Any cases near you or in your city? I wouldn't have believed it would get close to us so fast but there are 6 almost for certain cases in Newberry, SC which is about an hour from me. If cases are reported in our school system I'm taking my kids out immediately whether they close the schools down or not. The cases in the U.S. seem to be milder than in Mexico but I'm not taking any chances...

I read THE GREAT INFLUENZA OF 1918
by John Barry about 2 years ago.

Was already really concerned about
Bird Flu pandemic, the book confirmed
my fears.

CNN seems to be confirming the amount
of preparation we've taken.

Trying to keep a couple Mos worth of food
on hand, etc

Worst case scenerio---
no amount of preparation will be enough.

I'd bet this will subside, after making a
large but mild run through the country,
and then make a more lethal comeback
in the fall.

Read the book.

Anybody seeing people starting to stock up?

Funny you should mention this as I bought 12 of the large cans of veggies and some other things today while at the wholesale restaurant store. I add a little at a time in case we need it. With the volatile economic (and political) situation, plus the swine flu, I'm in survivalist mode as well. I'm wondering if the strain we're seeing here is a weaker form of what is going around now in Mexico, and what might make it back here next Winter. If so, maybe it would be best to catch whatever is here now so as to develop immunity to the more virulent forms that come next?

I've been stockpiling ammunition as best I can. I buy a hundred rounds of 12 gauge every opportunity. 45 (ACP) is getting hard to come by.

I haven't read that book but have read about the 1918 flu pandemic extensively. Sounds like a good read, I'll pick it up. There was a lady here who caught the Spanish flu as a child in 1918 and almost died from it. She never got a flu shot for the rest of her life and lived to the age of 99 having never got the flu after that one time.

The book is a scary, fast read.
The similarities to today are uncanny.
Including troops returning from an overseas War.

Major differences will both help, and hurt.

Speed in developing a vaccine / much faster detection +

Speed at which people move (internationally). ----

Containment is a waste of effort.

What can the average Joe do?

Exactly what you are doing.

If you have some extra food in your pantry
even if you don't need it, you can use it
later anyway. (makes me feel like I've made an effort
for my family, against something that is beyond my control).

I just listened again, (on my drive to the
Spring Fling) to the ZOMBIE WARS. On CD.

Sounds like a childish, stupid, ridiculous, story.
And it is. But it's very entertaining.

One of the quotes that sticks with me.
Is. " Of all the people in the world, only
Americans, think nothing bad happens to
good people."

As I watch people respond locally there
is a certain amount of business as usual
disbelief.