SARS

[Keno]

I just wanted to post this here because this is a forum where people live all over the world and I think its important to clarify the situation. Youve probably seen some coverage on CNN (i apologise for our idiot mayor)

I live in Toronto which is considered to be the NorthAmerican SARS hotspot. Recently my city has been thrown into the international spotlight because of a World Health Organization travel advisory to my city, basically telling people not to travel here because of the SARS risk. I understand its good to be careful but I think theyve gone too far. All i can say is that I think theyre wrong because I live here and I go downtown every day for work I take public transit and things are pretty normal. Everyone is going about their normal lives shopping and eating out as best as they can. The media has a way of blowing things out of proportion and distorting the way things really are. They focus on pictures of people wearing masks and empty shopping malls suggesting that everyone is sitting at home afraid to go out. Honestly, I was out yesterday in the nice weather and there were tons of people. Only a small number of paranoid people are wearing medical masks when theyre out in public. Thats because unlike China, the virus has NOT YET spread through casual contact in public places. Every single case can be traced back to a certain hospital.

In my opinion Toronto is still a safe place to visit. If you were planning to travel here and are considering cancelling the trip because of this advisory I urge you not to. My city depends HEAVILY on tourism because we are one of Canada's largest cities. Or if youve never been to Toronto and dont know where to travel this year why not consider comming here? There's alot to do!
The Toronto Blue Jays, our MLB baseball team have SOLD OUT todays game by selling every ticket for $1. its SOLD OUT meaning that if 50 thousand people in Toronto are not afraid to attend a baseball game then it is SAFE to travel here.

Sorry but I just wanted to set some things straight because I was out of town and I think that when your on the outside looking in it DOES look really scary, but when you're here its really not as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Ive also heard on the news today that theyre planning to lift the travel advisory soon which is good, but the damage is already done to my city's reputation

[Caster_Troy]

i agree... i have tons of friends in toronto and they are all doing just fine and dandy...... people need to relax.

[GK Punk]

a Little girl and her dad died here from Sars... Im all the way in California

[HorseTechie]

Media hype. Tish. :roll:

I think China is the real hotspot, but that's not gonna stop me from traveling. Hopefully the planes I hop on this weekend would be locked down cause of a SARS scare, while I'm still on it! That's the least of my worries. :goofygri:

[malignant]

yeah i agree the media is making to much of it..

but um....for toronto selling out a baseball game?...they only did it cause they sold all tickets for a dollar....the blue jays suck...=x

[Peanut]

Everyone in Toronto knows the Blue Jays suck pal. They weren't trying to sell out the game because they were good! They were doing it to prove that no one in Toronto is afriad to go out in public because of SARS. Get your facts straight.

[The Stryker]

i gotta admit when i heard that the SARS hing was in canada all i could think of was......"its in our attic!" and then i freaked out and taped up my windows!........*passes out from suffocation*

[J Legault]

It's becoming serious. A big number of Asians are suffering from it.
It just not right.

[kyabetsu]

...it's kinda HARD to argue morality w/ a virus....

i mean. really.... no callousness on my part here, because it IS a terrible thing...but i mean... whatcha gonna do? ALL populations of organisms are prone to disease... especially in crowded conditions... it's just a blessing that the virus isn't MORE deadly. Just cause we've come a LONG way in medical studies and basic hygiene from the time period of the Black Death, doesn't mean it wasn't bound to happen again...

pray. or get a medical degree. or both. because even if this one peters out and leaves us alone, there WILL be another one. That's just the way it goes.


*kya looks back over this post.*
dang. that wasn't terribley CHIPPER, was it?
uh...
here. This should make you smile: http://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/kao/otn/pblindfolded.gif LOOK! LAUGH!! KYA"S BEATING UP THE WATERMELON WITH A KENDO BOKKEN!!
*BEAT BEAT BEAT!!*

...blindfolded no less...

that's prolly a metaphor for something.

[That Matt Guy]

What's the big deal with SARS anyway? More people are dying from AIDs and nobody seems to give a rats ass about them.

[Kaejae]

I too think that the media has created too much "hype" over this whole SARS thing.

I live in Toronto, I'm half Chinese and half Filipino (Phillippines), and I am just getting tired of the way people just keep looking as Asians already thinking they have SARS.

I caught a cold last week from walking to the mall in the rain. This week, I have been coughing like mad and automatically, people start thinking I have SARS. :P


^^ I totally agree with Keno on this one. Toronto is still a safe place. I live pretty close to two of the schools that were closed because of suspected SARS, nothing's happened...yet. Here in Toronto, it's been at low risk since the beginning or the "hype" (Gah, I hate using that word), and it's at low risk now.

[Kid Icarus]

What's the big deal with SARS anyway? More people are dying from AIDs and nobody seems to give a rats ass about them.

there are treatments for AIDS, and none for SARS. AIDS is avoidable, SARS really isn't.

I'm sure the people trying to find the cure to AIDS are still looking. Just cause the media dosen't cover it dosen't mean it isn't there.

I live in bum-effed Nebraska, so this all still seams pretty distant to me.

