Some ideas for the #namethatflu event on Twitter (on the idea that swineflu isn’t quite right, but H1N1 is too clinical).
Swine flu doesn’t seem to cover it. First of all it’s not a swine flu anymore. Secondly, what do we call influenza that still only infects pigs…or the next flu virus that jumps from pigs to humans? Edit: And then you have morons who think you can get the flu from eating pork.
Mexican Flu, naming it after its country of origin like the Spanish Flu or Hong Kong Flu kind of makes sense, but in today’s politically-charged climate, it ends up sounding less like an identifier and more like blame. Edit: Plus we’ve already got jerkwads scapegoating anyone who might be Mexican. (Comment threads on news sites are depressing.)
The CDC and WHO seem to be going with H1N1, but that doesn’t work either, because people get it confused with the H1N1 human flu virus that’s one of the regular seasonal flu strains.
Yeah, on one hand, what’s in a name? A flu, by any other name, would still get you sick. But there’s something to be said for precision in terminology.
Update: For a less serious take on the subject, check out posts with the #namethatflu tag on Twitter.
Lunchtime observation: Why is it that whenever I put Vienna Teng on random on the iPod, “Passage” always seems to come up when I’m driving?
Evening: Just saw Vienna Teng in concert at the Roxy. Fantastic! Opening act The Paper Raincoat was good too.
This logo really reminds me of the Farscape logo.
It’s not the same font, but it’s close enough to evoke the same feel.
Bread bowl pasta: in case you had any doubt that the low-carb craze was over.
Hard to believe Opera has been around for 15 years. It’s only 14 since its first release, but 15 years ago two programmers started the project that became the Opera web browser.
I’ve been using Opera off and on for about 10 years. I think it was 1999 when a classmate showed me Opera 3.6, and how fast and small it was. (This was back when the installer fit on a floppy disk — and back when that actually made a difference.) I’ve followed it as they expanded from Windows onto Mac and Linux, onto high-end cell phones with Opera Mobile, and finally onto every Java-capable phone with Opera Mini. I’ve watched as they went from trialware to ad-supported to freeware business models. And while the desktop browser is no longer the speed demon it used to be, it’s been a consistent innovator in terms of both browser features and web capabilities.
So I’d just like to say: Happy 15th birthday, Opera! Just think, in a year, you’ll be old enough to drive!*
*In California, anyway. I think in Norway the driving age is 18.
Sad, but true: XKCD tackles the social component of swine flu.
Update: Things haven’t changed much in the Covid era, have they?
