Posted by Medclinician on Jul 4, 2009 in
Uncategorized Bluebird teased me that Darryl Hannah would never read the heartfelt letter I wrote concerning the abysmal living conditions in West Virginia and the variety of ailments I have suffered because of the toxins and chemicals here. I just got a call from Bluebird and was she surprised.. it was not only read.. it was published in the paper. I wanted to not only quote the letter and include a few pics, but thank Darryl for her efforts to try and help the people of West Virginia. No doubt miners must make a living, but the literal raping of the beautiful mountains here and the toxins present must be a consideration in the continued relentless strip mining and destruction of this state.
So - I will put up Darryl’s words and in respect of someone who is putting themself out there to try and make a difference.. I, my wife, Skye, and even my cat.. thank you.. for trying…
From Darryl Hannah-
A little more than a week after being arrested for civil disobedience during a mountaintop removal protest in West Virginia, Daryl Hannah is telling her side of the story in a new article for the Huffington Post. She writes: “Why would I fly across the country on my own dime knowing I would most likely end up in jail in one of the poorest parts of America? Well, have you ever heard of MTR? Don’t feel bad, my friends are intelligent, well-read and informed people, but most of them had never heard of MTR (Mountain Top Removal) either.”
Hannah goes on to explain her position on the destructive practice — including the respect she has for the miners that depend on the work for their livelihood. She also includes some letters that she’s received since her arrest for citizens of West Virginia deeply effected by MTR. “I am sorry you were arrested but I thank you for standing up for what is right,” writes one woman. “We need to work on sustainable communities here in the mountains so that coal miners will have opportunities for jobs not so dangerous.”
The actress then rails against the fallacy that is “clean coal” technology saying: “Let me make one thing clear… there is no such thing as clean coal!!! ‘Clean coal’ is the industry’s attempt to “clean up” its dirty image — the industry’s greenwash buzzword. It is not a new type of coal. ‘Clean coal’ methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another. Coal is a dirty business!”
Darryl Hannah video-
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2009/06/25/watch-daryl-hannah-getting-arrested-at-moutaintop-removal-protest/
Actress and activist
Posted: July 1, 2009 10:39 PM
So, I went to Coal River to help bring much needed attention to this hidden, criminal (but somehow legal) form of mining. I was honored to be joining an inspiringly brave group of concerned Americans, which included NASA climate scientist James Hansen who was among the first to sound the alarm on the climate crisis. The sharp, charismatic, 94 year old, former West Virginia U.S. Representative and Secretary of State Ken Hechler, who was the first congressman to introduce a Federal bill to abolish strip mining in 1971. (If passed the bill could have prevented this mess we find ourselves in.) And I was deeply moved to be arrested with those affected by MTR in Kentucky, and the many local residents fighting for their very lives, including a half dozen senior citizens, canes, walkers and all.
Mountain Top Removal is a devastatingly destructive form of mining and has already destroyed 2,000,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountains.
Coal companies have literally blown up over 500 mountain tops to access the coal seams and then dumped the refuse into the valleys below, killing over 3000 miles of headwater streams. The EPA just gave the go ahead for an additional 42 mountaintops to be blown off with another 6 permits pending.
Mountain Top Removal leaves behind a virtual hideous moonscape of devastated earth, billions of gallons of poisonous toxic sludge, and boarded up towns with dramatically high rates of cancer.
Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for, and am deeply indebted to the miners working in coalmines and on MTR projects who risk their lives daily to bring power to our country. I understand they feel threatened by anything that might take away their jobs. And, I don’t want to see them lose more jobs, as 75% of mining jobs have already been lost to the machines and explosives of MTR.
While it takes fewer miners to remove coal with Mountain Top Removal, there are just as many dangers, accidents and fatalities! It is a cheaper way for the companies to mine and that’s why it’s becoming so pervasive.
West Virginia. It is hell. Every morning a 6 am my cat starts coughing. My eyes burn, my nose burns (sometimes bleeds), I get ill, and my health continues to fall apart. I got two forms of cancer, I can’t drink the water…. My kid is lead poisoned, my wife is- and in a mile radius 10 people have had heart attacks or died from whatever is here. The dust is full of arsenic…. EPA won’t come near this place. It is owned by the coal industry. Thousands, who live here and are dying from 100 miles of rivers under coal sludge, Do the earth a favor and check on this and if you feel like improving our life send us a ticket out of here. I am sending you a picture of my son. He is being poisoned here. It breaks my heart. We cannot even get workman’s comp and have huge families. We are the poor of southern West Virginia..
Medclinician
Bluebird
my son Skye
State regulators are telling the people that it’s an “improvement” to flatten a forested mountain, seed it with grass and hope that some shrubs will grow — and then allow hunters who have signed “the appropriate waivers of liability, indemnifications and assumptions of risks” to hunt whatever animals might choose to inhabit such barren fields.
As humorist Dave Barry says, we’re not making this up, although we wish we were.
Let me make one thing clear… there is no such thing as clean coal!!!
comment: We emphathize with the coal miners of West Virginia and trying to make a living, support their families, and some our our best friends and relatives here.
