to the bathroom stays open too long or too short...."-now that is going way overboard.

I hope to god that there are not other employees of this dept. that get under her skin. God Forbid she would probably have them put in an mental hospital for causing HER mental anguish.

Read on for more on The injunction that was sought by Ann Capadona, 62, after she was told by another co-worker that another coworker said on Feb. 16 he would like to take Capadona "out back and shoot her"...
Revenue workers oversaw employee injunctions - JSOnline

World Wide Swine Flu Pandemic Declared Finally...

This just in from the AP.....
Though the cases here in the U.S. have been mild in comparison to the flu of 1918 and other deadly years, some people fear that this monster has just begun to rear it's ugly little head...

Read on for the pandemic decleration release:

JSOnline.com AP News

Google Wave: A Complete Guide

The Big Wave is coming....
No not the Big Wave that is part of a flood that will wipe out humanity like the one that drowned Noah's homeland a few thousand years back.

This time it is coming from Google (who will no doubt one day rule the world if they are not doing it secretevly already..) and it will be a whole new way to communicate and I have a feeling will be as commonplace as Google's search engine is today.

Read on for more on this up and coming technology that will probably change all of our lives....

Google Wave: A Complete Guide

Walker calls for freezing Wages....But Abelson is a Duffus

I have a friend who works in this county's government in administration and from all accounts on what I have personally heard, what Walker is doing is indeed politically motivated.

But that is not to say that these wage freezes and possible layoffs are not needed. Cuts are needed and it behooves everyone involved in these things to come to the "table" as adults and talk things through.

I have heard that this Richard Abelson is hot head and he even sent out a newsletter to the people of the union he respresents which had paragraphs that were downright nasty and amounted to name calling and badjering of some of Walker's department heads.

That in itself is totally unessicary and to add to all of that, this guy even came into a dept. head's office and berated him to his face. That is in my opinion "school ground bully tactics" to the Nth degree.


Walker calls for freezing all county salaries through 2010 - JSOnline

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Ever wonder what we do with all of our "STUFF"?
You know....the stuff that we use everyday and when we are through using it.....when we throw it away or put it in a corner closet or elsewhere.

Well, wonder no more.
Below is a link to a cute little video (about 20 minutes long) that helps explain all this STUFF.
Very interesting.
Click on link below to watch and learn about the "Story of Stuff":

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Are we finally leaving Iraq??

It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since this whole thing started with Iraq (the cradle of civilisation by the way) and now we are on the cusp of finally seeing our occupation come to an end.

I often wonder the real reason why we were there in the first place.....
I have heard that it was because of a tyrant needing to be taken down.
I have heard that it was because there was oil that we needed to keep our economy going.
I have heard that it was because someone found an ancient "stargate" to another world and damming eveidence of our creators (who just happen to be human type beings from another planet that is far out in our solar system) who are not really Gods at all but a race of highly advanced beings.
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GWYE_enUS307US307&q=finding+stargate+in+iraq
Click on link above for more on this theory...

I have heard that it was because peace needs to happen in this area of the world for the entire world to be safe in the future.

Whatever the reason, the Iraq people now want us out. And I think we should go. But if there is evidence of the fourth "I have heard" then I feel the entire world needs to know and should be able to share in that discovery. To say the impact that it would have on the world would be amazing would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.

JSOnline.com AP News

Swine Flu Snafu??

Are we out of the woods with this thing?
It seems some people do not think so....
With Southern Hemisphere Winter just a few weeks away (see below), I think this thing could rear it's ugly head even more than it has as of yet. Sort of like a storm and the eye of the storm and then the other side of the storm. Just some thoughts......
We will see I guess.


JSOnline.com AP News: "The Southern Hemisphere is particularly at risk. While Africa still hasn't reported any swine flu infections and New Zealand is the only country south of the equator with confirmed cases, winter is only weeks away. Experts worry that typical winter flus could combine with swine flu, creating a new strain that is more contagious or dangerous.
Still, the U.N. health agency urged governments to avoid unproven actions to contain the disease, including group quarantines of travelers from Mexico and bans on pork imports.
'Let me make a strong plea to countries to refrain from introducing measures that are economically and socially disruptive, yet have no scientific justification and bring no clear public health benefit,' Chan said in a video message to the U.N. General Assembly in New York."

The End of the Auto Era in Wisconsin

Chrysler, the gigantic auto maker is leaving our state as a result of it's bankruptcy filing.
The last big Engine Plant located in Kenosha will stop production by the end of 2010 ending over 100 years of proud auto making capabilities in the state of Wisconsin...


Read on:
Auto work screeching to a halt - JSOnline

Swine Flu Cases Map - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

A very good web page that shows the spread of the Swine Flu (oops....I mean H1N1) virus:

Swine Flu Cases Map - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

I just recieved this web link from a friend.
It helps explain alot more about the flu and other viruses than I ever imagined.
Dr. Mercola seems to be a very intelligent person and well versed on this topic.


Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx

April 29, 2009 - Issue 1261
The newsletters are also available via RSS:
http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx

Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic -- Fact or Fiction? (AA)
Urgent and vital information you need to know about the new swine flu threat that should help you sort through all the mixed messages the media is giving you.

Normally our editorial process has us test, research and review articles over a three week period before it finally reaches the newsletter. However, this article is an exception which is why it is coming out as a special alert.

The searches for swine flu on our search engine has broken all our records, so it is obvious there is an urgent and strong demand for this information. I regret that the report could not come out sooner but I was lecturing in Orlando last week at the American Academy of Anti Aging and when I went to return home on Saturday night, they closed O'Hare airport due to heavy rains - and they cancelled my flight. I was not able to get back to Chicago until Monday.

Read my ten page special report on this vital topic so you can avoid deception and manipulation by the conventional media.

Read on for more information:
Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

Bankruptcy Looks Likely for Chrysler- And with Obama at the Healm

I say let this Automaker go the way of the Dinasour...

