Friday, October 31, 2014

SAR #14303

The future changes the next morning." Wm Gibson

Sticks & Stones: Secretary Kerry is upset that an anonymous US official has called Netanyahu “chickenshit”, because it was disrespectful. To chickens. 
A More Perfect Union: It is disingenuous to blame teachers and teachers' unions for not being able to overcome all the obstacles that school administrators, state and local governments and politicians of all stripes hurl in their way as they try to educate that great proportion of their students who are so poor the schools have to feed them the only two meals a day that they get, who live in broken homes and – all too often - parked cars. If teachers' unions are the problem, why is it that education in the poorly paid poorly unionized south sucks so badly? Why is it that kids taught by highly paid, mostly unionized socialist countries in Europe do so much better? Could it be the parents? The economy? The society that gives only lip service to actually caring?

On The List: Another thing global warming may bring us is the revival of ancient viral diseases that have been in the deep freeze for hundreds of years.

There'll Always Be An England: Investigation of years if not decades of the sexual exploitation of children in parts of Greater Manchester suggests that it has become the 'social norm' in parts of the city. Pity.

How Sweet It Is: Most of the four billion dollars being spent to buy the 2014 elections has come from secret donors, courtesy of the Roberts court.

A Victory for Democracy: The Ukraine elections were won by the oligarchs and various neo-Nazis. The US is pleased that the people have spoken. Exactly as they were supposed to.

Hell/Handbasket: Not to be outdone by the idiots currently in charge in Oz, where every phone call, email and internet page visited will be recorded and kept for at least two years, the newly triumphant right wing government in NZ has abolished workers' right to a tea break during the workday.

Quoted: “As I have said and will continue to say: there is something wrong with anyone who votes for the candidates of today's Republican Party.”

Thursday, October 30, 2014

SAR #14302

Bully Pulpits: What part of 'tested negative' don't you understand, governor?

Over There: After serving in West African Ebola areas, US soldiers are being quarantined in Vicenza, Italy. Why? Well, not because the Italians invited them. Mostly because it's not America.

Let Them Eat Cake: Italy and the UK are both stepping back from their efforts to rescue asylum seekers crossing the Med from Africa, because the promise of being pulled from the sea was only encouraging more to risk their lives.

Mister Rogers: Now that the privatized US space program has blown up in everyone's face, Russia has offered to help the US get stuff up to the space station. Part of the Good Neighbor program.

Moving Right Along: Australian keeps moving farther to the right. Now the government wants to allow cops to search homes for minor offenses like theft and believing in global warming. It also wants to give them the power to demand DNA samples from anyone suspected of a crime. The Environment Minister says that no study is needed before dumping crap on the internationally significant Carley Valley wetlands – claiming he could just recycle the excuses previously used to justify dumping crap on the Great Barrier Reef. In Tasmania it is now illegal to protest against mining, agriculture, construction and forestry operations. Australia has also banned entry to visitors from Ebola-affected west African nations and all science-infected westerners. 
Rainy Day: A German bank has begun charging big depositors 0.25% negative interest to keep their cash in the bank. Ah, Germany, the new Switzerland.

Thanks, But No Thanks: The Iraqi government has rejected a US plan to build a military base in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. They don't want an American presence further emboldening the Kurds and America really doesn't need to openly aid all three sides in Iraq.

Distinction/Difference: Pope Francis says he's not a Communist, just following the Gospel.

Trigger Treat: In Utah a 22 year-old black man dressed as a Japanese anime character was shot and killed by cops because he was black and had a sword. The sword was part of the costume and some of the shots were in the guy's back. In a Ft. Campbell, KY, military housing area a family decorated their front yard with three three figures, with black trash bags where their faces should be, hanging by their necks from trees.

Rosumovi Univerzální Roboti: Germany is developing 'smart factories' – completely automated factories that will churn out products without having to put up with employees. Think of the profits! Assuming, of course, that someone else still employs workers and pays them enough so they can buy the stuff the robots are building.

Headline:Dwarf Stripper Gets Bride-To-Be Pregnant at Bachelorette Party.” I eloped. Didn't know what I was missing.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

SAR #14301

Trade Secrets: Pope Francis acknowledged that evolution was an accurate description of the way God has created life on this planet and the Big Bang theory is a reasonable account of how the universe was created out of nothing, in an instant. He also admitted that God is not some sort of wizard who operates outside the rules of physics. This will all be retracted by this time tomorrow. 
Just Sayin' The earth's natural resources won't be able to support the world population within 100 years. They say. Optimists. 
Pieces In Our Time: Israel is planning to build over a thousand new settler homes in East Jerusalem, to which the US is strongly opposed. No matter, Netanyahu says that Israel will build anywhere in Jerusalem that it wants. The EU says that future relations with Israel will be conditioned on progress towards a two state solution. It's called 'negotiating'.

