Possible Norovirus Outbreak Hits Thousands of Children in Germany

Image: CDC

I am not too familiar with the norovirus, so I should do some additional research. Apparently, it (or something similar) has hit thousands of children in Germany. The cause has not been definitively determined, but some of these cases have been confirmed as norovirus from food poisoning. 

...the number of children that have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhea after eating food from school cafeterias and daycare centers has risen from about 4,500 to 8,400. 

Source: USA Today

 

European Union Extends Copyright Term for Performers & Sound Recordings to Seventy (70) Years (Directive PE-CONS 16/11)

EU Extends Copyright Term To 70 Years (Directive PE-CONS 16/11)

In case you missed it, the European Union has extended the copyright term for performers and sound recordings to seventy (70) years. The previous term was fifty (50) years.

The subject of the Directive amends Directive 2006/116/EC on the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights.

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The directive to extend the term of protection for performers and sound recordings to 70 years was adopted on 12 September 2011. The aim of the directive is to bring performers' protection more in line with that already given to authors - 70 years after their death. The extended term will enable performers to earn money for a longer period of time and in any event throughout their lifetime. The income from copyright remuneration is important for performers, as they often do not have other regular salaried income. The extended term will also benefit record producers who will generate additional revenue from the sale of records in shops and on the internet. This should allow producers to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment and help them maintain their investment levels in new talent.

The directive also contains accompanying measures which aim specifically to help performers. The 'use it or lose it' clauses which will now have to be included in the contracts linking performers to their record companies will allow performers to get their rights back if the record producer does not market the sound recording during the extended period. In this way the performer will be able to either find another record producer willing to sell his music or do it himself, something that is possible easily via the internet. In case neither the performer nor the producer would wish to market the recording, the recording would no longer be protected. In this way, the term extension would avoid 'locking up' those recordings that are not commercially interesting. Finally, record companies will have to set up a fund into which they will have to pay 20% of their revenues earned during the extended period. The money from this fund will be destined to help session musicians.

Source: European Commission

Finland's National Narcolepsy Task Force Reports Increased Risk of Narcolepsy Observed among Children Given Pandemrix® H1N1 Vaccine

This recent report out of Finland links the Pandemrix® swine flu shot and narcolepsy. The National Narcolepsy Task Force will release the full report on August 31, 2011. The press release follows below after my text.

For further information on Pandemrix® (including the package insert and ingredients), check out my previous blog article GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix Approved for Use in the United Kingdom (Ingredients Include Squalene, Thimerosal and H1N1).

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Increased risk of narcolepsy observed among children and adolescents vaccinated with Pandemrix®

1 Feb 2011

Among those 4-19 years of age who received Pandemrix®-vaccine had a manifold increased risk of falling ill with narcolepsy during the 8 months following vaccination in comparison to those unvaccinated in the same age group. Based on the evaluation done so far, the National Narcolepsy Task Force finds it probable that Pandemrix®-vaccination contributed to the observed increase in incidence of narcolepsy among those 4 -19 years of age. Currently, the most likely explanation is that the increase in narcolepsy is by joint effect of the vaccine and some other factor(s). At the moment, there is no evidence that the increase in narcolepsy observed in Finland could be attributed to the vaccine lots used. The results can be read in the Interim Report of the Task Force which is published on February 1st, 2011.

The association of Pandemrix-vaccination and narcolepsy was studied using extensive registry based data. Data gathered from hospital discharge registries on patients fallen ill with narcolepsy during years 2009-10 was linked with data from primary care records on pandemic vaccination. The observed association is so evident that it is unlikely that other so-called confounding factors could fully explain the phenomenon.

In Finland during years 2009–10, 60 children and adolescents aged 4-19 years fell ill with narcolepsy. These figures base on data from hospitals and primary care, and the review of individual patient records by a panel of neurologists and sleep researchers. Of those fallen ill, 52 (almost 90 percent) had received Pandemrix® vaccine, while the vaccine coverage in the entire age group was 70 percent. Based on the preliminary analyses, the risk of falling ill with narcolepsy among those vaccinated in the 4-19 years age group was 9-fold in comparison to those unvaccinated in the same age group. This increase was most pronounced among those 5–15 years of age. No cases were observed among those under 4 years of age. Also, no increase in cases of narcolepsy or signs of vaccination impacting risk of falling ill with narcolepsy was observed among those above 19 years of age.

