Ah well. Let’s admit it, no news is good news. And I have no news.
Not only no news, but nothing much in my head apart from the lazy, munchy thoughts arising from digesting my breakfast. Wheat toast. Eggs sunny side up. Fried ripe tomatoes. Can’t go wrong with that. Comfortable thinking, is that.
On the uncomfortable side, we’re being advised to stay away from crowded places now, and the airlines are starting to ban suspect ‘flu cases.
“It’s the end of the world,” whimpering rather than banging.
“We’re all going to die,” as the drunk in the corner of the diner bar said, in The Birds.
Yeah. We should have such luck.
10 responses so far ↓
Kate & Jim // July 20, 2009 at 10:40 am
We went through those advisement’s, a couple of months back, John. It’s slacked off some, since the schools are closed for the summer. There were over 300 absences and 8 confirmed cases in our local school here, the week before summer vacation.
There was another ‘local’ death, last week, from the flu. Most of the deaths seem to stem from ‘complicating’ factors. But there have been a few where healthy individuals have now died.
Hopefully, there is not another resurgence when the schools open again in September.
I don’t have it in the forefront of my mind when we go out – but simple hand washing and common sense, go a long way.
Wendy, NC // July 20, 2009 at 12:19 pm
It should be interesting next month in my part of the world with three major and two smaller universities located proximately to one another. Every year, the abrupt co-mingling of the students’ collective germs creates a new disease referred to locally as The Crud. I’m hoping that last year’s unusually virulent strain of The Crud helped to ramp the immune systems of those of us who are permanent residents.
Thirty-odd years ago at one of those universities I was taught that Malthus wasn’t right anymore with all our advances in medical technology. That seemed like bunk at the time and I’ve no reason to change my thoughts on it at present.
Bonnie // July 20, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Gee I haven’t heard that advise lately. Could be due to avoiding news much of the time. Hope I don’t have to fly again any time soon any way.
louphoria // July 20, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Here in Ireland they apparently want to give us all a vaccination shot and I heard someone say that they expect up to 30,000 deaths??!
I don’t want a shot but I do work in a library, so…
Mary Lee McClure // July 20, 2009 at 3:35 pm
The one and ONLY place I flatly refuse to go is into an airplane. I’m a sitting duck for any pulmonary infection, and planes are closed systems recirculating the air ecerybody breathes and I’d like to keep my own barely functioning lungs free of any possible ‘extras’! Aren;t you lucky? No fears of of opening your door to find ME standing there. Boo!
~ Sil in Corea // July 20, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I went to Japan by ferry recently, and, after I returned, got a call from the Health Ministry wanting to know if I had a fever or sore throat. They wanted me to call them if anything developed, lol. The folks at Customs took everyone’s temperature when we came in, too. That is the new SOP when one enters.
You are wise, Mary Lee! Lou, those figures are a “crock.” They are just trying to get everyone to get vaccinated. Worldwide, the death toll is less than 1,200. This thing has been going on since late winter (northern hemisphere), and we’ve lost less people from it than from regular flu.
T’ain’t the end of the world! Just a bunch of media fear-mongers trying to keep the populace in a state of hysteria. Washing hands and staying out of crowds works just fine.
oldgreypoet // July 20, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Sil’s advice works for me, friends.
Kate & Jim // July 20, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Yes, John – I agree, as I stated above – about hand washing and common sense (and so did Sil).
I wanted to comment about the vaccination – I’ve only gotten the flu vaccination, once in my life (years ago) and it made me quite ill. I’ve never gotten another and don’t intend to.
I am, however, considering… the pneumonia vaccination, this year. I’ve had a couple of bouts with it during the past 5 years – although for the past 2 yrs, haven’t even had a cold – but I’m older now and another case of pneumonia I’m not looking forward to. I’ll have to look into it more – I’m not crazy about injecting myself with foreign anti-bodies.
I don’t do planes – so nothing to fret, there! lol.
novie // July 20, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I, too, work in a library. I wash my hands at lest 50 times a day but, short of wearing a mask (which I WILL DO if the flu hits our little area) there is little I can do. I know that city schools are planning to cancel after-school activities and trips next year in a bid to keep kids more isolated. Dunno whether that will work with a city that is a major Canadian port.
novie // July 20, 2009 at 11:05 pm
P.S.: A pox on you, John. You suggested making good use of five minutes. I did so while my dog did her duty. I pulled the junk out of a cupboard in the porch. I found a new Lynx camera which I have no memory of buying, and it has obviously never been used. Now I have to wonder about that. Thanks a heap. Grin.
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