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Underground > Switchboard >

Anthrax in Florida

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13:38 / 13.10.01

quote:Originally posted by grant:

You know, as I've mentioned via email to a couple folks already, the FBI is hiring some damn fine lookin' agents nowadays. Earlier, at the Delray office while at a staff meeting and blood testing session, there was this foxy auburn-headed agent doing interviews out on the balcony. And the guy who came here (besides having the same name as a good friend of mine) looked like a cross between Chris Isaak and a pro football player. Maybe Chris Isaak's face on Jesse Ventura's body.

They do it on purpose.

Remember that bit in Radio Free Albemuth?

[non-existent ambiguous maybe serious / maybe not smiley]

This Anthrax business is completely, completely insane, isn't it..

13:59 / 13.10.01

Glad you're okay, Grant!

Maybe someone ought to clue your 2 "friends" into the fact that anthrax is not spread person to person.

We had a couple of scares in my hometown yesterday, strange powders leaking from packages. Four or five elderly bridge players had to undergo decontamination procedures. The powder in that case was detergent; in the other it was pudding. It's both funny & not.

The local broadcast media countered by presenting infectious disease experts, MDs or PhDs, from the local med schools to shed some light on the topic. It was basically reassuring. (I used to work in 2 of the med schools & the presentations were factual & professional.)

The greatest thing we have to fear is, truly, the fear itself.

Frances Farmer

18:20 / 13.10.01

quote:Originally posted by Rizla Year Zero:

They do it on purpose.

Remember that bit in Radio Free Albemuth?

[non-existent ambiguous maybe serious / maybe not smiley]

This Anthrax business is completely, completely insane, isn't it..

Grant just met Vivian Kaplan?

I can't help but draw some massive correlaries down that road.

I mean, seriously; Office of Homeland Security? FAP?

Guh.

20:07 / 13.10.01

five more test positive for antrhax in florida case

22:01 / 13.10.01

I appear not to be one of them; the results come from blood tests, not the nasal swabs. We're all getting screened again in two weeks (blood, that is).
And the deal is, even if I've got the bacteria on me and in me, the antibiotics will take care of it at this point.

So - no worries.

Monday's 6:30 AM meet for yet another haul down to Miami, that's more of a worry. But it won't be another looong day.

Apparently, I've been quoted in a Newsweek article coming out tomorrow. Weird. I was trying to keep my name out of the press, but the guy got me at a weak spot and it was kinda fun.

22:50 / 13.10.01

Next time you're working in miami and need a sidekick/intern/gopher let me know. Anthrax, BAH!

23:33 / 13.10.01

quote:Originally posted by grant:
I appear not to be one of them; the results come from blood tests, not the nasal swabs. We're all getting screened again in two weeks (blood, that is).
And the deal is, even if I've got the bacteria on me and in me, the antibiotics will take care of it at this point.

Whew again. I'm glad to hear that.

00:54 / 14.10.01

Yeah, me too.

I'm hoping for the best for you, Grant, your co-workers, and everybody who's infected. May Anthrax Cat help you in your time of need. Moo moo monkeys.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:39 / 14.10.01

quote:Originally posted by Rizla Year Zero:

This Anthrax business is completely, completely insane, isn't it..

Yeah... just finished work- the late editions of all the papers were COMPLETELY different as regards the whole Anthrax thing- and that always worries me. The phrase "breaking news" is always a no-no. Suspected (and I stress that word- one of the worst things about this whole thing is the paranoia) cases in three, if not four, states, plus the UK, where a train was evacuated over a biowarfare scare... I mean, don't get me wrong, I LIKED the last episode of Millennium season 2, but I didn't wanna LIVE in it. This whole last month feels like evreyone in the world's having a really weird and unpleasant trip, and we just don't come down off it... I wanna wake up now, please.
BTW, I know this is gonna sound dumb, and I can't believe I'm writing it, but, y'know, just in case... The News of the fucking World has a handy cut-out and keep guide to protection from Anthrax (you have no idea how surreptitiously even I made a copy of that one.) But I beg you- if you're gonna get it, then nick it from a newsagent or something. I don't want to be held responsible for people buying this shit.
And again- Grant- glad y're OK (funny how amongst all this shit the fact that someone I don't even know is alright kind of made my week.)