[JameO]

Everyone in Toronto knows the Blue Jays suck pal. They weren't trying to sell out the game because they were good! They were doing it to prove that no one in Toronto is afriad to go out in public because of SARS. Get your facts straight.

Yeah and they seem to be losing yet again. 13-9 in the 8th. Hmmmm. And yeah now they lifted the flight control and now anyone can come into toronto just like before because there haven't been any new cases in 20 days! So it seems to be calming down now, finally!

[Reznorite420]

Refresh my memory...what exactly is SARS again?

[That Matt Guy]

Whatever happened to the West Nile Virus?

[JameO]

Refresh my memory...what exactly is SARS again? SARS = Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

It is where you have a fever and having trouble breathing. It can spread by coughing and sneezing and stuff like that. Seems to be calming down.

[Mars-Chan]

Kya.....That is hilllarous!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Where do you find those?

[kyabetsu]

http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/kao/msroom/m-tabako.gif*horrid french accent* eet eez ay SEE-CRRET...

uh. no. http://www.computerpannen.com/cwm/kao/otn/blobtongue.gifit' ain't a secret.
here, this is the website i use:
http://mysmilies.com/

[Tokka-B]

Umm, There is a better name for that and it isn't racist kya...called "bubonic plague"....

Anyway, I think SARS is something that we can't just go about our daily lives for. People I know who have been to Toronto lately have said you are pretty much immediately quarantined for a week or 2...this is serious stuff like ebola. Airlines are having HORRIBLE business because of this, you can't just go about your normal lives...Ashcroft said this about terrorism...I guess it is easy not being the victim of a terrible disease or terrorism, eh? If I had the chance to go to Toronto now, I wouldn't. I'd rather avoid an uncurable disease than be in Toronto for a vacation with that risk...Anyway I am not saying we should all have gas masks on 24/7 but we need to be aware of this and stay on the alert at all times, the disease won't go away just by hoping it won't get you...Realize the impact of what this disease is causing.

[Peanut]

Tokka it is nothing like that. Regradless of what you've seen on the news. No one walks around wearing masks. EVERYONE but people who do have it are going about their normal lives.

[Tokka-B]

I just said they didn't wear masks :roll: ..but people should be aware of the possibility of death when in Toronto...you don't just pretend it doesn't exist anymore, be aware and help to stop it...

[GK Punk]

I would go to toronto right now, definetley.. I mean if it's already here in this area of california, what else do I have to be afraid of? Dying? That could happen anytime anywhere, AND TO YOU DEAR FRIEND DEATH, I SAY JUST BRING IT, BEOTCH!!!!! (That was a joke btw...)

[Peanut]

It's obviously not as bad as everyone thinks. I didn't hear about any new cases and the Skydome was packed last night for the baseball game.

[Tokka-B]

Who'd ever think the Toronto stadium would be packed? :P Well, I just hope no one else gets it, the more people that get it, the riskier our lives become and the faster it spreads... :(

[GK Punk]

Who'd ever think the Toronto stadium would be packed? :P Well, I just hope no one else gets it, the more people that get it, the riskier our lives become and the faster it spreads... :(

Yeah... but I heard on the news that they think scientists have found the genetic strand that causes SARS and are working on a cure. Here's to hoping, eh?

[kyabetsu]

you know, tokka. i'm gonna say this as politely and reasonably as possible. After that i'm reporting you to krang for slander.

1. Calling someone "racist" is a BIG accusation. I'm NOT happy about your name calling. I am not the ONLY one you've attached this label to, and the only reason i'm not REALLY offended is because i know... just like everyone else here... that you just don't THINK about half the things you say to people before you say them.

2. THE BUBONIC PLAGUE was called the BLACK death, not because of any affiliation or link to RACE, but because the disease causes extreme swelling and BRUISING of the lymphatic nodes. The bursting blood vessels and necrotic tissue that FORMS INSIDE your lymph nodes during the course of the disease leads to saggy, bulbous pockets of flesh full of this internal nastiness that can BURST outwardly forming sores. Not RED sores with fresh blood, but sores full of PUS, ROTTING BLACK FLESH, and OLD BLOOD. The "BLACK" part of BLACK DEATH comes from THAT.

3. Please try to think before you go calling anyone anymore names.

[Peanut]

:lol: I know I never expected to see the Skydome full again.

[GK Punk]

:lol: I know I never expected to see the Skydome full again.

It was pretty packed for Wrestlemania a year or so ago

[Peanut]

I meant for a city sports event. I was going to go to that Wrestlemania, but I changed my mind.

[GK Punk]

I meant for a city sports event. I was going to go to that Wrestlemania, but I changed my mind.

OOOH I get what you are saying, my bad ^^
I wish I could have gone just to see Drowning Pool, that was their last television performance before their singer died. (well that and just to see Wrestlemania, DP would have been a cool bonus)

[Peanut]

:cry: Dude that makes me sad. I just remembered that. Drowning Pool was great!

[GK Punk]

:cry: Dude that makes me sad. I just remembered that. Drowning Pool was great!

