Monday, October 27, 2014

Pre-meditated murder. Familicide.

October 27, 2014
By Matt Pearce and Lauren Raab
Before opening fire (click here) on them and then killing himself, the shooter at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state had texted his five victims asking them to join him at lunch, officials said Monday. 
They were all at the same cafeteria table when freshman Jaylen Fryberg, 15, began firing a .40-caliber Beretta, Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary told reporters Monday afternoon. The gun was bought legally and registered by a family member, he said, adding that investigators were still trying to determine how Fryberg got the weapon....
Wow. He was planning this. Two of his cousins still in the hospital, another young lady he was taken by and two others I assume were friends. They never turned him down for the meeting at lunch. They never saw any danger or threat or reason to reject him. Wow.

I don't want to speculate as to being correct, but, it may be this killing fits the personality type. Young and out of control.

...“The most common type of killer (click here) was a possessively jealous type, and I found that many of the men who commit murder-suicide, as well as those who kill their children, also seem to fit that profile,”...

He didn't handle rejection well or at all. Did he ever have to face it before?
Young men and guns has been a problem for a long time in the USA. But the 1870s were the 1870s, this is about 2014 and the value this country places on it's children.
The issue of students carrying guns to school was a topic of discussion dating to the mid-1870s, as noted in this 1874 Los Angeles Herald article:
"Boys and Pistols Yesterday at noon a boy sixteen years of age shot himself, or was shot by his brother. It matters not who fired the fatal shot. No criminal act was intended or committed, and the boy is dead. He was a member of the High School of this city and was, we are told, something over the average good boy of Los Angeles. This boy lost his life through the too common habit among boys of carrying deadly weapons. We do not know that this habit can be broken up. We do not know that school teachers have the right, or would exercise it if they had, of searching the pockets of their pupils, but it seems almost a necessity that some such rule be enforced. The hills west of town are not safe for pedestrians after school hours. Nearly every school-boy carries a pistol, and the power of these pistols range from the harmless six-bit auction concern to the deadly Colt's six-shooter..."
From the tone of the article teachers were powerful and respected. Today it would be possible and has been possible for them to be another victim. 

Burlington Weekly Free Press.(Burlington, VT.), July 30, 1880

July 25, 1880: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, At Sunday School, a young couple Morris Behrues and his newly secretly married girl had carried a shotgun with, because Charles Behrues, Morris' cousin was in love with the girl, and was out to get them. Charles was seen coming towards the building with a shooting iron, when the school's superintendent went out to ward him away. Charles opened fire and killed the superintendent, and shot Morris, and three others.

Then again, anger and hate erase any reasoning or logic at anytime in our history. It is different today. There are methods of preventing guns from passing through school doors. It would help, but, not solve every school house shooting. Metal detectors wouldn't have stopped Sandy Hook. But, they would help. "Safety Detectors"

Why are there so many authorities scattered in every direction possible?

The Surgeon General reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), who may be a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), and who serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health and scientific issues.


Duties of the US Surgeon General (click here)

Immediate Office of the Surgeon General


Chief of Staff Captain Robert DeMartino
The office provides advice and support to the Surgeon General on issues relating to public health and represents the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Health on topics addressing public health practice. In addition, the Immediate Office of the Surgeon General supervises Public Health Service Commissioned Corps activities and advises the Assistant Secretary of Health on policies required for efficient management of the Commissioned Corps and on matters pertaining to military and veterans affairs.

Division of Science and Communications

Division of Commissioned Corps Personnel & Readiness

Division of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Division of Systems Integration

Hum?      

As with its parent division, the PHS (US Public Health Service), the PHSCC (US Public Health Commission Corp) is under the direction of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHSCC is led by the Surgeon General who holds grade of vice admiral. The Surgeon General reports directly to the Assistant Secretary for Health who may hold the rank of admiral if he or she is a serving member of the PHSCC.

It is difficult to run a war without a general.

This is not a joke. I am not laughing or hurling political snobbish remarks. This is serious and the USA doesn't have anyone in the Cabinet Office of US Surgeon General and it shows.

Another Republican wanted an EB-5 program? And there is an investigation?

This helplessness in growing an economy is typical of Republicans. Republicans CAN'T, that was CANNOT, grow an economy when there is little reserves in the state treasury. As a matter of fact the less in the state treasury the better for Republicans. 

