OldController

"Investment Opportunity"

2009-11-04T11:31:00.004-05:00

From the ol' e-mail box a few minutes ago. It's not spam because it says so. Formatting errors left intact.

Investment Opportunity (Non Spam)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 4:35 AM
From: "Dr. James Adams" < james203adam@gmail.com >
To: undisclosed-recipients
Good day to you.

I hope this letter meets you well, I am sorry if I have intruded on your privacy or barged in on you without your
permission.

I have a very rewarding project which I think will be beneficial to both of us putting trust,confidentiality into
focus. If after going through this email you do not find it interesting please disregard it and send me a formal
response.
I HAVE LARGE SUM OF MONEY IN MY POSSESSION WHICH I WANT TO TRANSFER ABROAD FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES.UPON YOUR RESPONSE,
I WILL SEND TO YOU THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE MONEY AND HOW YOU WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDS ON MY BEHALF. EXPECTING YOUR
REPLY.
THANK YOU
DR.JAMES ADAM.

Because having "Dr" in front of your name means you can be trusted.

"Secret Copyright Treaty Leaks. It's Bad. Very Bad."

2009-11-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

Found by way of Instapundit.

The internet chapter of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret copyright treaty whose text Obama's administration refused to disclose due to "national security" concerns, has leaked. It's bad. It says:

* * That ISPs have to proactively police copyright on user-contributed material. This means that it will be impossible to run a service like Flickr or YouTube or Blogger, since hiring enough lawyers to ensure that the mountain of material uploaded every second isn't infringing will exceed any hope of profitability.

* * That ISPs have to cut off the Internet access of accused copyright infringers or face liability. This means that your entire family could be denied to the internet -- and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living -- if one member is accused of copyright infringement, without access to a trial or counsel.

* * That the whole world must adopt US-style "notice-and-takedown" rules that require ISPs to remove any material that is accused -- again, without evidence or trial -- of infringing copyright. This has proved a disaster in the US and other countries, where it provides an easy means of censoring material, just by accusing it of infringing copyright.

* * Mandatory prohibitions on breaking DRM, even if doing so for a lawful purpose (e.g., to make a work available to disabled people; for archival preservation; because you own the copyrighted work that is locked up with DRM)

More at Michael Geist, including tons o' links.

To quote Prof. Glenn Reynolds: "Doesn’t seem to be a lot of concern for Internet freedom emanating from this Administration."

Yeah. Imagine the uproar if the Bush Administration had come up with something like this.

"Geithner 'Burned Billions' on CIT"

2009-11-03T12:51:00.003-05:00

Found by way of Instapundit.

Doesn't seem to be an AP article so here's the link.

William Black, professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law is dumbfounded. "We put ourselves on the hook in a completely inept way where we lose first. We lose entirely as the taxpayers."

Black, a former top federal banking regulator, blames Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for negotiating such a bad deal on behalf of the American public.

His argument goes as follows:

The government was in no way obligated to lend the struggling CIT money and, in fact, initially refused to provide it bailout funds. More importantly, being the lender of last resort, the government should have guaranteed we'd be the first to get paid if CIT eventually filed Chapter 11. By failing to do so, "it's like he [Geithner] burned billions of dollars again in government money, our money, gratuitously," says Black.

More at the links.

Second Stimulus coming, get ready.

Government-run health care, on the other hand, will be better.

"Thomas Shannon, the US State Department 'Cleaner'"

2009-11-03T11:58:00.004-05:00

Found by way of Roger L. Simon.

The Chicago Way of conducting foreign policy. I'm not even going to quote any part of it. I highly encourage you to read the whole thing. Seriously. It'll only take a couple minutes and is likely to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

You won't see any of this in the MSM. Gotta do your own homework anymore.

"Jobs Saved or Created" and Fuzzy Math

2009-11-03T11:43:00.005-05:00

Found by way of Patterico's Pontifications.

The Columbus Dispatch article by Bill Bush.

