Crazy shit about swine flu, and a cat that loves the libabry

[misscam]

Says Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann:

I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter, and I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence.

For one, the outbreak happened in 1976 when Gerald Ford was in office. For the second, are you kidding me? Are you full of crazy batshit? Are you really trying to sell me that mutations in the flu virus are affected by what party the US president belongs to? Because that's the primary concern of a lifeless virus, suuuuure.

Also, the passive aggressive, 'oh I am not blaming this on Obama, I just bring it up in a way hoping others will do it for me' is added fail. Either stand by your batshit or STFU. Preferably, STFU.

(Then I went and googled that woman, and ugh, why did I? Not the first time she's failed at facts and sanity, it seems.)

Meanwhile, an Israeli official brings another kind of fail:

The outbreak of swine flu should be renamed "Mexican" influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork(...) Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and "we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu," he told a news conference at a hospital in central Israel.

Because calling it Mexican flu is not at all offensive. At all, you know. And what the hell, this sensitivity means you can't even mention pigs? And isn't associating pigs with influenza just yay for you if you find pork unclean? It sure ain't good PR for our piggy friends.

(I got some issues with calling it swine flu myself, as it's not the greatest description of what it now is spreading from human to human. And since it seems to be a mutation of the flu that strikes us humans every year with some genetic material from flu that commonly strikes pigs and birds, we could just as easily call it human flu blah blah. But bitch, please.)

Is it not bad enough we have potential flu pandemic, must we have possible batshit pandemic to go with?

In Norway, we have no confirmed cases and things are so far fairly zen. We apparently bought heaps of flu medicine some years back and have enough for one third of our population if worst should happen. My government actually thinks ahead sometimes. Not bad, government! Now don't do anything batshit to ruin it.

In more cheerful not-really-news, check out this story about a cat that likes to hang out at the library.

Fidel, an eight-year-old black cat, turns up at Deal library almost every day while his owners are at work. He spends the day on his favourite blue chair, only leaving the building when he sees his owners arriving home. (...) Heather Hilton, district manager for Deal Library, said: "Fidel certainly seems to like coming here and he's very popular with our customers. I think he's a bit of an art critic too because we sometimes see him examining the pictures on the gallery wall."

Hee! And the picture with is made of win. What a regal attitude. That should totally be made a book icon of. I love cats, they cheer me up even when batshit hits.

Comments

[zinke.livejournal.com]

Are you really trying to sell me that mutations in the flu virus are affected by what party the US president belongs to?

What's truly frightening is that some people will not only take her statement seriously, but they'll agree with it. The stupid really, really scares me sometimes.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

But it's a virus. It's not even really alive in itself until it finds something alive to hijack and make miserable. Attributing some higher motivation to that seems... Well yeah, quite stupid.

*is scared with you*

[perhatikan.livejournal.com]

Geez. Why do people tend to go totally batshit like that?

Over here (the Netherlands, little village near the North Sea) the media tend to make things worse, scaring people into buying masks and freaking out when they get a cold. That's not the smartest thing to happen.

I love the news about the cat. I love cats and books, and the two combined is even more awesome. :)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

If we figured that out, we'd be a lot closer to the betterment of humanity.

Media and feeding mass hysteria, ick. And yeah, this is flu season in a lot of the world, so don't freak out if you get a little sick. If you feel worse than usual, then get yourself checked out just in case. But don't take all the grief in advance.

It's like two awesome things meeting, cats and books.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

*waves*

You do find the batshit, don't you? And was I the only one reading that second one and thinking "Israel and Palestine finally agree on something... and it's this?" (Yeah, I know it was one Israeli only and "Muslim" does not only equal Palestine... but that was my first thought!)

That cat is awesome. I want to snuggle him.

How are you this fine day?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Batshit unites. How touching.

Israel is actually having one Israeli and one Palestine chick as their act in Eurosong this year. It should be interesting.

I'm shit. Just got the usual monthly ow, weather is crap, might be getting a bit sick and all in all, week's not doing great in the improving department.

Soon as I get home, I'm crawling into bed with painkillers.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

First day back at school today and year 9s still incapable of paying attention. Aaargh.

*clings*

*sends feel better vibes to you x 100*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Life's a bitch, huh?

*clings back*

[peridot-lines.livejournal.com]

The second I saw the name "Michelle Bachmann" I knew this was not going to be an intelligent or rational quote. I'm still not quite sure how she managed to get re-elected after all of the batshit crazy during the election last year. She seems to have very random conspiracy theories that should really not be shared with... anyone.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I gather she's infamous, yes. Was her opposition even worse, maybe? That can happen.

What is with the US and weird conspiracy theories, anyway? There seems to be a huge hulking lot of them about. I must be naive, because I don't get why it's natural to assume 'oooh conspiracy!' and that everyone is trying to trick you.

*scratches head*

[peridot-lines.livejournal.com]

Her opposition was Elwyn Tinklenberg, and I don't think anyone had really even heard of the guy until she made all of her "pro-America or anti-America" concerns known. I know that he got a lot of campaign donations after that interview though, lol.

I really don't know what it is about the US and the weird conspiracy theories. I have heard a lot of them, and it seems like some people are really inclined to think the government is trying to cover things up or work against people. It is very, very strange.

[evilstorm.livejournal.com]

I know that he got a lot of campaign donations after that interview though, lol.

Yeah, the new dKos strategy: every time the Republican candidate says or does something imbecilic, donate! Makes for lulzy comments.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I dodn't get the paranoia about the government, either. I get grumpy about the Norwegian government often, but it's never crossed my mind that it secretly hates me and keep shit hidden from me. Why would it bother?

