Sunday, December 26, 2010
新加坡‧白龍王呼吸困難又留醫‧出院後暫無法問事
（新加坡26日訊）白龍王呼吸困難，再次入加護病房，如今已出院，但暫時無法問事。
獅城導遊陳耀宗（38歲）說，他前天早上帶著3名獅城客走訪白龍王廟，發現白龍王剛從醫院加護病房出院，身體狀況不好。
他說，廟宇還沒開門前，白龍王大弟子盧師兄就向外面排隊的信徒說明，白龍王不舒服，只會為人祈福，不會問事。
醫生每天來檢查
早上6時廟宇開門時，白龍王不在廟宇大殿內，而是在大殿旁的住家大門外。
他的鼻孔內插入呼吸管，手背上貼著膠布，偶爾還會咳嗽得很厲害。
6時15分，一輛救護車進入白龍王廟，一名女醫生進入白龍王的住家檢查他的狀況，並在6時50分離開。
陳耀宗說，白龍王的女兒黃龍王隨後告訴他，白龍王在本月19日因為呼吸困難，心跳加速，進入泰國醫院的加護病房，22日出院。
如今，醫生每天都會來檢查，並囑咐他不要說太多話，也不要吸入大殿內的香燭煙。
陳耀宗說，白龍王當時還說︰“我這幾天不太舒服，不過這麼多人從世界各地來找我，我也不想讓他們失望而歸，所以會儘量接見每個人。”
新加坡‧一個為錢‧一個為性‧300新加坡漢峇淡島養二奶
（新加坡26日訊）超過300名獅城漢在峇淡島養二奶，月花數百元金屋藏嬌，一個為錢一個為性，樂當周末夫妻。
印尼的峇淡島，與新加坡一水之隔，只需45分鐘航程就到彼岸，向來是新加坡人的“包二奶天堂”。
從印尼各島涌來的賣春女、女傭，甚至一些良家婦女，都希望找到金龜婿提供長期飯票，而許多獅城的風流客也愛到島上獵艷、尋找“第二春”，希望以“負擔得起”的價錢，養個“周末”小老婆。
記者走訪了兩個二奶村的村長，他們說，島上的二奶，80%都是由獅城客包養。
據位於Nagoya唐人街Windsor區的村長敬亭（41歲）說，根據“官方數據”，峇淡島目前有至少400個未婚同居的二奶家庭。
敬亭村長說，以80%包二奶的金主是獅城客來計算，超過300名獅城男在峇淡島養二奶。
之所以有“官方數據”，是因為租房買房都由獅城漢“買單”，官方因此從中獲得他們的個人資料。而這也只是“保守估計”。
實際數目相信更多
“當局近來通過他人舉報或突擊，揭發了不少‘深藏不露’的二奶家庭，實際數目相信更多。”
他透露，他管理800戶家庭，當中有60戶是新加坡人包養的二奶家庭。
而位於“快樂花園”（Happy Garden）排屋民宅的村長安東尼（43歲）則說，高峰期曾有100戶獅城二奶，但由於種種原因，如今只剩10戶左右。
養二奶每月約花費千四
據記者探悉，獅城客養二奶的大略費用，包括300家用、100元房租，和每個月4個周末的船費約200元，總數達600元（馬幣約1422令吉）。
有時候還要花錢住酒店度春宵，那又是另外一筆開銷了。
如果買房養二奶，當地的房價，則是從簡陋的2萬元起跳、類似三房組屋大小的4萬元，到8萬元排屋甚至百萬元大豪宅不等。
澳洲‧瓦努阿圖7.3級強震‧引發小海嘯‧無傷亡報告
（澳洲‧悉尼26日訊）南太平洋島國瓦努阿圖星期日發生7.3級強震，引發小規模海嘯，但未有傷亡損毀報告，海嘯警報不久後解除。
夏威夷太平洋海嘯警報中心指出，地震於當地時間星期日凌晨12時16分（大馬時間週六9時16分）來襲，促使當局向瓦努阿圖、斐濟和法屬新喀里多尼亞發佈海嘯警報。
文告稱：“海平面高度證實當地曾出現海嘯。海嘯可能對沿岸地區或者震央附近地區帶來破壞。”
但由於海嘯浪潮僅比平常海浪高出15公分，也沒有傳出災情，海嘯警報不久後便解除。
美國地質調查局稱，地震震央位於塔納島伊桑戈爾以西145公里，震源深度12.3公里；當地有多座活躍的火山。
遊客聚酒店狂歡迎聖誕
瓦努阿圖首都維拉港酒店員工表示，地震發生時，許多遊客正聚在酒店狂歡迎接聖誕節。
他說：“我們一部份人跑到外面觀察海浪變化，但甚麼也沒發生。地震沒有造成傷亡或損失。”他補充，地方電台沒有廣播海嘯預警的消息。
格蘭德酒店接待員形容這是一起小地震，並指有民眾打電話到氣象局詢問，但無人應答。附近島嶼酒店的員工也表示，沒有聽到海嘯警報。
他說：“我們沒有接到任何海嘯警報通知。我們都感受到地震，但不知道曾發生海嘯。”
瓦努阿圖群島位於斐濟、澳洲和紐西蘭北部，處於太平洋環火山帶內，當地地殼板塊活動劇烈，以致地震和火山活動頻密。
英國‧與出版商簽約‧阿桑奇獲477萬出自傳
（英國‧倫敦26日訊）“維基泄密”網站創辦人阿桑奇在星期日刊登的專訪中指出，他已經同出版商簽訂價值超過100萬英鎊（477萬令吉）的自傳合約。
阿桑奇告訴英國《星期日泰晤士報》說，這些錢將用來為自己辯護。阿桑奇面對瑞典2名女子對他的性侵指控官司。
用來為自己辯護
他說：“我不想要寫這本書，但我必須這麼做。我已經花了20萬英鎊（95萬令吉）支付律師費，我必須為自己辯護，讓‘維基泄密’繼續運作。”
澳洲籍的阿桑奇表示，他將分別從美國克諾普夫出版社（Alfred A.Knopf）以及英國坎農給特出版社（Canongate），獲得80萬美元（247萬令吉）和32萬5000英鎊（155萬令吉）。
他說，再加上其他國家市場和連載權，總額估計將達110萬英鎊（525萬令吉）。
阿桑奇的爆料網站“維基泄密”最新一波的行動，是逐步地公開數十萬份美國外交電文。
自“維基泄密”公佈這些密電，該網站已面臨資金問題。阿桑奇目前獲得保釋，住在他英國朋友的家不準離開，他正全力爭取不要被引渡到瑞典。
英國‧航班大亂‧經濟活動受影響‧大雪毀歐聖誕假期
（英國‧倫敦26日訊）歐洲多國連日大雪，已嚴重擾亂耶誕佳節期間歐洲地區的旅遊、購物與經濟活動，氣象預測，歐洲地區的嚴寒天氣預計還會持續一段時間。
歐洲航空交通已大致恢復正常，英國的主要機場聖誕節大致能正常運作，但各機場也警告，由於天候十分惡劣，航班仍然可能延誤。
倫敦希斯羅機場聖誕節當天只有數班航班取消，機場共有600航班，接載7萬乘客。
巴黎機場取消400航班
