Pork Panic!

What’s in a name? Financial ruin.

USDA and pork producers insist that the current virus outbreak should be called “H1N1,” but the media persist in calling  it “Swine Flu.” Whatever you call it, the virus is not a food-borne illness, but confusion has reduced consumer demand for pork. This comes on top of a huge jump in feed prices, and farmers are losing $23 on each hog. The U.S. pork industry has lost more that $5 billion in the past two years.

“Experts: Swine flu exacerbates pork industry woes,” Fresno Bee

“Editorial: Name that flu — but keep pigs out of it,” Austin [Minnesota] Post-Bulletin

“Flu virus’ name also has its dangers,” Roanoke Times

¡Salud!

Today commemorates the invention of the margarita cocktail the defeat of French expeditionary forces led by Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Comte de Lorencez, by outnumbered Mexican forces under Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexico owed Napoleon III money, so the French invaded Vera Cruz and unsuccessfully tried to foreclose on the city of La Puebla de Los Ángeles.

May 5th is not an official holiday in Mexico because people there know that the French went on to capture Mexico City, install Austrian Archduke Maximilian as Emperor, and inflict the polka on their helpless conquered nation.  Many U.S. citizens celebrate Cinco de Mayo, though, perhaps because General Zaragoza was born in Texas.

Flu and Faith

Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Matthew 8:26 (King James Version)

This was a weekend to try parishioners’ souls.  U.S. faith communities were a bit less communal at worship. Fellowship or flu? Communion chalices or Dixie Cups™?

Traditions differ, but doubt is nondenominational, especially with the deafening drumbeat of Swine Flu fear mongering in the media. Given flu fears, is communal worship a testament of faith or a sin of pride?

Bakersfield, CA:  “Is nothing sacred? Flu forces changes at churches.”

Austin, TX: “Online Church Service.”

Guam: “Catholics nix church kisses, handshakes as flu precaution.”

Chicago, IL:  “Muslims issue advice on avoiding swine flu during Friday prayers.”

Los Angeles, CA: “Diocese of Orange to televise Mass, citing concerns over flu.”

Flu Facts No. 6

Flu Facts Public Health Posts. Sixth in a series.
A public service of NotionsCapital.com

 

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, custom butchers, pharmacists, charcuitiers, health-care practitioners, and culinary professionals. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, and eat a bit less meat and more veggies in any case.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Flu Facts No. 5

Flu Facts Public Health Posts. Fifth in a series.
A public service of NotionsCapital.com

 

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, bloggers, pharmacists, dancing hamsters, licensed health-care professionals or Digerati. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, and stop watching Susan Boyle already.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Flu Facts No. 4

Flu Facts Public Health Posts. Fourth in a series.
A public service of NotionsCapital.com

 

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, investment couselors, pharmacists,  licensed health-care providers, or professional numismatists. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem; consult the U.S. Secret Service Counterfeit Division about dubious coins.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length

Flu Facts No. 3

Flu Facts Public Health Posts. Third in a series.
A public service of NotionsCapital.com

 

Hat Tip: Harvey Licht.

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, Jedi Masters, pharmacists,  licensed health-care professionals, or Astromech Droid technicians. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, and change oil every 300,000,000 miles.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length

Flu Facts No. 2

Flu Facts Public Health Posts. Second in a series.
A public service of NotionsCapital.com

 

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, parents, pharmacists,  licensed health-care professionals or Japanese culture specialists. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, and remoce shoes before stepping on tatami mats.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Flu Fear Mongering

 

Each year, a billion people in the world get the flu, 3 to 5 million get severely ill from it, and 300,000 to 500,000 die. In the United States, a typical year sees 25 to 50 million flu cases, 150,000 flu patients hospitalized, and 30,000 to 40,000 flu-related deaths. Total U.S. H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) cases to date: 100.

Flu prospects this year look fairly typical so far. What is different is the media and information environment.

It’s not just the capacity of Twitter and blogs to spread and sustain rumor. The weakened economic condition of the mainstream media makes them susceptible to the infection of fear-mongering. Television is most vulnerable, since only the old and sick watch it these days, as all those commercials for pharmaceutical, OTC drug, and eldercare products clearly indicate.

Flu Flight Fear!

AirTran Flight 85 from Cancun radioed BWI airport last night. Two passengers were nauseous and feverish. Sick people returning from Mexico!

The flight landed and was met by emergency personnel, who whisked the men into isolation pending medical examination.

It was not Swine flu.

Diagnosis: drunk.

Our hypothesis: booze prevents Swine Flu.

Prescription: Ethanol (C2H5OH). Consult an adult beverage professional for details.

To your health! ¡Salud! A Votre Sante!  Lechyd da! Na zdrav! Egé szé gé re! Alla Salute!

 

Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, sommeliers, pharmacists, cocktail waitresses, or licensed health-care and hospitality professionals. Intoxicating beverages may have warning information and instructions on the packaging, which you should carefully read and follow. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, and inform your host about spoiled fermented fluids or badly-mixed cocktails. The use of intoxicating beverages may not have been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and their use is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition.

Use of the term “hypothesis” does not apply to actual American healthcare practice, which is firmly anecdotal and non-scientific. U.S. medical and pharmaceutical decision making presupposes that pain and disease are primarily profit centers (official motto: “Everybody dies; above all, do no harm to stockholders”).

 Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.comComments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.