thanks, Dad

Many of you did not think it was that weird that my Dad sends an email with a new photo of Mt. St. Helens every day. (By the way, it was really pretty on Monday! And today the camera is covered with snow and icicles... yes that photo was in an email too.)


Okay, then, I give you this:


He gave something to my Mom, asking her to give it to me when she got here. It is:

"The Pocket Guide to
Emergency and Pandemic Flu Preparedness."

So whaddaya think about that one, Internets?


This little pamphlet includes the following sections:

"Your Home Emergency Kit Should Include" (very helpful)

"Shelter in Place" (what to do if the authorities tell you to remain in your home or work in the event of a radiation, chemical, or biological emergency (as opposed to "Evacuate"), such as turning off the heating/cooling system, closing the fireplace damper, staying out of the basement, sealing off doors, vents, and windows with duct tape, oh, and "stay calm" (yeah right). Scary but helpful.)

"In the Event of a Power Outage" & "In the Event of an Earthquake" (pretty well-known info at this point)

"West Nile Virus" (wear insect repellent, wear long sleeved clothing, drain standing water, repair tears in door & window screens) okay.

"In the Event of a Biological Emergency" (Public Health Officials will tell you what to do),
"In the Event of a Chemical Emergency" (you will be told to "Shelter in Place" or "Evacuate"),
and "In the Event of a Radiological Emergency" (Self-Decontamination: remove your clothes and seal them in a plastic bag. Take a shower and wash with plenty of soap and lukewarm water.)
(The Radiological Emergency instructions are news to me.)

"Pandemic Flu"
(This section just pointed out the differences between normal ("seasonal") flu and pandemic flu. In pandemic flu, symptoms would be more serious, hospitals may be overwhelmed, there would be more deaths, new vaccines would need to be developed which would take several months, existing antiviral drugs may not be effective, there could be closings of schools, businesses, and public events, and there would be a big impact on the US and world economy.

So basically, that section just says, "we're screwed."

Great.

Thanks, Dad, for sending this to me. Oh, and is this supposed to be my birthday card/gift?