October 28, 2014

Here's some potentially good news from PA:

A patient of mine just told me today - and this fellow is well-conected in Harrisburg politics, -that Corbett's administrators and staff are seeking jobs around the Commonwealth. When I asked him if this was a "just-in-case" maneuver, he laughed and said that no, it was a foregone conclusion that he is going to lose.

Just thought I'd pass it on...

Yes yes we have to GOTV. And we will.

October 19, 2014

Sad story from Philly…a real loss to the LGBT community here

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/Philadelphias_first_director_of_citys_Office_of_LGBT_Affairs_Gloria_Casarez_dead_at_42.html

Gloria Casarez, who became Philadelphia's first liaison to the city's gay community when Mayor Michael Nutter appointed her to a newly created post in 2008, died this weekend after a long battle with cancer, according to a statement from the city Sunday. She was 42.

Casarez, in her role as the first director of the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, helped establish the Mayor’s Advisory Board on LGBT Affairs.

"Gloria was a fun, serious, strong and kind person who always wanted to do more for others and who fought for equality of rights for all people,” Nutter said in the statement. “She was a clear, strong voice to the LGBTQ community in Philadelphia and across America.”

Born in Philadelphia, Casarez was a founding member of housing rights organization Empty the Shelters before becoming a coordinator for the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/Philadelphias_first_director_of_citys_Office_of_LGBT_Affairs_Gloria_Casarez_dead_at_42.html#XQhC4VFyzlpav9oq.99

October 18, 2014

My God, I almost can't believe it!

Today I heard an official of the CDC state that this little incident involving Ebola is an "outbreak".

Now, I do recall just a few short weeks ago that the director of the CDC stated that in the extremely unlikely event that there would be cases within the United States, it would not be an "outbreak".

I was horrified at this parsing of language at the time and continue to be horrified by the, well, frankly and colloquially, lame-ass attempts at managing this situation. I am on record as having stated that this Dallas Hospital was ill-equipped to handle this and boy was I correct. Unfortunately.

Now that I have stated some of my bona fides, please allow me to continue to state that the ridiculousness just continues. Today they were saying that once all of these medical-type-folks endure their quarantine, then this will be over once we have regained control.

I sincerely believe that we have handed control of this country over to the modern-day equivalent of the Marx Brothers. Having some experience with virology myself as an academic subject, I remain sadly shaking my head at the pure, unadulterated inability of those in charge to either grasp the science or manage the situation in a realistic and honest fashion. That particular syndrome seems to be the real pandemic affecting America today.

October 17, 2014

Does the Ebola Czar (Tsar?) get a Winter Palace?

Or a Cossack Guard?

Enquiring minds want to KNOW!!

October 17, 2014

I believe that this vignette from an old MAD Magazine will suffice:

Many of us recall the comic strip Mandrake the Magician, wherein he, his helper Lothar, and his friend Narda ( a princess) solved crimes and fought threats against humankind, even those of extraterrestrial origin. Mandrake possessed incredible powers inherited from his father. In a MAD takeoff of the strip, the three characters are driving along and the car sustains a flat tire. Mandrake gets out of the car and states that he will repair the tire using his powers of hypnosis. Lothar says to him, "Mandrake, you can hypnotize me into thinking its fixed, you can hypnotize her into thinking its fixed, and you can even hypnotize yourself into thinking its fixed. But how are you going to hypnotize the tire in to thinking its fixed?

Thus we come to the new political football called Ebola. The folks are going back and forth, and arguing about each little thing and are trying to convince the electorate of one thing or another, but you know what? The virus is going to do what virulent viruses do: it is going to propagate, spread through various means, and infect and kill people and, in the worst case scenario, possibly even mutate into a more dangerous form. How many people over what time remains to be seen, but no amount of convincing and propaganda is going to stop the virus anymore than it will stop global climate change. You can talk and talk and talk but in the end there will be death. Now in a nation wherein you can convince the masses that it is good to go to war because three people are beheaded, it would be easy to convince people that we have to take drastic measures to save lives. This is not popular among individuals who claim personal freedom and right to associate and to travel.

But you and I do not have the right to make people sick. Public health trumps all and this is why people were quarantined during the periods of immigration into the US. Yes there were many instances of unwarranted discrimination including the return of people to lands which were dangerous if not fatal for them, but the inappropriate application of the statutes does not negate their strengths. We need to carefully determine how best to essentially eliminate the threat to the peoples of the Earth in toto. We need to fix the problem, not fix the blame…and quickly.

