Once again, we are seeing an increading number of Americans visting my country (Canada) for medical tourist reasons. First, there was the recent Amtrack train running from LA to Vancouver BC (seniors prescription drug run), along with thousands (tens of thousands?; hundreds of thousands??; millions???) of others doing the same all along our shared border. Now, another another medical tourist venue has opened. This time it's a Seattle to Victoria ferry ride for Americans seeking flu shots. ...

I just finished reading a fascinating look at real or purported media basis in the news media, over here. Link . Very interesting and informative and definitely seems to show that there is a liberal basis to most news organizations. Since the Republicans have captured the White House in 16 of the last 24 years, but liberal news media outsells conservative news media by a 10 or 20 to 1 ratio, I'm left with the conclusion that liberalism sells. Everywhere but the polls! JW

Ivan on Satellite here ... Link and the Hurricane Intensity Scale here ... Link JW

Well folks, Just like the computer models and climatologists predicted two decades ago, increased hurricane activity is one major sign that global warming is here, now. If Frances hits major landfall, it is predicted to become the most destructive hurricane in recorded human history. Welcome to the future. It's here now. CNN image & story Weather versus Climate When smart people turn dumb JW

To those of you old enough to remember, don't these times remind you of the early 1970s? 1. Oil price escalation amid supply concerns; 2. Evidence of inflation, amid weakness in job growth (anybody remember the term coined for this? "Stagflation"); 3. An increasingly unpopular war begun for what turned out to be, in retrospect, dubious reasoning; 4. Exploding public deficit and burgeoning public debt; 5. Despite evidence of inflation, only limited movement on interest rates; 6. Stock ...