The Obama administration announced Friday that federal stimulus money had created or saved about 7,200 education jobs in Ohio as of Sept. 30.

Although a couple of hundred of those jobs were in Columbus City Schools, the district acknowledged yesterday that many of the "saved" jobs definitely wouldn't have been lost in the first place, and others might not have been lost at all.

"I know we explained to (the Ohio Department of Education) what we were doing, and they told us what categories to use," said Jill Dannemiller, director of federal programs for the Columbus schools.

Although other areas of the district's budget might have suffered without the stimulus, district officials said, the jobs report nonetheless highlighted the fuzzy math involved in pinpointing a saved-jobs number.

The Obama administration announced Friday that about 640,000 jobs had been created or saved by the $787 billion stimulus package, with 325,000 of them in education. It didn't differentiate between saved jobs and created jobs.

Federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a conference call with reporters yesterday that the country has "325,000 who would literally not be in the classroom today if not for these funds." But not in Columbus, where the district's finances looked pretty solid before the stimulus. Voters passed a levy last November that should keep the district's books largely in the black until 2012.

Of the 212.5 full-time equivalent jobs the district said were funded with part of the $64 million in stimulus it expects to receive, about 65 percent were "saved," including 36 principals and assistant principals.

So was the district on the verge of laying off 36 school administrators?

"No," Dannemiller said, explaining that the reporting choices were "created" and "saved."

"They weren't 'created,' obviously, so our only other choice was 'saved.' "

The federal Office of Management and Budget told agencies in June to define a "saved" job as "an existing position that would not have been continued to be filled were it not for Recovery Act funding."

District spokeswoman Kim Norris said the "stabilization" part of the stimulus -- designed to make up state education aid to districts that otherwise might have been cut -- makes up about 6 percent of Columbus schools' state aid. So, she said, if it hadn't been for the stimulus money, the district "would have had some decisions as what to do with that shortfall."

So although 36 principal jobs were not specifically saved, something likely got saved somewhere in the budget, she said.

All emphasis mine. More at the link, go read the whole thing.

Because when you want to send out a particular message, it's best to restrict the way people can answer your questions.

More at Ace of Spades.

Can't Get Your Kids Vaccinated for H1N1?

2009-11-03T11:39:00.003-05:00

That's unfortunate. Of course, the terrorists at Gitmo are getting their vaccines.

It's an AP article, so no linky. Dogpile "Gitmo detainees set to receive swine flu vaccine" and you should be able to find it.

Maybe you should have sent the little darlings to train with al Qaeda.

Yeah, that's tongue-in-cheek. Sort of.

"More than 3 Million Registered Voters are Dead, 12 Million More Ineligible, Analysis Finds"

2009-11-03T11:23:00.004-05:00

Found by way of Neal Boortz.

CNSNews.com article by Fred Lucas.

Regardless of how lively an election season might be, a new study shows that more 3.3 million voters on current registration rolls across the country are dead.

Another 12.9 million remain on voter registration lists in an area where they no longer live.

The analysis was conducted by the Aristotle International Inc., a technology company
specializing in political campaigns, developing software and databases for politicians.

In total that means about 8.9 percent of all registered voters fall under the category of "deadwood" voters on the rolls, the term for voters who should no longer be eligible to vote in a precinct.

Not only does this raise concerns about potential voter fraud, but from the interest of campaign consultants, ineligible or expired voters could lead to a waste of resources, said John Aristotle Phillips, CEO of Aristotle.

I wonder how many of 'em voted for Obama. My guess -- all of them.

More at the link. Go read the whole thing, especially the last paragraph:

"Deadwood on voters rolls complicates the electoral process and can cause problems like fraud and vote miscounts," Phillips said. "It always creates a perception of low voter turnout. It gets down to this: by depressing turnout, dead voters make the rest of us look bad."

I'm guessing the humor was unintentional.