歐洲第二繁忙的法國巴黎戴高樂機場因為消除機翼結冰的抗凍劑生產工廠罷工造成抗凍劑短缺，被迫在平安夜取消400班航機，相當於半數航班，約300名乘客在機場度過平安夜。
比利時和德國的交通也受到大風雪嚴重影響，機場聖誕節當天才大致恢復正常運作，但法蘭克福仍有航班取消。
在愛爾蘭，大雪導致約4萬旅客滯留在都柏林機場。
新一輪降雪給捷克交通造成嚴重影響，大約有25%的長途火車晚點，布拉格機場20多個航班延誤。
英國‧死亡率週內急升60%‧北半球將爆流感高峰
（英國‧倫敦26日訊）A（H1N1）型流感近日在北半球有死灰復燃之勢。寒流肆虐的英國過去一週有10人死亡，令英國今冬流感爆發以來死於A型流感的人增至24人，另有3人死於B型流感，死亡率一週內急升60%。
歐美加流感個案增加
歐洲疾病控制及預防中心警告，歐洲各地的流感個案有增加趨勢，美國及加拿大也有同樣情況，北半球即將踏入流感高峰期。
英國衛生部門統計數字顯示，現時全英有多達460名確診及懷疑感染流感的病人，正接受深切治療，比起1週前多出逾倍，預料當地A型流感的感染及死亡個案將在未來數週持續攀升。
英國A型流感死者當中，8人來自大曼徹斯特，連監獄亦有7名囚犯確診感染。死者還包括一名孕婦及9名18歲以下兒童，部份患者在感染1周內死亡。
醫學專家指出，按英國每年3000至4000人死於流感的數字估計，24個A型流感死亡個案可能只是冰山一角，很多患者是併發肺炎或心臟病發致死，死亡證大多不會列明死於流感。
雖然政府專家都試圖淡化A型流感的影響，但預料病毒仍會在未來幾年的流感季節與其他季節性流感同時傳播。
大部份感染者是年輕人
此外，美加部份地區近期亦錄得A型流感病例上升，大部份感染者是年輕人，地區性流感爆發的州份由4個增至13個，密西西比州更有廣泛地區爆發疫情。
在加拿大，求診人士的流感病毒測試呈陽性反映的比率，在一週內由8.3%增至10.8%。中國北部、蒙古及斯里蘭卡亦錄得更多宗流感個案。另外，埃及則錄得1宗H5N1禽流感。
英國‧暴風雪致希思羅機場大亂‧擬立法處懲機場當局
（英國‧倫敦26日訊）英國媒體星期日報導，聖誕節前的暴風雪天氣導致倫敦希思羅機場大亂，英國政府欲制定新法案，讓機場當局必須對乘客行程嚴重影響負責，繳付罰款。
英國《星期日泰晤士報》引述交通部長哈蒙德的話說，監管機構將被賦予新權力，對機場罰款數千萬英鎊。
聖誕節前，嚴寒天氣導致希思羅機場停擺數日。
哈蒙德說，西班牙擁有的英國機場管理公司（BAA）在現行制度下，將不會受到處罰。全球最繁忙的國際機場希思羅機場，是由BAA所管理。
報導說，英國民航管理局（CAA）已確認，希思羅機場航空大亂將不會導致機場管理局被罰款。
希思羅機場的幾個航廈，在聖誕節前數天變成旅客臨時的棲身之所，由於航班取消，憤怒的乘客被迫睡在充當臨時床的行李盤上過夜。
據報導，英國當局預計通過一個新的機場經濟監管法案，給予監管機構額外權力，對機場管理當局服務失誤處以罰款。法案將包括對沒有做好準備應付惡劣天氣作懲罰。
目前，CAA只能在乘客排隊安檢上機時間是否太長，座位是否足夠或清潔度等特定類別罰款。
監管機構被賦予權力介入
《星期日泰晤士報》說，一旦機場不能有效地作業，監管機構也被賦予權力進行介入。報導補充說，如果機場管理局出現過失，也會被剝奪執照。
哈蒙德表示：“由於機場是最終的戰略基礎設施，我們可能需要使出最後一招，因為除了安全和保安方面，我們目前正缺乏這些權力。”
報導說，英國交通部指這項提案有待完成，目前尚不清楚何時會提交國會。
中國‧“物價上漲刺痛我心”‧溫家寶自認有責任穩定
（中國‧北京26日訊）中國總理溫家寶星期日表示，物價上漲問題刺痛他的心，並表示自己有責任和有信心穩定物價。
當天上午，溫家寶將走進中央人民廣播電台中國之聲直播間，參與特別節目《重返災區——中國之聲溫暖行動》，並回答了幾位聽眾的問題。
對於一名深圳聽眾提出最近物價上漲的問題，溫家寶說，這個問題刺痛了他的心，並坦承，通膨預期比通膨本身更可怕。
但他強調，作為政府主要領導人，他有責任亦有信心控制物價，和群眾一起渡過難關。
物價總水平開始回落
他透露，當局已經採取了多項措施，包括透過支持農業發展、提高銀行存款準備金率及利率、控制過度投資等，過去一個月，物價總水平已開始回落。
他表示，他曾經承諾，在任內控制樓價急升情況，雖然未完全做到，但會繼續努力，並從兩方面著手，一方面是興建更多保障性住房，另一方面要抑制房地產投資，加強土地管理，在這問題上絕不會退縮。
溫家寶又指，中國過去一年走得不容易，而明年的任務將會更加艱鉅和複雜，但他相信，只要全國上下一心，努力奮鬥，可以把中國建成民主、富強及文明的現代化國家。他一定會鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已。
時間已過兩年多
汶川地震歷歷在目
溫家寶回憶2008年汶川地震災區時表示，“時間過去兩年多了，仿佛歷歷在目”。
他追憶，他在2008年5月15日乘船進入廣元災情最嚴重的青川縣後，看到到處是震垮的房屋，折斷的橋梁，隨後抵達木魚鎮，那裡的房子全震垮了，救援隊在一座垮塌的小學搶救人員，廢墟裡埋著數百名師生。
他表示，當時鎮裡的居民和附近的農民聞訊都趕來了，“我們的人民非常之好，他們強忍著巨大的悲痛，我記得有一個生動的事例，就在我慰問居民的時候，他遞給了我一封信。”
溫家寶說：“他家裡頭也有人遇難，但是他在信裡還感謝政府，還鼓勵人們戰勝困難，我看到了信，心裡特別難過。時間過去兩年多了，仿佛歷歷在目。”
談及另一災區的舟曲，溫家寶指出，目前遇到的困難包括冬季居住、物價上漲、租房租金過高，並表示，當局將加大扶助力度。
美國‧內戰信息解碼：沒有救兵
（美國‧弗吉尼亞26日訊）美國18世紀內戰時期一個收在玻璃瓶內的加密信息，上週六被成功破解。147年前，聯軍攻陷密西西比州，但信息透露：不會有援軍到來。
這則加密信息誌期1863年7月4日，維克斯堡南軍司令彭伯頓正是在這一天向聯軍投降，結束了維克斯堡戰役，是美國內戰的一個重大轉折點。
