Oh yeah my friends, I have been writing about A/H1N1 for some time and now I am down with it. I rarely have the flu and I knew something was wrong the minute I woke up Saturday morning with bad muscle aches all over. That and the feeling of a fever and the fact that I have a dry cough. Normally when I get the flu I get a big headache, sore throat etc. but not with this flue. Which is why I am convinced it’s A/H1N1. It just really feels different than any other flu I have had in […]
Capitalism US style: “dead peasant policies”
I’m stunned. There really is no limit to greed. It’s capitalism, US style. Michael Moore uncovered yet another great story about greed. In short: you take out a life insurance policy on people working for you. If they die, you cash in. Yeah, you read that right. Corporate America gambles on you dying and then making a profit out of it. Not your family will benefit, but that asshole boss you hated all the time. I guess if corporate America can do it, maybe the military can do it too. Let’s take out insurance on firefighters as well. No wait; cops! Seriously. […]
Healthcare in the US? Overrated.
While I was in the US in August visiting my girlfriend, the one theme dominating US news, was president Obama’s healthcare reform plan. As an outsider looking into what goes on in America, I find it strange that people seem to object to something that will help out literally millions of fellow Americans. It seems that everyone says they want to help someone, but not if it costs them any money. Well, folks: there is no such thing as a free lunch. I guess I’m to liberal – or should I say socialistic – to think that I am doing […]
Dutch government battles A/H1N1 with leaflet
As of yesterday the Dutch government, together with the RIVM (the Dutch equivalent of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) have decided they will no longer test all people with flue symptoms for the A/H1N1 virus, or give them anti-viral medication, such as Tamiflu. According to a spokesman for the RIVM they have decided to adopt this new policy because the number of infections in Holland has become so large, the labs that test for the virus can’t handle the work. Excepted from the new policy are pregnant women, people who have a lowered immune system and […]
A/H1N1 underestimated?
Scientist are now publicly debating the fact that they have underestimated the swine flu (A/H1N1). One wonders what this means. After all: the WHO has already declared A/H1N1 a pandemic. What else would they need to understand the severity of the situation? Are we being kept in the dark by authorities on purpose? The news is getting more unsettling recently: so far the virus has been fatal for people that had a previous illness where in a weak condition already. But in England two three previously healthy persons have now died of A/H1N1. One girl, aged 6,died within 48hrs after […]
12 Monkeys part 2
The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu officially a pandemic (or alert phase 6) on June 11th. The first flu pandemic in 41 years and infections continue to climb in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere. The spread of the swine flu contagion has not yet reached scary “Resident Evil” like proportions, but I really think things will get pretty hairy out there! Even the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament is effected now, with a total of 28 staff that have been asked to stay at home with suspected swine flu! Surprisingly enough it is getting quieter […]
12 Monkeys
12 Monkeys I don’t know about you, but ever since that ‘swine flu’ broke out in Mexico, I can’t help thinking of that 1995 movie “12 Monkeys”, by Terry Gilliam. The movie is set in a grim post-apocalyptic future. In 1996-1997, the Earth’s surface was contaminated by a virus so deadly that it forced the surviving population to live underground. If you have seen the movie, you probably remember that it turns out that the virus was spread by an evil scientist, set on a tour of cities (by plane), which turned out to be the path of the worldwide viral outbreak. A real bioterrorist attack, […]