There must be a better way and technological research done to develop alternate energy and a way to return this beautiful state and mountains to the way it was before.
We are working hard to find that way.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jul 3, 2009 in
Uncategorized It was only a matter of time, and I had posted this earlier. Just as last year the seasonal flu became resistant to the Tamiflu, we now have a mutation (what else for it to be) and a strain which is resistant to Tamiflu.
Also, it is not a mutation that includes pieces of both seasonal flu and the new pandemic form of the virus, according to Roche, the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company that makes Tamiflu
Well, how surprising this would be said and who would say it.
If the virus can do it once, it will do it again and eventually that will become the dominant strain unless we can get the vaccine done in Australia.
here’s a good link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5689019/First-resistance-to-swine-flu-treatment-Tamiflu-reported-in-Denmark.html
But she still contracted the virus after her body resisted the treatment leading doctors to give her another type of medication, Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical company.
So, the bottom line here, and it has been so far, is Relenza which is a much tougher to give and administer drug is our last line of defense. Also, the infrastructure has begun including this in a greater percentage of their stockpile (this has not received a lot of press coverage).
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jul 2, 2009 in
Uncategorized “like where you are is where you are,” Valley girl to Medclinician 1994- the Valley.
photo c. 2009 Medclinician Foundation
My son Skye, 2 years old, helping to ease the pain. Behind every man who was meant to more in life is an even greater and destined to be more successful, son or daughter. M.C.
So where are we?
On June 11, Dr. Margaret Chan of WHO declared a worldwide Swine Flu Pandemic. (Influenza A).
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html
On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met.
I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.
The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.
We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch.
No previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely, in real-time, right at the very beginning. The world can now reap the benefits of investments, over the last five years, in pandemic preparedness.
comment: just after the announcement the doorways to information, case reports, and accurate information began to close. In the month of May with a possible 1,000,000 case in the United States and from 250,000-500,000 in New York City, the CDC official declared the number in the U.S. to be 26,000.
“We can’t catch every one,” the leader said.
It is not that the current Pandemic is that virulent. In truth, we have a Pandemic every year and almost 1,000,000 people or more die. Five out of the last seven years the vaccine for the flu has missed the mark and failed to provide adequate protection against the flu. Last year a strain developed which was 100% resistant, are very close to 100% against our top line of defense Tamiflu. This was the drug that has been stockpiled and is given all over the world to civilians, the government, and military when the flu strikes.
In the second wave - and it has been stated by health leaders and scientists, we could have a bad second wave- a backlash of infection moving up from the southern hemisphere could mutate, that could drive the death toll higher. Much higher.
Then it would not be equivalent to a seasonal flu. Already it is not equivalent- it past the flu season. There is no more real seasonal flu. The cases just keep on coming. Like Norovirus- it does not stop.
Become alarmed? The most practical approach here is to become appropriately alarmed, and before things get worse to prepare, and anticipate the POSSIBILITY of a flu which this fall could be the greatest Pandemic in two hundred years.
Nope- not like in the Fly 2- where he said from behind the doorway in semi-fly form “be afraid, be very afraid.” Don’ be inappropriately alarmed- but by all means be prepared. Be aware and prepare.
How many take this seriously? - Maybe 20% even consider it a maybe problem. 80% are oblivious.
How is the world responding to a flu which is spreading exponentially and it is? Some have stopped counting. Australia has moved from contain to sustain- because- it can’t be stopped.. yet.
I received news two days they have a vaccine and it will begin testing in humans in the U.S. and Australia. How good is it? I know one company was fiercely working on one- but they appear to have run out of money. The other vaccine?
That post is no longer on the net today found a few minutes ago..correction- it moved but it is back..
WHO: World Closer to Swine Flu Pandemic July 1, 2009 -Swine Flu vaccine… The race is on: Swine Flu 1,000,000 cases in the U.S. - particularly Chile and Australia..
Is this for real.. is this alarmist?
link
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=101588
This is now.
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) — With a worldwide pandemic under way and more than a million Americans sickened by the new swine flu, the special nature of this disease is becoming better understood.
Several articles published online Monday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that, unlike seasonal flu, the new H1N1 flu strain attacks younger people and can be more severe and deadly in that group. The reports suggest a possible vaccination policy and also account for some reasons that this strain of flu appears milder than that of other pandemics.
“These findings are in keeping with the fact that new strains or pandemic strains tend to be more deadly in younger patients,” said flu expert Dr. Marc Siege
comment: This is no ordinary flu. We can hope like that bad part in a scary movie we can look between our fingers and the monster will go away. That it will not mutate and become more lethal. That it will not reach 2-3% CFR making all the current flu plans in place crumble and infrastructures stagger to keep it together.
The book.. yep.. back to .. the book Survivor’s Guide - purpose- to give us hope and a guide so we can sustain a Pandemic of up to 30% and keep our countries (not just U.S. - every one, every country) our ways of life, and there will be a day when my son and your children, still alive, will remember the Great Pandemic of 2009-2012 and how most of us made it through.
