Okay, we missed getting a question yesterday, so I'll ask one today that's pretty topical.

With all the current news and warnings about the swine flu going hog wild, do you think it's a real threat or more hype? Are you doing anything different than usual to be cautious about it?

Hype, on a grand scale.

Many thousand times more people will die from standard flu virus in the coming year than from this media darling hybrid.
Fear is a nice little economy booster though as people rush out and buy crap they don't need.

Hype and hysteria. I haven't heard that it's any more potent than all the other flus that have been going around for the last few years. No one wants to get the flu, no matter what type, but if its going around, you just might. Even flu shots are only effective against a few strains, and lots of times the wrong vaccine is given for the strain that becomes the season's nuisance.

I think it is a real threat, but I am confident that your government and mine are doing everything necessary to prevent a pandemic. Just the communication of information, hyped or not, through the media is helping to prevent infection by alerting people to possible risk, so that they contact the health authorities with any symptoms. I am not doing anything different.

I take it seriously. Certainly doing a number on Mexico. I work alone most of the time, so don't do much different.

I didn't get a chance to answer my own question sooner. I think it's way too much hype. Not that the flu isn't real, but I don't think it's any worse than any other flu, just people are catching it at a different time of year than usual. Flu is never something to laugh about, but I don't think this one is any worse than any of the regular strains.