MarkTreitel.com

How many more must die?

Today, US Military deaths reach 2,000 in Iraq.

I think it doesn't matter what side of the issue you are on, to feel compassion for the loss to our nation, and ther personal loss to families.

The question is will we see the headline:

Today, US Military deaths reach 5,000 in Iraq?

Today, US Military deaths reach 10,000 in Iraq?

Today, US Military deaths reach 20,000 in Iraq?

Can anyone really give an answer.

One thing is for certain, we would not be in Iraq but for President Bush's assertion that Iraq had nuclear weapons.  The only way we geared up to rush into war was because of impending doom.

Hence, the connection to uranium cakes in Niger, Dick Cheney and Victoria Plame.

The Cheney-Libby conversation occurred the same day that The Washington Post published a front-page story about the CIA sending a retired diplomat to Africa, where he was unable to corroborate intelligence that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium yellowcake from Niger. The diplomat was Wilson.

A year after Wilson's trip, President Bush cited British intelligence in his State of the Union address as suggesting that Iraq was pursuing uranium in Africa.

Today, US Military deaths reach 2,000 in Iraq.

OMFG: Cheney as CIA leak source

The NY Times reports that Notes in the hand of a federal prosecutor suggest the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, was first heard of the covert CIA officer central to a leak investigation from Cheney himself.

The newspaper said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between I. Lewis Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists.

Wow, this is an Oliver Stone movie waiting to happen!!!

A bad storm rising

This is crazy but Wilma which was a tropical storm yesterday, a category 2, is now a category 5 only 24 hours later at 175 miles an hour!

Gathering strength at a fierce pace, Hurricane Wilma swirled into the most intense Atlantic storm ever recorded Wednesday, a Category 5 monster packing 175 mph wind that forecasters warned was "extremely dangerous."

The hurricane is the record-tying 12th of the season, the same number reached in 1969. That is the most for one season since record-keeping began in 1851.

So we had 3 cateogry 5 hurricanes in a span of two months.

Looks like we might have massive rellocation of people from the Coast.

If this doesn't prove Global Warming... then what other stupid signs do we need!

I think we should all move to Iowa.

Bird Flu: Gets Deadlier - Let the Beheadings Begin

Bird flu has recently struck in:

• Turkey:  The first reported outbreak of bird flu in Turkey has killed some 2,000 turkeys in the northwestern province of Balikesir, a government official there said. (October 8th) 
• Romania:  Romanian officials quarantined a Danube delta village of about 30 people Friday after three dead ducks there tested positive for bird flu -- the first such cases reported in the region. (October 7th)

Meanwhile, President Bush met with Bird Flu virus manufacturers on Friday, October 7th.

But, according to the same AP article:

Meanwhile, the Bush administration and Congress are considering spending billions of dollars to buy a stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which has shown some success in treating bird flu, The New York Times reported.

However, because the federal government has spent months delaying a decision, the United States will have to wait in line behind other countries that already ordered Tamiflu. If the Bush administration had placed the order a few months ago, Tamiflu maker Roche could have delivered much of the United States' supply by next year, government and industry sources told the Times.

Complicating the federal government's efforts to avert a possible massive outbreak of bird flu is the fact that vaccine development takes time. And whether Tamiflu will be effective in humans remains unknown, experts said.

However, we shouldn't just worry about bird flu,

"We are concerned about avian flu," said Stephen S. Morse, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University and director of the school's Center for Public Health Preparedness. "But the next pandemic could come from some other [virus] as yet not on our radar screen -- an unanticipated influenza," he added.

Basically, something is gonna get us. Have a good day.

Bird Flu: US #1 Priority - Even above Iraq!

As a public service announcement, I am continuing to update you on the Bird Flu until it either
a) goes away
b) we have a massive pandemic deaths, or...
c) Becomes a NBC Movie of the Week

The United States warned that a worldwide pandemic of bird flu among humans would be "catastrophic" and opened an 80 nation conference on the feared disease by pleading with governments not to cover up any outbreaks.

Okay, first of all, this bird flu is not a hoax -- do a quick "yahoo news" search for bird flu. Here's the latest:

From Yahoo News:

US officials are now so concerned about the threat of a pandemic, that they have made bird flu the number one priority at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), even above reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"In terms of timeliness of an issue, there is no issue more important now than doing everything in our capacity to have some kind of impact on the frontlines, particularly globally, to try and help contain this deadly virus," said Kent Hill, USAID's assistant administrator for global affairs.

