Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada- Swine flu has been a concern for Olympic planners ever since news of the disease broke earlier this year. Several worldwide events, including the Hajj in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, have been carefully planned to protect people. But the Olympic Games, which start in February, have been struck by another problem: The Olympic Torch has been infected by swine flu.
The torch, which brings a flame from Olympia, Greece to the site of the events, caught the disease a few days back when one of the carriers neglected to use hand sanitizer before handling it. This spread the disease to the torch, which has been coughing out the H1N1 virus since being infected. That means the people in the communities surrounding the route have been exposed and as the torch travels through Canada it could infect the whole nation.
"This is a sad and totally unforeseen event. We've heard of cats and dogs catching the virus, but inanimate objects like the torch didn't cross our minds. Right now the torch is leaving a trail of pestilence and death in its wake," said Michael Chambers, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Asked if the torch could be put under quarantine until it is clear of the virus, Chambers said fear of the wrath of the Greek Gods prevented them.
"The Greek Gods, while rarely worshiped, have been sated by our remembrance of them during the Olympic Games. Were we to reject their fire we might end up like Prometheus, bound to the top of a rock with an eagle flying overhead that swoops in to eat out our entrails," Chambers said.
Canadian health officials have started requiring masks, gloves and hand sanitizer be used by Olympic torch bearers. People coming out to see the torch run by have been advised by government to take precautions against infection.
Monday, November 30, 2009
LEAKED: Obama to Draft Republican Surge Supporters to Fight in Afghanistan
Washington, D.C. - Leaked parts of Obama's West Point Speech show the President preparing for a draft of willing Americans that support. The speech, according to an unnamed source, was recently revised when the President heard a stirring argument in support of an immediate surge from Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona.
The argument by Kyl, spoken during a Fox News interview, called for an immediate surge rather than a phased deployment like Vietnam.
"Let's don't have talk of a phased deployment," Kyl said. "We'll send a few troops immediately, and then we'll see what happens, see how it plays out, maybe send some more. That's kind of reminiscent of Vietnam. That escalation, that slow escalation didn't work there. You need to put in everybody you can as quickly as you can and deliver a knockout punch to the enemy."
In the speech, without naming Kyl, Obama references the change.
"I came to this institution to say that any of you could be expected to serve in Afghanistan in the coming years as the escalation occurs, but now only those who graduate this year will likely see combat. Certain members of Congress have opened my eyes to the need for a knockout punch. There are thousands of Americans that have written to say they support an immediate, ballsy, take-no-bullshit surge. My message to those Americans is I have heard you, I know where you are coming from and where you live, and I have signed an executive order drafting you all to serve the purpose you have so much passion for. I say welcome to the Army, soldiers!"
Young supporters of war, like Jason Mattera of Young America's Foundation, have said that drafting people like them will drain resources from the Culture War raging closer to home. In an earlier interview with Chris Matthews Mattera spoke of the importance of his role in fighting the culture war at home.
Local College Republican leader Archie Burman said that, like Mattera, he has enlisted to fight the battle of ideas.
"Their are battlefields of blood and sweat, where people risk life and limb, but back at home we have another battlefield, of the mind. I've seen the best conservative minds of my generation destroyed by liberal madness, intellectually starving, their frail arguments laid naked, dragging themselves through the ivied halls for an angry fix of Glenn Beck. I've seen men who's bruised egos are more deserving of purple hearts than John Kerry, the ones who fell in battle and became "moderates" or "independents". I've seen the horror of the culture war, Don't tell me I'm a coward," Burman said, tearing up in remembrance of his fallen comrades.
The argument by Kyl, spoken during a Fox News interview, called for an immediate surge rather than a phased deployment like Vietnam.
"Let's don't have talk of a phased deployment," Kyl said. "We'll send a few troops immediately, and then we'll see what happens, see how it plays out, maybe send some more. That's kind of reminiscent of Vietnam. That escalation, that slow escalation didn't work there. You need to put in everybody you can as quickly as you can and deliver a knockout punch to the enemy."
In the speech, without naming Kyl, Obama references the change.
"I came to this institution to say that any of you could be expected to serve in Afghanistan in the coming years as the escalation occurs, but now only those who graduate this year will likely see combat. Certain members of Congress have opened my eyes to the need for a knockout punch. There are thousands of Americans that have written to say they support an immediate, ballsy, take-no-bullshit surge. My message to those Americans is I have heard you, I know where you are coming from and where you live, and I have signed an executive order drafting you all to serve the purpose you have so much passion for. I say welcome to the Army, soldiers!"
Young supporters of war, like Jason Mattera of Young America's Foundation, have said that drafting people like them will drain resources from the Culture War raging closer to home. In an earlier interview with Chris Matthews Mattera spoke of the importance of his role in fighting the culture war at home.