Two Steps Back: Pakistani the government sucked up to the Taliban and removed secular material from textbooks, littered chemistry texts with ridiculous and inappropriate quotes from the Koran and deleted any reference to non-Muslim rulers. 
Two-fer: Australia has banned entry to visitors from Ebola-affected nations in West Africa and science infected visitors from everywhere. 
On the Cheap: The US Defense Department claims that the air war against ISIS is costing about $8 million a day. Not true, but there's really no way of knowing. The DoD finances this war, and several others, out of the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, an accounting-free slush fund that amounts to $85 billion in non-accountable funds, annually. 
Driving Tip: Avoid Pennsylvania. 
Stupid and Weird: Because some ignorant folks think that pumpkins and candy corn are the tools of Satan and lead little children straight to Hell, elementary school students in many communities can no longer enjoy a day of costumed fun. I suppose it is somehow legal for these freaks warp their own defenseless children, but they have no right to impose their idiotic fears on the public at large. Public officials (such as school principals) who are too weak to stand up to these people should be summarily dismissed as unacceptable role models for our children.

Overreach: The FCC, unable to regulate serious money in political campaigns thanks to the Roberts' Court, has turned to trying to regulate the political content of Youtube videos. Lots of luck.

Being Prepared: The cops in Ferguson, MO, expecting that their fellow police officer is going to get away with murder, have stockpiled $25,000 worth of teargas, $18,000 in non-lethal ammo, $77,000 for riot gear and batons to beat civilians with, and only $2,300 worth of plastic handcuffs. They're only planning to handcuff the survivors. 
99 Bottles Of Beer: Research shows that 40% (2 million barrels) of the oil BP spilled into the Gulf in 2010 is still laying around on the Gulf's sea floor killing this and that. BP took issue with the findings.

Success: Texas’ strict ID/Voter law (with the encouragement and admiration of the Roberts' Supreme Court) is expected to disenfranchise over half a million voters, mostly poor and members of minorities. In Texas, Democrats are a minority.

Good News, Guys! Sleeping with numerous women protects men from prostate cancer, study reveals I'm good, you?

Porn O'Graph: Bottom feeders.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

SAR #14300

Our biggest problem is the solutions.

Science Is Hard: TEPCO officials have acknowledged that radioactivity levels in water from a well “a few meters” from the long defunct Fukushima #2 reactor have suddenly spiked 800 or 900 times above the previous reading, nearly a 100,000% increase. They say they don't know why but are willing to blame a typhoon. Or global warming. Or maybe Taylor Swift.

Upgrade: ISIS reportedly now has Chinese-made FN-6 antiaircraft missiles, provided by our good friends in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, that can easily shoot down commercial aircraft.

Election Platform: Give the police the power to punish unemployment by imposing forced labor on the parasites. And if a farmer tries to leave the farm, strip him of everything and make him a serf, tied to the land. No, not the GOP, this is Belarussian President Lukashenko's plan. But it translates. And would be popular with a lot more here than is comfortable.

Miracle Cure: Doctor, Dictator, Governor Christie released kidnapped detainee nurse after she threatened to sue. 
Noted: 50% of American workers earn less than $28,031 a year and 39% made less than $20,000, real median US household income has declined steadily since 2000, while those making over $50 million a year got an average raise of $23.8 million last year. Anybody running for office in your neighborhood mention this?

Deal Me In: Studies indicate that certain cocoa compounds reverse age-related memory loss. Bring on the chocolate. And wine, red wine.

Volunteers: There are, it's claimed, trillions in cash around the world just waiting the call to come and fix the crumbling US infrastructure. But wait; that 'cash' isn't just sitting around doing nothing, and to get it to 'fix' US infrastructure bigger returns would be needed. Like tolls and such. Privatization, or as it's better known, screw the public.

Porn O'Graph: Back to the future.

Monday, October 27, 2014

SAR #14299

Wilful ignorance is a form of implied consent.

A Little Draconian: Governors Christie (NJ) and Cuomo (NY) insist they are going to put everyone returning from West Africa who admits “contact” with Ebola victims in jail quarantine for 21 days. No trial, no charges, just forcible detention without cause or appeal. The fact you are certifiably virus-free is no defense. How is this different than kidnapping? No ransom demand.

