That wasn't me, Allyson, but now I'm intrigued. Can you give me more context?

Please explain why we need to spend 7.1 bil dollars on bird flu ,

I was going to write how the money being appropriated for work on bird flu is actually probably not even enough. How we're playing catch-up with supplies (vaccine, such as it is, and antivirals). How our public health system is already woefully unprepared even for a normal flu season. How epidemiologists have been saying for the last few years that we're due for another flu epidemic. How this flu is similar to the one that caused the huge 1918 epidemic, except not yet travelling person to person, but much more deadly (that is, if you get it, you're much more likely to die from it). How if enough research and prevention is done, they might possibly be able to keep the deaths down to the millions. Seriously, the more I read about this bird flu, the more scared I get. Everyone, wash your hands!

But then Betsy and Strega posted, so I guess I don't have to say anything, except:

but have to cut things like medicare and medicade.

Um, no answer for this part. In fact, one of the things that would help in case of bird flu, for everyone, not just the needy, is a robustly functioning public health system, of which medicare and medicaid play an important part.

In fact, one of the things that would help in case of bird flu, for everyone, not just the needy, is a robustly functioning public health system, of which medicare and medicaid play an important part.

that was my point. stated in a very sideways way. I was suffering from an extreame case of @@ from hearing about cuts in various forms of public healthcare and then hearing the $$ on one possible disease. And it was who said it. and of corse how. and like it would fix everything. I'm not against the $$ being spent - but I feel like it has been a lovely bit of PR.

I know I'm late with this, but I'm in favor of multiplication with the zeros. It reinforces the idea that what you're doing when you multiply (say) 52 times 43 is multiplying 2x43 and 50x43 and adding the results. Just leaving a blank space looks more arbitrary.

Ooh, what was the question? I'm guessing... how to do that second line in multiplication by something larger than 9?

Also, I finally figured out the Fibonacci proof I needed to do! ...and I got it backwards.

I can't remember, ita. I remember seeing the pics is all.

Right. Spend billions on the potential for a devastating disease -- okay. Influenza can be pretty bad (although epidemiologists have been blatting about 1918-redux since I was a teenager). But I've seen my fair share of medical hysteria, and it seems usually to end with people taking cipro needlessly and duct taping themselves into their houses.

(Actually, I have a great article by Margaret Talbot in my files, called "Hysteria Hysteria," about the rash of psychogenic illnesses that cropped up in the winter of 001-02. And about how angry people got if they got wind the illness was being called psychogenic -- i.e. "it's all in your head.")

I remember seeing the pics is all.

This is what you get for going places that aren't here, you know.

Okay. I have to get back to work.

Which is in the other room.

Wow. Astonishing lack of motivation.

(although epidemiologists have been blatting about 1918-redux since I was a teenager)

Yeah, and people have been blatting about a big hurricane hitting New Orleans for at least ten years and nobody listened. In this particular case, the boy crying wolf is right.

Personally I've come around to thinking that universal health care is necessary in one form or another. That would be a help in fixing our health care delivery system. I think it's good that the government is preparing for the bird flu. Hopefully there is some long term thinking involved here too since the pandemic probably won't happen this time around, but almost certainly will occur at some year down the line.

I think universal health care is going to be a big issue in 2008. Health care is such a pain in the ass for businesses and individuals alike that someone is bound to jump on it.

Izzo (H.O.V.A.) is not conducive to working. It is, however, conducive to team building. We're having a dance party in my office. "GET YOUR DAMN HANDS UP!"