"Taxpayers Unlikely to Recover $80 Billion Given to Chrysler, GM, GAO Says"

2009-11-03T10:46:00.003-05:00

Found by way of Neal Boortz, which is where the title link takes you (scroll down). It's an AP article, so no linky. Neal Boortz can afford to, I can't.

Anyway, file this bit of info under, "Well, duh."

Another Stimulus

2009-11-03T10:41:00.003-05:00

Found by way of Instapundit.

Because the first one wasn't quite enough. Banks failing, taxes rising, unemployment going up....

So cough up more, taxpayers. Tighten those belts.

Sheez. We are so screwed.

Microsoft Is Handing Out Money Again

2009-11-02T19:35:00.005-05:00

From the ol' e-mail box a few minutes ago. It's from Ireland this time. Spelling and punctuation errors left intact as it's not nearly as funny otherwise.

Contact Tnt Courier Service
Monday, November 2, 2009 7:21 PM
From: "Microsoft Lottery" < tntcourierdeliverys@ire.ir >
To: undisclosed-recipients
You've won (£,500,000.00) from Microsoft end of year bonanza,Send info:Names, address,Age,mobile number,Country. contact the affiliated courier (TNT COURIER SERVICE) Despatch officer Mr. Collins Anthony.Email: tntcourierdeliverys@ire.ir

Note that you are resposible for the delivery charges

Well, of course.

As Long As Crooks Are This Stupid....

2009-11-01T12:55:00.004-05:00

We'll be okay. Found by way of Black and Right. It's an AP article, so no direct linky.

Here's their disguise. Impressive, huh?

This Is How the Health Care Bill Will Be Paid For

2009-11-01T12:28:00.003-05:00

Found by way of Hugh Hewitt.

Thirteen new tax hikes. Hopenchange!

Employer tax increases, individual tax increases, prescription cost tax increases, denial of tax deductions.... What fun.

Go read the whole thing. Reference page numbers for the 1,990-page health care bill included.

Cervical Cancer Vaccines Don't Work?

2009-11-01T12:09:00.006-05:00

Found by way of The Jawa Report.

Well, isn't that great.

The Bulletin article by Susan Brinkmann.

Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher in the development of two human papilloma virus vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, said the controversial drugs will do little to reduce cervical cancer rates and, even though they’re being recommended for girls as young as nine, there have been no efficacy trials in children under the age of 15.

Dr. Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the University of Missouri, made these remarks during an address at the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination which took place in Reston, Virginia on Oct. 2-4. Although her talk was intended to promote the vaccine, participants said they came away convinced the vaccine should not be received.

"I came away from the talk with the perception that the risk of adverse side effects is so much greater than the risk of cervical cancer, I couldn't help but question why we need the vaccine at all," said Joan Robinson, Assistant Editor at the Population Research Institute.

Dr. Harper began her remarks by explaining that 70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves without treatment within a year. Within two years, the number climbs to 90 percent. Of the remaining 10 percent of HPV infections, only half will develop into cervical cancer, which leaves little need for the vaccine.

She went on to surprise the audience by stating that the incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. is already so low that "even if we get the vaccine and continue PAP screening, we will not lower the rate of cervical cancer in the US."

There will be no decrease in cervical cancer until at least 70 percent of the population is vaccinated, and even then, the decrease will be minimal.

....

This is not the first time Dr. Harper revealed the fact that Merck never tested Gardasil for safety in young girls. During a 2007 interview with KPC News.com, she said giving the vaccine to girls as young as 11 years-old "is a great big public health experiment."

At the time, which was at the height of Merck's controversial drive to have the vaccine mandated in schools, Dr. Harper remained steadfastly opposed to the idea and said she had been trying for months to convince major television and print media about her concerns, "but no one will print it."

"It is silly to mandate vaccination of 11 to 12 year old girls," she said at the time. "There also is not enough evidence gathered on side effects to know that safety is not an issue."

....

