Another Prophet of Disaster

Ah, the news organizations are in a tizzy about the swine flu. They breathlessly report the latest rumors as fact and are bracing for Armageddon. This flu story is nothing big, sure it is important for our governments and the transnational organizations to keep their eyes on it, but the way the press is reporting this one would think it is time to lock ourselves in our basements.

In recent memory we had two panics over avian flu strains and the SARS panic. In one of the avian flu events I recall hearing stories about the strain's high rate of lethality, but also reported (though with less vigor) was how workers in Asian bird markets were found to have a high rate of being previously infected with the avian flu strain du jour. As is usually the case, only those at death's door were showing up at the hospitals and being entered into the rolls of the afflicted.

In fact the numbers as being reported are inflated (even as small as they are):

But Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.

"Unfortunately that (150-plus deaths) is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation," Ms Allan told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.

"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organisation and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico."

Source: The Age — WHO says only seven confirmed swine flu deaths
Of course, I suspect the deaths due to this flu are higher than the 150 posted but those are deaths we will never be able to confirm.

The reporting on this is hysterical.

An ExSpectoration

Arlen Spector is now a Democrat. Big whoop. The Democrats and their lackeys in the media are characterizing this as a moderate not feeling welcome in an extremist party, but if they were honest they would have to characterize JFK as a right-wing extremist, which they don't.

I find another series of events most enlightening when thinking of this. Remember, Sue Collins? She is one of two GOP senators from Maine. She voted for Obama's stimulus package and what credit does that earn her? None, in fact if you google "Sue Collins flu" you see a series of leftist blogs with identically named posts, what do they call that when they hallucinate right wing blogs doing the same? Oh-yeah echo chamber. That is to say, Sue Collins is called to task on a stupid and silly point that should equally apply to Charles Schumer but, since Sue is a Republican in good standing she gets hammered for it. Remember that Sue & Olympia, your Dem friendly votes do not get you any brownie points.

However, since Spector is now a Democrat he is being lauded as a moderate. While I don't get too worked up by such calculations, Spector is not a moderate (ironically he is farther right than Liebermann who is all but persona non-grata with the left because Lieberman is moderate on only one issue and supported McCain's presidency bid), Areln Spector is an opportunist. His sole motivation for bolting the GOP is the same as Michael Bloomberg's for bolting the Democrats — they would lose their nomination fight in the primary.

In any event Arlen Spector the hammer of Hill has his nomination in the bag, this will be a big test of the how long President Barak's coattails are.