It seems that the good ol' pig just can't catch a break. First it was the Jews and their Kosher laws that forbid eating pork. Then the Muslims came along with their Halal laws that also forbid eating pork. Now the WHO (World Health Organization) is calling out the pigs by labeling the newest influenza strain "Swine Flu."
**Sidenote: Christians might want to take a hard look at the whole pork-eating debate. Jews and Muslims don't agree on much of anything, so when they agree on anything it is worth an investigation. I don't know how many Jews and Muslims die of heart disease, but Americans, who are predominantly Christian, are dropping like flies because of it. Looks like another reason to pick on the pig to me. I'm just saying!!
Technically this new strain is actually called the "H1N1 Virus"...for whatever that means to my scientifically inept mind. It is a combination of the human flu, bird flu, and swine flu, yet it was the pigs that took the full blame. Poor pigs!
According to the WHO, a worldwide pandemic is imminent. I haven't decided yet whether to go all "Michael Jackson" and buy some surgical masks or whether I'll take my chances. Lucky for me I have a wife who is a nurse and knows what to do in these situations. Plus she can always sneak a few surgical masks out of the ER at her hospital for me. Being unemployed I am always looking to save a few pennies!
What is so ludicrous to me about this whole mess, as well as, all the other "imminent pandemics" (i.e. SARS, Bird Flu, et al.) is that the media takes on the role of "Chicken Little" and creates mass hysteria. We never see anyone come on the news and rationally inform the public as to why the "Swine Flu" is any worse than the "Common Flu." According to the WHO website, between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world die from influenza each year. The elderly are the most susceptible to death by influenza. I am not sure what the definition of pandemic is, but 250,000-500,000 people seems a lot to me. Is the "Swine Flu" going to kill more than this? Are we talking millions of people? Hospitals are being overrun by hypochondriacs believing that eating pork results in the "Swine Flu." Without intelligent reporting and educational information, the public is left to fend for itself. I used to have a lot of confidence in people in general, but that has changed over the past few years. In truth I believe the vast majority of the public will believe anything and everything that is spewed from the mouths of the newscasters. If the government and these health agencies can't give us the truth about "Swine Flu," how can we be sure we are getting the truth when it comes to terrorism, economic meltdowns, and anything else that impacts our lives so deeply??
All this ranting has made me hungry. I think I'll get off my soapbox and eat some leftover pulled-pork BBQ...then off to the ER to get tested!!
**Sidenote: Christians might want to take a hard look at the whole pork-eating debate. Jews and Muslims don't agree on much of anything, so when they agree on anything it is worth an investigation. I don't know how many Jews and Muslims die of heart disease, but Americans, who are predominantly Christian, are dropping like flies because of it. Looks like another reason to pick on the pig to me. I'm just saying!!
Technically this new strain is actually called the "H1N1 Virus"...for whatever that means to my scientifically inept mind. It is a combination of the human flu, bird flu, and swine flu, yet it was the pigs that took the full blame. Poor pigs!
According to the WHO, a worldwide pandemic is imminent. I haven't decided yet whether to go all "Michael Jackson" and buy some surgical masks or whether I'll take my chances. Lucky for me I have a wife who is a nurse and knows what to do in these situations. Plus she can always sneak a few surgical masks out of the ER at her hospital for me. Being unemployed I am always looking to save a few pennies!
What is so ludicrous to me about this whole mess, as well as, all the other "imminent pandemics" (i.e. SARS, Bird Flu, et al.) is that the media takes on the role of "Chicken Little" and creates mass hysteria. We never see anyone come on the news and rationally inform the public as to why the "Swine Flu" is any worse than the "Common Flu." According to the WHO website, between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world die from influenza each year. The elderly are the most susceptible to death by influenza. I am not sure what the definition of pandemic is, but 250,000-500,000 people seems a lot to me. Is the "Swine Flu" going to kill more than this? Are we talking millions of people? Hospitals are being overrun by hypochondriacs believing that eating pork results in the "Swine Flu." Without intelligent reporting and educational information, the public is left to fend for itself. I used to have a lot of confidence in people in general, but that has changed over the past few years. In truth I believe the vast majority of the public will believe anything and everything that is spewed from the mouths of the newscasters. If the government and these health agencies can't give us the truth about "Swine Flu," how can we be sure we are getting the truth when it comes to terrorism, economic meltdowns, and anything else that impacts our lives so deeply??
All this ranting has made me hungry. I think I'll get off my soapbox and eat some leftover pulled-pork BBQ...then off to the ER to get tested!!
