Last thread here.
Hello Wiki People. Have you heard any rumors lately? Very interesting stuff is popping up ‘out there’. Have you heard the one about the county homeland security officer that went ape S### on a photographer for taking pictures at flu vaccine distribution site? http://tinyurl.com/y5jm36 The forum where I read about this first put out some ideas. Was it REALLY flu vaccine in those needles? Was this guy stressed because of some ‘news’ he has been dealing with?
I posted this earlier on the new blue: Today I was driving to work (in Northern VA) when I heard on the radio that there was the first confirmed case of flu in Virginia. More to come after the commercial. So I am sitting at the light waiting for the commercial to end and I look over at a SUV and the lady driving is wearing a purple N95 mask in her car. That is the first time I have ever seen that! I know she could have been a patient heading to the hospital for something but I don’t know. It was just odd to see.
On the fence-what did the radio say after the commercial?
I was at walmart yesterday buying a few Christmas presents. I went to pharmacy to stock up on preparations for BF. There were women there also stocking up on BF preps, it was wierd to say the least.I did find a good buy though on “Betadine-Iodine though for preps. Bought 2 large bottles of it for $. 4.50 a bottle..much cheaper than at CVS
bump
Three recent things upped my PPF. Last week the Orange County NY department of health had an open meeting with the public for Bird Flu and other preparedness Q&A, I heard on the radio that the Dutchess County NY the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) never heard that before was recruiting for people to join and be trained as reserves in case of “disaster”. I saw a TV ad advising people to be on the lookout for flu symptoms and see their doctor immediately and to also ask about prescription anti-virals that are available. In all three cases, I have never heard this before with such a close twist towards bird flu.
There have been commercials and PSAs that say “see your doctor immediately if you have flu symptoms. The commercials want you to get a prescription, but the PSAs? I’ve never heard that before. It’s making me think somebody wants to keep track of illness. Which is a good thing. Unless the PSAs are paid for by Big Pharma.
Yes thay are.The dancing peguin one is i know.Roch i think.Dont thay make Tamiflu?
Only psa’s I have heard locally are the one’s put out by the flu vaccine companies that say “it’s not too late to get vaccinated for the season”.
I was at the hospital the other day and noticed a LOT more people wearing N95′s walking around to get Rx’s and lab work done.
Did ADOM have his/her meeting yet?
Received a call from my sister yesterday. Her daughter is a CEO at a bank in Ohio. My niece was told when the pandemic hits that she and another CEO will be locked in the bank for an unknown duration. The two CEO’s are to handle the money and guidelines are being issued on how to handle the money etc. Well this scared her because she previously told her mother to stop talking about the pandemic flu. She now found out first hand that this is a real possibility. Needless to say she is really scared.I’ve been telling my sister about this since 2/06 and she has not yet made any preparations. Hope she does soon.
Okiedokie @ 10:27 There is a similar call for “volunteers” (who happen to have medical, mental health, allied health, etc.) experience to register with the Alabama Department of Public Health to be on the ready in case of disasters. This is recent.
Merlin, hope they have a good pantry for your niece-who is going to be out to do the locking? Or is it an honor system, where the 2 employees agrees to lock themselves in? Are they telling other employees or keeping it secret?
Chesapeake, here it is: Date published: 12/4/2006
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Flu season arrived early in Virginia.
That according to Diane Woodard, director of the state health Department’s division of surveillance and investigation.
She says this season’s first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza was reported in southwest Virginia in early November. The first reports usually don’t arrive until late December or January.
Woodard says there are probably many more undiagnosed cases of the flu in Virginia. To avoid flu, health officials suggest a vaccination that is effective about 80 percent of the time and takes about two weeks to take effect.
Perhaps this would explain why I have seen so many coughing people in South Hampton Roads as of late. One thought: thank God for vinyl plastic gloves.
Wonder when we will start seeing the CDC’s “HEALTHY HABITS” posters papered all over public places?? This would help a great deal in cutting down on the sharing of germs. Several places to come to mind: retail, restaurants, places of worship, schools, medical facilities. Bigger, perhaps — ATMS!?
Argyll.
Two things:
First, the military air activity suddenly spiked a great deal here today (a few miles from Bush’s ranch) - everything from a huge transport-type aircraft to military jets flying in formation. Every time I’ve walked out of the house today there’s been something overhead and it’s driving the puppy crazy. Who knows.
