mexican flu

[kandrathe]

Or not.

I was just having this discussion with a scientist the other day... 3% to 6% of the global population died, and 10% of those who contracted it died. More than 30% of the human population caught it, and it was one of those times when everyone knew someone who died of it. It killed as fast as the plague, and was far more contagious.

[eppie]

Just under 1,000 deaths worldwide? The world population is 6,706,993,152 according to Google. I bet more people worldwide die every year from climbing a ladder to paint some window shutters, fall off the ladder and break one or more legs, and then crawl painfully to the nearest phone to call 911 only to stab themselves in the ear with a powerdrill which they thought was a phone. In those exact set of circumstances.

I don't make the rules darling. WHO says it is a pandemic, and I have no intention disputing that.

I'm not especially scared about swine flu. I'm more concerned about breaking a baby toe by stubbing it on something and having a tiny shard of bone run through my circulatory system straight to my heart:(

But both are a case of evolution deebye :D.While dying of flu is more a standard kind of evolution, your fear of breaking your baby toe is more a darwin awards type.

[eppie]

Fatality rate of 1%? YAWN. Even if the entire human race were infected, this wouldn't even dent the earth's population. The last time a disease did the kind of apocalyptic damage the fearmongers like to yap about was the Black Plague, hundreds of years ago.

Not that it's entirely a bad thing. Given the fact that the human population has grown far beyond this planet's ability to sustain it, such a plague could be the only chance we have of reining ourselves in. Human nature has proved time and time again to be more than capable of blocking any artificial attempts to mitigate the damage we're doing.

Of course I agree....but it would be nice then, that only 'others in a far away country' would die.:huh:

[Zingydex]

Of course I agree....but it would be nice then, that only 'others in a far away country' would die.:huh:

You say that like North America isn't overpopulated.

[eppie]

You say that like North America isn't overpopulated.

1: Indeed it isn't.


2: No I say that like it is allright to talk in theoretical 'web talk' about how overpopulated the earth is and how great it would be if there were less of us but I'd rather not have family or friends as victims.

Anyway 3 million deaths ion the US would have serious conseqeuences (apart from the grief because of losing your loved ones), so let's not continue these overpopulation discussions.

Even though disease is evolutions way of keeping the race strong, and even though I also don't think the flu will be this devastating it seems to be worse than the normal flu waves we see every year.

[Baajikiil]

Now that's what I call an evil plot.

:lol:

[--Pete]

Hi,

. . . how great it would be if there were less of us but I'd rather not have family or friends as victims.

Smart person: "We need to reduce the population of the Earth."
Stupid person: "Who are you going to kill?"
Smart person says: "We don't need to kill anyone, just reduce the breeding rate."
. . . . . . . . . . thinks: "We could start with the stupid people."

--Pete

[Kevin]

Hi,
Smart person: "We need to reduce the population of the Earth."
Stupid person: "Who are you going to kill?"
Smart person says: "We don't need to kill anyone, just reduce the breeding rate."
. . . . . . . . . . thinks: "We could start with the stupid people."

--Pete

Spoiler alert if you watch the BBC show Torchwood.














This kinda came up in the latest little episodes of Torchwood. The aliens wanted 10% of all the earths children. The British government decided to give the 10% of the kids that were doing the worst in school based on standardized tests. But it was an interesting take on the discussion that the writers put into the show.

[Occhidiangela]

I don't make the rules darling. WHO says it is a pandemic, and I have no intention disputing that..

That is why Belgians don't win wars. (IIRC, you are Dutch)

They never have.

A nation of cowards and bureaucrats.

It ain't the Mexican flu, it's the Belgian flu, to properly depict the infestation in a term that has meaning.

[kandrathe]

That is why Belgians don't win wars. (IIRC, you are Dutch)

They never have.

A nation of cowards and bureaucrats.

It ain't the Mexican flu, it's the Belgian flu, to properly depict the infestation in a term that has meaning.

Zap! Whatever we do to reduce the size of Earth's population, I propose we also include the Wodehousian "middle class" as an appropriate nod to Douglas Adams. Meanwhile, before it's too late, I'm off to go visit the planet where is written "God's Final Message to His Creation".