In addition to Finland, increase in cases of narcolepsy observed only in Sweden and Iceland

In 2009, among countries using similar pandemic vaccine as was used in Finland, an increase in cases of narcolepsy has been observed only in Finland, Sweden and Iceland. Contrary to the observations in Finland, narcolepsy has occurred in greater numbers than expected also among unvaccinated children and teenagers in Iceland.

The association between narcolepsy and PandemrixR vaccine requires more investigations

During the coming months, these preliminary register based results will be confirmed in Finland. In further investigations, special attention will be given to infections and other stimuli in close time association with the pandemic vaccination. The significance of the possible joint effects will be explored.

In addition, other significant co-factors contributing to the onset of narcolepsy will be evaluated in epidemiologic, immunologic and genetic studies planned. The main aim of the immunologic studies is to clarify, whether the immunological responses to the different components of the Pandemrix® vaccine and to the A(H1N1) virus among those children and teenagers with genetic disposition to narcolepsy and those fallen ill with narcolepsy differ from the immunological responses of other children and teenagers not belonging to these risk groups.

It is also of utmost importance to find out whether the association is observed also elsewhere than in Finland. At present, Finland is participating in the ECDC contracted, VAESO led narcolepsy background incidence and case control studies which are being conducted in 9 European Union countries by pharmacovigilance researchers from Public Health Institutes, Regulatory Agencies and Universities. These studies will evaluate the contribution of the pandemic vaccines and other risk factors in the onset of narcolepsy, and confirm whether increase in incidence in narcolepsy is seen in other countries. The outcomes of these studies will be reported during early summer 2011.

By January 24, 2011, 56 notifications of narcolepsy in association with Pandemrix® vaccination have been received by the National Vaccine Adverse Events Register maintained at the National Institute of Health and Welfare in Finland. Of these, 54 cases belonged to the age group of 4–19 years. Among most of the notified cases, the onset of symptoms of narcolepsy had started approximately two months following Pandemrix® vaccination.

The final report from the National Narcolepsy Task Force will be released by 31st August 2011.

Further information

WHO: Pandemrix® vaccine and increased risk of narcolepsy

Terhi Kilpi
Director of Department of Vaccines and Immune Protection, Chairman of the Task Force
National Institute of Health and Welfare, THL
tel +358 20 610 8678

Hanna Nohynek
Vaccine Safety Officer, Secretary of the Task Force
National Institute of Health and Welfare,THL
Tel +358 20 610 8246

Short address: http://www.thl.fi/doc/en/24103

Central Bank of Ireland to Begin Printing €51 Billion of Its Own Money!

Ireland may be a canary in the coal mine for the state of the European economy like Iceland was a couple of years back such that the Irish financial state may be a predictor of future economic shocks in the rest of the European Union. Fake money is never a good thing for an economy and similar to our Federal Reserve, the Central Bank of Ireland is about to start printing its own money. As the Wu-Tang Clan once said, "Cash rules everything around me."

EMERGENCY lending from the ECB to banks in Ireland fell in December, the first decline since January 2010, but only because the Irish Central Bank stepped up its help to banks.

The Irish Independent learnt last night that the Central Bank of Ireland is financing €51bn of an emergency loan programme by printing its own money.

Source: Independent.ie

Is a Massive Cyberattack Underway in the United States of America and European Union?

Check back on this site tomorrow and over the weekend as I will update this story, but there appears that some sort of concentrated cyberattack may be occurring. Click the above map to view. If you want another site to verify, click the Internet Traffic Report. Remixx World! has asked the question of whether a false flag cyber attack will be used to usher in a new order on the Internet and/or an entirely new Internet. I'm not saying this is that attack, but I'm posting it just in case this is the one.

I will update this story soon. Until then, you can check the thread over at the GodLikeProductions message boards.

Zbigniew & Mark Brzezinski on MSNBC's Morning Joe Discussing Polish Tragedy - April 12, 2010

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

FLASHBACK: Parlimentary Questions by Erik Meijer to European Union Commission About Chemtrails (Includes Answers & Denials)

This Q&A is from 2007. The Commission basically denies everything, but that is to be expected.

