Now It Is Serious

One more BIG FAT LIE is headed your way courtesy of Washington and Wall Street, but I'm not going to talk about that today. You will see it -- and YOU WILL recognize it -- when it comes.

First...

There are three other stories I've been following that are more urgent today. Not sure I have time to fit them in because I'm expecting a lumber delivery in about 45 minutes. (Long story.)

UPDATE: The lumber came and the delivery guys went -- and I never had the chance to post this yesterday, so I'm updating it a bit to post it today.

Back on point, here are the 3 urgent stories that I'm following.

First Story - Swine Flu

With confirmed cases in the USA now up to 68 (and rising as test results come in) there was an important stat that I missed yesterday when I was quickly collecting info on this story.

The majority of deaths caused by this flu strain -- H1N1 -- range in ages between 22 and 45. Now THAT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL.

With reports surfacing of 2 (possible) deaths in California traced to this flu, there's more to this story than meets the eye. California has declared a state of emergency.

Now that it has been officially reported here in my hometown state of Indiana, I'll be keeping a very close eye on what happens next. I also heard today that Kilmer Elementary School in Chicago (Illinois) is being closed because of a 'probable case' of swine flu. Other cases are also suspected in Illinois.

Fox Business put out a brief report that there is now officially one confirmed death, a 23-month-old baby in Texas.

Not sure of the full story, but will post more on this when I have time to dig much deeper into it.

What doesn't surprise me is the source for the virus that is currently being investigated by the UN. If the power of the CAFO industry holds up, chances are high that the results of the investigation will not be conclusive. The CAFO-style BIG-AG industry has been covering things like this up for decades.

Why would a little swine flu outbreak stop 'em?

I'm talking about the "industrial farm" (for those that don't know -- here in the USA it's called a CAFO) in Mexico, owned by Smithfield Farms (the same guys that own a bunch of them in North Carolina). Quote:

United Nations food inspectors are going to Mexico to investigate reports that industrial pig farms were the source of the swine flu outbreak, the BBC reports.

As I wrote yesterday, based on some excellent reporting in Grist and elsewhere, local residents in La Gloria, Mexico, where the swine flu outbreak may have originated, suspect that the source is the Granjas Carroll industrial pig farm. The facility is half-owned by U.S.-based Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor. [link]

Long time readers of my blog know very well my stance on CAFOs.

I've warned before that CAFOs could very well lead to the next pandemic... but nobody is listening. And, as I've said before, nobody will listen. I suspect there will be a massive cover-up even if proof is found. There are just too many CAFOs spread around our planet these days to clean things up.

From what I understand, a young 5-year-old boy, Edgar Hernandez, has been identified as "patient zero" in the swine flu outbreak, the first person infected by the disease once it made the pig to human leap. [link]

Even there, the poor little child's family is being vilified while the CAFO gets to walk.

I've also received one unconfirmed report that a municipal health official from the area of the outbreak has stated that preliminary investigations indicate that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. [link]

So, eventually, they'll probably blame it all on the flies, right?

One way or another, IMHO, you can bet your bottom dollar that the factory farms will walk away from this unscathed other than for a short term drop in sales for their pork.

For more on what is happening in Mexico regarding this strain (H1N1) of swine flu, you can check out this link -- Swine flu: Doctors' diary

On a different note, I see that the crisis has resulted in a quick installation for Kathleen Sebelius who was sworn in last night as the Health and Human Services Secretary, the final Cabinet member for the Obama Administration.

Second Story - The Specter Spectacle

A friend of mine was on the phone with me when this story was breaking and he was surprised that the news didn't shock me one bit. Having followed the bailouts and spending madness going on, and Specter's part in it, it was a given that he would have to switch parties. There is no way in h&## that he would be allowed to remain much longer in his own party.