(For those who follow chemtrails, they have also been at a higher level than I’ve ever noticed, day and night, since Sunday. So many that even my little camera phone has picked up some really good pics.)
Second, an email from a friend here in town with a sick 13 yr old: “C is now very ill…..sore throat/swollen tonsils/fever/chills/dizziness…..initial strep & flu reports were negative at drs office this morning (she had flu mist a few weeks ago), but dr. said he’s been seeing a lot of children/teens with flu-like symptoms, hitting teens especially hard…..”
FWIW.
When renewing a medical license a couple months ago, there was a section questioning if you would like to be a volunteer to be contacted in the event of a disasterous event(cannot remember exact wording), and if so, would be able to take training?. If this was the first renewal since 9–11 then it would’nt raise a brow, but it was’nt,and of course I thought H5N1. I live in the midwest, no Hurricanes. I had’nt posted this because was’nt sure if it was just paranoia, now I know what it really was…
Texas has a lot of disaster “volunteer” activity lately.
My 15yo came home from school today with a 102 temp, chills, fatigue and body aches. He spent Thanksgiving weekend in Texas, but I don’t think he picked it up there…the school nurse said he was the first kid there to be showing these symptoms. (we live in Ks.)
I don’t know if this qualifies as a rumor or not, but the greeter at my local Walmart is wearing thin little latex gloves now. The two I’ve talked to said that it was to prevent them from getting sick from the carts. I’ve been shopping there for years and they’ve never done that before.
Walmart greeters should have been wearing gloves for years. I wonder if it was your store’s own idea or if the advice came down from higher-ups at Walmart. With Christmas on the horizon, it makes good business sense for Walmart to try to keep their employees healthy.
chicksandheifers — 08 December 2006, 01:17 --- My DW is currrently managing some people at our local Wally World and she insists that they wear latex gloves at all times. Flu season is fast approaching, and most of the folks she manages collect the carts from out in the massive “airline terminal-sized” parking lot…it’s amazing the goo they find on the cart handles…from babies and toddlers to Gawd knows where from.
About 10 years ago, I read an article disclosing the 3 most public germ laden surfaces. Naturally, I immediately zeroed in on public restrooms. Wrong. Escalator hand rails and shopping cart handles topped the list. I doubt much has changed in the past 10 years. Check this out http://tinyurl.com/yyx9qj
Link that Surfer provdided: Yep. Once at a grocery store I saw an infant sitting in the cart with poo ooozing from the sides of his diaper. The mother could have cared less. I still have nightmares about it.
Oh, here is another one that ought to make you feel good. Anyone still doubt the wisdom of SIP? http://tinyurl.com/6zbl6
Wal Mart math: just a little something to consider. Those latex gloves wally world employees are now wearing cost retail about 80 cents each, so even wholesale at least 20 cents each, right? Figure if each WW worker wears two pairs per day (changing after lunch) that’s .80 per worker per day, times 100 days of flu season = $80 per worker x 100 workers per store = $8000 per store times say 200 stores over the US = $1.6 million for gloves to protect workers from germs. Wally World? The bottom line people who are notorious for underpaying employees, lack of benefits etc? My guess is that the US govt HD is making them do it, possibly even providing the gloves. (So that xmas shopping can proceed.) And if they are going to those extreme measures, it may be closer than we think.
Ho ho, oh, heck..
The guys that work with my DW have to buy their own. They don’t work directly for Wally World…even though they have to collect all the WW shopping carts from the parking lot.
Mary in Hawaii - I can (and do) buy milk house gloves for around $8/box of 100 gloves. I’m too sick right now to do the math, but I think the cost is cheaper here than your numbers show. I’m sure Walmart can get a better price for them than I can. And it’s only the greeters who are wearing them, so there are far less than 100 per store.
I didn’t ask who provided the gloves or who came up with the idea, I was just surprised to see them at all. My favorite greeter (he’s got to be pushing 80, but he acts like he’s a teen) seemed kind of disgusted when I asked him about the gloves, so I’m thinking he didn’t initiate the idea.
Chicks! I’m sorry you’ve been sick — are you recovering now or just in the throws of a really sick weekend coming up? I hope you’re on the recovering side!
Mary in Hawaii? — 08 December 2006, 11:31 -
You think “the US govt HD is making them do it”? C’mon now, that is a bit paranoid, don’t you think?
