65 cases in 9 states with 7 dead.

...The latest two deaths (click here) were reported on Saturday in Michigan, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those affected fell ill after receiving steroid injections linked to a pharmaceutical compounding plant in Massachusetts.

New cases in Ohio and Minnesota on Saturday brought to nine the number of states affected, officials said.

Other states with reported cases of people who fell ill after receiving the injections - primarily for back pain - are Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and Indiana....

Until tomorrow...

The butler did it? Joking. In the Vatican? Party! Party! Party!

It is the communion wine. It takes like heaven. 

Pablo needs to start writing his book now, "Everything you wanted to know about the Vatican wind cellar, but, was afraid to ask."



Tom Kington
The Observer
Saturday 6 October 2012

...The pope's former butler, (click here) Paolo Gabriele, has been sentenced to 18 months for stealing Benedict XVI's private correspondence, following a lightning-quick trial which observers said showed the Vatican's desire to draw a line under its most embarrassing scandal in years.

After four hearings in a Vatican court and two hours of deliberation, judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre said that the sentence, which was half the three years requested by the prosecution, took into account Gabriele's clean record, years of service and his belief, "albeit erroneous", that he was doing the right thing....

I said tanks, right? I thought I said tanks.

Yep. First the jets with bombs to clear the invasion, then the tanks and infantry to hold the border. 

I don't believe these folks are there to be peacekeepers.

Okay, then. Looks like a catbird seat to me.

I think it was the Turkish President who said today, "Syria should not under estimate our ability or resolve." 

Pretty clear picture to me.

Sunday October 07 2012

The continued exchange (click here) of artillery fire between Syria and Turkey raises additional concerns that the conflict may escalate and spread to neighbouring countries, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said.

Mr Panetta said the US is using its diplomatic channels to relay worries about the fighting in the hopes that it will not broaden.

His comments came on the heels of warnings from Turkey's prime minister that his country is not far from war with Syria....

Job well done. Thank you, Israel. It is obvious Israel is capable.

Dragons are not always mythical and they do fly.

MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti)

The launch of the cargo (click here) spacecraft from the Cape Canaveral in Florida is scheduled for October 7 at 8:35 p.m. local time (0:34 GMT on October 8). The freighter is expected to dock the station three days later.

It will be the first of the company’s 12 commercial flights to the ISS under a 2008 contract with NASA as the initial successful mission in May was considered a test run....

This is the Former Governor of Pennsylvania. He was well liked and trusted.

This isn't about politics. It is about exercising the right to vote.

Either the DNC or a PAC should ask the former governor to star in a public service ad to run all over Pennsylvania telling voters about the change in law to allow them to freely exercise their right.

I know it is expensive, but, the radio is also a good place, social media is an option. Governor Rendell is an easily recognized face capable of speaking as a leader to let the people of Pennsylvania know they can now freely exercise their constitutional right to vote.

He is well liked by the people in Pennsylvania and easily recognized as a trustworthy person. He will do a good job to reach the people.

It is unfortunate the current Governor isn't making a speech to the state to clear this up, but, hey he is a Republican, what does anyone expect? 

Posted: 10/02/2012 4:01 pm EDT 
Updated: 10/02/2012 4:32 pm EDT

...The Camps (click here) are dispensing voter registration forms along with lottery tickets, cigarettes and candy to interested customers who stop by their store in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. Visitors often begin talking about politics when they see a photo of the Camps with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hanging proudly by the counter, taken when the couple met the Obamas in Ohio after winning a contest....

One other thing. There are plenty of Pennsylvanians that have spent real money to secure voter IDs for the November elections. The law is unconstitutional, it is up to the state legislature to set up a reimbursement fund for citizens that went through unnecessary expensive due to a political scam. As a matter of fact, since this is a Pennsylvania Republican legislature there needs to be a class action suit of the GOP to set up a fund for reimbursement considering they were trying to hijack the elections.

Congratulations, Mr. President and Vice President Biden, champions of the Middle Class.

Convenient !!!

That is what FOX is saying? This is convenient !

