Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, speaking about the threat posed by H5N1 Avian Flu:

“Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government or, for that matter, even the state government will come to their rescue at the final moment will be tragically wrong,” the secretary told the audience.

DHS Secretary Chertoff emphasizes the point:

“The responsibility for preparedness,” said Chertoff, “falls on everybody.”

At least you can’t say they didn’t warn you.

What is mindtangle all about? Well, it’s the sum of its parts (i.e. posts.) Nothing more, nothing less. So, for today, I say that mindtangle is about making your face go slack with drooling cuteness envy:

More where this came from, at Cute Overload. (Thanks, danah.)

Here’s your dose of optimism for the day:

BROTHERS IN PEACE: After a year of meeting in secret, 120 former Israeli combat soldiers and Palestinian militants unveiled a unique group they hope will spur dialogue and end bloodshed. In a school yard in the Palestinian town of Anata, north of Jerusalem, the former enemies exchanged handshakes and hugs as they inaugurated “Combatants for Peace,” which they called the first joint group of its type. “We don’t want to look at each other through weapons sights, we want to see each other as human,” said Avichay Sharon , a former IDF soldier. Palestinian Osama Abu Karsh , jailed for three years by Israel for attacking troops with firebombs, added, “Both our sides have been fighting, but we want to sit at the same table. We hope we can achieve something.” The former combatants have been meeting for a year in different locations around Jerusalem in order to try to foster peace. But they kept the group’s existence secret to first build trust at gatherings where emotions often spilled over as both sides told stories of what they had done in the conflict. “We carry a dual platform: No to the occupation, and no to all other violent activities,” said Zohar Shapira , one of the founders of the movement and one of the signatories of the General Staff Commando Unit refusers letter. “We have heard for too long that there’s no partner on the other side. We, the fighters who paid a personal price in the conflict, are proving in action that this is a lie. There is someone to talk to—you only have to want to talk.” Raed al-Hadaar , a Fatah activist from Ramallah who spent four years in an Israeli prison, described his change of heart. “Pretty much the only Israelis I had met before were my jailers, but now I’ve been able to meet Israelis as equals and share a common goal with them for peace and justice,” he said. The group aims to pressure both governments to talk peace, halt violence, and establish a Palestinian state. They plan to visit Israeli and Palestinian schools and universities and set up joint media teams to influence public opinion. (Ynet & Reuters, 4/10/06)

We’ve had way too many hopeful posts, lately. I say we all return to our usual doomsaying.

I had the unique pleasure of witnessing two immigration bill protests today. From my office window in Oakland I watched as thousands of protesters marched through the streets, waving American flags and chanting, “USA” and “Si, se puede.” Then when I exited the BART at 16th and Mission, I was greeted by a standing-room-only gathering. Thousands of people had gathered to make their voices heard.

As I walked through the grid-locked streets of the Mission (Muni was all but rendered useless by the protester-packed streets), I found myself deeply moved. Every time I passed someone of the street or in a car waving their American Flag, a lump welled up in my throat. There is something profoundly moving about people standing up for their rights, participating in their government, exercising their First Amendment right to assemble.

Citizen Harry Taylor earnestly expresses his dissatisfaction with Bushco. Amazing stuff. Most amazing of all is that the Secret Service didn’t rush in, remove the concerned Mr. Taylor, and then hold him as an enemy combatant for daring to question our supreme ruler.

I was reading the Reuters piece on the Senate immigration compromise, and noticed something funny. See if you can find it below:

“The deal centers on a compromise offered by Republicans that included a temporary worker program backed by President George W. Bush. It also would allow illegal immigrants who have been in the United States more than five years a chance to become citizens if they meet a series of requirements and pay a fine.”

Did you find it? We are going to make the applicant for US citizenship pay a fine. Not a fee, which is money people pay for special transactions or services. No, we’ll charge them a fine, which is money exacted as a penalty. I’m not sure if “fine” was the language used in Congress, or just a poor word choice by the Reuters author. Either way, I think it belies a truth about how people feel toward immigrants in this debate: Immigrants have acted in the wrong and deserve to be punished (fined). This negative framing really strikes a nasty chord with me.

The New York Sun has a report today that Libby testified that first Cheney, then Bush authorized his leaking of the Plame identity. The power to declassify classified information is one of the president’s executive powers, so no big news there. However, King George did once publicly denied any involvement in the leak, and called for anyone involved to be punished. Does Libby’s testimony contradict our Unitary Executive’s claim? Did he lie (again) to the American public? Is Congress ever going to start acting like the equal branch of government the founders intended it to be, and investigate his royal highness?

Two interesting pieces of housing and housing finance-related data reported today. First, 40% of houses sold nationwide last year were ’second’ homes: vacation (12%) or investment (28%). This is significant because in theory the owners of non-primary houses are more sensitive to fluctuations in market price, and more likely to cash out or at least stop buying when that price peaks.

The second piece of information sheds some light as to exactly how close to reality that theoretical prediction is. As it turns out, the bulk of profits (in one case 62%) reported by savings and loan banks in the past year is due to ‘noncash income from deferred interest.’ This is a polite way of saying that the banks are reporting profits on income that doesn’t actually exist. What they are doing is the following: Given a negatively amortizing loan, (one for which the principal balance increases over time because the minimum required monthly payment is below the amount necessary to service the interest) the banks are reporting as profit the additional deferred interest on the now increasing principal. In other words, they are claiming as income potential future payments from customers whose ability to pay is already at the absolute minimum, and whose debt obligation is steadily rising as a result. Throw in the continued upward march of interest rates (to which adjustable rate mortgages still have a couple of years to catch up) and, well…

So we’re left with banks whose income stream is primarily dependent on payments from real estate speculators who are banking on the value of their properties not just holding ground, but increasing faster than their interest can be recapitalized. Meaning if the prices don’t increase, they’ll have to foreclose to recoup their investment, and sell off the collateral at whatever price they can get.

And housing inventory is steadily rising.

tick, tock…