: )
I do believe it is voluntary. Our wal-mart greeters have not been wearing gloves. IMO, I believe wal-mart is too cheap to do so.
I’ve never seen a WalMart greeter wearing gloves.
We have two WalMarts here, and I will make a special effort to look at the greeters this weekend.
I may have to just make a trip to wallyworld to check it out this weekend. On second thought, naw. Going there on a weekend is akin to a trip to the dentist. We just had one of their superstores open up here. Their produce sucks.
Chicks and heifers. You are absolutely right…darn decimal points. Just goes to show you, don’t do math before 7AM. Actually, left brain sleeps until noon in this climate. aloha!!
Curiouser and curiouser
Last month’s MD bulletin from State of California listed a site where “potential volunteers” could pre-register and have their credentials reviewed, just in case they wished to be called upon, in the event of “disaster”. The only people who receive this mailer are California licensed physicians, what further credentials are needed? No mention if we would be called up voluntarily or drafted.
Also the largest hospital in my county replaced its medical staff bylaws without a vote. New “rules and regulations” sent down by administration ask each physician to acknowledge that they would not attempt to admit to their hospital: 1)persons younger than 18 years (except just delivered newborns). The 8 bed pediatric ward is being permanently closed in the middle of winter, despite protests of the pediatricians on staff. Reason given by administration? Pediatric beds lose money (this is a non-profit community hospital. 2) also “not to be admitted”, persons having infectious diseases for which the hospital cannot make satisfactory provisions to avoid spread of the infection to others.
Apparently this community hospital, plans to deal with a pandemic by refusing to admit children or infected people??
Better tell the ER folks. What a mess when RSV hits, much less PI.Will your peds go elsewhere? If they do, another blow by Admins and bean counters.
MD mom…my daughter is a nurse at UCLA med center, so I am curious (since it is one of the largest in the state) if that is the one you are referring to? She promised to tell me if she and nursing staff were given any kind of heads up on planning for pandemic, and so far she says they haven’t heard a thing. Makes me wonder: is she sworn to secrecy? Or have they really not briefed the staff of this huge county hospital? (I tend to think the former, although maybe it just hasn’t filtered down to her level yet.)
At my hospital, if you ask if there is a pan plan, you can be somewhat informed. You don’t ask, they don’t tell.
I have a question. I was wondering if any federal workers will be shifted to assume new positions in the event of a pandemic. Possibly mentors for families requiring government asistance,special needs groups, EMTs, Tranporation/Communication Specialists — any type of role that could feel a gap in a pandemic. The thought just crossed my mind tonight, and I wondered if some type of changes would be made. I bet they could be a very welcomed resource!
Argyll.
full time, contracted employees usually get an option if they can’t continue to work an their location. For example, if a base is closing they will try to find a job somewhere else in govt. Could even move to another state. If a job dries up, and you are permanent they could find another type of job in the same location. The downside of this is they make you one or two offers and if you say ‘NO” they let you go. “Hey, we tried!” This may or may not happen with PBF. We may all be working for ‘the man’.
Folks, There are no secret plans or any other plans that you have not already heard about. Our leadership has not chosen to lead. As I see it, it is every person for themselves. The best you can do is what you are already doing. Prepare for your family and any other small group you can handle. We will be on our own..
MIH, I would think that UCLA hospital has a much larger peds unit than 8 beds.I would wager that just one of their ped ICUs is larger than that.
DeLuca? — 09 December 2006, 01:08
Folks, There are no secret plans or any other plans that you have not already heard about. Our leadership has not chosen to lead. As I see it, it is every person for themselves. The best you can do is what you are already doing. Prepare for your family and any other small group you can handle. We will be on our own..
They have chosen not to lead.
I have been both told the exact line above by a very frustrated PTB (power that be) in public health, and came to the same conclusion independently through observation.
We are on our own. We were told so by the feds. They are ONLY concerned with continuity of government operations.
If you can make a difference at the VERY local level, then great. Do so.
If not, then it’s best to prepare quietly for SIP and the aftermath.
This is the harsh reality.
When the feds announced “YOYO” they, in effect, washed their hands of any responsibility to the individual citizen. Crystal clear. Prep. Then prep some more.
