Fred and Bessie seem very happy to be back together again. Currently, they are riveted by news reports of the "Swine Flu", relieved the nasty bug is not called “Bovine Flu” and doesn't appear to infect cows.
Fred and Bessie are not surprised to learn that pork producers wish the news media would refer to the "Swine Flu" by a more accurate name---such as “Hybrid Flu”---seeing as the bug contains bird, human, and swine flu viruses. Last evening I was visiting with a farmer friend at a track meet and he told me that hog prices are falling because people think they can get the flu from eating pork. NOT TRUE! And, here is an interesting BBC article containing reports from people who are currently in Mexico.
I interrupted Fred and Bessie's session at the computer screen to inform them of what I had learned from listening to the NPR program, "On Point", yesterday morning in the barn. Influenza experts were fielding questions from around the world. I learned that the influenza virus originally developed long ago in the intestines of water birds. Over time, the bug passed to land birds like chickens and turkeys, which later became domesticated, with humans and swine eventually becoming susceptible to the flu virus. The current flu bug is a new combination---never before seen and for which no one has complete immunity---a mix of a bird virus, a human virus, a North American swine virus and a European swine virus. Some people MAY have partial immunities, however, from previous flu shots.
Sunshine is effective in killing flu viruses, the experts pointed out. Maybe we should pray for the sun to shine mightily in the weeks ahead to help eradicate the new bug. The experts said the flu will diminish during the summer---as flu usually does---but that this "Hybrid Flu" will most certainly return to action during next fall and winter's flu season. Hopefully, a vaccine will have been developed by then.
The major factor in the development and spread of this new flu virus is, of course, the mixing of people in public places and the crisscrossing of travelers around the globe. Lucky for me, my usual routine involves staying home most of the time, though I must remember to be more faithful about handwashing, especially during and after shopping and such.
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Well, I’ll be swizzled! Talk about a drastic change of subject! Fred and Bessie found an absorbing MSNBC article called, "The 10 Best Places to Kiss", about a subject near and dear to them.....smooching! Oh, why didn't I log off the MSNBC page sooner. Can you believe someone went to the trouble to write such an article (and--duh--then I go and blog about it) and got paid!!......not to mention how much at odds the kissing subject is with "social distancing", the proposed strategy for avoiding the flu.
If you must know, here are the ten amazingly original suggestions from the kissing article:
Readers are urged to try smooching.....On a roller coaster; On your desk; At a museum; In the middle of a crowded street; In a dressing room; On a pile of coats; Upside down; In the back seat; In a downpour; In bed, while one of you is asleep.
I 'spect you'll run right out and try some of these......Fred and Bessie told me they want to try "on a roller coaster". Too bad the amusement parks aren't open yet. Their next host will have to make arrangements for fulfilling that kissing fantasy!
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Have a great day! STAY WELL!!
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16 comments:
Kissing in a downpour might be nice. Too busy screaming to try it on a roller coaster, but maybe your swine friends can figure out how to do that one.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
kissing is wonderful:) one of mike and I's favorite thing is to say one to the other ... have you kissed me "here" today... which always gets a kiss in that place where ever it may be... the other day it was while i was sitting on the tailgate of the truck watching my fires burn... I asked him ... have you kissed me here today? he said no and i am not gonna then came over and kissed me :) LOL its great!
I did a lot of kissing in the back seat when I was in high school. It was fine then, but it would never make my top 10 list now.
You made me chuckle today. All that kissin' has me exhausted. ;)
In bed while one of you is asleep???? Does that even count?
Hmm. I'm going to have to try the crowded street. What fun!
I like to kiss fish. I'll stay in one place and start kissing the air. I usually catch a kiss that way. Always from my Hunny. :)
At least F & B are taking an interest in reading the news, rather than just kissy, kissy, kissy! That MSNBC article may, however, undo all the good that was done by the seminar and Kendall's visit. Only time will tell.
Sorry the swine farmers are suffering from the flu even when they don't get sick. The media tries to get info right, but sometimes they spread bad things faster than a sneeze. I am having pork chops for dinner. Hi to F&B. Keep on kissin'
F&B are the most well-read bovines I have ever run across. But I (being male) am kind of partial to all the kissy, kissy...I'm pulling for a complete reconciliation.
Fred and Bessie are quite the pair. And smart, goodness, they are up on all of the buzz!!!
Don't tell 'em, well, don't let them read this...some of the amusement parks are open on the weekends now. Shhh!!!
We're usually half asleep when we kiss in bed before we go to sleep. Does that count?
Thanks for more info on the Flu subject. I'll be praying for sunshine - that's for sure!
Kat
Thank you all for stopping by! Oh, my....many of you sound like fans of kissing. Good for you!
On the new earlier this evening, they said the flu would now officially be referred to as "H1N1" instead of "swine". That's good.
And, Annie, I forgot that amusement parks opened this early in the spring....no way will I tell F & B. Anyhoo, I certainly don't have time to drive them to Adventureland at Des Moines to ride the Tornado roller coaster.
Interesting post Janelle.
I read the BBC link. Our news here is sometimes a bit contained and it's good to get a point of view from the other side of the world.
The media here is in a flu frenzy at the moment. I know it's not to be taken lightly but every year there is a new strain of flu and every couple of years we now hear about the threat of a pandemic.
Fred and Bessie don't seemed to be too concerned !! I can't see them wearing face masks. It would impede all that kissing!!
Ms Soup
Hi, alphabet soup,
Thanks for stopping in. Oh, that word "pandemic", I wish they wouldn't use it. It scares everyone. Only time will tell how this will all go, that's for sure.
Oh that Fred and Bessie. One track minds, those two.
Very interesting information about flu. I remember the swine flu of 1976. I guess this a mutation from then.
Very informative information. And I'm so, so happy it is not being called the Bovine Flu...can you imagine what panic that would cause! I feel for the pig farmers as their industry is really getting a bad rap at the moment. I have even had people calling the office to find out if they should get rid of their 4-H pigs...I tell them NO, NO, NO and then give them correct, useful and helpful information.
Kissing in a downpour is fun...;) And nobody better kiss me while I'm sleeping...I'll sock'em in the eye for sure!
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