Business As Usual: The CIA has apparently deleted all record of the agency's spying on US Senate computers. Never happened. 
Euro, or Euro Not: European banks are failing their stress tests and need another $20 billion plus in capital while Europe's economy tanks. French unemployment is at all time highs, London's ritzy housing market has caught cold, and Germany continues to pretend there's no problem it can't make worse with more austerity for others.

Evidence: In an eloquent disproof of the Intelligent Design argument, a Colorado man who had dropped a lit cigarette in his lap jumped from the car, fell, and had his own vehicle run over his head. Where's Darwin when you need him?

Out of Africa: As of Friday, 10/24, there have been 18 cases of Ebola reported outside of Africa; 4 dead, 10 recovered and 4 in treatment. Of the 18 cases, all of the dead and at least 9 others contracted the disease in West Africa. 
Here & Now: Cops say that stealing nude photos from female arrestees' phones is a ‘game’. Okay, but why are all these women driving around with nude pictures of themselves on their phones? 
Wallet Wars: It was bad enough when your Apple Pay wallet was charging you twice for everything. Now, at least at CVS and Rite Aid, you can't even get charged once. No, it is not (for once) Apple's fault. CVS and Rite Aid have the technology, they just want you to use the wireless pay system they are developing in competition with Square, Google, Softcard and Apple. Even Walmart is dragging its feet, for after all, it's their money you're carrying around. Cash is so last century. And relatively secure, too.

Greater Good: What is more dangerous for democracy – that one fraudulent vote should be counted or that one citizen is not allowed to vote? And in reality, the numbers are more likely 1 to several thousand.

Mentioned In Dispatches: The US and Great Britain have officially ended all military operations in Afghanistan. Officially. Reminds me of what the Colonel said when I pointed out that we were at least 25 clicks inside Cambodia: “There are no US troops in Cambodia.” 
You've Been Served: When officials in Stettin, WI – population 2,527 – wanted to collect an $80,000 judgment from a 75 year-old farmer, they sent 24 armed officers and an armored military vehicle. Officials said this was the fifth time the MARV had been used and that it worked like a charm.

Waddling Off To War: Only 30% of US youth meet military recruitment standards. The military is considering relaxing its requirements as more and more combat operations are run from padded swivel chairs in air conditioned offices.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

SAR #14297

Globalization, Sovereignty, Democracy; pick one.

Too Little For Too Much: Tanking up the guzzler is almost fun these days, with oil at $80 a barrel and gasoline under $3. But what if these aren't the good times, but the beginning of the really bad times? How many new fields won't be found, wells won't be drilled because there's no profit in it? At what point does the decline of the Russian economy become the collapse of the Putin era? How long can even the well-off producers like the Saudis tolerate immense budget deficits because they were relying on $100 oil? What happens to the 'excess supply' from US shale if no new drilling replaces the rapidly declining current wells? In short, how long can we afford cheap oil? In the long term, cutting exploration and development now due to low profitability will lead to even higher costs later on if/when the economy shows signs of life. And the higher prices for the new oil will reduce the funds available for other uses – like developing alternative fuels - and tank the economy again. 
Friendly Persuasion: The European Union, with no discussion nor much explanation, has told Great Britain to fork over an extra €2.1bn because the Brits' GDP rose more than expected. France and Germany both will get rebates from their previous levies while struggling Italy and flat-broke Greece were also told to pay more. PM Cameron has flat refused to pay. 
Nobody Knows Nothing:Make no mistake that what we’re experiencing now has literally nothing to do with global growth, earnings or valuations. Psychology is driving this market and it is truly fascinating to watch.”

Blue Light Special: The holding company that owns Sears and Kmart is closing 55 Kmarts, 30 Sears and 31 Sears Auto Center stores and laying off over 6,000 employees. Before Christmas. 
Hey, Vegetarians! When caterpillars start chomping on plants, the plants exude mustard oils to ward off the predators. They don't say ouch, but they are fighting for their lives, which should give a moment's pause to those who won't eat meat because...

Tell Or Show: By early December the Obama administration must convince a federal judge that there are compelling reasons to keep secret some of 2,100 graphic pictures of the US military torturing prisoners or the judge will compel the government to release the photos to the public.