Enough is enough with helping to bail out these big boheamoths....
As I write this President Obama is currently speaking on tv about the new bailout plan that he is now talking about that includes Bankruptcy for the giant automaker....

His speech right now is talking about the deal that Fiat and Chrysler are working out with each other and how the government and the government of Canada are throwing money at this company to help stave off it's extinction...

When will all this shedding of OUR money to these big companies cease??
I think it will go on and on.......

I am starting to loose faith in this president. Where is he finding all this money? Pulling it off of trees??
He talks a good talk but I honestly feel he is going the wrong direction

So look for a new story soon but this was as of 58 minutes ago....

Bankruptcy Looks Likely for Chrysler - NYTimes.com

Tamiflu has unitended Side Effects...

Main Medicine for Swine Flu Has Disturbing Side Effects

The FDA, after receiving reports of self-injury, suicide and delirium, told the manufacturer of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to add a warning label to the medicine.

This is one of the drugs recommended to help treat, and perhaps even prevent, Swine Flu.

Children who took the drug in Japan 3 years ago exhibited these symptoms, which showed up within a day of their taking the drug. These reports came from Japan because the drug is prescribed far more frequently there.

HiN1 Flu-The Woman Who Started it All??

From Unknown Country's Website

The Woman Who Started It All??

The first person to die of Swine Flu in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the disease originated, was a 39-year-old female census taker who spread the disease throughout the city by making door-to-door visits to at least 300 people while she was highly contagious.

This woman might be called the Mexican version of "Typhoid Mary," who was an Irish woman in who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century. She was a chef who spread typhoid fever to over 50 people. She was finally identified as the source of the disease and despite denying it, was quarantined and died in 1938.

The NEW Typhoid Mary, Maria Adela Gutierrez, was admitted to a local hospital on April 8 and died five days later, 3 weeks before the new virus was officially identified.
The following link will take you to a google page where lots of info can be found on this modern "Typhoid Maria":
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GWYE_enUS307US307&q=Maria+Adela+Gutierrez


She is believed to have directly infected almost everyone she came into contact with, who then went on to spread the disease to other people.Hispanic researcher Scott Corrales states in his blog, that Mexican researcher Marco Reynoso, who is tracking flu developments in that country, is saying that the actual situation is not being reported.

He describes Mexico City as being nearly desolate, and that officials are believed to be denying that some cases, for example in Sinaloa on the Gulf of Cortez, are actually swine flu.

In Michoacan, three cases have been confirmed, but people are dying of similar symptoms and one person was incinerated just a few hours after death. This flu is probably not a bioweapon.

The first cases were reported from a town near a gigantic pig farm near the town of La Gloria, where a large number of people have been sick with flu-like symptoms, and one child is confirmed to have had swine flu, and to be among the first cases.

This outbreak is probably a natural result of mass concentration swine agribusiness practices in Mexico that have dramatically accelerated since the signing of NAFTA in '93.

Because of the rise of these gigantic farms, which are breeding ground for swine flu, outbreaks like this have been predicted for years.

The Smithfield Corporation, the world's largest pork processor, claims that its pigs are routinely vaccinated against swine flu and that their pigs were not infected. The Mexican pig industry goes farther, denying that the virus originated in pigs at all.

The UN plans to investigate Smithfield's farm as a possible source of the new strain of swine flu.

An Excellent Primer on Swine Flu-Mexican Flu.....

...That is now becoming a pandemic affecting quite a few nations of the world.

The first cases have now been reported here in the Milwuakee area and I fear things will get worse before they get better. The Milwaukee Health officials have now closed three schools where infections are said to be present....indefinetely.

I am posting the story about Swine Flu and how it was predicted in it it's entirety. The story comes from New Scientist Magazine:

Swine flu: The predictable pandemic?
29 April 2009 by Debora MacKenzie
For similar stories, visit the Epidemics and Pandemics Topic Guide

THE swine flu virus has been a serious pandemic threat for years, New Scientist can reveal - but research into its potential has been neglected compared with other kinds of flu.

As New Scientist went to press, cases were being reported far from the original outbreak in Mexico. The clusters of milder infections in the US suggest the virus is spreading readily among people.


The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this strain is so different from existing human flu viruses that most people have no immunity to it. There are no existing vaccines.
All this means the virus could go pandemic. Or it might not: if the virus spreads less readily than is feared, it might not be able to maintain itself in the human population and could fizzle out (see "What makes flu go global?").

We could have seen this coming, though. This type of virus emerged in the US in 1998 and has since become endemic on hog farms across North America.

Equipped with a suite of pig, bird and human genes, it was also evolving rapidly.
Flu infects many animals, including waterfowl, pigs and humans. Birds and people rarely catch flu viruses adapted to another host, but they can pass flu to pigs, which also have their own strains.If a pig catches two kinds of flu at once it can act as a mixing vessel, and hybrids can emerge with genes from both viruses.
This is what happened in the US in 1998.
Until then, American pigs had regular winter flu, much like people, caused by a mutated virus from the great human pandemic of 1918, which killed pigs as well as at least 50 million people worldwide. This virus was a member of the H1N1 family - with H and N being the virus's surface proteins haemagglutinin and neuraminidase.

Over decades, H1N1 evolved in pigs into a mild, purely swine flu, and became genetically fairly stable. In 1976, there was an outbreak of swine H1N1 in people at a military camp in New Jersey, with one death. The virus did not spread efficiently, though, and soon fizzled out.

But in 1998, says Richard Webby of St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, swine H1N1 hybridised with human and bird viruses, resulting in "triple reassortants" that surfaced in Minnesota, Iowa and Texas.

The viruses initially had human surface proteins and swine internal proteins, with the exception of three genes that make RNA polymerase, the crucial enzyme the virus uses to replicate in its host. Two were from bird flu and one from human flu. Researchers believe that the bird polymerase allows the virus to replicate faster than those with the human or swine versions, making it more virulent.