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Parliamentary questions (click European Parliament for further information)
10 May 2007
E-2455/07

WRITTEN QUESTION
by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Aircraft condensation trails which no longer only contain water but cause persistent milky veils, possibly due to the presence of barium, aluminium and iron.

1. Is the Commission aware that, since 1999, members of the public in Canada and the USA have been complaining about the growing presence in the air of aircraft condensation trails of a new type, which sometimes persist for hours and which spread far more widely than in the past, creating milky veils which are dubbed ‘aerial obscuration’, and that the new type has particularly come to people's attention because it is so different from the short, pencil-thin white contrails which have been a familiar sight ever since jet engines came into use and which remain visible for 20 minutes at most and can only be produced if steam condenses on dust particles due to low temperatures and high humidity?

2. Is the Commission aware that investigations by these complainants, observations by pilots and statements by government bodies increasingly suggest that what is happening is that aircraft are emitting into dry air small particles consisting of barium, aluminium and iron, a phenomenon which in public debate in America has come to be known as chemtrails?

3. Unlike contrails, chemtrails are not an inevitable by-product of modern aviation. Does the Commission know, therefore, what is the purpose of artificially emitting these Earth-derived substances into the Earth's atmosphere? Does it help to cause rain, benefit telecommunications or combat climate change?

4. To what extent are aerial obscuration and chemtrails now also being employed in the air over Europe, bearing in mind that many people here too are now convinced that the phenomenon is becoming increasingly common and are becoming concerned about the fact that little is so far known about it and there is no public information on the subject? Who initiates this spraying and how is it funded?

5. Apart from the intended benefits of emitting substances into the air, is the Commission aware of any possible disadvantages it may have for the environment, public health, aviation and TV reception?

6. What is being done to prevent individual European states or businesses from taking measures unilaterally whose crossborder impact other States or citizens' organisations may regard as undesirable? Is coordination already taking place with regard to this? Is the EU playing a part in it, or does the Commission anticipate a future role, and what are the Commission's objectives in this connection?

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26 June 2007
E-2455/2007
Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

1. The Commission is aware of claims that such trends and phenomena exist. However, the Commission is not aware of any evidence substantiating such claims. The extent to which aircraft condensation trails form and the speed at which they disappear are in the first instance determined by pressure, temperature, and the relative humidity of a given flight level. Fuel and combustion properties and the overall propulsive efficiency may also have an impact. Any changes or trends in the extent to which contrails are reported to remain visible and develop into more widespread clouds may thus be due to factors such as changes in:

— meteorological conditions;
— traffic volumes;
— jet-engine efficiency.

2. The Commission is aware of such claims but is not aware of any evidence that particles of barium, aluminium or iron are being emitted, deliberately or not, by aircraft.

3. No. It cannot be precluded that the release of such particles might affect precipitation and climate change, but as indicated above the Commission is not aware of any evidence that such releases take place.

4. The Commission is not aware of any evidence that such methods are being employed in Europe.

5. None of the substances referred to are hazardous per se, but some effects on environment and public health can not be ruled out if large scale releases to the air occurred.

6. As indicated above the Commission is not aware of any evidence suggesting that there is any reason to act.

Billionaire Financier Jim Rogers Predicts British Pound is Within Weeks of Collapse

**UPDATE (February 26, 2010) - The below press release has been withdrawn by the source, because the quoted remarks attributed to Jim Rogers were not approved.**

Pound Could Collapse Within Weeks, Predicts Billionaire Financier Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers

February 25, 2010 - Press Dispensary - The UK Pound is on the brink of a collapse which will herald a downturn worse than 2008/9, it could well happen within weeks and the British government is powerless to prevent it. And this in turn will foreshadow a global economic winter that could come before the end of 2010 and make the last two years seem like a mild spring day.

This is the dire prediction of the legendary George Soros’ former business partner, respected billionaire financier Jim Rogers, together with millionaire investment adviser and best-selling author Dr Marc Faber and the controversial millionaire trader and coach Vince Stanzione, ahead of their keynote appearances at next month’s Global Trading Day seminar in Westminster.