這個玻璃瓶加密信息是由密西西比河西部的南軍司令，向彭伯頓發出的，內文稱：“我無法幫你。我沒有軍隊，沒有資源，我沒有辦法到那邊去。”
這個2寸長（5.1公分）的玻璃瓶，從1896年起一直擱在弗吉尼亞州里士滿市聯邦博物館，瓶底還有一顆子彈。館主賴特基於好奇，某天突然決定要調查瓶中信息的內容。最終由中央情報局退休解密員格雷迪，破解信中密碼。
印度‧最大通訊衛星升空失敗爆炸
（印度‧新德里26日訊）印度上週六發射歷來最大型通訊衛星GSAT-5P失敗，原因是運載火箭GSLV-F06在升空後爆炸，濃煙與火光齊冒，最後墜落孟加拉灣。
這枚火箭是從南部清奈市80公里外的斯利哈里柯塔發射站發射，但升空47秒後失控，偏離預定飛行路線，地面指揮中心不得不將它引爆。
該中心今年4月曾試圖發射火箭失敗，被迫延期，這回爆炸，不但令造價約8000萬令吉的衛星付之一炬，也令印度晉身衛星強國的鴻圖大計再度受挫。
On Christmas Day, 2010
Pentagon's Christmas Present: Largest Military Budget Since World War II
The bill, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, was approved by all 100 senators as required and by a voice vote in the House.
The House had approved the bill, now sent to President Barack Obama to sign into law, five days earlier in a 341-48 roll call, but needed to vote on it again after the Senate altered it in the interim.
The proposed figure for the Pentagon's 2011 war chest includes, in addition to the base budget, $158.7 billion for what are now euphemistically referred to as overseas contingency operations: The military occupation of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.
The $725 billion figure, although $17 billion more than the White House had requested, is not the final word on the subject, however, as supplements could be demanded as early as the beginning of next year, especially in regard to the Afghan war that will then be in its eleventh calendar year.
Even as it currently is, the amount is the highest in constant dollars (pegged at any given year's dollar and adjusted for inflation) since 1945, the final year of the Second World War. With recent U.S. census figures at 308 million, next year the Pentagon will spend $2,354 for every citizen of the country at the $725 billion price tag alone.
Last year's Pentagon budget, by way of comparison, was $680 billion, a base budget of $533.8 billion and the remainder for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In July of this year Congress approved the 2010 Supplemental Appropriations Act which contained an additional $37 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Next year's defense authorization of $725 billion compares to, according to the Center for Defense Information, a Pentagon budget of $444.6 billion in 1946; $460.4 billion in 1968, the highest yearly amount during the Vietnam War; and $443.4 billion in 1988, the highest during the eight years of the Ronald Reagan administration's massive military buildup. (Numbers in 2004 constant dollars.) [1]