The proof of this is in his own words. Quote from the New York Times:

Mr. Specter said that while Democrats had been urging him for years to switch parties, he had “never started talking seriously until yesterday.” His decision came after polls, including one conducted by his own campaign, showed a precipitous drop in his approval ratings among Republicans because of his vote in favor of President Obama’s stimulus package.

As recently as the November election, he recalled, he had received standing ovations from conservative audiences as he traveled the state with Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee. But his stimulus vote in February was “a watershed.”

“It all turned on that,” he said. “The pollsters have never seen that kind of precipitous drop. It’s stark.”

He did not provide specific numbers but said the drop was on the order of 30 percentage points over a few months. He had maintained as recently as two weeks ago that he would not switch, but he said his own poll, finished late last week, convinced him to do so. He spoke with his family over the weekend about it and “slept on it” on Sunday night. [link to full story]

No, it is not surprising to me at all that he would want to switch to a stronger party with more political clout. Although he denies this is about saving his own political arse, methinks he doth protest too much.

Now the big question on this one is whether or not the voters in his area will recognize the emperor in his new clothes.

There's one critical piece missing to his argument to jump ship into a Democratic Party lifeboat. The tea parties, as much as the Administration would like to believe differently, were NOT just REPUBLICANS protesting about the outrageous spending in Washington. There were plenty of Independents (like me) and Democrats on that side of the ocean too. Mr. Specter might find himself up the creek without a paddle come election time when the voters remember he does, indeed, have a price. (See this link to a previous post to know what I mean.)

What is the reaction in PA? Here's one side of the reaction.

On the other side, I understand that Obama is thrilled. Guess his Stimulack bribe worked. I picture a cartoon of Specter being asked to vote for the spending bill and him saying he will, but only if they'll bail him out when he needs it most.

Just another Washington bailout. he-he-he

I'm wondering if Snowe and Collins will be joining him in his new life raft?

We're in for some interesting Politics ahead.

I wonder... Does mud still stick?

In related news, while all the above was going on to take your attention off of what REALLY MATTERS, here is what Washington was up to:

The House approved a $3.5 trillion federal budget on Wednesday as Democrats raced to cap President Obama’s first 100 days in office by adopting a fiscal blueprint laying out the path for his chief policy initiatives.

The vote of 233 to 193, closely following party lines, demonstrated again the deep ideological divisions in the House, as Republicans rejected the spending plan en masse, joined by 17 Democrats. [link]

During the 2008 Presendential Election campaigns, the Republicans adopted the slogan -- "Drill, Baby, Drill"

Now, reaching his 100th day in office, based on his decisions and actions of his party, we can officially change the Democratic slogan to read -- "Spend, Baby, Spend"

It's insane! (IMHO)

Our lenders in other parts of the world probably won't take too kindly to the new slogan... nor the actions that have created it. (More on that in a future article I'm working on.)

Does it affect you directly?

If you are in a middle income home, just wait until you see the massive tax hikes coming your way in 2010. It's going to blow your mind! (I'll bring you more details on this later, too.)

Mid sized business and s-corps might want to think about getting ready to pack up and head to nicer business climates by then. Just a thought.

And now, thanks to a cute little filibuster proof legalese inclusion stuffed inside the budget, I get a front row seat to watch how Washington screws up your health care system. (Oh goodie! Sarcasm intended.)

Third Story - What They Are Not Telling You

Patterns. I like watching for and finding patterns.

They can tell you a lot about trends, markets, people, societies, politics, potential problems, potential possibilities... and so much more.

For example, I like using Candlestick Charts for patterns.

And I like following stories that reveal results -- such as the mortgage assistance thing.

And sometimes, through following a sequence of events, other patterns can also emerge. Like, for example, the butterfly effect.

(If you like "connect-the-dots" kind of articles and don't mind a few profanities, you might enjoy this one: 6 Random Coincidences That Created The Modern World)

My point is that sometimes, even things that seem like random events can be a pattern in disguise that leads to a foregone conclusion -- a predictable result.

