BajaNomad - WHO raises to level 5!

WHO raises to level 5!

fishbuck - 4-29-2009 at 01:25 PM

Wow!

Whaa???

Dave - 4-29-2009 at 01:34 PM

Just went to the WHO website. It says level 4.

Cypress - 4-29-2009 at 01:35 PM

They're freaking out! What else would you expect form a bunch of know nothings.

DanO - 4-29-2009 at 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave
Just went to the WHO website. It says level 4.

Says 5 now. Statement by Dir. Gen.: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_200...

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 01:57 PM

What level must it get to before we start shooting our neighbors?

BajaGringo - 4-29-2009 at 02:04 PM

You mean, I wasn't supposed to shoot yet???

Damn! I hate when that happens...

fdt - 4-29-2009 at 02:06 PM

Don't worry, keep shooting, I'm getting tired of waiting.

DanO - 4-29-2009 at 02:10 PM

Here's a nifty chart showing where we are in the progression. Note the parabolic curve in the phase 6 area.

[Edited on 4-29-2009 by DanO]

usg_who_5.jpg - 22kB

Like you would need an excuse

Dave - 4-29-2009 at 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
What level must it get to before we start shooting our neighbors?

My neighbors know I'm certifiable. :rolleyes:

BajaGringo - 4-29-2009 at 02:22 PM

Then there is no sense in disappointing them now is there?

rpleger - 4-29-2009 at 03:27 PM

This may be the real deal....hang on....

BajaGringo - 4-29-2009 at 03:29 PM

I am buckled up, wearing my safety glasses, life preserver and packed three months worth of margarita mix...

Rock and Roll!!!

:lol:

I must have the flu - my typing is getting even worse...

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by BajaGringo]

Dude!

Dave - 4-29-2009 at 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGringo
three months worth of margarita mix...

Life's too short to use a mix.

Literally. :rolleyes:

[Edited on 4-29-2009 by Dave]

DanO - 4-29-2009 at 03:39 PM

Yep, time to stock up on the essentials for a balanced diet and a stinky bomb shelter: Canned beans, pickled eggs, and beer.

Bajahowodd - 4-29-2009 at 04:16 PM

I was actually surprised when I heard what constituted a level 5. According to a WHO spokesperson on the phone from Geneva, a level 5 is called when there is a sustained outbreak in at least two countries, within the same WHO region. Obviously, between Mexico and the US, it qualifies.

Heard two other tidbits. In an interview with an epidemiologist who has been working in the field for over a half-century (yes, he's old) he opined that the reason the flu seems to be striking the younger part of the population is because the older population was exposed to previous swine flu outbreaks and carry some remnants of immunity. Not the same strain, but similar enough, versus avian flu to trigger the immune system. Progressing through generations the immunity fades.

Second, although there has apparently been a confirmed death in Texas (a baby), he opined that since this outbreak appears to have begun adjacent to a pig farm, the virus would be naturally more virulent because the pigs themselves, given the awful conditions, don't live long enough to build anti-bodies. Thus the death toll in Mexico. Food for thought, anyway.

[Edited on 4-29-2009 by Bajahowodd]

BajaGeoff - 4-29-2009 at 04:38 PM

All the media surrounding this has been insane....but some of the reactions to the media are even worse:

"Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precaution against swine flu even though no cases have been reported here, infuriating farmers who blocked streets and stoned vehicles of Health Ministry workers who came to carry out the government's order"

What a waste!

Bajahowodd - 4-29-2009 at 04:42 PM

You reap what you sow. We've created a society of 24-hour news, texting, Twitter and the like. So the general public stays connected, even when there is no real change or development. Then the commentators get going. Orwell was right about alot of things, but maybe he didn't go far enough.
But wait. Pigs in Egypt? Maybe you need to check that source. Muslims eat as many pigs as do Jews.

[Edited on 4-29-2009 by Bajahowodd]

Woooosh - 4-29-2009 at 04:49 PM

I guess level 5 must mean "wear blue masks at the beach".

It's crazy that people wear them walking on the beach. Is there any cleaner air on earth than the onshore baja coastal breeze? OK maybe if everyone on an off-shore cruise ship sneezed at once.