I strongly urge everyone to consider
1) Putting behind us the last 8 years and all the sins and bad things inside and outside the United States and to continue working together as a world body of nations to fight something that threatens our species.
2) There will be a time for bickering, and politics, and fights on the Senate floor, and health care plans. There will not be a health care plan if all the hospitals are closed. There will be no concern at disability and other economic insurance, if the dollar is worth no more than a torn out sheet of a phone book.
3) It is a time when .gov and the people, and I have truly contacted the President and have I believe at least got “a” message through- and I was told by a chief adviser concerning President Obama- it is his desire to reach down (as well as Michelle, the first lady) and touch and listen to the American people and work through our stage of crisis. To work to find solutions to all of our problems, and most all, like FDR, this is not their problem… it is our problem as well, and up to us to help find the solutions to it.
I am no one. Just a medclinician, a NURSE (yet in fairness-we health professions are valuable-we are the hands that touch, clean, and eyes that watch, and truly care for the sick and dying 24/7)- not a doctor- not a PHD, not some great scientific researcher or famous or rich person. I have little family, and my precious son. We are not rich, we struggle in these times to survive as I am I sure so many of you do. I do so want to see them make it through.
And you too, from small to great understand- death and disease make us all equal. My prayers- and I try to continue be the real deal in terms of a person who believes in what I believe in- are with everyone one of you and your families. We care. You are not just numbers, are the last four of your social security number, any one we lose, any death, is as important as our own. As Dr. Chan said, echoing my feeling- We are all in this together- all races, all nations, all faiths and we MUST- must put aside the fighting so we can fight the most important war of all- the war on Disease- that can take us out.
Where are we? We are looking to find answers, solutions to stop this thing, and ways to work together. Ways to prepare for a Pandemic that could be a lot worse than so many seem to expect.
If we overprepare? Then- we eat our preps, we thank God or whatever force we believe in, that there is or isn’t in the universe, that we have been spared.. and go on with our lives.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jul 1, 2009 in
Uncategorized I sat down with several young people discussing the the Pandemic and their thoughts on it. These were not just any young people, they were YOUNG people.
Since I married a younger wife (considerably) Skye is Generation Z. For those of oyou new to this Generation stuff- there are pretty darn old- World War 2 and Korea people still around. There are their children, the baby boomers- who were born as the soldiers came home from World War 2. We grew up in the 60s (I was in my teens) listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and were on the verge of listenig to Elvis - I have the original 45 Hound Dog record and a phonograph. We were the “Love Generation”. I sat one time a few feet from Jim Morrison- who was quite a poet and performer and watched Janus chug down half a bottle of Southern Comfort before gong on stage. Jimi was up at the Filmore when we played on the bill with Metallica- and in the movie Airplane they joked about Woodstock- where Joni Mitchell was- and the icon legends of my early rocker days.
Now, ironically, pushing into the great beyond of the elderly, as Mick jumps around to Goddess in the Doorway
“Goddess In The Doorway”
Demons in the bedroom
Dogs are on the roof
I am in the basement
Looking for the truth
Tired of being patient
For the voice to come
If you want the answer
There is only one - only one
How much
How much can I take
How much, how much can I take
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc0tudM4CxA
and each one of us.. has their very own….like Bluebird..
Bluebird is from the X generation and what does that mean really? Maybe some at this point are going.. whatever is Med going on about this and that generation and who they are, and called, and whatever. Well, as usual, however elusive, there is a point to this.
Like the blind men and the elephant, depending on where you are on the food (gene) chain here, it really influences how the Pandemic (which is coming- and probably with a vengeance) effects you. A book could be written about this (we won’t go there) but one real important thing is based on what generation you are from influences whether you will die from the Swine Flu or not. At least your chances.
This is weird flu. Weird because it is picky for the most part and it is a renegade. When the scientists got together about 3 years ago and saw this coming, (the 3 recombination thing) kind of like a horror films where stars merge and it foretells some event, this was like that. It was a change of the way H1N1 behaves. For one, it became a spreader. Avian was never, in people a spreader. It is like HIV. If it had been, from the first we would have been witness to the wiper out of civilization as we know it. Why?
You take disease with a kill rate of 63% (WHO approximate) or 83% in Indonesia you are edging Ebola. One of the reasons Ebola didn’t go Global and it has done some nasty stuff in the Congo in the last few years, because it can go 100% - by touch- wipe out a whole village and it can kill fast.
There is no time for it to spread. This flu is worse. Why? Because it is mild for the most for or no symptoms at all. You can have someone totally infected, and spreading it like crazy [all the Skye smoocher- compelled to kiss our son- total strangers) Nursery schools and regular schools, cruise ships, and confined space, and this is heavy military. I got Rubella in basic -got 106 temp and nearly died. That was the year of Meningitis at Fort Ord.
So we have a flu that mostly leave very young and very old alone (most times)- it is hitting 20-40. Well, there’s a minus. Our work force. Our military- our strength in running the nuts and bolts and repairing things.