This seems to be the common thread for Republican governors this year. It is like ALEC. Everyone does the same silly thing, because they don't know how to do it any differently. If the South Dakota treasury needed to be increased for any reason taxes are out of the question. 

Get it? The Republicans are CONFLICTED between a strong economy with a strong Middle Class because it would cost their cronies money. A strong Middle Class requires good wages and Republican cronies, while raking in millions and billions simply won't pay even a living wage to workers. They put their employees on welfare and then seek foreign investment to increase opportunity AT MINIMUM WAGE or less and the people need to be grateful for it. No health insurance, probably part time labor, no vacation and no worker rights. They probably don't even have a reliable time clock.

October 22, 2014
By David Montgomery
A year and a half (click here) after state officials first became aware of an FBI investigation into South Dakota's EB-5 program, the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday confirmed that the investigation remains "active.""We have an active investigation involving the, I believe it's the South Dakota Regional Center," said Kyle Loven, chief division counsel for the FBI's Minneapolis division.

...U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, a Democrat, and his superiors at the Justice Department declined an invitation to discuss the investigation with a legislative committee, and Johnson has consistently refused to comment on the investigation's existence -- even when other sources have disclosed it....

Let's get something straight, US Attorneys (at least under Obama) are not political animals. This investigation won't be discussed until all the facts are in. Look how long the NJ State investigation of Bridgegate took and the US Attorney announced there were no charges of Governor Christi BEFORE the 2014 election. So anyone in South Dakota, including the Argus Leader, that wants to imply this is all political in regard to EB5 is lying. The truth is the investigation is not complete and if Rounds makes it to the Senate he may not be there long.

EB5 is being pursued by South Carolina, Michigan and evidently South Dakota.

...Now, according (click here) to bankruptcy documents obtained by the Journal last week, some answers have come to light. 
Records show the third and final round of foreign financiers for the Northern Beef plant were 50 Chinese nationals who invested $500,000 each in the plant. In addition, each immigration program applicant shelled out $45,000 more that was split among the state-sanctioned private corporation and lawyers.
Most of those investors, however, have not gotten their visas, according to an attorney involved in the proceedings, and they appear unlikely to get back their investments. Right now, it's unclear where all that money went....
I can understand why the US Attorney is involved, this is serious. It is on the precipice of fraud. Not only that a Visa is federal. Worse than that the monies were suppose to produce jobs. That was the purpose of the EB5 and nothing has happened to benefit the investors or the prospective employees. South Dakota is on the hook for billions of dollars and it still has an unemployment problem. 
Well, my, my; South Dakota doesn't have an unemployment rate and it looks as though it never did. South Dakota's unemployment rate at the very worst was 5.3% in 2010 and 6.2% in Sioux Falls. You mean to tell me no one could solve the unemployment rate in Sioux Falls without EB5? That is a government out of control and costing Americans PLENTY. It not only cost Americans the Visas, it cost it's reputation internationally and South Dakota residents are probably going to have to pay the investors back out of the treasury. I don't know if South Dakota is going to have to pay back the $45,000. That sounds like personal lawsuits against the company and lawyers.

The reason this is like water off a duck's back is because the investigation is not complete and the people of South Dakota can't ever say Rounds will be indicted. 

I wouldn't even worry about it if I were running for US Senate. I'll say this much though; the fact South Dakota didn't have an unemployment rate (yes 5.3% is not an unemployment rate to worry about - unless of course the leadership in South Dakota is this inept) is fraud right from the beginning. So, I don't know why there should be a question in anyone's mind about this case. If Rounds is involved then he dirty somewhere, even if he decided South Dakota actually needed an unemployment program. There are a lot of questions with this mess.

South Dakota is doing remarkably well, primarily because of agriculture and a reprieve from drought in 2012. 

June 11, 2014
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s economy (click here) continues to grow at a faster rate than the national economy, according to the most recent gross domestic product (GDP) numbers released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.

South Dakota’s GDP grew 6.8 percent from 2012 to 2013 compared to a 3.47 percent growth nationally. South Dakota’s percentage increase was the fourth highest in the nation, trailing only North Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho.
“For the fourth year in a row, South Dakota’s GDP has increased,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “During the last five years, our state’s economy has grown by 25 percent compared to the national growth rate of 14 percent.”