Here's some scary quotes I got from: www.birdflu.com

"An influenza pandemic of even moderate impact will result in the biggest single human disaster ever - far greater than AIDS, 9/11, all wars in the 20th century and the recent tsunami combined. It has the potential to redirect world history as the Black Death redirected European history in the 14th century."

-- Michael T. Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota

Source:  Bird Flu Could Kill Millions, The Gazette (Montreal), Front Page, March 9, 2005.

"This is going to be the most catastrophic thing in my lifetime. When this situation unfolds, we will shut down global markets overnight. There will not be movement of goods; there will not be movement of people. This will last for at least a year, maybe two."

-- Dr. Osterholm, speaking to a conference of agricultural bankers

Source:  Bird Flu Seen as the Next Pandemic Star Tribune (Minneapolis), November 16, 2004 (reproduced at http://www.pathobiologics.org/ivphc/ref/ahn_112204.html).

"Up to one billion people could die around the whole world in six months.... We are half a step away from a worldwide pandemic catastrophe."

-- Dmitry K. Lvov, Director, D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences

Source:  Russian Expert Says Flu Epidemic May Kill Over One Billion This Year, MosNews.com, November 28, 2004

Here's  the transcript of what President Bush said on Tuesday, October 4, 2005, besides using troops to quarrantine the sick. (Think Martial Law!) This is important for people to read because the pandemic may start pretty soon.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you've been thinking a lot about pandemic flu and the risks in the United States if that should occur.

I was wondering, Secretary Leavitt has said that first responders in the states and local governments are not prepared for something like that. To what extent are you concerned about that after Katrina and Rita?

And is that one of the reasons you're interested in the idea of using defense assets to respond to something as broad and long-lasting as a flu might be?

BUSH: Yes. Thank you for the question.

I am concerned about avian flu. I'm concerned about what an avian flu outbreak could mean for the United States and the world.

BUSH: I have thought through the scenarios of what an avian flu outbreak could mean. I tried to get a better handle on what the decision-making process would be by reading Mr. Barry's book on the influenza outbreak in 1918. I would recommend it.

The policy decisions for a president in dealing with an avian flu outbreak are difficult.

One example: If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?

It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu.

BUSH: And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?

One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have.

I noticed the other day, evidently, some governors didn't like it. I understand that. I was the commander in chief of the National Guard and proudly so. And, frankly, I didn't want the president telling me how to be the commander in chief of the Texas Guard.

But Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president to move beyond that debate. And one such catastrophe or one such challenge could be an avian flu outbreak.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BUSH: Wait a minute, this is an important subject.

Secondly, during my meetings at the United Nations, not only did I speak about it publicly, I spoke about it privately to as many leaders as I could find, about the need for there to be awareness, one, of the issue and two, reporting -- rapid reporting to WHO, so that we can deal with a potential pandemic.

The reporting needs to be not only on the birds that have fallen ill, but also on tracing the capacity of the virus to go from bird to person to person. That's when it gets dangerous: when it goes bird, person, person.

BUSH: And we need to know on a real-time basis as quickly as possible the facts so that the world scientific community can analyze the facts and begin to deal with it.

Obviously, the best way to deal with a pandemic is to isolate it and keep it isolated in the region in which it begins.

As you know, there's been a lot of reporting of different flocks that have fallen ill with the H5N1 virus. And we've also got some cases of the virus being transmitted to a person, and we're watching very carefully.

Thirdly, the development of a vaccine.

BUSH: I've spent time with Tony Fauci on the subject.

Obviously, it would be helpful if we had a breakthrough in the capacity to develop a vaccine that would enable us to feel comfortable here at home, that not only would first responders be able to be vaccinated, but as many Americans as possible, and people around the world.

But, unfortunately, we're just not that far down the manufacturing process. And there's a spray, as you know, that can maybe help arrest the spread of the disease, which is in relatively limited supply.

So one of the issues is how do we encourage the manufacturing capacity of the country, and maybe the world, to be prepared to deal with the outbreak of a pandemic?

BUSH: In other words, can we surge enough production to be able to help deal with the issue?

I take this issue very seriously, and I appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

The people of the country ought to rest assured that we're doing everything we can. We're watching it. We're careful. We're in communications with the world.