So GenX who grew up in the 80s- as we grew up in the 60 are now some of them grandparents. And if you are less than 40-or close you are in a generation IMHO who got the worst of it. You are probably going to be the ones in charge during the Pandemic- and except for some of us- the baby boomers are the oppressive dread of the health care world. The graying of a nation. And the Y generation born in the 80s and early 90s- heavy on the child thing (mommies and daddies of the Zs)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
And from our goddess- for some came the X generation or for Y generation or for some- the Z generation.
So there they are from those born in the late into the 2010s- will be the heros, the fighters, the soldiers, the artisans of the future.
I ask one 11 year old relative, what do you think about the Pandemic-
She said “oh that flu thing” yu huh…
So I asked her.. maybe have some of your friends write me a page or two what they think..
What are we bringing to our children? The clouds of economy gone bad-disease - so much deception- and health care- and dreams- and role models- and the Pandemic….
(writing with headset on)
Demons in the bedroom
Dogs are on the loose
Driving in the backstreets
Looking for the truth
I’m searching for your temple
Hunting for your shrine
I’m looking for a vision
By a neon sign
comment: and so
a Pandemic is spread across the globe- let us prepare for what could change history this fall and beyond.
Soldiers fighting in the desert heat, patriots look for meaning and understanding and most of all trying to preserve the echos of distant history and the memory of democracy, human rights, and freedom-
and of the family that has seemed to slip away, and culture, and the past, the legacy which has brought us to today…
We bear a great responsibility on our shoulders- if not for ourselves- we must survive-
To live to see our childrens childrens children (Moody Blues) - We come to a crossroads when 4 generations will face the great Pandemic of 2009-2012.
Have we installed in our children the moral fiber (with the near death of the tradition family) - single parents- War of the Roses divorce- so like the typical soap opera when we have these triple family Thanksgivings- well we have to eat here because well this child has that family- but there’s my wive’s bunch- It used to be a lot more simple. There was - the Family.
No kid meals during the Pandemic- no Ronlald Macdonald except in the rain surrounded by - well we won’t go there. No one seems to think we ever will.
I do. And so I prepare.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 30, 2009 in
Uncategorized The University of Queensland has produced Australia’s first batch of a new candidate vaccine against the H1N1 swine flu virus.
Professor Anton Middelberg at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology says they are leaving behind the old egg growing methods of creating vaccines and instead forging new inroads using cell cultures.
They are still months away from the vaccine and will start human trials in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia.
further out in the Outback almost 600 kilometers from Alice Springs, Australia we have a mystery. A fatality of swine flu in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the Desert. The first death in Australia was a 26 year old man, Aborigine, and the questions is, who did he get it from, and how did it get there?
The man came down with serious flu symptoms, was airlifted to Alice Springs, and died the next day. It is extremely difficult to pin point the communities in Australia, except for Victoria and Brisbane, which have had large outbreaks of Swine Flu.
In the interest of fairness- I have included the following link
http://www.iahealth.net/swine-flu-vaccine-awarded-first-contract
Australian Flu Map
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/specials/0,,5018985,00.html
Back to Victoria, the reason another man died, at least a contributing factor was that there was not a single Intensive Care bed available in the state. Let us get serious here. How is it we have a low path flu which completely swamps the health care system. If is no big deal, then why do people need ICU beds for it? This no doubt will be a quandary in the U.S. when a second wave of flu hits in the fall. You can have all the respirators and supplies you want, but if you have no nurses or RTs operate them, or beds for patients to be treated in, you go trauma and flu center zero intake. There is no doubt that a second wave will hit. It is only the death rate and virulence of the disease that are in question.
Medclinician
for other breaking news and dissusion- new site http://avianfluchat.com is under construction. This will be the release location (except for the formal main stream publisher) of the book Pandemic Now Survivor’s Guide- you can check on updates with the book, sample chapters, and breaking health and other news there.
Pandemic Now Survivor's Guide Cover
Skye-Daddy's Little Helper
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 30, 2009 in
Uncategorized I can no longer log in or post at AFT. Reasons given were I posted my address- untrue- and I posted false data concerning the number of possible cases in the New York of 500,000 - and now would have posted at least 1,000,000 cases in May of Swine Flu in the general population in the U.S.
After nearing 4 years - I had no real power to become and admin there and swineflu.org- and even less power in the deletion of my account.
I want all of you to know concerning AFT that there are many good people there, some incredible dataminers, and some I consider not only friends, but posters who encouraged me with prayers and well wishes.
i would go back and post there if I could or even re-register. I am blocked from doing so by the site owner. I see no logic in being personal about this. I miss you guys.. I still pray for you all, and we still appreciate your well wishes and prayers for myself, Bluebird and our dear son Skye.
As in the AA line - “and the wisdom to know the difference.”
I cannot compete with AFT. I will try to post valuable data on many areas. We are relocating to California and eventually to a complex in Hawaii- the Genetek lab. I started Genetek in 1981 in Silicon Valley- ( not Genentek) and have been doing research ever since. )
The vast, sometime soap opera that throbs within the Avian and Flu Blogs can be worse than high school. It is best set aside and we are all in this together. For the most part I am still registered and can post at all major flu sites. I have differences of opinion at times and am asked to back those with hard core links and scientific journals. This, I do my best, to do.