Not to mention the government consists of people just like me, and I know I'd be far more interested in debating football over watercoolers than deciding what to keep hidden from the general population on that particular day.

[th-esaurus.livejournal.com]

I just stumbled across another link to the first article you've mentioned, with the headline: Rep. Michele Bachmann Links Swine Flu to Democrats, is Wrong.

(Well, I thought it was funny.)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Hah, that does sum it up rather well.

I love a concise headline that gets to the point.

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

I didn't understand the thing about the name "swine flu" being offensive to Jews and Muslims. The hell? They aren't supposed to eat them, I don't think they have to deny their existence. I'll have to ask my Jewish co-worker about it. More than likely she'll think it's batshit too.

Library kitty! I wish we could have one. We had a cat who would sneak into our library several years ago, but our boss was against it, even though he's a cat person (I think he didn't want trouble from higher-ups). She was so sweet and would curl up in our laps. Awwwwwww.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's not like calling it swine flu is in any way a compliment to pigs or making people crave pork. (More the opposite.) So... I don't know what the hell logic is going on there.

Aaaaawww. Cats are so dealdy cute.

[skybound2]

You bring the batshit crazy to the forefront like no one else. (that's a compliment - I look to you as a news source now, fandom and otherwise ;-P)

Egads, what is wrong with some people! "Mexican" Flu?!?! And blaming Obama?! These people are not right in the head, and its really a very bad thing that they are in positions influential enough to have quotes of theirs out and about on the internet. *sigh* Epic fail.

That cat is made of love, though ;-P

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Hah, I used to have a reputation for my ability to come across wank and wtf things. Sadly, it's not really that hard to find.

Mexican flu to go with Spanish flu, I guess. Sigh. Because clearly, what they considered appropriate in 1918 - when half the world was busy trying to kill the other half - is still good.

Urk.

[evilstorm.livejournal.com]

Ah, Bachmann. Her crazy is legendary.

The second fail, though. Wtf. Just, wtf. You don't eat them, that's the point, this should be nothing but vindication for you--"You see? That's what happens when you domesticate pigs!" They're unclean, not...unholy, you don't have to pretend they don't exist.

Kitty!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yes, that kind of baffles me too. What, is the name itself unclean or something? Does the mere mention of swine bring the taste of bacon? I'm confused.

[mthespinner.livejournal.com]

Michelle Bachmann is a passive/agressive Ann Coulter. I refuse to listen to either-gave them a try. They're nuts. End of story.

In an average year, 36,000 people die of flu in the US. So far this year the total is 13,000.

I think the media have decided to take a break from the economy and concentrate on swine flu.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It's the new rage.

Flu has long been a faithful friend of humanity, what fun for us. It mutates constantly, so this is hardly new in that regard. Of course, history shows it can mutate into something nastier than normal from time to time, so we should be aware. But waiting with hysteria until the worst is confirmed can be advisable.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I would like to apologize for the stupidity of my fellow Jew and if I could I would say to him, "What are we supposed to call swine then?"

The kitty is adorable.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Animal that goes oink? Maybe we should call it oink flu?

Yes.

[laurandbillever.livejournal.com]

well, I think that Michele Bachmann is right- the swine virus was just standing in fronty of the TV, waiting for the next democratic president to come and then the virus would go make itself interesting hihih :P:P:P Oh, wait- this is not the chracteristic of the virus, the is the characterisitc of Michelle herself...

*shakes head* some people....

awww- that cat story made my day!! Intellectual kitty :P:P:P

[padawanpooh.livejournal.com]

Just when you think the stoopid can't get any stoopider it does :-P

[specialagentr-c.livejournal.com]

Ah, Michele Bachmann, everyones favourite batshit crazy bitch!

We got an email to University today about swine flu, which basically came down to DO NOT PANIC! (Unlike BBC news which is at its panic stations.) We have 2 cases here in Scotland, but I think they're contained...

[dreamingwriter.livejournal.com]

Ahh, "Mexican flu", that's pretty funny. I'm pretty sure that most of the Jews over here don't care that they call it swine flu. (At least, not the reform/non-kosher Jews. *represents*)

*pets Fidel* Cats are amazing.

[gaiamyles.livejournal.com]

It's pretty stupid - at least it seems so - to try to blame a disease outbreak (especially one that started elsewhere) on a government, and Ms Bachmann gets a facepalm for that.

But it's not just the conservatives saying stuff like that. Liberals have blamed it on the Republicans, because they fought against the stimulus bill - one tiny part of which included funding for "pandemic preparedness". And of course, because the Republicans were (hopefully) against the stimulus bill, it's their fault we're having the swine flu scare now.

Personally, both are stupid, but the stupidity is not left to a single side.

[lily-winterwood.livejournal.com]

hee, i love that kitty, too. :]

[lily-winterwood.livejournal.com]

If you want some icons of that cat, I got some up here at my icon journal. :]

[aka-paloma.livejournal.com]

What I've learned today: Presidents Carter and Obama are the Typhoid Marys of their generation and Porky Pig is the devil.

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? What could end up killing countless people across the globe is being co-opted for petty political reasons? And the whole "offensive to people of both religions" makes no freaking sense to me. But points to the official for being highly offensive himself. *sigh* People make me so tired sometimes.

[ericasj.livejournal.com]

Our government announced that it's officially called the H1N1 flu here. Pork is largely consumed over here and they didn't want the food to get associated with the disease and cause panic. I think that's kinda cool. For once I think my government is doing the right thing. lol.

Everyone stay healthy!