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates American military spending for 2009 to have accounted for 43 percent of the world total. Carl Conetta, co-director of the Project on Defense Alternatives, earlier this year estimated the 2010 U.S. defense budget to constitute 47 percent of total worldwide military expenditures and to amount to 19 percent of all American federal spending.
In addition, Pentagon spending has increased by 100 percent since 1998 and "the Obama budget plans to spend more on the Pentagon over eight years than any administration has since World War II." [2]
With 2.25 million full-time civilian and military personnel, excluding part-time National Guard and Reserve members, the Defense Department is the U.S.'s largest employer, outstripping Walmart with 1.4 million employees and the U.S Post Office with 599,000. [3]
"Add in what Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and the Energy departments spend on defense and total US military spending will reach $861 billion in fiscal 2011, exceeding that of all other nations combined," according to Todd Harrison, senior fellow for Defense Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. [4]
In April Robert Higgs of The Independent Institute advocated that the budgets - in part or in whole - of the departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, Energy, State and Treasury and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) should be calculated in the real military budget, which would in 2009 would have increased it to $901.5 billion.
"Adding [the] interest component to the previous all-agency total, the grand total comes to $1,027.8 billion, which is 61.5 percent greater than the Pentagon's outlays alone."
His numbers are:
National Security Outlays in Fiscal Year 2009
(billions of dollars)
Department of Defense 636.5
Department of Energy (nuclear weapons and environmental cleanup) 16.7
Department of State (plus international assistance) 36.3
Department of Veterans Affairs 95.5
Department of Homeland Security 51.7
Department of the Treasury (for the Military Retirement Fund) 54.9
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (1/2 of total) 9.6
Net interest attributable to past debt-financed defense outlays 126.3
Total 1,027.5 [5]
The above-cited Carl Conetta stated at the beginning of this year that the 2011 Pentagon budget will mark a milestone in that "the inflation-adjusted rise in spending since 1998 will probably exceed 100% in real terms by the end of the fiscal year.
