H1N1 - the same influenza subtype that caused the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak that killed an estimated 20 - 100 million people. Ok, that's a pretty big range, but at its lowest, 20 million is a lot of people. For perspective, WW1 ended in 1918, and it took about 15 million lives. I think the war ended because everyone was running out of men.
Anyway...
As much as I'm trying to avoid it, I keep hearing the media panic about 'swine flu'. Swine flu? Is that the best they could come up with? A bunch of students caught it in Mexico, why not call it Mexican flu? But that did get me thinking...
Symptoms of swine flu, (taken from cdc.gov)
Fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Contrast that to drinking the water in Mexico:
Fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
ok ok, I kid. But seriously, chew on this: The CDC issued a statement saying that about 36,000 people die from the regular flu every year.
That's 692 people per week.
That's 98 people per day.
So far, swine flu has killed about 8 people. (They suspect 168, but again, that's a pretty wide margin of error, and they can only confirm 8)
The world is run by a bunch of worthless fearmongering idiots...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Slack
My professors have been cutting me a lot of slack lately. Frankly, I appreciate it. Especially after that bug I got visiting my parents for the weekend. I find that whenever I visit for a holiday weekend, I always suffer through the drive home.
My niece gave my sister chocolate. She gave me a sore throat.
This never happens when there isn't a holiday, though. Any random visit back home seems to end well, but tack on a holiday, and it never fails. Take Thanksgiving for example. I was fine the entire weekend, right up until Sunday night before my drive back. The traffic was bumper to bumper in an ice storm, so pulling over wasn't a safe option.
I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. (Unless you're into postmodernism. I call it, dinner on a '98 Contour)
Holidays. Side effects may include headache, dizziness, sore throat, earache, upset stomach, vomiting, muscle aches, and the feeling of a hangover without the benefit of a night out before. Holidays may not be right for everyone. Ask your doctor before ever going home again.
My niece gave my sister chocolate. She gave me a sore throat.
This never happens when there isn't a holiday, though. Any random visit back home seems to end well, but tack on a holiday, and it never fails. Take Thanksgiving for example. I was fine the entire weekend, right up until Sunday night before my drive back. The traffic was bumper to bumper in an ice storm, so pulling over wasn't a safe option.
I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. (Unless you're into postmodernism. I call it, dinner on a '98 Contour)
Holidays. Side effects may include headache, dizziness, sore throat, earache, upset stomach, vomiting, muscle aches, and the feeling of a hangover without the benefit of a night out before. Holidays may not be right for everyone. Ask your doctor before ever going home again.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The greatest gift of all (not what you think)
Note: my glow worm doesn't glow any more.
Anyhoo, I noticed something. Though tiny over in the next room has a few words to say about how often I should sleep (or rather one word, repeated ad nauseum and in varying tones and styles), he has produced something I haven't seen before.
Free food.
My sister came into town yesterday. She, with my sister in law, cooked for four hours making various foodstuffs that can be stored for months in a freezer, but only need to be put into an oven when I want it. Not just that, but over the last week, I've been on the phone with three people who called asking what time was convenient to drop by with (wait for it...) free food.
I figure I'll teach him how to cook before this dries up.
Anyhoo, I noticed something. Though tiny over in the next room has a few words to say about how often I should sleep (or rather one word, repeated ad nauseum and in varying tones and styles), he has produced something I haven't seen before.
Free food.
My sister came into town yesterday. She, with my sister in law, cooked for four hours making various foodstuffs that can be stored for months in a freezer, but only need to be put into an oven when I want it. Not just that, but over the last week, I've been on the phone with three people who called asking what time was convenient to drop by with (wait for it...) free food.
I figure I'll teach him how to cook before this dries up.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
80's cartoon/toy
So... Jr's bilirubin levels are through the roof. They went down in the lights at the hospital, so we went home. They almost doubled since then. The hospital sent us some funny light pad to help. It's this really bright bulb in a projector housing, but rather than a lens, it hooks up a a bunch of fiber optic cables that lead into a pad. Said pad then rests on Jr's back, and it breaks down the bilirubin.
Ok, my kid is hooked up to a machine, and only 3 days old. What the heck! I've been waiting way longer, why am I not a cyborg yet?
...he was wrapped up and put into his crib, and the light shut off. I peeked inside, and he looks like a glow worm.
Stupid bilirubin. Get out of my kid.
Ok, my kid is hooked up to a machine, and only 3 days old. What the heck! I've been waiting way longer, why am I not a cyborg yet?
...he was wrapped up and put into his crib, and the light shut off. I peeked inside, and he looks like a glow worm.
Stupid bilirubin. Get out of my kid.
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