[eppie]

That is why Belgians don't win wars. (IIRC, you are Dutch)

They never have.

A nation of cowards and bureaucrats.

It ain't the Mexican flu, it's the Belgian flu, to properly depict the infestation in a term that has meaning.

I have no idea what you are trying to say, but you remind me of Austin Powers' father.


Anyway, when Holland and Belgium (Flanders) were still one there have been long periods in which we were the most powerful nation on earth (eg the only ones having invaded England in the last 800 years.

I don't think there are many countries of this size that have such a good track record. Not that I am proud of our role in slave trading etc.

Our only mistake was trading New York.:D

Anyway look up golden century.....maybe then you also understand why 40 % of the paintings in US museums are from dutch painters (with another 40 % italian and 20 % others).

[Zingydex]

Zap! Whatever we do to reduce the size of Earth's population, I propose we also include the Wodehousian "middle class" as an appropriate nod to Douglas Adams. Meanwhile, before it's too late, I'm off to go visit the planet where is written "God's Final Message to His Creation".

Already been there. It says "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

[Occhidiangela]

Anyway, when Holland and Belgium (Flanders) were still one there have been long periods in which we were the most powerful nation on earth (eg the only ones having invaded England in the last 800 years.

No, not the most powerful nation on earth, though perhaps a power. For a while, the Dutch were a great naval power. That said, even in the period you describe, the French, and to a lesser extend Spain, were great powers not to be trifled with, not to mention the Caliph.

Not even a nice try.

Occhi

[Klaus]

Already been there. It says "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

IIRC, it actually says "We apologize for the inconvenience".

"So long and thanks for all the fish" was what the dolphins said when they left the earth. :)

[Zingydex]

IIRC, it actually says "We apologize for the inconvenience".

"So long and thanks for all the fish" was what the dolphins said when they left the earth. :)

I stand corrected.

[eppie]

No, not the most powerful nation on earth, though perhaps a power. For a while, the Dutch were a great naval power. That said, even in the period you describe, the French, and to a lesser extend Spain, were great powers not to be trifled with, not to mention the Caliph.

Not even a nice try.

Occhi

Try? I just wanted to show that saying 'a nation of cowards and bureaucrats.......' is stupid.

There will not be many nations, so small, that had such an impact on history for longer periods of time.

[--Pete]

Hi,

Not even a nice try.

Remember your Heinlein: "This sad little lizard told me that he was a brontosaurus on his mother’s side. I did not laugh; people who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them. Humoring them costs nothing and adds to happiness in a world in which happiness is always in short supply." from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long .

--Pete

[eppie]

Hi,
Remember your Heinlein: "This sad little lizard told me that he was a brontosaurus on his mother’s side. I did not laugh; people who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them. Humoring them costs nothing and adds to happiness in a world in which happiness is always in short supply." from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long .

--Pete

OK let's talk about our support of the US in Afghanistan (present). We are one of the biggest contributors of troops despite our size. But actually, I must agree with Occhi, that might be due to the cowardness of especially our current (christian) prime minister who is easily impressed whenever he gets chance to meet the big cheese in the white house. (in Holland some people called him Bush' lap dog....he isn't very loyal though he is good friend swith Obama as well).

Now he quickly added that we want to take up prisoners from Guantanamo Bay (even though the parliament didn't want). And as an ultimate act of cowardness (I am agreeing more an more with Occhi) he didn't even talk about the decission of the Bush administration to invade the Netherlands if an american soldier would be put on trial for war crimes in the Hague. (always nice when you help an ally out to know that if you dare to say something about a soldier raping or torturing civilians he will invade your country).
Anyway, I apologize...we are a nation of cowards.

[NuurAbSaal]

There will not be many nations, so small, that had such an impact on history for longer periods of time.

Don't taunt the Austrian:P

take care
Tarabulus

[eppie]

Don't taunt the Austrian:P

take care
Tarabulus

Sorry, you are right......and you are much smaller :D8.3 Million people...that is half of what the netherlands has.

Few years ago we were in Vienna...great museums, and actually many great Austrian artists like Kokoschka, Klimt and Schiele.

And being dutch I am very easy to convince, especially with some bribe. So if you send me a pinot noir from mittelburgenland I will continue listing things why Austria is great.:D