South Dakota’s economic growth was led by the agricultural sector which rebounded from a drought year in 2012 and then posted a 34 percent increase this year. The state also saw strong growth in the banking, wholesale and health care industries.

GDP statistics are released by the Bureau as a measure of comprehensive economic activity. GDP numbers are preliminary, and South Dakota’s ranking could fluctuate as the figures are adjusted and refined.

Really? Now that is interesting. As of the reporting of this GDP report South Dakota did not accept Medicaid Expansion although the governor stated he wants to see how it is working for the rest of the country before denying it. Health care companies whether they are in the 26 states that accepted the Medicaid expansion or not will benefit even indirectly through increased sales.

And there is a controversy. It would seem as though some citizens in South Dakota want to increase out of network providers. It sounds like a good idea.

July 28, 2014
By Reid Wilson
A ballot measure (click here) that would require health insurers to cover out-of-network doctor visits is dividing two sides of the medical industry in South Dakota, sparking a costly campaign and a debate over health care led by two groups with big financial stakes.
The proposal, Initiated Measure 17, would require insurance companies to allow qualified health-care professionals onto their approved list of providers, so long as the providers agree to accept the rates those insurance companies set. The measure is similar to several other states that have laws known as “Any Willing Provider” on the books....
It seems as though South Dakota has found the answer to Americans' prayers. 
...But bigger hospitals and the insurance companies themselves oppose the measure, which they say would drive up costs. The current system, insurers say, allows insurance companies to keep costs low. Opening plans to new providers will add layers of bureaucracy that only increase patient costs....
That is nonsense. At the very most it would require more providers in their computer network, but, the clerical work isn't going to increase. It is just a matter of having the physicians and/or hospitals submit the proper paper for approval and it's done. The people opposing this see profits going out the window. That is why it is opposed.

This is simply math. Either pay the in network doctor or pay the out of network doctor the same amount and there is no problem FOR ANYONE.

Rick Wieland needs to take a stand to support those that want the bill passed and promise to work in the US Senate to bring it to a national agenda to improve physician choice. I think it is the best idea I've heard yet.


South Dakota is more Democratic than they want to admit. They are Conservative Democrats. I guess in this day and age they are called Blue Dog Democrats. South Dakota has a relatively small population compared to the rest of the country. According to the 2013 estimate there are over 844,000 people. Now that means there are even less voters. So, attracting them isn't going to be easy. The people of South Dakota, because many are independent farms (at least I hope there are small family farms left in SD) any candidate has to make them feel comfortable with him or her. As a matter of fact the 2013 estimate also states there are about 370,000 with a per capita income of about $24,000 and a household median income of a little over $49,000. 

Non-farm employment is less than half of the entire population of SD. 336, 246 to be exact according to 2012 records. Those folks are employed by 25,773 non-farm employers. 


That median income doesn't really surprise me because farmers have large overhead and while they have a great cash flow, they have far smaller incomes than most realize. If I were candidate for US Senate and I wanted to do something to improve the lives of the people of South Dakota, I'd want to examine the wage structure for the non-farm laborers, along with their health insurance and vacation pay. Some of the non-farm income is also going to be small businesses. So, there is a lot there in common with Democrats considering it was President Obama that brought the Small Business Administration online after the global economic collapse.


But, I'd also like to see more profit for the farmers. I am sure there are some with fairly good profits and of course a farmer's greatest asset is the land and livestock. But, I am not talking about loans, so much as lowering overhead through cooperatives, especially the fuel sector. I'd want to meet with cooperatives and ask how things could be better. I'd like to see dedicated small family farms clearing at least $75,000 a year to make life a little more comfortable.

If I were a US Senator, I'd have everyone on my Rolodex, basically. I want to know that they are doing well and improving all the time. It would be fun to be a US Senator for South Dakota. A lot of fun. 

A truth telling in North Carolina.

I ran across a young man who has own business, but, like any new business man his income is tight. He has three children and a wife.

I seems as though when winter came and the Polar Vortex rocked off it's circulation around the Arctic Ocean North Carolina got really cold. The home they live in is supplied power by Duke Energy. Now, if that isn't enough realize there was no answer for him and his family when the power went down. The state didn't open up any shelter beds or warming stations. He tried to find temporary housing in motels and hotels but could not find one. He was forced to take his family home and endure the cold house. He only hoped his pipes wouldn't freeze. 