There's a quiet anger building up in this country. Although it is not quite rage yet, I'm absolutely convinced that the Democratic Machine is going to find a way to channel it to their own advantage. I'm almost positive of it.

And so, I'm watching for patterns that will prove me right.

I could be wrong, you know.

But I could be right.

You don't want to miss my article on this subject.

I've made some alarming discoveries.

Stay tuned.

Swine Flu and Virus Mutations

I've received several emails over the weekend asking me why I haven't brought up the swine flu subject -- ie. "Why aren't you writing about this?!?"

Long time readers of this blog know that I have already written about it...

Or at least, I wrote about what could happen.

Back on May 7, 2006, I wrote:
"How do low pathogenic avian viruses become highly pathogenic?"

And now, 3 years later --- here we are --- with a swine flu virus that CDC Officials say they cannot contain.

According to the WHO and CDC websites, there are 20 official laboratory confirmed cases in the United States of the new mutant virus they call "swine influenza A/H1N1" and they also state "the Government of Mexico has reported 18 laboratory confirmed cases of swine influenza A/H1N1."

The number above is already low, as 20 new cases were just reported today in New York (versus the original 8 that reported when the above WHO/CDC numbers were made public) and an afternoon broadcast has indicated there are a total of 40 confirmed cases in the USA now.

Thus far, the confirmed cases have been found in the following states:

• California
• Kansas
• New York City
• Ohio
• Texas

The numbers of confirmed cases in the USA and Mexico will most likely go up before the end of the day today once lab tests are completed on several suspected cases across both countries.

The WHO website states:

"On Saturday, 25 April, upon the advice of the Emergency Committee called under the rules of the International Health Regulations, the Director-General declared this event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern." [link]

Concern but not Alarm

Meanwhile, according to President Obama, the swine flu situation is a cause for "concern but not alarm."

As of this morning -- "WHO is not recommending any travel or trade restrictions."

Meanwhile, in Europe today -- "The European Union's health chief advised travelers on Monday not to go to areas affected by swine flu." [link]

While here in the USA -- although they had no travel advisory on their site when I was posting this blog item, the CDC was just now on Fox News recommending people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico at this time.

Sixteen deaths from this particular swine flu strain have been reported in Mexico but no deaths at this time have been reported here in the U.S.A. (all of the original 20 diagnosed-case patients have recovered with only one of those infected hospitalized).

UPDATE: Just now Reuters is reporting that the Govt. of Mexico is raising the number of suspected deaths relating to this virus to 149.

One school has been shut down in New York (St. Francis in Queens) where some cases have been reported and they are now scrubbing the school down.

Meanwhile, in Texas, a string of 20 schools have been shut down for the week to hopefully prevent any spread of the virus.

And in Mexico, all schools have been shut down until May 6, 2009.

What Makes This Swine Flu Unique?

For starters, keep in mind that this particular strain spreads from human to human. (You don't need to get it from contact with pigs.) That's a red flag as my previously referenced blog post indicated.

But what truly makes this virus mutation unique is that it was morphed from 4 different virus strains. ANNE SCHUCHAT, MD, Director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases states:

"We know so far that the viruses contain genetic pieces from four different virus sources. This is unusual. The first is our North American swine influenza viruses. North American avian influenza viruses, human influenza viruses and swine influenza viruses found in Asia and Europe.

That particular genetic combination of swine influenza virus segments has not been recognized before in the U.S. or elsewhere. Of course, we are doing more testing now and looking more aggressively for unusual influenza strains. So we haven't seen this strain before but we haven't been looking as intensively as we are these days.

The viruses are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine anti-viral drugs but they are sensitive or susceptible to oseltamivir and zanamivir, the newer anti-viral drugs for flu. And at this time we don’t know exactly how people got the virus. None of the patients have had direct contact with pigs.

