Swine flu infects more of the human body than ordinary flu

SHOOT: It gets into the stomach, hence the vomiting and diarrhea.

clipped from www.bloomberg.com July 2 (Bloomberg) -- Swine flu caused more-severe illness in ferrets than seasonal flu, according to two studies in the journal Science that help explain why the H1N1 virus causes symptoms not seen in regular flu such as nausea and vomiting. The H1N1 swine flu virus went further into the ferrets’ lungs, and also penetrated the gastrointestinal tract while seasonal flu stayed in the nasal cavity, researchers from the U.S. and the Netherlands found. Ferrets are affected by flu viruses much as humans are, the researchers said. “These data suggest that the 2009 A(H1N1) influenza virus has the ability to persist in the human population, potentially with more severe clinical consequences,” wrote the Dutch study authors, led by Ron Fouchier at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Both groups found that ferrets infected with swine flu lost more weight than those exposed to seasonal flu, and that the swine flu virus was more widespread in the animals’ bodies.

Food production: Africa needs to get its act together to avert global food crisis

The right way, argues Alexander Mueller of the FAO, is for farmers in poor countries to boost their yields. This would be better for the countries themselves, since it would make them richer. And it would be better for the world, too, because the potential for higher yields should be greatest where they are now low, especially in Africa. At the moment, cereal yields in Africa are around one tonne per hectare, compared with three-to-four tonnes in Europe and rich Asia. It should be easier to get an extra tonne per hectare by increasing African yields to two tonnes a hectare than by boosting already-fecund European or north-east Asian yields even further (water is more abundant in parts of Africa, too)

The failure of farmers in poor countries to respond to price signals does not mean they are deaf to them. Rather the signals they get are often scrambled or muted. Farmers were frequently not paid the full world price for their crops, because governments were determined to keep local prices low in order to relieve hard-pressed consumers. Some governments also banned food exports.

SHOOT: It is increasingly in the interests of South Africa, for example, to 'inspire' production from inefficient neighbours such as Zimbabwe. Increasingly, it will be in the interests of the world to put under-utilised land to use [and I don't mean forests]. I mean farmland that is 'sort've' being cultivated.

clipped from www.economist.com At the moment, the world’s population is 6.7 billion and 750m people are born each year. Though the rate of increase is declining, inertia means the total will go on rising until 2050, when the population will reach 9 billion. In Ethiopia, for example, 18m children are born every year, rising to 24m a year by 2040. That will double its headcount from 80m to 160m. The FAO reckons that, to keep pace, the amount of food available in developing countries will have to double by 2050, equivalent to a 70% rise in world food production. If that does not happen, fears Joachim von Braun, the head of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, DC, there could be a return to the food conflicts of 2007-08 which caused riots in more than 60 countries and set off a controversial worldwide land grab—a rush by rich food-importers to buy swathes of Africa and South-East Asia on which to grow food.

Remember the food crisis?

Economist.com: ...the world food crisis of 2007-08 showed that food prices are not influenced solely, or even mainly, by cyclical factors. They soared in large part because of slow, irreversible trends: population growth; urbanisation; shifting appetites from grain to meat in developing countries. There is no sign that these trends are abating.

SHOOT: The last place anyone wants to look for the source of our problems is ourselves. But having to voluntaarily control world population is going to be very difficult. In the USA, 1 out of every 3 pregnancies, is to women under 20 years of age. And with 750 million born each year, it will take a lot to turn this tide of human locusts devouring resources. Swine flu may have an impact though.

clipped from www.economist.com All that seems fairly rational and hopeful. But this year’s changes have been more puzzling. Between December and mid-June, the food index rebounded by a third, even though this year’s total cereals crop is expected to be another bumper (2.2 billion tonnes, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation, second only to 2008/09, see chart left). Meanwhile, soyabean and sugar prices have risen by nearly half from trough to peak—see chart below—and the index of “non-food agriculturals” (plants such as cotton or rubber) also rose by a quarter between December and mid-June. Prices have been increasing at a time of plenty. If this was happening during a boom, it might be understandable. But recession would normally dampen down price rises. So what explains the return of food-price inflation? And does it mean that the so-called world food crisis is returning? Snakes in the grass At the moment, the world’s population is 6.7 billion and 750m people are born each year.