Now, that doesn't sound like the North Carolina I knew. I am not surprised there is a Moral Monday's Movement to bring attention to the ruthless practices with the state government now.

There are the heroes in the USA. The Millenials. They are unique and a wonderful generation.

People embraced at a church in Marysville, Wash.,on Sunday, two days after a school shooting.

October 26, 2014
by Kirk Johnson

MARYSVILLE, Wash. — As this community (click here) continued to look for answers to why a popular 14-year-old would turn on classmates with lethal malice, and struggled to imagine how it might have been averted, details began to emerge about the attack, and especially the role of a young teacher many students are calling a hero.

The teacher, Megan Silberberger, was only about six weeks into her first job out of college — as a social studies teacher at Marysville-Pilchuck High School — when she came into the cafeteria on Friday morning and saw students on the floor and another student firing a gun....

Here is an example of a Millenium. She is typical of the strong hearted people growing up in our country where community is as much a part of their identity. 

Megan Silberberger, a first year teacher that looks as though she was part of the school population. Incredible. 

If there has to be an argument over anything political, then argue over this!

October 26, 2014
By Paul Krugman

...But nowadays (click here) we simply won’t invest, even when the need is obvious and the timing couldn’t be better. And don’t tell me that the problem is “political dysfunction” or some other weasel phrase that diffuses the blame. Our inability to invest doesn’t reflect something wrong with “Washington”; it reflects the destructive ideology that has taken over the Republican Party.Some background: More than seven years have passed since the housing bubble burst, and ever since, America has been awash in savings — or more accurately, desired savings — with nowhere to go. Borrowing to buy homes has recovered a bit, but remains low. Corporations are earning huge profits, but are reluctant to invest in the face of weak consumer demand, so they’re accumulating cash or buying back their own stock. Banks are holding almost $2.7 trillion in excess reserves — funds they could lend out, but choose instead to leave idle....          

There needs to be some funding established for hospitals in West Africa and the USA to conduct fomite culture swabs and culture dish growth.


A 5-year-old boy (click here) is under observation at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital this morning after experiencing a 103-degree fever after returning home from Guinea Saturday, prompting Ebolaconcerns, officials told ABC News.
The boy is in isolation, but has not been tested for Ebola and is not under quarantine, the city’s health department said.

Especially important in West Africa and our military personnel. There needs to be a dedicated research team testing fomite in all the infected areas. It is best to start where the disease is first being treated. The beds, the floors, the side tables, the rest rooms, all of it. There needs to be culture swabs conducted, marked with date, time and location and sent to be cultured on appropriate culture media to find out how these folks are transmitting the virus. But, most importantly, if they are having the virus transmitted on fomite. This child was not a care giver and children are more busy with their hands because they are learning about their world. Show me a mother or father that isn't always saying, "Don't touch that." Well, here we are now with a non-caregiver perhaps contracting the virus.

It is time there was profound leadership on Ebola and all the other issues the USA is struggling with in regard to health care. Nothing better happen to this child.

While focused on Ebola correctly, the USA is still operating without a Surgeon General while EV-D68 is finding victims.

The Children's Hospital Colorado, which has seen 10 patients with respiratory enterovirus D68 after an outbreak in the state. Enterovirus D68 is similar to the common cold, but symptoms can be more serious, causing wheezing and in some instances, neurological symptoms and temporary paralysis.

October 11, 2014
By Angela Moore

...Enterovirus D68, (click here) a respiratory illness, has been making its way across the country since August, and has been diagnosed in nearly 600 people, in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly all the confirmed cases this year of EV-D68 infection have been in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

The CDC has their hands full.

Open Note to the US Senate. I don't care what the politics of HEALTH is all about this year, not passing a qualified Surgeon General through the confirmation hearings is just wrong. Completely wrong. I realize the Affordable Care Act is a pain for any Republican, but, in retrospect with all these diseases coming to our American kids I am grateful there is a mandate for health care throughout this country. 

The lack of a Surgeon General didn't bother me at first, but, I am getting rather upset with all this coming to haunt the American people, especially children, and winter hasn't even arrived yet.