Your Call Has Been Forwarded: A man in Utah called the local suicide hotline, which called the cops, who sent the SWAT team, which talked to the man for seven hours and then shot him. It's unclear who won. 
Zombiefication: Australian doctors have completed the world's first “dead heart transplant”, just in time for Halloween. Doctors are optimistic that the procedure will work.

Thinning The Herd: The Secret Service conned a Romanian hacker to fly to Boston to meet up with an agent who pretended to be a woman in email exchanges. The hacker, three cartons of grape-flavored condoms in hand, was arrested at the Boston airport.

Truth In Libelling: Supermarket companies and biotech firms like Dupont and Monsanto are outspending advocates of mandatory labeling of GMO foods $25 million to $600,000 in Oregon and Colorado. Because you don't need to know what you're eating.

Porn O'Graph: Three easy pieces.

Friday, October 24, 2014

SAR #14296

Nature is far more creative than we are.

Yes, But:We are a proud democracy, a welcoming and peaceful nation, and a country of open arms and open hearts. We are a nation of fairness, justice and the rule of law. We will not be intimidated into changing that”. So said Canadian MP Justin Trudeau, as PM Stephen Harper pushed the Maple Leaf edition of the Patriot Act through parliament. He did not, however, tell Canadians to go shopping. 
Alert: North Korea has banned all tourists in the country in fear of an Ebola outbreak. Both of them were disappointed.

CAT's Out of the Bag: Caterpillar has raised its earnings forcast for this year and said that sales may gain in 2015 if the world's economy doesn't fall apart. Most of the improvement in its per-share earnings comes from its enormous buy-back program. CAT is on schedule to spend $10 billion repurchasing its stock, instead of investing in its business. It's called 'buying growth'. 
Touching Base: Unemployment claims were up 17,000 last week, the CPI was up a measly 0.1% in September and 1.7% over the last year, thus Social Security recipients will get a 1.7% raise come January. (Celebrate responsibly) and real hourly wages fell in September, the sixth time in the last 7 months that wages stagnated. 
Seconded: Speaking at the UN, Noam Chomsky said that it would be nice if the United States lived up to international law. Surprising, too.

Finally: The US is “threatening sanctions” on countries and companies buying oil from the Islamic State – which at a million dollars a day from the oil and hundreds of millions in free American armaments courtesy of fleeing Iraqi troops is the wealthiest bunch of terrorists ever. Well, non-state terrorists.

Hand Me The Decoder Ring: When Britain's largest retailer, Tesco, reported a 92% fall in pre-tax profits, the CEO said that a mysterious black hole had appeared in its profits. That's a quote. So's this, as the big guy reassures us: "My decision reflects the important principle of accountability on behalf of the board and will support the company to draw a line under the past as it enters the next phase of its development... Consideration will be given to all options which increase flexibility and create value for customers and shareholders." He also said he would be spending more time with his family.

Tippie Toes: Under new regulations in the UK, computer users who damage national security, human welfare, the economy or the environment can be imprisoned for life. What constitutes “damage” and how much of this undefined act would trigger arrest were not detailed. “Trust us” seems to be the byword. Because they don't trust you.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

SAR #14295

Protecting Democracy: Turkey, in a move aimed at "strengthening the guarantee of public liberties and security", will now jail demonstrators found to be in possession of banned objects such as “stones and other sharp objects” or suspected of possessing such things, or guilty of talking about demonstrations on public social media will be arrested, “without concrete evidence”, and then be sentenced to four years in jail. Presumably after being found guilty of something. That this law follows an ALEC model designed for the US states was not immediately verified. 
Spineless: Half of the world's vertebrate wildlife population has disappeared in the last 40 years. We're winning!

Privatization: Maine Governor Paul 'Company Store' LePage wants to sell students' loans to their employers because it could be “a very profitable operation” for the state. Certainly would simplify garnishing their wages.

Tarred Heels: For 18 years athletes at the University of North Carolina have been guided into classes in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies which do not meet, have no professors, and give A's and B's to everyone, especially football and basketball players. The theory is that no one in the University's administration knew this was happening, and no one above the rank of water-boy in the Athletic department had a clue either. 
Revisionism: Now the National Institute of Health says you should eat more fat. As far as the previous decades-long campaign against fat, well that “belief system didn't pan out.”

Loyalty: In KY, Senator Mitch McConnell's campaign (McConnell himself, as usual, knew nothing) paid his former campaign manager $100,000 this summer, some of it on the day he resigned because of his involvement in a bribery scheme in Iowa. In SD, Governor Mike Rounds (another Republican) acknowledged that he knew Richard Benda, one of his cabinet, was going to work for Northern Beef meatpackers when he gave the company a $600,000 low cost state loan, $225,000 of which went directly to Benda. The plant is now out of business; Benda is not.

