Well. I’m sick. Third bout of flu this year. Looking back….looking forward’s recovery is very slow. Connexions is under the weather. From the Anchor Hold is out of hospital and recovering slowly. Ranting and Roaring is also fighting an on-going bug.
I’m in good company. Take care of yourselves and get well quick eh?

SARS
How Now Brown Pau has also been following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. As alerts go out, 604 cases have been confirmed around the globe. China is allowing international medical teams in.

The specialists at Frankfurt University said samples from two people there resemble a paramyxovirus, the family of microbes that causes measles, mumps and canine distemper. There is no treatment for that virus group.

Hong Kong researchers also say they suspect this microbe, but it is far to early to know.

Most of the illnesses have been health workers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam. A few probable cases have turned up in England, Taiwan and Slovenia. Unconfirmed cases were being investigated in many other places, including the United States.

Zimbabwe
A massive general strike is into it’s second day in this country of 7 million people.
Inflation is at 200% and this once prosperous country is now at Stage 7 of 8 in the Genocide Watch.

A national family matter?
Good grief. I found this over at DashHouse. This is a ‘warning’ from a moderator on a minister’s forum? Darryl was kind and cautious in his post. I can’t be as gentle.
I am honestly unable to get my head around this ‘parental’ attitude, treating leaders and adults like children. This goes far beyond anything political or technical, and to me indicates a core problem with many believers.
That moderator would be well served to read up on the difference between judgement, a censorious spirit, criticism, dissent and admonishment.
That is not only sad, it is overbearing and immature. What are they so afraid of?

Blogger Callout
I’ve had more response to my blogger callout, and I am impressed with the thoughtful responses. I had hoped that this wouldn’t be a political-theological-ideological response, but rather one from the hearts of people from all over the world.

Australia
Signposts wrestles with the decision of the Australian PM, and looks at the cultural structure of the middle east.

Having returned in January 2003 from a trip to the Middle East, she discussed Middle Eastern social structures, issues of identity, tribe, geography and social heirarchy - issues which meant that the demands made on Saddam Hussein and Iraq (in particular that he and his sons leave the country) were counter-cultural, in that they were demands that any Iraqi person would think were totally out of the question.

We all have to find peace in ourselves I think, as we look outward and decide how we can bring peace to others.

I suppose that there is one thing about blogging in particular - it has meant that I have the white house press page and our PM’s home page in my favourites, and I now receive email updates of interviews and statements issued by the PM. Why? Because I am trying to determine whether our PM is the kind of person that I hope that he is.

USA
I’ve received a couple of copies of this email posted at Journey Inside My Mind.
Why didn’t the UN send mothers in as inspectors, they can find anything!

There are bloggers who have friends and family serving in the US military. Their hearts are heavy. There are bloggers comforting friends from Iraq who are worried about their families.

Who is next? Japan, Brazil, India, Germany, New Zealand…..