You can get swine influenza without direct contact but it's a bit more unusual. And we believe at this point that human-to-human spread is occurring. That's unusual. We don't know yet how widely it's spreading and we certainly don't know the extent of the problem." [link]

Now if you read my earlier blog items on influenzas and how they can mutate, this quite possibly poses quite a mystery for health officials as the the source -- the original mutation -- from whence this particular strain came.

Was it first mixed through a combination of avian and swine which then morphed in a human that had contact with the animals? Or, was it first in a human which was in contact with swine? Or...

The possibilities are mindboggling -- not because it has morphed and is being spread human to human -- but because it is so scattered, without any apparent concentration to any specific localized source.

When you consider the distances between reported cases, it really is remarkable IMHO that it has stretched so far and wide.

No Cause for Alarm or Something to Fear?

Frankly, based on what I've seen/heard/read thus far, I personally think (my humble opinion only) that the Bird Flu H5N1 was (could still be?) far more serious with a potential for higher devastation (owing to its human kill rate)... BUT ...what does concern me at this point is what if this particular strain of swine flu morphs one more time?

It truly is alarming to me that there are 4 different segments/sources for this strain.

And such a diverse mix of 4... Europe, Asia, North American swine, North American avian... consider the odds of the four segments coming together, mixing and eventually mutating into a human to human spread virus.

What if, for example, someone sick with something else entirely contracts the virus and it mutates just one more time?

As it stands right now for this current form of swine influenza A/H1N1, the survival rate is quite high here in the USA as of today.

But what if it morphs...??

Just one more time...??

The bottom line here is this.

I find myself in the very unusual position of being in full agreement with President Obama on this one. I agree with him in that yes, it is a cause for concern but not alarm.

So, don't panic.

At least, not yet.

FDIC Friday Brings Four More Bank Closings

It's time to update the FDIC bank closings list. You might recall me writing about it two weeks ago in "FDIC Friday and Glimmers of Hope?" when the number of banks closed by the FDIC in 2009 was only 23 total.

Well, we have now officially set a new record -- passing the entire year of 2008 -- the number of bank closings by the FDIC has risen to 29 banks closed thus far in 2009.

Four more banks were closed by the FDIC yesterday, as follows:

- First Bank of Idaho, Ketchum, ID
- First Bank of Beverly Hills, Calabasas, CA
- Michigan Heritage Bank, Farmington Hills, MI
- American Southern Bank, Kennesaw, GA

And here is the running "tickertape" on the parade of bank closings:

Total Bank failures in 2005: 0
Total Bank failures in 2006: 0
Total Bank failures in 2007: 3
Total Bank failures in 2008: 25
Total Bank failures (as of April 24) in 2009: a whopping 29 banks

The year isn't over yet, folks. We still have another 8 months to go... that's another 35 FDIC Fridays to go... 34 if you don't count Christmas Day.

Aren't 'ya just super duper relieved that all them thar 18 banks the Feds stress tested turned out so well?

Uh, yeah, okay.

The Federal Governments "chosen few" -- let's call them The Golden Ones -- represent only .002% of all banks here in the USA.

If that isn't enough to make you shudder, new info dug up by Bloomberg might:

April 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve took on more than $74 billion in subprime mortgages, depreciating commercial leases and other assets after Bear Stearns Cos. and American International Group Inc. collapsed.

In its biggest disclosure of the securities accepted to stabilize capital markets, the Fed said yesterday it had unrealized losses of $9.6 billion on the assets as of Dec. 31. The bonds, swaps and notes were taken in from Bear Stearns, once the fifth-biggest Wall Street firm by capitalization, and AIG, which had been the world’s largest insurer. [link to full story]

Bloomberg obtained the details after they sued Nov. 7 under the Freedom of Information Act on behalf of its Bloomberg News unit. QUOTE: The public is an "involuntary investor" in the nation's banks, according to an April 15 court filing by Bloomberg.

Indeed!