As the UK economy stands on the brink of its much heralded double dip after a dismal January and rumblings about its credit rating, as Swiss Bank UBS speculates the risk of a run on the pound*, and as sterling hit a nine month low against the dollar on Friday, the three experts – who all have reputations for making much of their fortunes from predicting and riding economic downturns – are forecasting that a currency crash and then a full scale global “shakedown” are almost inevitable.

“The last few months have seen a ‘false bounce’, shorn up by massive short-term injections of government underwriting,” says Rogers, “but it can’t last. We’ve been applying temporary sticking plasters, not long-term cures. Later this year we’ll see the start of the real recession, with more Lehman-scale disasters and a fallout which won’t stop until the underlying malaise is genuinely cured.”

And for the UK, it could begin with the Pound.

“Other currencies aren’t strong and the Euro has real problems, with cracks much wider than Greece beginning to show,” Rogers continues, “but it’s the Pound that’s most vulnerable. In real terms, it’s already devalued against virtually every currency barring the Zimbabwean dollar and it’s especially exposed over the weeks running up to the UK election. In a basket of currencies, the Pound is potentially a basket case. And that will put Britain in an extremely bad position for the shakedown.”

Jim Rogers famously clashed with Lord Mandelson, as reported in the Daily Telegraph** last year, after Rogers predicted just how far behind other economies Britain would be in returning to growth. History is proving Rogers right.

“It sounds like a lot of doom and gloom,” continues Rogers, partly in reference to Dr Marc Faber’s widely read monthly investment newsletter, ‘The Gloom Boom & Doom Report’. “But it doesn’t have to be. With foreknowledge, experience, advice and skill, even the steepest downward slide can be turned to advantage. Recession can be just as much a source of wealth as growth.”

Marc Faber, who won his moniker ‘Dr Doom’ after advising investors to pull out of American stocks one week before the 1987 crash, and who was one of only a few vocal investors to predict the present troubles, believes that America is on the brink of bankruptcy as it is wholly unable to service its debt***. But, like Rogers, he sees foreknowledge as an opportunity, not just a threat.

It is with all this in mind that Rogers and Faber are joining British investor, coach and author Vince Stanzione on the platform of the Global Trading Day seminar on March 19, 2010, in central London. All three are flying in especially for the day, to meet with investors who believe there’s investment wealth to be found in the coming market conditions and who want to learn its insider secrets from those who have already proven how effectively it can be done.

As Stanzione says, “If the billionaires are betting on a deep second dip, the rest of the investment community should be doing more than looking on from the sidelines.”

For more information about the Global Trading Day seminar, investors should visit http://www.traders2010.co.uk/ and media should visit http://www.traders2010.com/

- ends -

About Jim Rogers
James B. Rogers started trading the stock market with $600 in 1968 and by 1973 had formed the Quantum Fund with the legendry investor George Soros before retiring, a multi millionaire, at the age of 37. Rogers and Soros helped steer the fund to a miraculous 4,200% return over the 10 year span of the fund while the S&P 500 returned just 47%. They ran what is considered to be one of the first truly global macro hedge funds.

Although ‘retired’, Mr Rogers continues to invest and has many trading interests especially focused on emerging markets and commodities. In July 1998 he formed the Rogers Raw Materials Index which is up over 211% since inception making it the most successful world index in the past decade. He has also written a number of bestselling books including Investment Biker, Hot Commodities, Bull in China and Adventure Capitalist. He lives in Singapore.

About Dr Marc Faber
From 1978 to February 1990, Swiss investor and economist Marc Faber was MD of Drexel Burnham Lambert (HK) Ltd. In June 1990, he set up his own business, Marc Faber Limited, which acts as an investment advisor and fund manager. Dr Faber publishes a widely read monthly investment newsletter, ‘The Gloom Boom & Doom Report’, which highlights unusual investment opportunities, and is the author of several books including the Amazon best-seller ‘Tomorrow’s Gold - Asia's Age of Discovery’(2002) which highlights future investment opportunities around the world and is being translated into Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and German.

Known as Dr Faber is well known for his ‘contrarian’ investment approach and is one of the most respected guests on Bloomberg Television with a massive following worldwide. His market calls have been extremely accurate - advising clients to sell stocks weeks before the 1987 crash. More recently he foresaw the market meltdown but unlike many perma bears he went positive on stocks in March 2009 before the massive bounce.