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:16 / 14.10.01

quote:American investigators probing anthrax outbreaks in Florida and New York believe they have all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack - and have named Iraq as prime suspect as the source of the deadly spores.

Their inquiries are adding to what US hawks say is a growing mass of evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved, possibly indirectly, with the 11 September hijackers.

If investigators' fears are confirmed - and sceptics fear American hawks could be publicising the claim to press their case for strikes against Iraq - the pressure now building among senior Pentagon and White House officials in Washington for an attack may become irresistible.

Sorry, but that all sounds far, far too conveniant...

14:28 / 14.10.01

15:04 / 14.10.01

Convenient? It's totally fucking transparent.

15:33 / 14.10.01

<Alternative Theory Warning>

It occurred to me awhile ago that this looks much much more like a "Unibomber" type of attack rather than anything linked to Bin Laden. Granted, no letters have appeared telling the authorities why the anthrax is being sent to these places, but it looks more like someone with a grudge against media and new media more than an anti-American thing.

The timing is convenient because it is so thoroughly masked by world events.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

</Alternative Theory Warning>

Frances Farmer

18:11 / 14.10.01

Hey, grant... Check in one more time, eh?

I guess there's a few other exposed individuals from the AMI building, and all are going in for a second round of tests. Let us know how you're doin', k?

09:34 / 15.10.01

some thoughts...

i don't know if you have heard about the 'ebola like virus' hammering some of the afghan refugee camps. It was in the news for under 24hours here, and i cant really see CNN or the other media groups passing it round, but its happening. Is it gone? last i heard, 70 people were infected, scheduled to bleed to death from every oriface within 48hours

coded language? Osama's speeches contain secrets for hidden terror cells? doubt it, more like 'he is an enemy of freedom, his opnion is unimportant'

well, good luck with the anthrax recovery, and a big 'hi' to any agents reading this, all you americans should download pgp now, before backdoored versions are all thats available ;>

Frances Farmer

09:44 / 15.10.01

As regards encryption: If you really need it, you're really best off with a one time pad, or your own high-density formula. Even if it's not great, you can guaruntee there is no key escrow for your own stuff.

09:50 / 15.10.01

heres the world health org link http://www.who.int/disease-outbreak-news/n2001/october/CCHF_Pakistan.html

We're The Great Old Ones Now

09:50 / 15.10.01

[shrug] Using news broadcasts and public announcements to send messages to cells is one of the oldest methods in covert operations. If Bin Laden isn't using it somewhere, it would be a surprise.

So assume that it's happening: censor and play safe, or free speech and possible resultant (possibly coordinated) actions?

As to an 'Ebola-like' virus: that would be a bloody disaster. Links, details please.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

09:50 / 15.10.01

From kot's link:

This week, a hospital in Quetta opened a new ward specifically for managing CCHF patients since cases occur each year in the region. As soon as the ward was open, 4 suspected cases were transferred or referred by other health care providers to the new ward. All the cases were from Pakistan, had disease onset within the past week and were not linked. As per the usual procedure, samples have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.The total number of suspected CCHF cases reported in Pakistan in 2001 is 41 cases with 12 deaths (onset March to October). An additional 6 cases with 2 deaths (onset May to August) were persons infected in Afghanistan who were treated in Pakistan. In summary, these recent cases exhibit the typical pattern for this endemic disease.

No cause for alarm yet, thank God. Standy down Mr. Hoffman & chums.

reidcourchie

09:50 / 15.10.01

It's a heamorragic (spelt wrong I know), it's not as leathal as Hibola, it has about a 30% mortality rate and as horrible as it sounds it's business as usual in that area of the world. It's quite common.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

09:50 / 15.10.01

'Hibola'? Is that a trendy new spelling?

reidcourchie

09:50 / 15.10.01

Sorry Ebola, it's a Monday morning what do you expect.

You channeling Haus or something?

10:51 / 15.10.01

There've been more cases. Does anyone know or know a way of finding out it one of them was Grant?
Ideally, of course, Grant himself will soon be on here to debunk my paranoia...

11:44 / 15.10.01

Well grant did say:

quote:
I appear not to be one of them; the results come from blood tests, not the nasal swabs. We're all getting screened again in two weeks (blood, that is).
And the deal is, even if I've got the bacteria on me and in me, the antibiotics will take care of it at this point.