I'm surprised families aren't camping all over the beach to stay "safe".

BajaGringo - 4-29-2009 at 05:23 PM

We had that very same conversation here at the house this morning Woooosh. I was watching a family walking on the beach down below us while mom was struggling to keep the kids in their masks.

But I suppose that it makes them feel better so therefore it must be good...

:rolleyes:

bajabillybob - 4-29-2009 at 05:44 PM

What most of you aremissing here is that this is no drill and these people at the WHO are shellshocked by this and their late night in Europe news conference reflected this.

This will compound and get worse every 12 hours. Those of you who are making jokes about it should give some thought to the poor Mexicans who can not get the most basic help from their government in the best of times and I am sure this will really strain that relationship.
While you are in your comfortable homes with all your creature comforts,there are many poor people in Mexico suffering with this very dangerous illness and worried about their children.Some have no TVs and radios and have nothing but rumors and worry.

I hope you are proud of yourselves. :no:

bajabillybob - 4-29-2009 at 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
I guess level 5 must mean "wear blue masks at the beach".

It's crazy that people wear them walking on the beach. Is there any cleaner air on earth than the onshore baja coastal breeze? OK maybe if everyone on an off-shore cruise ship sneezed at once.

I'm surprised families aren't camping all over the beach to stay "safe".

Whoosh,

The masks not only protect on the intake but are there to keep the flu in, they help to keep the people from expelling the flem and other spittle on other people and contaminating others who are nearby.
It does help to wear them.

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by bajabillybob]

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGeoff

"Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precaution against swine flu even though no cases have been reported here, infuriating farmers who blocked streets and stoned vehicles of Health Ministry workers who came to carry out the government's order"

OH yeah....Muslim genocide. That bothers me a lot.

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabillybob
The masks not only protect on the intake but are there to keep the flu in, they help to keep the people from expelling the flem and other spittle on other people and contaminating others who are nearby.

You mean to say that before this emergency I have been rained upon with spittle and flem?
Gaadamn...Just the thought of it makes me feel...damp, and peeed off.......or is that peeed on? It's hard to tell anymore what just happened.

fishbuck - 4-29-2009 at 06:47 PM

"Better to be peeed off than peeed on"

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck
"Better to be peeed off than peeed on"

Happy to see you're feeling better. I'll let them know at Anthony's so the girls without health cards can go back to work. :lol:

fishbuck - 4-29-2009 at 06:57 PM

Are they open! Couple more days and I'll be ready for action!

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck
Are they open! Couple more days and I'll be ready for action!

Huge canvas banner flapping in the wind in front of the building saying, "Welcome Back Mikey. The Kid Who Eats Anything."

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by DENNIS]

Bajahowodd - 4-29-2009 at 07:07 PM

Muslims don't eat pork. How would they be destroying tens of thousands of pigs they never had in the first place?

They eat pigeons, much, probably to your chagrin.

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by Bajahowodd]

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Muslims don't eat pork. How would they be destroying tens of thousands of pigs they never had in the first place?

Yeah....That was my point. Maybe a business agreement between Oscar Mayer and the Mullah.

Russ - 4-29-2009 at 07:13 PM

Just received this up date. "Enough Said"

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by Russ]

Unknown.jpeg - 42kB

fishbuck - 4-29-2009 at 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck
Are they open! Couple more days and I'll be ready for action!

Huge canvas banner flapping in the wind in front of the building saying, "Welcome Back Mike. The Kid Who Eats Anything."

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by DENNIS]

Yep, those are my girls alright! :lol:

Bajahowodd - 4-29-2009 at 07:18 PM

Maybe more like between the military and Oscar Meyer. Egypt, while not quite in the same league today, resembles Turkey in that the military wields an inappropriate amount of political power. Geez. Two of our biggest and most faithful allies in the Middle East. A really good advertisement for spreading democracy? Pragmatism trumps democracy.

DENNIS - 4-29-2009 at 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishbuck
Yep, those are my girls alright! :lol:

Oh Lord...The birth of the "French Kiss."

BajaGringo - 4-29-2009 at 08:13 PM

We want pictures!!!

We want pictures!!!

We want pictures!!!

