Laws yes, M-O-O-N, that spells Swine Influenza Pandemic!

I’m somewhat tired already of the jokes asked of me these last few days since returning from Mexico about the swine flu. Many jokes, many questions about how I feel and then to see the news stories about what is going on in the world around us reminded me of one of my favorite movie mini series, The Stand by Stephen King.


It has had me thinking the last couple of days that I could not be the only one thinking about the similarities in context between the two.


This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but with a whimper.

T.S. Eliot (from the 1925 poem The Hollow Men)


I’ve been thinking a lot about The Stand lately. It’s one of those stories that, although fantastic, seemed entirely possible. The Stand was so epic in book form and the movie was a cult success with many reruns on cable channels every few months. In fact, this blog would be a great place to compare dreams. I’m in Anchorage, so if we all start having the same dreams, we could share them as I don’t really want to have to go to Vegas to do battle with Randall Flagg.


The Stand Intro


“Two million dead. Hospitals overwhelmed. Schools closed. Swaths of empty seats at baseball stadiums and houses of worship. An economic recovery snuffed out . . . ” This is not a news item from Yahoo, but this is what people fear now.


I love a good global plague story like The Stand. But swine flu isn’t the next plague. This isn’t 1913 and the Spanish Flu. We have medicine like Tamiflu and other tools this time. We have a global communication system that warns other people to take precautions. I know that people love a good plague story, but just like the Great Recession of 2008- 2009, fear mongering does us no good. Think back again on what President Roosevelt said during the Great Depression . . . ”The only thing we have to fear is . . .“ You get the drift.


The fear of swine flu is already starting to affect the world economy. People are canceling travel plans, not attending public events. This doesn’t help. What we need is to take precautions (wash your hands, buy a truckload of Dial or Softsoap, eat healthy, exercise and get some sleep). Your body is an incredible fighting machine when it’s in good shape.


The flip side to this story . . . the Federal Government has issued a national health emergency regarding this issue. I imagine that the swine flue can take the people's minds off the fact that the federal government is about to print up $1 trillion dollar to pay for the trillion dollar stimulus package that the government passed not too long ago. Maybe all that pork the federal government passed is responsible for the outbreak of the swine flu. Or maybe it's just a coincidence . . . the Terminator shall rise, declare California to be in a state of emergency and sayeth: 'There is no need for alarm?'


Arnold Schwarzenegger did just that this morning in the latest head-turning plague-fear headline. He's Austrian, sure, but you'd think he'd realize most English-speaking people have a tough time mentally prying apart the word "emergency" from the phrase "need for alarm."


Now for a little fun to brighten our days, Google is a source of tons of information . . . both good and bad, but it can also be entertaining.


Everyone's still unsure whether the H1N1 Swine Flu is a mild outbreak or something worse, but in the meantime you can amuse yourself with this grim Google Map of suspected and actual cases around the globe. It will give you something to do until the time comes when you have to decide between joining Randall Flagg or Mother Abagail.


Google Maps

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&source=embed


Is this swine flu the thing to fear from The Stand?


I doubt it but I will say this . . .


Watch out for trashcan man!


Ice

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