About Vince Stanzione
Vince Stanzione is a self-made multi-millionaire based in Europe. Beginning aged 16 at NatWest Foreign Exchange in London, he quickly made his mark and then left to form his own company, since when he has been involved in mobile communications, premium rate telephony, interactive gaming, publishing and television and financial trading. He currently lives most of the year between Spain and Monaco and trades his own funds, mainly in currencies and commodities. He also teaches a small number of students and produced the best-selling course on Financial Spread Betting.

Vince Stanzione is the author of 'How to Stop Existing & Start Living' and ‘Making Money From Financial Spread Trading’, is the Spread Betting Expert for Growth Company Investor and writes monthly columns for The City Magazine, Canary Wharf and Vicinitee Magazine.

References
* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/7310031/Tory-spending-cuts-risk-sterling-crisis-claims-UBS.html
** http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/4861871/Peter-Mandelson-rejects-foolish-claims-by-Jim-Rogers-that-Britain-has-nothing-left-to-sell.html
*** http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/Entrepreneurship/news/985633/buy-farms-gold-insists-faber-aka-dr-doom/

For further information, please contact:
Vince Stanzione Tel: 07712 651777

Britain Offers Bribe for Teenage Girls to Get HPV Cervical Cancer Vaccine

As more and more people refuse vaccines, the powers-that-be have to create new ways to encourage people to get them. Britain is offering its teenage girls £45 (approximately $71 USD) shopping vouchers to get the HPV vaccine. The vaccine contains adjuvants in certain regions and have caused numerous side effects. Hence, a bribe is needed.

Teenage girls are being rewarded with shopping vouchers for having the cervical cancer jab.

Girls aged 16 to 18 are being given £45 of vouchers if they complete an inoculation course against the HPV virus, the sexually transmitted infection that causes 70 per cent of cervical tumours.

Source: Daily Mail

Greece Bans Cash Transactions Above 1,500 Euros

Greece is going to be tracking, tracing and databasing all transactions greater than 1,500 euros and that's according to the country's Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou. And if you do not have electronic currency (credit and/or debit cards) then you will not be able to conduct commerce and business. Also if this law is successful in Greece, then you can expect similar laws to be introduced in other jurisdictions.

There are many other financial overhauls and you can read them by clicking this link.

"From 1. Jan. 2011, every transaction above 1,500 euros between natural persons and businesses, or between businesses, will not be considered legal if it is done in cash. Transactions will have to be done through debit or credit cards"

Source: Reuters

SunPower Corporation Acquires European Solar Power Firm SunRay Renewable Energy for $277 Million

There are big monies to be made in the green energy industry. Money or not, it is a really interesting hobby. I build portable jackleg solar systems and it is quite fun to basically create energy for free from the sun.

Although it is not really free, because there is a significant initial cost to assemble even a small basic solar system. However, once you make that initial investment, you just have to sit back and collect your energy. Nevertheless, this below press release is not for a small basic solar system. No, this solar deal is worth nearly $300,000 million.

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SunPower Announces Agreement to Acquire SunRay

More Than 1,200 Megawatts to Be Added to Project Pipeline in Europe and Middle East

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb 11, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SunRay Renewable Energy, a leading European solar power plant developer with offices in Europe and the Middle East, including a principal project office in Rome. SunPower will acquire SunRay from its shareholders, which includes its management and Denham Capital. Upon closing the transaction, SunPower will acquire a project pipeline of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling more than 1,200 megawatts (MW) in Italy, France, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Greece. The pipeline consists of projects in various stages of development. SunRay's power plant development and project finance team consists of approximately 70 employees.

"SunRay has a proven track record of developing bankable solar power plants in a complex environment," said Howard Wenger, president of SunPower's utilities and power plants business group. "This acquisition is consistent with our long-term company strategy to develop a strong brand and complementary channels to market. SunRay's exceptional team and pipeline will add to our significant internal investment in North American power plant development. It also complements our European engineering, procurement and construction business that serves a broad range of development partners."

