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ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Also, this oddity. "Yorktown II" just showed up on the ship arrival list about 10 d from now in Panama. This is quite a Summer solstice gift considering "Yorktown I" is the only original carrier we have that still works. [:D]

Can't you Allied dogs change the Essex-brand "II" carriers to a more suitable name? Something that gives you courage and helps you through the day? USS Hendricks? USS Makemineadouble? USS Fetaolives?

Actually the bad situation was in the south last week, and in Pittsburgh/Upstate NY the week before (Colorado was showing elevated levels as well and I do personally know of a fatality in Boulder last week). The real scary one - Baton Rouge is 9 std deviations over its normal weekly flu deaths and Mobile is way up (over 5 std deviations above its average). Colorado was up last week but dropped back to normal (reporting gets a little arbitrary around year end). I actually follow this stuff because I have a product for fire departments or interested folks that tracks Pneumonia & Influenza reported deaths (weekly CDC figures) and emails an easy to read report so that departments can set their protocols in case things get bad. I sell the service for $12.48 a year to cover data, infrastructure, time, and technology.

The fire department I was on couldn't get any information on severity back in 2009 and that's where this started from (if you look all the information is on where the flu is not how bad it is). Summary of the bad spots for this week with the number that follows being the number of standard deviation above the average deaths for a week in that city at this time of year.

Baton Rouge 9.18, Mobile 5.38, Norfolk 3.83, Grand Rapids 3.50, Birmingham 3.50, Shreveport 3.30, Savannah 2.90, New Orleans 2.84.

With 122 cities in the sample maybe one or two of these would sneak on by chance but with flu peak coming things could get interesting

Bunch of whiners in Baton Rouge. [:)]

I wonder what size nuke FEMA would have to drop on Baton Rouge to sanitize it. [:D]

We always have an inkling before the CDC tells us. First the clinical surge in influenza-like cases, then confirmation of influenza admits to the local childrens hospital (email notification)...then the county health dept and CDC.

Government is always last to know. [:)] It's oddly reassuring.

***********D Ring, Pentagon, Office of the CNO************


Adm. King: <looking over list while at a large conference table> ...now as to the name for the 2nd Essex...let's see..."32nd Battle of Port Hedrand"....isn't it...oh, never mind........"16th Battle of Pine Island"....."11th Battle of New and Improved Scotland". Really? Is this the best we've got? Look at the elegance of "Saratoga", for example.

Aide: Well, sir, we were concentrating on battles we actually won.

Adm. King: Perhaps, but "New and Improved Scotland" sounds like a marketing slogan, not a US Navy aircraft carrier.

Mr. Dewey, Esq., Civilian Member: Admiral, have you thought about naming rights? Think of the revenue potential, sir. It could make War Bond drives obsolete.

Adm. King: I'm listening........

Well, since it's a copied name, how about killing two birds with one stone? USS Xerox?

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

We always have an inkling before the CDC tells us. First the clinical surge in influenza-like cases, then confirmation of influenza admits to the local childrens hospital (email notification)...then the county health dept and CDC.

Government is always last to know. [:)] It's oddly reassuring.

Before the 2009 pandemic, 'word of mouth' amongst the medical professionals built in this manner as well. We started putting our ear to the ground with the atypical Mexican swine/human spike of cases that preceded the human pandemic.

ETA: Another driver was the hoarding of Tamiflu-you could chart dawning public awareness by whether pharmacies had tablets on hand or whether they were backordered. Particularly the pediatric suspension formulations-those were very difficult to come by back in 'the day'. Getting in front of this demand was a good thing.

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Bunch of whiners in Baton Rouge. [:)]

I wonder what size nuke FEMA would have to drop on Baton Rouge to sanitize it. [:D]

I think we have to call them out of retirement, but there's some Philly SWAT guys that dropped the bomb on the MOVE house back in the 90's - That was good for 5-6 blocks of delousing...