Re: prepping at the very local level: I am slowly adding to my supplies, on the premise that if the pandemic comes my neighbors will not be prepared and will come seeking handouts. The ones I fear are the drug dealers at the end of the block who might just take all my supplies by force, whether I share or not. I set up a neighborhood meeting and sent out 50 fliers, but no one came. The only response I got came from the mail carrier, who left a note on one of the fliers saying I couldn’t put things in mail boxes or she’d have to charge me postage. I guess I can try walking from house to house and talking to people on the block individually, but that’s going to have to wait until my Christmas break. I also fear that if I talk to them about prepping, if tshtf they will know where to come to get food. Me. Suggestions?
Mary in Hawaii: Tell them you have preped for two weeks. If TSHTF at two weeks they would figure you where already out of food.
In a month or two you could tell those that have preped for two weeks that it would be a good idea to prep for 3 months ETC.
Mary in Hawaii,
My suggestion? Prep…quietly.
I know others have a different approach, which is very noble, but the way I see it is, one person here or there cannot possibly convince the masses to prepare.
Mary in Hawaii, your desire to help is admirable but I would caution you to think long term. You already have the downside figured out. If you talk to them about prepping they know where you live when TSHTF. It is probable that they will come knocking on your door asking to borrow a cup of survival.
My humble opinion is, keep delivering alerts anonymously under the cover of dark if it’s safe. Buy 50 pound bags of rice and beans, divvy them up into smaller portions with a food sealer and consider dropping/lobbing those to houses, anonymously, as you are able during the outbreak. That’s what I’ve done.
On my street I have three neighbors who are blessed to have a total of five children under four. I would hate to see those babies die for lack of prepping. They are the only ones I’ve bought extra for (besides the dog next door). I’m also keeping powdered milk aside for them. They don’t know it though. I wish I could do more. I think when it hits we might be able to work together to solve some problems (water, what to do with the bodies, home care, etc.) but I can’t let them know that I’m stocked.
Did ADOM post anywhere on the meeting this week?
NawtyBits --- Haven’t seen anything as yet…
NawtyBits at 14:35 - Patience…
MIH;
As I and many others have repeatedly posted, you should strongly consider not to reveal your preps.
Yes, it’s tough. Nobody wants to see see kids die. Warn anynonymously. It’s up to those folks to act. Horse to water, etc.
You are in a vulnerable location. Unless you can skeedadle to the hills with a full supply of food and outdoor gear next to a source of fresh water, if BF reaches the Islands, you are in trouble.
Perhaps you should consider purchasing a very large sail boat (have others you trust to chip in), stock it as best you can, and set sail when IT happens. There is an ocean full of fish out there, so food shud not be a problem. Sources of drinking water will have to be more carefully considered.
Face it. Alot of innocent folks are going to die. Get used to it now. You can’t save the world. Don’t jeapordize your life. Warn, and then act to save your own. Harsh reality. Spoken as a Marine fighter pilot who lived in Kaneohe for 2 years, and as an airline pilot who has flown to Islands from the Mainland for 18 years. Best wishes.
FG at 15:24.
Patience is NOT one of my strong suits. ;-)
I’ll try harder.
I really appreciate all your advice and think that it is wise. I will, as you all suggest, keep my own preparation activities to myself, but stock some extra rice and such so if neighbors with kids come by I can do as Orlando Preppie suggests and put a day or two worth of rice, powdered milk etc in large baggies and toss it down to them. (luckily I have a house up on piers with a big lanai out front so I can easily do that.) And I will tell them I had only prepped for 2 weeks and don’t have much left. It is hard to be that way, but harder to be dead. Thanks again. Oh, and curiousity question to Surfer: are you a wave rider? or internet surfer. (I ask because I wave ride, old as I am.)
MIH
Good move, Mary. Stay quiet. Surfer since Beach Boys time - 1963. Many waves: Hawaii (North Shore, Makaha, Waikiki, Maui, Kauai), So Cal (Rincon south to border - favorite and most visited site was Malibu), Mexico, East Coast, Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico. Now located in Del Mar (part time). It truly has been an endless summer. I avoid internet surfing for purposes of simply blathering. No time for chit chat. However, I visit a variety of news and financial sites daily (multiple times) so as to make and monitor investments. And of course, google and yahoo are invaluable search engines. Fluwikie is the only site on which I post comments. I do that only because I believe dark days are ahead, and that I may have something worthwile to contribute while maintaining anonymity. Of course, there are are many others who post here that are pro’s in their respective fields. Best wishes.
