The Climate Crisis is increasing disease transmission in the USA.

Introduction: (click here) Vectorborne diseases are major causes of death and illness worldwide. In the United States, the most common vectorborne pathogens are transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes, including those causing Lyme disease; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; and West Nile, dengue, and Zika virus diseases. This report examines trends in occurrence of nationally reportable vectorborne diseases during 2004–2016.

Methods: Data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for 16 notifiable vectorborne diseases during 2004–2016 were analyzed; findings were tabulated by disease, vector type, location, and year.

Results: A total 642,602 cases were reported. The number of annual reports of tickborne bacterial and protozoan diseases more than doubled during this period, from >22,000 in 2004 to >48,000 in 2016. Lyme disease accounted for 82% of all tickborne disease reports during 2004–2016. The occurrence of mosquitoborne diseases was marked by virus epidemics. Transmission in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa accounted for most reports of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus diseases; West Nile virus was endemic, and periodically epidemic, in the continental United States.

Conclusions and Implications for Public Health Practice: Vectorborne diseases are a large and growing public health problem in the United States, characterized by geographic specificity and frequent pathogen emergence and introduction. Differences in distribution and transmission dynamics of tickborne and mosquitoborne diseases are often rooted in biologic differences of the vectors. To effectively reduce transmission and respond to outbreaks will require major national improvement of surveillance, diagnostics, reporting, and vector control, as well as new tools, including vaccines.                 

Hungary is really still considered a burgeoning economy. The USA has far greater wealth to mitigate it's Green House Gas emissions. The USA lacks profound moral commitment.

Zauzsanna Jakobos is a Hungarian competition swimmer.

It's Monday Night

The "Me Too" movement is having an impact in places not quite realized yet.

May 1, 2018

In a bid to demean a power (click here) show orchestrated by rival political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Lahore, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Rana Sanaullah and Abid Sher Ali sparked damning outrage over misogynist statements....

She competed at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics in seven events in total, with the best achievement of sixth place in the 4×200 m freestyle relay in 2008 and 2016.

She began competing at age eight. (click here)

It is the short version.

Hungary's National Anthem

Isten, áldd meg a magyart
Jó kedvvel, bőséggel,
Nyújts feléje védő kart,
Ha küzd ellenséggel;
Bal sors akit régen tép,
Hozz rá víg esztendőt,
Megbűnhődte már e nép
A múltat s jövendőt!

O, my God, the Magyar bless
With Thy plenty and good cheer!
With Thine aid his just cause press,
Where his foes to fight appear.
Fate, who for so long did'st frown,
Bring him happy times and ways;
Atoning sorrow hath weighed down
Sins of past and future days.

Őseinket felhozád
Kárpát szent bércére,
Általad nyert szép hazát
Bendegúznak vére.
S merre zúgnak habjai
Tiszának, Dunának,
Árpád hős magzatjai
Felvirágozának.

By Thy help our fathers gained
Kárpát's proud and sacred height;
Here by Thee a home obtained
Heirs of Bendegúz, the knight.
Where'er Danube's waters flow
And the streams of Tisza swell
Árpád's children, Thou dost know,
Flourished and did prosper well.

Értünk Kunság mezein
Ért kalászt lengettél,
Tokaj szőlővesszein
Nektárt csepegtettél.
Zászlónk gyakran plántálád
Vad török sáncára,
S nyögte Mátyás bús hadát
Bécsnek büszke vára.

For us let the golden grain
Grow upon the fields of Kún,
And let nectar's silver rain
Ripen grapes of Tokay soon.
Thou our flags hast planted o'er
Forts where once wild Turks held sway;
Proud Vienna suffered sore
From King Mátyás' dark array.

Hajh, de bűneink miatt
Gyúlt harag kebledben,
S elsújtád villámidat
Dörgő fellegedben,
Most rabló mongol nyilát
Zúgattad felettünk,
Majd töröktől rabigát
Vállainkra vettünk.

But, alas! for our misdeed,
Anger rose within Thy breast,
And Thy lightnings Thou did'st speed
From Thy thundering sky with zest.
Now the Mongol arrow flew
Over our devoted heads;
Or the Turkish yoke we knew,
Which a free-born nation dreads.

