Word on the street (er, in the “blogosphere”) is that 22 indictments are about to be delivered regarding the Plame-outing case. I’m not holding my breath, but my fingers are definitely crossed.

Just in time for the completed reverse-engineering of the Spanish Flu of 1918, we celebrate Pandemic Flu Awareness week: a chance to gather round the fire and harken back to the days of yore, when a seemingly unending war raged on halfway around the world and millions lived in fear of a deadly virus on the verge of sudden outbreak.

Glad that’s all behind us.

In the spirit of the season, Brainblog provides a list of resources and references that might be of interest should we ever find ourselves in that situation again. In particular, the WHO influenza preparedness plan certainly sounds up-to-date and comprehensive. Although, having just finished Fooled By Randomness, I’m left wondering whether their bird-flu survey has discounted any black swans.

Update: At least it’s good to know the Bush administration has all of their ducks in a row. Stewart Simonson is the appointed official in charge of response to a major health crisis. Here is a summary of his qualifications:

Simonson graduated from the University of Wisconsin law school in 1994 and served as legal counsel to Tommy Thompson while he was governor of Wisconsin from 1995 to 1999. Simonson then followed Thompson to Washington when the governor was appointed as head of HHS. Simonson’s bio at HHS states that “from 2001-2003, he was the HHS Deputy General Counsel and provided legal advice and counsel to the Secretary on public health preparedness matters. Prior to joining HHS, Simonson served as corporate secretary and counsel for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK).”

Yup. He’s been a lawyer for 10 years. That’s it. That’s what has qualified him to implement the national response to a pandemic flu. Can’t wait to see the ‘heckuva job’ he pulls off.

Bill Moyers gave a speech on religion and politics in September. You can read ithere or here.

“The writer Terry Tempest Williams has said ‘the human heart is the first home of democracy.’ Fill that heart with fear and people will give up the risks of democracy for the assurances of security; fill that heart with fear and you can shake the house to its foundations.”