Since the drug's introduction in 2006, the public has been learning many of these facts the hard way. To date, 15,037 girls have officially reported adverse side effects from Gardasil to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). These adverse reactions include Guilliane Barre, lupus, seizures, paralysis, blood clots, brain inflammation and many others. The CDC acknowledges that there have been 44 reported deaths.

Dr. Harper also participated in the research on Glaxo-Smith-Kline's version of the drug, Cervarix, currently in use in the UK but not yet approved here. Since the government began administering the vaccine to school-aged girls last year, more than 2,000 patients reported some kind of adverse reaction including nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, convulsions, seizures and hyperventilation. Several reported multiple reactions, with 4,602 suspected side-effects recorded in total. The most tragic case involved a 14 year-old girl who dropped dead in the corridor of her school an hour after receiving the vaccination.

All emphasis mine. More at the link. Go read the whole thing.

Government-run health care will, of course, be better.

"CAN I LAY MY TRUST IN YOU?"

2009-11-01T11:45:00.006-05:00

From the ol' e-mail box a few minutes ago. Grammar, spelling and syntax errors left intact as it's not nearly as funny otherwise.

CAN I LAY MY TRUST IN YOU?
Sunday, November 1, 2009 10:12 AM
From: "PROF FELIX DOLL" < janet.bean@att.net >
To: undisclosed-recipients
Dear Friend,

This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not yet met. After searching through your country's Chamber of Commerce and industry here in London I am contacting you to assist me, I have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any pains as you read this. I don't want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will die someday. My name is Prof.Felix Doll, a professor of chemistry here in London, presently taking medical treatment.

I have been diagnosed with Prostate and Esophageal a cancer that was discovered very late due to my uncaring attitude for my health. It has defiled all form of medicine and right now, I have only about a few months to live according to medical experts. To be frank with you, I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business and money.

Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it.

Now that I know my time is almost up, I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends. I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.

So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations here in UK, United Arab Emirates and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money which I have there to some charity organizations in Bulgaria, they refused and kept the money to themselves.

Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be content with what I have left for them. The last of my money is the huge cash deposit (12mGBP) that I have with a security firm abroad (Icici Bank). I will want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations and let them know that it is I, Prof.Felix Doll that is making this generous donation. I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time to come.

As soon as I received your sincere response, I will hence give you my attorneys contact who is in the position to give you all the necessary details of how this can be done. I pray that you will support and assist me with good heart so that I can be able to achieve my goal. If you accept to help me do this, I promise you a reward of 40% of the (12mGBP).

Thank you for understanding.
Prof.Felix Doll.

Prof. Felix Doll? Seriously?

Well, I did find a picture....

Halloween Report, 2009

2009-10-31T22:54:00.005-04:00

The thing is, you never know if you're going to get Trick-or-Treaters. Some years we've gotten several, some none.

I just checked back a couple years in the blog, out of curiosity.

Couldn't find any Halloween posts for 2005 or 2006; guess they weren't noteworthy.

For 2007: No Trick-or-Treaters.

For 2008: No Trick-or-Treaters.

For 2009: No Trick-or-Treaters.

Sheez. Next year, I'll buy no candy at all. And forty-seven will show up.

*sigh*

Anybody need any candy?

Facebook and a Bank

2009-10-31T07:18:00.004-04:00

Pathetic. Document attached and all. This particular spam message has been sent twice, so far. Here's the first version:

Facebook Password Reset Confirmation!
Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:41 AM
From: "The Facebook Team" < password@facebook.com >
To: [an e-mail address that isn't mine]
Message contains attachments
1 File (22KB)

* Facebook_Password_aaa3a.zipFacebook_Password_aaa3a.zip

Hey jttweety ,

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team.

Here's the second one:

Facebook Password Reset Confirmation!
Friday, October 30, 2009 8:27 PM
From: "The Facebook Team" < customer@facebook.com >
To: [an e-mail address that isn't mine and is different from the previous one]
Message contains attachments
1 File (23KB)

* Facebook_Password_d06b9.zipFacebook_Password_d06b9.zip

Hey jttwig ,

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team.