Hányszor zengett ajkain
Ozmán vad népének
Vert hadunk csonthalmain
Győzedelmi ének!
Hányszor támadt tenfiad
Szép hazám, kebledre,
S lettél magzatod miatt
Magzatod hamvvedre!

O, how often has the voice
Sounded of wild Osman's hordes,
When in songs they did rejoice
O'er our heroes' captured swords!
Yea, how often rose Thy sons,
My fair land, upon Thy sod,
And Thou gavest to these sons,
Tombs within the breast they trod!

Bújt az üldözött, s felé
Kard nyúlt barlangjában,
Szerte nézett s nem lelé
Honját a hazában,
Bércre hág és völgybe száll,
Bú s kétség mellette,
Vérözön lábainál,
S lángtenger fölette.

Though in caves pursued he lie,
Even then he fears attacks.
Coming forth the land to spy,
Even a home he finds he lacks.
Mountain, vale – go where he would,
Grief and sorrow all the same –
Underneath a sea of blood,
While above a sea of flame.

Vár állott, most kőhalom,
Kedv s öröm röpkedtek,
Halálhörgés, siralom
Zajlik már helyettek.
S ah, szabadság nem virúl
A holtnak véréből,
Kínzó rabság könnye hull
Árvánk hő szeméből!

'Neath the fort, a ruin now,
Joy and pleasure erst were found,
Only groans and sighs, I trow,
In its limits now abound.
But no freedom's flowers return
From the spilt blood of the dead,
And the tears of slavery burn,
Which the eyes of orphans shed.

Szánd meg Isten a magyart
Kit vészek hányának,
Nyújts feléje védő kart
Tengerén kínjának.
Bal sors akit régen tép,
Hozz rá víg esztendőt,
Megbűnhődte már e nép
A múltat s jövendőt!

Pity, God, the Magyar, then,
Long by waves of danger tossed;
Help him by Thy strong hand when
He on grief's sea may be lost.
Fate, who for so long did'st frown,
Bring him happy times and ways;
Atoning sorrow hath weighed down
All the sins of all his days.

Who else better to sell military style weapons, but, a military man.

Oliver L. North, (born Oct. 7, 1943, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.), (click here) American marine colonel involved in the Iran-Contra Affair. North graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Vietnam War. In 1981 he was assigned to the National Security Council, where his work focused on Central America. Embracing the cause of the Nicaraguan contras, he raised private donations for them. In 1986, after Congressional investigation of the Iran-Contra Affair, he was reluctantly dismissed by then president Ronald Reagan. In 1988 North was indicted for conspiracy to defraud the government and resigned from the Marine Corps; at his 1989 trial, he was found guilty of obstructing the U.S. Congress, destroying documents, and accepting an illegal gratuity and was sentenced to two years’ probation....

May 7, 2018
By Bill Allison and Polly Mosendez

The National Rifle Association (click here) has chosen as its next president Oliver North, a retired Marine Corps officer whose convictions in the late-1980s Iran-Contra affair were overturned, the group said in a statement.

North, an author and conservative commentator, is resigning from Fox News immediately and will take on the new role "within a few weeks," as soon as his business affairs are put in order, according to the statement issued Monday.

“This is the most exciting news for our members since Charlton Heston became president of our association,” NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said in the statement, adding the group’s members "are proud to stand with him.

The decision follows the NRA annual meeting in Dallas over the weekend. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republican leaders spoke at the event. More than 87,000 people attended, which the NRA said was a record....

It is a mistake to consider Hezbolllah backed completely by Iran.

It is autonomous and might be considered a drug cartel as well as a Shi'ite extremist group. But, take a good look at the face of a Hezbollah supporter. She is young and sophisticated and most probably grateful to be alive after the war with Daesh.

Things have been reshuffled a bit in the Middle East. There have been changes in the way Shi'ite groups are viewed, in many instances, they have proven themselves to be capable soldiers. Let's face it, without every soldier fighting for their right to live, Daesh may have been far more formidable and recruited these groups rather than fought them.

It is time to reassess the so called "Terrorist Groups." I am sure many in The West would like to leave it as it is, but, when election dynamics show a shift in the political reality, it is definitely time to reassess. Those that fought with their lives to end Deash aren't necessarily enemies of The West, are they? 

