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If he weren't the savior, some in the MFM might question this.
The "fiscal cliff" legislation passed this week included $76 billion in special-interest tax credits for the likes of General Electric, Hollywood and even Captain Morgan. But these subsidies weren't the fruit of eleventh-hour lobbying conducted on the cliff's edge -- they were crafted back in August in a Senate committee, and they sat dormant until the White House reportedly insisted on them this week....
Really? These provisions? Tax-avoidance?
Really.
...A Republican Senate aide familiar with the cliff negotiations tells me the White House wanted permanent extensions of a whole slew of corporate tax credits. When Senate Republicans said no, "the White House insisted that the exact language" of the Baucus bill be included in the fiscal cliff deal. "They were absolutely insistent," another aide tells me....
Sure enough, Title II of the fiscal cliff legislation is nearly a word-for-word replication of the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012.
The Slimebucket-in-Chief pays off his friends.
3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
Megna, Fallone Are In SCOWI Race
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This will be fun to watch.
Both Vince Megna and Ed Fallone have filed enough signatures to run for SCOWI.
In all likelihood, Fallone will run to the right of Megna (even though they are similarly Left-inclined.)
Fallone will have the Democrat Party's machinery behind him, as noted by Lakeshore. That means that Fallone has a fat source of funds, too--and unless Megna wants to spend a whole lot of his personal fortune, he's not likely to prevail.
The fact that the Dem Party of Wisconsin has more-or-less anointed Fallone leaves Megna and his supporters in the position that Eric Hovde and his supporters were in during the Senate primary. Megna won't necessarily like that comparison (nor Hovde), but the Party Elders have wrinkled their noses at him.
Hmmmm.
Both Vince Megna and Ed Fallone have filed enough signatures to run for SCOWI.
In all likelihood, Fallone will run to the right of Megna (even though they are similarly Left-inclined.)
Fallone will have the Democrat Party's machinery behind him, as noted by Lakeshore. That means that Fallone has a fat source of funds, too--and unless Megna wants to spend a whole lot of his personal fortune, he's not likely to prevail.
The fact that the Dem Party of Wisconsin has more-or-less anointed Fallone leaves Megna and his supporters in the position that Eric Hovde and his supporters were in during the Senate primary. Megna won't necessarily like that comparison (nor Hovde), but the Party Elders have wrinkled their noses at him.
Hmmmm.
EPA "Experiments" on Old, Sick, and Children
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Think Dustin Hoffman v. "Dr." Mengele.
This has been ongoing for a while, but under the radar. The MFM doesn't give a rip, and Conservatives haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon.
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick.
That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary and genetically susceptible senior citizens to air pollutants the agency says can cause a variety of serious cardiac and respiratory problems, including sudden death.
Say what?
...EPA-employed or -funded researchers have intentionally exposed a variety of people to concentrated levels of different air pollutants, including particulate matter (soot and dust), diesel exhaust, ozone and chlorine gas — the latter substance more recognized as a World War I-era chemical weapon than as an outdoor air pollutant....
Say WHAAAT?
...The American Tradition Institute contends in its lawsuit that the EPA has broken virtually every rule established to protect human subjects used in scientific experiments, including the Nuremberg Code, ethics principles for human experimentation adopted following the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II, and similar U.S. regulations known as “The Common Rule.”...
OK. So how does EPA intend to defend itself?
The answer is meaningful. They will not deny the specific allegations. Instead, EPA argues that it is not subject to any law on the matter.
Mengele would be proud. There was no law which prohibited his activities, either.
This has been ongoing for a while, but under the radar. The MFM doesn't give a rip, and Conservatives haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon.
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick.
That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary and genetically susceptible senior citizens to air pollutants the agency says can cause a variety of serious cardiac and respiratory problems, including sudden death.
Say what?
...EPA-employed or -funded researchers have intentionally exposed a variety of people to concentrated levels of different air pollutants, including particulate matter (soot and dust), diesel exhaust, ozone and chlorine gas — the latter substance more recognized as a World War I-era chemical weapon than as an outdoor air pollutant....
