The CDC is looking for the source.

March 8, 2016

By Raquel Rutledge

Calling it the largest outbreak (click here) of its kind and stressing the urgency of finding the source, the CDC has identified two more suspected cases of deadly blood infections and sent additional investigators to Wisconsin.

"This is very much a real outbreak," said Michael Bell, deputy director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Investigators have not been able to find a medical product, single facility, food source or other means of exposure that could explain how dozens of people — mostly elderly residents of central and southeastern Wisconsin — have become ill from a bacterium named Elizabethkingia anophelis.

Isolated tests from the two suspected cases had not yet been confirmed, and officials would not say whether the individuals were sickened or had died. As of Tuesday, the outbreak was tied to 44 confirmed cases, including 18 deaths.

Other strains of Elizabethkingia have caused smaller outbreaks in previous years, but most were tied to a single source...

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica (click here) 

There are complications from the infection.

Tubercular pleural effusion complicated with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infection in a diabetic male (click here)


Editor, (click here)

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is a nonfermentative, nonmotile, oxidase positive Gram-negative rods that are widely distributed in nature. In 1959, an American bacteriologist Elizabeth O. King at Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta discovered it and named it asFlavobacterium meningosepticum or CDC-IIa. Subsequently in 1994 it was renamed as Chryseobacterium menigosepticum by Van Damme et al.The organism mostly causes meningitis in premature and newborn infants and rarely causes pneumonia, endocarditis, and meningitis associated with severe underlying illness in adults. Accurate diagnosis of E. menigoseptica is important because the species is usually resistant to multiple antibiotics including extended spectrum beta-lactam agents and aminoglycosides. Here, we report a case of tubercular pleural effusion complicated with E. meningoseptica infection in a diabetic male....

"...blah, blah, blah, Donald Trump is not anything he says he is, blah, blah, blah..."

And.

Of course, the Republican are.

Not.

What rhetorical Republicans need to say, "I just can't understand how our constituency is seeing our party differently and oppositionally."

Hello, that is what is happening. Get it yet?

Republican are lying because they feel entitlement. When does the fantasy of Republican entitlement end?

I guess that reality check is coming.

Why would Jeb Bush ever endorse an opponent of his? Jeb! is expecting an open convention and that is why he is involved in Florida. Jeb! expects to be the Republican nominee. He's not going to endorse anyone but himself.

It will be interesting to see Jeb! as a third party candidate.

The man, Jeb!, who spent millions upon millions of campaign donations in less than six months time on creature comforts actually thinks he is electable. Amazing.

Another natural gas disaster. If the petroleum industry isn't leaking methane into the environment, it is blowing up infrastruce.

Does anyone really want to sit in that chair again?

March 9, 2016
AP

Seattle (AP) — A natural gas explosion (click here) rocked a Seattle neighborhood early Wednesday, sending nine firefighters to the hospital and reducing businesses to rubble.
Crews were responding to reports of a natural gas leak when the explosion happened along the main thoroughfare of the city's Greenwood neighborhood, just north of downtown, Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Corey Orvold said.
As the neighborhood hummed to life Wednesday morning, crews were still dousing an active flame with foam. Residents were checking out the damage and the rubble and glass that littered the streets was being swept up. One cafe damaged in the blast was pouring coffee for firefighters....

Thank goodness there were no deaths. That really is the bottom line for Americans. "Were there any deaths?" Americans look at devastation and see the need to rebuild, but, what they can't do is resurrect the dead.

The devastation is as much a part of the burden of Americans, insurance companies and governments. While Americans are grateful their infrastructure has resulted in minimizing or eliminating deaths there is the issue of who is going to pay to repair the devastation of the petroleum industry.

I think there is sexism in the race for the US Precidency and it will not completely disappear in such a short period of time.

March 8, 2016
By Patrick Healy and Jonathan Martin 

Donald J. Trump (click here) easily dispatched his Republican rivals in the Michigan and Mississippi presidential primaries Tuesday and won the Hawaii caucuses, regaining momentum in the face of intensifying resistance to his campaign among party leaders.

That sums up the problem, doesn't it? The establishment politics of the Republican Party has used rhetoric and manipulation to gain confidence of the electorate and the electorate has had enough of it.