Daesh was a reality check to the Middle East. It was Arab against Arab with support from Muslims globally. It was the first time sovereignty of nations were challenged by an outside and foreign influence that grew out of instability.

May 7, 2018

A supporter of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah holds up his portrait with Arabic words that read: "We belong with you," during an election campaign speech in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group (click here) and its political allies made significant gains in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Lebanon while the main Western-backed faction lost a third of its seats, according to preliminary results released Monday.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said that his Future Movement bloc lost a third of its seats in parliament in Sunday's elections.

The initial results, which were carried by Lebanese media and are more or less expected to match the official count, show that Hariri, a Sunni politician with close ties to Saudi Arabia, has lost at least five seats in Beirut, once considered his party's stronghold....

There is a reason why this image is not cemented in every American woman's mind.

Minority Leader Pelosi understands what it is to be the sole woman responsible for the balance of power among governing genders.

I hope Attorney General Sessions brings a humanitarian to the meeting as well. He should see both sides of the issue, not just one.

I think border security is important, but, it needs to be tempered with an understanding that our neighbors are welcome when there is a need. Taking an example from Europe to understand whom exactly is coming across the border is important, but, paranoia should not rule policy.

Attorney General Sessions needs to be mindful of the needs in Southern California of the shortage of agricultural workers. He needs to solve problems, not simply judge how to close the borders of the USA, which President Trump stated could be a directive with the arrival of a caravan of individuals from Mexico, Central and South America to our southern border.

May 6, 2018
By Chris Jennewein

Attorney General Jeff Sessions (click here) will visit the San Diego border for a press conference on Monday, Justice Department officials said Sunday.

Sessions will hold the conference at 1 p.m. with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan. The location was not announced.

Justice Department officials said the two will discuss “immigration enforcement actions of the Trump Administration.”

The conference comes a week after a caravan of a few hundred migrants from Central America arrived at the U.S. border in Tijuana, and it’s likely to be a topic of discussion.

Sessions’ visit marks the third high-profile Trump administration visit to the border region in the last two months....               

No one is trying to torpedo Gina Hasper from leading the CIA. Honestly, most of America is pleased there is someone with decades of experience coming to lead the agency.

Which brings me to another point, do you know parliamentary governments can instill a "caretaker government" when there is a vote of no confidence? It's true.

But, as to Ms. Haspel, she will pass in nomination. The purpose of anyone speaking about the tapes is to be sure, especially with Trump in the White House, the policy of burning interrogation tapes is not policy so much as folly. 

It will never be the same in US intelligence since Pompeo. I hope Europe has solidly held records going forward.

I see it differently than most. I think Pompeo went into the CIA, not to lead but to set up the Secretary of State for war, primarily in the Middle East. It seems all too strange that a caretaker White House existed long enough for the second act to begin. I don't trust people that are extreme and focused on power rather than governance. I think there needs to be extreme caution in the international community when approaching any escalation of violence in the Middle East. Hasn't there been enough already?

C-Span: Airing LIVE Wednesday, May 09 9:30am EDT on C-SPAN3 (click here)

May 6, 2018

Democrats’ obsession (click here) with opposing President Trump on all fronts, no matter the merits, opens a new phase this week as CIA Director-designate Gina Haspel goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

That there’s any opposition at all to this supremely qualified candidate only underscores just how petty and partisan the Democrats have become.

Haspel would be not only the first woman to head the CIA, but also the first career officer in 52 years to rise through the ranks directly to the director’s chair.

Little wonder that she’s won the enthusiastic support of past CIA directors from both parties, including several of Trump’s fiercest critics....      

It is Teacher Appreciation Week. First Lady Michelle Obama is continuing to impact students with inspiring talks. Every First Lady is a forever icon to Americans.

I have Hungary and climate nearly ready to role, but, it's late and I will have to say good night. I don't want to blunder through it after seeing Infinity Wars.

Until tomorrow.

This isn't about exploitation of the female body. It is about adult porn as product.

Before I get started with the climate, I want to tell a story about adult porn. No it is not about me. I only wish for a body that some of these women have.

But, as to adult porn in my life.

I had a very dear friend by the name of Kathy. She and I worked together. This is going to sound hokey, but, for the most part when porn is done well with some sort of storyline it is hokey.