"Taking the 2011 budget into account, the Defense Department has been given about $7.2 trillion since 1998, when the post-Cold War decline in defense spending ended. Approximately $2.5 trillion of this total is due to spending above the annual level set in 1998. This added amount constitutes the post-1998 spending surge."
Based on constant 2010 dollars, Conetta further details that the Ronald Reagan administration spent $4.1 trillion on the Defense Department, the Georgia W. Bush administration spent $4.65 trillion and "Barack Obama plans to spend more than $5 trillion."
He also compares the two previous largest post-World War Two surges in U.S. military spending to the current one:
From 1958-1968: 43 percent
From: 1975-1985 57 percent
In regards to which he said, "the 1998-2011 surge is as large as these two predecessors combined."
His calculations also include a growth in Pentagon contract employees of 40 percent since 1989, thereby freeing up uniformed service members for more direct combat roles.
The U.S. share of global military spending grew from 28 percent during the Cold War to 41 percent by 2006 and that of NATO member states, including the U.S., from 49 percent to 70 percent in the same period.
Contrariwise, the "group of potential adversary and competitor states has gone from claiming a 42 % share to just 16 % in 2006.
"Had Ronald Reagan -" who is generally regarded a hawkish president -" wanted to achieve in the 1980s the ratio between US and adversary spending that existed in 2006, he would have had to quadruple his defense budgets.
"And, of course, since 2006, the US defense budget has not receded, but instead grown by another 20% in real terms.
"By 2011, the United States will probably account for more than half of all global military spending calculated in terms of 'purchasing power parity' (which corrects for differences between national economies)." [6]
The defense authorization bill passed on December 22, despite its monumental and unprecedented size, has been routinely described in the American press as stripped-down, scaled-down and pared-down because an arms manufacturer or two, their lobbyists and obedient congresspersons didn't get every new defense contract and weapons project they desired three days before Christmas.
The December 22 vote in the House was, as Associated Press accurately described it, conducted without debate or discussion - and "without major restrictions on the conduct of operations" - particularly in regards to the $158.7 billion for the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, $75 million to train and equip the armed forces of Yemen for the counterinsurgency campaign in that country and $205 million more to fund Israel's Iron Dome missile shield.
Regarding the first vote on December 17: "This year's bill is mostly noteworthy for its broad bipartisan support during wartime....Unlike during the height of the Iraq War when anti-war Democrats tried to use the legislation to force troops home, the House passed the defense bill Friday with almost no debate on Afghanistan." [7]
Aside from voting for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy as a stand-alone measure, excising an amendment to allow abortions to be performed on military bases, and refusing reparations to victims of the World War Two Japanese occupation of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam (apparently $100 million for the purpose was considered excessive in the $725 billion authorization), there was no meaningful dissent in either house of Congress.
Increasing the U.S. war budget to the highest level it's been since the largest and deadliest war in history while no nation or group of nations poses a serious threat to the country, and to a degree where it effectively exceeds the defense spending of the rest of the world combined, is all in the proper order of things for the world's sole military superpower.
1) Center for Defense Information
http://www.cdi.org/news/mrp/us-military-spending.pdf
2) Christian Science Monitor, March 29, 2010
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/David-R.-Francis/2010/0329/Defense-budget-After-Afghanistan-and-Iraq-withdrawal-a-peace-dividend
3) Christian Science Monitor, June 28, 2010
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/David-R.-Francis/2010/0628/Cuts-to-US-defense-budget-look-inevitable
4) Ibid
5) Robert Higgs, Defense Spending Is Much Greater than You Think
The Independent Institute, April 17, 2010
http://www.independent.org/blog/index.php?p=5827
6) Carl Conetta, Trillions to Burn? A Quick Guide to the Surge in Pentagon
Spending
Project on Defense Alternatives, February 5 2010
http://www.comw.org/pda/1002BudgetSurge.html
7) Associated Press, December 17, 2010
Read more articles at opednews.com
The JP Morgue Whistleblowers Are Back
http://tinyurl.com/29kmekw
« MUST SEE - Walmart Lampooned - Killing Jobs And Country For Everyday Low Prices »
This is very-well produced. The price of everyday low prices is NOT cheap...
JibJab Video - Big Box Mart - A factory worker learns the truth about his favorite department store - that there's a very high cost for everyday low prices - unemployment.
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The Seattle Singers for Economic Justice take over WalMart with an entertaining holiday message for workers rights...
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Video - Walmart shoppers lose their freaking minds (and scare children) to save a few bucks and get useless plastic shit from China...