In '09 Fire/EMS was pissed as our local officials had us all jacked up about the potential for a really bad flu season, then when we started getting cases the only thing we could get was 'There is confirmed flu activity in the county/state'. Nothing on severity, no recommendations; it all came down to that sort of back channel information and inference that you are describing. When we get another bad one places that are in react mode are going to get really ugly...

ORIGINAL: Argos

In '09 Fire/EMS was pissed as our local officials had us all jacked up about the potential for a really bad flu season, then when we started getting cases the only thing we could get was 'There is confirmed flu activity in the county/state'. Nothing on severity, no recommendations; it all came down to that sort of back channel information and inference that you are describing. When we get another bad one places that are in react mode are going to get really ugly...

As an Fire/EMS old timer - we were never given health dept updates - we were deemed too stupid to know what to do with them...lol.

Our secrets were really simple, when the call volume was normally 3-6 calls per day and we were doing 15? or when you called the hospital on the HEAR radio system and they BEGGED you to go to another hospital?

Yep the flu season was here, time to get a box of masks from the hospital, double up on the towels and pillowcases for the pukers and wash your hands frequently cause gloves were ONLY for surgeons then.

One of our members who was also a musician wrote a cover song (ironically the same Born to Run as Chris Christies Bridge Jam) The lyrics were truly genius for its time. " The ER's jammed with elderly wheelchairs on a last gasp pneumonia ride, The doc's screaming at his nurses there's no beds left in sight... " I wish I could remember the rest, but even the ER enjoyed it when he played it there.

Nearly a hundred years on and they're finally being laid to rest: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/worl ... diers.html

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Bunch of whiners in Baton Rouge. [:)]

I wonder what size nuke FEMA would have to drop on Baton Rouge to sanitize it. [:D]

I refuse to take the bait. I only whine when the referees screw over my beloved LSU Tigers.

What makes you think we would whine about the deaths of 9 standard deviants? Hell, if 3 more die we'll probably declare a holiday.

ORIGINAL: poodlebrain

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Bunch of whiners in Baton Rouge. [:)]

I wonder what size nuke FEMA would have to drop on Baton Rouge to sanitize it. [:D]

I refuse to take the bait. I only whine when the referees screw over my beloved LSU Tigers.

What makes you think we would whine about the deaths of 9 standard deviants? Hell, if 3 more die we'll probably declare a holiday.

If you see a B-29 with FEMA markings overhead...DUCK AND COVER! They might use a neutron device to save the stadium.

ORIGINAL: sprior

Nearly a hundred years on and they're finally being laid to rest: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/worl ... diers.html

Read the bit at the end about the cableway to supply frontline troops. It's worse than the road trail from Alice Springs to Daly Waters.

Seems like complete lunacy to send thousands to freeze to death on glaciers over Trieste and a couple of villages full of small-headed people with borderline thyroid funtion. .

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: sprior

Nearly a hundred years on and they're finally being laid to rest: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/worl ... diers.html

Read the bit at the end about the cableway to supply frontline troops. It's worse than the road trail from Alice Springs to Daly Waters.

Seems like complete lunacy to send thousands to freeze to death on glaciers over Trieste and a couple of villages full of small-headed people with borderline thyroid funtion. .

War is hell....

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: sprior

Nearly a hundred years on and they're finally being laid to rest: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/worl ... diers.html

Read the bit at the end about the cableway to supply frontline troops. It's worse than the road trail from Alice Springs to Daly Waters.

Seems like complete lunacy to send thousands to freeze to death on glaciers over Trieste and a couple of villages full of small-headed people with borderline thyroid funtion. .

War is hell....

Not on Horycrappo-jima it isn't!

The fox holes kept caving in so we stopped building them. Nice sushi breastaurant too!

Guess this guy (or his father) should have a place in this story too?

ORIGINAL: Grollub

Guess this guy (or his father) should have a place in this story too?

With that uniform he looks like he should be collecting donations outside of Macy's.


As for that tragic name, I blame his parents. His dad and a couple of cousins and uncles were probably Arses as well. If they had a family reunion they could call it the Arse Whole.

And now for a briefing on the naval situation from Admiral Dick Gravy........