I'm not predicting an outbreak. I'm just suggesting to you that we better be thinking about it. And we are. And we're more than thinking about it, we're trying to put plans in place.

And one of the plans -- back to where your original question came -- was, you know, if we need to take some significant action, how best to do so. And I think the president ought to have all options on the table to understand what the consequences are -- all assets on the table, not options -- assets on the table to be able to deal with something this significant.

Not to worry you but...

Didja know that the US Senate approved $4 billion to fight the upcoming and inevitable Pandemic Bird Flu?

That's right, 4 Billion. And it happened on Thursday, Sept. 29th, 2005.

Okay, what the hell is going on here?

First off, besides Yahoo news, how comes it wasn't on the front page of most papers?

I know the current Republican government likes to spend money like they're big liberal Democrats but obviously this isn't some crack pot theory or we wouldn't be approving that kind of cash when we're so cash strapped.

So does this mean that the numbers are right, 5 to 150 million people worldwide will die? I don't really like those odds.

Why is this so low on the radar? And why are we all hearing about Paris' breakup?

150 Million people?

Read this quote from David Nabarro, a Briton who is one of the leading World Health Organization's (WHO) public health experts, as senior UN coordinator for avian and human influenza. He was appointed by Kofi Annon:

"Let's say the range of (human) deaths could be anything between five and 150 million. I believe the work we are doing over the next few months on prevention and preparedness will make the difference between for example whether the next pandemic leads us in the direction of 150 (million) or in the direction of five," Nabarro said.

Okay, so worst off we lose 5 million people. Five million! Holy Crap! That's the low end contingency plan. Meaning that if the world governments working together do everything right, we'll only lose five million human beings. I don't like those odds. Did that scare you? How about this:

We expect the next (human) influenza pandemic to come at any time now. It is likely to be caused by a mutant of the virus that is currently causing bird flu in Asia,"

Even worse. It's not a matter of if this will happen, only a matter of when.

Okay, again, why the hell isn't everyone talking about this?

This doesn't seem to be taking up the news media's attention, but instead we focus on the trivial.

Does this mean the story is too big -- or we have accepted our own fate -- that probably this could be the first of many more global tragedies.

I'm sure I'll have much more to say about this. Hopefully, any new readers will start doing some Yahoo News or Google News searching on bird flu to get up to date. And then write your will.

Oh and Happy Healthy New Year to everyone, from a Jewish perspective. I hope we're all around a year from now. And then you can say "ha-ha" Mark was totally wrong. Unfortunately, I think I might be right.

Indonesia: Not having a banner year

Not matter how much crap happened in America the last few years, and even this week, it seems that Indonesia has it much worse.

First, you have the Indonesian Bali Bombings this past weekend, where 26 people died in three consecutive blasts.

Then earlier this week, you had Indonesia raise their gas prices over 100% causing riots in Jakarta.

But most of all, you have the coming Pandemic Bird-Flu that could purportedly kill between 5 and 150 million people. Guess where it's starting... Indonesia.

And just glanced at this article saying that Qantas stated over 500 people changed their plans to fly to Indonesia.

Sorry, Indonesia, maybe you need to get a cute mascot like the Koala Bear.
Who doesn't love Koala Bears?

Like Nelly says "It's Getting Hot in Here..."

More stuff you can tell your kids about why we screwed up the world and now you can tell 'em the exact date when it happened: (And if you don't know what FUBAR means, google it).

Basically: Scientists stopped short of directly blaming the melting trend on global warming but said they have few other explanations at this point.

Hmm... I blame the liberal media. Well, that's what we'll hear on those conservative talk radio shows no doubt.

My guess is that flood pants will come back in style in a few years...

Here's part of the AP article:

Arctic Ice Melts Faster As It Gets Warmer

New satellite observations show that sea ice in the Arctic is melting faster while air temperatures in the region are rising sharply, scientists say.

Since 2002, satellite data have revealed unusually early springtime melting in areas north of Siberia and Alaska. Now the melting trend has spread throughout the Arctic, according to a national collaboration of scientists.

The latest observations through September show that melting in 2005 began a record 17 days earlier than usual.

The observations showed 2.06 million square miles of sea ice as late as Sept. 19. That's the lowest measurement of Arctic sea ice cover ever recorded, the researchers said. It's also 20 percent less than the average of end-of-summer ice pack cover measurements recorded since 1978.