Say WHAAAT?
...The American Tradition Institute contends in its lawsuit that the EPA has broken virtually every rule established to protect human subjects used in scientific experiments, including the Nuremberg Code, ethics principles for human experimentation adopted following the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II, and similar U.S. regulations known as “The Common Rule.”...
OK. So how does EPA intend to defend itself?
The answer is meaningful. They will not deny the specific allegations. Instead, EPA argues that it is not subject to any law on the matter.
Mengele would be proud. There was no law which prohibited his activities, either.
Another Little Problem With ObozoCare
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Surprise! The box of chocolates has another soured-cream bite!
In a long-awaited interpretation of the new health care law, the Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers. --JustOneMinute quoting NYT
In other words,
The gist is that employers are not obliged to weigh a worker's family status in deciding his total compensation, which makes sense - because the family insurance can cost an extra $10,000 per year, an employer would have a strong incentive to avoid family guys and gals when hiring for lower paying jobs.
Unfortunately, this means that a stay-at-home spouse becomes a tremendous financial burden due to lost federal subsidies; the employed partner's income can make the couple ineligible for Medicaid but the federal subsidy for health insurance may not be available either.
Nice.
In a long-awaited interpretation of the new health care law, the Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers. --JustOneMinute quoting NYT
In other words,
The gist is that employers are not obliged to weigh a worker's family status in deciding his total compensation, which makes sense - because the family insurance can cost an extra $10,000 per year, an employer would have a strong incentive to avoid family guys and gals when hiring for lower paying jobs.
Unfortunately, this means that a stay-at-home spouse becomes a tremendous financial burden due to lost federal subsidies; the employed partner's income can make the couple ineligible for Medicaid but the federal subsidy for health insurance may not be available either.
Nice.
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
To contact us Click HERE
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
revlon
I%26#39;ll be in KW on for the weekend on April 21-23rd and was wondering about these properties. I want to be somewhat close to Duval, and it looks like these three Center Court places are really nice. Anyone know personally?
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
My fiance and I stayed the ';Tropical Hideway'; (through Center Court) during our December %26#39;02 trip to Key West. It%26#39;s on the same property with the Pineapple Retreat %26amp; the Seaport Suite. I didn%26#39;t get to see inside the other 2 units, but I can vouch for the common grounds of the property and its location in Old Town.
The property is well maintained and in a quiet neighborhood. The pool is fairly large (by Key West standards) and since it%26#39;s only shared with 2 other units (one of which has its own private dipping pool) we never saw many people using it. The landscaping on the property was extensive, and it was very convenient to have complimentary laundry facilities onsite. The daily housekeeping service was a nice touch as well. Even on the days that we put out the ';no housekeeping necessary'; sign, they still were nice enough to leave fresh towels for us!
I wouldn%26#39;t classify the property as being ';close'; to Duval street. It was roughly 6-7 blocks away, which was about a 20 minute walk at a VERY leisurely pace for us. We never minded the walk - we felt more like locals by staying in a primarily residential setting, and it was a nice change of pace to adjust our walking routes to tour through the surrounding neighborhoods on our way to/from Duval.
If you want, you can use a online service like ';MapQuest'; to show you exactly how far it is from the property to Duval St. Use the intersection of Frances St %26amp; Eaton St as your starting point, and the intersection of Duval St %26amp; Eaton St as your ending point. That gives you a straight-shot distance to Duval St, with Mallory Square being a block or so away from that ending point.
I liked our location for being so close to the some of the more ';local'; hangouts AND one of our favorite lunch spots - B.O.%26#39;s Fish Wagon. The added benefit of being away from Duval was how peaceful our neighborhood was. We could leave our French doors open in the mornings and evenings and the only sounds coming in were the rustling of the leaves in the breeze %26amp; the birds chirping. Very relaxing!