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Doctors sound TSA germ alert. Dangers include syphilis, lice, viruses, ringworm
Syphilis, lice, gonorrhea, ringworm, chlamydia, staph, strep, noro and papilloma viruses all are part of the possible fringe benefits when airline passengers next go through a full hands-on pat-down by agents of the federal government's Transportation Security Administration, according to doctors.
WND reported two days ago on alarmed passengers who noted that TSA agents doing the pat-downs that have been described by critics as molestation since they include touching private body parts were not changing gloves between passengers. In fact, some apparently were patting down dozens of passengers or more wearing the same gloves.
But neither the TSA nor federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control
was willing to comment on the possibilities that infections and other loathsome afflictions
could be passed from passenger to passenger.
Now two doctors – and several others – have confirmed that there is the definite possibility that passengers will be able to catch whatever someone in front of them in line was suffering from via the latex gloves TSA workers use.
"There is no doubt that bacteria (staph, strep, v.cholerae etc.) and viruses (noro, enteroviruses, herpes, hepatitis A and papilloma viruses) can be spread by contaminated vinyl or latex gloves," Dr. Thomas Warner of Wisconsin told WND in a letter to the editor.
"If a traveler has diarrhea and is soiled, as can and does happen, the causative agent can be spread by this method since bacteria and viruses in moist environments have greater viability."
He continued. "The traveler readjusting clothes can easily get the infectious agents on their hands and therefore into their mouth, nose or eyes."
Added a pulmonary critical care physician from Connecticut who did not want to be identified by name, "That doesn't make sense that they're not changing gloves."
"Anything can be transmitted. If there are open wounds and they [TSA agents] are not aware, there's syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia, lice, ringworm."
Worse yet would be for people whose immune systems are compromised by treatments they may be having, including cancer patients, she said.
Physicians undergo extensive training, follow strict rules and even have those who watch them to make sure they follow procedures to reduce to an absolute minimum the likelihood of carrying disease from one person to another, she said.
"How come if we as doctors have guidelines, we must wear gloves and have oversight, it's very different [for the TSA]," she said.
Warner told WND some of the infections are "a tough little beast" and easily would be spread through the contact being used by the TSA.
"Staphylococci are also tough and can be spread on fomites (eg . towels, tampons or gloves ) and survive in dry conditions. Methicillin resistant staph creates havoc in hospitals AND in those awaiting surgery (eg. traveling for a transplant ) when the 'carrier' patient must be clear of the bacterium before elective surgery," he said.
"Emerging infectious and tropical agents create another wild scenario," he said.
He said at a minimum gloves should be changed between pat-downs, "especially if the gloved hand is inside clothes or in the genital ... area even if clothed. Travelers should be advised of this and hand-wash and change clothes ASAP after these intimate examinations."
The CDC previously told WND to contact the TSA, which did not respond to inquiries, on the status of policies that would minimize the possibility of passing infections from one passenger to another.
The response today was the same, according to a WND reader who passed along his question to the CDC about the situation and the agency's response.
In response to a question about minimizing the possibility infections could be passed along, the CDC said:
Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. In response to your comments that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are not changing gloves between the travelers that they pat-down, we are pleased to provide you with the following information.
If you are traveling and are going to be searched, you can request that the TSA agent change his or her gloves.
Endorsing the doctors' recommendations was a commentary at Natural News.com.
There, the editorial writer noted the intimacy of the pat-downs by the TSA, procedures which are required for some travelers and offered as an option to those who refuse to go through a full-body image scanner which essentially reveals a nude image of the passenger for TSA workers to review.
"Air travel passengers across America have been complaining of the TSA fingering their genitalia and touching their sex organs. Just this week, an ABC News employee was fingered by a TSA agent who felt around inside her underwear. ... This process of touching traveler's genitals without consistently changing latex gloves means the TSA is involved in extremely risky behavior that could spread disease," the website warned.
"TSA agents are not trained as medical personnel. Just as they don't seem to grasp the Bill of Rights, they also may not understand how infectious disease is spread. They aren't medical personnel; they're Big Brother enforcers who have likely never been taught the principles of how to conduct a sterile body search," the commentary said.
"If an athlete with jock itch (a fungal infection) undergoes a TSA pat-down, that TSA agent could spread the passenger's jock itch from his crotch to his armpits and neck. The same is true for a person suffering from ringworm or other skin fungal infections: Merely touching them and then touching another body part can cause them to spread," the website said. "Even worse, if that same TSA agent does not change his or her gloves between pat-downs, they could be spreading jock itch, ringworm or other infections from traveler to traveler. So traveler #2 could end up with the jock itch picked up from traveler #1."
In WND's original report on the issue of gloves online forum participants said it was clear the gloves are to protect the TSA agents, not provide any protection for passengers.
Martha Donahue in a commentary at Resistnet said she'd spent 30 years in the medical industry.