Local College Republican leader Archie Burman said that, like Mattera, he has enlisted to fight the battle of ideas.
"Their are battlefields of blood and sweat, where people risk life and limb, but back at home we have another battlefield, of the mind. I've seen the best conservative minds of my generation destroyed by liberal madness, intellectually starving, their frail arguments laid naked, dragging themselves through the ivied halls for an angry fix of Glenn Beck. I've seen men who's bruised egos are more deserving of purple hearts than John Kerry, the ones who fell in battle and became "moderates" or "independents". I've seen the horror of the culture war, Don't tell me I'm a coward," Burman said, tearing up in remembrance of his fallen comrades.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Children of vaccine deniers found shooting up across the country
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
0
Rebellion, seeking relief from crippling diseases, cited as reasons.
New York - On an otherwise normal urban street corner several youths gather. This is an upperclass area of the city, not the sort of place where drug deals go down in the open. But several youths, some as young as four or five, gather waiting for their delivery. Then a man in a black van drives up.
"Got the money?" he asks.
"Sure," says one boy "Steve" who hands the collected money to the dealer.
The dealer hands a cardboard box over to "Steve".
"Everything thing you need, the vials, needles, alcohol wipes. Oh, yeah, don't forget..."
The man hands a red plastic medical waste container. He tells them to be safe and drives off.
While this is illicit, this is no deal of illegal drugs. From Park Avenue to Hartford, Connecticut affluent areas across the country are seeing a spike in youth self-medication of vaccines. Fear of vaccines driven by celebrity anti-vaccine advocates ane by an affluent arrogance that they know what's best, have several rich parents across the country denying their children the basic vaccines recommended by the medical establishment. Psychologist Andy Veritas has studied the vaccine denial and is exploring a few hypothesis of the cause.
"Jenny McCarthy is not representatives of science, but she represents the shallow dreams and desires of their fans. Added to Suzanne Somers's anti-chemotherapy campaign it causes otherwise intelligent people to doubt years of medical science. Well reasoned but non-famous scientists cannot hope to fight against it," Veritas said.
That anti-vaccine mania has led to children from the affluent families to buy vaccines from dealers. Many of the dealers are regular doctors who work in private practice. Steve said he know a network of them that distribute up and down the East Coast.
"The East Coast is run by the Hippocrates gang, know as the Hips. The West Coast is the American Red Cross, known as the Bloods. They run the illicit vaccine trade that supplies all of us with our stuff," Steve said.
Steve describes his role as a "pusher". He finds unvaccinated children and "pushes" the rubber stopper on the syringe to vaccinate them.On this night he has several vials of polio, rubella and seasonal flu vaccine.
"I've gotten plenty of regular flu vaccine to go around, but the shortage of swine flu vaccine is making my job hard." he says.
Several anti-vaccine advocates are aware of the activities and are launching a campaign to stop the trade.
"It's time we take back our well maintained streets," declared Cheryl O'Shaughnessy of Long Island, president of a local anti-vaccine protest group, "These Bloods and Hips are pushing dangerous drugs and turning our children from bright young snowflakes to autistic shells. Soon they'll do nothing but stare into their own little world instead of caring about school and their responsibilities."
While some predict an upcoming battle between the medical community and the anti-science groups, sociologist Gerald Hansen says historical trends show that medical science will win in the end.
"The anti-medicine quacks will go the way of the thigh master, into the basements and yard sales of history," Hansen proclaimed.
"Got the money?" he asks.
"Sure," says one boy "Steve" who hands the collected money to the dealer.
The dealer hands a cardboard box over to "Steve".
"Everything thing you need, the vials, needles, alcohol wipes. Oh, yeah, don't forget..."
The man hands a red plastic medical waste container. He tells them to be safe and drives off.
While this is illicit, this is no deal of illegal drugs. From Park Avenue to Hartford, Connecticut affluent areas across the country are seeing a spike in youth self-medication of vaccines. Fear of vaccines driven by celebrity anti-vaccine advocates ane by an affluent arrogance that they know what's best, have several rich parents across the country denying their children the basic vaccines recommended by the medical establishment. Psychologist Andy Veritas has studied the vaccine denial and is exploring a few hypothesis of the cause.
"Jenny McCarthy is not representatives of science, but she represents the shallow dreams and desires of their fans. Added to Suzanne Somers's anti-chemotherapy campaign it causes otherwise intelligent people to doubt years of medical science. Well reasoned but non-famous scientists cannot hope to fight against it," Veritas said.
That anti-vaccine mania has led to children from the affluent families to buy vaccines from dealers. Many of the dealers are regular doctors who work in private practice. Steve said he know a network of them that distribute up and down the East Coast.
