Lunar New Year this weekend - bird flu makes comeback!

Millions upon millions of birds in live markets for sale for Lunar New Year - Avian Influenza spread by contact with feces, urine and sweat - get the picture - an unintended but real annual mutation lab for flu viruses that is now global because poultry market has been globalized and industrialized.
Some other headlines: Ban on import of chicken, eggs from Nepal to UP district, Egypt reports two more H5N1 cases, Cambodia culls bird flu-affected ducks, Bangladesh culls 13000 chickens after bird flu outbreak, Media Report: Two Indonesian Bird Flu Cases.

Roll the dice, when will bird flu cross over to the big time? But we gotta make money huh?

clipped from english.vovnews.vn Bird flu hits many provinces Bird flu is now spreading rapidly in many provinces after a long period of containment, the Department of Animal Health (DAH) said on February 8.

Remarkable row across the Atlantic - half way point reached!

Trying to swim from Cuba to USA once captivated public - but row the Atlantic alone - Pure moxie to the tenth power! Time to dance a little dance with Katie at her halfway point - you go girl!

clipped from rowforwater.com Day 37 — Halfway 1,230 miles away from the nearest land, 36 days without seeing another human being, and I just might be in one of the most remote places on the planet aside from the North and South Pole. So how does it feel to be smack dab in the middle of an ocean? Well, it’s the same limitless sky, same deep blue waters, same endless horizon, while sitting in the same bright yellow rowboat. But today, no sunset or wildlife could be more exciting than seeing the half-way point tick by on my GPS.

Afghan Follies: Part Three? Gorby Says Yes

This guy might know a bit about Afghanistan and what not to do - ya think - yep. Worth a read for sure.

clipped from www.nytimes.com Soviet Lessons From Afghanistan By MIKHAIL GORBACHEV What began after Sept. 11, 2001, as a seemingly appropriate military response aimed at rooting out terrorism could end in a major strategic failure. In 1979, the Soviet leadership sent troops to Afghanistan, justifying that move not just by the desire to help friendly elements there but also by the need to stabilize a neighboring country. The greatest mistake was failing to understand Afghanistan’s complexity — its patchwork of ethnic groups, clans and tribes, its unique traditions and minimal governance.

Egypt Gets Smart on Preventing Flu

All avian flu is passed through contact with feces, urine, and sweat. Ending the crowded live markets cuts down contact between birds and birds and people, as well as mutation of the influenza. If Indonesia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, India, and China would do the same - all influenza would plummet!

clipped from www.almasryalyoum.com Live poultry sales to be banned as of July According to Environment Minister Maged George, live poultry will be gradually phased out to be replaced by frozen poultry produced by licensed slaughterhouses.

Cambodian Dead Duck Mystery Solved - Bird Flu Strikes Again!

Area in Cambodia borders Viet Nam. February 14th marks Lunar New Year which is celebrated in Cambodia, Viet Nam and China. It is as if you added Christmas, New Year, your birthday and in the US, the 4th of July and Memorial Day all together into one holiday that lasts from 3 to 10 days. And to ensure a prosperous year ahead, one MUST have duck, chicken, goose or a pig for your holiday meals. Now imagine how many ducks, geese, chickens and pigs are raised to be at their peak flavor in time to be sold "live" to millions upon millions of eager customers. Now, you understand how and why regular influenza/flu creates a new mix/mutation of flu each year in these live markets for transmission in Asia and the rest of the world. And you should understand why people are so worried that bird flu will change enough to go direct to people in a big way rather than the normal route of birds to pigs and then to people. Can you spell p-a-n-d-e-m-i-c?

clipped from www.phnompenhpost.com Bird flu kills Takeo ducks Sample tissue from ducks in Takeo province that died in an outbreak of a disease officials could not identify earlier this week have tested positive for the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu

Haitian Ladies Will Get Markets Working Again - Fast!

UN, Red Cross, US - take note what micro-financing well connected to the people in small business can do to get economy moving again!

clipped from womennewsnetwork.net Haiti womens micro-lending bank brings big cash to rescue Able to quickly reach a well-developed network of women throughout the country, an alternative banking system performs while the Haitian economy is in shambles At a time when Haitian commercial banks remain closed, Fonkoze, the Haitian branch of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, mobilized over one weekend to get funds to its members in rural towns as well as Port-au-Prince. Between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m., last Saturday, January 23, Fonkoze brought in two million dollars in cash from their U.S. bank and distributed it by helicopters to regional offices in the most remote parts of the country.