There is not a day I have posted since being blocked from AFT I have not had a twinge of nostalgia and genuine caring for the users there. JohnRay- you are a good doctor- and understand - we walk perilous waters in reporting the truth. Rickster- and other Aussies- I love Australia.. I always have.. and I plan to set up a place in Alice Springs near Ayers rock which will be one of my final HQ for our medical research.
The land down under from Nicole Kidman to Olivia Newton John- to Men at Work (one of my all time favorites) and Sting back from OZ http://www.sting.com/news/news.php?uid=6093
…. break …..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNT7uZf7lew
Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,
“Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? (storm coming)
You better run, you better take cover.”
to buy and download this cut- (this is just a stream listen- go to the appropriate sites) end of video taking MC to his resting place - way out in the Outback… the final Walkabout- where as he can now- he can see for miles and miles (The Who).
take care Oz- there be tygers there -
Encounters with the Queensland Tiger
Jerome Clark, Unexplained! (Visible Ink Press, 1999), describes sightings.
In the 1870s, police magistrate Brinsley G. Sherman wrote about his son’s encounter with the tiger near Rockingham Bay. It was evening. His son’s terrier picked up the scent of something and followed its trail, barking agitatedly. The son followed the dog and saw the strange animal. It was the size of a dingo, had a feline face, long tail and stripes on its back. The dog went after the beast, but it climbed up a tree. The dog barked at it and it rushed down the tree at the terrier and the boy.
Naturalist George Sharp saw the tiger in the early 1900s. It was at dusk near the source of the Tully River. It was bigger and darker than the thylacine. Shortly after this, a farmer killed one after it attacked his goats. Sharp followed the tracks and found the animal’s corpse. Although wild pigs had eaten the head and part of the body, the man was able to estimate it was five feet long. .
comment: There be Swine Flu as well - Sustain- prepare.. and know our thoughts and prayers are with you.
“Living in a Land Down Under.. ya better run.. ya better take cover… prep…”
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 29, 2009 in
Uncategorized Ever since the announcement of the Pandemic on June 11, Swine Flu news not only in the U.S., but also all over the world has been sparse and at times extremely inaccurate. Basically it is as if world has gone to the sustain phase which is present in Australia. That is, we can’t contain it anymore or as one article a few weeks ago in Australia said.. Australia raises white flag to Swine Flu.
Basically the public is not being told the seriousness or the extent of the Swine Flu Pandemic.
A look at this current map will give you a hint of what is happening in the U.S.
http://swineflumaps.com/2009/06/
The markers in the U.S. are so close together they form almost a solid mass. Having been chastised for reporting a possible 500,000 cases in New York in May and now with recent revelations of estimates of at least 1,000,000 cases in the U.S. - things are not getting a whole lot better. The sound of silence sweeps across the media and yet the data is still on the net, if you know how and where to find it.
What is getting a whole lot worse is the transparency and accuracy in disease reporting not only in the U.S. And the resounding cry over and over- well there are so many cases - we just don’t count them anymore.
They count. But they certainly do not go out of their way to test the main population which would reveal the real scope of the spreading Pandemic.
My most pressing concern is that when it does mutate and get bad- when we start seeing a much nastier strain which is resistant to Tamiflu, edging numbers of 2-4% mortality- which will crunch most infrastructures, that the chiefs will go underground leaving us Indians to fend for ourselves.
There are some great plans out there. You have one for every state- but their effectiveness is based on pitiful percent deaths- Sure our hospital system can kind of cope with .5% death rate- but what happens if we get to 2%.
It is fairly simple. A huge numbers of workers stay home and this will lead to the shutdown of power, all government services, real problems in law enforcement, keeping people in prisons, crowd and riot control, and well- it is not a pretty picture.
In my book, Survivor Manual- which WILL BE OUT before the second wave- you will find one of the few realistic - not lets make plans that will work and will fail against a serious Pandemic- scenarios of what could happen and how we can deal with this.
Those shiny little binders are going to sit just where they are while the main players head underground to communication and safe havens.
Vaccine?
This may be as realistic as Sanctuary is Logan’s Run. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074812/ A sad moment here for Farrah Fawcett- a truly stunning and gifted actress who succumbed to an enemy of us all - cancer- a short time ago.
Why would a vaccine be unrealistic?
For one taking the strain that two people had at the early onset is not the creature we are dealing with, and quite probably will not be when it turns bad. Second, who is going to make it? Even if we have underground scientists has anyone considered the immense labor of love creating enough vaccine to even cover our infrastructure (11,000,000) in the U.S. would take.
And - do drug companies work for free. What happens when money is worth- nothing. At least paper money. In a serious Pandemic- very serious our already strained economy would bottom out. We would be down to bartering and trading canned food (A boy and his dog). No power, no water, and definitely no instant tellers.
Nope- Survival Guide is probably one of the few books that will be out there that will not address a wimpy Pandemic- but take us all the way to Black Rabbit- that is where in some areas - everybody dies.