No, sir, these are very hard fought for jobs of which 30,000 have come from the healthcare industry. We can't afford to have it messed up now without someone who is going to trash the one lifeline millions of Americans are now counting on, The Affordable Care Act.

Convenient, I don't think so. President Obama and Vice President Biden have been doing overtime to get Americans back to work. That is hardly convenient. Tell the Americans now working that it is simply an electoral convenience they now have a pay check.

This comes at an interesting time. The summer season is ending. The summer  tourism is slowing down and we are seeing this in October. Like, wow. These are sustainable jobs for the people now working. 

Honestly, FOX is cold and calculating and have little concern for the people of this country.

Media focus post debate is about sensationalism and not dignity.

President Obama HAS TOO talk about the lies and priorities of Romney. Joe Biden needs to carry the message to people, too. The media are ignoring the lies and focusing on the junk yard dog performance. The presidency isn't about performance on a 'stage,' it is the governance of a nation. All Romney can do is add to the dysfunction of Wall Street, leading to greater impoverishment of Americans and the cycle to global economic collapse starts all over again which will never end the national debt. If Romney starts this all over again, which he will; he can't do anything else because he doesn't know anything else; countries globally will abandon their debt to save their people. There won't be any 'availability' of a balance to solve problems anymore.

Basically, the media discussions lack moral content. What else is new? Everyone has to compete with ratings of liars rather than truth tellers.

Ya wonder why the government is so dysfunctional? Guess. Sensationalism wins debate, damn the truth and what is important.

The debates are not going to address the importance of issues. I can't say this enough, Michael Moore was right. This debate was in Colorado and there was not one mention of guns anywhere. The people outside and in the auditorium were expecting something and there was not one mention of it. It is a hideous reality and then add to that the fact this was the President and First Lady's 20th anniversary. It is all pretty disgusting really. 

The question of having the debate on October 3rd should never have even come up. It is a matter of respect for the First Couple and the so called institution of marriage. It was terrible. I find it really interesting I am the only one appalled by that fact, too. Supposedly marriage is so very important to the right and left, for different reasons, but no one found it an outrage this occurred. Get for real. Who organized the debates?

There should not be any medications from this facility in use anywhere.

This is too dangerous to allow any medications from this facility to be in use, yet alone pick and choose LOT NUMBERS for known cases to be RECALLED. This isn't about protecting the company anymore; it is beyond that.

Elizabeth Cohen from CNN reported today vials were found with visual fungus in them at the facility. This is about gross negligence and it is criminal. It could be the Aspergillus was introduced deliberately which is a heinous crime.

Preservative free has nothing to do with this growing in the vials either. The production of this drug was to take place under sterile conditions. Preservatives extend shelf life, not prevent contamination.

There is something very wrong with this facility. This contamination is unprecedented (no records of this type of organism anywhere in the archives of major research facilities or health organizations causing meningitis). It is too, too dangerous to proceed with any of the medications from this facility. All their products need to be recalled and the doors shut. The facility itself has to be inspected to understand how this fungus ever found its way into a person's body. This is a horrid situation, not simply e. coli from lettuce, okay? This should never, and I mean never, should have happened. There are measures that should have prevented this at all costs.

This is a fatal infection. Patients suffering from this meningitis reach a tipping point where the infection appears intractable. I would say physicians should even consider a 'ICP bolt' with tiny injections of Amphotericine B directly into the meninges or into the CSF in the spinal column. The worst that can happen is a chemical meningitis that may abate with body replacement of CSF in a day or less. The body produces about 500 cc of CSF per day. It may be the only way to stop this fungus and entertain saving failing patients is to inject Amphotericine B directly into the same place the drug was injected. An emergency and experimental procedure could be obtained from the CDC. What else is there? Introducing anti-fungal medications through serum dilutes the delivery of the medication to the meninges.

If serum treatment is working then fine, but, in patients reaching tipping points of intractable disease, extreme measures should be considered. There are potentially more patients in the population receiving this drug. I would expect the maximum effected to reach a crescendo, but, having the products from this facility out there is a foolish notion. It only takes one vial of anything to cause a death. It is unreasonable to consider LIMITING a ? recall ? to lot numbers. 