Senator Bernie Sanders scored an upset win in the Michigan Democratic primary, threatening to prolong a Democratic campaign that Hillary Clinton appeared to have all but locked up last week.

Mrs. Clinton lost badly in Michigan among independents, showed continued weakness with working-class white Democrats, and was unable to count on as much of an advantage with black voters as she had in the South.

Addressing reporters in Miami while the votes in Michigan were still being counted, Mr. Sanders said that his powerful showing indicated that “the political revolution that we’re talking about is strong in every part of the country.”

“And frankly,” he added, “we believe that our strongest areas are yet to happen.”...

Bernie Sanders is a breath of fresh air to many Americans. He is an important person. 

Hillary Clinton has to find a better dialogue regarding the email election problem. I think the change in law in the past four years since she served as Secretary of State. Some of this is sexism. How much of this is, ".. the best way to spread a message is, telephone, television and tell a woman?" 

Hillary Clinton has to find a better message for Independents. They are important people with issues they want resolved. They aren't just a political constituency. They are real Americans that need the attention of Democratic candidates. 

Monitoring forests and their forest floors while protecting homes will reduce enormous threat to the wealth of homeownership.

The Large Incident Fires Map (click here)

The current fires are most noted to be where drought is still unresolved. 

The overall outlook is still good. I know there are folks in the US Forestry department taking a hard look at predicted weather patterns to end the large incident fires before they begin. 

The best environment for forests is a full canopy with moist forest floors that repel fires.

This is a study that applies Canadian standards to forest floor moisture to maintain strong forests that repel fire.

Forest Floor Moisture Content and Fire Indices in Alaska. (click here)

I don't lie. The concepts to reverse the climate crisis may seem insignificant, but, they are some of the best measures that can occur. Any idea that cutting down forests to prevent fires is nonsense. It only removes carbon sinks and increases the reverse climate loop that has resulted in these very issues in the first place. The best measure any homeowner has is to use slate roofs. Slate roofs were noted in intense California fires to prevent fire to homes. The embers that take place FIRST that burn down homes do not begin on slate roofs.

Energy efficiency is not compromised with slate roofs. Slate is simply a good roof. It is slower to heat in the summer sun compared to metal roofs. It is an investment, but, it makes a difference. If metal roofs is what a homeowner can afford then make the change, but, indoor temperatures may be compromised. I don't believe asphalt shingles is the answer unless a home owner is not exposed to seasonal fires. I think the homes exposed to seasonal fires need special consideration when it comes to protection from fire. 

How many times does a homeowner have to replace their roof in the life time of their home? 

Do you want a roof (click here) that will provide your home with the long-lasting protection it needs? Slate roof may be your best option! This style of roofing will last anywhere between 80-120 years. 

 Slate roofing provides your home with additional safety  

    and protection:

 Natural product
 Resistant to moisture
 Great insulation
 Fire protection

Wood shingles are not a good solution to any home's roof. Clay roofs can be considered exceptionally safe as well. The idea is to keep the embers off the roof to defeat the devastating fires in the first place.

Ask questions and get good answers. The choice of a home's roof can be as personal and unique as the home itself. Homeowner's associations should be talking about this, too.

Americans need to realize the storms of 2016 are far, far different than only a short time ago.

March 1, 2016
US Drought Monitor (click here) 

The west still has an unresolved drought. The drought in California is nothing short of profound, including evidence such as sinking land due to depletion of aquifers. It takes a lot of rain and snow to resolve that drought.

March 8, 2016
By Paul Rogers

This weekend's soaking rains (click here) delivered just what drought-weary Northern California needed: billions of gallons of water pouring into the state's major reservoirs -- and more predicted for later this week.

With rain totals reaching 10 inches or more in some mountain areas, 46 of the largest reservoirs in California, closely tracked by the state Department of Water Resources, collectively added 391 billion gallons of water between Friday and Monday morning -- enough for the needs of 6 million people for a year.

The reservoir list, which includes such massive lakes as Shasta, Oroville, Folsom, San Luis and New Melones, jumped in storage by 10 percent to 13.2 million acre feet, as powerful storms pouring off the Pacific sent torrents of water surging down creeks, rivers and hillsides....

There is some objection to allowing water to be purged from the California reservoirs for SAFETY REASONS. Just because California is BEGINNING to recover from a long lived drought, doesn't mean safety can be eliminated to allow reservoirs to fill before opening flood gates. 