2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba
Obozo to UNILATERALLY Raise Debt Ceiling
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Didn't take long for this little bomb to fall:
Speaking Jan. 1 at the White House at 11:20 p.m., less than an hour after the House voted 257 to 167 to approve new tax hikes, President Barack Obama announced that he will assert the authority to raise the debt ceiling for spending approved by Congress....
...Obama framed his assumption of the authority to borrow funds, regardless of a statutory debt ceiling, in the context of the upcoming fight to raise it—a fight Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R.-S.C.) called “Round 2” becuase the senator said Republicans had been beaten in the negotiations to avoid the “fiscal cliff” or “Round 1.”
The president was direct. Either Congress raises the debt ceiling or he will go ahead and borrow the money to pay the bills on his own in order to avoid damage to the U.S. and world economies.
Obviously, the GOP "leadership" thought of this when they caved in.
Right?
Speaking Jan. 1 at the White House at 11:20 p.m., less than an hour after the House voted 257 to 167 to approve new tax hikes, President Barack Obama announced that he will assert the authority to raise the debt ceiling for spending approved by Congress....
...Obama framed his assumption of the authority to borrow funds, regardless of a statutory debt ceiling, in the context of the upcoming fight to raise it—a fight Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R.-S.C.) called “Round 2” becuase the senator said Republicans had been beaten in the negotiations to avoid the “fiscal cliff” or “Round 1.”
The president was direct. Either Congress raises the debt ceiling or he will go ahead and borrow the money to pay the bills on his own in order to avoid damage to the U.S. and world economies.
Obviously, the GOP "leadership" thought of this when they caved in.
Right?
Intel to Blow Up Cable Companies
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Well, somebody's looking out for Americans.
Clay [Forbes reporter] says Intel is planning to deliver cable content to any device with an Internet connection. And instead of having to pay $80 a month for two hundred channels you don't want, you'll be able to subscribe to specific channels of your choosing.
That means that ATT, Charter, Time-Warner (et al) will be spending several $Ka-Zillion on lobbying over the next several months--which you will pay for, assuming you continue their "service."
And that spending will be at the State level, not just the Federal level. Watch your friendly local legislators closely, folks.
Clay [Forbes reporter] says Intel is planning to deliver cable content to any device with an Internet connection. And instead of having to pay $80 a month for two hundred channels you don't want, you'll be able to subscribe to specific channels of your choosing.
That means that ATT, Charter, Time-Warner (et al) will be spending several $Ka-Zillion on lobbying over the next several months--which you will pay for, assuming you continue their "service."
And that spending will be at the State level, not just the Federal level. Watch your friendly local legislators closely, folks.
SCOTUS, Here We Come!
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Bingo!
An Oklahoma district denied an injunction to Hobby Lobby.
A Michigan district did the opposite:
A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt on the Obama administration’s birth-control coverage policy for Tom Monaghan, the Catholic billionaire who founded Domino’s Pizza.
Federal District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff issued the decision Sunday, less than two days before the policy would have taken effect and exposed Monaghan to fines for non-compliance.
“Plaintiff has shown that abiding by the mandate will substantially burden his exercise of religion,” Zatkoff wrote.
“The government has failed to satisfy its burden of showing that its actions were narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest. … This factor weighs in favor of granting Plaintiffs’ motion.” --HotAir quoting The Hill
Maybe the US Bishops will join Monaghan's action.
An Oklahoma district denied an injunction to Hobby Lobby.
A Michigan district did the opposite:
A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt on the Obama administration’s birth-control coverage policy for Tom Monaghan, the Catholic billionaire who founded Domino’s Pizza.
Federal District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff issued the decision Sunday, less than two days before the policy would have taken effect and exposed Monaghan to fines for non-compliance.
“Plaintiff has shown that abiding by the mandate will substantially burden his exercise of religion,” Zatkoff wrote.
“The government has failed to satisfy its burden of showing that its actions were narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest. … This factor weighs in favor of granting Plaintiffs’ motion.” --HotAir quoting The Hill
Maybe the US Bishops will join Monaghan's action.
