Bob Bergdahl remains calm at centre of storm over son released by Taliban | World news | theguardian.com

The Berdaghl family made its home in a remote, wind-whipped Idaho valley to keep the world at a certain distance. But two outside forces – the Taliban and US politics – crashed into the idyll.

It says a lot about Bob Bergdahl, 54, and the son he raised that of the two, he appears to have handled the Taliban better.

The former UPS delivery man has intrigued, inspired and infuriated the US public since the release of his son, Bowe, 28, ignited a political firestorm last week.

The ponytail and straggly beard, the phrases in Arabic and Pashto, the refusal to look or sound like a conventional dad, the theories about Bowe’s alleged desertion – all have fuelled the clamour, prompting many to ask: just who are the Bergdahls?

Interviews with friends, neighbours and colleagues in the valley and in Hailey, the nearest town, paint a nuanced portrait of a family that on one hand is sporty, Christian and all-American, fond of horses, hunting, chocolate muffins and Jimmy Fallon; and on the other bookish, private and iconoclastic, carving an individualistic trail in its own private Idaho. That lifestyle bred idealism – and, arguably, naivety.

“Bob almost reads and thinks too much,” said Lee Ann Ferris, a neighbour. “You’d ask him a question and, whoah, what an answer you’d get.”

via Bob Bergdahl remains calm at centre of storm over son released by Taliban | World news | theguardian.com.

Avian Flu Diary: PAHO: Chikungunya Numbers Jump Nearly 30K In Past Week

While rarely fatal, Chikungunya can produce a severe fever and excruciating joint pain usually lasting for at least a week.  Some studies (cite) indicate significant arthritis-like sequelae can persist for months or even years post-infection.

 

With an incubation period of between 3 and 7 days, and the enormous amount of international travel to, and from, the Caribbean, the concern is that this virus will soon migrate to other areas that also have a favorable climate and the right kind of mosquitoes.

 

Brazil is particularly at risk this summer with the FIFA World Cup, something we discussed yesterday.

 

But then, so is the United States, and even parts of Europe (Italy saw a mini-epidemic in 2007 when just one infected traveler started a chain of infection that eventually touched 300 people).

 

The good news, at least in most of the United States, is that most of us live and work in air-conditioned spaces, and live in regions that maintain pretty good mosquito control programs, and so we aren’t as apt to be continually exposed to (and bitten by) mosquitoes as people living in the Caribbean.

 

But as a native Floridian, I can assure you that it is pretty much impossible to totally avoid feeding our unofficial `state bird’.

 

The state of Florida is concerned enough that it has issued warnings to the public, and is actively Preparing For Chikungunya.  In March the CDC held a Chikungunya Webinar and last December they released a CDC HAN Advisory On Recognizing & Treating Chikungunya Infection.

No one knows if Chikungunya will spread rapidly in the United States, like West Nile Virus has over the past 15 years, or produce infrequent and highly sporadic outbreaks, as has Dengue.

 

But given its rapid global expansion over the past nine years, no one in public health is taking the threat lightly.

via Avian Flu Diary: PAHO: Chikungunya Numbers Jump Nearly 30K In Past Week.

Obama administration declares surge at TX-Mexico border of unaccompanied minors a “humanitarian crisis” | La Prensa San Diego

Fleeing life-threatening violence, extreme poverty or just wanting to be with their parents are reasons cited as to why there has been a 90 percent increase over last year of children from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico making the dangerous journey to the United States by themselves.

While various immigrant advocates have been sounding the alarm over the past several years regarding the issue, it’s finally gotten the attention of Washington.

It’s because the increase, happening mainly at the Texas-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, is overwhelming local officials and has triggered recognition from the Obama administration that this influx of “unaccompanied alien children” is a humanitarian crisis. To address the crisis, the President has created an “interagency Unified Coordination Group.”

via Obama administration declares surge at TX-Mexico border of unaccompanied minors a “humanitarian crisis” | La Prensa San Diego.

