gwydion | (no subject) (Reply)

* The Russians are claiming that their paratroops penetrating the Ukrainian border by 20 KMs is totally accidental along with the way their artillary and tanks keep shelling Ukranian troops across the border, and that second unsanctioned "Aid convoy" is not at all suspicious and there is nothing wrong with them refusing customs inspections. *side eye*

* 120 health workers have died in the West African ebola outbreak. Amoung the dead are a Liberian doctor who got the same experimental treatment as the American doctors who survived. They have used all of that drug that existed in the World. A priest given the same medication also died. I'm not seeing out comes yet for the two other Liberian patients. Both Japan and Canada may have promising treatments in the near future. The Japanese drug should reach West Africa soon. The Canadians just had promising monkey trials, but are not ready to send test doses. There is no guarantee that either drug works, any more than there is for the other one that's been tested already. (Sample size too small, too many variables, better pathology needed on the dead patients).

I'm going to repeat that the outbreak in the Congo is not related and not expected to spread to the cities, because I'm starting to see some panicky coverage by people who don't know much about ebola. It is terrible that people have died and more likely will, but it's not sign of wider spread of the West African outbreak, being genetically distinct and in an area where ebola is endemic.

* "The stark demographic realities of Ferguson:"

* The Historical Context of Civil Rights vs. Respectability Politics. "How the media has portrayed Michael Brown:"