One other thing, patients can be treated by IV infusion of anti-fungal drugs, BUT, the real savior here is for them to be treated as soon as minor symptoms start to show up. A person can be diagnosed accurately in the very early stages of this infection. I would even entertain the thought of CSF examination of suspected patients without symptoms.

This is what CSF looks like. It is crystal clear. Any person can have examination of their CSF at any time. A person does not have to be infected to find out if there is contamination.

The earlier a person is diagnosed the better. IV infusion of anti-fungal drugs at the early stages may very well stop the infection all together. This should not be left up to self-examination of symptoms, but perhaps, a clear instruction  to see a physician immediately for diagnosis or not. It could be made mandatory and not simply, "If you have a fever." The fever may be too late to stop the growth of the fungus.

Basically, urgency in my opinion will end this run on danger to those infected.

...While the investigation is ongoing, (click here) according to CDC, all infected patients to date received preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate from among three lots voluntarily recalled by the New England Compounding Center on September 25, 2012. To date, CDC is aware of infections associated only with the three lots that were recalled on September 25, 2012....

It is a mistake to assign responsibility to the 'idea' of mixing specialty medications.

It isn't the active ingredients in question or the fact these drugs were mixed for a custom order. I sincerely believe this is about contamination. 

Now, if people want to criticize the industry practices as a new technology with tough competition causing these pharmacies to cut corners on safety, then there may be an argument there. But, this trouble with five now dead and currently 30 struggling for their lives, is due to contamination of a tiny fungus that is normally controlled in all areas of medicine.

This is a very strange incident. It is not about casual contact for these drugs to be contaminated. It should not have happened and it isn't as though there is a NEW glitch in the system. The methodology to prevent Aspergillus contamination has been long standing. Unless this is a new species, either mutated or engineered, then the pharmacy is negligent. There are trusted methods of preventing this fungus from finding its way into the practices of physicians. 

Maybe it is best said, "There is a break in protocol in handling these drugs." Just that simple. Something went wrong at the Framingham facility that should not have gone wrong. If the pharmacy is in trouble financially and they were cutting corners that is one possibility. But, this is not about bio-engineering, UNLESS, this is a new species. EVEN THEN, the species would have to be smaller than the current known species in order to have found its way past the filters and protocols.

...Authorities said all of those infected (click here) with fungal meningitis received spinal injections of a steroid solution sold by New England Compounding Center, a specialty pharmacy in Framingham, Mass. It and similar facilities combine, mix and/or alter active ingredients to make custom medications, much like early pharmacists.

These modern-day apothecaries now are supplying a greater share of the medicines Americans take, driven by the surge in outpatient procedures, development of bio-engineered drugs and a push for more individualized treatment, experts say.

"Their numbers are growing dramatically," said Dr. Salvatore Giorgianni, a Florida-based pharmaceutical consultant who has taught at Belmont University's pharmacy school in Nashville.

Estimates vary on how many compounded medications are dispensed. A 2003 Government Accountability Office report cited figures that ranged from 1 percent to 10 percent of all U.S. prescriptions....

I find the fact the debate was scheduled on the President and First Lady's 20th Anniversary a profound disrespect for them. It is a complete insult to their status and their marriage.

I guess dismantling Don't Ask, Don't Tell has its costs.

I mean what is next, marriage equality?

This is the full debate of the first Kennedy-Romney debate. Romney lost the election to the Senate.

For those that believe President Obama was asleep at the wheel, one might look at how Senator Kennedy took notes as well. The pictures of President Obama are biased, at the very least. President Obama was steadfast and honest. He has plans that have worked and continue to do so. The USA economy, unemployment and Wall Street are better today than when he took office. Hello?

"Senator, I don't know what you are talking about." A favorite rhetorical statement. "Mr. President, I don't know what you are talking about." Give me a break, the automaton lives.

"We need to bring work back to welfare." Sound familiar. Scripted even?

Senator Kennedy stated the same thing President Obama did about training and educating workers rather than changing the dynamic of PAY and NEW employees while riding the company of well paid workers with seniority. 