"SunRay has developed an impressive pipeline of utility scale projects throughout Europe," continued Wenger. "We congratulate SunRay on receiving the European Solar Deal of the Year award today from Project Finance magazine for the largest solar PV power plant financed in 2009, the 24 MW Montalto power plant in Italy, which launched SunPower's relationship with SunRay. This acquisition further demonstrates our confidence in the Italian market and regulatory environment, and will accelerate the growth of our European and Middle Eastern power plant business."

"Our experience working with SunPower on Montalto and several other power plants in Italy convinced us that SunRay will be joining the global solar technology, performance and quality leader for solar power plants," said Yoram Amiga, CEO of SunRay Group. "Our combined experience globally will allow us to offer our customers reliable energy delivery at competitive prices. Denham has been a great partner, providing both capital and advice at an important stage in our company's development. We are pleased to have worked with them."

"The SunRay Renewables team has proven itself unparalleled in its ability to develop, finance and construct world class solar projects," said Scott Mackin, partner in Denham Capital. "The marriage of that team with the superior technology of SunPower will create a formidable platform of new, socially and environmentally responsible and highly efficient solar PV projects in many countries around the world. We are delighted to have supported the initial development of SunRay's portfolio, including the initial phase of the award-winning Montalto project, the largest in Italy. This project was completed in partnership with SunPower, and we are confident that the two firms will continue to expand on their success together."

"SunRay has a strong pipeline in Italy, with several power plants already permitted for delivery in 2010," said Gian Maria Ferrero, vice president of SunPower's Europe, Middle East and Africa utilities and power plants business unit. "Italy has demonstrated sustainable, strong growth in both rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems, bringing new jobs to the market and private investment into new power resources without the need for major new transmission investment. The growth of the Italian market has validated our prior acquisition of Solar Solutions, now SunPower Italia. SunPower and SunRay will seek to build on our success throughout Southern Europe and into the Middle East and Africa as demand for new power resources increases."

The total consideration for the acquisition is approximately $277 million, including $235 million in cash and $42 million in a letter of credit and promissory notes. SunPower has sufficient cash to close the transaction and does not intend to raise equity capital to finance the acquisition. The company will provide specific financial guidance regarding the positive impacts of the transaction during its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2009 earnings conference call in March. The parties anticipate closing the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, in the first half of 2010.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. is acting as exclusive financial advisor to SunPower with regard to this transaction and provided a fairness opinion regarding the acquisition to its board of directors.

About SunPower

Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

About SunRay

SunRay Renewable Energy is an energy company - an independent solar power producer - with broad skills across the photovoltaic project development value chain. SunRay has built an internationally scalable project development platform which includes engineering, legal and project finance capability. It focuses on utility-scale projects in Southern European countries, using a community-based development model to ensure that its plants are adapted to local community needs. SunRay has a strategic partnership with Denham Capital, a global private equity firm, to develop utility-scale solar projects. SunRay has offices in Malta, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Israel and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.sunrayrenewable.com

About Denham

Denham Capital is a leading global private equity firm, with offices in Boston, Houston, Short Hills, São Paulo and London. With approximately $4.3 billion of invested and committed capital, Denham makes direct investments in all segments of the energy and commodities value chain, including oil and gas, mining, timber, power, carbon assets and energy-related infrastructure and services. The firm invests globally, with investments currently in the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Russia/CIS, Asia and Australia, and across all parts of the capital structure and all stages of the corporate and asset lifecycle, from development projects to mature, operating businesses. For more information about Denham Capital, visit www.denhamcapital.com. Denham Capital does not provide investment advisory services to the public.

SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE SunPower Corp.

Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Corruption and Fraud Plague European Union Carbon Cap and Trade System

This is one reason why this country does not need a national carbon cap-and-trade market system. The New York Times is reporting that the EU's cap and trade market has been besieged by fraud, including a recent access code theft resulting in $4 million in losses.

Carbon trading is a system that caps the amount of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, that companies may emit each year. Companies exceeding their quota can buy extra certificates from those companies that succeeded in shrinking their carbon footprint by adopting environmentally friendly technology or modifying production in other ways.

How in the hell does transferring the pollution quota from company to company REDUCE overall pollution? If my company saves 500 tons of emission, then some company that polluted 500 tons more than allowed can buy my quota. The net result is still the same amount of population. All this carbon trading is nothing, but a tax on business production.

The system is the main tool used by the European Union to meet its ambitious pollution-reduction goals.