I hate to tell anyone I told you so, but, an increase in microbes were predicted in the global warming paradigm. This is ENOUGH already. The lack of a Surgeon General is getting to be a national security issue. While Samantha Power is a wonderful professional, she is not qualified to speak about health issues, except, through the opinions of others. The CDC is facing all kinds of problems and the USA does not have a problem solver. It is high time all this mess is taken off the political landscape and soon!

Government agencies prefer picking on the "Little Guy!"

In the choking death of Eric Garner (click here) the subject surfaced that ATF agents frequently target more minor offenders than the real bad guys that were bypassing tax laws and even bringing in foreign grown product to sell on the underground markets.

Today, the IRS is haunting the Small Businesses that cannot afford the assault. I will remind the USA recovery of 2008 was carried on the backs of Small Businesses and without them President Obama would have been swimming in a collapsed economy for a far longer time. 

The big banks were refusing to loan small businesses any monies for expansion or reorganization, so the Small Business Administration was stepped up to fill in the void. 

Now, as if small businesses haven't suffered enough they are the 'go to' candidate for draconian IRS practices that syphon off funds and place the businesses in danger.

Small businesses are not al Qaeda or any other terror organization and this HAS TO STOP. It has to stop NOW.

It is so easy for government agencies to victimize those that cannot afford a protracted fight with them. In the case of the IRS it is easy money. Sort of like a traffic ticket threshold any officer has to fill for the municipality they work for. In the case of ATF, it is never having to worry about a confrontation of weapons when arrests are to be made.

I am very concerned government agencies aren't doing their job, except, for low hanging fruit. It is time to end the CRIMES in the USA and not those unable to secure a footing for a fair trial or worse as was realized with Mr. Garner. Either government agencies do their jobs the way the American people expect them to be done and stop living in 'the safe zone' or simply clean house and start again.

October 27, 2014
...The New York Times introduces us to Carole Hinders, (click here) an Iowa woman who owns a small, cash-only restaurant. Last year she had her checking account, all $33,000 of it, seized by the IRS. Not because she didn’t pay taxes on her business (she did), and not because she was suspected of any crime (she wasn’t), but because “she had deposited less than $10,000 at a time, which they viewed as an attempt to avoid triggering a required government report.”
How can the IRS do this when not only no crime has been alleged, but none is suspected? The Times reports:
Using a law designed to catch drug traffickers, racketeers and terrorists by tracking their cash, the government has gone after run-of-the-mill business owners and wage earners without so much as an allegation that they have committed serious crimes. The government can take the money without ever filing a criminal complaint, and the owners are left to prove they are innocent. Many give up.
Hinders is not alone. According to the Institute for Justice, the IRS “made 639 seizures in 2012, up from 114 in 2005. Only one in five was prosecuted as a criminal structuring case.”...

314 Bird Species on the Brink due to the climate crisis.

Audubon scientists (click here) have used hundreds of thousands of citizen-science observations and sophisticated climate models to predict how birds in the U.S. and Canada will react to climate change. Our work defines the climate conditions birds need to survive, then maps where those conditions will be found in the future as the Earth’s climate responds to increased greenhouse gases.
It’s the broadest and most detailed study of its kind, and it’s the closest thing we have to a field guide to the future of North American birds. 
Birding is a large segment of any economy. (click here) Birding occurs globally and have become their own experts. The birding enthusiast brings $1500 to $3400 annually to the USA economy. That translates into $20 billion per year with the travel industry reaping the lion's share of the profits. The danger of climate crisis and the economics it involves can't be understated.
That is $20 billion in the USA alone. Birding encompasses a global community and migratory birds are important.

High school is a very dynamic time where learning meets real life and burgeoning self-reliance. We can all do better.

Do teachers (click here) really know what students go through? To find out, one teacher followed two students for two days  and was amazed at what she found. Her report is in  following post, which appeared on the blog of Grant Wiggins, the co-author of “Understanding by Design” and the author of “Educative Assessment” and numerous articles on education. A high school teacher for 14 years, he is now the president of Authentic Education,  in Hopewell, New Jersey, which provides professional development and other services to schools aimed at improving student learning.  You can read more about him and his work at the AE site.
Wiggins initially posted the piece without revealing the author. But the post became popular on his blog and he decided to write a followup piece revealing that the author was his daughter, Alexis Wiggins, a 15-year teaching veteran now working in  a private American International School overseas. Wiggins noted in his follow-up that his daughter’s experiences mirrored his own and aligned well with the the responses on surveys that his  organization gives to students.

