hack

Don't mess with Zack Morris, he's a legit racer (or used to be), Cat2 if I recall.

Racer Ex 

Then you've wasted a lot of money on higher ed. Come on, put on your thinking cap...

furiousferret

My point is we've been pretty lucky over the past century and because of that and major innovations in health care our population isn't sustainable at the rate it is going. On a macro scale, it doesn't bother me. On a micro scale, of course I'd be concerned if it started affecting family members.

topflightpro

I'm not terribly worried about Ebola. It's just the disease of the week, if you will. A few years ago it was swine flu. Before that, avian flu. Before that, SARS. And I'm still waiting for the killer bees from Mexico to come up to the US and get us all. The national media, and local media following their lead, love to hype up the dangers of new diseases.

Several years ago, when Avian Flu was the disease of the week, I sat on a panel of reporters discussing how public officials could do a better job dealing with crisis communications. The panel was moderated by a guy from the CDC. Someone asked if we, the reporters, were worried about Avian flu. I was the only one to say No, and my reasoning was simply that the national media needed something to hype, and disease were an easy target. The CDC guy told me I should be worried and that avian flu was different. He was wrong.

carpediemracing 

This popped up at the top of my Yahoo "feed" if you will:
Dallas nurses cite sloppy conditions in Ebola care

Apparently another nurse has been diagnosed with Ebola and she had flown the day before from Ohio. There's a number for people to call if they were on that flight.

Second Dallas nurse with Ebola was on Frontier Airlines flight 1143

That 70-odd people being tracked related to the first patient in Texas now at least 200, if there were 130 people affected by the flight (132 according to the article). Plus anyone she dealt with in the airport in Ohio. Folks she came in contact with after landing. Etc. Not sure how many people they're tracking for that first nurse that got sick.

Right now I'm not worried for myself or those around me, nor can I do anything if I was. However this is sort of like how I felt with Hurricane Katrina, the tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, drought in California, etc. It's sort of relevant to me but not really. Power outage for a week at home? Relevant to me.

Racer Ex 

This time. The difference between the various flu(s) and Ebola is ease of transmission. Worth noting that an outbreak that was quickly identified and vaccinated against still killed 70,000 in the US in 1957.

I know, we were all living in caves in 1957. That's a long time ago in the "Atomic Age" before we had things like microwave ovens and cell phones, so no doubt we'd be much more on top of things now. The Hong Kong flu in '68 killed one million worldwide. That would be 1968. Not 1868.

The CDC guys are going by the best available info and erring on the side of caution, which is a no win because if folks get vaccinated they don't get the flu, then the press points out that the whole thing was overblown and the CDC are a bunch of idiots. If they get it wrong the other way then the press says they are a bunch of idiots for letting an epidemic happen.

My take is when it comes to public health issues, the press are a bunch of idiots. See: giant panic about Ebola.

So far this has killed 4,400 people, mostly where there's horrible to no medical services. This is around what malaria and AIDS kills per day, and about 1/8 of the people that get killed in cars in the US on the lowest year. It's a nothing compared to flu in '68.

Run for the hills.

topflightpro

I agree with your comment about the media, and the CDC's response.

And I saw a chart for where Ebola ranked as cause of death in Africa. You were 16-times more likely to die crossing the road than from Ebola.

Racer Ex 

On the subject:

I see Tinkoff/Saxo is going to climb Kilimanjaro as part of a team building thing.

I wonder if they've heard of Fausto Coppi?

ovoleg

Putting my 1.5 week notice in today.
Only been here a year and a half but it was time to move on. Severely understaffed and in complete disarray. I wanted to get back to the industry I was in before this job and an opportunity came up which I had to jump on. Really glad with what the new position entails and I'm very excited.

I'm not sure if they're going to let me go on the same day I give them the notice but I would prefer that because I havent taken a vacation in 5 years and I'd like to take a week to just chill out.

I'm betting 50/50 they send me home the same day. They will need to replace me ASAP because I know certain technologies that no one else knows in the company and they'd probably want me to document everything before I leave. That or the president will be very sad/disappointed/pissed and just let me go on the spot.