Taking away the gains made in reducing pollution through improving technologies, how has the carbon trade system actually helped to pollution?

Many economists say trading provides the most economically efficient way to reduce pollution...

Exactly. It is an easy way for the central world banks to make money.

But since the start of the system in Europe, coal-burning utilities have earned windfall profits, while the prices of credits have never been high enough for long enough to force utilities and businesses to replace conventional power with significant amounts of renewable energy or other clean sources.

Other forms of shady trades have beset the carbon markets in Europe.

This includes access code thefts and value-added taxes being added to carbon permits sold to businesses, but not paid to governments.

Source: New York Times

Frozen Britain As Seen from Space on January 7, 2010! (Hey Al Gore, Where is the Global Warming?)

London Police Expect Bombay Style Terror Attack on City in 2010 (Someone Call Union Jack!)

I do not want to see a Mumbai (or Bombay if you are old school and/or ignant!) style attack on the United Kingdom, but the London Police are warning that this type of attack on the city is imminent. Is this fear mongering? Or a legit warning?

Scotland Yard has warned businesses in London to expect a Mumbai-style attack on the capital.

In a briefing in the City of London 12 days ago, a senior detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command, said: “Mumbai is coming to London.”

The detective said companies should anticipate a shooting and hostage-taking raid “involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and improvised explosive devices”.

Someone better call Union Jack!

Source: Times Online

Image Source: Daily P.O.P.

79 People Reportedly Lose Sense of Taste and Smell After H1N1 "Swine Flu" Injection in Norway!

More vaccine side effects (reportedly)!

I cannot verify this story about 79 people losing their sense of taste and smell in Norway after getting the vaccine, so put this story in the "could be false, but probably not" category. I used the Google translator, so it could be erroneously translating the original source article.

79 have lost ability to taste or smell after vaccine in Norway.

Silje Marie Våtvik lost both taste and smell after taking the vaccine against swine flu. She has been sick for several weeks.

- People do not understand what it means to have taste and odor. I do not taste the food and can therefore not to swallow it. It inhibits me also in social life, because I can not be with the dinners, "says Silje Marie Våtvik (30).

Source: svalbardposten.no ; swineflu.org

Fort Detrick and U.S. Army To Make Pneumonic Plague Vaccine with Britain and Canada by 2015!

We are certainly hearing our fair share of pneumonic plague news in the last few days. There is the on-going story in Ukraine. There are pneumonic plague drills happening in Canada and in Illinois. The lungs of people who died in Iowa resembled the lungs of plague victims! Even a cat has tested positive for plague in California.

Now, the news comes out that there will be a plague vaccine by 2015 brought to you by Fort Detrick, the U.S. Army, Britain and Canada.

In 2000, the United States began working with Britain and Canada to share information about the plague vaccine. In 2005, the three countries agreed to pool their resources to create a vaccine to be mass-produced, though they were still considering working with the British formula. In the latest agreement, the three countries agreed to use USAMRIID's fusion protein as the basis of the vaccine...

Though the formula is unlikely to change, aside from tinkering to find the best human dosage, Worsham said it can only help to have three countries' scientists collaborating on vaccine production...

The Army hopes to have the vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by 2015. Already completed early human clinical trials indicate the vaccine is safe and does provide immunity to the plague bacteria, called Yersinia pestis.

Source: FrederickNewsPost.com

European Medicines Agency Advises of Risk of Fever in Young Children Following Vaccination with Pandemrix

European Medicines Agency
London, 4 December 2009
Doc. Ref. EMEA/784404/2009

PRESS RELEASE

European Medicines Agency advises of risk of fever in young children following vaccination with Pandemrix

The European Medicines Agency is warning that young children may experience fever after their second dose of the pandemic influenza vaccine Pandemrix. Prescribers and parents should monitor the temperature of the vaccinated child and, if necessary, take measures to lower the fever (e.g. giving an antipyretic such as paracetamol). However, the Agency noted that the second dose increases the immune response against pandemic influenza.

The Agency has recommended that this information be included in the prescribing information, and be taken into consideration when deciding whether to give a second dose to children.