:biggrin:

Hook - 4-29-2009 at 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanO
Yep, time to stock up on the essentials for a balanced diet and a stinky bomb shelter: Canned beans, pickled eggs, and beer.

If the flu dont get you, the mal aire certainly will.

Of course, with that diet, maybe no one will come near you while you're out in the open................. :?:

Bob H - 4-29-2009 at 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook

Quote:

Originally posted by DanO
Yep, time to stock up on the essentials for a balanced diet and a stinky bomb shelter: Canned beans, pickled eggs, and beer.

If the flu dont get you, the mal aire certainly will.

Of course, with that diet, maybe no one will come near you while you're out in the open................. :?:

Hook... you crack me up!

Bob H

DavidT - 4-29-2009 at 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGeoff[/i

"Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precaution against swine flu even though no cases have been reported here, infuriating farmers who blocked streets and stoned vehicles of Health Ministry workers who came to carry out the government's order"

What a waste!

Scary. What if this catches on. Imagine a world with no bacon wrapped hot dogs.

BajaBruno - 4-29-2009 at 09:41 PM

bajabillybob,

If the Nomad community seems to be making light of this "epidemic" it might be because they have learned to put things in perspective: e.g....

Every year in the US over 30,000 people die from the common, ordinary, Asian influenza. Nobody says a word, it doesn't make headlines, and nobody panics. This, despite the fact that the same influenza predictably travels around the world and kills hundreds of thousands of people without causing even a blip on the radar screen.

So far, not a single American has died from the new Swine Flu. Darn few Mexicans have died, either: at last report, about 150 Mexicans have died. Mexico City has 20,000,000 people-- 150 people probably die every day from falling drunk off the sidewalk.

Now, can Swine Flu mutate and become a 1918-esque killer? Not likely, but maybe. But until then, I think your fellow Nomads can be forgiven for being a bit disdainful and flippant at the apparent hysterical over-reaction to what seems to be a fairly mild, though far-reaching, influenza virus.

fdt - 4-30-2009 at 07:02 AM

Quote:

Even crazier knowing it's a pig free beach.

Bajahowodd - 4-30-2009 at 10:34 AM

In the event that anyone would be interested, the pigs in Egypt thing got me to do a little research. 10% of Egypt's population is non-Muslim, mostly Coptic Christians. They're the folks with a hankering for bacon. On the other hand, the government's edict on pig slaughtering has created a hue and cry around the world, with the UN even criticizing it as having no foundation for doing. Conspiracy theorist alert: Egyptian Muslims have been drifting further toward fundamentalism over the past few years and just having pigs in the country is a no-no for fundamentalists. So some believe the government is taking a page from the Rahm Emanuel playbook by not missing an opportunity.

Woooosh - 4-30-2009 at 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Muslims don't eat pork. How would they be destroying tens of thousands of pigs they never had in the first place?

They eat pigeons, much, probably to your chagrin.

[Edited on 4-30-2009 by Bajahowodd]

Pigs have no value to Muslims- but they do to the oppresssed Christian minorty who live and work in the garbage dumps. The pigs are used to control the garbage and it's the only property these people owned.

Can they send a few thousand pigs here for carnitas though? por favor?

DENNIS - 4-30-2009 at 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
Pigs have no value to Muslims-

The bacon wrapped hotdog has the ability to change the world if somebody can serve one to Osama. Jeezo...it's not like eating your young. He would for sure enjoy one.

Bajahowodd - 4-30-2009 at 04:45 PM

Just asking. The hot dog. All Beef? :tumble:

bajabillybob - 4-30-2009 at 04:48 PM

Like Rahm says, take advantage of every bad moment in time.

Bacon Bits

MrBillM - 4-30-2009 at 06:00 PM

Having just had Bacon this a.m., it is clear to me that Pigs are one of God's better creations.

Sausage manana. Brought down a Ham, too.

I remember listening to Dr. Laura S. one day when she (an Orthodox convert) said that what she missed MOST was Bacon. She closed with "my hope is that there'll be Bacon in Heaven".

Hallelujah and Amen.

Mango - 5-1-2009 at 06:22 PM

I think we should all just be glad that WHO hasn't let the dogs out.