McConnell: The Engineer of US Bankruptcy
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Mirengoff has the rundown:
Let’s step back and consider the impact of McConnell’s deals on the valiant effort of House Republicans in 2011 to use the debt-ceiling to attack the debt. So far, the results are as follows: (1) the debt ceiling was raised, (2) the debt continued to soar, (3) the latest McConnell-brokered deal will increase, rather than decrease, the debt, and (4) taxes are about to go up.
There are extenuating circumstances, to be sure — most notably the 2012 election. But they are insufficient to explain how the Democrats have thus far been able to turn the debt-ceiling battle of 2011 so decisively to their advantage.
It’s a tribute to McConnell’s skill that John Boehner seems to be taking most of the heat over the latest deal.
Well--that last point is true, but then Boehner doesn't know "conservative" from zits, either.
DeMint and Erickson are right. McConnell and his ilk is the fifth column in this country.
Let’s step back and consider the impact of McConnell’s deals on the valiant effort of House Republicans in 2011 to use the debt-ceiling to attack the debt. So far, the results are as follows: (1) the debt ceiling was raised, (2) the debt continued to soar, (3) the latest McConnell-brokered deal will increase, rather than decrease, the debt, and (4) taxes are about to go up.
There are extenuating circumstances, to be sure — most notably the 2012 election. But they are insufficient to explain how the Democrats have thus far been able to turn the debt-ceiling battle of 2011 so decisively to their advantage.
It’s a tribute to McConnell’s skill that John Boehner seems to be taking most of the heat over the latest deal.
Well--that last point is true, but then Boehner doesn't know "conservative" from zits, either.
DeMint and Erickson are right. McConnell and his ilk is the fifth column in this country.
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
To contact us Click HERE
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
revlon
I%26#39;ll be in KW on for the weekend on April 21-23rd and was wondering about these properties. I want to be somewhat close to Duval, and it looks like these three Center Court places are really nice. Anyone know personally?
What can you tell me about Center Court's...Verde Suite...
My fiance and I stayed the ';Tropical Hideway'; (through Center Court) during our December %26#39;02 trip to Key West. It%26#39;s on the same property with the Pineapple Retreat %26amp; the Seaport Suite. I didn%26#39;t get to see inside the other 2 units, but I can vouch for the common grounds of the property and its location in Old Town.
The property is well maintained and in a quiet neighborhood. The pool is fairly large (by Key West standards) and since it%26#39;s only shared with 2 other units (one of which has its own private dipping pool) we never saw many people using it. The landscaping on the property was extensive, and it was very convenient to have complimentary laundry facilities onsite. The daily housekeeping service was a nice touch as well. Even on the days that we put out the ';no housekeeping necessary'; sign, they still were nice enough to leave fresh towels for us!
I wouldn%26#39;t classify the property as being ';close'; to Duval street. It was roughly 6-7 blocks away, which was about a 20 minute walk at a VERY leisurely pace for us. We never minded the walk - we felt more like locals by staying in a primarily residential setting, and it was a nice change of pace to adjust our walking routes to tour through the surrounding neighborhoods on our way to/from Duval.
If you want, you can use a online service like ';MapQuest'; to show you exactly how far it is from the property to Duval St. Use the intersection of Frances St %26amp; Eaton St as your starting point, and the intersection of Duval St %26amp; Eaton St as your ending point. That gives you a straight-shot distance to Duval St, with Mallory Square being a block or so away from that ending point.
I liked our location for being so close to the some of the more ';local'; hangouts AND one of our favorite lunch spots - B.O.%26#39;s Fish Wagon. The added benefit of being away from Duval was how peaceful our neighborhood was. We could leave our French doors open in the mornings and evenings and the only sounds coming in were the rustling of the leaves in the breeze %26amp; the birds chirping. Very relaxing!
