Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

Just one more reason to hope and pray that the next Awakening doesn't expand on the excesses of the past one. Maybe next time around, AIDS mixes it up with the flu and becomes AIRBORNE.

Wouldn't THAT be a hoot?

Roadbldr, that can't happen. AIDS is an lentivirus virus , while influenza is a
Orthomyxoviridae I'm more concerned with the utter lack of infrastructure or whatever that's holding up production of the H1N1 influenza virus, myself. The response thus far has been an utter CF. I get a flu shot every year because I do not really care to experience 104 degree fevers, which I get if I get some flu or other bug.

Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

My maternal grandfather had something like nine brothers and sisters... and lost half of 'em. Apparently the Spanish Flu wasn't very kind to Deal, New Jersey.

Another victim was the mother of Senator Robert Byrd, then one year old. As he tells the story--I've heard it--she got it, knew she was probably doomed, and told her husband who should raise her son, then one year old.

The epidemic is extensively described in Dennis Lehane's latest historical novel, The given Day,, which I highly recommend.

Originally Posted by Ragnarök_62

I get a flu shot every year because I do not really care to experience 104 degree fevers, which I get if I get some flu or other bug.

Me too. On a visit to my parents house in Las Vegas at Christmas 1991, I was flat on my back with the flu for three weeks. I had to call my boss and add sick leave to my vacation time, since I was in no position fly back to Seattle.

That was the final time my Mom ever nursed me back to health with chicken soup and Musterole :-(

Originally Posted by Mikebert

Oh well. Putt's Law in action.

What is "Putt's Law"?

Originally Posted by Roadbldr '59

Me too. On a visit to my parents house in Las Vegas at Christmas 1991, I was flat on my back with the flu for three weeks. I had to call my boss and add sick leave to my vacation time, since I was in no position fly back to Seattle.

That was the final time my Mom ever nursed me back to health with chicken soup and Musterole :-(

Chicken soup, eh? Sounds like she was getting you ready for Wonkette. . ..

Originally Posted by The Wonkette

What is "Putt's Law"?

Shoot while the windmill blades are blocking the hole -- they'll move out of the way.

Originally Posted by The Wonkette

What is "Putt's Law"?

Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.

Originally Posted by The Rani

I want to learn to fly one of those WWI Snoopy planes where you gotta shoot between the propellers.

Funny aside. The history of aircraft-mounted weaponry features some pretty amusing blunders. One fo the first forward-mounted machineguns just blew the propeller off the plane it was on. Then a later attempt featured armored propellers (which turned out to bounce a portion of the bullets back at the pilot). The final -- afaik -- design, featured a cam-type triggering mechanism that automatically interrupted fire in time with prop speed.

So the only thing to learn was how to build it right. For the pilots, it's always just been 'apply pressure to the trigger'.

---

but we were talking about Putt.

Originally Posted by Chas'88

But all bats really eat is fruit and insects. The only blood suckers are in Mexico and South America--and they only drink tiny portions in comparison to the fruit and insects they eat. And the blood they get mostly comes from livestock or recently dead animals.

So don't worry about bats. Be afraid of sparkly vampires, for they'll blind you with their smile--if they ever did smile of course since they live without having emotions and all...

~Chas'88

But that sort of vampire isn't found where the common folk live, but in the corridors of power.

Originally Posted by The Rani

Putt schmutt. Someone told me the pilots had to make sure those things were properly calibrated before they took off ... that's not the case?

That'd make perfect sense -- though I suspect the more accurate word, since we're talking about positions in rotating machinery, would be 'timed'. Otherwise they might find themselves shooting only at their propellers.

But in any case, that's a job for a mechanic, not a pilot. Most likely the flyboys knew in principle how it should be done, but it's not something they would actually do.

Does anyone remeber when so many were obsessed with germ warfare? Does anyone believe that H1N1 is a vehicle of germ warfare advocates? I don't believe so, would prefer to believe that it is only coincidental. In fact there are many who believe that the scare is overblown, even though there have been a few deaths from it. Probably doesn't come close to rivaling the 1918 legendary outbreak. But we have advanced so much in science and medicine since that time that it seems highly unlikely. But yet TB has resurfaced, so who knows?

Originally Posted by The Rani

Here is an extensive analysis which traces the origin of the virus. It's from HSUS, but it does have references that you can check.

Ah, yes. Now if we would only LOVE animals instead of EATING them, we'd all be germ-free and live to be a hundred and fifty, and so on, and so on, and scooby-dooby-doo...