Tea Party Backlash

Is the White House trying to give a token response to the Tea Parties held last week (tax day April 15, 2009)? Is the $100 Million expense-cutting target their answer to the protests of wild spending they launched their Administration with?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Personally, I hope not.

You see, I truly hope they take the situation more seriously than that.

Why do I say this? Because if that is their response to the tens of thousands who showed up in hundreds of cities across the country, it's not only patronising, it also mocks each and every citizen who did show up.

The following graphical representation drawn up by heritage.org might give you a better idea of why I say this...



If that tiny dot at the top vs the massive ballooning circles of Obama Administration spending below it are any indication of the "message" that Washington received from Tax Day Tea Parties, I'm thinking the Administration missed the mark... by a long shot!

I guess we're seeing that little scalpel of his going to work.

While Obama's at it, why not cut out wifey's full-time hair stylist/make-up artist as part of his travelling entourage (another Presidential FIRST):

According to stylists who have worked with presidential wives over the past 16 years, Michelle Obama is the nation's first First Lady to add a full-time makeup artist to her traveling entourage.

"No other first ladies have consistently traveled with a makeup artist," said hairdresser Bernard Portelli, who styled Hillary Rodham Clinton's blond mane in 1993 and tracks trends in first-lady style. [link]

Hah! And the mainstream media had a fit over the Palin wardrobe thingy during the 2008 campaigns.

The Obamas privately paid for the travel expenses of the styling team, according to a spokeswoman for the first lady.

Uh... okey dokey... righty-oh... That makes it all soooooo much better, doesn't it?

Funny how they didn't mention about the Palin '08 campaign clothes going back and/or being auctioned off for charities.

But then, we all know how incredibly unethical most of the mainstream media has become, don't we?

While Katie Couric dances up to get her Walter Cronkite journalism award for her abomination of an interview on Palin, the only journalist to stand up against what amounts to the height of journalistic deceit (in my humble opinion) is handcuffed on the sidewalk leading into the event.

Draw your own conclusions on that one.

To me, it makes a bold statement of how, whether you like it or not, you will bend to your knees and praise their mess-I-Yah, just as they do -- or else they're comin' to get 'ya!

One of the best interviews that sums it up, is the one video that CNN tried so desperately to yank from YouTube. CNN lost the fight on that one owing to "Fair Use" laws. I'm talking about CNN's Susan Roesgen's glaring display of tea party bashing, using the camera and her position of influence on their Network to paint such an obviously flawed report of what was going on. (Check out the backstory on that one here.)

But Susan Roesgen is not alone using the power of the media to sway the minds of the masses to their way of thinking -- and try to cut the growing outrage against the massive wall of debt the current Administration is busy cementing while Obama does his best to tear down and rebuild this nation in his own image.

For example, Vanity Fair's Christopher Bateman chose to select the best of the many far left-wing columnists and bloggers while taking a brief stab at Fox News to draft his brief article on tax day -- while many of the tea parties were still going on. (Fox is one of the few Networks that actually "reported" on what was going on at some of the larger tea parties out there.)

Uh, yeah, there's "Politics and Power" at work for 'ya.

This tea has been brewing for some time in this country. And surprisingly, one of the sparks can be traced back to a possibly not-so-well-known case of Kelo v. New London -- possibly one of the first "wake up" calls that drew protest and alarm from all political backgrounds; Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians alike.

Surprisingly enough, in that little incident, it was the far left-wing elitists again that went against the masses -- and not so surprisingly, got their way.
It's a sad story... you can read about it here.

What the far-left elitists (most of whom are in the "Power" seat now) fail to see is that tea parties are about the silent majority, all of those who have felt disenfranchised, like they have no voice... those who would not normally take to the streets. It takes an awful, awful, awful lot to make many of them "stand up" and join their voices with others.

