So. I used to be fairly scared of the swine 11H% flu. We can give it whatever titles we want. It will still be called the swine flu. You should have named it H1N2T$ or whatever in the first place because you cannot give the public a name like swine flu and then try to take it away. Really, how many times has Jennifer Lopez said she doesn't want to be called JLO? And that she doesn't want her husband to be referred to as Skeletor?

So, much like the West Nile Virus and SARS and uh...various bacterial food outbreaks, I tucked the swine flu away in my constant bag of looming anxieties to be pulled out and mulled over when things seem to be going too well.

But then it was helpfully pointed out to me by a non-American that statistically, the swine flu just doesn't have much on the regular flu. No real leaps in deaths, or outbreaks. Which is not to say that I don't make everyone who enters our house immediately remove their shoes and wash their hands. But how much of this is media driven great white shark attacks? Did you know that more people die each year of bee stings than shark attacks? But that's not making the cover of the magazines and newspapers.

Yes. By all means, cough into your elbow. Stay home when you're sick. Wash your hands until the skin cracks and bleeds(uhh, not that I've done that.) But I'm not going to inject my kid or myself with some rushed through "vaccine" that is unproven and contains live flu. And I'm not going to stay indoors. Because I've gotten alot of mosquito bites and no West Nile Virus. And I think there is still a shortage on face masks after SARS. And have we ever again heard of SARS? Until it shows up on VH1's "Where are they now?" I think it was a one hit wonder.

Time to feed the caterpillar.