So why can't I get excited about this swine flu pandemic? Or is it epidemic?
As I look up the definitions of both, I wonder about whether my hesitation to panic is a result of the safe culture in which I have grown up -- free from just about every disease except chicken pox and fear of asparagus -- or is it a result of having observed many other overreactions by government and media?
Ahh, here it is: "An epidemic occurs when a disease affects a greater number people than is usual for the locality or one that spreads to areas not usually associated with the disease. A pandemic is an epidemic of world-wide proportions."
So apprarently since it started in Mexico and moved across borders, the H1N1 virus could develop into a pandemic. That is the correct word to use.
I wonder, though, if we took away the word "swine" from it's description, would this outbreak be getting so much attention? Don't people get the flu, well, all the time? According to the CDC, about 10 percent of the population of the United States gets influenza every year, 600,000 are hosptialized and 36,000 die annually from complications of the flu. Three, at last count, had died in the United States from this new strain of the flue. About 600 people die every day from diabetes and inherent complications, just as a point of comparison.
So I am confused. Why has it appeared to be more deadly in Mexico than elsewhere? Are there inherent genetic differences or in-body resistances due to vaccination programs that make those north of the border more hardy and healthy when faced with a flu virus?
Most experts say that's not true, and many are now suspecting that there may be a secondary health issues present in Mexico -- it might even be Mexico City's poor air quality or second virus strain more prevalent in Mexico -- that have combined with the swine flu to make it more deadly there. There is also undoubtedly a reporting issue. The current number of cases reported in Mexico and the deaths therefrom show a 6 percent death rate from this flu. That's way out of line. The total number of cases certainly must have ignored thousands of milder cases like those that have been reported in the United States, which would lower the percentage of deaths in Mexico. We in America are a reporting people, I think, and we like others to commiserate with us -- thus the higher pool of total cases.
I'm also confused about how it is spread. Some reactions have included cancelling soccer games and public events. So, it is alright to house three dozen snot-nosed second graders in an enclosed room for the day but cancel outdoor activities where people might come in contact with fresh air, and maybe the flu? Did anyone shut down Wal-Mart? That's about as "public" as it comes.
One benefit that might come from this overreaction, though, is better immunizations and treatment for all influenzas, as remedies are developed.
There are lots of epidemics that scare me more than the swine flu, in case you can't tell. While I am glad there are those who are quick to jump at the mere mention of the word "influenza," I wish we could stop the rising tide of bad, bad advertisements. Even Geico, the king of advertising, has stumbled. After the effective and memorable caveman and gekko series, no one, but no one gets the "money with eyes." And those "Therm Guy" talk show ads? Hamburger Helper in an elevator? Stop it!
Can we stop the epidemic of video distributors kicking up the porn and language a notch from their theatrical releases and calling the DVD's "unrated" or "director's cut?" This is a nasty trend. And while we are thinking about it, do we really believe the swine flu will cause more harm down the line that the current epidemic of pornography? Now there's a pandemic to make plans against.
Can we stop the epidemic-like tide of steriod use in professional sports? The statistics, records, and the Hall of Fame itself mean absolutely nothing now. Unless Major League Baseball were to stop for a week, test every player, kick users out of the league permanently with no pay (they did break their contract, after all) and basically start over, we'll never believe these players are for real. Bonds and McGwire and Clemens have taken the fun of being a fan of the game out of the game.
Can we slow the epidemic of government bailouts? It is no longer comprehensible how far in debt our federal government is. The numbers wash over us without making an impact, except to make us feel that all is lost. The pig trough is officially empty.
If you or one of yours has been diagnosed with the swine flu, I'm sorry. I hope it is of short duration and that you get to finish that novel while you convalesce at home. But I hate to tell you that by this time next year, we will have forgotten all about you.
The bird flu is coming back, haven't you heard?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
There has to be an easy job out there for me, too
So I'm marching through the Saturday afternoon lineup of stuff on television, pausing for precisely 1.27 seconds on each channel as would be the norm, waiting for the next great thing to slap me, when I come across Rick Steves.