1 Ocak 2013 Salı
Packing for the Airport (Continued)
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Headline on today's weekly report from the Transportation Security Administration on weapons found in the last week in passengers' carry-on bags at U.S. airports:
Here's a link to the full report on the TSA blog.
Headline on today's weekly report from the Transportation Security Administration on weapons found in the last week in passengers' carry-on bags at U.S. airports:
"TSA Week in Review: 41 Firearms, 40 Stun Guns, 4 Grenades, 1 Rocket Launcher. No Partridge in a Pear Tree…"
I don't know why the media (myself aside) keep ignoring this remarkable onslaught of weaponry discovered at the airports (and the question of how many other firearms are getting through security), but here's this week's grim report on guns: 41 guns found in passenger carry-ons, 36 of them loaded. Here's the breakdown just of the firearms found in the last week, via the TSA:
Here's a link to the full report on the TSA blog.
A New 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' Revival on Broadway, But the Question Is 'Why?'
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In New York for a holiday visit, my wife and I saw the new "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" last night on Broadway with Scarlett Johansson as Maggie. It was the second night of previews (opening is early January).
The 1955 play, said to have been Tennessee Williams' personal favorite, has always been a problem, in that it really has never been clear -- not to audiences, not to a succession of directors starting with Elia Kazan, not even to to Mr. Williams himself -- exactly what it's about. Repressed homosexuality? Mendacity? A spurned wife? Familial greed? The last gasp of Mississippi Delta Planter Culture? All of the above, take your pick?
The latest revival, alas, has no new answers, though I do like that it uses the full play as written by Williams. It's long (about three hours) in three acts. But as usual, Act One doesn't speak coherently to Act Two, and Act Three thunders out in a King Lear tempest.
I know previews are supposed to be a time when kinks in a production are worked out, but hey, the tickets for the good seats run into the $200 range (plus fees when you book online). That's a lot for a preview! We'll see what the play looks like when it opens in a month (though I don't have much faith in today's Broadway critics), but my hunch is that this production is pretty well set in its current form right now.
Here's a preview review, in triplets:
Scarlett Johansson good. Big Daddy too. Brick's a cipher. Gooper simply baffling. Direction is chaotic. No-neck monsters: Way too cute. Skipper's ghost creepy. Actors seem lost. Play needs work. Probably not fixable.
Sad to say!
###
 |
| Scarlett Johansson |
In New York for a holiday visit, my wife and I saw the new "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" last night on Broadway with Scarlett Johansson as Maggie. It was the second night of previews (opening is early January).
The 1955 play, said to have been Tennessee Williams' personal favorite, has always been a problem, in that it really has never been clear -- not to audiences, not to a succession of directors starting with Elia Kazan, not even to to Mr. Williams himself -- exactly what it's about. Repressed homosexuality? Mendacity? A spurned wife? Familial greed? The last gasp of Mississippi Delta Planter Culture? All of the above, take your pick?
The latest revival, alas, has no new answers, though I do like that it uses the full play as written by Williams. It's long (about three hours) in three acts. But as usual, Act One doesn't speak coherently to Act Two, and Act Three thunders out in a King Lear tempest.
I know previews are supposed to be a time when kinks in a production are worked out, but hey, the tickets for the good seats run into the $200 range (plus fees when you book online). That's a lot for a preview! We'll see what the play looks like when it opens in a month (though I don't have much faith in today's Broadway critics), but my hunch is that this production is pretty well set in its current form right now.
Here's a preview review, in triplets:
Scarlett Johansson good. Big Daddy too. Brick's a cipher. Gooper simply baffling. Direction is chaotic. No-neck monsters: Way too cute. Skipper's ghost creepy. Actors seem lost. Play needs work. Probably not fixable.
Sad to say!
###
The Vile Tells the Despicable: You're Crazy
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The merely vile Rupert Murdoch, who seems to have actually come down on the right side of the out-of-control-guns issue, appears to have given marching orders to the New York Post newspaper whose extreme right-wing views he shapes: The despicable NRA boss Wayne LaPierre is a "gun nut" whose so-called "press conference" the other day was nothing more than a "bizarre rant."