Getting depressed? Don’t be. We made it through the Plague and Black Death which wiped half of Europe and that means that probably even in a nightmare Pandemic- 2/3 of the people will make it.
Our world is so grossly overpopulated- the Pandemic - and of course we would not overlook the suffering, horror, and grief, would probably experience an economic boom. They did after the Plague. It was called the Renaissance. Yes, so some (not I) are cheering for the virus. In a massively over populated world where we are drowning in our own carbon waste, it might actually save the humans instead of wiping them out.
Nonetheless, countries are scared- not of death- of losing money. That is why there is an all time blackout on real numbers about the Pandemic and real information. Don’t scare the buying pubic.
In the midst of all these debates on how many angels can dance on the head of a pin (what will be do about social security, economy, the war, etc) we have a looming very serious Pandemic. For one, it is unlikely to be the only one or the only wave. We are likely to have 3 not 2 waves. It is like the old adage death comes in threes. Well, we could get all linky here and if some of you wish to .. you can search on this.. but we are looking to have a toughie second wave this fall- and then the kick in whatever- that will be the third wave which could hit in late Spring in 2010.
No one will even go there with me. The third wave. No one wants to go there. But let me assure you- we do need to go there.
Now aside from looking silly to some of your friends and suffering from mild to serious verbal abuse, you can’t lose by getting ready. Storing food, water, and medicine, is going to prepare you. Doubt not that some Arab country will launch a nuke, are the Taliban will get rowdy and start spilling over in weak rendition of a thousand years ago or more- try to literally take over the planet.
What a fine time for such a move as during a nasty Pandemic.
That is why I still back .gov- despite all my grumbles about skimpy information and overt paranoia about scaring people. Once scientist said
“well if we scare people more people will die from the panic than the disease.”
No, actually more people will lose money than with a sustained suppression of information so people will keep spending and buying. Dr. Margaret Chan’s biggest enemies were the political and economic titans- who said don’t do level 6- don’t declare a Pandemic.. and by all means don’t call it Swine Flu- even though it is composed of Swine genes.
So June 23- I show you a map from Hong Kong - Xinhau press- and assure you of two things. Info is going to get a lot tougher to get and unless we have incredible luck- this low path thing- is going to get some teeth and bite.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 28, 2009 in
Uncategorized Thanx to those checking out the articles and especially the forwarders who pass it on. I try to find good stuff which is not which you find everywhere but also which is true- aka based on verifiable data. For those who have posted with me at other sites - we had a thread on winkout posts on the net. They cause you to do his doubletake as you see something pretty hot in the buffer on the engine and then click- its gone.
Make this a brief one- but numbers count on the Pandemic and facts count when you have to go global to get more perspective on world events. Its like reading a history book on U.S. history from Iraq. Ya think its gonna be a little different.
Same thing with news. If want to find out U.S. numbers- or for that matter China numbers- I may have to head out to Hong Kong link - and since China (while some stuff is a little slanted) has no qualms about posting outbreaks outside China- you can find some pretty good stuff on People’s Daily. I don’t support the lack of freedom in China- but sometimes you find some real keepers in English translation- foreign. nuff said.. but thanx.. too much spin on the mainstream media.. that is what blogs are for. Yea, some have their own spin.. but some of us are just trying to sort out what is happening out there…especially fluwise. Second wave is coming. Buncha people, virologists, doctors… suprisingly WHO- Dr. Margaret Chan was pretty serious when she announced the Pandemic. I have to respect her for that. She was up against dozen of countries who did not want a Pandemic or even alert that would give us time to prepare.
You find data where you can.. be sure its true.. and get it out to the people who deserve to know what isn’t plastered every place else.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 28, 2009 in
Uncategorized Okay-more backup - you gotta realize that is why I am here on my own- because I broke this story. And was told quote “you have no evidence at all for this story- that is the one saying that up to 500,000 New Yorkers had Swine Flu in May.” Of course they couldn’t tell us in May- no it has to be - they had the flu and are now better.
NEW YORK, June 27 (UPI) — The H1N1 virus has infected more than 1 million people in the United States, hospitalized an estimated 3,000 and killed 127, a top health official said.
comment: Now they begin to come out and back the story from the local New York paper last week. Dr. Anne Schuchat, at CDC said “We know we’re not tracking every single one of them.”
comment: they are tracking very few of them. The method of tracking our Pandemic is abysmal. The numbers are totally inaccurate and if we do have real bad Pandemic we won’t know until it is on top of us M.C.
Thousands more are infected each week, even as the traditional flu season winds down, Schuchat told The New York Times in a story published Saturday.
comment: The average ages is 19 of those admitted to hospitals and of those who die it is 37. It continues to be emphasized that most- like 75% have other medical issues which in fatalities relate to deaths. What continues to be downplayed is the racial bias of this virus, which tends to hit non-Caucasians harder and can be lethal.
comment: now they say it..
I got this in email from Biosecurity.. sadly the link has already been pulled and all I have is buffer text. Considering I have about 6 sources of about 270,000-500,000 case of Swine Flu in New York in May this is no big news flash.
The sources is however.