Lunch Money: Russia wants Ukraine to get a couple of billion dollars from the EU or the US and give it to them. And soon. This week. Or no gas.

Rights, His, Yours & Mine: A California man with tattoos covering his arms, shoulder and neck thinks it should be illegal for employers to discriminate against him because of his tattoos. Tattoos are voluntary. Body piercings are voluntary. Being fat is pretty much voluntary. Declining to hire people because of the things they voluntarily do is also voluntary.

Margin: Republican MI Gov. Snyder has signed a bill banning Tesla from selling its cars directly to customers and saving them the money that Snyder's donors would make by jacking up the prices. 
Spoiled of War: Pretty much in lockstep with the failure of the US war in Afghanistan, the effort to eradicate poppy cultivation in the country was also a complete bust; the $7.6 billion US effort has resulted a record-level opium crop this year.

Listen Carefully: The Australian government says that blocking websites is not the same as filtering web content. But then, of late the Australian government has been saying a lot of silly things.

Porn O'Graph: Send in the subs.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

SAR #14294

Six of One: A new study suggests that consuming lots of sugar – say by drinking lots of soda – damages your telomeres - yeah, the thingies on the ends of your chromosomes – which in turn seems to increase aging. Implies that the drinking lots of soda may not be a Good Idea. The American Tobacco Beverage Association declined an interview about the study, but insists the researchers did not find a “conclusive” link between soda and cell aging. And a couple of weeks ago it was diet soda (aspartame) that would give you Alzheimer's. Water, anyone?

Crouch Potatoes: Texas says there is no need for the EPA to regulate smog because people spend “90% of their time indoors'. Not to worry, Congressional Republicans have been paid to oppose any new EPA regulations that might improve people's health. 
Our Gang: “It just seems to me that a billionaire can come in and get whatever he wants and run roughshod over average millionaires like myself.”

Bully Pulpit: Paul Krugman suddenly discovered that Amazon has “robber-barron-type market power' over its suppliers, and finds this reprehensible and unAmerican. Duh. The whole point of capitalism is to corner the market and then use your market power to increase your profits. Just ask the Waltons. Does it hurt America? You bet. Do Americans object? Yes, but only in theory – not at the register. Did Amazon grow and prosper because of tax breaks and unfair competition? Yes, but they passed some of the savings on to their customers, so who cares? If you like capitalism, you gotta love monopolies. Why has it taken Krugman so long to catch on to the capitalists' end game? Were they discounting his books?

Classification: Did you know that one out of three Americans is listed in the FBI master criminal database? Note that this is the master list of criminals and not the list of master criminals. Are you on the list? Are you sure?

Seeds Of Doubt: The most distrusted sources for news in the US of A are: Rush Limbaugh, FOX News, Glenn Beck, MSNBC.... way down the list, after the NYTimes, come Al Jazera – after NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN. Seems pretty accurate to me. 
Hard Time: A Kentucky prison guard charged with 25 counts of sexually abusing female prisoners, selling controlled substances to inmates and 50 other counts of official misconduct has been sentenced to probation. “He’s really eager to put this behind him.

Correction: Jesus was wrong, the rich can get into heaven. In fact they go to the head of the line. We're sorry for any confusion our previjous reporting may have caused.

So-so Mobility: In today's them-vs-us society, a college degree only increases your chance of genteel poverty.

Porn O'Graph: An Apple a day.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

SAR #14293

Food has to be paid for.

Business As Unusual: It's become obvious that asset prices cannot remain at their QE inspired levels without the continuing creation. Of free money. The tantrums may elicit a few more promises from central bankers, but they have a certain hollow ring to them. The desperate will cling to their belief that daddy won't take the keys away, but he will, and there will be hell to pay. If disinflation/deflation and the slowing of economies globally scare you, good - you've been paying attention. Welcome to “the new mediocre.” And don't get too excited about cheap gasoline – that's not going to last long either, because too much supply – shale oil, oil sands mining, deep offshore, Arctic - is being priced out, too many producers need higher prices, Putin will grow restive as his subjects do, and it is always possible, remotely, that cheap oil may revive the global economy for a bit. For now about $80 is the floor price, but it will climb to $100 or more in a few months. Then the economy will stall again. Ebola isn't the only long term crisis we're facing. And then there's global warming...