This follows a Twitter note from Murdoch in which he asked, "Will politicians find the courage to ban automatic weapons?" Fox News, it does not need to be said, has also been put on notice, though Murdoch writing about "courage" is to me akin to Hitler writing about courtesy.
Anyway, LaPierre, the Vietnam draft dodger who has unaccountably been permitted to shape himself as a kind of warrior in the 40-plus yeas he has been with the NRA, has gotten a sucker punch from his presumable pals on the ideological fringe where the heavily subsidized New York Post and its in-house co-conspirators Fox News and the (also subsidized these days) Wall Street Journal editorial page usually set a media agenda for right-wing reactionary ranks.
That can't be good for Wayne. Meanwhile, the tabloid New York Daily News, still techically a newspaper, calls LaPierre the "craziest man on earth."
Now I want to see some reflection, in the general round-heeled media, on why 150 reporters showed up, dutifully as summoned, to LaPuerre's "press conference" the other day, an event marked by the rule that reporters couldn't ask questions of the NRA boss.
That's not a press conference, folks, that's a speech.
Here's a link to a story about the New York Post.
###
The merely vile Rupert Murdoch, who seems to have actually come down on the right side of the out-of-control-guns issue, appears to have given marching orders to the New York Post newspaper whose extreme right-wing views he shapes: The despicable NRA boss Wayne LaPierre is a "gun nut" whose so-called "press conference" the other day was nothing more than a "bizarre rant."
This follows a Twitter note from Murdoch in which he asked, "Will politicians find the courage to ban automatic weapons?" Fox News, it does not need to be said, has also been put on notice, though Murdoch writing about "courage" is to me akin to Hitler writing about courtesy.
Anyway, LaPierre, the Vietnam draft dodger who has unaccountably been permitted to shape himself as a kind of warrior in the 40-plus yeas he has been with the NRA, has gotten a sucker punch from his presumable pals on the ideological fringe where the heavily subsidized New York Post and its in-house co-conspirators Fox News and the (also subsidized these days) Wall Street Journal editorial page usually set a media agenda for right-wing reactionary ranks.
That can't be good for Wayne. Meanwhile, the tabloid New York Daily News, still techically a newspaper, calls LaPierre the "craziest man on earth."
Now I want to see some reflection, in the general round-heeled media, on why 150 reporters showed up, dutifully as summoned, to LaPuerre's "press conference" the other day, an event marked by the rule that reporters couldn't ask questions of the NRA boss.
That's not a press conference, folks, that's a speech.
Here's a link to a story about the New York Post.
###
Travel Mess. Hey, It's Late December!
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Map, via Flightview.com (as of 6.26 p.m. EST), shows lots of yellow lights at major airports. That's not good! Red dots are worse. Look for more red dots as this winter storm spreads northeast.
The TV weatherpeople all have their hair on fire, but hey, it's late December! It's winter and it snows. News reports breathlessly talk about the "killer storm," and keep track of the "death toll" (12) -- but you know what? People die during bad weather all the time. (They even die during good weather). Ask any hospital emergency room doctor or EMS technician. So the "death toll" in any routine storm is usually meaningless, except as a way to dramatize bad weather and give it some kind of a narrative.
It's just crappy weather.
But one factor that's actually new: Airlines have shrunk domestic capacity to the point where there is absolutely no slack in the system. A cancelled flight often means a day's delay for a connection, in that case.
###
Map, via Flightview.com (as of 6.26 p.m. EST), shows lots of yellow lights at major airports. That's not good! Red dots are worse. Look for more red dots as this winter storm spreads northeast.The TV weatherpeople all have their hair on fire, but hey, it's late December! It's winter and it snows. News reports breathlessly talk about the "killer storm," and keep track of the "death toll" (12) -- but you know what? People die during bad weather all the time. (They even die during good weather). Ask any hospital emergency room doctor or EMS technician. So the "death toll" in any routine storm is usually meaningless, except as a way to dramatize bad weather and give it some kind of a narrative.