By 1999, these viruses comprised the dominant flu strain in North American pigs and, unlike the swine virus they replaced, they were actively evolving. There are many versions with different pig or human surface proteins, including one, like the Mexican flu spreading now, with H1 and N1 from the original swine virus.
All these viruses still contained the same "cassette" of internal genes, including the avian and human polymerase genes, reports Amy Vincent of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Ames, Iowa (Advances in Virus Research, vol 72, p 127). "They are why the swine versions of this virus easily outcompete those that don't have them," says Webby.

But the viruses have been actively switching surface proteins to evade the pigs' immunity. There are now so many kinds of pig flu that it is no longer seasonal.

One in five US pig producers actually makes their own vaccines, says Vincent, as the vaccine industry cannot keep up with the changes.
This rapid evolution posed the "potential for pandemic influenza emergence in North America", Vincent said last year. Webby, too, warned in 2004 that pigs in the US are "an increasingly important reservoir of viruses with human pandemic potential". One in five US pig workers has been found to have antibodies to swine flu, showing they have been infected, but most people have no immunity to these viruses.

The virus's rapid evolution created the potential for a pandemic to emerge in North America

Our immune response to flu, which makes the difference between mild and potentially lethal disease, is mainly due to the H surface protein. The Mexican virus carries the swine version, so the antibodies we carry to human H1N1 viruses will not recognise it.

That's why the CDC warned last year that swine H1N1 would "represent a pandemic threat" if it started circulating in humans.

The avian polymerase genes are especially worrying, as similar genes are what make H5N1 bird flu lethal in mammals and what made the 1918 human pandemic virus so lethal in people. "We can't yet tell what impact they will have on pathogenicity in humans," says Webby.

It appears the threat has now resulted in the Mexican flu. "The triple reassortant in pigs seems to be the precursor," Robert Webster, also at St Jude's, told New Scientist.

While researchers focused on livestock problems could see the threat developing, it is not one that medical researchers focused on human flu viruses seemed to have been aware of. "It was confusing when we looked up the gene sequences in the database," says Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London, who has been studying swine flu from the recent US cases. "The polymerase gene sequences are bird and human, yet they were reported in viruses from pigs."

So where did the Mexican virus originate? The Veratect Corporation based in Kirkland, Washington, monitors world press and government reports to provide early disease warnings for clients, including the CDC. Their first inkling of the disease was a 2 April report of a surge in respiratory disease in a town called La Gloria, east of Mexico City, which resulted in the deaths of three young children. Only on 16 April - after Easter week, when millions of Mexicans travel to visit relatives - did reports surface elsewhere in the country.
Local reports in La Gloria blamed pig farms in nearby Perote owned by Granjas Carroll, a subsidiary of US hog giant Smithfield Foods. The farms produce nearly a million pigs a year.
Smithfield Foods, in a statement, insists there are "no clinical signs or symptoms" of swine flu in its pigs or workers in Mexico. That is unsurprising, as the company says it "routinely administers influenza virus vaccination to swine herds and conducts monthly tests for the presence of swine influenza." The company would not tell New Scientist any more about recent tests. USDA researchers say that while vaccination keeps pigs from getting sick, it does not block infection or shedding of the virus.

All the evidence suggests that swine flu was a disaster waiting to happen. But it got little research attention, perhaps because it caused mild infections in people which didn't spread. Now one swine flu virus has stopped being so well-behaved.
What makes flu go global?

A "pandemic" is an epidemic that goes global, so technically there is a flu pandemic every year. But the term is usually reserved for bad outbreaks that follow large changes in the virus.

The influenza virus constantly evolves, and pandemics happen every few decades when the flu virus gets new surface proteins that people have little immunity to, generally because they come from an animal strain. The lack of immunity means the virus affects more people more severely.

That's why H5N1 bird flu is so dangerous. Its H5 surface protein is totally new to humans, and the virus has killed more than half of the people it infected. It or another bird flu that can infect humans, such as a virus from the H7 or H9 families, only needs to become readily contagious to go pandemic.
H1N1 has received less attention partly because an H1N1 strain already circulates in humans.
The problem is the Mexican strain carries different versions of H1. Still, that alone is not enough to make this virus pandemic.

It must also transmit efficiently in people. Every victim must infect more than one other person for the virus to spread. The new strain could do this, as it is packing an altogether faster engine than previous H1N1 strains. It has an avian gene that has powered it to dominance in pigs, though no one knows for certain if this will make it dangerous in people.

First U.S. swine flu death reported

And the prize goes to a 23 month old baby from Texas as the 1st U.S. casualty of the Swine Flu.
Let the numbers begin to pile up......


U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection(As of April 28, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)

The State and the # of laboratory confirmed cases
California
10 cases
Kansas
2 cases
New York City
45 cases
Ohio
1 case
Texas
6 cases
TOTAL COUNT
64 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection See: World Health Organization


Read on:
First U.S. swine flu death reported - JSOnline

Pandemic, Economic Ruin, Global Warming.....Armageddon??

Wow is all I have to say.

The world sure is going through a hell of a lot right now and it just keeps on coming.

If the worsening weather patterns over the course of the last few years were not enough (add a 5.0 earthquake that shook Mexico today....ha ha)we are now adding to that with a very uncertain economic future for the world civilization and just as that is hitting (Today alone GM announced 20,000 U.S. job cuts and the elimination of the Pontiac Auto Line), we now have a potential "World Killer Flu" taking hold on the planet....this is all too crazy and almost too much information to take in....my brain is fried!!