8 Swine flu cases in Gauteng, 11 in South Africa

SHOOT: Hard to believe.

clipped from www.iol.co.za The eighth case of the H1N1 influenza (or swine flu) was confirmed in Gauteng, the Department of Health said on Thursday. Spokesman Fidel Hadebe said the most recent case was confirmed during the week, of a 27-year-old South African woman who had returned from travelling in Europe. She made a full recovery and was back at work, Hadebe said. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported a total of eleven cases as of July 1. "There is a total of eleven (11) laboratory-confirmed cases of novel influenza a/h1n1 in South Africa. There is no evidence to date of community transmission," the NCID said on its website. Continues Below ↓

Media still peddling the bio-diesel myth

SHOOT: The choice is, do you want food for your car, or food for your stomach? Because as soon as you grow food for your car on a large scale, food prices go up. As they are. Investments into bio-diesel take us down a road to a place called Delusion. Same can be said for Hydrogen. The net energy involved in the complete equation is close to zero.

If you're recycling old, used vegetable oil, that's different, but you can't argue that these tiny amounts [run off from restaurants] are going to offset demand (for oil) in a meaningful way.

clipped from www.sowetan.co.za SOUTH African motorists could in the near future drive vehicles that run on cooking oil and peculiarly “smell of fried chips”. This will be made possible by the use of biofuel, particularly biodiesel, say enthusiasts. Biofuel is a form of fuel derived from “recently living” organisms, replacing fossil fuels such as those derived from coal. It is usually produced using crops such as mielies, sugar beet and sunflower seeds, though the recycling of used cooking oil is the favoured option. Escalating petrol prices and electricity tariffs have put the spotlight firmly on alternative energy, emphasising not only cheaper forms of energy but those that are more environmentally sound.

LATOYA: GROWING UP IN THE JACKSON FAMILY

Excerpts from LaToya Jackson's own 1991 biography:

" ... neither I nor my siblings ever led a normal existence, not even as small children, years before celebrity transformed our lives. We were a not-so-typical but classic dysfunctional family. Yes, there was love and happiness, but it was poisoned by emotional and physical abuse, duplicity, and denial. ... The proscriptions of my Jehovah's Witness faith, my mother's seeming love and devotion, and my father's inability to express any emotion but anger kept us all entangled in a web of guilt disguised as love, brutality that was called 'discipline,' and blind obedience that felt like loyalty. ... We couldn't identify it, but we all sensed something was wrong in our house. Most of my siblings 'rebelled' by essentially running away from home to teenage marriages. ... I was Mother's best friend, and the quietest, shyest, most obedient child of all. I surprised everyone. I also broke the cardinal rule of a dysfunctional family. I stopped living the lie and playing the destructive game. -- pages 1-2.


"Thinking back over all those years, I realized that Mother was the guiding force behind the cruelty and abuse. This lady who pretended to be so gentle on the surface had in fact caused all the turmoil in our lives. We'd always thought that it was Joseph, but it was her, telling him what to do and how to do it. Like I'd said to her before, she was always throwing the rock and hiding her hand, convincing everyone -- outsiders and my own
siblings -- that she was sweet, kindhearted, and compassionate. Little did they know that the minute they were out of earshot she talked about them very, very viciously. After seeing it so many times, I finally had to face the fact that this was her true personality. -- page 257.


"Michael and I were very active in the Jehovah's Witness faith. ... Five days a week the two of us and Mother studied the Bible at home and attended the Kingdom Hall. ... Every morning Michael and I witnessed, knocking on doors around Los Angeles, spreading the word of Jehovah. ... As my brother's fame grew, he had to don convincing disguises, like a rubber fat suit he bought years later, -- pages 53-4.

"Mother ... frowned on our socializing with white kids, an attitude I found hypocritical coming from a Christian. -- page 34.

"... both my parents harbor racist attitudes, particularly against Jews, ... 'Wherever you go, whatever you do in this business, you find a Jew,' Mother used to complain bitterly all the time, 'I can't stand it.' ... She'd go on and on. 'They're always on top. Jews are so nosy. They like controlling you. I hate 'em all.' To their faces, however, my mother was as sweet as could be. ... Hearing talk like this turned my stomach, especially when it came from my mother's mouth. How could a religious woman be so hateful? ... The depth of Mother's loathing was expressed in one of her oft-repeated opinions: 'There's one mistake Hitler made in his life -- he didn't kill all those Jews. He left too many dxxx Jews on this earth, and they multiplied,' --pages 132-4.

