Saturday, August 22, 2009

Saturday Morning Coffee 8/22/09

Good morning everyone! I hope all my readers have evaded the swine flu this week and continue to do so. It seems that is all that is being talked about this week. For those of you not located here in "LA" we are hearing astronomical numbers of kids getting sent home with the flu and of them several confirmed cases of H1N1. By my best guess I figure that puts about 80% of us at a very high risk of at best getting the regular ole flu this year.
I know you are thinking what in the world does this have to do with anything? Lucky for you I will tell you. I am just sitting here thinking this morning about a blog post I made some time back before June about the swine flu. You probably remember that Mexican ports were closed for several weeks and everyone was freaking out about H1N1. In that post I basically said that I wouldn't wish it on anyone but that I felt everyone was over reacting and even though some people had passed away from it, there were people that die every year from the"normal" flu. I ended the post back then saying that my personal opinion was that is was perfectly safe to travel to Mexico, but you should always use good common sense. Well low and behold just before school starts back up this month the CDC comes out with a statement saying there most likely will be a major outbreak here is the U.S. but that closing schools would not affect the outbreak either way. They also said the best way to avoid getting it yourself was lots of hand washing and bathing in general! Boy I hate to say I told you so.....but I did. It's almost like since it is here in the U.S. like we perceive it as not as bad. Folks it's the same nasty flu that was in Mexico in May, it did not take a bath,cut it's hair, and put on a suite just to come into the states. It's all about perception and I believe, just like I did before, that the media here in the states are so starved for stories/dramatics that they LOVE to blow things way out of proportion and stir our citizens into a frenzy.
In closing, let me say this to everyone who thinks I do not have a heart. I hate that the H1N1 has come into the world in general. I do not wish being sick, or worse, on any one. I personally may be the next one catching the H1N1 and reserve the right to change my mind. I am simply saying that we sometimes need to take a deep breath, relax, and think before we absolutely flip out believing every thing that the media reports, causing us to make rash decisions like closing ports and rearranging cruise itineraries. I haven't heard one single report, now that it is here, about anyone thinking about stopping business in any way. Perceptions, perceptions...
Jeremy

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