So it appears that swine around the world are very upset to have the latest media-craze-slash-virus named after their genus.  It’s a guilt by association thing, I suppose.  Sort of like when Snapple was upset when the media uncovered that their own lemon tea beverage was the preferred favorite of Osama Bin Laden.  They had a press conference and everything…you know, just to let the world know that although Osama supports Snapple, the feeling wasn’t mutual.  After all, they can’t help who drinks their tea…can they?

And so it is with the swine today.  Have there even been any actual, confirmed, reported cases of swine actually having this virus?  No.  And yet we have Egypt culling pigs across their country.  Not to mention that Swine Flu is a fraction of a percent as common and/or deadly as the plain, ole, boring, everyday flu-that-we’re-used-to.  Nevertheless, here in the US of A, the pork industry is raising cain about the bad press their cuddly pigs are receiving.  And even the President of the United States is now calling Swine Flu “H1N1”…to preserve the pride of the persnickety porkers.

People…seriously…

Now, on the other hand…if this isn’t a sign of the times in which we live, I really don’t know what is.  When pigs have a press agent to defend against their being branded as harmful simply because some wannabe-rampant-pandemic-virus happens to be named “Swine”….I mean, really….wow.

If you ever doubt the power of the press, remember the Swine Flu.  Have peace, pigs…the Swine Flu is hype created by the 24-hour news cycle.  Think I’m kidding?  Read the words between the buzz words…”perhaps”… ”potentially”… ”might”… ”could”… ”maybe”… ”speculate”… ”project… “possible.”

Hmmm…

How do we know the dog is smarter than the tail?  Because if the tail were smarter, the tail would wag the dog.

How do we know the tale is smarter than the public? (rhetorical…)

Either way, it’s a bad day to be a swine.