6 ways to increase traffic to your website

Open Circle: To get a constant stream of unique visitors to a website is the ultimate goal in online marketing. No matter how professional the design of the website is or how well it converts visitors into buyers, it is useless if no one finds your website.

SHOOT: Other common sense ideas too. Update often, make sure your content is unique or original (at least in some way), and error free.

clipped from blog.opencircle.co.za Organic SEO: Search Engine Optimization uses keywords, meta descriptions, keywords in the text, headings and page names.  You must also get other relevant sites to link to your website. For best organic SEO results, it should be built into the website from the start. Pay per click: Advertise directly on the search engines to get almost instant results. For the best conversions, traffic should be directed to targeted landing pages. Social media: Regular blogging attracts readers who are interested in your topic. Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are good for developing a following of targeted users. Links from these sources are helpful in SEO. Email marketing: Develop opt-in mailing lists and market your site.   This way you will have targeted users that’s allready interested in your services. Find other related companies that have prominent newsletters. Approach them to allow you to advertise on their email newsletters. Promote in print ads Education:

Michael Jackson: Exclusive Last Photo

clipped from www.etonline.com

Ruth Madoff: I'm stunned by what my husband did, but...er...mind if I keep the money

[My husband] "stunned us all with his confession and is responsible for this terrible situation in which so many now find themselves."

Before she agreed on a deal with the government to resolve her finances a week ago, Ruth Madoff had indicated through lawyers that she planned to try to keep the penthouse and an additional $62 million in assets as unrelated to the fraud.

Before the fraud was exposed, the Madoffs had homes in Palm Beach, Fla., the south of France and the tip of Long Island along with the midtown Manhattan penthouse. They also traveled by private jet and yacht.

SHOOT: Take it all back. I'm sure there were no questions asked when they started buying multi-billion dollar properties all around the world. How else do you bury more billions than you could possibly spend, or hide? And of course, the attitude of family is: Gasp, this is a COMPLETE shock...but can we keep the money?

clipped from news.yahoo.com NEW YORK – Federal marshals took possession of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff's $7 million Manhattan penthouse on Thursday in a move that forced his wife to move elsewhere. Proceeds from a sale of the property and its contents could be used to help reimburse those who lost billions of dollars investing with Madoff before he confessed to running a Ponzi scheme. U.S. Marshal Joseph Guccione said the marshals arrived at the property at noon with a court order permitting them to take custody of the apartment and to make anyone living there move out. Guccione said Madoff's wife Ruth had been advised in advance of the marshals' plans and was leaving the residence and surrendering all personal property. "She will be leaving," he said at midday. "Restitution for the victims is the government's top priority." By about 1 p.m., the 67-year-old Ruth Madoff had left. It was not immediately clear where she went to live.

100 000 swine flu cases per day in August in Britain [Numbers doubling each week]

He said: 'Your 130,000-cases-a-day projection would be consistent with anything up to 2,000 hospitalisations a day by the autumn - that would create very considerable pressure on hospitals.'

SHOOT: I predict that we will begin to see more and more people transition from complacency to panic. This is the result of people not knowing how to demonstrate concern when [at the time] concern is justified. I have repeated said, also, that you cannot overstate the importance, the signifance, the threat of pandemic flu. It is the biggest threat our species face, other than ourselves, and of course, it is partly do to our own great numbers and how we produce food that this disease exists in the first place. If it is any consolation, H1N1 is simply a natural consequence, in the natural order of things, to bring an organism (us) back into line.

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk The number of cases of swine flu in Britain could soar to over 100,000 a day by the end of August, the Health Secretary warned today. Andy Burnham revealed the alarming figure as the Government moved the country on to a new 'treatment phase' after he admitted it was no longer realistic to try to contain the outbreak. In a Commons statement, Mr Burnham stressed this was only a projection but said scientists expected to see 'rapid rises' in the number hit by the virus. His chilling warning came just days after six-year-old Sameerah Ahmad became the third person in the country to die after contracting the disease. Mr Burnham confirmed there were now 7,447 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK and a significant number of people had been hospitalised. Mr Burnham said that last week saw a 'considerable rise' in swine flu cases. 'There are now on average several hundred new cases every day,' he said. Tragic: Sameerah Ahmad, who died on Friday, is one of three killed in the UK by swine flu

In Space, no one can hear you scream

SHOOT: Now the same applies to Earth.

