Once again, Iran made a mockery of nuclear containment negotiations, rejecting a proposal from the International Atomic Energy Agency I.A.E.A. on Wednesday that was brokered by the United Nations. Iran first stalled for a week, then publicly declared they would cooperate, only to reverse course.

Yet, change might be in the air because, according to STRATFOR global intelligence, the U.S., Israel and other Western allies are taking steps that appear eerily similar to war preparations.

These actions include the Administration trying to get authorization to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve SPR which is something that would only happen during a time of war

via U.S. and Israel prepare for military action against Iran.

Hours after that announcement, Paterson denies that the state emergency was in effect. the daily news reported him saying at a Manhattan event “We haven’t declared a state of emergency. We made a declaration of what would happen in a state of emergency,” “We are preparing for a worst-case scenario.” Peter Kauffman, a spokesman for Patersons tried to clarify the apparent misunderstanding, saying Paterson didn’t want the measure to spark panic, so in essence it is a declaration of emergency under law but there’ is nothing to be alarmed about yet.

via Governor Paterson denies declaring New York Swine Flu emergency.

So, is it emergency or what? If it isn’t, why did you declare one?

The United States will release its entire stock of children’s Tamiflu antivirals, a top health official said, as the pediatric swine flu toll spiked well above the annual toll for kids from seasonal flu.”Up until now, there have been 114 laboratory-confirmed deaths among children,” the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Thomas Frieden, told a press conference on Friday, referring to swine flu.

The highest pediatric death toll from seasonal flu in the past three years was 88.

via? Children swine flu deaths spike in US amid vaccine shortage.

During the third quarter, corporations, unions, trade associations and other special interests spent $849 million on federal lobbying, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. This is the largest single-quarter lobbying expenditure since firms began filing quarterly at the start of 2008 — about $8 million more than was spent during the third quarter of 2008.

The year-to-date total spent on lobbying now stands at $2.5 billion through the end of September, with that sum supporting 13,428 individual active lobbyists. By comparison, the total amount spent on all federal lobbying during 2005 was $2.43 billion.

A look at all our futures if the money games continue.

Feral Houses

Really, it?s worth the visit!

The Bank of Japan said Friday it will terminate some of the emergency financing measures it initiated after a global credit crunch took hold in late 2008 because the environment for corporate funding has since improved.

The central bank said it will halt outright purchases of corporate bonds and commercial paper from financial institutions at the end of December as scheduled, but will continue to offer unlimited 0.1 percent interest loans to banks with approved collateral through March 2010.

via BOJ to end some emergency financing steps

The elderly are increasingly filing complaints against their brokers for conning them into bad investments, say securities fraud attorneys, noting that bad times reveal the truth of shoddy deals. The latest alleged victims are the Carmels of Florida — an 82-year-old man and his 75-year-old wife — who claim their Bank of America broker cozied up to them, gained their trust and then stuck them with a bad investment that cost them more than $1.4 million.

Heath officials say swine flu has caused at least 19 more children’s deaths ? the largest one-week increase since the pandemic started in April.

Not to be spilling hairs or anything, but, the deaths this week are really 22, up from 11 last week. That’s is double from last week.

(Total pediatric deaths from influenza, including those not confirmed as H1N1, rose to 127 since April 26, CDC reported today on its Web site. – Bloomburg.com)

via CDC reports largest one-week increase in swine flu deaths of children; now at 114 – or 127

Democrats have said the recession was simply more severe than most economists predicted earlier this year, and they credit the stimulus program with helping avert a second Great Depression.

Why do Democrats even exist if they rely on economists to tell them what the economy is doing. Have they no eyes and ears?? Are they admitting they are too stupid to think for themselves?

If things weren’t going to be this bad, why the $700 billion stimulus? Did they really think after the bank/credit/debt/liquidity crises in October of 2008 things were not so bad?

This is just like children blaming their problems on their parents.

And like children, they better grow up or find a new place to live.

If your wondering, the Republicans are no better.

via White House Chalks Up 650,000 Jobs to Stimulus – NYTimes.com.

A fight broke out at a Reno clinic giving shots for H1N1, after someone apparently tried to cut in line.

via Fight breaks out over H1N1 shots in Reno