"The East Coast is run by the Hippocrates gang, know as the Hips. The West Coast is the American Red Cross, known as the Bloods. They run the illicit vaccine trade that supplies all of us with our stuff," Steve said.
Steve describes his role as a "pusher". He finds unvaccinated children and "pushes" the rubber stopper on the syringe to vaccinate them.On this night he has several vials of polio, rubella and seasonal flu vaccine.
"I've gotten plenty of regular flu vaccine to go around, but the shortage of swine flu vaccine is making my job hard." he says.
Several anti-vaccine advocates are aware of the activities and are launching a campaign to stop the trade.
"It's time we take back our well maintained streets," declared Cheryl O'Shaughnessy of Long Island, president of a local anti-vaccine protest group, "These Bloods and Hips are pushing dangerous drugs and turning our children from bright young snowflakes to autistic shells. Soon they'll do nothing but stare into their own little world instead of caring about school and their responsibilities."
While some predict an upcoming battle between the medical community and the anti-science groups, sociologist Gerald Hansen says historical trends show that medical science will win in the end.
"The anti-medicine quacks will go the way of the thigh master, into the basements and yard sales of history," Hansen proclaimed.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Rationing H1N1 Vaccine to Elementary Students Favors Students Held Back, Disadvantages Gifted Students
Saturday, November 7, 2009
0
Rockford, Ill - A recent program to give swine flu vaccines to high risk and elementary students has come under fire when it became apparent that the program as written favored dimmer students who had been held back several grades and disadvantaged gifted students who had advanced several grades.
Basing the distribution on the idea that younger students were at the most risk, the program rules only stated that children with high risk medical conditions or those 5th grade or below could get the vaccine. But due to the significant number of under performing students being held back, pupils up to age 15 have been made eligible for the vaccine, while several gifted preteens find themselves ineligible for the shot. Anna Martez, whose son Rodrigo was advanced twice and is now in 7th grade, said she was shocked her son couldn't get the shot at a recent vaccine event.
"I brought him in to get the shot, but the administrator said that he was ineligible because he wasn't an elementary student. I explained he was moved ahead, but she said that if he's so smart he should be able to find a way to get one by other means," Martez said.
Several parents of the held back students defended the program, stating that their children were at as much risk as the rest of the students and they needed the extra help. Leslie DeBlonde said her fourteen year-old son Ned was in a special situation because of his responsiblities at home.
"Ned ain't the brightest boy, and I've always told him he didn't need no education to succeed, despite what his teachers may say. But he can't be affording to be sick because he got's his new baby boy Johnny to take care of. His baby momma got ill with the flu a week back and he's got to watch him so she can get better," DeBlonde said.
Special education advocate Jarrod Martin argued that several of the children held back, while not suffering mental disabilities that would account for their low performance, should be treated as special cases and favoring gifted children would be discriminatory.
"Look, these children shouldn't be discriminated against just because they haven't committed themselves to school. There are several held back children in middle school not getting the vaccine either and the gifted children should feel lucky they were blessed with smarts and good parenting. Besides, if they were really smart they'd be working in medical fields like Doogie Howser and be eligible for it anyway. I'm tired of hearing these uppity gifted children thinking they are special or something," Martin said.
Basing the distribution on the idea that younger students were at the most risk, the program rules only stated that children with high risk medical conditions or those 5th grade or below could get the vaccine. But due to the significant number of under performing students being held back, pupils up to age 15 have been made eligible for the vaccine, while several gifted preteens find themselves ineligible for the shot. Anna Martez, whose son Rodrigo was advanced twice and is now in 7th grade, said she was shocked her son couldn't get the shot at a recent vaccine event.
"I brought him in to get the shot, but the administrator said that he was ineligible because he wasn't an elementary student. I explained he was moved ahead, but she said that if he's so smart he should be able to find a way to get one by other means," Martez said.
Several parents of the held back students defended the program, stating that their children were at as much risk as the rest of the students and they needed the extra help. Leslie DeBlonde said her fourteen year-old son Ned was in a special situation because of his responsiblities at home.
"Ned ain't the brightest boy, and I've always told him he didn't need no education to succeed, despite what his teachers may say. But he can't be affording to be sick because he got's his new baby boy Johnny to take care of. His baby momma got ill with the flu a week back and he's got to watch him so she can get better," DeBlonde said.
Special education advocate Jarrod Martin argued that several of the children held back, while not suffering mental disabilities that would account for their low performance, should be treated as special cases and favoring gifted children would be discriminatory.
"Look, these children shouldn't be discriminated against just because they haven't committed themselves to school. There are several held back children in middle school not getting the vaccine either and the gifted children should feel lucky they were blessed with smarts and good parenting. Besides, if they were really smart they'd be working in medical fields like Doogie Howser and be eligible for it anyway. I'm tired of hearing these uppity gifted children thinking they are special or something," Martin said.
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