I was married at the time and Kathy's husband was in the US Navy. She lived alone raising their two children. She loved her husband. This is not about what sailors do on ships at sea and I don't care to know. This is about Kathy. This is a true story.

Kathy came into work one day stating her husband Bruce was home. He arrived home yesterday evening and was well. He would be home for at least nine months. So, I asked if she and Bruce would like to go out to dinner and a movie. She smiled widely and stated she would call Bruce, but, she knew he would say yes. I then called my husband and let him know the plans and he was looking forward to it.

We met at a very nice restaurant called, "The Golden Goose." The food was it's usual great and the drinks enhanced the dinner and company, the wine could not be better and the company with the foursome was full of laughter, news and stories both domestic and at sea.

We finished dinner and went to the parking lot. My then husband asked Kathy what movie she wanted to see. Well, Bruce piped in and asked if he knew of any porn flicks in the area. Quite to my surprise, my husband stated, "Sure, there is a theater featuring a couple of flicks at the end of Main Street." I must have looked completely surprised and we got in the car to go to the theater. I asked him how he knew so handily where the porn flicks were and he said, "I had a feeling it might come up."

The movie we finally decided on was called, "The Family Jewels." It was campy and featured all sorts of food products like whipped cream with appropriate positions, but, it was about a couple and not a group. Halfway through the film, between the jokes and laughter, I realized Bruce was the most brilliant man I knew.

See, he had been away for well over six months. He needed his wife to laugh and relax. Months and months of loneliness take on many forms of coping and while children keep life busy, it still requires putting some feelings of loving at a distance. When the movie concluded, we said our good nights and Kathy and Bruce went home with her feeling light-hearted and in the company of a good friend and her husband relaxed and happy,

Now, everyone can find their own corner to take about porn and there are plenty of issues surrounding the business, but, when it comes right down to it, the makers of these films know they serve a purpose in the American landscape and it is a wholesome purpose on many occasions.

I like Ms. Clifford for all the right reasons. Not some feminist issue, but, because she is engaged in a business that has a bad reputation when in many aspects it should simply be wholesome adult entertainment. I like her too, for all the previous stated reasons. I think she is a nice person and special in many ways.

I think she did a great job. It was very good of her to appear on SNL.

SNL did a great job with all of it. Unfortunately, it is based in reality. I do not appreciate words like, "Trolling" to describe Ms. Clifford and her status in relation to the issues at hand with Mr. Trump's bad choices and poor judgment. She is a brave person and willing to talk to the country about her experience. Her hopes for her relationship with Mr. Trump was realistic. She never asked for any of this.

I think I needed to pick up with Hungary. So, I'll start there, but, I want to apply the correct times so I will have to move the entries I just made.

This story about the elections in Azerbaijan somewhat bothered me. I was glad the Australian MP went as an observer and I am glad the election PROCESS went well, but, the choice of candidates did not result in an election that makes sense.

The democracy in Azerbaijan is more or less a ruling party. The way candidates become known is to sometimes be a running mate and elected as Vice President. The other way other candidates from the people get to be known is with a free press and a literate population. The free press can hold debates where all the candidates get to air their understanding of issues, views and potential solutions.

I think the people of Azerbaijan need to work on their choice of candidates.

17 April 2018
By Michael Kozoil

The President of Azerbaijan (click here) took over from his father in 2003. His wife is the Vice-President. And last week he was re-elected with 86 per cent of the vote after a boycott by opposition parties.

Liberal MP Craig Kelly says Australia needs to learn from the country's electoral system.

The south-west Sydney MP travelled to the former Soviet nation for the second time last week as leader of a delegation to observe its presidential election. In comments that riled Armenians in Australia, Mr Kelly was quoted in Azerbaijan media saying he had witnessed a "coherent, democratic process" and "an election organisation that surpassed Australia's experience"....     

Posted at 9:40 pm.

I am deeply wounded. There is nothing like 3-D. That isn't it. This is not the answer to the Climate Crisis. Ending emissions of greenhouse gases, especially at this point methane, is the way to end the climate crisis. That doesn't mean CO2 is okay, it is not.