February 29, 2016
By Lauren Sommer

...Just an average-size winter storm (click here) can send huge volumes of water down the American River into Folsom Reservoir, boosting the lake by 10 percent or more. A major storm can produce dramatically more than that.
“The watershed is pretty flashy and it responds pretty quickly to storm events,” says Lessard. “That’s why we need to reserve a space during those winter months in case that happens.”
Sitting 40 percent empty allows the reservoir to act as a buffer against floods, gulping the runoff without overflowing. In years where the upstream reservoirs are fuller, Folsom Reservoir is required to remain 60 percent empty....

So, here is my take.

Some of the concern of the flood gate purging by the dams is based in fear. The public needs to first scale back that fear. I know the drought caused enormous sacrifice by those in the West because of water scarcity. 

There is a reason to want to fill the reservoirs before opening any flood gates. But, this is the way I see it. Currently, there are snow fields that contribute to water supplies in the usa west. Those snowfields are measurable. Getting the picture? 

Let's say the SNOW MELT will cause flooding if it occurs in a rapid melt. We have seen that level of tragic snow melt in Colorado. It is nothing short of serious and lives were lost. In Colorado, the water ran down hill from the mountain tops resulting in enormous amounts of debris carried with it creating it's own dams.

One of the reasons dams and reservoirs fill up is to control flooding. The authorities should be looking to any snow melt and it's water capacity to come to the reservoirs. If there is room in the reservoirs for all the snow melt yet to come then there should be closed flood gates. 

The authorities need to realize there very well may be strong storms that will also add to the reservoirs. Keeping the reservoirs at a 'topped off' level results in a level of danger. The public needs to ask their authorities to be able to react quickly to any potential flooding that may become dangerous. 

There has to be a 'happy medium' between 'drought preparedness' and flooding. If a dam is at it's highest level what happens next is flooding and it could happen quickly BOTH downstream and upstream because of BACK WATER RISING. 

Back water is what contributes to the reservoir to fill it. Back water are rivers and tributaries, even the smallest streams. When the reservoir is completely filled it will increase back water levels. There can be flooding in back water natural waters while the reservoirs may remain the same. The authorities that monitor the reservoirs also look at back waters and the communities there. This is a complicated dynamic and the authorities assisted by scientists/hydrologists need to provide for everyone's safety.

The climate crisis has created it's own specialists to understand all the pieces to the puzzle. Among the most dedicated scientists to resolve the climate crisis is Chris Fields. I think he is still a California resident and teaching at Stanford. It would be a good idea to ask for his permanent consultation into the future. 

Some of the problems in resolving the climate crisis are funding cuts, many coming from Washington, DC. That funding is important because it saves lives. While citizens of the USA have a difficult time with their personal solvency, the reality of the climate crisis is compromising their personal lives even further. What comes first in government spending? How are college and university costs balanced with the immediate threats? I think Americans can put their best interests first to demand the best advice from people who can supply it. 

Get rid of the fear and take the initiative to have at least one solid adviser to help with water supplies to citizens. Besides the amount of water, there is also water quality that has to be maintained. We can have our daily lives delivered back to us if we demand our needs for safe and abundant water is a priority.

A hot Earth is changing the ability of subtropical environments to limit the spread of disease.

The global community is looking to old pesticides like DDT to end the problem where it starts, the Zika Forest. (click here)

February 24, 2016
By Melissa Healy 

...Epidemiologists are poring over, (click here) and filling in, a narrative of outbreaks of Zika since its 1947 discovery in Uganda’s Zika Forest.
As population scientists track the virus’ migration out of Africa and into Asia and the Americas, they will pay particularly close attention to evidence that could help them figure out whether cases of microcephaly followed in its wake but were undetected at the time.
The tiny island nation of Yap in the South Pacific may provide the most useful record of Zika infection. Experts estimate that in 2007, between 68% and 88% of residents over the age of 2 were infected with the virus.
Islands can offer a uniquely revealing picture of outbreaks, said Derek Cummings, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Florida. Their generally small populations tend to be exposed to one new pathogen at a time, and that offers a clearer picture of a virus’ immediate impact and its longer-term health consequences, he said....

Yes, the USA needs to pay attention to mosquito populations and their control.