Debbie Row: I want Michael's kids

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Michael Jackson's Last Rehearsal [VIDEO]

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Jews say Jackson was an 'anti-Semite'

SHOOT: If someone tells me I'm bald (or something else that I don't like, but happens to have some basis in fact), should I tell them they're anti-Dutch? Some Jews seem to relish in turning anything that isn't positive into an attack on themselves. A racist attack of course. Meanwhile, there is plenty of evidence to support the cliche of the wealthy Jew. The point is, is the cliche true, or even somewhat true, and if it is, then what? The response can't always be: "You're anti-Semitic" in the face of criticism. I guess if you're the chosen race, then you're above reproach though, right? Because you're perfect and justified and of course who is anyone to even ponder that. Intwisting.

clipped from www.israelnationalnews.com While much of the world mourns the untimely death of the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, it is worth recalling one of Mr. Jackson's more unfortunate qualities: he was an anti-Semite. In case you think I am making this up, allow me to refresh your memory. Back in November 2005, Jackson was caught on tape in a voicemail to one of his former business managers calling Jews "leeches". The tapes were played on ABC's Good Morning America program, and Jackson was heard saying, "They suck…they're like leeches. It's a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose." And in 1995, Jackson provoked a firestorm of protest when he released an album called HIStory containing a song entitled "They don't care about us" which had the following lyrics: "Jew me, sue me" and "Kick me, kike me". He subsequently promised to re-record the song and delete the offending lyrics.

Air France Flight 447 fell intact into sea

SHOOT: They're saying it crashed vertically. Which means the black boxes ought to be within a relatively modest debris field. They're also extending the search for the black boxes by another 10 days. Good luck.

clipped from news.yahoo.com LE BOURGET, France – A French investigator says Air France Flight 447 did not break up in flight but plunged vertically into the Atlantic Ocean. Alain Bouillard, leading the investigation into the June 1 crash for the French accident investigation agency BEA, also says life vests found among the wreckage of the plane were not inflated. All 228 people aboard the plane were killed when it plunged into the ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Bouillard said at a news conference outside Paris on Thursday that the search for the plane's black boxes has been extended by 10 days and will continue through July 10.

Sears Tower unveils glass balconies

SHOOT: The vertigo up there must be pretty cool.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Londoners Suffer Winter Bug in MidSummer

SHOOT: Levels of infection are higher in summer than for an ordinary winter season. That's troubling; it's portentous for when winter returns.

clipped from www.bloomberg.com Confirmed cases of the new H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, in the British capital more than doubled to 1,794 yesterday from a week earlier, the Health Protection Agency said. The pandemic bug is transmitted more easily than seasonal flu among people younger than 50 because no one has natural immunity against it. In England and Wales, there were 29.6 cases of flu-like illnesses per 100,000 people last week, the college said. That compares with 11.4 per 100,000 the previous week and 6.5 the week before that. In the southern region, the incidence of flu-like illness last week was about four times higher than the 10-year average for summer, according to the college’s report. Flu typically peaks in England in January, and the rate reported for the southern region by the college’s flu surveillance network, comprising 420 doctors, was the highest in five months.

US unemplment reaches 26 year high at 9.5 percent [expected to increase to 10.7%]

Manufacturers cut 136,000, down from 156,000. Construction companies got rid of 79,000 jobs, up from 48,000 the previous month. Retailers eliminated 21,000, up from 17,600. Financial activities cut 27,000, following 30,000 in May. The government cut 52,000 jobs, up from 10,000 the previous month.

One of the few industries adding jobs: education and health services.The worst crises in the housing, credit and financial markets since the 1930s have plunged the country into the longest recession since World War II.

