Aren't these little guys cute? How could it be possible that such an awful disease as Swine Flu could emanate from them?
Swine influenza (also called Swine Flu, Hog Flu, and Pig Flu) refers to influenza caused by the strains of influenza virus that usually infect pigs and are called swine influenza virus (SIV). Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, China, Japan, Taiwan, and other parts of eastern Asia. Direct transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (this is called zoonotic swine flu). People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza. ... Wikipedia
It has been decided in British Columbia, rather than to call the current flu "Swine Flu", to call it H1N1 instead, in order not to cause alarm to the hog industry. Apparently there were complaints from pig farmers and pork vendors, whose businesses have been adversely affected by the "Swine Flu" outbreak. My friend
Russell said it reminded him of R2D2 in
"Star Wars", so we could call it "Robot Flu", but that may be politically incorrect and offensive to robots. So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a name for this new flu that is neither offensive to pigs, birds, human beings, robots or flu viruses. An astute panel of judge, after much consideration, will decide the
stupidest winning entry. There will be no prize for the winner.
Aren't these little guys cute? How could it be possible that such an awful disease as Swine Flu could emanate from them? Swine influenza (also called Swine Flu, Hog Flu, and Pig Flu) refers to influenza caused by the strains of influenza virus that usually infect pigs and are called swine influenza virus (SIV). Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, China, Japan, Taiwan, and other parts of eastern Asia. Direct transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (this is called zoonotic swine flu). People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza. ... Wikipedia
It has been decided in British Columbia, rather than to call the current flu "Swine Flu", to call it H1N1 instead, in order not to cause alarm to the hog industry. Apparently there were complaints from pig farmers and pork vendors, whose businesses have been adversely affected by the "Swine Flu" outbreak. My friend Russell said it reminded him of R2D2 in "Star Wars", so we could call it "Robot Flu", but that may be politically incorrect and offensive to robots. So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a name for this new flu that is neither offensive to pigs, birds, human beings, robots or flu viruses. An astute panel of judge, after much consideration, will decide the 
22 comments:
Hi, Well, since we can't call it Hog flu, for risk of harming the hog industry, maybe we could call it . . . Hogwash Flu ?
(and don't forget to wash your hands of it)
Also, if you haven't seen it already, because it has been circulating widely by e-mail, you may enjoy the photo I just posted under title : Don't Try This At Home.
Best, Owen
Aww,they ARE so cute!
I just saw this on the yahoo homepage,bot sure,what I want to call it though...err the new flu? lol
err,typo I meant not sure
cheers~
Trust you to come up with another - er - "contest." LOL
Hmmm.....how 'bout "Wash Your Hands or Die Flu"...
How about calling it THE BUG? D
To where did the Swine Flew?
Q. What's a pig sty in the sky?
A. That's where the Swine Flu.
(grrrrherherhehe)
Ok. 'Nuff with the piggy jokes. But they are sorta cute.
Methinks the media's straining for a world health crisis. It reminds me of that movie Wag The Dog ... also of the way Elliot Carver (Tomorrow Never Dies) generates world chaos to see more newspapers.
I have to say, my favourite blog post about Swine Flu so far is this one.
H1N1 makes me think of some sort of ultra sci fi biological weapon of war. It conjures images of radioactive fall-out, nuclear droplet particles ... generally sounds sort of post-apocalyptic.
Proposed new name for Swine Flu~ Sus Domestica Influenza. You figure out why I chose that name.
Have you enjoyed to sunshine, and the lingering magnolias and cherry blossoms this week? I have. I've got this thing for magnolias, cherry blossoms and rhododendrons. If you like that sort of eye candy, then here's something to feast on ~ all pics taken by me, here in Vancouver.
Happy Weekend to you. Also happy Cross-Quarter Day, pretty soon. Yeay! Summer's coming.
:^)
Clarify ~ (4th paragraph - "Methinks ...")
" ... to sell more newspapers," not see them.
Having been a Swine/Beef 4-H leader for years, I have seen many kids trying exactly "that at home". I am hoping we all wash our hands often and not just in a crisis time. So I am in agreement with Owen. HOGWASH Flu! great post!
My first suggestion takes the legal approach which I think eliminates blame from any one living species;
"Alleged organic living alleged flu".
Second suggestion is escapism in the tradition of "Slim Disease" for AIDS in Africa. Lets call it "Handkerchief producers friend".
Finally for the paranoid and conspiracy believers, "CIA Test Virus Mark I".
Darn, I think Owen's "Hogwash Flu" is very clever!
Jesus Christ, all this fuss over a disease that is hardly ever fatal (the numbers being 1% fatalities).
Honestly. Just the press, scaremongering as usual.
ACHOOOO! flu
How about we rename it George?
Or perhaps The Flu Formerly Known As Swine.
I've got nothin, but i like Hilaries suggestion
I don't know much about the Swine Flu -- which is what I call this even though Iowa's former governor Tom Visack, now the Secretary of Agriculture, insists we not call it Swine nor make any reference to Mexico when talking about...!
Regardless of this flu business, whatever happened to the killer bee scare?!
Or if not killer bees, we were being told soybean rust would be arriving in the United States from South America and Mexico and would wipe out our entire soybean crops!
Oh, then there is this terrorist business that is with us all the time ... but with the economy falling apart maybe the terrorists won't unleash a biological agent that will kill millions....!
What was the question? Heh!!
Okay, is it just me? The flu in it's many incarnations has been around since ancient times. Why is the media beating this to death? A small number of people will always die of it, but the vast majority get it, get over it and go on with life as usual. It must be a really slow news week.
The little piggies are adorable.
I think it is just nature's way of trying to control the world population, meaning the strongest will survive and the weakest will not. Nature can be cruel. I don't think that someone like myself, who lives with a dozen prescription drugs, and has 5 physicians, in my 80s, was meant to survive this long. Not that I want to depart this life. Modern medicine will do its' best to thwart nature's plan.
How about "Global Flu" because it is so widespread ?
Wallow in the Mud Flu?
Owen, Hogwash Flu -- I love it! Yes, wash, wash, wash.
Miss Nobody, some people are calling it the New Flu. :-)
Leslie, that works too. :-) WYHOD flu. *heh*
Donnetta, yes, the Nasty Bug.
Tinkerbell, LOVED the joke. And yes, the Cherry trees and Magnolias have been magnificent this year, haven't they!?
Faithful, I am almost obsessive about washing my hands. Goodness, you never know ... right?
LGS, "Alleged organic living alleged flu". I like that. AOLAF. It works for me!
Greenpanda, I agree with you 100%. More people die every year from just "regular" flu!
Mark, works for me! Bless you!
Hilary, "The Flu Formerly Known As Swine." Yes! We could create a symbol for it. :-)
Flowrgrl1, yes! *heh, heh*
Russell, oh yes, Killer Bees. I remember when I was a little kid, we were always afraid of World War 3. "Drop, duck and cover". There is always something to be afraid of, isn't there!?
Deedee, you have hit the nail on the head. It's a slow news week. Next week it will be e.coli, and the week after that it will be something else. *sigh*
Dee, "Global Flu", gosh that does sound ominous, doesn't it?
ChicGeek, yes, Wallow in the Media Flu works too. :-)
they have closed alot of events and schools here in Texas as precaution..hopefully this will pass quickly..
I do like Hogwash!! But, I was thinking... the word "swine" has such a slithery and dirty sound to it I think folks associate it with dirt/disease etc. Why not add a little class and call it the porcine flu. Now, doesn't that sound a little more dignified. ;)
how about the bacon cold
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