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Topic: Is Captain Trips here?, What do we do now? I say stay in touch.< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 11:34

I log on to the internet with Yahoo as my home page. Every 12 hours or so there is a new depressing update about the swine flu pandemic potential. I prefer to call it the super-flu or Captain Trips since I always liked the 4 part miniseries "Steven King's The Stand", the book was too long. But it's something I sure would not want to "live" in reality, even if I was one of that 1% of the population that survived and either gravitated toward mother Abigail or Randal Flagg. Yet some think it's here and the news is just getting more paranoid.
    Nevertheless, I live in Texas, not too far from San Antonio or the Mexican border. I work in a school with some students who go home to San Antonio every weekend. Some might even go to Mexico, I don't know. If the school(s) close so does my pay. Just on a lark I stopped by a CVS pharmacy this morning looking for surgical  masks, all out of them yet I see no one wearing them in Austin. I don't think the masks would do that much good anyway. Something of this nature if airborne and possibly waterborn and foodborn could never be shrugged off with a simple face mask.
    I'm not trying to inflict more paranoia than the media already has, it's just that I think it's a concern. So I was thinking tubular.net would be a good place to keep notes with others as this thing either progresses or hopefully fizzles out. We have members from the US, England, Australia, Canada, Brazil and more. I think we should all watch this thing and compare notes in the weeks to come. Maybe shift a little focus from Hammonds and PRS guitars to what's happening. Since I'm probably the closest to ground zero(I havn't seen any members from Mexico here) I'll let ya know if it shows up in Austin. Take care, Jim


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wiga Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 12:08

It's all on the main (first item) news here in Britain. They say there have been 20 confirmed cases in the U.S, 6 in Canada and 1 in Spain, and apparently these people were only mildly ill and made a full recovery. Hard to tell to what extent it is scaremongering, but it is worrying I agree, and particularly for you Scatter - being closest to 'ground zero', as you say.

I have a colleague going to Madrid tomorrow and apparently folk from Mexico are also flying in for this conference as well, so I guess we're all at risk down the line.


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Matt Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 14:02

We are lucky in the UK that BBC News (website here) is I think a bit more balanced than other news sources so the level of importance of this outbreak is high but the level of panic a bit more balanced.

My take on it all, WHO etc. are probably right that there will be another pandemic of some form sometime in the next few decades that will have a high death toll. This I don't think is it from what I have heard so far - but precautions are rightly being taken in case it is.

Nice idea Jim to use tb.net for keeping in touch, the net and the way worldwide communication is so widespread will hopefully help people cope if/when a pandemic does strike.

Everybody keep well! And if anybody near you coughs or sneezes, it might just be hayfever!


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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 14:05

Let's just keep in contact. This may be a Mike Oldfield forum, but with so many of us scattered around the globe it's a good rally point for us. One point in the last Yahoo news article I read is that only one pharmaceutical co. in the US makes flu vaccines. I say bull. If WHO and the CDC deemed it neccesary, I think -every- pharmaceutical manufacturer could and would be pressed into service to manufacture the vaccines neccesary. Right now, I think it would be a good idea to put off entertainment as far as huge gatherings. Concerts, theaters etc. With the tie-in with global economy, mucking with a few  concerts, sports events and the avoidance thereof, would have minimal impact on the economy. Maybe this is Mike's calling. For the time being stay at home and just enjoy Amarok or Kraftwerk or whatever. The more we mingle, the worse it is. Maybe this whole thing will die out soon, but it is a reminder.....whether we're in Tasmania or Brazil we'd better pull together when neccesary and sacrifice some things like travel and discotechs. Stay home, embrace your music, DVD's, whatever. This may sound gross, but I took microbiology, the less spit we swap, the more of us will survive. Just stay home for a while. Partying can wait.

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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 19:50

You are at ground zero jim, look after yourself, trouble with this flu it has 3 strains and will mutate so vaccines are a way off! uni is a hot spot at the moment,staff and students travelling! staying home instead of partying is good advice jim, deb
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smillsoid Offline




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Posted: April 27 2009, 21:54

Weird that my old schoolfriend Mike Perkins is currently drawing "The Stand" as a Marvel comic book!  We blame him... :D

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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 29 2009, 12:51