So - no worries.

So ..er.. I guess in all probability he's ok.

And this HAS to be a lone-nut thing rather than Islamic terrorism, doesn't it?

It's difficult to imagine why bad-ass terrorist cells would be fooling around sending relatively non-contagious viruses to supermarket tabloids along with love letters to movie stars and other such madness..

13:09 / 15.10.01

Now this is just bizarre.

quote:In what the FBI calls a strange coincidence, two apartments used by suspected hijackers named in the terrorist attacks were rented to them by a real estate agent married to the editor of the tabloid newspaper where an employee died from anthrax.

The FBI said there is nothing, however, to link the apartments to the anthrax outbreak.
....
The Miami Herald identified the real estate agent as Gloria Irish, wife of Michael Irish, who is editor of The Sun.I have no words.

13:39 / 15.10.01

By the way, according to an article in this Saturday's Chicago Sun-Times, there is some speculation that bin Laden's use of the phrase "I swear to God" was a coded phrase ordering additional attacks. (He said, 'I swear to God, America will not live in peace until Palestine blablabla..').

According to a former Al Quaida operative it's not a phrase he would generally use.

13:47 / 15.10.01

Initial tests of the anthrax found in Florida match strains produced for research purposes in the 1950s at a laboratory in the state of Iowa. – BBC link from Oct 11

It's possible that many months ago anthrax, a small quantity of it was handed over in Prague to Mohamed Atta. ... And the person who handed it over in Prague was an Iraqi," Butler said. "If that proves to be true, there's a connection." – CNN link Oct 15

I don't understand, if Iraq supposedly could make their own anthrax, they would import American-made anthrax, somehow get it to Prague, then back to the States.

Smells funny to me.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

14:04 / 15.10.01

Hibola/Ebola - no, not channeling anyone, just curious. Thought there might actually be an alternative spelling. And since my spelling is pretty bad...

14:17 / 15.10.01

quote:Originally posted by Ierne:
I don't understand, if Iraq supposedly could make their own anthrax, they would import American-made anthrax, somehow get it to Prague, then back to the States.
[/QB]

For a brief period of time, American firms had sold Ag/Med supplies to Iraq, some of which may have been a strain like this. Seems to be a piss-poor bioweapon, though.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

14:50 / 15.10.01

BREAKING NEWS from CNN.com

-- President Bush says Sen. Majority Leader Daschle's office received letter that tested positive for anthrax. Details soon.

16:27 / 15.10.01

IT'S THE REPUBLICANS!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

I'm fine. All tests negative so far. And even if they were positive, no worries.

As I understand it (from a coworker's pediatrician, so take that into account): the blood tests show antigens, but those antigens are *not* anthrax-specific. Could be some (or all) of those were exposed to something related to anthrax, or a very small amount of anthrax sometime in the past, or something like that.

And as long as I'm still on the Cipro (and I am), there's really nothing to worry about. I mean, except for poor digestion, nervousness and weak tendons (some of Cipro's side effects).

I'm home from work today because the FBI is re-interviewing 10 of my 13 coworkers. Tomorrow, wake eeeaarly and truck down to Miami again...
ugh.

Check out the Newsweek anthrax story. I've got one quote. Hope it doesn't tick off my superiors too much.

On Osama and the media, I'm fond of my friend Merle's take on it:
quote:
"...in a day or TWOOOOOOOOooooooo...."

Every time I see silent video of Osama bin Laden calmly talking into a microphone, I fantasize that he's doing a karaoke version of "Take on Me."

I imagine that he's a little drunk, and sort of shy about being in front of people, but didn't want to disappoint the fellow terrorists who put him up to it.

Merle is a powerful memewarrior.

16:54 / 15.10.01

Anthrax Sent To Senate Leader

18:59 / 15.10.01

Breaking news on CNN.com - anthrax spores found in Boca Raton, FL post office.

That's a tangible lead, that is.

20:52 / 15.10.01

grant, man, now c'mon. You should be out there with some attractive if slightly cold readhead investigating strange happenings and telling the FBI what's really going on. Not surfing CNN

23:22 / 15.10.01

they keep showing and talking about the Sun building on the news and I was looking at the people to see if I can spot you on TV but, it dawned on me that I don't know what you look like.

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