This follows the review of new data submitted by the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline from an ongoing clinical trial in children aged from 6 months to three years. These data showed a higher proportion of children developing fever (temperature above 38°C, when measured under the armpit) after the second dose of Pandemrix, compared with after the first. The data also showed that there was more soreness at the site of injection and more general symptoms such as drowsiness, irritability and loss of appetite after the second dose.

The study also showed that a single dose of vaccine triggered a good immune response in young children, but that the second dose further increased the immune response.

The Agency will continue to evaluate all information that becomes available and make further recommendations as necessary.

--ENDS--

NOTES

1. More information is available in the question-and-answer document:
http://www.emea.europa.eu/pdfs/human/pandemicinfluenza/78039109en.pdf.

2. For more details on the recommended changes, please refer to the updated product information for Pandemrix:
http://www.emea.europa.eu/influenza/vaccines/pandemrix/pandemrix_pi.html

3. More information on adverse reactions reported with centrally authorised pandemic vaccines is provided in the weekly pandemic influenza pharmacovigilance update report:
http://www.emea.europa.eu/influenza/updates.html

4. More information on the Agency’s activities in relation to the influenza pandemic can be found on the Agency's pandemic influenza website:
http://www.emea.europa.eu/influenza/home.htm

5. This press release, together with other information on the work of the European Medicines Agency, can be found on the Agency’s website:
www.emea.europa.eu

Media enquiries only to:
Martin Harvey Allchurch or Monika Benstetter
Tel. (44-20) 74 18 84 27, E-mail press@emea.europa.eu

Third Woman Loses Baby After H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Injection in Portugal

Because I am getting this information from a translation program, I have to give the disclaimer that the translator could be spitting out all types of erroneous information and I would not be able to confirm one way or another. If you believe thr translator, then this is further evidence that the H1N1 "swine flu" vaccine causes some pregnant women to have miscarriages. This is the third such case miscarriage in Portugal. Click the link below for the translated story.

LEIRIA - Third dead fetus in pregnant vaccinated (Translated)

The Flu Case is also reporting on this story too.

A pregnant woman who took the Pandemrix swine flu jab was rushed to the Hospital de Santo André, em Leiria in Portugal but lost her baby...

The 27-year-old was 20 weeks pregnant and was vaccinated [at] the begining of this month.

Third case of woman losing baby after Pandemrix jab in Portugal.

Source: Radio Hertz 98 FM Tomar ; The Flu Case

UK Department of Defense Received Patent for Pneumonic Plague Vaccine in August 2009

The Flu Case website explains it better than I can at this point. Basically, the United Kingdom Department of Defense received a USPTO patent for a pneumonic plague vaccine back in August, 2009. The patent application was first filed on August 29, 2003. Is it mere coincidence that soon after this vaccine patent was issued there is an alleged pneumonic plague outbreak in Ukraine and drills being conducted in Canada and Illinois?

The UK Department of Defense got a patent for vaccine for the pneumonic plague in August 2009 shortly before WHO, Interpol and other organisations carried out a bioterrorism plague exercise in Eastern Europe and the emergence of the pneumonic plague in the Ukraine following reports of nighttime spraying by low flying aircraft.

If you want to read the entire USPTO patent entitled called Vaccine against Yersinia comprising one or two antibodies, one specific for Yersinia pestis F1-antigen and the other one for Yersinia pestis V-antigen, then click this sentence.

Source: The Flu Case

Italy Calls for Creation of European Army!

War, what it is good for! Absolutely, nothing! Enjoy Edwin Starr's video above.

Not according to the Italian Foreign Minister who wants the European Union to create a European Army! I guess if the European Union is going to be a pseudo United States of Europe, it should have its own military! Not! This is just a furtherance of the military industrial complex, but this time as a part of the European Union.

It was a "necessary objective to have a European army", Mr. Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister said. "Take Afghanistan: at present President Obama asks Poland, or Italy, or Great Britain for more troops. If there were a European army, he would have a 'toolbox' to draw from. He might need 30 aeroplanes: he would be able to ask if the European army was in a position to provide them."

I don't buy it. The European Union does not need to form a European Army to determine how to allocate the respective member countries' troops into the battlefields. That could be accomplished through multi-party and country agreements. Earlier in the article, Frattini does indeed say that Europe faces irrelevancy if it does not create this new army.

Source: London Times Online