Brooklyn Will Vie to Host 2016 Democratic National Convention, de Blasio Says – NYTimes.com

Brooklyn, a nexus of the new Democratic left that has morphed from working-class enclave to a gritty, global arbiter of cool, will vie to host the Democratic National Convention in 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City said on Friday.

via Brooklyn Will Vie to Host 2016 Democratic National Convention, de Blasio Says – NYTimes.com.

MERS in KSA: Age Distribution

Age alone seems a huge factor and any health challenges already existing – double down!

Mens et Manus

Last week, I took another (more informed) shot at exploring the relationship between comorbidity and mortality among MERS cases – both during this spring’s outbreak and prior to it. I ended the post by promising further insight into two potential confounders – age & sex. We’ll start our discussion on age here today… But I present the following information with a very important caveat. Earlier this week, 113 previously unannounced cases (and 92 deaths) were added to the KSA MERS tally – but we don’t know much about them yet. Because of this, I couldn’t include these newly reported cases in the analysis below; when we learn more about them, I’ll revisit and revise as necessary. The situation is constantly changing and what we think we know now may be flipped on its head come the morning!

With this in mind, let’s now take a closer look at the age…

View original post 414 more words

A Republican World – ‘Texas Republican Party Drafts New Platform Advocating For Ex-Gay Therapy’

The Last Of The Millenniums

marriage inequality

ted cruz14

Next week, the platform will have Christianity as the only ‘true’ religion in America.

And the week after that, you must be white to vote.

And the week after that……

VOTE.

picture5

Or have the ‘small government’ Republicans tell us how we will live.

‘Earlier this week, the Dallas Voice reported that the Texas Republican Party had stripped language from its platform that claimed that “homosexuality tears at the fabric of society and contributes to the breakdown of the family,” but the Houston Chronicle now reports that the language has been replaced with a different kind of condemnation’.

  • “Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, in public policy, nor should family be redefined to include homosexual couples”.
  • “We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin”.
  • “Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties…

View original post 59 more words

The Bergdahl blowback: Did he deserve to be rescued? – Los Angeles Times

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who wrote that “the questions about this particular soldier’s conduct are separate from our effort to recover any U.S. service member in enemy captivity. This was likely the last, best opportunity to free him. As for the circumstances of his capture, when he is able to provide them, we’ll learn the facts. Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty.”

via The Bergdahl blowback: Did he deserve to be rescued? – Los Angeles Times.

I still get abuse from Twitter trolls, says Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington | Media | The Guardian

Rebecca Adlington is far from the only high-profile female to receive abuse and criticism on Twitter. Other public figures have been attacked over their appearance – and much worse. The activist and writer Caroline Criado-Perez, the academic Mary Beard and the MP Stella Creasy were among the women targeted. Following public outcry Twitter has introduced an in-tweet “report abuse” button on all platforms.

Caroline Criado-Perez

The feminist activist and writer, who ran a successful campaign to keep a woman on a British banknotes, received persistent graphic rape and death threats on the site. She later said of the abuse: “Men get attacked because they’ve said or done something someone doesn’t like, whereas women get attacked because they’re visible”. Two people were later jailed.

Mary Beard

The historian Mary Beard fell victim to a torrent of abuse, which she called “truly vile”, following an appearance on BBC1’s Question Time. Beard, professor of classics at Cambridge University, said of the experience: “[T]he misogyny here is truly gobsmacking … It would be quite enough to put many women off appearing in public.”

Stella Creasy

The Labour politician received a barrage of rape and death threats via Twitter after she offered her support to Caroline Criado-Perez. The MP said later there should be no distinction between online and offline behaviour. “It’s absolutely harassment; it’s absolutely designed to intimidate, to scare, to frighten you; and it’s absolutely an issue we need to see both technology companies and police understand is part of the modern world,” she said.

via I still get abuse from Twitter trolls, says Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington | Media | The Guardian.

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