Daily Archives: October 30, 2003

Terrorist Government Developing Super Viruses

This entry was posted in Domestic Terrorism on by

From the New Scientist:

A scientist funded by the US government has deliberately created an extremely deadly form of mousepox, a relative of the smallpox virus, through genetic engineering.
The new virus kills all mice even if they have been given antiviral drugs as well as a vaccine that would normally protect them.
The work has not stopped there. The cowpox virus, which infects a range of animals including humans, has been genetically altered in a similar way.
The new virus, which is about to be tested on animals, should be lethal only to mice, Mark Buller of the University of St Louis told New Scientist. He says his work is necessary to explore what bioterrorists might do.
But the research brings closer the prospect of pox viruses that cause only mild infections in humans being turned into diseases lethal even to people who have been vaccinated.

As The Speculist says: A legitimate government has no use for this. It is a tool for terrorists.

Buying Work

This entry was posted in Democracy on by

According to the Center for Public Intgegrity:

Executives, employees and political action committees of the 70 companies that received government contracts for work in either Iraq or Afghanistan contributed slightly more than $500,000 to President Bush’s 2000 election campaign, according to a comprehensive study of the contracts released on Tuesday.

Frankly, I am surprised that the number is so small and would be very interested to see what these same companies have already contributed to bush’s 2004 campaign fund.
Bribing public officials is also a variant of what economists call rent seeking which is defined by Gordon Tullock:

… the outlay of resources by individuals and organizations in the pursuit of rents created by government

Center For Public Integrity reference via the New York Times.

Who are the Terrorists?

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Law Libertarianism Patriot Act on by

Leah Roffman, a freshman at Tufts University closes an essay on the Patriot Act with this:

Americans fear a terrorist takeover because terrorists would repeal our rights, threaten our safety, and disregard accountability to citizens. But our current government is doing all of those things right now. I might even become a victim of the USA governmental spying team just for saying so.

’nuff said.

Potter Headache

This entry was posted in Harry Potter Health Care on by

I thought the headache I had while reading Order of the Phoenix was simple transference from Harry as the pain from his scar waxed and wained.
But a Northwest Washington physician thinks otherwise:

three patients, ages 8 to 10, complained in June that they had been suffering from headaches for two or three days.
“In each case, the headache was dull and the pain fluctuated throughout the day,” Bennett wrote in a letter published in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
….
“On further questioning, it was determined that each child had spent many hours reading J.K. Rowling’s latest book in the Harry Potter series,” Bennett wrote in the letter, which journal editors titled “Hogwarts Headaches — Misery for Muggles.”
……
“The presumed diagnosis for each child was a tension headache brought on by the effort required to plow through an 870-page book. The obvious cure for this malady — that is, taking a break from reading — was rejected by two of the patients, who preferred acetaminophen instead,” ….

Hmmmm, I still think I’m right and when the next volume comes out I suggest parent’s of 8-10 year olds give them something to prop up the book.