After reading a few articles this evening, I came across this little snippet from a news story that the AP produced which may offer a beginning point for this latest world hopping virus:

Cordova said 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.
He said tests show a 4-year-old boy contracted the virus before April 2 in Veracruz state, where a community has been protesting pollution from a large pig farm.
The farm is run by Granjas Carroll de Mexico, a joint venture half owned by Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, Inc. Spokeswoman Keira Ullrich said the company has found no clinical signs or symptoms of the presence of swine flu in its herd or its employees working anywhere in Mexico.
Mexico's Agriculture Department said Monday that its inspectors found no sign of swine flu among pigs around the farm in Veracruz, and that no infected pigs have been found yet anywhere in Mexico.

And to think a U.S. Company (at least the farm is partly owned by a corporation in the U.S.) may have some link to what started in Mexico....very interesting.

(see below for a sypnosis from the U.S. government as sent to me in an email from a friend and then read on after):

Situation: A National Incident Communications Conference Line (NICCL) call wasconducted April 26, 2009 at 2:15 pm EST to discuss the federal coordinationand response to MX/Swine Flu outbreak.

Participants included Statecommunicators from California and New York, DHS OPA, USDA, DNI, DOJ, EPA, HHS, VA,American Red Cross, CBP, FEMA, ICE, DHS Civil Rights Civil Liberties, DHS Private Sector and Health Affairs Offices, NGB, USNORTHCOM,USCG, and TSA.

International communicators on the NICCL were from Public Safety Canada,Public Health Canada, representatives from the EU Health Commission, Germany Public Health office, the United Kingdom
Public Health Office and the Mexican Embassy.The call was led by Chad Wood, DHS Incident Communications and Bill Hall,Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, HHS. Summary:

The White House press briefing announced today that as of 12:30pmET there were 20 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S and one additional suspected case.

Confirmed cases announced include:

New York City: 8,

Ohio:1,

Kansas: 2,

Texas: 2 (and one additional suspected case in TX),

California: 7.

Key Facts:
CDC continues to assist Mexican health officials in the investigation
To date, all 20 patients/cases in the U.S. have recovered.
No decision yet by WHO to change phase** level for pandemicinfluenza plan or to declare a public health emergency.
No U.S. travel restrictions are posted.
No border restrictions are in effect.

(The rest of the email can be found at the bottom of this post)

What next??

The release of information that we reveals that alien speicies are among us on this planet?

I would not be suprised in the least.

A foot note of sorts:

Did anyone hear about the 747 escorted by two fighter jets:

Jet Flyover in Lower Manhattan Sets Off Panic

(click on link above to watch the video and link below to read the story):By the way who is the man in the black "costume" towards the end of the video with that senator?? He looks like one of the characters (think Darth Vader's assistant) from Star Wars..OMG!!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LOW_FLYING_PLANE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

(which was supposedly an empty "Airforce One" plane) that flew through the Manhattan skyline today and freaked out tons of Highrise office workers in downtown NYC?? I would have been like "Oh my the world really is ending"......

More on this as things evolve.....

Rest of Government Email continued:

ControlLead State Responsibilities
State Public Heath: California, Texas, Ohio, New York, Kansas
Lead Federal Responsibilities
Lead Federal strategic communications direction - White HouseCommunications
Lead Federal Communications Coordination - DHS Public Affairs
Lead Federal Public Health - HHS/CDC
Lead International (Consular Affairs) – DOS


Coordination
NICCL 1 will be the primary coordination line
DHS National JIC (nationaljic@dhs.gov) was activated remotelytoday and will be staffed tomorrow beginning at 8:30am ET

Director of Incident Comms: Jeff Karonis, 202-282-8014 or703-674-6738
HHS, Acting Secretary for Public Affairs, Bill Hall,202-690-6344 or 202-459-7175
Chad Wood, 202-282-8151 or 202-538-5211
Communication

WHITE HOUSE

The White House conducted a press briefing today at 12:30 pm ET to providean update about the swine influenza. The briefing consisted of SecretaryJanet Napolitano, DHS, Richard Besser, MD, Acting Director, CDC and JohnBrennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.DHS: Secretary Napolitano announced that the Department of HHS has declared theswine flu cases as a public health emergency.

The Secretary was designated as the Principal Federal Official (PFO) forIncident Management to coordinate the Federal response to the swine fluoutbreak. Secretary Napolitano is doing NBC nightly news tonight and Morning Joe at7:15 tomorrow morning.

HHS Bill Hall provided a summary from the White House press briefing.

He also explained why there is a lag time between the time State public healthofficials report a case and the CDC.

The CDC confirms the results once theyreceive lab results from State health officials. No travel restrictions are in place due to the swine flu. An outbreaknotice went out today - if you're planning to travel make sure you're awareof the local situation and check for updates to vaccinations.

All U.S. (20) patients / cases have recovered. CDC DHS, Richard Besser, MD, Acting Director, participated in the White Housepress briefing. New travel recommendations, use of mask in community settings and otherinformation can be found on www.cdc.gov/swineflu andhttp://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm

You can reach the CDC PIO contact at nrb0@cdc.gov during normal businesshours and at the EOC/JIC functional mailbox at eocjicpubh@cdc.gov and (404)838-7179 from 7 am to 8 pm eastern OPM OPM leadership is working on providing guidance for Federal employees.

There are several provisions for emergency pay and off site work guidance ifnecessary for employees who are directed to stay home.

No Federal employment decisions make been made at this time.

California

California reported an additional confirmed case in Imperial County.

Thismost recent case was confirmed yesterday has been discharged; local cases isnow three; so far they are all recuperating.

Texas

According to yesterday's press release, the Texas Department of State HealthServices announced that Byron Steele High School in Cibolo will temporarilyclose effective immediately as public health and school officials work tokeep swine influenza from spreading.

Swine flu was confirmed earlier this month in two students from the school,and a third student is listed as a probable case with confirmatory lab testresults pending.