That is the problem. This was 1994. The well paying jobs were removed from the USA and placed by people like Romney in THIRD WORLD countries where human rights are chronically an issue. There is no morality in that on either side of the 'job' issue. Taking jobs away from Americans protected by state of the art laws of human rights and building industry in other countries where human rights are a concern. Romney has endorsed this type of inhuman factor in outsourcing. 

But, President Obama said the exact same thing as Senator Kennedy in his debate with Romney. The outsourcing Romney did as a venture - vulture capitalist has caused a down turn in well paying jobs. The parallels between the two debates are incredible, both in content and answers.

"I thought Mr. Romney would have asked me what I was going to do for working families in Massachusetts...Mr. Romney let's put the ads aside and lets talk about..."

Same ole, same ole as today. No discussion about the Middle Class of any substance by Romney.

"...a company I had nothing to do with...." All the same rhetoric nearly twenty years ago. Nearly twenty years ago Romney had the same rhetoric as today. 

"Your (Ted Kennedy) healthcare program is billions of dollars in additional deficit." The program Senator Benson that Romney referred to was a subsidy program and would be useless for lower income people. Romney stated health insurance premiums would be tax deducible in the Benson program. Joking. Really? Well, isn't that a revelation. "I am not in favor of a program that would add to our taxes and deficit." Same exact rhetoric as 20 years ago. "I do not approve of employer mandates as you have in your plan..." Really? And how much of Senator Kennedy's Plan made its way into the Massachusetts Healthcare Plan signed by Romney as governor? Certainly the mandate made it into the Mass Plan. Right?

How many times did the moderator state, "Please Mr. Romney, it is his turn then you can ask your question." He did the same thing last night. 20 years of rhetoric and bullying by Romney. Same ole, same ole.

Romney wants to cut jobs in the federal system by attrition. When he stated that in his debate with Senator Kennedy, the people booed. I could speculate, but, that is not the point. Mr. Romney's reply to the boos was, "Come on now folks." That is about as condescending as it gets. Whatever. 

Romney also stated he wants to combine agencies. Where did I hear that one this year? All this is suppose to balance the federal budget. Cutting agricultural supports, making Medicaid a 'managed care' insurance. All this is suppose to balance the federal budget.

The sameness and rhetoric is all the same as nearly 20 years ago. That is amazing and now we have an entire generation of Americans out of work. Wow. Senator Kennedy hit it right on the nose, the practices of companies like Bain Capital has destroyed the Middle Class. 2008 was an icing on the case for Wall Street while they are still racking in huge profits year after year. Amazing how lack of ideas by the Republicans have destroyed this country's strength, the Middle Class. Romney would not do a darn thing for the Middle Class. This is proof as far as I am concerned. 

Romney has a personal mandate in his politics and that is to remove all supports for USA labor and damn the outcome.

The truth about Romney on healthcare.

Question: "Does Romney know arithmetic at all?" His strategy was the same in Massachusetts when he tried for Senate. He was vicious and nasty. He had no facts and only dressed up theory.

It is easy to lie and be a moving target when facts are not present in a candidates debate. Such a strategy should speak eons to anyone watching.

Fungal meningitis takes its fifth victim.

7:22 AM Friday Oct 5, 2012

A fifth person has died in a growing outbreak of a rare form of meningitis that has sickened more than two dozen people in five US states.

Dr. Robert Latham, chief of medicine at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, said Thursday a patient died there late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Tennessee has had three deaths. Deaths have also been reported in Virginia and Maryland.

People in all the cases received steroid injections used mostly for back pain that have been traced back to a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts. The pharmacy issued a recall last week and has shut down operations.

The type of meningitis is not contagious. Health officials believe that more new cases are almost certain to appear in the coming days.

The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA) describes the most common fungal meningitis with the organism Cryptococcus neoformans, a yeast. MFA states most fungal meningitis from this yeast are found in immune compromised patients. This occurrence is out of the blue. I didn't see a listing of it anywhere with the WHO unless it is classified as 'unknown.'

