One other point: If you’re calling the epidemic “Swine Flu,” you’re suggesting that the flu is being spread by contact with pigs (hence, killing off entire countries of pigs).

How about this: There are at least two major religions in this world that believe that pigs are unclean. If a kosher jew or a halal muslim begin to feel the symptoms of the flu, they may not seek treatment for fear that they will be shunned by their communities for breaking their covenant, even if they picked it up from meeting their daughter in the airport and being a little too close to some random person’s sneeze.  The way to prevent a pandemic is not to have people too afraid to seek treatment.

I don’t think that the efforts to rename will stick, it’s already gotten too much coverage as “Swine Flu” and frankly, the new name is impossible to remember (M1A1? Wait, that’s a Gorillaz song), but I think trying to move away from Swine Flu is not a bad idea.

(M1A1? Wait, that’s a Gorillaz song)

It’s also the nomenclature for an iteration of the US Army’s Abrams tank.

I like how Obama’s administration is actively taking a very business friendly here.  I mean, people are shying away from pig foods.  You would think capitalist loving conservatives would appreciate a business conscious administration.

Instead you get WATB complaining over… what exactly?  Generic political correctness?  Better Trolls plz!

Make more posts about Lib-tards.  Their frothing at the mouth amuses me. 

I don’t think that the efforts to rename will stick, it’s already gotten too much coverage as “Swine Flu” and frankly, the new name is impossible to remember (M1A1? Wait, that’s a Gorillaz song), but I think trying to move away from Swine Flu is not a bad idea.

Mighty Ponygirl on 04/30 at 03:13 PM

I keep calling it Chinese flu…  I have no idea why…

Tourists go to Tulsa?

paradox—are you kidding? Why would anyone NOT want to go to where they filmed UHF ?

Why would anyone NOT want to go to where they filmed UHF ?

Cause they’re not big wrestling fans?

Why would anyone NOT want to go to where they filmed UHF?

‘cos it’s Tulsa.  Dude.  (Though I would take a road trip to Spatula City in a hot second.)

We can swing by Crazy Ernie’s on the way—he’ll club a seal to make a better deal, you know.

I am giggling most inappropriately now, thank you very much.  There may even be snorting.

This is great: according to the Wikipedia entry for UHF

The Spatula City sign was placed on a real billboard which could be seen from eastbound SH-51 at Memorial Drive for several months after shooting was over. According to the DVD commentary, tourists would exit the freeway and drive for long periods looking unsuccessfully for Spatula City. The store itself is the Warehouse Market (62nd and S. Peoria)

Jesse’s right.  Remember Legionnaire’s Disease?  That’s when the American Legion started to go down the tubes.

let’s name it smithfield farms flu. or, CAFO flu. let people know where this *really* comes from. as there will be some kind of response based on the name, it can do some service and potentially reduce future outbreaks associated with CAFO’s.

sylie beat me to it.  How about “Factory Farm Flu”?  It’s nicely alliterative.

The Good News: How much you wanna bet pork chops are on sale this week? That they’re giving away bacon two-for-one at the supermarket.

Too bad none of us will touch it.

Speak for yourself. I’ve got Carnitas going in the slow cooker as we speak and I’ve got about an hour until GO TIME!

Factory Farm Flu it is!

On the other hand, if you don’t want to call it Swine Flu, tough.  That’s where it comes from, that’s what defines it, and how it comes to be.  Arab countries and Israel will just have to get together on holy ground and name it something more Halal/Kosher if they don’t like it.

The rest is more anti-science from religious wackos.

As a Jew, I honestly don’t understand how the hell “swine flu” is offensive to the non-swine eaters.  I mean, the religious theory is that pigs are dirty.  If pigs make people sick, doesn’t that really go along side kosher law, rather than working against it?

It may just be that the Israeli Health minister who complained about the name if fucking crazy (along with his whole United Torah Judaism Party).

Billingham, I don’t think it’s “offensive” to anyone, and I would be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn’t making a living off of the pork industry who was upset about the name. I think the media is whipping up this story that it’s “offensive” because trying to discuss the nuance of how kosher-keeping Jewish communities (or Halal Islamic communities) could be devastated if a lack of understanding about how Swine Flu is contracted would keep people from seeking medical attention out of fear of being ostracized by their neighbors—would be too complex a narrative. So they just toss out that Jews and Muslims are “offended” by swine flu and figure that people will be too busy pish-poshing the hypersensitive PC types to think beyond that.

Too bad none of us will touch it.

Is it applewood smoked?  If it is, I’ll risk the flu.

Gosh - hypersensitive liberal much?

Are we really discussing being “offended” by the name “Swine Flu”??

Jeez!

Are we really discussing being “offended” by the name “Swine Flu”??

No, we’re discussing the stupidity of people who are offended by the name “Swine Flu,” which is why we’re mocking them.

Try to keep up.

Well, it IS H1N1. Calling it H1N1 2009 (name of epicenter town or county in Mexico) is standard nomenclature for influenza A viruses, and any physician, public health specialist, microbiologist, or other scientist will recognize it. This ‘flu version was not going to stay named “swine ‘flu” forever, since influenza A viruses are given unique names for each major outbreak. The H# and the N# are technical terms designating the major antigenic types of hemagglutinase and of neuraminidase, two of the important proteins governing entry into the targeted cell and the general virulence of the virus.

Heh. I came up with Factory Farm Flu yesterday, partly in response to Amanda’s post on the literal pigsty that may have bred this virus. No reason to let Smithfield Farms fade into obscurity. And yeah, I like the cheesy alliteration too, Ms. Kate. I think this name has got legs. Or maybe trotters.

Corwin, I say this as a not-scientifically illiterate chemistry major. First, stop being an ass. Second, it’s safe to assume most Americans are scientifically illiterate because poll after poll shows that they can’t answer basic science questions.

Sungold: We could always call it Smithfield Flu and really stick it to them.

Your opinions as to a disease nomenclature are not relevant.

But corwin will defend to the death his own right to read them! (And then whine about them. ‘Cause gosh darn if you can’t get offended at a blogger blogging it’s not Amurka, dammit!)

“H1N1” works for me, but it certainly isn’t as catchy-sounding as “Swine flu!” or “Mexican flu!” so the media probably doesn’t care. They should just cut to the chase and start calling it “Human-Swine-Avian-Frankenstein-zombie-omg-lock-up-your-daughters-Obama-socialism-brown-people flu!” ‘cause at least the first three or four bits of that are accurate. :D

I started calling it Smithfield Flu yesterday, but Factory Farm Flu has a nice ring to it, too. I’m torn.

Umm Oklahoma gets tourism dollars? From whom? From people that take a wrong turn at Amarillo?

I like the designations like H1N1 and H1N5, because I have general idea that the scientists get information on proteins from those names. But I like Smithfield Factory Farm Flu to make the general public think.

I was going to post a longwinded reply about referring to a generic by the brand name, but then I realized that Corwin’s point is about as lucid as it is well-punctuated.