Yes, I have had already had "that obligatory conversation" with a couple of friends and assorted 'disinterested others' about how this whole swine flu thing is getting out of control. If we were all in truly serious danger, we would be getting more information from the news sources, not just bloggers.
Well now...all I can really say to that is obviously I am not the only one living in the cave with the rock pulled tight in. If you are one of those who believe you are getting all the necessary information for daily life from your local, network or cable news sources, you would most likely find many more things up your alley over at someone else's blog. I am not a "news fan" on any level and I'm not much for candy-coating and fluff, sorry. But, hey, never fear...there are literally millions of bloggers out there more than willing and able to feed your mornings with that stuff.
Now back to my own blogging...do I think this swine flu "pandemic" is being blown out of proportion? No, actually I don't. I don't think we are looking at SARS again...yet...but I do think some of the more survivalist-minded sorts are preaching the hunker down and go bush hype right now.
Mexico, obviously has outbreaks...but so does the US and Canada, Australia, New Zealand/Auckland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, France, Israel, Germany, Europe in general...even the Czech Republic. The list is rather lengthy, actually. And they hesitate calling it a pandemic, right?
Before that comment gets my mailbag singed, let me explain. Some blogs are really pushing the panic and conspiracy theories behind government control of this H1N1 virus (Baxter is already prepared with a starter vaccine? kind of quick, isn't it?) and its more intentional spread. They are jumping on the panic extreme half of the wagon. Local and network (government-led, mind you) news sources are on the other end of that wagon...the let's-wait-and-see-what-this-turns-into end. At least, that is how they are presenting it in the media that most folks are watching. Reality, I believe is a bit different....they are just waiting on opportunity to put into active force their MSEHPA. And if that doesn't raise a few hairs on your neck, you really do need to go visit another blog. I don't like what I've read, blogs, PDF's and other sources, about the MSEHPA at all. It's just way too much government in my face kind of stuff, but maybe that's just me. I just don't have that worm, fuzzy, feel-good sort of comfort when the government decides what is best for me and my family, and then puts things in place to
Now, all that aside, I do think it's just plain stupidity to not be watching this flu unfold over the next year. Yes, I said year, not season. I fully agree with those looking at this in the wave theory. It's just beginning. It will be something tucked away in the news after a short while, but watch for it again this fall when the more 'traditional' flu season begins making it's presence known. It's going to get far worse before it's over.
We are a preventative family here, not a call-to-action sort of family. I don't wait until someone starts sneezing and coughing to worry about our health. Your health is an ongoing thing, not something you just pop into at will persay. You have to have common sense practices inyour family to maintain any level of health. Basic things like stop eating crap and packeaged garbage. Most folks get sick because they eat the wrong foods for any level of health. When something even benign like a simple cold comes around, bingo, they drop like flies with every symptom imagineable. Develop a routine of healthy practices in your family....sneezing? cover your mouth and nose each time, then go wash your hands. coughing? cover your mouth and nose with something other than just your hand...then throw it away and go wash your hands. wash your hands often and for a standard amount of time. I've seen folks wash their hands...it's funny. They splash some water on them, maybe dab a little soap, don't work up any lather at all, then splash more water on...and usually wipe them on their clothes. yeah, you're clean and germ-free. stay away from me, thank you.
See a trend here...and on just about everyone else's blog out there right now speaking about this? WASH YOUR HANDS.
What about the herbal stuff to help boost your immunity? Well, depending on where you go, who you talk to, there is a mixed decision on that right now it seems. There is something called a cytokine storm that seems to be a big issue this time around the flu circuit. And Elderberry extract/syrup is leading the pack on hot topics. First off, read the facts out there about Elderberry extract...do your research. There are certain forms of it you are wanting...don't just go grab the first thing you find...do some reading folks. You need to be as informed as you can be, and that means you need to look for things on your own, searching out whatever you read and making the best decisions you can based on the best information you can at the time. That's all anyone can do in that respect.
That original question from those friends...I pray you don't have to find our first hand how serious this flu strain can be. As for me and my house, we will be vamping up the storage supplies here and thinking over any trips off the homestead a second (and third and fourth) time. I can't control much outside my homestead, but I do have a pretty good grip on what happens around here (well, most days, anyway). The problem with being out and about with the world-at-large is you lose all that control completely. I don't know where you've been, or who you've been around...and the lineage of that goes a long way.
In a nutshell, is a trip to WalMart worth my health or that of my children's, even if a fairly remote possibility? I don't think so.
Get this Widget
Swine Flu Tracking at Google Maps
Helpful Resource with all manner of links related to Swine Flu, Pandemics, Herbs, etc.
Helpful Resource with all manner of links related to Swine Flu, Pandemics, Herbs, etc.
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