Yes, there is a connection.  

Reports are coming in from across the country that cases of West Nile Virus have increased.

From MSNBC.com:

CONCORD, Calif. - Standing on the edge of a swimming pool gone bad, public health worker Jeremy Tamargo scoops up a sample of murky, brown water to make sure the mosquito treatment he administered earlier is still working.

A collection of plastic toys stashed in a corner of the yard and a stuffed toy floating forlornly in the swampy water indicate a family once played here, until foreclosure forced a move.

Now the once-sparkling, turquoise jewel is a "green pool," a legacy of the foreclosure crisis — and a breeding ground for millions of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes that have kept health officials busy in California and elsewhere.

More below the fold....

If this has been diaried already, then please forgive me, but I didn't see it anywhere here.

From Think Progress:

Speaking at the Campus Progress journalism conference earlier this month, Seymour Hersh — a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker — revealed that Bush administration officials held a meeting recently in the Vice President’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran.

HERSH: There was a dozen ideas proffered about how to trigger a war. The one that interested me the most was why don’t we build — we in our shipyard — build four or five boats that look like Iranian PT boats. Put Navy seals on them with a lot of arms. And next time one of our boats goes to the Straits of Hormuz, start a shoot-up.

Might cost some lives. And it was rejected because you can’t have Americans killing Americans. That’s the kind of — that’s the level of stuff we’re talking about. Provocation. But that was rejected.

Thank you for asking Barack Obama to take an overseas trip.  Thank you for telling him he needed to look at the situation on the ground in Iraq.  Thank you for pushing him to visit the Middle East and Europe.

Thank you for giving him a chance to show us what he is made of.

Thank you for giving him an opportunity to show us all just how Presidential he can be.

More below...

This is just for fun - a friend challenged me to write up a list of McCain's "Greatest Hits" for an album cover, so here it is, with thanks to Sturangedaze, a Navy Mom, and our friend ArchitectWolf.

Also, thanks go to Timelad, for his adjusted and updated map of McCain's "World".

Biggest thanks, of course, to Keith Olbermann and Countdown, for keeping us all informed.

More below the fold...

What do you say when someone you care about tells you they're voting for McCain?  What do you say to someone who wants to vote for the man who would continue Bush's destructive policies - or worse?

Copy this diary and show it to them.  If you can get them to read the whole thing, it might just give them pause.

More below the fold...

So who is John McCain?  What does he believe in?  What should we know about him before November?

I put together a list of issues that I believe are important - issues regarding McCain and his fitness to lead this nation.  At first, I thought that there wasn't enough to write an entire diary about, but I was absolutely and utterly wrong.  

There are so many things we should know about John McCain that I will likely have to write several diaries, just to do them all justice.

I've heard a lot of talk lately about patriotism, and what the real definition is.  Well, I have my own ideas about that issue.

Barack Obama was castigated for not wearing a flag lapel pin.  Well, I say "Good!"  Anyone who is wearing less than 35 flag pins should be called out.  

Any True Patriot knows that there are rules, and these rules should be followed by ALL Americans, all the time!

Are you a True Patriot?  Read the new rules, and see if YOU qualify!

For the first time in my life, I am terrified by the prospect of our next Presidential election.  I have never looked forward to an election with as much hope and longing as I do this one, but I am also filled with foreboding and fear.

Mississippi has redefined the word insanity.  A new law in that state will make it illegal as of July 1, 2008 for a restaurant or eating establishment that can seat more than five (5) people to serve those who are overweight.

It doesn't matter why the person is heavy - it doesn't matter how far they may be from home.  The only criteria is whether or not they are considered "obese".

More information and a link to the bill below the fold.

I have a question for all who care to answer.

Do you believe in your candidate?  Truly and honestly?  Do you believe your candidate is the best choice for President?

Think about that for a moment, and then read on....

This is my tribute to one of the most intelligent and honest men on television.  

Keith Olbermann inspires me, and has for some time now.  Watching his show inspired me enough that I was able to get back to my artwork, as you can see by my pencil drawing of him above.

The first time I saw one of his Special Comments, I was stunned, and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word.  I watched it all the way through, and when it was over I couldn’t speak.  I sat there and stared at the screen for a few minutes, trying to digest what I had just seen.

I’m going to start this diary off in an odd way, but please bear with me.  

I have allergies.  Multiple allergies.  When I had skin testing done, it turned out that I was allergic to nearly everything they tested me for.  This means that when I buy soaps and detergents, I have to buy those that are "free and clear", meaning they have no dyes or perfumes to irritate my skin, or that make it difficult to breathe.

It hit me just today – I’m allergic to the whole political process in America these days.  I am irritated by the entire Presidential campaign of "business as usual".  I want someone who is different, someone who is "free and clear".  

Free of ties to corporations.  Free of campaign contributions from special interests.  Free of the destructive influence of the mass media.

Someone with a clear conscience, a clear vision of what is needed to bring our country back to where it belongs, not only in our priorities, but in the eyes of the world.

Who is this one person?

I recently read Al Gore's book "The Assault on Reason".  An excellent book indeed, and it underscores for me the importance of having a strong and intelligent leader in 2009.  We need someone who can recognize problems before they become too serious to overcome.  We need an intelligent leader, but even more than that, we need someone with wisdom and foresight, someone ethical and compassionate.

I believe Al Gore is that person, and I would truly like to see him run for President in 2008, and reclaim what was rightfully his.

For that reason, I have written a letter to Vice President Gore, asking him to run for President, to please consider joining the race.  Anyone who is willing to add their names to this letter, please email me at Diogenes2008@aol.com, and I will add you to the list.  I plan to send this letter by the end of this week, on September 21st.

Here is the letter, as it stands now:

On September 11, 2001, our country was attacked by terrorists.  We all remember that day, and I doubt any of us will ever forget the horror we experienced.  What I also remember is that we came together as a country, and decided that we would not let fear of the terrorists rule us.  We would live our lives as they were meant to be lived, without looking over our shoulders every moment, waiting for the next attack.  We would not give the terrorists that power over us.

I am afraid of terrorists to a degree... but I am even more afraid of the Bush administration, which seems bent on destroying our country more effectively than any terrorist attack ever could.

Perfection

Who is perfect?  I will make no claim to be, and I don’t know of anyone who can claim that distinction.  Yet we as Americans seem to be searching for the "perfect" candidate.  No flaws, no problems, no mistakes made – ever.  

Searching for perfection is indeed a fool’s game.  We will never find a perfect candidate, so we must instead search for that candidate who comes closest to what we as Americans want and need.  

Thomas Jefferson once said "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."  

Evidently, this administration does not agree with Thomas Jefferson.  George W. Bush seems to feel that we should all stand behind him and his policies, no matter how damaging they might be for our nation.  He has even stated that if we are not with him, we are "against him".  Coming from a President of the United States, that is an incredible statement.  This country was founded on the principles of freedom, and one of those freedoms is the right to speak our minds; the right to say what we believe.