October 8, 2014

I want to know where all the DUers are who were lambasting

those of us who were very concerned that the disease came into the country. They include but are not limited to those people who waxed poetic about the wonderful hospital he was taken to, the excruciatingly foolproof sanitary procedures which would be implemented by our oh-so-competent personnel, and our uncannily foolproof ability to track individuals who came into contact with the infected man.
But remember, no matter how many are affected by the virus, no matter how ill they are, and how many die, IT IS NOT AN OUTBREAK. no matter what. Where does that come from? Why I heard it from the head of the CDC himself. On multiple occasions...until recently. I haven't heard him say that in the last few days. Wonder why...?

October 7, 2014

When is everyone gonna wake the hell up????

This Dr. Tom Frieden talks like a combination of Max Headroom and the Jetson's robot Rosie. He answers all questions with platitudes and evasive responses and if you do not believe me, listen to the answers and try to think objectively: what is he saying? What is the answer to the actual question asked? Yes I know, you're going to say that I'm fomenting panic or unnecessary fears among the masses and we can't have that.

No, I am not. I'm looking for a brief period of honesty here. Look, he has been asked by several people including Anderson Cooper if leaving the bags of clothes, sheets, towels, and other items in the apartment was dangerous for the remaining family which had been quarantined inside. "Doctor" said, that once things are bagged, the viruses can't get out. But this is "concerning".

Wait…WTF? This guy excreted particles all over this apartment and these people were forced to stay there for days. I guess that's a really good idea because why not punish the people who were associated with a guy who is gong to be indicted apparently, should he survive, but the Dallas District Attorney, who can indict a dying man but wouldn't dream of indicting people clearly involved in the killing of the President of the USA…oops, did I just mention that again? So sorry….I know it offends some.

So in this medically superiorly advanced country, our answer to a case of the 21st Century Plague, is to sentence family members to sequestration inside an apartment filled with virulent material for days. Oh…the virus is dead because it's been out of the body for a while? Great…you go in and clean up then without a HazMat suit. No…? Why not? It's safe, isn't it? They said you couldn't possibly get sick from excreted virus after a certain amount of time…an amount they never quantify because they cannot. It varies with the surround, the ambient temperature, and other environmental variables some of which we may not even know about. Maybe it has an extended life when combined with Ranch Dressing.

So now we have a nurse who got sick and is in another country. What could possibly go wrong now? And these are admitted cases in advanced countries. What of cases in countries where people are not coming forward? All of this is predicated upon an honor system. Now THAT is amusing.

And we have them cleaning the apartment with the door open with a child standing a few feet away. There's sterile technique for you. This is a horrorshow unfolding in front of our eyes.

October 6, 2014

EARTH SHATTERING NEWS ALERT: Teachers' Union Busting in Philly

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/school_files/SRC-cancels-teachers-contract.html


In a stunning move that could reshape the face of city schools, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission voted Monday to unilaterally cancel its teachers’ contract.

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers was given no advance word of the action — which happened at an early-morning SRC meeting called with minimal notice — and which will certainly result in a legal challenge to the takeover law the SRC believes gives it the power to bypass negotiations and impose terms.

PFT spokesman George Jackson said that union had no comment “at this time.” He said PFT President Jerry Jordon would respond after noon.


MORE AT THE LINK...This is a Big Fucking Deal.

October 5, 2014

Trauma surgeon on CNN is mad as Hell...

"CDC asleep at the wheel"

He reminds me of me.

October 4, 2014

Ebola: I'm dumbfounded...

Okay, forget Ebola just for one moment if you can. Let's talk about communicable diseases of the generic variety here in the United States: so what do we have here? Colds, various flus, childhood diseases, parasitic worms, head lice, you know, all the stuff you deal with on a daily basis if you work in an office, eat in a restaurant, go to school, associate with friends, ride public transportation, shop. Except for absolute pathological recluses, this is virtually everyone in the US of A. None of us enjoy getting any of these diseases or the conditions which are manifest after their contraction, but they certainly are widespread. Vaccines have helped in many respects, unless you're an anti-Vaxxer, but then what can you say? Your children pay the penalties, you get to pontificate as to what an ethical purist you are while your kid has whooping cough in the other room. But I digress.

So…why are these viruses and bacteria so prevalent? Bad hand washing, food preparation, toilet habits certainly contribute as do interpersonal behaviors such as affection and affection-leading-to-sex. Droplets everywhere! Pathogens galore!

So again, in theory we can trace who these people work with, who they cavort with, and who they may contact in a store. But what if…the infected, symptomatic individual takes a bus, is standing and holding a pole, and sneezes on the pole and associated structures? The next person at the next stop reaches over, grabs the pole and is now infected by any definition. How is that going to be tracked? It isn't…and if the person who is next infected is, say, a daycare worker, who cannot afford to miss a day from work due to a low-grade fever, then maybe four or five or ten people may then be infected. And so it goes. Just hypothesizing.

So this is within the realm of possibility. To deny that it is is, IMHO, foolish. Yes, this particular disease is harder to 'catch' in some respects, but just as easy in others. The jury is out.