SHOOT: The biggest cuts come from manufacturing. Er...that's car building. Followed by construction. Er...that's house building. And no mention is made of the insigator behind all this financial and economic haemoraging: high energy prices. They caused this and when the economy turns the corner, will break it into even smaller pieces. Why? Because we've reached the limits to growth in a finite world. And we've also reached the carrying capacity in terms of our own population. From here on out it is permanent contraction, including the contraction of the size of human populations. We're in for a grim finale. [Sorry if that sounds 'too negative' for you.]

clipped from news.yahoo.com WASHINGTON – Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy. The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground. June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected. However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn't as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back. All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June. Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.

UK gives up counting swine flu infections, because numbers are growing too rapidly

The Health Protection Agency yesterday announced another 342 patients in England have been confirmed with swine flu, while the figure for the UK as a whole rose to 6,929.

The official statistics on the virus are likely to underestimate the true scale of infection in the UK because only a sample of patients in the hotspots now have a diagnosis of swine flu confirmed by lab tests.

SHOOT: The numbers are meaningless. A percentage of the total population (or number per 100 000) is more useful. Between 350 million and 1 billion people contract ordinary flu each year. Swine flu is 10 times deadlier, and at least as infectious.

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk The government is due to announce a major change in its handling of swine flu outbreaks today, with the daily recording and reporting of cases expected to be abandoned because of the increasingly rapid spread of the virus. With the number of cases confirmed by laboratory tests set to exceed 7,000 today, it is likely that the policy of trying to contain the H1N1 virus may be abandoned in favour of "outbreak management". In swine flu hotspots such as London, the West Midlands and parts of Scotland, which have already moved to the outbreak management phase, diagnosis of the virus is now being done by doctors rather than laboratory testing and tracing the contacts of people with swine flu and the preventative use of anti-viral drugs has stopped. Anti-viral drugs are still being offered to all people with symptoms. Collating daily figures is proving time consuming but the government and other agencies recognise they still need other ways of regularly informing the public.

The most pessimistic predictions are being shredded as economic reality bites

SHOOT: It says a lot when economists give 'pessimistic' predictions, and all of them prove to be too optimistic. Seems like everyone is on a holiday from reality, and the holiday destination is a place called 'Spin-it-better-than-it-is.'

The economic reality we're faced with, of course, is the 'D' word. No one wanted to utter - gasp - the 'R' word. But now that recession is a reality, so is a Global Depression.

What is a Depression? Unemployment or GDP (or both) that contracts 10%. In the USA, engine of the world economy, we're already at 10% unemployment.

clipped from www.forbes.com WASHINGTON -- When the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment figures Thursday morning, economists expect the U.S. to take a big step toward an ugly milestone. But economists' worst assumptions about employment are being surpassed monthly. In December, the Blue Chip consensus, a survey of many leading economic forecasters, pegged unemployment for 2009 at 7.8%. Even the 10 most pessimistic Blue Chip forecasters had an estimate of only 8.3%. By March, even the pessimists' estimates for the entire year had already been shredded, when unemployment reached 8.5%. The unemployment rate for June is expected to rise to 9.6% from 9.4% according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. Economists were wondering whether unemployment could possibly reach 10%, says Shierholz. But 10% is all but certain at this point. The question has changed to: "Are we going to pass the peak in 1983 that was 10.8%?" says Shierholz, which would be the worst unemployment rate since the Great Depression.

Hitachi to lift capacity from 40 000 to three million lithium-ion batteries per month - for GM

SHOOT: GM are finished. It's a bit late to be using the hybrid car ploy. The market is still tiny. They should have pursued making ordinary cars more fuel efficient.

clipped from finance.yahoo.com TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese electronics maker Hitachi Ltd. said Thursday it will supply lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles to General Motors Corp. in 2010 and sharply raise production capacity to meet surging demand for gas-electric cars. Hitachi currently makes 40,000 lithium-ion batteries per month and will lift the capacity to three million units. "We plan to boost our production capacity for lithium-ion batteries as we expect demand for hybrid vehicles will continue to grow worldwide," said Hitachi spokesman Shinya Yamada. He declined to say when Hitachi would lift the capacity. Hitachi will also start supplying lithium-ion batteries for hybrid cars to GM next year, the company spokesman said without elaborating further. Using a lithium-ion battery will produce more energy, allowing hybrid cars to run more as an electric vehicle, but there have been some technological hurdles.