The tipping point, the way I see it, came with the Bush bailouts... when the giant snowball was finally finished. The snowball got pushed off the top of the mountain the minute Obama requested the final TARP funds be released before Bush stepped down. And the momentum has been fed by bailout, after bailout... spending bill after spending bill... wads of future cash (in the form of a mushrooming debt and deficit) being stripped from the taxpayers to go for paying off the mistakes of others.

That's KEY here -- "for paying off the mistakes of others."

Permit me to repeat it just one more time.

"For paying off the mistakes of OTHERS!"

Whether the so-called mainstream media like to admit it or not, that snowball is now rolling down the mountain side -- growing in size and speed.

The tax day tea parties were not an end to the outrage being felt by honest, hardworking, tax paying, law-abiding citizens... folks who have spent most of their lives trying to "do the right thing" for their family, their communities, their country.

The tax day tea parties were just a beginning, IMHO.

July 4, 2009 might very well be bringing on a much bigger show that the mainstream media can scoff, laugh at, dismiss and/or mock. It won't matter what they say now. Their credibility has been stripped away. Their agenda now lays naked for all but the most impaired to see. They're already on the wrong side of the story.

In the interest of full disclosure - I'm a registered Independent and my husband is a registered Democrat.

Imagine that!

PS: I mentioned in my last post that I would be back to post the tea party poem I wrote... but I'm holding back for a bit on that. My apologies to those of you who were looking forward to it. The "editor" in me wants to tweak it a bit more before I unveil it here. Hope you can understand. Please forgive the delay.

More tea parties across the nation

Alamo tea party:


Wilmington, DE party moved indoors because of rain:


Denton tea party in distance:


Provo tea party:


Seattle tea party:




Augusta, GA tea party:


Bakersfield, CA:


Santa Fe tea party:


The NYC stage at their tea party:


And how about a few costumes?

From Piscataway, NJ:


From Astoria, OR:


And in Everett, WA:


Back to signs, here's a great Barney sign from Seattle:


And from Augusta, GA:


That's it for the tea party pics today.

I've written a small poem for the day... will post it tomorrow.

Until then.

Be kind to yourself.

Be kind to your neighbor.

God Bless America!

Peace.

Out.

More tea party updates

Apparently someone dumped a box of tea bags over the fence... that's the reason given for the White House tea party evacuation? Will probably find out more on O'Reilly when Laura Ingram is on??

Now on to a few more pics.

Here is St. Paul:


Tuscaloosa:


Knoxville, TN:


Orlando City Hall:


Arlington (with a Politician?):


Bloomington, Indiana:


Richmond, VA:


New Orleans:


Dallas:


Memphis, TN:


Little Rock:


Riverhead:


Portsmouth:


Bay City Rollers at the OC tea party:


Shreveport:


Tulsa:


Charleston:


Birmingham/Shelby Co:


Another great shot of the MI State Capitol tea party (WOW!):


New York City:



Fun, funny and thought provoking signs.

Here's one from the Austin tea party:


Here's a great one from Clayton:


And from Franklin:


Piscataway, NJ:


And from elsewhere...









More coming soon...

Steady stream of tea party pics

More pics from across the nation... Click the pics to see the larger size/full size version at twitpics.

Bellevue, WA (just ended - about 1,000 to 1,500 showed up):


Wow! The Capitol tea party in Michigan has GROWN MASSIVE!


And check out this panaramic shot of the TN Capitol (you have to click the pic to see the panaramic shot):


Sacramento:


Chatanooga:


More from Boise:


Pensacola getting underway:


Dockweiler (I'm not even sure where that is, but there's a thousand so far):


More from Oklahoma City:


Manfiled, OH:


Pleasanton:


Setting up in Houston:


Lydon, KS just starting out:


Setting up news broadcasting in Orlando:


AND more fun and funny (and even thought provoking) signs.

From NE,TN:


And from Jackson, TN:


And more from elsewhere...







And, would you look at this? Houston tea party is now getting underway...



Gotta take a break now. Be back later.