At the same time, average air temperatures across most of the Arctic region from January to August 2005 were as much as 5.4 degrees warmer than average temperature over the last 50 years, said the team of researchers from two universities and NASA.

"The melting and retreat trends are accelerating," Ted Scambos, of the University of Colorado at Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center, said in a statement released by the university. The results have not yet been published in a scientific journal.

"The one common thread," Scambos said, "is that Arctic temperatures over the ice, ocean and surrounding land have increased in recent decades."

The scientists stopped short of directly blaming the melting trend on global warming but said they have few other explanations at this point.

Don't say I didn't warn you

From the AP today...

Gas Prices Blamed for Late Credit Payments

WASHINGTON - The percentage of credit card payments that were past due shot up to a record high in the second quarter as surging gasoline prices strained budgets and made it difficult for some people to pay their bills.

The American Bankers Association reported Wednesday that the seasonally adjusted percentage of credit card accounts 30 or more days past due rose in the April-to-June quarter to 4.81 percent. That followed a delinquency rate of 4.76 percent in the first quarter and was the highest since the association began collecting this information in 1973.

"The rise in gas prices is really stretching budgets to the breaking point for some people," the association's chief economist, Jim Chessen, said in an interview. "Gas prices are taking huge chunks out of wallets, leaving some individuals with little left to meet their financial obligations."

Let's see what happens when gas goes to $4 per gallon later this year and $5. Looks like some people are heading towards bankruptcy. Thanks, America, or should I say MobilExxonShellBP. I'm glad the stock is doing real well!!!

Bankrupting America's Pockets & Dreams

According to this article from NY Times:

When Congress agreed this spring to tighten the bankruptcy laws and crack down on consumers who took on debt irresponsibly, no one had the victims of Hurricane Katrina in mind.

But four weeks after New Orleans flooded and tens of thousands of other residents of the Gulf Coast also lost their homes and livelihoods, a stricter new personal bankruptcy law scheduled to take effect on Oct. 17 is likely to deliver another blow to those dislocated by the storm.

The law was intended to keep individuals from taking on debts they had no intention of paying off. But many once-solvent Katrina victims are likely to be caught up in the net intended to catch deadbeats.

As readers of this blog know, I already brought up those issues about a month ago.

The issue that raises is say that Congress and the President didn't know there would be Hurricane Katrina. Let's give them that.

Is it unfathomable for Congress to actually think ahead and say maybe there would be some (unforseen) tragedy that would screw thousands of people and not allow them to declare bankruptcy? You mean, that never came up during the debate? Why should it. Because this Administration and the conservative point of view basically has the philosophy that you are POOR and F&CKED because that is your lot in life. Some sort of Kapitalistic Karma.

Of course the issue now is that take the people who have no choice but to declare bankruptcy on a mini-scale. Say persoanl tragedies beyond their control, even call them acts of God. Now they still would be screwed and unable to declare bankruptcy. But their plights would go unnoticed -- and only in some alternative universe would there be an article in NY Times some three years from now about people who are forever in debt. At least Katrina will bring these things to light. But the greater issue and one that should make anyone furious is that sometimes things happen beyond our control that totally ruin our lives and the American system of letting people start over has worked at least for this past hundred years -- if not more -- but this current administration -- (and the one that will run in 2008) basically wants an idea to go back to debtors prison. That once you are f*cked, you are f*cked for life-- and so are your children. Who do you think will be paying for this? Should children whose parents have to carry around these monster debts their entires lives suffer.

The bankruptcy revision is basically to stop scofflaws and those people -- any people -- who abuse the system should be punished. Any law has people who skirt around the law to utilize their benefit. But the issue of any government is who benefits and suffers the most. In this case, it will be the banks, who will get paid many times over (as smarter people than me can tell you). Our future is owing money to a corporation.

These laws are unfeeling and why did an actual and literal huuricane have to come in and expose the calamties of government?

And again to make things easy to understand. Imagine that $5,000 loan you have would never go away. Well, how are you going to pay it when you don't have a job, because your town is gone and you have no job and you have to feed your kids, so you have to borrow to make the payments -- and it will never end.

America has stopped being the nation of second chances.

Where you are born and who are your parents will determine everything.

We have become what our original founding fathers fought against, a class nation.