Moral Turpitude: Residents of Watervliet, NY have to give their Facebook passwords to the cops if they want to get a pistol permit. Talk about needing self-defense.

Mirror Image: Taking a hint from Republican redistricting in the US, Hong Kong's leader says that letting his successor be elected by popular vote would run the risk of letting the poor dominate the process. In the same vein, there is a suspicion that China may be hacking every iPhone user in the country just like the NSA does here.

Quoted: “The economic outlook keeps getting better and better.” John Williams, president of the San Francisco Fed and noted wearer of rose colored glasses.

Progress Report: If NBC wants to broadcast the 2022 Olympics, they'll have to build the facilities – no city or country seems eager to waste the hundreds of millions of dollars it takes to suffer the honor of being hoist host.

Scale: Over the weekend the 27th anniversary of 1987 stock market crash went uncelebrated. To equal that particular day the Dow would now have to drop about 3700 points. In one day.

Good Ole Boy: Mike Hubbard, speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives and a leader in the state Republican Party, has been arrested and charged with using his office for personal gain, soliciting bribes, and about 20 other things.

Now It Can Be Told: Sex originated in Scotland, and like Scotch, it seemed to take a bit of effort to get used to it.

Monday, October 20, 2014

SAR 14292

Town Crier: Goldman Sachs sees the global economy sliding deeper into “the ‘Slowdown’ phase, with momentum (barely) positive and declining."

Serfing: FedEx insists that the delivery drivers who work for them don't work for them. This allows them to deny these non-employees overtime pay, health insurance and even Social Security coverage, a leading example of how little you matter in our brave new world. Yes, you. 
Matriculation: Clemson University is requiring students and faculty to tell the administration how often and with how many people they have had sex with in the past three months. I'm looking forward to discovering what the passing scores are.

Being Prepared: In the interests of efficiency, the big banks would like you to start getting your money together now in order to give it to them next spring when they bring the economy to its knees once again. They'll probably need more than last time.

En Passant: US corporations used to pay about 1/3 of all federal taxes. Now it's 10% and all they do is bitch, bitch , bitch and hide off-shore.

Friends Like These: Obama and Turkish President Erdoğan has a “constructive and fruitful” phone discussion and agreed to continue their cooperation against ISIL. Except Erdoğan continues to refuse to let the US send aid to the Kurds fighting ISIS and claims that for the US to meet with Syrian Kurds is “unacceptable.”

Graffiti: On a per-capita basis, Mississippi locks up more of its people than do China and Russia combined and most of those incarcerated are black. Go figure. 
The one certainty is that there is no certainty. Demetrius.

Counting Down: A 21-day Ebola quarantine may not be sufficient. Data suggests that there could be up to a 12% chance that someone could begin showing symptoms of Ebola after 21 days from exposure. Experts also say the Ebola virus is becoming more virulent within the infected, thus more contagious. "We have a worst-case scenario, and you don't even want to know."
The WHO fears between 5,000 and 10,000 new cases reported a week by December; there could be over half a million, maybe twice that, infected in West Africa alone by the new year. When it spreads to the slums of major cities in the Far East, which is likely, plus any number of other places in the world with armed conflict, poor central governmental control and broken health and social systems... “that would be like a bad science fiction movie.”

There is no reason to expect it to subside of its own accord, nor to expect it to come under control in the absence of a far larger effort to stop it than is in evidence today. 
The damage is not as much in the number of deaths (even though the number of deaths so far has been seriously under-reported) as much as in the panic it creates and all the disruption it creates in trade and travel,”

There has been an outpouring of promises, Britain has pledged more than £125 million, and Cameron wrote to other EU leaders to try to raise $1.275 billion. But the follow up on the lip service is lacking. The US intends to send 3,000 troops to construct needed facilities, but does not intend to staff them. A 70 bed unit needs a staff of 165 trained support personnel, nurses, aides and doctors. None of which have been identified nor recruited nor trained. 
Logistically each of these facilities will go through 100 sets of overalls, sheets, gowns, hoods and so on every day. The monthly cost will run about a million dollars a month for each 50-bed unit. By January the 100,000 needed beds will cost over a billion dollars a month, maybe two. So far $200,000 (from Columbia) has been given. China and Cuba have volunteered about 450 trained personnel. This is not enough.

This is just the beginning for Ebola; AIDS has killed at least 35 million of us so far and still kills more in 10 days than have died from Ebola so far this year. Panic responsibly.