There needs to be a Surgeon General in DC to issue protocols for prevention of gun violence in schools in the USA.

October 27, 2014

Gia Soriano, (click here) one of four students wounded in the shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School near Seattle last Friday, has died, hospital officials said. The girl, who was 14, suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the shooting spree by another teenager, identified as Jaylen Fryberg. She had been in critical condition at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. "We are devastated by this senseless tragedy," Dr. Joanne Roberts said in a statement on behalf of Gia's family. "Gia is our beautiful daughter and words cannot express how much we will miss her." Another teenager, Zoe Galasso, also was killed in the attack; she was mourned during a candlelight vigil at the school Sunday. Three other students remain hospitalized; Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, and Andrew Fryberg, 15 (the shooter's cousin), in critical condition, and Nate Hatch, 14, in serious condition. Jaylen Fryberg killed himself.

These were all happy and gregarious people. She's gone along with two of her peers. This has to stop in the USA. This is the United States of America and it should not be shedding students due to gun violence.

Canada is still sorting out the facts.

More revelations (click here) coming to light today about the man who shot and killed reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo last week.
The RCMP says it has video evidence that indicates Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was driven by "ideological and political motives.''

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says Zehaf-Bibeau, made a video recording of himself just prior to last Wednesday's attack.

Paulson says the RCMP have also asked Ontario Provincial Police to review the Mounties' handling of the gunfight in the halls of Parliament.

Meanwhile, veterans and civilians gathered at the at the National War Memorial on Sunday morning to pay tribute to the two Canadian soldiers who were killed last week in Quebec and Ottawa.

Close to 150 people gathered at the War Memorial in the rain to mark the tragic events. It was noted that this is the first time since the early 1800's that Canadian soldiers have been killed on home soil. Veteran Spencer Barnes pointed out that, sadly this will likely not be the last time Canada will mourn such a loss as more Troops are now headed overseas.

The vigil was organized by the Canadian Veterans Association and the Royal Canadian Legion as a way to remember the tragic event and to clearly state veterans will continue to face these challenging times together. Padre Glen Eagleson reaffirmed the veterans resolve.
"Morning Papers" - It's Origins (click here)

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

Avian Influenza Page - State of New Jersey (click here)

It was only recently New Jersey had an outbreak of avian flu. It got handled before it became a problem for the surrounding states and area. I congratulate the people of New Jersey and Governor of New Jersey for handling it so well.

The new challenge for New Jersey, New York and Illinois in confronting and winning the battle with Ebola can be counter intuitive. I think every person in the country is a bit uncomfortable with this new challenge. But, if the protocol established by the CDC works, then it works.

I know it doesn't feel good, but, the virus is primarily contained in the USA. I sincerely do not expect any additional cases from anyone being in the vicinity of Dr. Spencer.

Kindly remember one thing, the Americans returning from West Africa are the experts on the disease. They have hands on care of many Ebola patients and while the virus is not contained in West Africa, it is due to the condition of the people and rituals difficult to control in their culture.

The USA and the global community doesn't need anyone's best guess about Ebola, everyone needs answers and methods of containment that works. This is not a blame game either. There should be no political backlash regarding this challenge to the USA. Everyone involved is doing their level best to protect Americans from Ebola. I believe that completely. Again, Governor Christi did magnificent work in eradicating the avian flu. Just think about that for a minute and realize he is set on eradicating Ebola, too.

UNDNJ needs to bring some heated blankets to Kaci. And if this is the type of treatment some governors are comfortable with, a tent is only a temporary answer to this protocol. Winter is coming and let's not stress anyone to who may already be compromised.

...While she is being provided (click here) with food and water, the tent is not heated and she is dressed in uncomfortable paper scrubs. She was permitted to bring personal belongings into the tent.
Kaci has written a detailed account of her experience.

Doctors Without Borders is very concerned about the conditions and uncertainty she is facing and is attempting to obtain information from hospital officials....
UNDNJ needs to do better.

"Good Night, Moon"

Waxing Crescent

11% Full

3.2 days old moon

October 25, 2014

I ran into this intriguing (click here) infographic over on Reddit that claimed that you could fit all the planets of the Solar System within the average distance between the Earth and the Moon.

I’d honestly never heard this stat before, and it’s pretty amazing how well they tightly fit together....