The original two have recovered, and the third isrecovering. The school is part of the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal CityIndependent School District in Guadalupe County near San Antonio. More information about Texas cases can be found on this page:http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/swine_flu.shtm

New York

Governor David A. Paterson is in New York City. He is holding a 5:30pm pressconference on swine flu today. NYC and NY State communicators discussed the confirmed cases of human swine flu among students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens. The school is suspending classes on Monday. The affected students have experienced only mild symptoms and many are already improving. Eight cases tested in Long Island turned out to be negative.NYC Health Dept website is:http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/home/home.shtml

NYC has established a call center to answer general questions for thepublic.

Ohio:

>From the SICCL call at 4pm: The Ohio Governor will conduct a press briefingtoday with Ohio public health at 5:30pm ET to discuss it single case.

Mexico: The Mexican Embassy provided clarification on discrepancies reported by themedia. "For the record: 20 dead by the, 61 suspected of victims of havingthe flu with confirmation today or tomorrow and 1,324 patients throughoutthe country with symptoms. The Mexican government is conducting an extensive public informationcampaign to include some of the country's most remote areas informing theircitizens how to take appropriate measures to prevent illness.

Canada

Canada PHA - Officials in Nova Scotia conducted a press conference earliertoday to discuss 4 cases in Nova Scotia. The cases are mild, nohospitalizations in NS. Canada expects a 3pm Eastern press briefing in British Columbia today.There are 2 cases there in the west; Canada, Chief of Public Health Officewill give an update. Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a travel notice as a precautionarymeasure:http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/2009/swine_flu_cal-tex-090425-eng.php

Germany

A Germany Health Official discussed one suspected case with no firm details. European Union Health Commission No further decisions for European

Travel restrictions

CBP: CBP and the CDC continue to work in a collaborative interagency manner todevelop policies, procedures, and protocols to identify travelers that areknown by US public health officials to have a communicable disease and tohandle in a manner that minimizes risk to the public. These procedures havebeen utilized collaboratively by both agencies on a number of occasions withpositive results. When a traveler is identified with a possible communicable disease oridentified from information that is received from the CDC, the CBP Officerwill take the appropriate safety measures.

The traveler may be isolated from other travelers and given a surgical maskto wear. CDC will be notified along with local public health authorities.The public is urged to be mindful of the potential health risks to othersand seriously heed the advice of medical professionals if diagnosed with apotentially communicable disease.

There are no travel advisories in effect and ports of entry in the UntiedStates remain open. ICEWorking on a plan for detention centers in the event cases are reported. DHS Strategic Communications:

The HHS/CDC widget is live on http://www.dhs.gov/. It includes links to swine flu general information, the ongoing public health investigation and safety measures.

It is updated by HHS so it will remain current.

The White House press briefing transcript is posted on the dhs.gov website.

Note a DHS SItate Incident Communications Conference Line (SICCL) call was conducted at 4pm with communicators from:Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana,Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, NewHampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, HHS, OPM, CDC, FEMA hq and numerous FEMA regions. _______________________________________________

The Early Days-Swine Flu-Pandemic??

After reading just the first few paragraphs of the latest A.P. article about this emerging threat to the planet, I cant help but think of the two movies "The 12 Monkeys" and "Children of Men" where a deadly virus wipes out a major portion of humanity.

I am sure we are not there but it is quite scary reading about a small outbreak in one of the world's largest cities (Mexico City) that is beginning to spread across the continent and the world in just the last few days.

All kidding aside, time to get some tamiflu or something similar. In my job I deal with alot of people on daily basis.


Read up on the latest:
JSOnline.com AP News

The Big Flu....Miss Piggy instead of Big Bird???

The health authorities have been saying it for a long time....

A major flu pandemic is on the way. They thought it would be the Avian kind (from Birds) but maybe our favorite christmas dinner entree will be the culprit.....and it seems that Mexico is getting hit with a pretty intense strain of what they are calling "Swine Flu" and that it is now seeping into the U.S. and could become a "Worldwide Epidemic"....

What scares me the most is that in Mexico the authorities are already doing the following:

Mexican soldiers and health workers patrolled airports and bus stations as they tried to corral people who may be infected with the swine flu, as it became clearer that the government may have been slow to respond to the outbreak in March and early April.

Now, even detaining the ill may not keep the strain - a combination of swine, bird and human influenza that people may have no natural immunity to - from spreading, epidemiologists say.
The World Health Organization on Saturday asked countries around the world to step up reporting and surveillance of the disease and implement a coordinated response to contain it.

And more from the story:

Mexico's president assumed new powers Saturday to isolate people infected with a deadly swine flu strain as authorities struggled to contain an outbreak that world health officials warned could become a global epidemic.
New cases of swine flu were confirmed in Kansas and California and suspected in New York City. But officials said they didn't know whether the New York cases were the strain that now has killed up to 81 people in Mexico and likely sickened 1,324 since April 13, according to figures updated late Saturday by Mexico's health secretary.
Tests have confirmed swine flu as the cause of death in 20 of the cases.

Though I am not a conspiracy theorist (ok I am sort of) I would bet that this strain has been let out by some shadow government (New World Order) to help control the population by weeding out a portion of it. What better way to stabilise the population of the world and help our governments go into "dictator-martial law mode" than an worldwide serious killer illeness.

Just a thought.....

I wonder what Whitley Strieber from:

www.UnknownCountry.com

.....thinks of this up and coming epedemic??

I need to go get my tamiflu soon.
Read on for more on this intensifying virulent virus that is gripping our neighbors to the south.....

JSOnline.com AP News

Economy Tanking All Over....Again

So today is Thursday April 16th, 2009 and here is what is happening in my neck of the woods and it ain't pretty...

-Four of my former co workers got laid off yesterday at the hotel in Racine that I worked at for over 10 years. Most of those people had also been there for close to that long, some even longer. (Nothing personal they were told...it is just the economy)

-Briggs and Stratton reports a 35% drop in profits
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/43091592.html


-With earnings down, Harley Davidson is set to cut more jobs (the 2nd cut in the last few months)
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/43090407.html

-Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee: The operator (the nation's 2nd largest mall operator) of the mall is filing for bankruptcy
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GENERAL_GROWTH_PROPERTIES_BANKRUPTCY?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The beat goes on and on......

