Fierce OR Nerdy: Pick Your Poison
a blogumn by slpc
Last week, you chose between Zachery Quinto’s Spock and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Wolfie took the lead right out of the gate, but Spock came out on top with 68% of the votes. Honestly, I was a little surprised — until I saw Star Trek last weekend and was completely won over by Quinto. While he’s supposed to be emotionally vacuous in Trek, he somehow manages to convey more in those two hours than in 50-something episodes as Sylar on Heroes. (Feel free to disagree with me in the comments.)
I thought about letting you choose between the American Idol finalists this week. But, since this is only my second blogumn, I can’t let you think I’m only about the trendy boys (Jackman/Quinto, Glambert/Krisallen).
So, to switch things up:
OR 
[poll id=”11″]
I totally picked Adam Lambert, I mean Swine flu for his stylish hair!
I totally picked Adam Lambert, I mean Swine flu for his stylish hair!
I would have picked "nerdy" but for whatever reason, pictures of virus cells have always skeeved me out to the point that I can't look at them for more than a few seconds. I think I must've died from some awful virus in a past lifetime or something.
I would have picked "nerdy" but for whatever reason, pictures of virus cells have always skeeved me out to the point that I can't look at them for more than a few seconds. I think I must've died from some awful virus in a past lifetime or something.
Allison! Allison! She's still the winner in my mind.
I have to go with H1N1, because the reason the CDC started publicly calling it by its official name (H1N1) is because those people in Egypt unnecessarily slaughtered all those pigs due to the name. So you kind of hate pigs (and Pig Farmers) if you call it Swine Flu.
Allison! Allison! She's still the winner in my mind.
I have to go with H1N1, because the reason the CDC started publicly calling it by its official name (H1N1) is because those people in Egypt unnecessarily slaughtered all those pigs due to the name. So you kind of hate pigs (and Pig Farmers) if you call it Swine Flu.
I picked the pig on a stick(ewww). Seriously, I always thought swine flu was a whimisical term. Always made me smirk no matter how bad the media made it seem. I just kept thinking of Porky Pig sneezing all over the place. And yes, I watched WAAAAYYY too much tv as a kid.
I picked the pig on a stick(ewww). Seriously, I always thought swine flu was a whimisical term. Always made me smirk no matter how bad the media made it seem. I just kept thinking of Porky Pig sneezing all over the place. And yes, I watched WAAAAYYY too much tv as a kid.
I love the LORD OF THE FLIES pic…!
yay! glad someone noticed :)
I love the LORD OF THE FLIES pic…!
yay! glad someone noticed :)
Both names are misleading and have their drawbacks. Calling it "swine flu" infers that the virus came specifically from pigs, when influenza is actually a virus that originates in the intestinal tracts of birds and which then mutates ("antigen shift") and is transferred inter-species, in many cases to pigs. True, the virus can mutate further than is normal and become more virulent & dangerous ("antigen drift") while in the pigs, but still the disease is not native to pigs. Calling it H1N1 is also "off-the-mark," in that this virus we have encountered today is a descedant of, but not THE SAME AS, the virus which was originally identified by its genetic code as H1N1 and which caused the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. This new virus, though potentially dangerous, has not yet shown the adaptability to humans and high transferrance & lethality rates that the 1918 virus had – and which made it so deadly.
Check out John barry's THE GREAT INFLUENZA for a fascinating, concise account of the 1918 pandemic, as well as a great "science for non-scientists" look at how viruses behave.
you hit the nail on the head. they started using the name H1N1 because the Swine Flu was creating panic and (as Justin_Time wrote) because of the piggies being slaughtered. BUT H1N1, in my mind, creates WAY MORE panic because of the 1918 pandemic. this whole naming business is all very interesting.
Both names are misleading and have their drawbacks. Calling it "swine flu" infers that the virus came specifically from pigs, when influenza is actually a virus that originates in the intestinal tracts of birds and which then mutates ("antigen shift") and is transferred inter-species, in many cases to pigs. True, the virus can mutate further than is normal and become more virulent & dangerous ("antigen drift") while in the pigs, but still the disease is not native to pigs. Calling it H1N1 is also "off-the-mark," in that this virus we have encountered today is a descedant of, but not THE SAME AS, the virus which was originally identified by its genetic code as H1N1 and which caused the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. This new virus, though potentially dangerous, has not yet shown the adaptability to humans and high transferrance & lethality rates that the 1918 virus had – and which made it so deadly.
Check out John barry's THE GREAT INFLUENZA for a fascinating, concise account of the 1918 pandemic, as well as a great "science for non-scientists" look at how viruses behave.
you hit the nail on the head. they started using the name H1N1 because the Swine Flu was creating panic and (as Justin_Time wrote) because of the piggies being slaughtered. BUT H1N1, in my mind, creates WAY MORE panic because of the 1918 pandemic. this whole naming business is all very interesting.
P.S. – Wonkette refers to it as the "Pig AIDS," which I find hilarious because of everyone's paranoia and the misinformation that is constantly encountered when the media spins a story out of control.
P.S. – Wonkette refers to it as the "Pig AIDS," which I find hilarious because of everyone's paranoia and the misinformation that is constantly encountered when the media spins a story out of control.