NIH (National Institutes of Health) having nothing noted for this type of fungal meningitis. Besides the Cryptococcus they list Candida albicans. The Candida is a fungus and not a yeast. Candida can frequently be found in 'thrush,' a white coating of the tongue and mouth. But, NIH is also not listing the Aspergillus anywhere I have looked yet.

All the reports and journal articles point to immune suppression as the culprit. In other words, a normal body's immune system can handle the yeasts and fungus to fend off any infection. But, these same articles and reports do not make mention of Aspergillus. It is the tiniest of fungus of all varieties and why it is used to develop filters for sterile rooms. The filters are suppose to stop anything, including this tiny fungus. Aspergillus is the standard.

The outbreak of fungal meningitis is a fairly serious issue.

Fungal infections inside the body are extremely difficult to treat. Complicate that with this being a fungal infection in the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and it is a very difficult situation for physicians. This is a very dangerous set of circumstances and the federal government has to look at the possibility of this being intentional.

I sincerely doubt this occurred by accident. This type of contamination is unheard of. It will be a small miracle if people actually survive. No lie.

Meningitis cases
An outbreak of a rare and deadly form (click here) of meningitis has now sickened 26 people in five states who received steroid injections mostly for back pain, health officials said Wednesday. Four people have died, and more cases are expected.
Eighteen of the cases of fungal meningitis are in Tennessee; three cases have been reported in Virginia; two in Maryland; two in Florida, and one in North Carolina. Two of the deaths were in Tennessee; Virginia and Maryland had one each, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fungal meningitis is not contagious like the more common viral and bacterial meningitis.
A Massachusetts specialty pharmacy that is suspected as the source of the steroid linked to the outbreak said Wednesday that it has voluntarily suspended operations....

I would never expect a specialized pharmacy such as this to have substandard sterile conditions. It would have to be a complete breach of any protocol to have this level of contamination. This is not a minor incident.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.
A Framingham pharmacy is under fire after it was linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak. (click here for video)

Framingham's New England Compounding Center voluntarily shut down production Wednesday after a deadly meningitis outbreak was traced to a steroid produced at the facility.

"This is very unusual -- and I stress, very unusual," said Dr. John Dreyzehner, of the Tennessee Department of Health.

The deadly form of meningitis has sickened more than two dozen people in five states. Four have died.

Eighteen of the cases are in Tennessee, where a Nashville clinic received the largest shipment of the steroid.

Three cases have been reported in Virginia, two in Maryland, two in Florida and one in North Carolina. Two of the deaths were in Tennessee, and Virginia and Maryland had one each, said officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

There are many varieties of Aspergillus.

Aspergillus aculeatus
Aspergillus caesiellus
Aspergillus candidus
Aspergillus carneus
Aspergillus clavatus
Aspergillus deflectus
Aspergillus egyptiacus
Aspergillus fischerianus
Aspergillus flavus
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus glaucus
Aspergillus nidulans
Aspergillus niger
Aspergillus ochraceus
Aspergillus oryzae
Aspergillus parasiticus
Aspergillus penicilloides
Aspergillus restrictus
Aspergillus sojae
Aspergillus sydowii
Aspergillus tamari
Aspergillus terreus
Aspergillus ustus
Aspergillus versicolor

It is the fungus by which HEPA filters are measured in their effectiveness. Any medical filter has to be able to stop Aspergillus in order to qualify as effective, so there are many reasons why this is a strange occurrence.

It might be a problem like Legionella, but, if there is excessive moisture in their filters or filtration system that may give a clue. Massachusetts has been very, very wet from rain and severe storms this summer season and anything is possible.

One of the cardinal symptoms of the Climate Crisis is the uptick of bacteria, virus and other contagions like fungus. Aspergillis is not a designer fungus. At least not if the one involved here falls into any of these species. But, the excessive moisture in the region could present an opportunity for it's growth. BUT, filters are suppose to handle this. There is something seriously wrong here.

Shame on Russia. I was wondering where the crashed drone went.

