Excellent post Arney. I was hoping to stir the pot some with the link about the bird flu being overhyped.

I wouldn't really call Michael Fumento a contrarian as much as a mythbuster. Let's face it, the MSM feeds us a lot of b.s., especially junk science. I've learned to be very skeptical of what I see on tv or read (news or internet sites). The truth always seems to be in the middle somewhere, usually hiding out of shame. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I think your analysis of the references may have some validity, but I am still siding with Fumento on the overall level of danger. One comment of yours I did not understand was the bit about how we don't want mild cases of the disease. Are you saying that it is better (in the scheme of things) for the virus to kill it's host quickly, thereby slowing it's spread rather than just making people mildly sick but then passing on to more people, killing some of them? Doesn't then the regular flu fall into the "mild, therefore much worse" disease catagory?

In a nutshell, I agree a pandemic is likely at some point, but I not overly concerned about it coming from the current bird flu.

-Blast