U.S. Swine Flu Cases May Have Hit 1 Million (AP/Yahoo! News) Swine flu has infected as many as 1 million Americans, U.S. health officials said Thursday, adding that 6 percent or more of some urban populations are infected. The estimate voiced by a government flu scientist Thursday was no surprise to the experts who have been closely watching the virus.
Wouldn’t it have been great to read that one, huh? Well, kind of the lone wolf these days. Lot more freedom to post the truth, but it will be tougher for people to find it. Links to here would be appreciated. I make every effort to report only accurate backed up news.
I now longer am printng pasted news articles. I can’t be on a news feed if I am not writing these articles myself from scratch.
Its a lot of work. So I hope some of you will visit and comment-
I just put this site back up a day or so and there were over 10,000 hits. That’s not huge like when on one site were were getting 540,000 - but for the Avian and Flu community- people are reading.
no stress on the lurkers.. just glad people are reading.. and some are linking.. I will keep this paste free from now one.. except for little blurbs like above…
Headed towards Aussie land to see after the 4th death a few days ago.. what’s the deal.. appreciate those who flick through here for a quick check on the REAL numbers. I am estimating we have maybe several million in the U.S. in May who got it. A real accurate number I think would be about 6% - do the math on 300,000,000 people and that should give you a much better number. For the U.S.
I am in the out wastelands of bloglands these days because…… well some people really don’t like those numbers.
Medclinician
Posted by Medclinician on Jun 28, 2009 in
Uncategorized Since we had passed the point of bombing the bunkers developing nuclear bombs in Iran, they created an insurgency.
Funny thing about the words terrorists and insurgents- depending on the country- they can be replaced by the words rebels and freedom fighters.
Late on the phone in conference last night with a political adviser we discussed the reality of the Revolution and its real effect in Iran.
For those only exposed to the main Western media spin- the election of a leader (President) in Iran is a figurehead and the actual power is in the Supreme Leader (as in a Mullah) http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:mullah&ei=t2lHSoj-G8iptgeS3qSMCg&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
So no matter what prez says- in essence Muslim has the last word. And without the support of the military who are getting ready to do a serious cleansing of a would be overthrow of the elected official- this display was a great article in Time magazine and sold lots of ad time, but we are one step forward and two steps back in negotiating with the Iranians to stop developing a nuclear bomb. In fact, they probably have several already.
How stirring- kind of like the massive spin of struggling freedom fighters trying to throw off the oppression of the axis of evil oldsters- the massive youth population in Iran twittering and “now they are beating my mother”.
What is he real deal? They launched a satellite and they have ICBM capability. They can get fuses and whatever from the underground, and have enough high grade plutonium or whatever for two nuclear bombs. One could, if launched from a sub, take out Tel Aviv for 30,000 years,
So there you have the media - a dying breed as opposed to the Internet. A cassette tape as compared to a Hi-Dens disk- putting people at the site with first hand accounts. Like Peter Jennings on the building as the bombs fell on Baghdad.
The guy elected does not want to talk peace. Unless we demonstrate our sincere desire to do so. And how do we do that? Stop bugging them about creating a nuclear arsenal to attack Israel. And meanwhile we have to hold Israel back when it is about to get nuked from attacking.. why…
Jihad.
300,000 Iranian forces storm into where we are not doing so hot in Pakistan so work with the Taliban who want the country back in the worst way.
Are they able to deal with this kind of stuff? Not really. For one, we are easing up on Opium growers who finance the Taliban by asking them to grow wheat or very unprofitable crops. Tough choice for the farmer. Which gives me more money wheat or opium? America says we cannot buy opium from you like the Taliban. It would be- confusing.
What happens in 12 months? The American public in a feat of pure logic says- get out of Afghanistan. We have problems at home. We have a failing economy (putting up a big 8300 Dow Jones and telling us the recession is over) is not helping. The deal with Chrysler and Fiat died. And saying.. well let’s go bankrupt and socialist and become company runners at GM is not that great. Almost as great as the economic incentive that is begging for us to give the money not to banks but to schools.
Addition here? How is giving the money to the schools going to boost the economy?
Well, since California is plunging into budget hell as we try to educate, medicate, and populate illegal immigrants who are wiping out what money we have and also fighting to keep the drugs from flowing into America from the cartel, who is making these kind of calls?
One thing is for sure it takes a village to raise a child, but you don’t have a town meeting for the economy of the U.S. and ask everyone- ok what would you like to do?
Back to Iran.
Iran is getting 1 billion dollar apiece killer Russian Mig jets perhaps with Plasma stealth technology. And it is loading up on SAM arrays to shoot attacking jets down. Iran is a big customer. Some things have to be sold through Syria, and then sent to Iran.
Yea, maybe we can bring out railguns, and space lasers, and all kinda Star Wars toys we have floating around and out tech them, but we are too busy building factories in China, offshore, wiping out our own workforce and economy, to go nose to nose with China in an embargo either in North Korea or in the Gulf.
China likes North Korea. China does not want our bases our military on their shoreline. Neither does Russia. Russia is not thrilled about us having a massive troop presence near their border. Russia wants it to matter that they are not happy about it.
