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.