China Begins Culling Birds as Death Toll Reaches 6

A sixth person has now died from the H7N9 strand of bird flu, in China.

Eight other people are ill from the disease.

On Thursday, officials went through a market in Huhai after the strand was located in pigeons there.

Culling crews killed over twenty thousand birds, at that market alone.

Authorities are trying to avoid a panic, by pointing out that Tamiflu can be used as a cure, as long as bird flu is caught early enough.

Other countries are beginning to react by banning imports of Chinese birds, as well as increased health checks at airports.

Airlines are already reporting a decrease in ticket purchases in the region.

South Korea Deploys Ships as North Warns Embassies to Close

North Korean mid range mobile missile

South Korea has deployed anti missile warships to both coasts as the North moves missiles around and possibly loads them.

The North has continued it's threats against the US and now has warned Russia, the UK, and other countries that they should close their embassies, in Pyongyang.

Japanese, South Korean, and US forces in the area are on alert for any hostility that goes beyond verbal.

China also seems to be tiring of the war of words, seemingly more and more irritated by their small neighbor, which they alone defend at times.

Meanwhile, in North Korea, things remain apparently calm, despite the rhetoric and closing of all lines of communication with the South.

Troops from the US and South continue their war games, which have been mainly focused on practicing defending the South from missile attacks. 

Hard to Assimilate

Just like the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey Smith, I refuse to assimilate.

Granted the assimilation that is asked of me is not like that of a Cyberman, but still they want me to change my thought pattern. You see, I belong to a labor union.

I joined the union about six and a half years ago. When I first joined no one made a big deal of it, we were just a union. You pay your dues, go to a monthly meeting, and do your best at work. Then two years ago, it started to change.

I noticed that the union was beginning to become more forceful, more intimidating.

Every month, we get a local newsletter. It has articles from each businesses bargaining chairperson, retiree chairperson, president of the local, and political cartoons. 

Here are some examples of the cartoons:

Signs went up. Every Wednesday we are to wear red. If you want to pay ten dollars, the union has red shirts with their logo and motto on it so you have something red to wear. I refuse. I don't even wear any red shirt to work any day of the week. I don't want them to get ideas. Yet, every Wednesday, at my shift meeting, I get harassed because I'm not wearing red.

I was asked to go to Black Lake. That's my union's "education center". I said no, because its way up north and it was winter. The real reason, its an indoctrination center. You sit in 'class' for six to eight hours a day, learning how great the union is. They sing Solidarity Forever every day to people can recite it on cue. No thanks. I've seen how people came back from there. They take good, hard workers & make them whiny, lazy ones.

During the campaign, Obama/Biden buttons were handed out. One was accepted on my behalf. In other words, before I had a chance to say no thanks, someone said yes for me. I found during this time, it would be really bad to outed as anything but an Obama supporter. 

Shortly after the election, there was a Right to Work protest rally in Lansing. I had to go! Can I just say, "WOW"? We met at the regional hall before leaving. We were told there that our fearless leaders didn't even know what was in the Right to Work bill, but we're protesting it anyway! While on the bus, a legal pad went around for us to put our information down on in case we got arrested for civil unrest. I knew then, I had to keep a lot of my opinions to myself. They were prepped for battle & I was alone. 

For as much as they fought that day, the bill was passed. They yelled for days. "We're going to sue!" "Snyder did this illegally!" "They can't union bust us!" Yet, on the day that Right to Work became legal, nothing was heard from the shop floor. *crickets*

How does this happen, you say. Easy. The rank & file of the union only get upset when they're told to get upset. They are told not to snitch on each other. They are told you get paid by the hour, not by the part. These are the rules. Can't get upset because you'll get reminded. Get reminded too much, a target appears on your back.

Like I said, I've been a part of this union for six and a half years. I have yet to assimilate. My work ethic is too strong.

Disney Closing LucasArts

Gamers were devastated to learn that LucasArts is to be shut down.

On Wednesday, Disney announced the gaming part of the Lucas empire, which they purchased in October, will be phased out.

Disney plans to license the current Star wars games out to other game developers.

However, they will be shutting down work on two games which were being created.

Once all games are licensed out, Disney will completely close LucasArts.

Til then only a small team will remain working for the company.

17 Colorado Sheriffs Protest Obama and Anti Gun Laws

Sheriffs from seventeen Colorado counties, gathered in Denver on Wednesday, to protest President Obama's visit to the state and recent anti gun laws being passed.

They were joined by state senators and representatives, as well as concerned citizens.

It was but the latest protest, in Colorado, against restrictive gun laws.

Opponents of the bills say that they are unconstitutional.

Several sheriffs have already stated that they will not enforce the laws, which Colorado's Democrat controlled legislature passed.

A Hundred Fast Food Workers Strike in NYC Demanding Wage Increases

Over a hundred fast food workers in New York City walked off their jobs, on Thursday.

Bus loads of people from DC were brought in to make their numbers look bigger.

They did so to protest and demand that minimum wage be raised to fifteen dollars an hour.

The strikers also want to form a union to support their demands.

Strikers say that raising minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour would allow for workers to be brought above the poverty line.

Restaurant chains state that doing so will only make it more difficult for them to hire.

Opponents of an increase and economists point out that if minimum wage was raised, prices would have to go up to match, meaning it would actually back fire.

Connecticut's Governor Signs Anti Gun Bills

Dannel Malloy, Connecticut's governor, signed anti gun bills, on Thursday.

Both the state senate and house passed the bills, within the last twenty-four hours.

The bills add more guns to the state's banned list, requires background checks for private gun sales, and limits clips and magazines to ten rounds.

An exception allows for anyone who already has "high capacity" clips to register them within 2013.

Once it hits 2014, possession of an unregistered "high capacity" clip will be a felony offense.

By passing the bills, Connecticut becomes one of the most anti gun states, in the US.

Chinese Bird flu Toll Increases to 5 Dead, 9 Sick

The death toll from a new strain of bird flu has now reached five, in China.

Nine other people are ill with the H7N9 strain.

Until recently, the strain was not thought to be transmittable to humans.

Authorities are worried about the strain as it does not kill birds, which are infected with it.

In fact, the birds infected with the strain have no symptoms at all.

H7N9 does not cause any harm until transmitted to humans, leaving officials trying to figure out a way to more easily detect it.


According to officials, there are six cases in Shanghai, four in Jiangsu, three in Zhejiang, and one in Anhui.

Argentinian Flooding Kills at Least 50

At least fifty people are confirmed dead in flooding that has struck the areas surrounding Buenos Aires.

Some areas saw over fifteen inches of rain, within a couple hours.

Thousands of people have been forced from their homes by the rising waters.

Over Wednesday night, an estimated quarter of a million people were without power.

Dozens of emergency shelters have been set up in schools and other public buildings.

President Cristina Fernandez has promised to send extra police to the region, in order to stop the looting that has begun.

US Deploying THAAD System to Guam

The Pentagon announced that a THAAD missile defense battery would be shipped to Guam as immediately as possible.

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery would be used to help defend the island from any incoming missiles.

It is one more bit of evidence how seriously the US is taking North Korea's increasing hostility.

The US currently only has two of the systems available, so only will be deploying one of them.

Each battery costs eight hundred million dollars and plans are not in place to obtain another system, until 2015.

Expectations now are that the US will bump the purchase up, as quickly as possible.