Cheap (Non Existent Now) Properties for Sale

The following cottages seem absolutely wonderful. Too bad they are all gone.
Click on the 1st link below for the reason why:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHRISTIAN_CENTER_FIRE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

If I would have know they exisited, I might have plucked some cash down on one of them. Oh well.....


Cottages for Sale or RentListing as of 2009/04/09
19 Glen Ave.
$59,900 PRICE REDUCED $47,000
Spacious 3 bedroom, two story, completely furnished ready to move in camp. You will get linen, towels, dishes, pots & pans, toaster, microwave, coffee maker, blender, flat wear, pillows, blankets and mattress pads. The 1st floor has very high ceilings and a closet (under stairs). Furniture includes: love seat, queen futon chair, foot stool, end table, TV, L-shaped bench (with storage), table w/ two tops (tile top lifts off), 3 chairs, stainless steel sink w/ built-in drainer, approx. 3 yr old refrigerator, gas stove, dining room set w/ matching hutch. The bathroom completes the 1st floor. Second story bedroom furniture includes one full size bed, 2 bunk beds, 3 dressers, 1 bureau and 2 bedside tables. Two rooms have open closets, and one has built in shelves. Gas water heater and small storage area located under camp. Gas grill included. New hardwired smoke detectors installed last year.
Contact: Laurel Coston (734) 421-3964
(161)
28 New Bay
$88,500
One floor ranch-style cottage overlooking Back Bay. Enjoy water views from your deck, living room and master bedroom. Three bedrooms, carpeted living room with woodstove set on stone hearth (keeps cottage warm and toasty. Roomy brick & beam eat-in kitchen has a sliding door onto deck. Attic and extra storage area is a plus. Roof replaces approx. 6 years ago. Gas used for hot water and stove. Cottage has an outdoor shed and two-car parking. Most furniture and appliances will be included. Has town water, which allows for Year-Round use (year-round use requires additional ABCA board approval).
Contact: Peter Manos (617)553-0123, cell (617)512-5353, or peterrcares@rcn.com
(109)

83 Beacon Street
$149,900 firm
This custom large summer home "Bears Haven" was totally re-built in 2006-2007. All construction brought up to current codes and standards. Two story with farmers front porch and maintenance free exterior. First floor mudroom has sink, bath and stone tile floor. The first floor is complimented with wide pine floors and open kitchen, dining, and family room area. Kitchen has all appliances including stove, microwave, dishwasher, and washer & dryer. Kitchen includes hickory cabinets with copper knobs and matching copper faucet. Second floor includes three bedrooms. Master bedroom has a door to an upper balcony perfect for view fire works or listening to band concerts. Upstairs bathroom is supplied with an endless hot water tank. Cottage is complete with Wi-Fi CAT 5 wiring and numerous upgrades. Entire cottage is zoned separate for heating and air conditioning. Seller financing is available. A picture brochure with more description is available. Call contact for more information and pictures. Town of Alton has assessed at a higher value.
Contact: Amy or Pat Knittel (603) 765-5270
(204)


Alton Bay Christian Conference Center Cottages

Eeey Matey....Can I have a Million Dollars?

No you can not....and "Kapow" your dead.
At least that is the way the latest pirtate kidnapping in the Indian Ocean ended thankfully.
I blogged about this story a day or two ago and wondered how the world's most powerfull military could do nothing to save this man.
Well I am glad to say that with Obama's permission......they did exactly what they needed to do to get this man out of "Captain Hook's" clutches.

Mr. Phillips....you are a hero and so is the military snipers that took these pirates down.
Now they should work on getting to the 200 other captured ships in this area of the world and getting rid of these scumbags once and for all.

Read more on this harrowing rescue:
JSOnline.com AP News

NAACP in Local Milwaukee Headlines

From reading the article it seems that Miss. Hamilton needs better oversight and more accountability.
This coming from a complete outsider of course.

Maybe my friend Renee can shed some more light on this story for me....Renee if you read this, email me on your thoughts on this story.

I would be interested to know more about this Hamilton woman and why she seems so secretive and non commenting to the news media.

After all the NAACP is a great organization and one that helps the community at large. I would think that they would want to be completely transparent in all their financial dealings both small and large as it would benifit them when companies come to call and offer donations and corporate sponserships.


NAACP faces internal strife - JSOnline

Good Riddance to These Greedy People

The title of this story is supposed to be....Big Banks Loose Top Talent but somehow I thought the above one was better.

I say it is about time and I foresee these other "boutique" banks and investment firms suffering the same consequences that the banking industry as a whole is going through right now. Giving People these insane pay structures and bonuses is completely absurd.

I firmly believe that any one person should not make more than 10% of any other person in the same company...but that is a dream and not a reality in this day and age.

There are some companies that are trying to do it right though by limiting compensation and bringing pay scales down to a somewhat normal level...if you can call any CEO's compensation normal if it lies above 100,000.00 a year that is.
I work my butt off and probably do 500% more than 95% of most of this "top talent" the story talks about and I am glad just to have a job.

Crisis Reshaping Wall St. as Stars Begin to Scatter - NYTimes.com

Pirates on the High Seas...Part Two

I just can not fathom that with all the power and might of even just one U.S. Ship (see paragraph below)-

The Bainbridge was joined Friday by the USS Halyburton, which has helicopters, and the huge, amphibious USS Boxer was expected soon after, the defense officials said. The Boxer, the flagship of a multination anti-piracy task force, resembles a small aircraft carrier. It has a crew of more than 1,000, a mobile hospital, missile launchers and about two dozen helicopters and attack planes.

-that we can not do something to stop these pirates.