March 8, 2016
By Josh Hafner

With the Zika virus (click here) spreading toward the United States, threatening pregnant mothers and the 2016 Olympics, aid workers have placed hope in a familiar fish.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia-based non-profit Operation Blessing helped avert an outbreak of the West Nile virus in New Orleans by supplying abandoned swimming pools full of water – ideal breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitos – with fish that feast on mosquito larva.
Now the group hopes to halt the spread of the Zika virus in Central America by breeding and distributing fish that can eat mosquitos’ larva before the insects mature and carry the disease, which has been linked to an epidemic of birth defects in Brazil and spread quickly throughout Latin America....

CDC (click here)

No vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus disease (Zika).
Prevent Zika by avoiding mosquito bites (see below).
Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime.
Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. 
Prevent sexual transmission of Zika by using condoms or not having sex

When traveling to countries where Zika virus (click here) or other viruses spread by mosquitoes are found, take the following steps:

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside

Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites....

Travel within the USA is a large part of vacation time for Americans. They need to consider their chance of mosquito problems before they head out, especially in RVs. Camping in tents have to be accompanied with mosquito nets. It is a good measure anyway. Campers should be using mosquito nets regardless of any virus. No one should consider mosquito bites simply a part of life at the campsite.

I am happy for the Mississippi Republicans tonight.

Now Donald Trump is 52 percent in Mississippi. He is out of the 30 something doldrums. Congratulations.

Donald Trump has a strong ground game, too.

Donald Trump needs to continue to draw the high 40 something or better yet 50 something numbers from here going forward.

Just to point to his own words, "...they think if everyone else drops out of the race the voters will go to others. Well. Voters will come to me, too." He was completely correct.

It looks like the impoverished Southern states have a new champion. It takes a lot to win their trust with their economy. I hope he has a vision for them that will remove poverty forever. If he ever is able to read studies of the impoverishment of the southern USA, (anthropologist stuff) he'll find his heart for this country.

That is what shines for Donald Trump. He cares for those Americans no one else wants to. He has held those disenfranchised Republican voters close to him for years now. He was right to do so. They need him.

He made a space for them and has never violated it.

Today is International Women's Day.

The most important determinant (click here) of a country's competitiveness is its human talent via the skills and productivity of its workforce.
Organizations must illuminate the path to leadership, showing women the career and advancement opportunities that match their skills and professional objectives and provide the experiences necessary to fulfil their potential.
Individuals can commit to advocating for themselves, and when appropriate, becoming effective role models and sponsors of women to help them achieve their goals.

Women as individuals, equals and appreciated by their country and it's laws for the contribution women bring .

The process ov voting is very, very slowed by Voter ID.

It was the very first time I was asked for ID. I didn't like the way it felt. When I handed the clerk my driver's license it was scanned into a computer, assigned a bunch of numbers and handed back to me after three different people had looked at it. I don't believe this is democracy because the voter registration bank now has ID they can do anything they want with it. This is wrong and it feels Un-American.

The process was slow voting. There were many people on the right side of the room out of the door. There was no more than two to three people on the left side of the room actually voting. At any given time there were five voting booths empty waiting for people.

Sorry, I was a little absent. I made a sick call. Everything is fine.

I saw the Democratic Town Hall. Both candidates were well dressed. I loved Bernie's tie and Hillary's sweater was incredible.

Senator Sanders message is clear and received well by Independents. Hillary's answer to the e-mail requests a little wanting. It sounds somewhat like an excuse. But, what might work and she would know this is more discussion of the law that lead to this and the way the law applies to retroactive e-mails. 

Other than that I think she was the best I've ever seen her. She simply is getting better and better every time I hear her speak. I think her probgrams are well thought out and doable. 

The Republicans only have one national candidate and that is Donald Trump. Rubio, Kasich and Cruz have regional appeal but won't carry an election. I think that is what Michael Bloomberg ran into when he was deciding about becoming an independent election. He was a regional candidate. 

Cruz is a liar and we still aren't certain about his citizenship requirement for President. I never thought it would be an issue, evidently it is. I think this is another Cruz lie. Rather than taking charge of the issue and resolving it, there is no leadership and only denial. 

Cruz has political MPD (multiple personality disorder). 


I am traveling and will spend more time later. 

The weather in the US is acting up again. 

Until later.