One Down, Two to Go

Turned in the last assignments for one class. I have until Monday 9pm local time to write an 8-10 page paper, and that will finish off the second of three. That puts me in a jam for the third class, which has two major assignments that I've supposed to have been working on for the entire five weeks, but in reality, I haven't even started thinking about. But I won't have anything else that week, so I'm hoping all will be well. Hoping. Desperately. Hoping.

Anyway, a hint in the news today about why people are dying from the latest flu in Mexico, but not in the US: the Mexican health care system sucks. But none of that matters because according to the latest from the WHO, there have only been seven deaths from the current strain of H1N1. I guess the other 145 people who died with flu-like symptoms were just coincidence. Or maybe someone down at WHO needs to read their memos more often given that the same WHO has raised the threat level to 5. I think someone has been skipping company meetings....

Still, this whole thing has been entertaining from the perspective of living in a world of multiple, 24-7 news channels whose business models seem to be outdoing each other in the fear-mongering department. So far, this flu is only killing people in Mexico, except one sick kid that was brought across the border and died in the US. Everywhere else it has surfaced, the symptoms are mild, rarely requiring hospitalization, and have yet to result in a single death. That's not to say that getting a handle on this thing shouldn't be a priority. But for Zeus' sake, take off the stupid dust mask already. They don't stop viruses and it just marks you as a credible feeb. A surgical mask (designated N95 or N100) will run you about $10 a piece, not $10 for a box of a hundred, and only works if you put the damn thing on correctly. And while I am not a doctor, I'm not sure about the efficacy of bringing a supposedly virus-laden surgical mask into your home and setting it on the dining room table. Chill already. Wash your hands after you take a crap, before handling food, after handling raw meat, blah blah blah. If you can't remember the last time you washed your hands, then wash them. Properly. Stay away from sick people. Punch people in the face if they cough or sneeze without covering their mouth. All that stuff your parents taught you. In a week, MSNBC and CNN and FoxNews and all the rest will find some new panic to peddle and you'll stop hearing about H1N1.

On a completely non-flu related subject, the new X-Men movie must kick some serious boo-tay because the critics hate it. There is never a better indication that I'll like a movie than the critics saying how much is sucks.

Well, off to bed. Big day tomorrow.