Read on for the continuing saga of the Pirates of the High Seas:

JSOnline.com AP News

A Close Look at a Mega-Church

Elmbrook Church....located in the Town of Brookfield in SE Wisconsin.....

A monster of a church that takes an army to run it.
A very interesting article and video can be had by clicking on the link below

It takes a village - BrookfieldNOW

Pirates on the High Seas in the 21st Century

Reading this story one would think that we are still in the 18th Century. Goodness Gracious it is like a real life "Pirates of the Carribian".....I would hope that with all the might the world governments have that hijackings such as this would not be happening. Reading stories like this it makes me realise how very brutal this world still is....even in the 21st century.

JSOnline.com AP News

Chance to Win a Day with Former President Clinton or....

...A trip to L.A. to watch the season finale of American Idol in the live audience???

(There is also the opportunity to spend a weekend with one of Hillary's campaign hacks in D.C.)

The following email came my way from the "Hillary for President Campaign" a few minutes ago:

_______________________________________________________________

Dear Friend,

I knew it was going to take an extraordinary effort to help pay off Hillary Clinton's campaign debt. But now, I think we can do it and have some fun at the same time!

I won't spend a lot of time trying to convince you to help Hillary. I know what she means to you, and I'm sure you know how important it is for her to have her campaign pay off all its obligations.

So let's get to the fun part -- enter today to win one of three truly once in a lifetime opportunities and you will also be doing something great to help finish off Hillary's debt.

With a contribution today, one of these exclusive prizes could be yours:

-Spend a day with President Clinton. Head to New York City to attend several interesting events with President Clinton followed by your own special New York City weekend.

-Attend the American Idol season finale. You and a guest will watch live as the American Idol judges make their final comments and decisions on this year's most anticipated season finale!

-Want to talk politics with me? How about a spending a weekend in DC. You will have lunch with me and my great friend Paul Begala. We will talk about politics, you will get to tour all the amazing sites DC has to offer and who knows what else could happen!

Make a $5 contribution today, and you could be on your way to one of these once in a lifetime opportunities!

Your contribution today not only gives you the chance at winning one of these fantastic prizes - it'll also help our dear friend, Hillary Clinton, pay off the very last of her campaign debt.

This means a whole lot to Hillary, and I know she appreciates everything you do for her.

These amazing prizes are only being offered online and are available only for a limited time - so please don't delay in acting today.

Sincerely, James Carville

P.S. This is a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to win one of three amazing prizes AND to help Hillary pay off her debt. I hope you'll seize it. Click here to enter today!

______________________________________________________________


So...Yes I did donate a few dollars and though I know I will not win any of these nifty prizes, it is still neat to dream about it. And I have to say these people are pretty creative with their prizes. I would honestly take any of them but to be truthful I think the coolest "WOW Factor" prize would be a day with Bill Clinton but being able to see the season finale of American Idol would be a very close 2nd.

Over Paid Corporate Executives amid this Recession

An interesting article from the NY Times:

Executives Got the Pay, but the Directors Gave It - NYTimes.com:

"TWO factors contributed to the pay scales that now have C.E.O.’s earning more than 300 times the pay of the average American worker.

First was the advent of giant stock option grants, a form of compensation made all the more attractive by a 1993 change to the tax law that maintained corporate tax deductions for executive pay over $1 million, but only if the pay was tied to performance.

Second was the widespread practice of linking pay to the levels at companies of similar size or scope. Every time a board tries to keep an executive happy by offering above-average pay, the net effect is to raise the average that everyone else will use as a baseline."

Quote of the Day

From the New York Times Online:

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"A girl is just not as good as a son. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. If you don’t have a son, you are not as good as other people who have one."SU QINGCAI, a tea farmer in China who paid $3,500 for a 5-year-old boy.

And folks...this is part of what is wrong with our world. And to think we live in the 21st Century. Sometimes I wonder how we ever made it out of the middle ages to where we are today.

And to add to the above quote is a video about the children being kidnapped in China to fill the needs of people like this guy:
Video: China’s Kidnapped Children

Thousands of Chinese children have been kidnapped and sold for profit in a crime authorities seem unable or unwilling to stop.

Harley's CEO-Another Big Reason "Why we are in a Recession"

His name is James Ziemer and though his companie's stock fell 62% in 2008, his pay rose about 26%. Add to that he is paid almost $1 Million Dollars a year......while the company that he oversees just laid off hundreds and hundreds of people.

I for one will never buy a motorcycle from a company who treats it's rank and file employees like this while giving their CEO a huge pay raise and paying him an insane salary...more so because of what is going on with the economy right now and with the world.

This, to me, is one of the reasons we are in such a mess. High paid executives who keep getting more pay even though their companies are loosing money and shedding hardworking employees.

Read on for more:
Harley's CEO sees 26% boost in compensation - JSOnline

If the Sun Dissapeared or Went Out...

....What would happen to the Earth??

A brief article in New Scientist Magazine tries to answer that question.
This is one of the more "thought provoking" questions I have seen in a long time.
I have also wondered what would happen if the sun pulled a dissapearing act myself.


A few really good theories outlined in this little story:

New Scientist Last Word Blog: Put that light out - New Scientist

The Tide is Turning

You heard it here first folks..
(Well not first exactly. I did hear a bleep on this on of all things, WTMJ620 AM Radio, yesterday on my way to work.)

But it is good to know that some states are taking the lead in this important matter and trying to make sure that all people are treated equally regardless of their orientation.

Read on for more:

Iowa court ruling transforms the gay-marriage map

:The Onngoing Recession: Unemployment Hits 8.5%; 663,000 More Jobs Lost

And that is on top of the couple million lost just a few months ago.

According to another article I read a few mintues ago: Since the recession officially began in December 2007, employers have severed 5.1 million jobs, with 3.3 million in the last five months, the government said Friday.

When will this all end?

When the government is totally "socialised"...what with "Government Motors" and the big banks and insurance companies. I bet the airlines are next and then some of the bigger factories and/ or Big Food Companies....