Mary in Hawaii
If you have a chance, please contact me at this email address: doggerhi@hotmail.com
Mahalo
Why is it wave riders seem to “get it” long before the land lovers ?
Long board here since the land before time… you know, back when people knew what a long board WAS.. LOL
So it sounds like some of you surfers are old enough to remember my cousin Butch VanArtsdalen. He had quite a name in surfing circles back in the 60′s.
Surfer - I moved from Hawaii a couple of years ago. My mother is the widow of a WWII bomber pilot and still lives close to the Marine base at Kaneohe.
I think the islands are particularly vulnerable to the kind of disaster we are discussing here. I was thinking of telling her to head for the Marine base if she runs out of food and water. She has an officer’s sticker for her car. What do you think?
mary in hi:
you are now in the same boat as me with people knowing of your preps. at first i thought about keeping tight lipped but that bothered me morally. when i first started prepping i urged many others to do so. then the more i read this wikie and the more i thought about it, i realized warning others without being anonamous was a BIG mistake. for one thing you’ll be regarded as the village idiot (as many of us here have encountered). what’s far worse though is those same people who laughed and wrote you off as an alarmist nut job, will ALWAYS remember that you prepped and turn to you for preps when TSHTF.
i am now faced with hiding preps because i have no doubt that people, faced with a choice their kids starving to death or forcibly taking your preps , will choose the later.
the only solution i have come up with is self storage places with 24/7 access where i can go and bring home only a few days worth of preps a time so as not to loose all in event of thugs coming.
thinking you can defend with force, in my opinion, won’t work. you have to sleep at some point.
i suggest the mods put a big red warning on the home page directing any newbies like mary in hi to read some of the threads that have discussed this topic in depth. it may possibly save someone’s life.
sam in az, it strikes me that your mother shouldn’t wait until TSHTF to test her welcome at the base. (Or does she visit people there now?) It might go easier for her if she became a familiar face.
OTOH, a base is an easy place to quarantine. They may decide not to let anyone in.
Just reviewing this, great thread. Here is what comes to mind:
1. food + water + medications = 3 months ( up to 6 months?)
2. preps for family (and close friends — neighbors).
3. security— different for many.
4. flu shot, practice healthy habits and avoid sick people.
Anyhow, thanks so much for this helpful rumours thread!
Argyll.
re: hiding your preps. I take the opposite view of most posting here. I started out thinking I should stow my bags of rice and beans in the garage under cover of night, but I slowly came to realize that neither I, nor anyone else, can truely make it on there own. Those people “out there” who are “despirate to steal our preps” 1) probably don’t know you are prepping even if you told them directly. People forget. People misunderstand, often. 2) The drug dealers down the street want drugs, not food. If you had said, “I’ve got 2 kilos of crack”, they would be there. 200 lbs of rice? Forget it. I have so much trouble convincing my fellow middle class citizens that drug dealers are, usually, all addicts. The first thing these guys will do WTSHTF is rob and assault each other and their suppliers for drugs. Then they will move on to the drug stores. Then they go through withdrawal. At that point they won’t be ABLE to do much harm to anyone other than themselves. If they survive withdrawal, and by this time days and possibly weeks will have passed, they will need water and food but will have had lots of contact with others and will be at very high risk for flu. MIH, go help people. You will probably survive longer with their help and the collective “hive wisdom” they will provide than any solitary prepper surrounded by guns and supplies. One final point. I always wonder if those who push this “survivors” mentality think that “survival” is forever. Last I checked, we are all going to die—sometime. I’ve decided I’d rather go to my final reward having died trying to help someone rather than trying to protect my preps.
B.G. Because we look for and can see sets arriving on the horizon - and use them to our advantage. Third wave, etc.
AVanarts I do indeed know the name. Is he still living, and is he prepping?
SIA The big problem with the Islands is the supply chain. Hawaii is most vulnerable because most of the stuff consumed arrives from overseas. Once that chain of tankers and container ships is cut, Hawaii is in deep trouble. There will not be any trains, trucks, or air drops available to adequately supply the Islands - as might possibly be available for the continents. IMO, forget the bug out bag. Get a bug out boat. As a last resort, refuge to the base may be just that - a last resort. But as suggested by Jane, visitors may not be welcome…sticker or not.