Except I didn't change the password. Morons. I tried to find a way to report it to Facebook, figured they'd want to know they were being spoofed. Can't find a way to notify them. I suppose it's possible they don't care.

Here's the "bank."

Important Notification
Friday, October 30, 2009 1:45 AM
From: "AOD Federal Credit Union" < form@aodfcu.com >
To: undisclosed-recipients
Message contains attachments
1 File (3KB)

* AOD FCU - Form.htmlAOD FCU - Form.html

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the system.
We recently contacted you after noticing an issue on your account.
We requested information from you for the following reason:

- We have observed activity in this account that is unusual or potentially high risk.

Please download the form attached to this email and open it in a web browser.
Once opened, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access.
We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure account safety.

Sincerely,

Copyright © 2009 AOD Federal Credit Union. Account Review Department.

I've never even heard of this bank before. This one got forwarded to SPAM@uce.gov.

No imagination, these spammers. It's the same old stupid stuff, time after time. Must be working somewhere, just not here.

Oh, No: "Actually, Case-Shiller Shows That The Housing Crash Has Already Resumed"

2009-10-30T10:43:00.006-04:00

Found by way of Instapundit.

In this area, there is no recovery underway. People take the smallest piece of good (or even not terrible) news and start crowing about how the worst is over, the recovery has begun, happy days are here again....

Without sufficient data, and that takes awhile to collect (and has to be done over a significant period of time, not just a day or a week or a month or even a quarter), we won't know when the recovery is beginning. Not at that time. It will only become clear much later.

It's just like finding the bottom. Where is the bottom? Have we reached it? We won't know until we're obviously not there anymore.

This graph (shamelessly stolen from The Business Insider):

Shows housing prices are dropping again. Even when they were at their latest "peak," and I use that term loosely, they were below what they were five years ago. Below.

Then there's this: Guess What: The Next Housing Bubble Is Already Underway, by Joe Wiesenthal. On page 5 of that article it says homebuyers are in a "frenzy." Not here they aren't. Maybe somewhere else.

*sigh*

This Is Not a Fortuitous Development

2009-10-30T10:29:00.004-04:00

Found by way of Instapundit.

BBC News article, no byline.

The interim leader of Honduras says he is ready to sign a pact to end its crisis which could include the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Roberto Micheletti said the agreement would create a power-sharing government and require both sides to recognise the result of November's presidential poll.

Mr Zelaya said the deal, which requires the approval of the Supreme Court and Congress, would be signed on Friday.

More at the link, go read the whole thing.

Tons o' links at Fausta's Blog, also, along with commentary.

So the Obama Administration has intimidated a democratic nation into allowing back in a president who was found guilty by his country's Supreme Court of violating that country's constitution and was subsequently removed from office by that country's Congress.

PrezBO has no respect for anyone else's constitution, either.

Feeling all Hopey-Changey yet? Me either.

"Message"

2009-10-30T08:29:00.004-04:00

From the ol' e-mail box yesterday; didn't have time to post it then. Note the inventive subject -- "Message." Gosh, these guys are clever. Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors left intact as it's not nearly as funny otherwise.

Message
Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:18 PM
From: "Mikel Kofi" < Mikelkofii@yahoo.com >
To: undisclosed-recipients
OFFICE OF THE SENATE HOUSE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT
ABUJA-NIGERIA
Tel: +234-802-783-6979

Attn:Beneficiary,

In regards to your funds, we the entire members of the Federal House of Senate have finalized on our last meeting with the head of state and made this decision that 200 (Two hundred dollars) only, which you have to send now so that the Government Non Assessment Bond (GNAB) will be issued to you. Also be informed that the board has met today and endorse the transfer,the process has began, as this decisions has been placed with all the top government officials involved on the transfer including the bank directors.

You have to note carefully that the contents of the article of law established under the bank of Nigeria foreign transfer of page 67, cap 10 under paragraph 6, which state clearly that under no circumstance will a huge amount above 1m Dollars be remitted to overseas account without GNAB. That was the reason why the fund has not gotten to your bank up till today.

