Swine Flu from Mexico reaching Pandemic level?

[Kevin]

Reports indicate that recent rff member Jack Ketchup drove down to Mexico in a rented Chevy Impala, poured salsa picante on hired lesbian models, took pictures of these and sent retouched versions to big news agencies around the world.

Then he joined this forum, dpreview, apug and pnet to inform us that we're all gonna die real soon!

 

[xayraa33]

Reports indicate that recent rff member Jack Ketchup drove down to Mexico in a rented Chevy Impala, poured salsa picante on hired lesbian models, took pictures of these and sent retouched versions to big news agencies around the world.

Then he joined this forum, dpreview, apug and pnet to inform us that we're all gonna die real soon!

We are all going die eventually, might as well surround yourself with lesbians and salsa if it makes you happy.

 

[climbing_vine]

"CDC estimated that about 36,000 people died of flu-related causes each year, on average, during the 1990s in the United States."

Until they start stacking up the bodies the swine flu seems more like a media event than anything else.

Right, out of many millions that get it. Part of the alarming thing here is that at first blush from the Mexico reports it seemed conceivable that it was lethal in as many as 1/10 of the known cases. Coupled with the fact that it seems to be an emergent strain, which means two things: that there's not a lot of immunity barrier to quick transmission, and that it can get ugly much quicker than the usual suspects (flu is a quick-mutating virus, and the further away it is from strains usually present in humans, the closer it is to a mutation that will be catastrophic).

Not to say any of it is likely. But the potential for harm is a lot more than the usual flu season stuff, so it's only prudent to pay attention.

That doesn't mean that the coverage hasn't been hysterical. Of course it has. It's the media, what do you expect? It's been this way for as long as printing presses have existed. In every age, from every part of the political (or mostly apolitical, money-grubbing) perspective. "Stupid media" is the biggest diversionary strawman of modern discourse if ya ask me. Just cause CNN, Fox, and the blogs are hyperventilating doesn't mean something *isn't* bad.

 

[Bob Michaels]

We are all going die eventually, might as well surround yourself with lesbians......

If I knew I am going to die and had the option to surround myself with women, I would not choose lesbians.

 

[xayraa33]

If I knew I am going to die and had the option to surround myself with women, I would not choose lesbians.

yes, but I am a lesbian.

 

[pachuco]

WHO? A useless organization that needs to hype stuff like this to justify their existence.

I must read these posts to fast. I thought WHO was just the word "who" put in all caps to emphasize the point. I was very confused there for a few moments.

 

[Al Patterson]

Well I’d go to amber alert, but it means changing the bulb

Please, don't get me started on the Homeland Security color-coded alerts....

Hey, with a new administration, maybe we can have some different colors defined. A puce or mauve alert could be interesting. And why can't we use infra-red or ultra violet?

 

[Al Patterson]

The coverage has reached pandemic levels, that's for sure.
I wonder if there is a vaccine for "Sweeps Flu?"

This post made my day. I laughed so hard I almost spat Pinot Grigio all over my keyboard...

On a normal day, we just have epidemic level news coverage, regardless of the topic covered.

Yeah, the vaccine for "Sweeps Flu" is called the "Off Button".

 

[rgpadron]

Crap! We just booked a trip down to Los Cabos for two weeks one month from now (May 25th).

Right now there's no plan to cancel, but who knows only time will tell.

Perhaps daily mega-doses of tequila will keep me safe.

Note to self: Bring autofocus camera.

About tequila, if it doesn't heal you, it will make you forget about it!