You know this guy.
No, he doesn't sell cars but he does sell Europe. Rick has developed this niche where he puts together little mini-documentaries and easy-does-it travel vignettes to let you in on all the little secrets about traveling through Italy or Spain. Maybe even Prague. His shows, usually on PBS, are heavy with hints like "sometimes the best hotel deals are off the main tourist areas." Or, "The plaza at Pisa is filled with aggressive vendors, all wanting a few of your American dollars."
He has expanded his successful little venture into paperback what-to-see tourist guides, full-fledged books (complete with maps), DVDs and on and on. As I'm watching him wander through the Saturday morning outdoor market at Florence, I'm saying to myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Why didn't I come up with this perfect -- and perfectly easy -- way to make a buck? Why did I get stuck with a cubicle with no air conditioning or windows, inklings of carpal tunnel, mountains of reports and watered-down Dr Pepper, while this guy gets to tell me what I could have guessed while he smiles his way through the best parts of Europe, making money hand over fist?
Surely there's some job out there that's perfect and perfectly easy.
I know that in some large food processing companies, there are people in the research and development areas that only taste stuff. One company that makes a long line of popcorn seasonings employs people to eat popcorn and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to new flavors. A bit too much of the smell of N'Orleans in the cajun seasoning? Thumbs down. Chocolate marshmallow remind you of grandma's house? Thumbs up. I could do this.
One of my friends used to be a "quality control employee" for an exercise equipment manufacturer. This, in layman's terms, meant he got to play basketball on the new line of portable basketball standards; got to jog on the new line of treadmills; and played around with dumbells -- no, not his work mates but the smallish weights the company made -- for eight hours.
I could do this.
Once upon a time I thought it would be easy money to be one of the super-secret MPAA movie reviewers, the ones who assign a rating for the Motion Picture Association of America. I'd get to see a lot of movies, and surely I could tell the difference between the 15 sexual references and activities in the average PG-13 movie and the 15.5 sexual references in an R-movie. Maybe I could watch enough movies to figure out what people see in Adam Sandler. But after some soul searching, I've decided I'd rather drink Windex than sit through everything Hollywood throws up and out at us. Sorry, I couldn't do this.
I could be Ron Boone. Oh, it would take a while for everyone to come to love me as much as a beloved former ABA and NBA player, I'd have to let Bear make funny signals behind my back, but I know I could call a game just as well. I could do this.
I could be an out-of-town consultant. That's easy money.
A couple of years ago an out-of-town consultant came to USU and totally screwed up the traffic patterns and ease of getting on to campus with one stupid suggestion. Where is he today? Out of town, of course, while we live with his suggestion. His idea -- he was from Boston, mind you, not Logan -- was to block off traffic turning onto campus from 400 North, the long-time and totally effective entrance off of a main highway -- Utah 89-91 -- and instead force traffic onto city streets and enter campus from 500 North. If you know Logan, you might know that instead of one pedestrian crosswalk the former way, there are now six pedestrian crosswalks to deal with. And instead of a grand, glorious, picturesque view of Old Main Hill, drivers are now greeted with bumpy two-lane city streets, lined with big, black garbage cans, the back end of students' cars sticking out of crowded driveways and aging apartments. Lovely.
I had to chuckle when the Tribune ran a story a few weeks ago about a visiting architect ("consultant") who gave his opinion on landmarks throughout the city. Thumbs up or down on this and that, with no regard to the work that goes on there, the historical significance or the effective use of space that building might actually be providing, just opinions shot from the hip. And then he left town. Heck, I could do this.
Oh, here's one for you:
This job is more important, more watched and the cause of more concern before you get it than after you begin drawing a paycheck. You will have your life examined, exaggerated and lied about before you ever show up to work. You will be the butt of jokes and satire and the strain will crack some weak applicants. Once you get the job, heck, you can disappear and still get the big bucks. Once on the job, you will attend a few funerals and wave during parades but, for the most part, assume the role of a non-entity. And as long as the world follows its normal course, getting there will be much more problematic than being there.
Yeah, I could be vice president.