Take my word for it, this is just the beginning I think.

Unemployment Hits 8.5%; 663,000 More Jobs Lost - NYTimes.com

Another local story which highlights the recession and the hard time people are having finding jobs:
http://www.jsonline.com/business/42392572.html

Just One Pulse and the Plane Drops from the Sky

At least that is the premise and the possibility where mircrowaves can easily disrupt a plane's elctronics with a simple EMP (Electrical Magnetic Pulse) which would fry the fragile electronics that make up the Plane's mechanics......and acccording to this article the basic materials to make such a weapon capable of doing such damage can easily be found in objects that are readily available to the public...such as components found in devices such as DIGITAL CAMERAS.

From the article:
It isn't much of a leap to build a device that can produce that sort of disruption in aircraft...
For example, government labs use high-energy EMP devices to test what would happen to critical electronic systems if a nuclear weapon detonated, generating a vast electromagnetic pulse, says Robert Iannini, founder of Information Unlimited in Amherst, New Hampshire, which sells EMP test systems.

EMPs can be created in a number of ways. A machine called a Marx generator can quickly dump an extremely high charge stored in a bank of capacitors into an antenna, which then releases a highly energetic radio pulse. Devices like this are often used to test power lines for their resistance to lightning strikes. An alternative, known as a flux compression device, uses a small explosive to push an armature through a current-carrying coil that is generating a magnetic field. This compresses the magnetic field, again producing a devastating EMP.

Iannini says his company only sells such devices to legitimate buyers. "The only people that buy these things are qualified researchers at labs like Sandia. They never find their way into the labs of pseudo or amateur scientists," he says. "If we get any unknown overseas purchaser we immediately alert the office of export enforcement at the US Department of Commerce."

But Shahar told delegates at the annual Directed Energy Weapons conference in London last month that security at some labs can be lax, while basic EMP generators can be built from descriptions available online, using components found in devices such as digital cameras. "These are technologically unchallenging to build and most of the information necessary is available," she says.


Read on for more in this interesting article:

Aircraft could be brought down by DIY 'E-bombs' - tech - 01 April 2009 - New Scientist

Board sustains Walker veto of Randall's consulting deal

I am finally pleased with the Milwaukee County Board for once. This guy (Randall) has been taking taxpayer money with no "solid return or good benifits to the taxpayers" got years and it is about time that someone called the County on this and chose to do the right thing in not renewing his contract.

And to Cogg's statement about continuing to use the money for what she says in the following paragraph: "The county's high poverty among African-Americans and high jobless rate for black men justifies continuing the program, said Supervisor Elizabeth M. Coggs, the chairwoman of the task force. She said the task force had made progress on the issue and needed an ongoing effort."
.......I say this: The high poverty among african americans and thus the high jobless rate for black men does NOT justirfy continuing to pour money into any program. These men need to get off their asses, get educations and jobs like the rest of the millions of americans instead of dealing drugs, impregneting their girlfiriends and thinking they can cut a record and become the next "Konye West".

I wish Mr. Randall well in finding other opportunities to "feed at the public trough" as I am sure he will succeed in some fashion somewhere. If not there is always a possibility of a position in other local politics....say on the city council....I wont even go into that one (Think Hamiliton)


Board sustains Walker veto of Randall's consulting deal - JSOnline

bacterial meningitis hits close to home...

I work out in the area where this latest case has been reported. One of my coworkers also has a wife who works in the Arrowhead School where the other case was reported......

I am hopefull that this isnt spread too easy....Ikkes!!


Falls pupil has bacterial meningitis, officials say - JSOnline

Déjà vu: Where fact meets fantasy

I seem to experience this phenomenom quite often. It started when I was about 12 years old I recall.
I was walking home from school with a friend and I mentioned that the way we were walking seemed very familiar and I noted to him that in a few seconds I felt so sure that I had been on this exact path before that one of our teachers would be driving by us in just a few seconds...and "boom"....she did indeed come around the corner about 5 seconds later.
That was freaky....esp. for two 12 year old boys. This feeling of familiarity has happened many times since.

Following is a story that talks about this sensation and what may be behind it....

Déjà vu: Where fact meets fantasy - life - 25 March 2009 - New Scientist

A.I.G. (Aint I Greedy??) Executives Getting their Due

That is my new name for this corporation (Web site: http://www.aigcorporate.com/corpsite/)

and for their executives.

I have said this before and I will say it again. All these companies (and thus people) taking advantage of this bailout while continuing to take "over the top bonuses", still being overpaid, still flying corporate jets, and I am sure most still driving their BMW's and Mercedees Benz Automobiles.....

Well today, the public has spoke and hopefully has been heard when Congress decided to tax what ends up being (with state and local taxes included) the entire amount of the bonuses that the AIG Executives and other employees were given "under contract".

Contract-Shontract.....I do not care what they were promised (and neither do most of the other americans who expressed outrage) and I am glad that our representitives that we sent to Washington (most at least) agree and acted upon this matter.

I have hope again that maybe we can clean up this mess that we are in, mainly because of companies like AIG and others like it (pretty much the whole financial industry).

WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS KIND OF CRAP! BE WARNED!!!

And if you feel like voicing your opinion to the AIG folks themselves, here is a name and an address to do so:

Joe Norton Director,

Public Relations

American International Group, Inc. (AIG)70 Pine StreetNew York, NY 10270

212-770-3144

Read on for the whole story

JSOnline.com AP News

Edward Liddy....the new face of corporate Greed?

In the future when someone is accused of being greedy and spending money that is not theirs to spend, I have a feeling they will be called a "Liddy".

This man is obcene and I hope the government does something to make this guy accountable for not only giving some of our bailout money to employees as bonus payments but also to foriegn companies that should not have gotten part of our taxpayer earnings....

Read on for more:
JSOnline.com Associated Press News