miked10270

It probably doesn't matter which bio-weapon you imagine for the excercise, in general principle the govermnent response is likely to be similar for all of them. One of the issues raised was the sharing of limited quantities of vaccines which only applies to the smallpox scenario. This ties in to the terrorist scenario offered - given that the purpose of terrorism is to terrorise, and the purpose of a religious war is to exterminate the unbelievers, why use a innoculable incapacitant rather than a more lethal and less preventible agent with a similar virulence? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Incidentally, why Smallpox? Wouldn't the terrorist bio-weapon of choice be pneumonic or bubonic for it's greater mortality & spread wheras smallpox is more of a debilitator? Just a thought... Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

It depends on how you see the US economy changing due to the recession. Governments making decisions on bank policy is effectively nationalisation and A LOT further towards Communism and central control than either the US or Europe is willing to go. As this recession cycles and stabilises, governments want their pre-existing Capitalism Vs. Socialism balance to remain. Hence their decision to subsidise industries direct. Mike. PS: Your "Destinations by Roxanne link" is a bit limited... I've been thinking about saving up for this cruise which stops here. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7766139.stm Looks like paranoia and hasty presumptive reporting by Fox. Easily done though, in the current circumstances. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Hi Marg, I think your position was correct (in that it was the most likely political response) in the early stages of the exercise. I'd suspect that the short-stockpiled nations would use those stockpiles in defence of their respective governments while the US would fudge the issue until they could raise production of CowPox. I doubt if there would be a sudden mass vaccination in response to a bio-war. No government would be that responsive within the required time frame. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

IT GETS WORSE!! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Posting from Texas means you won't have heard of THIS!

Texas too? I thought it was Tennessee where you can divorce your wife but she's still your sister. be carefull talking about Tennessee, they will shoot you, insert a dead rooster in your ass, and throw you down in the woods so nobody will ever find you... We're fully aware of the "Southern States Problem" thank you. That's why I feel pretty secure posting from a place only an intelligent American could find. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Texas too? I thought it was Tennessee where you can divorce your wife but she's still your sister. The whole webbed fingers & toes problem is worse in Texas, because on the one hand they don't believe in evolution, on the other hand they don't want to admit to inbreeding. I think that's why they're so argumentative. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Texas does have a strong stereotype, so is an easy vehicle for what real English speakers call "piss-taking humour. But realistically, the people of Texas are really no different from anywhere else. You'll find them generally kind, pleasant and honest, but with some idiots, some criminals, some lazy gits, etc... Mental Health Care will always be an issue EVERYWHERE because it can attract folk looking for a soft option where the "customer" can't complain effectively. If such a culture gets established, it can be difficult to eradicate, but I KNOW that Texas is nowhere near alone in this problem - EVERY country has faced it at some point, and continues to face it every day. So please lay off the Texan stereotype unless it's in jest. Just because they all have webbed fingers,.. That may be evolution rather than inbreeding. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

"A Man who lies with another Man should be stoned!" I heard the unedited version went on to say; "It helps to be relaxed, that's all I'm saying." Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

This is almost certainly a silly question; Why is it called "AR-15 Style" when surely it's more of an AR-10 in construction? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Maybe. But it's a small price to pay to know for certain if Santa stops off at The Tehran Presidential Palace (& other places of interest). Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The North American Aerospace Defense Command is again getting ready to track Santa! On Dec. 1, the NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) Web site, www.noradsanta.org will go live. On Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, NORAD will begin tracking Santa Claus' journey via live video feeds that begin at the following times: • 3 a.m. Pacific Standard Time • 4 a.m. Mountain Standard Time • 5 a.m. Central Standard Time • 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time • 11 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time The combination of spy satellites, ground radar stations and high speed fighter aircraft will allow the US Government and other interested parties to get up-to-the-minute reports and streaming videos from key stops on Santa's trip around the world. Google software will output live images from NORAD's high-speed digital “Santa Cams," and Google Maps and Google Earth will follow Santa as he travels around the world. The activities of the North American aerospace Defense Command first came to public notice on Dec. 24, 1955, after an errant phone call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local youngster who dialloed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement. The commander who answered the phone that night gave the youngster the information requested – the current whereabouts of Santa Claus. A State Department spokesperson has defended using the entire resources of NORAD in this way stating; “It is well established that an individual, sometimes known as ‘Mr. Kringle’ controls a very effective intelligence organisation largely dedicated to establishing who is naughty and who is nice. As such, his activities, particularly which world leaders he does and does not visit on the night in question, is a very important tool of statecraft and has been relied on to a greater or lesser extent by a number of US Presidents.” Suggestions that during the 1980’s, President Reagan only agreed to meet Mikhail Gorbachev after being shown satellite photographs of Santa stopping at the Kremlin have never been confirmed. Similarly, it is possible that imagery of Santa flying straight past Baghdad in earlier years may have been faked. Further defending the massive cost of this operation, the State Department Spokesperson said; “This represents excellent value for the US Citizen’s Tax-Dollar.” Muttering; “A lot better value than the other shit the military’s been doing”. Further information may be obtained from http://www.norad.mil This is a must for kids of all ages. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