But, I was deeply wounded tonight. And the White Supremacists do not get to decide who lives and who dies, either. That is especially true with Syria and Iran as Prime Minister Netanyahu believes should be his right. Sorry, there is not going to be a war to end all wars in the Middle East to allow expansionist powers take over. There are many dead from the Syrian civil war (click here). Most estimates no matter where one looks, the death count is at least 500,000 and 340,000 civilians. That is not the same as those killed in the war against Daesh.

But, onto other issues.

I am currently at the 3-D Avengers: Infinity Wars. It was the only local showing in 3-D. 

I will be blogging later tonight.

Thank you for your interest.

This is an example of the bullying that takes place within Right Wing politics

It is noteworthy to realize this bullying by the NRA made it to the top of Twitter newsfeed (click here).

There is no room for both, only the NRA. “Come and take it.“ is the NRA's motto. It may not be it's official motto, but, those four words define their mission. In translation it means, protect the gun above all else. What the NRA did to "Ellen's" is ruthless and completely unnecessary. Americans are very worried about the future and what occurs with guns and American children. There is plenty of room to clearly define protections for American children.

Voyaging is welcome when it brings expertise to a rather odd finding.

Original Slate article on October 31, 2016 (click here)

May 5, 2018
By Jonathan O'Connell, David A Fahrenthold and Jack Gillum

In the nine years (click here) before he ran for president, Donald Trump's company spent more than $400 million in cash on new properties — including 14 transactions paid for in full, without borrowing from banks — during a buying binge that defied real estate industry practices and Trump's own history as the self-described "King of Debt."...

When taking on the biggest bully in the world, it gets dicey. Doesn't it? This is not circumstantial. Not at all. 

So there it is. Whether one wants to realize the truth or not, it is right there in front of everyone. The only thing the Trump Organization can do is lie, manipulate the truth and obstruct the facts and they will do it to the nth degree.

Prostitutes had nothing to do with this. The issue with his Russian prostitute is a character issue. President Trump lied and he continues to lie. It seems no matter the woman Donald is shrouded in lies, except his wife, of course.

The Ultimate Deal: $100 million borrowed from Russian banks and complete forgiveness of the debt once President and sanctions are dissolved. Or at least that was the original plan. 

November 2, 2016
By Franklin Foer

...The story (click here) required voyaging deep into the arcana of the internet. The key piece of evidence for the server’s strange behavior was a set of logs of Domain Name Server, or DNS, look-ups. These are the communications between servers that enable an email to reach its destination. The computer scientists had no actual examples of email exchanged between Trump and Alfa—only inferences about that prospect, based on their close reading of the logs. I spoke with many DNS experts. They found the evidence strongly suggestive of a relationship between the Trump Organization and the bank but not conclusive. It was a subject that I believed deserved public airing and further exploration.

Publication of my article was quickly followed by responses from the Trump campaign and Alfa Bank, both of which offered more detailed accounts of the server activity than they had provided when I’d asked them for comment. My piece also elicited a series of valuable objections and credible alternate theories from technology reporters and other computer scientists. I take these seriously and believe they also deserve public airing and exploration. Several of the critiques of the hypothesis offered by the experts in my piece offer simpler, more benign explanations for the server activity. I’ll describe them here....

It comes full circle. If James Comey was getting close to the truth, it was important to Trump to end the investigation. Then within hours, the Russians were in the Oval Office receiving classified material. For me, there really isn't anything else to know. Trump and his gang of renowns will wage war against the truth. The truth has to stand strong.

Why is this necessary? Why is it important the truth stand strong? Because of NATO and Ukraine to begin the list. If the USA turned to be Russia's ally what happens? The balance of power changes and say goodbye to democracy. People's lives would be in danger.

February 20, 2018
By Spencer S. Hsu and Roselind S. Helderman

...The Dutch son-in-law (click here) of one of Russia’s wealthiest men pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Washington to making false statements in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Alex van der Zwaan was charged with lying to the FBI about his contacts with Rick Gates, who served as a top official on President Trump’s campaign and a longtime business partner of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Based in London, van der Zwaan worked for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, which worked with Manafort and Gates when they served as political consultants in Ukraine.

Van der Zwaan is the son-in-law of German Khan, a billionaire and an owner of Alfa Group, Russia’s largest financial and industrial investment group....

President Donald Trump has enormous character issues and cannot be a strong president. Yes, cannot. He has too many conflicts in his life to protect the USA and all it encompasses.