This is great intelligence work by the USA. Russia needs the technology for the munition side of the drone now. The drone that crashed in Iranian air space was a spy plane. So, the Russians would like to know more about the munition side of the drone program. At least is my take on it.

NEW YORK (AFP) - The United States (click here) announced criminal charges Wednesday against 11 members of an alleged ring illegally exporting $50 million worth of high-tech military electronics to Russia under the guise of civilian deals. “The microelectronics allegedly exported to Russia are subject to strict government controls due to their potential use in a wide range of military systems, including radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems, and detonation triggers,” the federal prosecutor’s office for Brooklyn, New York, said. The alleged scheme ran between 2008 and the present, with defendants posing as civilian manufacturers....

There has been a student massacre in Nigeria for what seems unrelated to any rational purpose or motive. They have no clues to why.

This always worries me. Nigeria has seen widespread violence against its own people. This needs attention to prevent any spread of the violence or retaliation of any kind. The people will be scared to not know what is happening to their family members. The randomness alone is an impetus to more.

"No evidence' on Nigerian Massacre (click here)

Published: 14:14 October 4, 2012

Official dismisses reports linking tensions to a campus vote

Lagos: A security official at a Nigeria college on Thursday dismissed reports that a massacre at a nearby student housing area that left at least 40 people dead was linked to tensions over a campus vote.

“I have no evidence to link it to the election,” Shuaib Aroke, deputy registrar at Federal Polytechnic Mubi, where some of those killed in the Tuesday massacre were enrolled, told AFP.

“It is a fallacy,” he said of the supposed link being suggested by some Nigerian authorities. “We are united here at polytechnic,” added Aroke, who said he is currently in charge of security on campus.

He however said he had no information on who was behind the killings....

Iran has a currency crisis. Anyone know about that?

Iran is an example of a multi-level monetary exchange rate, much like China. The difference between Iran and China is that Iran actually consolidated it's exchange rate system into one currency. The currency name is the Rial.

To illustrate the slippery slope the Iranian currency is taking; in 2002 the exchange rate with the USA dollar was 7,900 rials per US dollar. This was after its convergence of the currency. Today, the value of the Iranian Rial is 12,283.4 to one USA dollar. That is a loss of nearly 100% of its value in ten years. 

What does that mean to Iranians? Inflation. The cost of goods within the country has gone up and the value of its exports have gone down. The currency is creating chaos with Iran's balance of trade.

Currently the 'on the street' monetary exchanges in Iran are being shut down by police as a result of the slide of the Rial.

By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan on October 03, 2012

The U.K., France and Germany (click here) are pressing for new sanctions to bring Iran’s economy to its knees and curb its nuclear ambitions, according to several European diplomats, as rioting over the country’s tumbling currency suggests the existing sanctions are taking a toll.

In a confidential letter to the 27 EU member states, portions of which were provided to Bloomberg News, the foreign ministers of Europe’s three largest economies criticized Iran for its lack of openness over its nuclear program and called for raising the cost to Iran’s leaders of refusing to abandon what the U.S., Europe and Israel say is a covert nuclear weapons program. Iran says its program is solely for civilian energy and medical research....

It would appear, people are trading Rials for foreign currency to maintain the value of their own salaries. It seems obvious what is happening. People are paid in the national currency and immediately seek foreign currency to stabilize their loss of value. Regardless, of the exchange rate once the Rial has been converted to a foreign currency, like the Euro or the US dollar (depending on what holds greatest value that day), their personal losses stop because the foreign currency is stable.

By Ladane Nasseri - Oct 4, 2012 5:16 AM ET

Foreign currency shops in Tehran remained shuttered (click here) or failed to display prices today while hundreds of Iranian riot police remained in the downtown area a day after protests over the tumbling national currency.

Police units were visible around Ferdowsi and Manouchehri Streets, near one of the main areas for currency traders in the capital. Only a minority of exchange houses opened today....

I believe Iran is trying to stop the money exchanges at the street level because it is contributing to the slippery slope. This is one of the reasons China will not tamper with its currency. It has a multi-level currency system and it would cause chaos, too. Actually, if China did this, it would cause disruption in the global economy because of the penetrate China has to all world markets. So, like I have said before, currency is a tricky business. I think China is correct in holding the line of changing the way it does things.