"For those of you who fly and opt for the 'pat down,' you need to demand the TSA thugs change their gloves. I've been watching on the news how they operate. People are being searched [with] dirty gloves ... gloves that have been in crotches, armpits, touching people who may be ill, people who pick their noses. Do you want those gloves touching you?
"These thugs are protecting themselves from you. You need to be protected from them," she wrote. "In a hospital, nursing home, in-home care, or even labs, that would never even be considered an option."
While the CDC referred questions about health and disease issues to the TSA, in its online writings the organization repeatedly makes clear the importance of maintaining clean hands to avoid such transmission of communicable and contagious afflictions.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, at the time the chief of the CDC, said during a special presentation on hand cleanliness, "We know that hand hygiene is a critical component of safe and healthy health care."
At the same time, Dr. John Boyce, lead author of the organization's hand-washing guidelines and the chairman of the Hand Hygiene Task Force, said, "There's a large study that was conducted at the University of Geneva Hospital in Switzerland where they demonstrated significant improvement in the adherence of health care workers to hand hygiene practices and they also showed that the incidence of antibiotic resistance to staph infections went down and that the overall prevalence of health care-acquired infections went down ... ."
Suggested Gerberding in the context of health care, "Hand hygiene saves lives. We're recommending a comprehensive evidence-based approach in hospitals that consists of handwashing with soap and water when the goal is to remove unsightly debris; hand alcohol preps for enhancing appearance and reducing bacterial counts; and gloving when people have contact with blood or other body fluids in accordance with universal precautions."
She said even in a "community setting," "washing with soap and water remains a very sensible strategy for hand hygiene."
Other health standards across the country routinely warn against hand contact with sores, lesions or other sources of viruses or contamination. The Lincoln, Neb., health site notes, "This includes hand contact."
Officials at the Canadian Center for Occupational Health noted that "hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections.
"You can spread certain 'germs' (a general term for microbes like viruses and bacteria) casually by touching another person. You can also catch germs when you touch contaminated objects or surfaces and then you touch your face (mouth, eyes, and nose)," it said.
On a TSA blog promoting the agency's actions and policies, one screener explained, "Changing gloves is fairly simple ... . When I gate screen I carry about 10-12 pairs in my pockets."
Respondents to the comment were outraged, "That's just plain disgusting and most certainly not acceptable ... procedures as set forth by the CDC for usage of gloves for protection," said one. "Reasoning being is that the bacteria count in your pockets is about the same is your mouth or armpit."
Wrote another forum participant, "Those gloves are soiled if they come out of your pockets and before handling my stuff you will be expected to obtain a clean, from the original container, pair. ... Who knows what filth inhabits your pockets!"
Economic Ramblings during the Holiday Season (Original Content within)
Now things are really getting interesting in the world and I'm sure the currency markets. "China invites South Africa to join BRIC: Xinhua"
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China invites South Africa to join BRIC: Xinhua
(Reuters) - China has invited Africa's largest economy, South Africa, to join the four-member "BRIC" grouping of fast-growing emerging markets, its state news agency reported on Friday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said BRIC has accepted South Africa as a full member of the group, which currently includes Brazil,
China, South Africa's largest trading partner, will invite South African President Jacob Zuma to attend a summit of BRIC leaders that Beijing will host next year, it said.
South Africa is the world's 31st-largest economy, according to World Bank data for 2009 and is less than a quarter the size of the smallest BRIC economy, Russia.
The BRIC countries have sought greater clout for their grouping, holding a summit in Russian in 2009. "BRIC" is a term invented in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, the chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
South Africa applied to join BRIC at the G20 meeting of the world's leading economies in Seoul in November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at the meeting.
Its economy is projected by its government to grow about 3.0 percent this year, hardly the blistering pace seen in other BRIC countries.
Some investors make asset allocations based on the BRIC classification and all of the countries that currently make up the grouping have seen their global financial clout increase substantially in recent years.