It's just crappy weather.
But one factor that's actually new: Airlines have shrunk domestic capacity to the point where there is absolutely no slack in the system. A cancelled flight often means a day's delay for a connection, in that case.
###
Seasick On the Queen Mary
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I've never taken a cruise, and you couldn't get me on one with a gun to my head. One reason, among hundreds of others, is that waaaaaay too often, we see reports like this of infectious illnesses on cruise ships:
The cruise liner Queen Mary 2 has been sidetracked by an outbreak of what appears to have been norovirus contagion that sickened over 200 passengers and crew during a 12-day Christmas cruise in the Caribbean that was to have ended on Thursday. According to the latest update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 201 of the ship's 2,613 passengers have become ill and 14 of the 1,255 crew, and the main symptoms of the illness -- which the CDC lists as still "unknown" in origin -- are vomiting and diarrhea.
Norovirus, the common culprit in cruise ship contagion outbreaks, is one of those awful illnesses that is spread from person to person and caused by contaminated food or water.
The CDC says that two of its environmental health officers and an epidemiologist will board the Queen Mary 2 on its expected arrival in Brooklyn on Thursday to conduct an assessment.
The Queen Mary 2 operates under the Cunard Line brand of the Carnival cruise giant. In June of 2011, the Queen Mary 2 flunked a Vessel Sanitation Program health-inspection by the Centers for Disease Control and Inspection. According to Cruisecritic.com, CDC inspectors found dozens of violations, including some involving ice machines. "The word 'filthy' is used in the report five times," says the Cruisecritic.com item. Oddly, Cruisecritic.comhttp://www.cruisecritic.com/news/ -- which I found on a few occasions in the past to have exhibited some interest in critical cruise news -- seems to be uninterested in the current crisis on the Queen Mary.
The Queen Mary 2 is currently "at sea" and steaming toward New York, according to the Cunard Web site.
Anyway:
Here's a link to the CDC situation report on the current crisis.
Here is a link to the CDC report on the failed inspection in June 2011.
###
I've never taken a cruise, and you couldn't get me on one with a gun to my head. One reason, among hundreds of others, is that waaaaaay too often, we see reports like this of infectious illnesses on cruise ships:
The cruise liner Queen Mary 2 has been sidetracked by an outbreak of what appears to have been norovirus contagion that sickened over 200 passengers and crew during a 12-day Christmas cruise in the Caribbean that was to have ended on Thursday. According to the latest update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 201 of the ship's 2,613 passengers have become ill and 14 of the 1,255 crew, and the main symptoms of the illness -- which the CDC lists as still "unknown" in origin -- are vomiting and diarrhea.
Norovirus, the common culprit in cruise ship contagion outbreaks, is one of those awful illnesses that is spread from person to person and caused by contaminated food or water.
The CDC says that two of its environmental health officers and an epidemiologist will board the Queen Mary 2 on its expected arrival in Brooklyn on Thursday to conduct an assessment.
The Queen Mary 2 operates under the Cunard Line brand of the Carnival cruise giant. In June of 2011, the Queen Mary 2 flunked a Vessel Sanitation Program health-inspection by the Centers for Disease Control and Inspection. According to Cruisecritic.com, CDC inspectors found dozens of violations, including some involving ice machines. "The word 'filthy' is used in the report five times," says the Cruisecritic.com item. Oddly, Cruisecritic.comhttp://www.cruisecritic.com/news/ -- which I found on a few occasions in the past to have exhibited some interest in critical cruise news -- seems to be uninterested in the current crisis on the Queen Mary.
The Queen Mary 2 is currently "at sea" and steaming toward New York, according to the Cunard Web site.
Anyway:
Here's a link to the CDC situation report on the current crisis.
Here is a link to the CDC report on the failed inspection in June 2011.
###
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