Suffering from Flu? April 16, 2008
Posted by Michael in Science.trackback
Blame Asia.
WASHINGTON – Asia is the world’s cradle for new flu strains. South America is where each year’s epidemic goes to die.
In between, the virus catches a ride to North America and Europe almost simultaneously, report international researchers who have finally pinpointed exactly how the most common type of influenza sweeps the globe each year.
Why is it the destiny of Asia to inflict so much misery on the rest of the planet every winter? Asia has otherwise contributed mightily to the advancement of civilization. Like fireworks. And Thai food.
I’ll tell you why. Their liquors suck, across the board. You can’t find one good native booze in Asia, like bourbon or scotch, to fortify your blood against microscopic pests. That’s why Asia continues to visit the scourge of influenza on the rest of mankind.
Asia is world’s cradle for new strains of flu – Cold and flu- msnbc.com
Shouldn’t that be pronounced “fru?”
reminds me of that joke uncle Jr told on the Sopranos:
A Chinaman goes to the eye doctor. The doctor says “I know what your problem is.” Chinaman said “Well, what is it?” Doctor says “You have a cataract.” Chinaman says “No, I drive a Rincoln Continental.
It’s because they still live with their livestock. All the really mean ‘flus jump from animals to man.
All the really mean ‘flus jump from animals to man.
Oh shit.
T.G.W.F.T.D.D.
What does that mean?
Asia also gave us:
Genghis Khan
Silly names like Long Dong
Food that fills you but you’re hungry two hours later
East Asia, I mean.
South Asia gave us:
Mullah Omar
Silly names like Ramakrishnan Venkateshvarabalaji Chakrabarty
Food that sets on fire one’s tongue and digestive track
That Guy Who Fucked That Dead Deer
or
Thank God We Found That Didgeri-Doo
*Michael glares at Skinbad*
Final game of the season:
San Antonio – 109
Utah – 80
Now, I am not going to be small about this.
I am not going to say that the Jazz are punk-ass little bitches that got what they deserved.
Oh no.
I am not even going to say that the Jazz are girly-boys who choked when they were playing a game where Western Conference seeds and home court advantage in the playoffs was at stake.
Oh no.
I am just going to say that good triumphed over evil, and all is well with the world.
Central Asia gave us the Seljuqs, Tamerlane, the Great Game, a bunch of dead mountain climbers, and a whole lot of ancient Chinese artifacts that European (plus one Japanese) explorers essentially stole en masse and transported to collections throughout the world.
I’m reading “The Middle East: Fourteen Islamic Centuries” by Glenn Perry. He intends the book as a general survey, but it’s far too general, I think. At least for the first 120 (out of 335) pages. He covered the Umayyads in eight pages. I’m burning through the Abbassids (over 500 years of extremely complicated history) in a thirty-page chapter. If I didn’t already have a decent grasp of the history, almost all of the names and dates the author is flinging at me would be utterly useless.
In the author’s possible defense, he says he intends the book to focus on the modern period (i.e. post 1774). That means he’ll have about 210 pages to cover just over 200 years of history. Even better, my knowledge of the modern period is weaker than for the early Islamic period, in no small part because other authors (including the renowned Bernard Lewis) tend to lose detail in later centuries, and because in college history courses, you get to the later centuries at the end of the semester, when the professor realizes he doesn’t have enough time to finish, so he covers, for example, the Safavids, in about 15 minutes of lecture.
So I’m looking forward to getting more detail on that, but at the same time, I’ve lost confidence that the author is giving me the relevant details.
Yes Michael. Looks like the Jazz like their chances on the road against Houston better than at home against the spurs. I hope Sloan calls them just what you called them. A couple of losses to the freakin’ T-Wolves are looming rather large at the moment.
*yawns loudly and ostentatiously*
[...] about as much as the school district in question. – Trail-Mix has a double-dose of toon action. – Michael answers the burning question of each flu season, “Why does every flu epidemic start in Asia?” [...]
I’m just messing with you guys, by the way. I hope you enjoy the rest of the season. I have no sports this year except Aggie football.
(I have no intention of cheering for an organization that could non-tender the best defensive shortstop in baseball in favor of trading for some jackass on steroids.)
I *heart* Bernard Lewis! Awesome man indeed!
Sobek: Is there any one book you’d recommend to learn about early Islamic history and modern Islamic history in detail? (Or a separate book for each, early and modern, would be fine.)
I’ve read there is some debate as to where the dividing line is that divides Islamic history into early and modern. Where do you think it is?
I’m home with Man Flu today. It’s much worse than any female can ever imagine. If I see an Asian I’m going to kick him/her. Why is the cat so damn friendly when I’m home alone? I going to lock her in the basement.
It’s much worse than any female can ever imagine.
Man Flu. I like the concept.
Personally, I suspect there is a huge conspiracy amongst women to make a big deal about labor pain, just to intimidate us. They know we will never experience it personally. They’re probably all exaggerating.
I say, Man Flu is worse!
Personally, I suspect there is a huge conspiracy amongst women to make a big deal about labor pain, just to intimidate us.
THANK YOU.
“I’ve read there is some debate as to where the dividing line is that divides Islamic history into early and modern. Where do you think it is?”
I don’t know how to answer even for European history. Technologically? One hundred years ago in America we didn’t have most of the conveniences that I associate with modern living. Intellectually? In a lot of ways, the Muslim world was far more intellectually advanced in 1000 a.d. than it is today. Governmentally and militarily? Same deal. Compared with the West, the Middle East used to be light years ahead, and now they are centuries behind.
Perry says the modern era starts in 1774, and I suspect (I haven’t gotten that far yet) it’s because that when the middle east started having a greater impact on world affairs. If so, I reject that date, because (a) for millenia, the middle east was the world, and a eurocentric conception of modernity is simply counter-factual, and (b) even vis-a-vis the West, the middle east has long been heavily involved, including as an intermediary on the silk road, the conquest of significant portions of Europe, and facilitating the Rennaissance (many Greek texts that had been lost to the west were preserved in Muslim libraries).
Another way to look at the question of modernity does not concern advancement, but simply resemblance to today’s conditions. In that case, 1774 is far too early. The Ottomans were still a major world power, instead of Europe’s back yard. The Iranians had yet to go through the Khajars, the constitutional revolution, the return of the shah, or the Islamic revolution. Central Asia had not yet come under Russian influence, let alone full incorporation into the Soviet state, or post-Soviet independence. Pakistan was still part of India. With all of that in mind, the Middle East has come into modernity piecemeal, with Central Asia in the 1990s, Iran in 1979, Turkey at the end of WWI, etc.
Oh, God. I hate Man Flu. I just finished a bout – which I won!