Liberation

Very Best wishes & ALOHA this week to the many celebrating National Liberation Day in Korea, and the 70th anniversary of Independence Day for Pakistan and India.

Please consider peoples still peacefully working for decolonization.

Japanese Fungus !

A tenacious fungal infection made headlines in a nasty way.

Candida auris has "developed some resistance to the drug doctors normally use against it" according to the BBC (link)

Reportedly nobody in the UK has died from this infection.

But it's causing huge trouble: because the BBC labeled it a:
Japanese fungus

Why's this fungus labeled Japanese?
Is it reasonable to scare the world about Japan?
Can a potentially deadly fungus hinder the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
Negative publicity harms efforts marketing Japan.

Japanese medical practitioners in 2009 first described the fungus:
Satoh, K., et al., Candida auris sp. nov., a novel ascomycetous yeast isolated from the external ear canal of an inpatient in a Japanese hospital. Microbiol Immunol, 2009. 53(1): p. 41-4.

But the earliest known strain of Candida auris dates to 1996 in South Korea (the 1996 patient recovered while two later Korean cases described in the same study died):
Lee, W.G., et al., First three reported cases of nosocomial fungemia caused by Candida auris. J Clin Microbiol, 2011. 49(9): p. 3139-42.

Perhaps it's a
Korean fungus ?

Infections have been reported in the United States (predominantly in New York state), Canada, India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Venezuela, Columbia, Israel, Oman, Kuwait, Kenya, South Africa, Norway, Germany, and Spain, as well as the UK. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states "Because identification of C. auris requires specialized laboratory methods, infections likely have occurred in other countries but have not been identified or reported."
https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/candida-auris-alert.html

The CDC (link) notes that "C. auris has emerged independently in multiple regions at roughly the same time."

Exceptional hospital hygiene is very important. How much should we worry? Should we stay away from the above nations, or especially avoid Japan?
No - anyhow don't change your travel plans due to this fungus.
There are many worse dangers, e.g. from ticks or mosquito bites.

National governments might pressure medical researchers to avoid publication if such findings become a national problem or an economic liability. Negative media can quickly become bad for us all when public health problems are misreported.

This BBC scare headline is bad journalism.

 http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40934190

Yankee Lies

The present antagonism with North Korea DPRK is largely generated by the USA, representing munitions & weapons industries.

For the past 60 years, the USA has interfered and invaded dozens of nations around the world. The North Koreans have stayed on their own peninsula.

Provocation is triggered by US-led military "exercises" along the Demilitarized Zone with North Korea. In recent months, American deployment of THAAD armaments in US-occupied South Korea has alarmed China (PRC) and Russia.

Japan also has much at stake if there is war from Korea. Japan is mortified by how they might cope with millions of warfare refugees. More worrying, a direct attack on long-term rival Japan might be somewhat celebrated by all Koreans -- especially if the wind's blowing east.

How are we to believe Guam is being targeted? Claiming "only" Guam's at risk is ridiculous... Have we suddenly gained perfect intelligence about North Korea's strategic plans? Or is this media barrage bullshit designed to confuse & scare our own people?

It's ludicrous to target far-away (3300km) Guam when sigint / military bases are much closer at Wakkanai & Kawakita (Hokkaido) or Yokosuka as well as throughout both Japan and South Korea. North Korea can cripple Seoul with a nuclear device fired directly over the horizon and timed to explode over the city. Low apogee = indefensible.

Remember the Iraqi nuclear tubes US Sec. of State Colin Powell vowed were a clear threat to American life? We've been down this path of lies before...

Imperialism is globally unpopular - but America persists. The USA suffered huge intervention costs following the French into Vietnam. After the Soviet Union's defeat in Afghanistan, we've wasted a fortune there and our continuing destruction helps the worst elements. America's blunders with war in Iraq cost huge numbers of lives and a trillion dollars. Washington DC politicos are directly responsible for violence, injury & impoverishment in uncountable towns & homes. This is not imaginary -- America's idiotic leaders have saddled our communities with debt, and our aggression's resented everywhere.

America's leaders propagate WAR

Poisoning Athletics, London 2017

The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Athletics Championships are now being held in London during August 2017. Fans of track & field throughout the world are excitedly watching.

But much of the competition is being corrupted by Lord Sebastian Coe's IAAF bureaucracy. Far too much intervention has no basis in measurable data, and instead amounts to politicized interference in the competition.

Most Russian Federation team members were not allowed to compete. Those banned did not test positive for doping. Rather, the Russian bureaucracy was ostracized for systematic problems with poor security and deliberate efforts to bypass anti-doping procedures. In our modern technical world, however, there are ample ways to avoid collective punishment -- the bureaucrats (and most Brits) seem satisfied to ban the innocent, though this belittles the competition & medals.

Let's not forget Sebastian Coe won his first two Olympic medals (including the 1500m Olympic Gold Medal) at the boycott-ridden 1980 Moscow Olympics. It's highly unlikely I myself might have challenged or beaten him, but there was no chance -- US President Carter forbid American athletes from competing in that Olympics.

This London 2017 fiasco is also marred by infectious disease. Isaac Makwala of Botswana was unreasonably "quarantined" from competition as potentially infected. He missed the chance to contest the Men's 400m Final, and only when his federation issued a strong appeal was he allowed to run his heat for the 200m alone, in cold & rain. Terrible!

Poor old Grandpa?

US-friendly predator?

Revived South Korea dictatorship 유신 (十月維新) rejected.

Kim Ki-choon 김기춘 has been dangerous for 50 years...
- Chief of Staff for President Park Geun-hye
- former Attorney General & Justice Minister
- former Prosecutor & KCIA officer
Always Beware -- DANGEROUS Snake

Crushing artists, suppressing teachers,
but 3 years quiet prison life ahead.

Speculative Dangers in Hawaii

Many island communities control non-resident land speculation, as do Australia, New Zealand, British Columbia & Singapore. But far-away Washington DC forbids such policy in Hawaii. Glen Kila & Chris Oliveira are two of my friends working to preserve the Hawaiian countryside.

Nice article here on saving Hawai'i:

http://tinyurl.com/y8m8czn4

Every Divot Hurts

SEVEN military golf courses scar Hawai'i's Oahu. The worst, at Mōkapu, is built on thousands of Hawaiian graves. Ghastly & insulting! These occupation forces dishonor the USA.

Make America Healthy Again

Too many Americans are in ill health; too many more can't afford getting sick or injured.

Making America Great Again is a grand dream.

Healthy America is essential. And it's Good Business.

Make America Healthy Again !   MAHA

Bad-Bad !

Take millions or billions -- a $1000 penalty's nothing. Мелочь !