We the entire members of the house of senate are using this urgent medium to advise you to make payment of your GNAB fee of 200 Dollars without any further delay.

Be rest assured that our appointment to handle and take care of the movement of the fund will not be in vain as we are giving you 100% guarantee to deliver the work as soon as your western union information reach us.Note that your fund will be free to move from the bank without any delay if you get the governments non assessment bonds to make sure that no government monitor or agency can access the fund during the delivery remittance. You have to get the GNAB written on your name and stamped before the fund credit to your bank account. This was why we have not approved or sign off the bonds of your transfer registry today as the government insists on the GNAB.

The gnab will show that the transaction was made through the full capacity of the government and will not be queried for certain circumstance.Send the money through Western Union Money Transfer to the bellow receiver's details:

RECEIVERS NAME:JAMES IKEM
ADDRESS: ABUJA, NIGERIA.
TEXT QUESTION: GNAB
ANSWER: FINAL

Bear in mind that this is the final stage of this transfer.As soon as this is done, it will take only 48 hours for the funds to be credited in your designated bank account and you will be contacted by your Bank herself.

Please be fast to forward your

1)FULL NAME--------------------
2)HOUSE AND OFFICE ADDRESS--------------------
3)PRIVATE PHONE ------------------
4)PASSPORT OR ID COPY SCAN COPY---------------
5)PRIVATE E MAIL-------------------------
6)OCCUPATIONS----------------
7)SEX------------------
8)AGE--------------------------------

Best Regards,
Dr.Mikel Kofi

Because adding "Dr" to your name means you can be trusted.

Welcome to Government-Run Healthcare, Updated a Few Times

2009-10-30T08:19:00.009-04:00

So, this morning I called the Family Practice clinic at Shaw Air Force Base to set up an appointment with my doctor, as a follow-up to the emergency room visit last night, as the ER folks told me to.

The nice lady at the appointment desk informed me the earliest they can get me in is November 13th.

Seems a bit pointless, doesn't it? An emergency room visit for an allergic reaction followed up by a visit to one's doctor -- two weeks later.

I told her not to bother, that it was pointless. She asked if I wanted the slot anyway, just in case something else went wrong.

Well, no. I don't. Why would I take a slot away from someone who might actually need it? On the off chance that something else will go sideways around that time? Nah.

So I'll take my prescription for prednisone into the base clinic this morning and call it a day. Well, except for having to go into work.

I haven't heard from the woman who made the chili yesterday, as to ingredients. I really hope it was something in the chili, that I'll recognize as a problem previously. Not that she'll appreciate that -- she's a very nice lady and if she finds out she put something in the chili that made someone sick she'll be mortified.

But if I can't figure out what caused the reaction, I'll just have to wait until the next one. Assuming I survive it (a second reaction is likely to be worse) I'll have to figure out the common factor.

Tongue is still a bit swollen this morning. It feels very weird.

Update: I just got a call from my doctor's nurse, checking on me. She tried to get me in earlier but couldn't. I told her I didn't think it was necessary anyway, and she said if it happens again, just do what we did (go to the ER) and they'd follow-up to get me in right after. Hopefully that won't be necessary.

My doctor and her staff are really nice people. They can't help the system they're working in.

Update the Second: The pharmacy won't fill the prescription. There's no signature. The nice nurse in the ER handed me that paperwork and told me to go home. I figured it was all being done electronically. Apparently not.

The fellow at the pharmacy said he could call the ER, didn't see a phone number (they don't know the number for the in-town ER, especially since Shaw no longer has an emergency room? WTF?), and said it would probably be ready after lunch, assuming the ER was willing to approve the prescription. Which the doctor had entered into the hospital's database. I'm on floor this afternoon. The fellow at the pharmacy said they close at 5. So do we.

