Texas just went under under statewide disaster declaration because of swine flu outbreak, with all (UIL) athletic competitions canceled until May 8th, per Gov Rick Perry. We have the cooties! (apparently)

For Texas to cancel high school athletic competitions is a Very Big Deal. This state is nutz about that stuff.:crazy:

I'm more aware of people coughing and sneezing on the Metro during my daily commutes. It's peak tree pollen time, so there's a lot of sneezing going on.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do if/when this thing becomes common in this area. I kind of depend on public transportation, but sealing myself into a train car twice a day with a hundred random strangers seems like it's asking for trouble. On the other hand, I'm exposed to so many people every day, I've probably got a super strong immune system. If it gets bad, I'll probably wear a mask on my commutes. I've got a ton of them for woodworking.

I'd check to see if woodworking masks are suitable. Are you sure they'd filter virus cells?

Not all of them will, but the ones I have should. They're the P95, or whatever.

If they don't, I also bought a box of N95 medical masks a while ago during the bird flu hysteria.

Edit: I just learned that the P95 and N95 masks are identical, but the P95 masks are highly resistant to oil, while the N95 masks are not resistant at all. So my woodworking masks are actually better than my medical masks. Although mine have exhalation valves, so they won't protect anyone from me. They will just protect me from them while I breathe in cool comfort.

here we go....wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

I'm doing my part to stop the swine flu.

I'm eating the pigs.

But I'm only one man...........

You forgot the </Ron White> closing tag, there Crimson. :)

It might be more effective if you switched to long pig, eh? ;)

Ah, human.
The other, other white meat.

We have at least one confirmed case in a child here in Austin, and that kid's elementary school has been shut down for two weeks.

Here's a helpful poster for combating swine flu hysteria:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14763148/D...Have-Swine-Flu

You probably don't know this, but are they going to extend the academic year into the summer by two weeks? That's a long time to just close a school.

Oh, god, that is so wrong.

...but it might suddenly end up in the breakrooms at my office later today. :D

Oh noes, I have contracted Bacon Lung!

On the one hand, I think legally they have to, because there's a minimum number of days the kids must be in school... but on the other, I think that's the sort of thing the governor could easily override in special circumstances. My stepkids' school in Houston was closed for a week due to the hurricane last year, and they didn't extend their school year to make up for it as far as I know.