Homebrew01

Ebola could have been stamped out back in March when aid organizations first asked for help. But now it will cost 100s of times the lives and money.
Pound foolish ... again.

Racer Ex 

We need to close the borders and stop flights from DFW and we need to do it now.




(giggle)

waterrockets 

We need to fire management at that freaking hospital, and tell the remaining nurses to use their heads if someone tries to send you in for a leaky ebola patient in a freaking smock.

CDC should have flown in with gear, and made a training video of how to do it right for everyone else. The hazmat suits should all have gopros.

Homebrew01

If Texas had seceded, then we could have put up a nice fence along the border to keep them out.

gsteinb

we got a surplus of weapons of mass destruction. bomb the ebola back to the stone age.

caloso

We could keep Austin as American territory, sort of like what we did with Berlin.

furiousferret

Not sure what the protocol breach was, but most hospitals seem okay with sick patients touching everything in the waiting room after they wipe their nose.

island rider

Zero? I mean there are certainly things that worry me more, up to and including the state of our environment, the economy, my personal finances, my health and the health and well being of my children, but zero? Even in terms of medical calamities, a flu pandemic is probably a bigger concern, but zero?

Eh... to each his own.

island rider

This I completely agree with.

carpediemracing 

The way I look at it if I think about it that's one thing.
Example: Ebola. Katrina. Tsunamis in the Pacific. Hurricanes down south. Drought in CA. Radiation in the Pacific. Riots in LA. Ferguson. North Korea. ISIS.

If I change my behavior a little that's another.
Example: Hm I don't have one. Oh, washing my hands regularly to avoid catching Junior's cold.

If my life revolves around changes due to some worry that's where I consider it a little out of control. Usually this involves no longer worrying about work, cycling, etc, and worrying more about survival.
Example: During a massive power outage (our town didn't have power for 2 weeks, we were lucky and got power back after a week) I ran cables into the house from a generator running 24/7. I installed a pellet stove and it heated our house for that time. It was at the store but I picked it up when the power went out and the prognosis was really bad, finished installing it in the evening, and we had heat from there. A day or two later, when the highways opened up, my brother drove almost 2 hours to get water for his house, filling everything that could hold water and had a cap. We had city water, he had a well (and no generator to power it, although he was using one of my other generators for the fridge and lights). We used empty litter bins for water - his car looked like the springs blew out, it was probably 20-25 jugs of water.

Right now my worries that affect my behavior include trying to find a venue for the spring series, getting a job, wondering if I can make the RKP book signing Saturday, and hoping I can make the Donut Derby in two weekends. Nothing major, in the scheme of things.

furiousferret

Are you staying in the area or relocating? Good luck.

MDcatV

NSFW

ovoleg

I'm going to be working closer to you.

Sooooo I walked into my bosses office(President) and gave him my Resignation Letter. He spent about 5 minutes thanking me for the work I've done and how much of an asset I was. Then asked me who recruited me. Then he talked about how it's going to be hard to replace me and he should of paid me more(more pay would not make me stay). He then tells me not to say anything to any other employee that I'm leaving(I actually preferred this). As soon as I walk to my desk to try and give a copy of the letter to HR, he walks into the HR office and closes the door and has been in there for the past 20minutes.

I might be escorted out lol.

Racer Ex 

Zeeerowwwwwwwww.

I don't worry about Ebola because I know a lot about the history and pathology. It's been around for decades and it's barely killed anyone, despite firing itself off in places where there aren't even doctors and the "hospital" is a tent. It's gone away very quickly once proper measures are taken.

4000 deaths sound like a lot, but again, it's a tiny blip in 200,000,000 people in the countries where it's currently prevalent. Understand these are places where health care is minimal to non-existent and the population is far less educated than we are about transmission.

ovoleg

So the HR girl calls me in and tells me positive things. So far I'm still employed through my 2 weeks lol.

ovoleg

I havent ridden my road bike in at least 1.5 months, just been on the CX rig. Still can't run or anything but doing fireroads and singletrack is loads of fun!