Avanarts: I knew Butch personally (although not close or anything) but he was with the windandsea crowd, and I knew lots of them. Plus he was up in the San Clemente area alot, where I hung out at Dale Velzy’s shop to flirt with the shapers and all that, so I definitely talked with him from time to time. Butch was so handsome, with shoulders 10 feet wide. He was one of the nicest guys too, funny and kind of shy, not full of himself like some of them. I remember that he died at an early age, what a shame and a loss!
Surfer, regarding Hawaii…I live on the Hilo side of the big island, low density and fairly rural, where alot of local produce is grown and fishing is good right from the cliffs (my house is about 6 blocks from the ocean.) Plenty of water (rainfall) too. So I’m not that worried about basic needs here. I’m more worried about my kids on the mainland and their families: they all live in Southern California, and are totally dependent upon the infrastructure for food and water. If tshtf there, they are in some serious trouble. All the food there arrives by truck and via distribution centers over distances way too far to travel by foot. If gas supply chains shut down there is quickly no food anywhere. Similarly their water is all piped in from colorado and northern california, and processed via big water plants before distribution. All that is heavily electricity and worker dependent. And So Cal doesn’t get enough annual rainfall to keep a tomato plant alive. So again, deep doodoo. Gary: I appreciate the sentiment, and certainly could never see allowing someone else to starve to save myself. All our lives are equally important. Especially mine. ;o) But I am not going to advertise I have food either. If someone comes knocking, I’ll share a day or two supply. If they are still well enough to come back a day or two later, I’ll share again, and so on until we all run out. Maybe they’ll go fish and share a piece with me.
Surfer, Butch died back in the late 70′s.
AVanarts
My sincere condolences on the loss of your cousin…he truly is a surfing legend!
MIH
Remember, you are acutely attuned to and aware of the danger. Your neighbors are not. Even though you are aware, your preps could (and will, IMO) disapear overnight. You are fortunate that you you live on the windward side of the big island - replete with rainfall and fish. But, what happens when you are overrun? You will be overrun when your neighbors become desperate. They will, and you will.
I still think that a bug out boat is a great choice! Have your kids in CA and friends chip in (money) and pitch in (labor). Best Wishes.
Since I’m not a member of the new forum I wanted to post this here. All day on CE and AFT there has been this silly rumor about a myspace blogger and BF in California. This has also been referenced on the new FluWiki Forum rumor thread. But the latest I can figure is that there might be a computer virus/worm associated with it (or so they are reporting on CE.) So, if you must learn more I would let the other sites do the trekking and simply check in there. I would suggest not poking around myspace yourself. Just MHO, FWIW.
Argyll: That is a good list, but I would add a pneumonia vaccination in addition to the flu shot, which is of doubtful efficacy but still worth doing. I might also add the ingredients for rehydration fluid (sugar, salt, potassium) and a recipe in case they are needed, and of course alcohol gel for clean hands, bleach for cleaning water and disinfecting, and rubber disposable gloves and perhaps masks. Sources of energy for lights, appliances (at least crank radio/light/cell phone charger) and cooking/heating would come next. I have a barbeque grill with a side burner and extra tanks of propane.
NOVA: I’ll email my kids that live in California and are frequent myspacers…see if they can shed any light.
Also, a comment for the Rumors thread…Does it strike any of the rest of you as perhaps contrived that suddenly the world wide media are carrying a story whose headlines descry “Whatever happened to bird flu?” Knowing that most people read no further than the first paragraph of most news articles, and get their slant and gist of the message from the headline, it seems to be steering the public towards complacency, as in “See, I knew it was all just another stupid scare!” And isn’t the timing interesting…right in the midst of the holiday shopping frenzy, as if to say “See, it’s all fine, go ahead and buy buy buy!” Maybe even do some extra “relief” spending, just to make up for your needless worry? Or am I just being a complete antigovernment conspiracy nutcase???? The verdict is still out.
This looks like the newest craze. Start a zero patient rumor and watch the fallout. A lot of attention, and zero consequence for the poster. If she is a journalist in the making, what fun.If it is the truth, then Brendon, or whoever it is should be in quarentine, and everyone he was in contact with should be notified. Irresponsible all down the line. They should be spanked.
If a computer virus is attatched, more than spanked.
MIH —
I believe you are completely on-spot in the above post. No news is good news, but is it really?
Argyll.
