Gallows humor kept the Rick’s Picks chat room from slipping into coma yesterday as the stock market went into yet another soporific dirge. With swine flu metastasizing globally by the hour, there was talk of Black Plague, and also this revolting remedy, attributed to the late George Carlin: “The best way to get your kids immunized against almost everything is to go to India and order food off a street vendor, throw the food on the street, then feed it to your kids.”  We much preferred the household remedy of another subscriber, Don C., who considers grapefruit seed extract one of the most potent immune-system boosters commonly available. He says his family has just increased its dosage to 12 drops mixed with six to ten ounces of juice or water, three times daily.  ”It has no side effects and is highly effective,”  notes Don: ”The best precaution I personally know of.”  Detailed, technical information concerning this remedy is available on the Internet.

But do we dare share with you the latest, scarier-than-scary dispatch from Erich Simon, our intrepid bird-flu correspondent? Reading between the headlines, Erich sees pandemic threats that go well beyond what the news media have reported so far. Here’s an excerpt from the e-mail message we received from him yesterday: 

‘News Fatigue’

“Right on schedule, R, Margaret Chan raised the global Pandemic Alert to Phase Four. A couple of observations. First, the decision to raise the alert [originally] was not to have been made until tomorrow, Tuesday. So the situation must be worse than first appeared, and I suspected as much yesterday. Second, Ms. Chan indicated in her summary that the H1N1 in circulation would not necessarily be the virus that would cause the next Pandemic. This is a shocker that has gone over the heads of the mainstream, who according to Bubblevision are suffering from bad news ‘fatigue.’

“The global equity markets would normally be selling down hard after an increase in the Pandemic alert. But these are not normal times. This ‘swine flu’ is a bizarre distraction which beguiles the interpretation of the unfolding Pandemic reality... couched in the common cold. This could not be further from the truth, and when the death count gains notice, then the markets will respond appropriately. For those of us looking to bang a trade, this incongruity presents an opportunity to position for the incipient downside. Pandemic has all along been the greatest threat to global intercourse.

Escape Options

“Pandemic realities are set to unfold these coming days. I am now even more heavily invested in the short side, and am leaving on Wednesday on sojourn to Harrisburg to cement my Pandemic escape options.

“Our government could be doing everything to protect its citizenry: distributing cell phones and walkie-talkies (our number one advantage from 'technology') for proper ‘social distancing’ between neighborhood, household and professional personnel; creating physical-quarantine transitional spaces, beginning at the garage for individual households; setting up air-tight chamber arrays utilizing Visqueen and duct tape; furnishing bio-hazmat suits, and designating decontamination scrub-rooms for household personnel ferrying food and supplies.  These are just a few of the prudent and practical and affordable preparations that the establishment should be budgeting and instructing right now.

“But the United States government has no vested interest in the preservation of its citizens. Quite the opposite. Our government exits onto its own. This will become only too apparent in the events to come.”

***

Rick's Picks publishes a daily trading newsletter for gold, stock, commodity, and mini-index traders 240 times per year. Information and commentary contained herein comes from sources believed to be reliable, but this cannot be guaranteed. Past performance should not be construed as an indicator of future results, so let the buyer beware. Rick's Picks does not provide investment advice to individuals, nor act as an investment advisor, nor individually advocate the purchase or sale of any security or investment. From time to time, its editor may hold positions in issues referred to in this service, and he may alter or augment them at any time. Investments recommended herein should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor, and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Rick's Picks reserves the right to use e-mail endorsements and/or profit claims from its subscribers for marketing purposes. All names will be kept anonymous and only subscribers' initials will be used unless express written permission has been granted to the contrary. All Contents © 2009, Rick Ackerman. All Rights Reserved. www.rickackerman.com 

-- Posted Wednesday, 29 April 2009 | Digg This Article