Odds ‘n Sods:

Diet drinks linked with heart disease, death. This is another case where correlation does not necessarily mean causation. The link has found a higher percentage of disease and death in those who drink diet drinks, but the beverage probably has little to do with it. Those who drink diet beverages generally have an unhealthier lifestyle. I have long wondered if a diet soda and slice of pie was a little bit like matter/antimatter.

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We’ve been here before: The Ebola Outbreak Is Spreading: Pray to God It Doesn’t Hitch A Ride To The West. After three decades in the health care environment, I am not easily scared by bacteria and viruses. Out of all the diseases that are capable of doing us harm, Ebola scares me the most. In fact it terrifies me. – H.L.

HJL Adds: While Ebola is a scary infectious disease, it often is containable because the time from infection to onset of symptoms is relatively short. What is really scary is if something like this mutates into a disease where it is still highly infectious but has a longer incubation time.

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Knife Control Based on Same ‘Irrational Premise’ as Gun Control – G.P.

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Paul Craig Roberts: Pushing Toward The Final War. Interesting article that postulates we are in a similar pattern as the historical beginnings of the first world war. I also found this video: Storm Clouds Gathering. – D.C.

HJL Replies: It also appears to me that the world is primed just as it was in 1929. All that is needed is the initial spark to set the powder keg off. It seems that no one wants to get the blame for setting the “event” off, but everyone keeps kicking it trying to get a reaction.

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Ukrainian Lesson: Fools and Their Guns Are Soon Parted – B.B.