I cannot believe what I just saw on local TV..Koffi anon was giving a speech, he started talking about Avian flu..it was LIVE..then the local station cut out all audio feed, anyone see the speech ?…or hear it ?
MIH—I agree with you 100% about TPTB want to keep the shoppers calm enough to spend their money. I also thought is was interesting that right after they started talking about “What happened to Bird Flu?” that a another report out of Korea pops up…Opps! If it weren’t so aweful, it would be funny(the timing and all)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061211/hl_nm/korea_birdflu_dc_2
snowy tree, he was supposed to be blasting Bush during his speech…was he talking about what the US was NOT doing for other countries or something??
Nova, thanks for the heads-up on that rumor..we’ll keep poking around to see what we find out about it.
I’m working on it “ @ 13:33 , all I saw and heard was “ Danger of Avian flu, crossing borders real fast”…then the audio feed was stopped…argh..it was on an NBC affiliate, and was “ Live”
I shouldn’t have even put that in “ rumors thread, as I heard it and saw it with my own eyes. I had a friend here that saw it too.
Here’s link to his speech in pdf file I found on foxnews.com:
Talked about a world where SARS or avian flu CAN travel the world in a matter of hours, in same sentence with terriorism & climate changes.
Nothing astounding at all.
I’m working-on-it
Thankyou for clearing that up !
snowy tree-you made my ppf jump for a second there!
It has been eerily quiet these days — lots of happy “go shopping” messages but really very little BF news. I’m with Gary and MIH though. We continue to try to educate our peninsula about preparedness — and we will share our rice and lentils (inexpensive, complete protein) — OK, I’ll keep mum about the hidden Snickers . . . if this virus goes pandemic, I want a lot of people having nice thoughts about me as we rebuild.
Rice and beans, yep, complete protein. That’s what I’m stockpiling, especially for neighbors. One thing: they have to be cooked, but if you soak the rice for an hour and the beans for a couple of hours or more before cooking, it cuts the cooking time way down,saving on whatever precious cooking fuel you’ve stockpiled.
Great cooking tip thanks MIH!!!!
Argyll.
(Regarding cooking using less fuel) - I often soak beans 12 or more hours, pour water off, then cook in a small amount of water for say 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour or so, then cook as usual (adding more water). Cuts the cooking time to way less than half, and cuts gas too.
(Regarding cooking using less fuel) - I often soak beans 12 or more hours, pour water off, then cook in a small amount of water for say 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour or so, then cook as usual (adding more water). Cuts the cooking time to way less than half, and cuts gas too.
Be Well — 12 December 2006, 17:54
(Regarding cooking using less fuel) - I often soak beans 12 or more hours, pour water off, then cook in a small amount of water for say 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour or so, then cook as usual (adding more water). Cuts the cooking time to way less than half, and cuts gas too.
There is one little known side effect to cooking and eating beans like that. It has an effect on the part of the brain that controls posting. You’ll know you have it if you uncontrollably post twice. ;-D
Be Well — 12 December 2006, 17:54
(Regarding cooking using less fuel) - I often soak beans 12 or more hours, pour water off, then cook in a small amount of water for say 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour or so, then cook as usual (adding more water). Cuts the cooking time to way less than half, and cuts gas too.
There is one little known side effect to cooking and eating beans like that. It has an effect on the part of the brain that controls posting. You’ll know you have it if you uncontrollably post twice. ;-D
JWB too funny lol, that’s the way you cook them too?
.
way too funny!!! thanks! and thanks for the soaking tip too: didn’t know you could soak them that long without growing a vat of bacteria culture.
I`ve always presoaked mine. Usually overnight. If I forget then I bring them to a boil,turn off and let soak an hour or so,drain and replace water,then pressure cook.Draining the first water gets rid of a lot of the undigestible sugars that give us such an odorous response to them.LOL
Rice and beans a complete protein . . .don’t forget to add the tomatoes! Also, quinoa a complete protein in itself, can be added to soups and so many dishes.
Beans and corn also makes a complete protein. That`s why much Mexican food has both. Or even a small amount of meat added to the beans.At some point I knew what exactly was missing in beans,but that info has been lost .LOL. Getting older has some problems.
And don’t forget that even though you have to pour that water out that you soaked beans in, you can reuse the water for flushing toilets, as a ‘first rinse’ for rinsing out buckets to help save water for the final rinse of your buckets, watering the garden, etc.
That was just too funny above, about the double posting — great laugh for the AM!!!!!
