Posts by Rich Lock
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Now as far as the reports involving investigations at other DHBs. These are linked to people who were on Air NZ 1, or at least had contact with them. So the potential for outbreak/spread is a possibility.
As an addendum. Back during the SARS scare I interviewed virologist Lance Jenninings. He's pretty much the go to guy and leading expert domestically on this stuff. He said at the time a serious pandemic was a matter of when, not if.
I don't know if what's happening now is the real thing but I'm sure as hell going to treat it seriously until I do.
Felix - speaking for myself, I'm not suggesting this shouldn't be a story. Clearly it is concerning. Clearly it has the potential to turn into something quite nasty. It might, it might not, we don't know. So I want the facts, and I want informed commentary.
What I object to very, very strongly is the way that the few facts we know are padded out with uninformed comment from people (members of the public) who I really don't give a flying fuck to be hearing from right now.
I also really, really strongly object to the use of over-emotive descriptors ramp up the emotional charge. That's really, really counter-productive.
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I'm getting more and more wound up about this.
I just clicked through my earlier link to stuff to see if an outbreak of sanity had occurred, but nooooooo.
Last update 7:12 PM.
Not only is the uninformed opinion of some random still up there, but the very first line of the article reads as follows:
At least four district health boards are battling a suspected swine flu outbreak
'Battling'. Now there's a nice, neutral, non-emotive word to describe the situation. Absolutely, positively guaranteed to calm the situation down.
Not at all going to give the impression of hospitals under siege, troops called out to enforce quarantine, rings of razor wire and so on.
'At least four'. AND IT COULD BE MORE!!!!!
In fact, why not just write 'CREEPING DEATH STALKS THE LAND AND WILL COME FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES IN YOUR BED TONIGHT!'
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Oh, and by the way: how come when I link the the Harold's 'your views' (pg 5, 2.37PM), everyone ignores it, but when Josh links to it (pg 6, 3.42PM), everyone goes crazy. Do I smell or something?
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What in the world would you have them do?
When it comes to important shit like this, raise their fucking game, not to put too fine a point on it.
I quote from the 'stuff story' currently on their website:
PASSENGER DISAPPOINTED AT RESPONSE
A Christchurch father onboard the infected Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles, who did not want to be named, said he was disappointed with the response from health officials. "I'm a bit hacked off with the Department of Health."
Since visiting an emergency 24-hour doctor surgery he had had no contact with health officials.
He had purchased two courses of Tamiflu at a cost of $160, which he planned to take as a precaution.
"I just want to eliminate any risks," he told Stuff.co.nz this afternoon.
He believed Tamiflu treatment for the 360-odd passengers on board NZ1 from Los Angeles should be mandatory, particularly as there was a stockpile of 1.2 million Tamiflu treatments following the Sars outbreak.
"They could stamp it out for the [nearly] 400 people onboard. But potentially by now they could have tens-of-thousands of people exposed to it."
Well, gosh. Who should we ask about the best course of action for this potentially extremely serious flu outbreak?
A Doctor?
A biologist?
A government representative?
No, don't be daft! Lets just verbatim quote the UTTERLY UNINFORMED OPINION OF SOME RANDOM MOUTH WHO HAPPENED TO BE ON THE PLANE! WHAT A FUCKING GREAT IDEA! HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!
Yes, I am angry about this. As Russell has pointed out, all this shit may or may not amount to a hill of beans, but potentially it's quite serious.
So, in my opinion, it is very, very important that the media gets both facts and tone exactly right in order to avoid scaring the horses.
Verbatim quoting some random, especially when he lobs the odd grenade like this into the story (and let me quote again):
"They could stamp it out for the [nearly] 400 people onboard. But potentially by now they could have tens-of-thousands of people exposed to it."
ZOMG!!!!! WE'VE ALL BEEN EXPOSED!!!!!!! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!
Stuff? FAIL.
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Or am I missing something?
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Come on guys, you're just not trying. Come back when you've worked in Big Pharma, the man-hating Lesbian-Marxists and the Jooows...
Well, with the global population decimated, we should have no problems consuming less and there'll be no excuse for any country not meeting or exceeding Kyoto obligations.
Therefore....it's clearly a plot by extreme Eco-terrorists in league with the Lesbian-Marxists!
Do I win a prize?
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and also more people leave the UK and bring all there bitterness to NZ.
It's scary how deeply this complete stranger has stared into my soul.
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Having said that, there is a 'your views' up at the moment about the tax cuts, or possible future lack thereof.
More amusement than normal to be gleaned from it.
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my colleague
m'learned colleague, surely....?
And wrt jury trials, I'm reminded of the old quote about democracy being the worst system of government ever, except for all those other ways which have been tred from time to time.
What do you mean, "I don't support your system"?
I go to court when I have to.If there's a new way, I'll be the first in line.
But it better work this time. -
Maaaaat-loooooocckkk!
If Banks gets in, I forsee a Matlock Expressway runing along the East Coast Bays.