Swine Flu Info

Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/whatsnew.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_24/en/index.html

You can follow the CDC on Twitter or get email updates or an RSS feed. The CDC seems to be updating faster or more frequently than the WHO.

General recommendations:

• Wash your hands often.
• Cover your cough properly. Sneeze and/or cough into the crook of your arm. This is the best way to thoroughly capture as many germs as possible.
• Clean all surfaces as often as is viable. The virus can live on surfaces for over 2 hours.
• Maintain 'safe' distances (3 to 5 feet is good in most instances)
• STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK!!!
• Adults are likely to be able to spread the virus for one day prior to symptoms and up to 7 days after symptoms appear. Kids can spread it for about 10 days after symptoms appear.
• Symptoms are typical seasonal flu symptoms.9. If you are going to get medicated for the flu, you need to have either a preventative shot (but I don't think there is one for this strain yet) OR you need to get antiviral drugs within the first TWO DAYS of symptoms.

Prepare at home:
The preparation is the same as any shelter-in plan.

• Have a few weeks of food on hand, up to two 6 week waves of pandemic flu was/is expected for the H5N1 virus (bird flu). I don't know what the info is on swine flu yet. But if you can stay out of the stores when/if it gets bad, then you are one step safer. Plus if they start shutting things down, like in Mexico City, then you'll have food on hand for your family.
• Make sure you have cash on hand.
• Make sure you have a full tank of gas.
• Make sure that you have plenty of meds to treat the symptoms of flu -- decongestant, anti-diarrhea, cough medicine, Tylenol or other fever reducer.
• If you can, have surgical grade or better masks on hand and non-latex gloves. If it gets bad and you have to go out, you'll want these to protect yourself. Also, if someone in your house gets it, you may want to protect your family by having the sick person wear them.

For herbalists, cat's claw tinctures would be good. They are anti-viral.

Keep in mind that HEALTHY YOUNGER ADULTS have been the ones sick -- not the elderly, not the children. This has been typical of other pandemic flus. The healthy adults are usually the care takers and the ones out and about the most to catch it. Do not assume that since you are usually as healthy as a horse that you don't or won't catch it. You are the group that is getting hit the worst so far. Also, keep in mind that we have less people infected and/or dead from the swine flu (H1N1) than the bird flu (H5N1).

Lastly, check with your HR if you or your family get sick. Many of the corporate pandemic plans have a clause in them that allow you to not come to work and not be docked or fired for absences in a pandemic flu outbreak.

Rain

I've been sitting here, trying to figure out what that smell was. It wasn't entirely unpleasant but it was very earthy. Richness, thickness, and earthiness. Finally it came to me, it is the rain. It has been so long since we've had a good deep cleansing rain. I'd forgotten what the smell was like.

We've had rain here and there between but deep clean rain.

I'm glad that spring is here.


Even if the tree pollen is super high.

In my neighborhood

Neighborhood on alert after south Minneapolis sexual assault

April 24, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) The Minneapolis Police Department Sex Crimes Unit is warning residents in the Corcoran neighborhood to be on alert after a sexual assault occurred there yesterday.

During the incident, which took place at approximately 2:30 p.m., a resident was beaten and sexually assaulted in her detached garage by an unknown male assailant. The victim fought with her attacker and he fled. During the attack the victim sustained relatively minor facial injuries.

The suspect is described as an unknown race male 20 to 40 years old, 5'9 to 6'0 tall with a medium build. The suspect is described as wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

The Sex Crimes Unit is asking that anyone with information about this case call Sgt. Darren Blauert at 612-673-2913. It is not believed that this case is related to any other sexual assault cases.

The PIO contact for this case is Sgt. William Palmer. The CCN for this case is 09-118099.




This is in my neighborhood. In fact, it is practically behind the in-home daycare that my daughter goes to every day. Needless to say, I was a bit wigged yesterday and still am today about it. It probably does not help that I actually like to watch the death dramas -- CSI, NCIS, Forensic Files, Cold Case, you get the picture -- so I have a fairly vivid, TV-influenced imagination. I'm always fairly careful. For instance the screen/storm door has a lock on it and if we are home, the door is locked. The front door and back doors are also locked. The windows are locked. The alarm is set. I know what my neighbors all look like. I know the cars that do and do not belong on my street. We've got 6 houses in a row that all have big dogs. I have two big dogs. And, I'm really good at calling 911. I've been through a few different self-defense classes. I know how to make myself big and loud. If attacked, I know that I have two goals 1) get out alive and 2) cause visible and serious injury to the perpetrator. I want the person to have to go to the hospital too.