So if we can’t attack Iran (should have lock and loaded tactical nukes and took out the bunkers before they made them unnukable- even with a bunker buster chaser) Too late said C. Rice- and she was right. We messed around and let the Russians mess up our launch point in Georgia with a little power strut and missed the window. There was a behind the game plan there. It was a hop into Iran. All things have ranges- jets, missiles, and so forth. Israel would have to cross Iraqian air space. There was another way. One through a Turkey proxy- the other - well another discussion for another day.
We ALL KNOW the plan was to down the government in Iran with what appeared to be a revolution than let Israel rush in and start a Jihad.
I hate typing this stuff. You know it. My economic life sucks… my social life sucks.. and I have to be cursed with data mining the truth, the so obvious truth on www. I want to be out somewhere chilling by some pool with a smoking barbeque with tons of really evil calorie things with tons of carcinogens I should not go near.
Well look. We need to get our act together. The Europeans are fed up with a world dominated by the dollar and U.S.- and now Asia is getting ready to do a flip flop with a new currency..manufacture in India and SEA- and guess what .. the only thing that would stop them would be…
a Pandemic.
We won’t go there. Too dangerous. Even MC won’t take that one on. The racial target virus let loose in Mexico that is about to second wave us and just doesn’t hurt Caucasians that bad. Nope won’t go here. Let’s just wait and and watch and prep.
I think the whole Iran fight of freedom thing was a media circus with no teeth to change anything. People have been rioting in the streets for years. Iran is #2 in executions second to China. And the truth be told… these are Muslims. God, when will Americans and policy writers stop thinking like Westerners and start thinking like Muslims?
It is like arguing with your spouse. You just aren’t on the same railroad track. You can’t win the argument. Muslims don’t argue. They blow themselves and other things up. They don’t negotiate. They invade. Saddam didn’t say well, I can’t dare take on America with its whole nuclear arsenal. He just did it. So wake up America and the rest of the Western world. Muslims just- do things. So do Russians (no offense). I mean the Russians did use weather warfare to great advantage on Hitler. Whatever was this Napoleonic mind set guy thinking? About the same thing the Iranians will be thinking when the 12 Imam “appears” - claims a DNA match with the buried uncle in the Shiite mega holy place and whether by vision or proxy-says time for the apocalypse. Death to the infidels. Launch that nuke.
They don’t talk- they program their children to hate - um . certain groups. from the cradle.. so when they grow up they are ready to die and go to paradise. Do you, pressing on the Western minds here really think that some devout Muslim as they pull the rip cord to the body bomb are not thinking my family will be taken care of and I will wake up in paradise. We are talking from 2 years old with bomb pack pictures and peer Muslim pressure beyond verbiage.
What am I missing here? Arabs laughing in the desert as we plead don’t make those nuclear missiles or we will hurt you. Yep, we are tough. We can nuke them. How many Muslims are there? 1.6 billion. How exactly do we pull this off on civilian populations- this nuke in kind thing? We don’t. We can’t. Planning is one thing- executing millions of innocent Muslims is another.
God, how I wish I was at those talk tables. Hilary would say (I like Hilary- you can all hiss but she was a toughie.. she still is- we need a sharp edge on our razor-she would have said- you do this and we will hurt you. They have met this woman. They have looked in her eyes. They know she would not say it if she wouldn’t do it. This is like bargaining in Mexico for shoes. This is how it is done. These are Arabs.
We can pretend we are not Christian anymore. We can say.. well now we are many brothers.. all faiths.. some of my best friends are Muslims. That doesn’t cut it.
Yes..I know they want to take over the world and if we don’t fight them in Muslim land we will be fighting them in Ohio. We will.
If the Taliban grab the nukes in Pakistan.. an number of which we have no idea where they are.. they are gonna get rowdy.
It like a bad relationship when the girl says.. um Fred.. you know the sex, the being together, us trying to be a couple- it isn’t working.
So why does it take us years and I mean years and billions of dollars to realize in Afghanistan where some high ranking general says…
well … it isn’t working.
When you are at war- you fight. We lost Vietnam because when we had the chance to bomb the north- and that probably would have brought in the heavy hitters (China) we weren’t allowed to go in and clean it up.
Answer: look to home. Solve our problems with our economy, our people, our pathetic manufacturing crisis- our jobs- our dollar- and then we can go back and buy all the monopoly property we want and give every country what will control it ..money.
When we go broke- our voice goes silent. And our military takes a big hit.
We need the military. Unless you want grenade launchers in your front yard.. you should back the fighters. There is where ethically we should be.. and there is where we have to be.
People are fed up with words.
Bush number one went in and for THE FIRST TIME and with world support kicked tush of a dictator that dared invade another country. We were at our prime. We were humming. We had .. respect. The enemy lay down their rifles in the sand and surrendered.
We were winning.
Well.. that was the MC Sunday morning rant. I don’t buy the twitters. We get too many voices saying nothing doesn’t make a something. In our society are all created equal and given an equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
I’m not aware of too many things… I know what I know.. if you know what I mean.. the New Bohemians
Medclinician