Iran has a profound problem. It has to back peddle losses of its currency and it is facing sanctions besides. It is a very difficult circumstance in Iran, for the  country and the poeple.

Turkey is moving against Assad.

The shelling in Akcakale provoked fear and anger

The global community cannot say anything about Turkey defending its borders, seeking stability among its citizens and moving against a nation out of control with its civil war spreading to other areas in the region. 

I doubt seriously Turkey will stop any time soon. It has to bring about stability to its border region. It is a sovereignty issue. Taking pot shots at the disaster now considered a country, Syria, isn't going to stop the border issue. Turkey is seeking to stabilize the circumstances, that means more than shelling, too. I means the initial shelling will have to be followed up by troops and tank units. This is the beginning. It was inevitable.

4 October 2012

Last updated at 05:57 ET

Turkey has renewed firing at targets inside Syria after two women and three children were killed by shelling from across the border on Wednesday.

Several Syrian troops were killed by Turkish fire, a UK-based Syrian activist group said.

Syria says it is investigating the shelling in the town of Akcakale.

The Turkish parliament is discussing authorising troops to cross into Syria. But government sources say Turkey is not planning to declare war on Syria.

A government official said the retaliatory shelling - now in its second day - was only a "warning" to the authorities in Damascus....

It is a border issue. Here is a statement from an aid to the Prime Minister.

October/04/2012

İbrahim Kalın, (click here) a senior adviser to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, said today on his Twitter account that Turkey had no interest in a war with Syria but would protect its borders. He said political and diplomatic initiatives would continue, Reuters reported. 

"Turkey has no interest in a war with Syria. But Turkey is capable of protecting its borders and will retaliate when necessary," Kalın wrote on Twitter. "Turkey has retaliated to yesterday's incident without declaring war on Syria. Political, diplomatic initiatives will continue."...

I like what Michael Moore pointed out.

#1: Gun control. (click here) Even though they'll be standing just a few miles from the site of America's worst gun massacre ever - just 2.5 months ago! 

Mike's right and so is the rest of his list. The debate was off target to the issues of the day. It was out of step with reality. It was categories of topics and not current. It was basically an unnecessary debate except it gave Romney, the junk yard dog, a chance to look aggressive. I guess that is important in a boxing ring, but, it isn't in the Oval Office. Squaring off in a yelling session is some thing a liar does, not a President.

Junk yard dogs get your attention, too.

“Governor Romney’s central economic plan calls for a $5 trillion tax cut -- on top of the extension of the Bush tax cuts -- that’s another trillion dollars”

--President Obama

“I don’t have a $5 trillion tax cut”

--Governor Romney

How can both facts be true? (click here) The $5 trillion figure comes from the fact that Romney has proposed to cut tax rates by 20 percent and eliminate the estate tax and alternative minimum tax. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center says that would reduce tax revenue by nearly $500 billion in 2015, or about $5 trillion over 10 years.

Like I said, "It is impossible to debate a liar."

Romney never once ANSWERED the President, he simply screamed at him. There was one point where he talked about competition in the market place for health care. He stated he would introduce a private plan and people could choose between traditional Medicare and a private plan.

We already have that. It is called Medicare Advantage. It is the biggest source of corruption in the Medicare program today. It is expensive and dangerous for our seniors. I explained this over and over on this blog, in that, Medicare Advantage CAN go bankrupt while Medicare cannot. So, if it ever went belly up, Medicare Advantage would have to secure a bail out and/or the payments it was suppose to make would go back to the insured; in this case a senior on a fixed income. Medicare Advantage is not the way a country should handle it's spending.

Romney used descriptions of his ideas and not the names of them. He would continue The Bush Tax Cuts and Medicare Advantage. 

Romney has NO NEW IDEAS and he tried to mask it with descriptions of existing ideas. Bad ideas by the way designed for cronies and not citizens.

Oh, yeah, Mr. Lear didn't know how to muzzle the junk yard dog either.