So I trotted around the corner to the clinic where my doctor works. They wanted to see the discharge paperwork, which the pharmacy had kept. I trotted back to retrieve the paperwork. Once they'd copied it they gave it to me, and I trotted back around the corner to hand it to the clinic people.

My doctor won't fill it either, without seeing me. Makes sense, actually.

The earliest I'll be able to pick up the prednisone is Monday. Three and a half days after the reaction.

Ya know what, people? I don't need it.

Oh, well.

Update the Third: I heard from the woman who made the chili. She sent me the list of ingredients. There's nothing in there that I've ever reacted to, ever, and all of it I've eaten before. In fact, it's pretty much what I put in my chili, also, except for the hot sauce, which I looked up. And read the ingredients. Nothing allergenic there, either.

So it will probably just remain a mystery.

Update the Fourth: Hubby just went to the pharmacy and picked up the prednisone. Nice man. Better than I deserve, really.

I Visit the Emergency Room Again

2009-10-30T00:49:00.003-04:00

Just got back from the ER, Hubby had to take me in a couple hours ago as I was having a severe allergic reaction to something. Difficulty breathing, tongue swelled up, hives, the whole thing. Never happened to me before, ever. And I have no idea what caused it. I'm glad he was home; if I'd been alone I'd have been screwed.

I'm fine now, got to follow-up with my doc tomorrow.

I sure wish I knew what caused it, I'd avoid it.

Sheez.

Oooh, I Won Something Else

2009-10-28T11:55:00.004-04:00

From the ol' e-mail box a few minutes ago. Grammar and punctuation errors left intact as it's not nearly as funny otherwise.

Batch: 074/05/QNL369
Sunday, October 25, 2009 9:31 PM
From: "NATIONAL HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" < info@atm.org >
To: undisclosed-recipients

OUR REF:FRN/ATM/882
YOUR REF:CLAIMS/ATM/882
Batch: 074/05/QNL369

WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!
====================
We happily announce to you the draw (#80) of the NATIONAL HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY,
2009. Your e-mail address attached to (ATM Card Number;(5179123456789120) with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 12-18-22-33-43-48-25, which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been
approved to claim ATM Card Value of $6.8 MILLION USD.(Six million Eight Hundred
Thousand United State Dollars) in ATM Card Number;(5179123456789120).

All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through
computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and
corporate bodies that are listed online. For security reasons, Please Note
that
you are to pay the sum of $80USD for the delivery of your
ATM Card by FedEx Courier Express.

Please Note that you are to pay the sum of $80USD for the delivery of your
ATM Card by FedEx Courier Express

To file for your claim, you are required to forward the following details to
our
verification department:

Full names:
Residential address:
Phone number:
Fax number:
Occupation:
Sex:
Age:
Nationality:

Contact Person:Mr Jeff Williams.
Email:(senatehouseremitanceunit@gmail.com)

Yours Faithfully,
CC.
SENATOR HARRY WHITE.
Senate President.
Telephone Line:+2348033831042.

Off to SPAM@uce.gov it goes....

Video: Boxing Kittehs

2009-10-28T10:53:00.002-04:00

Shamelessly stolen from ICanHasCheezburger. YouTube link here.

This is News?

2009-10-28T10:17:00.004-04:00

Washington Times article by Matthew Mosk here.

During his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings.

High-dollar fundraisers have been promised access to senior White House officials in exchange for pledges to donate $30,400 personally or to bundle $300,000 in contributions ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, according to internal Democratic National Committee documents obtained by The Washington Times.

More at the link.

Sheez. Clinton did this stuff, too. It's the same old-same old.

News? I don't think so.

Spam?

2009-10-27T15:38:00.004-04:00

From the ol' e-mail box a minute ago.

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 1:32 PM
From: "duffy1@verizon.net" < duffy1@verizon.net >
To: [an e-mail address that isn't mine, but it's sort of close]
READ HERE: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vbG5rLm1zLzQzTnN4
fascial injures genus overplay presidency

Um, okay. I don't recommend going to the URL; I expect there is hostile software awaiting.