Yeah I know... I want to buy that event on DVD just to have the Drowning Pool performance... I just wished they could have had a longer career...

[Tokka-B]

I never called you a racist, you just assume this because I said your remark was racist. This is one of those racial things that they have tried to get rid of by calling it the bubonic plague...it is like black market, why black?

I think about all my posts before I say them, I'd have tons of spelling errors if I hadn't. I think you get ticked off WAY too easily, and often take things the wrong way...an aerobics workout should be a must...

[Vespera Blaze]

dude.

I'm pretty sure the name "bubonic plague" predates the political correctness movement.

[Peanut]

I think because the color (or shade) of black means death, darkness you know. I still don't see why anyone calls african americans "black" because they aren't black.

[Leo656]

I always thought it was pretty funny when Ted Turner got in trouble for saying "Most black people aren't really black, they're brown. You don't often see a really 'black' black." :lol:

The whole SARS thing has me a tad concerned but only because I'm highly susceptible to sinus infections as it is. Last time I got sick my boss kept joking that I had SARS. Bleh.

[Tokka-B]

Bah, Ted deserved it...you don't say that in a diverse society...

Anyway, I still don't get how black symbolizes death...very confused about this, any fill-me-ins would be greatly appreciated.

SARS, as dangerous as it is, there are many more diseases that have had many more deaths and problems with...teburculosis comes to mind, as well as malaria, the number of deaths have gotten to 2 million a year and rising. I think the genetic strand you were talking about with SARS has been tested, they tried to make a serum to cure it since it worked with smallpox and others, but that hasn't had any success yet I am afraid... :(

[Leo656]

I'unno... as far as the Ted Turner thing goes, I'll defer to Randall from "Clerks": "He's blunt, but he's got a point."

And I don't exactly know how "black" and "death"are so closely associated, but maybe it has to do with death being almost akin to a "permanent darkness", i.e. the abscence of life, etc. I know the connotation has been around for a long, long time however. Popular usage has made it something few people even think about, let alone question. ((shrugs))

[Peanut]

Well the whole black/death thing I think is just because death is associated with black. You know Grim Reaper/Black hooded cape, when you die it's like closing your eyes nothing but black. That kind of stuff. I'm not sure how it all came around like that though since I'm pretty sure it's well before our time.

[That Matt Guy]

How does the word black demean people? So I guess the word white demeans people also :-?

[Leo656]

Y'know, that's true. Outside of Ireland and Scotland, how many really "white" white people do you know? Most of them are varying shades of pink and brown. Even the "whitest" white people aren't really "white", as in "virginal" white, they're more of an off-white, or "whore's white".

I think it's about time we nixed "white" and "black" as descriptive racial terms and came up with something fresh and hip for the new millenium. Any suggestions?

[Tokka-B]

Ok, there are people who are truly white, they are called albino. Believe it or not, there are black albino people as well, they are white, but they have african features.

Anyway, to Michaelangelo- I don't know about that close eyes thing because I have never died, and neither have you apparently. How do you know that when you die there will just be total blackness? Heck religions teach about the white light and such. So you have yet to proove why black means death.

Also, what is up with white lies? Why are they white? All these things are so confusing, and now that I think about them this is important...

[Peanut]

I'm not trying to prove it Tokka. I don't know. I never said I did! I'm sure everyone has heard of all of these things. I know you're looking to start a debate over something once again, but I'm not getting involved.

[Tokka-B]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Gotta love the assumptions...

Anyway, I am only trying to find a truthful answer about all of this as it boggles my mind to the brink of insanity....

[Peanut]

Well it just seems like it's your favorite thing to do.

[Leo656]

Verily, Michaelangelo doth speaketh truth. An instigator, be thee. Whilst many enjoy the challenges of stimulating debate, far too many doth twist the words of others, seeking to stir dispute where none exists. Many a lad's good name hast been besmirched in this fashion, as well as many feelings hurt.

I wish thee good fortune in thy quest for knowledge, good sir, but I am uneasy with how quick you are to incur your wrath upon others. Alas, I can help you no further.

[Tokka-B]

Once again, unless I agree with everything you say, then I am a constant debator... :lol: I like to debate, but it isn't my favorite thing to do.

[Reznorite420]

If it wasn't for the fact that I had a hint of Native American in me (anybody who calls them "Indians" or the like will suffer :evil: ), then I WOULD be "all white". I'm vastly British, so yeah...

[Reznorite420]

I like to debate, but it isn't my favorite thing to do.The way you constantly argue all of the time makes us think otherwise...

[Leo656]

If it wasn't for the fact that I had a hint of Native American in me (anybody who calls them "Indians" or the like will suffer :evil: ), then I WOULD be "all white". I'm vastly British, so yeah...

So... what's your thoughts on the American Indian Movement, or "AIM"? :D

[Tokka-B]

I think the native americans should take back their land and force us out...either that or reservation camps.

[Leo656]

Maybe the ones that own all the casinos will eventually win their country back.

Though on second thought, they probably wouldn't want it. Look what we did to it.

[Tokka-B]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Too true.... :(