Today's depressing news topic was that the 1st confirmed swine flu death in Texas occurred. The person(I think it was a baby/child) was not disclosed by the CDC nor the location. But since the only confirmed swine flu victims in Texas were in San Antonio, that kind of narrows it down. Appx. 80 miles south of Austin. Oh well, what to do? All the handwashing in the world won't stop it.  Only a strong immune system and drive to live can win, unless the medications are made available fast. I'm not afraid. In fact I wonder, a month or 2 ago I got on here with nothing to do, as I had a respiratory infection(which could have been the flu, I did have fever)and was excused from work that week.  I wonder if my immune system was boosted by that. Stay alert and stay inside Tubes...sorry, Tubularians.
   About 6 months ago, out of pure boredom on my night shift job, I discovered a new online game and played it, and wondered all the while "Is this evil, am I doing something bad by playing it?" The game was called "Pandemic 2", the idea being to pick either a virus, bacteria or parasite then manipulate certain variables like the starting point of the disease(Madagascar being the only way to win) and earning points, then spending those points on making the disease spread before borders could be closed, transit stopped, schools closed etc. This scenario is playing out just like the game. Verbatim. I know thousands of people played the game, I saw massive high-score lists. Whoever wrote that game obviously knew what they were doing and knew a lot about diseases and microbiology. I quickly grew bored of it since after you won what was left? After that it was a worthless game. But now I wonder. I feel guilt and remorse for having played the game, now that it is becoming a reality. I can only hope that the game has been banned on the internet. If it has not, it should be, be damned the rights of whomever wrote/designed the game. Feedback? Am I a bad person for having played the game?
Jim


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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 29 2009, 15:05

No. Surprisingly, the game is still there on many game sites. Oh well. As they say "Be carefull what you ask for, you just might get it".  My guess is there will be news articles about it as this thing progresses, or hopefully dies out! People will find it repulsive and ban it. Surprised no one has complained yet. It is so realistic when you look at the news and then the game.....

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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: April 29 2009, 22:16

:p yo jim no you are not evil! governments have been tinkering with germ warfare for centuries, nerve gas, blood agents, gulf war syndrome from exposure to dirty bombs made from spent nuclear weapons! this flu is another example of natural attrition,deb
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 30 2009, 02:31

The first case of the flu popped up in Austin yesterday. Everyone from Mexico is headed this way......Jesus. One school has closed, only a few miles from my school which is already threatening to close when the first student or staff is diagnosed with swine flu. We're all having to disinfect counters, appliances etc. 3X per shift....
    I guess if I get the symptoms, I will give Eddy and my aging cat to Eddy's former owner(ex girlfreind). Dogs may be immune, but who will care for them if their masters are dead? Then I will lie down and see if I win or lose. Similarly, if she gets it first I will take her Shih tzu pup, care for them until I get it(or don't). I suppose the best thing would be, towards the end, while I still have some movement and the strength, open the door and let them take their chances(slim) in the wild. The only plan I can think of. Good luck old freinds.....
Jim


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wiga Offline




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Posted: April 30 2009, 04:29

Quote (Scatterplot @ April 29 2009, 12:51)
Today's depressing news topic was that the 1st confirmed swine flu death in Texas occurred. The person(I think it was a baby/child) was not disclosed by the CDC nor the location.

The British papers have confirmed that a 23 month old boy, from Mexico City, fell ill and died whilst visiting family in Brownsville Texas. Don't know if this is the same child. The worst hit states are New York with 51, Texas 16 and California 14 apparently. The majority of cases are under 18 years old.

Is it very hot in Texas right now - I was wondering if it's hot enough whereby you have to have the air conditioning on, and if that can exacerbate the flu bug, like central heating can over here.

Kids and older people I guess, with a lower immune system will be more susceptible.

It does sound a bit scary though in your region Scatter. Don't panic! - eat well, plenty of fluids, fresh air, sleep good and no stressin :)


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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: April 30 2009, 06:09

:p good advice wiga, look after yourself and eddy my friend, you still have a lot of living to do! if you fall ill i will come over and look after you! keep smiling you will be ok, deb
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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: May 01 2009, 21:36

This flu is one serious bad bugger! hope you are ok jim, texas is really copping it, europe has cases, new zealand, so far australia is flu free, take care everyone! deb
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: May 01 2009, 22:34

Well, Deb, now you got me wanting to get it. Nah what was nice for a change was to log on and see "swine flu may not be as threatening as first thought". But the way I see it being paranoid has its benefits. It's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared yes? Every face mask in every pharmacy is gone. I therefore looked up how to make them from scratch. Got a yard of thick, VERY thick material, red of course(for danger...danger), I guess I can use it under the tree this Christmas. Y'all be cool. Still use caution tho, fer sure. Went to a freinds apt. and watched VH1 on their cable. Saw so much Who documentary(hours) I think I can hear  "Happy Jack"  or "I Can't Explain" in my head everywhere I go......
Jim


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ex member 419 Offline




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Posted: May 02 2009, 04:10

:D nice to know you are still hale and hearty jim! this flu may fizzle out in time, heres hoping! red face mask, gotta see that! yal take care and keep smiling...pinball wizard, the who! trippin! deb
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