South Africa's foreign minister was scheduled to speak on Friday on the BRIC listing, the ministry said. (Reporting by
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It seems as though China has a plan to strip the dollar of its role as reserve currency and claim it for itself?? (Or what I think, purely speculation, speculation in the sense that I have no definitive proof to back why I think this; but, in lieu of the recent privately held G8, G20 meetings, or the Central Bank governors meetings, etc., I would assume that much of this is systematically planned. An unwinding of dollar hegemony and a "new age"...perhaps the "golden age?" as the Mayans and Hindu prophecies predict.) Precluding the onset of WWII those within the governments at that time began implementing protectionist policies which had adverse effects on the economies of many countries due to their interdependence with one another. Fast forward to NOW...and the convolutedness of our corporate system (companies owning other companies; this is some pretty perverse stuff we are talking about here!!) along with the emergence of global stock markets, commodities futures markets, the digitized casinos that are our stock markets, and the bond speculators who did the same $*&t leading up to WWII that many of the PIIGS countries (PORTUGAL, IRELAND, ITALY, GERMANY, and SPAIN) have been experiencing already. Just yesterday Finch's lowered Portugal's rating:
"Portugal’s long-term and local currency ratings were lowered by one notch to A-plus late on Thursday by Fitch, taking its rating to the same held by Moody’s, but two notches above the A-minus held by Standard and Poor’s." http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6f175e80-0f4a-11e0-b336-00144feabdc0.html#axzz194FyboF7
Moody's is considering downgrading Spain's as well, even after downgrading Spain earlier this year. The credit rating agencies seem to be used in tandem with the bond speculators to exacerbate an already tough economic situation within the country of "choice." The inevitable outcome is always the same: You can have this money; only if you do , this, this and this. "This , this and this" from now, forward, we will call "austerity" measures. These "austerity" measures will be painful and in some instances outright theft (raiding the pension cookie jars similar to what Roosevelt did when he ordered the confiscation of Americans' gold!) With these new economic agreements between the BRICSA and Russia/China (the recent currency swap deal: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/85424/20101124/china-russia-drop-dollar.htm )
it seems the financial battle lines are being established for the lead up to a possible 3rd World War!
Due to the “Dual Alliance” (Germany/ Austro-Hungary) and then “Triple Alliance” when they added Italy. Due to the alliance Germany had with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia’s perceived sphere of influence in the Baltic region(sound familiar?) WWI began small, but eventually, encompassed most of Europe and Asia.
Some believe Iran could be the next powder keg like Serbia, which I do not deny. However, I believe Pakistan is nearing the boiling point already. It’s vicinity to China, its neighbor India, and former ex Soviet controlled nation states; along with the historically-violent ethnic/sectarian divisions; 6th most populated country in the world, 8th largest active military, and roughly 50% literacy rate; and owner of several nuclear bombs, all adds up to a powder keg waiting to explode. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is nothing more than an American hand-puppet who just so happened to replace his wife, Benazir Bhutto who had been exiled in Dubai for roughly 10 years before coming back to Pakistan in 2007, only to be assassinated, almost three years to the date. (December 27th 2007)
By the way, do you remember what happened to our last puppet? What was his name? Saddam Hussein or something like that?! I’m sure Zardari remembers his name.
The recent wikileaks data shows Zardari’s allegiance, (for now) until the pressure from his own people becomes too much?: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/02/104662/leaked-us-cables-a-stain-on-pakistani.html
Regardless if any of this pans out, I believe we can all agree that the next few years of this decade are going to play a large role in the direction society will take. Perhaps some sort of social rebirth coinciding with the move out of the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius will occur? Countless possibilities abound. These cosmic underpinnings, in my humble opinion, cannot be underemphasized when attempting to understand the social, political, and military actions of those running the governments and multi-national corporations of the world. I suppose time will tell! IN the mean time I hope that we remember the significance of family and friends this holiday season.
Communist China to "Bailout" Cartel Capitalism in West?
Activist Post
Communist China, with all of its resources gained through slave labor and favorable trade agreements, has announced that it will bailout debt-weakened European nations with its vast foreign investment fund.
On the ground, China appears to have a very capitalistic system of production and consumerism. However, at the political level, the essentially single-party state can move very quickly when seeking foreign investments. In other words, there is very little bureaucratic wrangling in decision making.
They seem to have a form of dictatorial anti-competition capitalism. Based on its success in consolidating wealth and power globally, it appears to be the perfect fusion to the cartel-run capitalism in the West -- which it now seeks to prop up, or set up -- in Economic Hitman fashion.
In reality, it is all the same money, the same owners, and the same scheme. The international cartels have gone into partnership with China for resource management, international trade, currency management and global banking. At the very least, their dependence upon each other has undoubtedly married their global interests.
The idea that China is a separate independent entity to be feared by Western governments seems to be manufactured to tap into the notion of patriotism when the time is appropriate to further artificially divide and conquer the sovereign populace.
The globalists deliberately shaped China's rise while maintaining that they are a not-so-friendly force to be reckoned with. And China, well known as a massive military power, is currently free from military hegemonic entanglements in resource-rich nations like Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, they still find a way to acquire epic contracts for the resources in those countries and others where the West supposedly has military control.
When you strip out the labels of communism and capitalism, China looks an awful lot like a more obvious (or honest) American false two-party system that recently greased through thousands of pages of legislation in a so-called lame duck session. In both, the multinational corporations can move very quickly to consolidate global business.
When you strip away the idea that they are different nations, the same corporations and international banks hold all the cards. Finally, when you consider that nuclear- and space-based weapons have made the prospect of another World War almost farcical, any tension between the China and the West will likely be falsely created by these corporations for the final chapter of power consolidation that the media will trumpet.