No thanks. I want my baby back ribs!!! OINK.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

Chicken soup, eh? Sounds like she was getting you ready for Wonkette. . ..

Nah... I don't believe I was ever THAT sick at Jenny's house. The '91 incident was probably the fifth-worst illness of my entire life. (The two worst landed me in the hospital under an oxygen tent, the next two in the emergency room with temperatures of 105F).

Closest I came was at her Mom's farmhouse in Maine in '02... which is when I discovered the Narnia books :-)

Originally Posted by The Rani

At any rate, I want to fly one of those suckers.

I flew in a helicopter for the first time on a field review three weeks ago. It was a blast... I wouldn't mind flying one of those at all!

Originally Posted by The Rani

Officials: Swine flu confirmed in Iowa cat

Damn. I knew dogs would hump anything that they could get up on, but I thought cats had more class than that.

Originally Posted by Brian Rush

I'm inclined to agree that's a danger. Best case would be if enough of a stink comes out of this epidemic that the problems are corrected before a truly bad one comes along. If that happens, we've been lucky in that fate has presented us with a dry-run rehearsal.

Uh, well, my husband, son, and I went to a free H1N1 flu clinic today and we all got the vaccine with a minimal wait period.

Currently I'm under quarantine for the possibility of having H1N1.

It sucks. That is all.

~Chas'88

Originally Posted by Chas'88

Currently I'm under quarantine for the possibility of having H1N1.

It sucks. That is all.

~Chas'88

Sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself.

Originally Posted by The Rani

Who quarantined you and how? If you don't mind sharing.

I went to the Campus Health Services because I was feeling horrible: Had a runny nose, sore throat, ear ache, congestion, trouble thinking straight, annoying cough, diahrea, nausea. Yesterday I was burning up. Today I was 96.5 compared to my normal 97.7.

So yeah, I'm not doing well. They gave me a bag of goodies-- of cough syrup, over the counter medicine, etc. and told me to stay isolated in my room, and wear a mask whenever my roommate comes in the room if he can't find somewhere else to be.

~Chas'88

Originally Posted by Chas'88

I went to the Campus Health Services because I was feeling horrible: Had a runny nose, sore throat, ear ache, congestion, trouble thinking straight, annoying cough, diahrea, nausea. Yesterday I was burning up. Today I was 96.5 compared to my normal 97.7.

So yeah, I'm not doing well. They gave me a bag of goodies-- of cough syrup, over the counter medicine, etc. and told me to stay isolated in my room, and wear a mask whenever my roommate comes in the room if he can't find somewhere else to be.

~Chas'88

What are you doing for food? Or are you not hungry? My daughter had no appetite for about 3 days.

And how are you feeling today?

Dinning Services delivers, although I'm not as hungry as I usually am.

Also, for general knowledge: They tested me with nose swabs and throat swabs. The test is being sent to where it can be tested. They don't think Tamiflu would be a good solution at this point in the diagnosis.

~Chas'88

Originally Posted by Chas'88

Dinning Services delivers, although I'm not as hungry as I usually am.

Also, for general knowledge: They tested me with nose swabs and throat swabs. The test is being sent to where it can be tested. They don't think Tamiflu would be a good solution at this point in the diagnosis.

~Chas'88

Yeah, if you are posting, you probably aren't seriously sick. I expect they reserve the heavy-duty meds for those who are sicker than you.

Again, the experience from my daughter was that she felt rotten for three days, a lot improved the fourth day, completely better the fifth day but required to stay home, and went back to school and resumed her regular life on the sixth day. She never took any prescription drugs, just over-the-counter flu meds.

I hope you're feeling better and back to your regular life soon. In the mean time, if you can, enjoy the break.

I have been lucky I guess not to have any symptoms so far. Except for considerable sneezing which is probably more allergy(don't know what kind) related. The state of my life combined with the economy has forced me to stay at or close to home a lot more, not by my own choice at all.

This shouldn't be anywhere near as bad as the 1918 epidemic if for no other reason than we have advanced so far in science and medicine since that time. I believe I did have the flu over Christmas in 2006 but only took about four days to get through it.

I also have swine flu right now. And it's nowhere as big of a deal as the media has made it out to be. For me it's been a very mild flu, This is my 4th day having it, and I'm already starting to feel better. I stayed home from school today, due to still feeling sick, and not to infect others, luckily I only go 3 days a week, and school is closed Wednesday due to veterans day, so I won't have to go back until friday.

Originally Posted by Chas'88

Currently I'm under quarantine for the possibility of having H1N1.

It sucks. That is all.

~Chas'88

Ugh, that sucks!