Street Pianos "Play Me I'm Yours" Participative Performance Art!

Charming and almost too wonderful - grin.

clipped from www.streetpianos.com Street pianos are appearing in cities across the world. Located in parks, squares, bus shelters and train stations, outside galleries, markets and on bridges and ferries, the pianos are for any member of the public to enjoy and claim ownership of. 112 pianos have been installed so far. Who plays them and how long they remain is up to each community. Each piano acts as sculptural, musical, blank canvas that becomes a reflection of the communities it is embedded into. Many pianos are personalised and decorated. In 2010, ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ will be presented in: London, Belfast, Barcelona, Pécs (Hungary), Cincinnati, San Jose and possibly New York City. Adelaide are presenting ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ in 2011.

Found Another $80 Billion That Could Go for Real Jobs

Just as we thought - with a little work 80 billion could not be spent on waste by the military and go for really building USA economic strength! 80 billion here and 80 billion there - pretty soon we're talking real money! Grin.

clipped from pogoblog.typepad.com If You're Looking for Another $80 Billion in Savings... Back in February, POGO presented five recommendations for increasing revenue and cutting costs and no fewer than three of them relate directly to security matters. These three reforms — improving weapons acquisition, ensuring resources for and implementing recommendations made by agency auditors, and reducing the number of deployed nuclear warheads — could lead to savings of up to $81.7 billion.

ICE Better at Drug Arrests Than FBI, DEA, Local Police?

Not so, you say? Right you are but a good way for rogue ICE cops to thumb their noses at their boss and claim to just be doing their job - way better than those trained in narcotics. Too good to be true usually turns out to be just that and ICE will pay the piper sooner than later.

clipped from news.newamericamedia.org ICE Anti-Drug Bust Nets Nearly 500 Detainees WASHINGTON – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced the detention of 476 people in nationwide raids targeting international drug traffickers in the United States, according to an EFE report published in La Opinion. The operation, nicknamed “Big Freeze Project,” is the largest ICE action to date targeting organized crime. Among those arrested and detained, according to ICE, are a number of high profile organized crime members with ties to drug trafficking cartels in Mexico, South America and Asia. Detainees will face state and federal charges ranging from distribution of narcotics to arms smuggling, falsification of documents, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. Of those held, 366 are foreign nationals, and could face immediate deportation. An additional 41 people, however, were detained during the raids for violating immigration law.

Afghanistan Who Will Write Its Destiny?

I hope that in reading these words and poems from the Afghan Women's Writing Project help you to understand that bombs and armies have impacts that we seldom actually see or hear of from someone on the ground and who will be there long after we have gone.

clipped from awwproject.wordpress.com My Pen You know the meaning of Please Rewrite my destiny You know the boy sitting alone in the street No legs No hands No hopes Nature forgot him Rewrite his destiny You saw our neighbor’s son He doesn’t sleep at night there is nothing to eat He paints the face of cakes and cookies Hangs them on the wall Rewrite his destiny Join us, be true, be honest Write a new page In humanity’s destiny Promise, my pen Promise me

Rowing an ocean - is hard, smelly - not always fun.

All the more amazing that she is doing it and is still able to manage ironic humor about it, as well as wonder.

clipped from rowforwater.com Day 27 — The good, the bad, and the ugly rowing an ocean. This is not just about easy, breezy days in the sun, gracefully cruising along the ocean Think of your worst hair day, multiply that by ten, and expect to see that in the mirror every morning Medical tape will become your new best friend as you play doctor and tape yourself back together every night Winds may push you eastward, meaning those hard earned miles are now lost And then, there is that one blister that seems to always want to remind you that its there But I don’t need anyone to read this and come away feeling sorry for me – pity isn’t welcome here. For where there is a will, there is a way and I have been able to work with these opportunities to practice patience. I honestly would not trade this experience for the world and feel so lucky to be here, bad hair days and all.