Seasonal flu in NC… again…
My wife just called me and said the local news (Charlotte, NC) is reporting that there have been 1800 students absent from school in Cleveland County, NC this week. (I believe this may have been cumulative total since Monday). This is about 40 miles west of Charlotte, and southeast of Mitchell county where there was an outbreak a couple weeks ago. I did a quick search of the local television stations’ web sites and did not find the story. I will search again tonight.
My gosh David, that’s astounding! It’s just not stopping is it! Are you guys wearing masks? Do you see ANYone wearing masks up there????
David- WOW! That’s about all I can say at this moment.
Must be a huge school system in that county for the schools to still be open with that many out sick! At least that seems like a lot to me….I don’t have kids so I don’t really know what exactly would be ‘large’ amounts of absenteeism. hhhmmmmmmm……..
IWOI- that’s alot of students at any rate. Here in my school district, that would probably be half of the students in the middle/high school combined, since they are both in the same building. However, I do think that just seeing “1800 students” makes one’s mind think “large amount.” That’s what it does to me. Are you seeing any remote similarities between the 1918 first flu wave, and the flu this season?
You mean like denial, and pockets of illness but no one connecting the dots? Yep, a lot of that, but I don’t think that we’ve got to worry about it here on our soil yet….that may be ME in denial. I think we’ll see massive outbreak on other shores before we see it here, but I DO recognize that all it takes is one person coming from an infected place to start a nationwide problem here on our soil. Personally I think we have a year to plan & prepare, but I know how wrong I could be and that’s why I spend sooooo much money on preps now & feel frustrated when I reach my monthly limit!
ps I thought about you over on the new forum when I posted to the butter & cheese thread here awhile ago! You’re taking to it like a duck to water! Good for you!
Here is a link to the story about the Cleveland County schools…. http://tinyurl.com/y9f3tv
Thank you. I’m proud of myself for staying with it. Considering my frustration was through the roof, I felt I was a hopeless case. Honestly. Don’t tell Dem, but I was mad at him for uprooting my mind. It was planted here, and then I had to dig it up and transplant it somewhere else. But the transplant took, and doing just fine. I’m getting set in my ways even at my age. I have to change my attitute on some things, and look at it in a more postive light, rather than it’s the end of my world as I know it!
David — 13 December 2006, 13:20
Here is link to the story : http://www.wsoctv.com/news/10526929/detail.html
Not rumor but… Saw my pulmonary doc today for routine visit.He was telling me that he had 35 patients in ICU on Thanksfiving day. Took him 8 hrs to handle all of them. Usually only about 12 or so on that day. He has been working from 3:00am in morning into all day taking care of unusual large amt of people with respirtory illness and it’s not just kids.
This is so ridiculous that I had to post it. In England the Dept of Health scrapped plans for a 50,000 pound T.V. ad revealing that cigarettes contain the radioctive poison polonium 210. This to spare the feelings of the family of Alexander Litvinenko. I can’t believe it. Why would a proven fact that might make someone think twice and give up smoking, hurt feelings. What drivel.I hate it when anyone smokes in my presence.
That’s a heavy T.V.
Probably filled with that plasma stuff.
LOL. British pounds sterling.Don’t have the proper key to denote pounds.
Ya’ll are funny! :-)
Pa! Jethro laughed so hard, he done fell into the ce-ment pond!
HEE-HAW!
I had a thought yesterday and maybe it has already been covered but does anyone know if culling the birds will increase the mosquitos? Do birds eat them?
cottontop — 13 December 2006, 15:22 that’s a very good analogy about feeling like you’d been uprooted! I was stumbling around over on the butter & cheese thread trying to put into words what I was trying to say—and came up with some good analogies, but I like yours too!
KimT — 13 December 2006, 21:07 --- Some birds do, but bats are generally seen as the anti-mosquito troops…
yes, I guess I knew that, my thought was if birds and bats too are dying if that could increase mosquito diseases that sometimes look like BF? Just a passing thought.
I see that DHS is checking on the dead mallards. Has that been the plan? Anyone read about that anywhere?
…”A third possibility is avian influenza, though wildlife experts say the ducks’ symptoms are not consistent with bird flu. Homeland Security is involved in the investigation in the remote chance bird flu is killing the ducks.”…
Hahahaha -ah, those comedy writers!
Closed for length and continued here