And now, this is where some of you will do a double take, I very strongly feel that murderers and rapists and child molesters should all get the death penalty. Even if they don't take the life of the person they attack, they take so much from them -- their trust, their innocence, their sense of self, their sense of security. If they truly completely recover from it, it takes them ages to do it and it takes a lot of hard work.

I hope that they catch this man. I hope that they lock him away for a very, very long (MN does not have the death penalty). The crime lab truck was there. With the science today, I know that it is merely a matter of time. I just hope his time runs out before another person gets hurt.



And Resources, not just opinions:

FBI Crime Safety Page
National Crime Prevention Council
Crime Doctor
Minneapolis PD Community Crime Prevention

Random Thoughts

I think my dad forgot my birthday. I'm a little upset but I understand. My sister flies in to see him tomorrow with her baby, my niece, his granddaughter. He's never met her before. And he's wished me happy birthday 35 other times. But there is part of me that is childish and says, "Today is my day. Tomorrow is her day." I'll get over it. And really, he may not have actually forgotten. The card may be late. He may have called after my cell phone died. He could have assumed that I'd be out and not wanted to bother me.

My birthday has been a good day. It was definitely filled with lots of love and well wishes from friends. It always amazes me how many people I have in my life. Tonight, I got to spend a rare evening alone with my honey. That almost never ever happens. It was nice to just sit with him and share a meal, discussing politics, work, friends, family, and other stories of our days.

One thing that made me particularly happy was that we were able to talk about an old friend's blog. There was no jealousy, no accusations, no suspicion, just acceptance that there are people who are important to me from my past that I love and want to bring back in to my life. My honey just enjoyed the stories and shared his commentary and thoughts.








Earlier today, I had started and then was distracted and then started and then was distracted and started and then was distracted... from a post about blogging, Twitter, Facebook and narcissism. Apparently, we all believe that the world is in need of our opinions and that makes us selfish and narcissistic. I don't think the world needs my opinion. I think that I can be difficult to get to know and this is one way for my friends and loved ones to get a deeper look inside me and build a deeper connection and understanding. It allows me to connect with friends and family over a long distance. I certainly don't think that they necessarily think they want or need my opinions about anything nor do I think that the day to day happenings are of vital importance to the world at large. Blogging and LiveJournal are ways for me to express myself. It is for me. Perhaps that is where it is truly narcissistic for me.

Additionally, all of these tech things have allowed me to get to know people better as well. My community extends beyond a six block radius from my home. It extends out to the suburbs, out to the East and West Coasts and beyond to Europe. My community and my support network is (practically) worldwide because of technology. That connection is not narcissistic. We support each other over great distances.

I simply think that our world is evolving and it will take time for generations to understand how to relate and connect through all the technology without it all being about Me. Perhaps some of the scientists do not understand it all yet.








You may have heard on the news lately that a Minnesota man -- a Somali activist -- went to Washington DC to help get a lawyer for the Somali pirate who took hostage an American shipping captain. The Somali activist and his non-profit organization, that is set up to help Somalis in the US, is now under fire for helping to find a lawyer for the pirate.

Now, personally, I think he's a pirate. Let's take care of him like a pirate. Let's make him walk the plank. I have very little use for thieves, especially hostage-taking thieves.

As an American, believing in the Constitution and Due Process, I am astounded that we are willing to abandon our principles (again!) and persecute the man who was trying to ensure that someone got a fair trial. Fair Trial. A lawyer. People, this is what our country is based on -- a country of laws. The backlash is against the guy helping the pirate get a lawyer -- not the pirate. The guy trying to ensure that our justice system works.

I don't understand what it is going to take for people to realize that if we abandon the rules for someone, no matter how evil he may be, that we are abandoning the rules for ourselves. Once we decide that we no longer need fair trials for people we perceive to be criminals, we ourselves cannot be guaranteed a fair trial either. Once the rules don't apply for one group, it is very easy to have the rules not apply for any group.

We have to be careful and get away from this thinking that we don't have to give people fair trials, that we can just lock them up and throw away the key. One day that key may be the one to open your cell, regardless of your innocence or guilt.




“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
—Martin Niemoeller