Comments on: Pandemic Panic http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/ Just another Thegazz.com weblog Sat, 6 Sep 2008 17:51:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: Karin http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-97 Thu, 06 Apr 2006 09:40:00 +0000 http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-97 Every time I've tried adding my comments to this, my computer tosses me out. It's a conspiracy, I tell you! (For those with no sense of humor--I'm kidding.) Maicomike--I don't take personal offense to your saying the media is partly to blame. Yesterday morning I saw a thing on Good Morning America where they made it sound like this new kind of eye infection is threatening to blind the nation. When they got to the nitty-gritty of it, though, there have been 50 cases in a year. It made me realize how fast some outlets are to yell FIRE! They also made it sound on the promos like it was something contact lens wearers needed to look out for, but of the 50, 25 wore contacts. So why wasn't it "Non-contact lens wearers should be on the lookout for...?" As for this bird flu thing, I'm taking it only slightly more seriously than the Y2K lunacy. It makes sense to be prepared for disaster, regardless of what that disaster might be. We have so much canned food in our house already with Geoff's canned pea collection to last us a while. Someone sent me a link to an interesting article I'm going to try to post here today (if this works). Every time I’ve tried adding my comments to this, my computer tosses me out. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! (For those with no sense of humor–I’m kidding.)

Maicomike–I don’t take personal offense to your saying the media is partly to blame. Yesterday morning I saw a thing on Good Morning America where they made it sound like this new kind of eye infection is threatening to blind the nation. When they got to the nitty-gritty of it, though, there have been 50 cases in a year. It made me realize how fast some outlets are to yell FIRE! They also made it sound on the promos like it was something contact lens wearers needed to look out for, but of the 50, 25 wore contacts. So why wasn’t it “Non-contact lens wearers should be on the lookout for…?”

As for this bird flu thing, I’m taking it only slightly more seriously than the Y2K lunacy. It makes sense to be prepared for disaster, regardless of what that disaster might be. We have so much canned food in our house already with Geoff’s canned pea collection to last us a while. Someone sent me a link to an interesting article I’m going to try to post here today (if this works).

]]> by: maicomike http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-96 Sun, 02 Apr 2006 01:42:00 +0000 http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-96 I agree with goodgurls in that, 1)I, too, am unprepared, and, 2)that there are some things that one just cannot prepare for. I also feel that Karin is correct in her feeling that this whole Bird Flu slituation is being managed. As for whom is doing the managing, I tend to beieve the media is doing more of it than all the public heath agencies combined. The CDC, The World Health Organzation, and others in the medical/public health loop may be carefully, semi-quietly trying to call attention to the situation without causing widespread panic, but the media is in the business of selling newspapers and gaining Neilson shares. After all, the media is these agencies mouthpiece. Karin, please don't take offense to this personally or professionally, but the media, for better or worse, is in the business of managing news. Unfortunately, due to efforts to sell more papers and gain more market shares, all too often we get not only the news, but also the networks/journalists/editors slant on the subject at hand, rather than just the facts. I agree with goodgurls in that, 1)I, too, am unprepared, and, 2)that there are some things that one just cannot prepare for. I also feel that Karin is correct in her feeling that this whole Bird Flu slituation is being managed. As for whom is doing the managing, I tend to beieve the media is doing more of it than all the public heath agencies combined. The CDC, The World Health Organzation, and others in the medical/public health loop may be carefully, semi-quietly trying to call attention to the situation without causing widespread panic, but the media is in the business of selling newspapers and gaining Neilson shares. After all, the media is these agencies mouthpiece. Karin, please don’t take offense to this personally or professionally, but the media, for better or worse, is in the business of managing news. Unfortunately, due to efforts to sell more papers and gain more market shares, all too often we get not only the news, but also the networks/journalists/editors slant on the subject at hand, rather than just the facts.

]]> by: goodgurls http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-95 Sat, 01 Apr 2006 03:38:00 +0000 http://thegazz.com/gblogs/karinfuller/2006/03/31/pandemic-panic/#comment-95 I guess I have my head in the sand too when it comes to the bird flu. Then again, I didn't prepare in any special way either when so many others were panicked over Y2K. As a rule, I always have extra things on hand in case of an emergency. Flashlights, batteries, a radio, some water and food. But I haven't added extra cases of tuna to my grocery list, just yet. I realize there are things I can't control. A flu pandemic would be one of them. I choose not to panic and not to let the fear take over me. IF it does happen, it would certainly be a horrible thing. God help us all. It's always smart to be prepared for a disaster at all times, and I don't fault people for wanting to be prepared. I won't, however, allow this current flu scare to make me focus my entire life on preparing for it. I think that is where some people start to lose it, allowing the fear to disrupt their lives to the point they are really missing out on LIVING right here and now. I guess I have my head in the sand too when it comes to the bird flu. Then again, I didn’t prepare in any special way either when so many others were panicked over Y2K. As a rule, I always have extra things on hand in case of an emergency. Flashlights, batteries, a radio, some water and food. But I haven’t added extra cases of tuna to my grocery list, just yet.

I realize there are things I can’t control. A flu pandemic would be one of them. I choose not to panic and not to let the fear take over me. IF it does happen, it would certainly be a horrible thing. God help us all.

It’s always smart to be prepared for a disaster at all times, and I don’t fault people for wanting to be prepared. I won’t, however, allow this current flu scare to make me focus my entire life on preparing for it. I think that is where some people start to lose it, allowing the fear to disrupt their lives to the point they are really missing out on LIVING right here and now.

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