It's still nice to hear from you, even if it's only to bite! Y'All know, there's times we all take SC a bit too seriously and it's important to keep a sense of proportion in what is really only an internet discussion forum. It's a place for folk to vent feelings & opinions they wouldn't necessarily state in public. Fine. Let them vent. Argue back. But DON'T for a moment think it's real. So please come back and play. Please. Pretty Please. Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top. Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top and Whipped Cream. Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top and Whipped Cream smeared all over and licked off slowly... Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Yes, but have these jobs been lost because people aren't saving, or because they aren't spending? The point of the original article is that unless people spend, the economy will shrink with more job losses. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Yes. Saving is the sensible course for individuals. Yet... Is it possible for anyone to save if no-one spends? Would YOU be able to save if no-one buys what you're selling? At hte moment, absolutely nothing material has disappeared. What is lacking is the confidence to spend money we have, believing that more money will come our way. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7745858.stm THE PARADOX OF THRIFT --or-- Should we save or should we spend? "It's gloomy out there. The economy is shrinking, property values are falling and stock markets are in the doldrums. Many people borrowed heavily during the boom, and now are tempted to pay off debt or save more for a rainy day - something which until now has not characterised the behaviour of UK consumers. But if this happens, will the government's plan to boost the economy through greater spending work? Paradox of thrift Because thrift may be a virtue for the individual, but could damage the economy as a whole, according to the economist John Maynard Keynes, writing in the midst of the Great Depression in the 1930s. He called it the paradox of thrift. The more people saved, the more they reduced effective demand, thus further slowing the economy. This was one reason, he pointed out, that a recession can become self-reinforcing. Keynes also argued that, faced with slowing demand, businesses would not necessarily use the extra savings available in the economy to invest. In the Keynesian theory, as the slump in demand cascaded through the economy, the resulting slowdown would mean that everyone had less income - ultimately reducing the absolute amount of savings, even if people increase the proportion of their income they put aside. As unemployment grew, investment would fall, whatever the level of savings. Government help needed Sales signs on the High Street The government has slashed interest rates in a bid to boost spending But how can we persuade the reluctant consumer to spend, and the reluctant businessman to invest? Keynes' answer was that it was only the government that could overcome the collective paradox: what was good for the individual would weaken the economy. This is now the theory being embraced by the chancellor, who has abandoned his fiscal rules for the time being in order to pour money back into the economy. And cuts in interest rates by the Bank of England are also designed to encourage businesses to continue to invest. But this is not very effective, because credit markets are in deep freeze. As a result, it is even more important to inject cash into the economy - at least according to Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England. Spectre of deflation There is another reason why the government wants to give a jolt to the economy now. It is the fear that prices will actually start to fall as the slowdown gets going. And deflation - falling prices - would certainly reinforce the paradox of thrift. If consumers expect prices to drop further in the future, then they have an even stronger incentive to delay their purchases until later, when they can benefit from lower prices. Deflation, especially in asset prices like houses, can be very long-lasting and hugely damaging to the economy, as recent experience in Japan suggests. So one reason the government may want to temporarily cut VAT now is to convince people that prices are going to go up later, thus encouraging them to spend. Rational expectations Will these measures work? One reason Keynesian explanations of the economy fell out of favour in the last few decades was the rise of a new economic theory - rational expectations. This argued that people were aware that any government borrowing would have to be paid back later. As a result they adjust their expectations accordingly, and do not spend as much as predicted. Since this time, the government will be signalling its intentions to claw back the money it spends in future budgets, perhaps we will all save more to cover our future loss of income. This theory may well apply to the financial markets, which are making the price of UK debt more expensive on the grounds it is likely to expand dramatically. But the psychology of individuals may be different. In the first place, some people may not be able save much whatever their expectations. Money that goes to pensioners surviving on the state pension, for example, may go straight into spending. And some psychological research suggests that people do not "discount" very effectively in the long term. So we may be under-estimating the attractiveness of spending even in the midst of a recession. This, at least, has to be the government's hope as it embarks on its most audacious economic U-turn since Labour came to office in 1997. " I do remember that during the mid 1970's when Britain was in economic difficulties, one of the main Economic Indicators used was called "Sterling:M3". This wasn't a measure of how much money was in the economy, but how fast it was passing from hand-to-hand. In effect, it's the movement of money that creates wealth rather than its mere existence. Thoughts? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

OK. I get it. WHat he's saying is that "BC" really means; Before Clinton. And "AD" really means; After Dubya. Hope this helps. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Yes, there's a Splendid-Isolation about Bush in the video. He's not ofering anyone his hand, and no-one is offering him theirs. I'd say it starts with Bush not offering his hand. Then again, perhaps he saw it as: "Go and stand for the photo." While other world leaders (particularly the G-Second-Twelve) wanted to be seen on TV shaking important hands, while the G-Eight wanted to be seen being nice to the emerging hands. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Sounds like you "Worship" by placing your God on the altar of the Hewlett-Packard All-in-One double sided Printer / Scanner, whereby its radiance doth multiply your God at 35sec per best-quality double-sided page. If so, then beware the consequences of a False God. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Let's measure by communication skills. Surely you mean speakability? (as opposed to listenation). Anyway, Dubya was voted BEST US President ever by the worlds comedians, satirists & impressionists... Most of whom are slashing their wrists as "Fireproof-Obama" approaches. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Bzzzt... Invalid post. Reason: On Topic Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Well... It IS called The Indian Ocean, isn't it? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

How dare you even suggest my post was anything other than Anti-Disneyland!!? Mike. (Damn, I'm good at this) Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.