Zeitgeist Zephyr

Swine Flu: The Facts

•  Number of deaths (April 29) - 150+
• Number Infected in U.S. - 91
• Mortality Rate - Approx. 7.5% (150 deaths/2,000 cases in Mexico)
• U.S. Mortality Rate - 0% (1% if you include the Mexican baby that died in Houston)
• Cause of most deaths - complications with pneumonia and other preexisting conditions

Regular Flu: The Facts

• Number of annual deaths in U.S. - 36,000
• Number of annual deaths worldwide - 500,000
• Number of annual cases worldwide - 3 to 5 million
• Mortality rate - 10% (500,000/5 million)
• Cause of most deaths - complications with pneumonia and other preexisting conditions

Why is this being hyped up? 

I have a couple of theories why.  Number one, the United States hasn’t ever tested its modern pandemic response system, so this is a way of seeing how people respond, how fast resources can be moved, and how things can be improved in the future.  I find it quite surprising that the U.S., being as close to Mexico as it is, has not ordered the border to be closed or to all out restrict travel to our neighbor to the south until the crisis passes, while in the meantime EU nations are strongly discouraging travel to the America’s, period and Russia has introduced a pork ban on the United States (mind you the infected pigs are in Mexico). 

It’s a test of the system and since the virus, while still frightening in the speed with which it is spreading, isn’t as deadly as say the Bird Flu that still packs a mortality rate of at least 25%, the economy hasn’t shut down and air travel is continuing as normal. Which brings me to an interesting conclusion: if people are taking this seriously enough, it might, just might stimulate the economy with people rushing out to stock pile on foods and other goods.  It won’t be a long term solution to our economic woes, but there could be an uptick in sales of food stuffs and other household items. What else do you do when you can’t go to school or work except sit at home and watch some new DVD’s while tapping in to your stockpile of tomato soup? 

I do applaud the government’s response and once things settle down a little, we can start evaluating how the response was overall and how things can be improved in the future.  I’m still keeping those who are being afflicted with the flu in my prayers and I hope that it’s not as bad as even I’m making it out to be here.   

Facts:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html

Swine flu facts - Various news sources. Check Drudge - the “tolls” are constantly updated in the headlines.

I’m sure this has been on the mind of many as the news unfolded today, but today has been a “Day of Justice” for the recession.

First, Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 counts including fraud, perjury, and money laundering in perhaps the largest Ponzi scheme in American history, over $65 billion.

Next, the DOW continued a three day rally and saw a gain of nearly 240 points, making it over a 600 point gain over that period of time, reversing nearly a 1,000 point slide over the last month.

Finally, Jim Cramer appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  There, the feud that I first talked about last week that the media picked up on this week (haha, I beat them!) hopefully came to an end, but not before Cramer (representing CNBC mind you) conceded that some of the advice they gave in the past few years was misleading and Jon basically told them what’s up and how they should change things in the future to avoid it.  

It might have been that I don’t listen to Jim Cramer a whole lot, but I think I detected a whimper in his voice halfway through their “interview”, which was mostly lead by Stewart mind you.  The recession is probably far from over, but its good to see that some of the people who got us into (or didn’t help us much to not get into) this mess face the music. 

A day of justice indeed! :) 

 Here it goes, people are starting to criticize bridges to nowhere in the Stimulus package.  This one is in Tuscumbia, Missouri, 3 hours from St. Louis.  The bridge is crossing the Osage River and is in a very sorry state.  Even as a Kansan, I think it is a sorry state of the nation when people are criticizing  a project like this, that even when considering the 218 lives that it’s being used for, is $8.6 million still too high a price tag to pay for the common safety of other people (which by the way live and breath like the rest of us)?

The bridge had to be closed to large trucks in 2007 because the bridge is in such poor state and is effectively crumbling as drivers cautiously pass over it.  Yeah, it might not employ a lot of people, but has it occurred to anyone that these 218 people might value their lives?

Here’s your Bridge to Nowhere of the Stimulus Package - note the crumbling cement falling off the bridge, clear evidence of the work of Liberal Stimulus Boogeymen and their attempts to steal your MONEY!  Looks like I need to start keeping my money in my mattress! 

Please, people.  Criticizing a project this critical as being a waste of money is low.  What would the families of the 13 who died in the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007 say about neglecting a bridge in such a poor condition?

 Those Liberal Stimulus Boogeymen at work again in 2007!  The Stimulus Package is a plot!! NOOO! 

Or here’s the other option: let’s just let the bridge fall apart completely.  Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.  The next closest bridge is upstream near Lake of the Ozarks and for residents of Tuscumbia or its nearest neighbor on the other side of the river, the town of Capps, Missouri, it would take 2 hours to reach each other over the 20 minute drive it takes now with the bridge in place?  Yep, that makes sense to me!  The financial benefits of letting a bridge crumble and neighboring towns being 2 hours away from each other vs. 20 minutes makes a ton of sense.  So much sense, maybe we should just scrap the project and blow the bridge up and into the river to get it over with?  Imagine all the revenue that would generate for the oil companies that would benefit from people driving two hours out of their way because a bridge falls into the river.  

THAT’S what I call stimulation, give money to the oil companies! They’re struggling sooo much right now.

I’m going to go throw up now.

Here’s the story if you want to read it.  It’s the most unbiased version of it I could find.