You know this guy.
No, he doesn't sell cars but he does sell Europe. Rick has developed this niche where he puts together little mini-documentaries and easy-does-it travel vignettes to let you in on all the little secrets about traveling through Italy or Spain. Maybe even Prague. His shows, usually on PBS, are heavy with hints like "sometimes the best hotel deals are off the main tourist areas." Or, "The plaza at Pisa is filled with aggressive vendors, all wanting a few of your American dollars."
He has expanded his successful little venture into paperback what-to-see tourist guides, full-fledged books (complete with maps), DVDs and on and on. As I'm watching him wander through the Saturday morning outdoor market at Florence, I'm saying to myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Why didn't I come up with this perfect -- and perfectly easy -- way to make a buck? Why did I get stuck with a cubicle with no air conditioning or windows, inklings of carpal tunnel, mountains of reports and watered-down Dr Pepper, while this guy gets to tell me what I could have guessed while he smiles his way through the best parts of Europe, making money hand over fist?
Surely there's some job out there that's perfect and perfectly easy.
I know that in some large food processing companies, there are people in the research and development areas that only taste stuff. One company that makes a long line of popcorn seasonings employs people to eat popcorn and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to new flavors. A bit too much of the smell of N'Orleans in the cajun seasoning? Thumbs down. Chocolate marshmallow remind you of grandma's house? Thumbs up. I could do this.
One of my friends used to be a "quality control employee" for an exercise equipment manufacturer. This, in layman's terms, meant he got to play basketball on the new line of portable basketball standards; got to jog on the new line of treadmills; and played around with dumbells -- no, not his work mates but the smallish weights the company made -- for eight hours.
I could do this.
Once upon a time I thought it would be easy money to be one of the super-secret MPAA movie reviewers, the ones who assign a rating for the Motion Picture Association of America. I'd get to see a lot of movies, and surely I could tell the difference between the 15 sexual references and activities in the average PG-13 movie and the 15.5 sexual references in an R-movie. Maybe I could watch enough movies to figure out what people see in Adam Sandler. But after some soul searching, I've decided I'd rather drink Windex than sit through everything Hollywood throws up and out at us. Sorry, I couldn't do this.
I could be Ron Boone. Oh, it would take a while for everyone to come to love me as much as a beloved former ABA and NBA player, I'd have to let Bear make funny signals behind my back, but I know I could call a game just as well. I could do this.
I could be an out-of-town consultant. That's easy money.
A couple of years ago an out-of-town consultant came to USU and totally screwed up the traffic patterns and ease of getting on to campus with one stupid suggestion. Where is he today? Out of town, of course, while we live with his suggestion. His idea -- he was from Boston, mind you, not Logan -- was to block off traffic turning onto campus from 400 North, the long-time and totally effective entrance off of a main highway -- Utah 89-91 -- and instead force traffic onto city streets and enter campus from 500 North. If you know Logan, you might know that instead of one pedestrian crosswalk the former way, there are now six pedestrian crosswalks to deal with. And instead of a grand, glorious, picturesque view of Old Main Hill, drivers are now greeted with bumpy two-lane city streets, lined with big, black garbage cans, the back end of students' cars sticking out of crowded driveways and aging apartments. Lovely.
I had to chuckle when the Tribune ran a story a few weeks ago about a visiting architect ("consultant") who gave his opinion on landmarks throughout the city. Thumbs up or down on this and that, with no regard to the work that goes on there, the historical significance or the effective use of space that building might actually be providing, just opinions shot from the hip. And then he left town. Heck, I could do this.
Oh, here's one for you:
This job is more important, more watched and the cause of more concern before you get it than after you begin drawing a paycheck. You will have your life examined, exaggerated and lied about before you ever show up to work. You will be the butt of jokes and satire and the strain will crack some weak applicants. Once you get the job, heck, you can disappear and still get the big bucks. Once on the job, you will attend a few funerals and wave during parades but, for the most part, assume the role of a non-entity. And as long as the world follows its normal course, getting there will be much more problematic than being there.
Yeah, I could be vice president.
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