Hard to believe, but there's people and media companies who insist on comparing the swine flu outbreak with the one in 1918, also dubbed "the Spanish flu." History tells us that nearly 20 million people lost their lives back then, with a flu very similar to today's. They also say that it began in the late spring and then came back in the fall, when it was much more devastating.
Sources and reports are vague. I've seen the numbers from the 1918 flu dance from 20 million to, according to a CNN article I just read, 50 million (they preceded it with the word conservatively.)
Again, people just trying to be alarmist and scare the shit out of others.
Context. Facts.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
Though the study of antibiotics started in the 1880's, they were not widely used until the late 1930's.
Two medical components that are not only basic factors for treatment but rather common nowadays did not exist back when the Spanish flu attacked.
It would be outrageous to suggest that the world today is as vulnerable as it was 90 years ago. I am not disregarding the fact that this is a serious situation, but in no way we can make this kind of comparison.
Once again, the problem of disinformation is attacking the media.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Infonoia
Did information made us paranoid? Or paranoia made us informed?
It's hard to run away from information in the world we live in. Even if you don't want to be informed there's the TV with 24/7 news channels, there's your computer with all the information in the world. It's tempting not to be seeking information every 30 minutes. Especially when there's something like the swine flu we have going around the world today.
Where's the media's responsibility? Naturally, the first and foremost principal of journalism is to stick to the truth. But, where does the truth and the necessity to inform every step become too much? Where is the line? Where does the responsibility of avoiding collective panic start? And where do we identify a point where we have to be extremely careful to keep everything in context?
The latter is the main issue when it comes to information that can cause panic. And it's not always the media's fault. Sometimes we only listen or read the headline, or we drop an article after the 1st paragraph. That's why it's imperative that journalists be extremely attentive to how they write their headlines. A lot of them want to write the shocky kind because "it will attract more readers." But it will also scare more readers, because a lot of people will stop reading and keep only the information included in the lead.
I read an article in one of Mexico's most prestigious newspapers yesterday, the headline read: "Alarm on rising swine flu cases in Canada." The second paragraph went on to explain how all of the cases mentioned were found benign and none of the patients were in grave danger. There's an obvious disconnect between the headline and the rest of the text. This is irresponsible journalism.
The inspiration to write about this comes from the swine flu outbreak in my country. I want to say that I'm really sad to know that my hometown is going through rough times. That people are not leaving their houses, that the streets are empty, people scared, sick and some dying.
The World Health Organization has just raised the alert level to 5, one before this is declared a pandemic. These are reasons for people to be nervous and can obviously cause paranoia. But we also have to reason and use the information that has been given to us to understand what exactly is going on. The virus itself is treatable, so that tells us that we should seek attention when the 1st symptoms show. The cause for international concern comes from the fact that it's an unknown strain of the virus, which may even go away by the end of the flu season (reports show that it's likely to come back for the winter when, hopefully, a vaccine will be available.) It's more likely to attack people with weak immune systems, so stay healthy and take your vitamins. Be extra cautious when it comes to hygiene, wash hands a lot, this can protect you up to 99% against the virus and other germs. And if you do get sick go see a doctor, there's thousands of flu cases every year and not to minimize the impact of this specific one, but the cases and deaths are still proportionally small.
And the main recommendation is not to panic, be well informed (but not over-informed) and for the media, keep in mind that the collective conscience lies in your hands. Don't be alarmist but useful and helpful.
It's hard to run away from information in the world we live in. Even if you don't want to be informed there's the TV with 24/7 news channels, there's your computer with all the information in the world. It's tempting not to be seeking information every 30 minutes. Especially when there's something like the swine flu we have going around the world today.
Where's the media's responsibility? Naturally, the first and foremost principal of journalism is to stick to the truth. But, where does the truth and the necessity to inform every step become too much? Where is the line? Where does the responsibility of avoiding collective panic start? And where do we identify a point where we have to be extremely careful to keep everything in context?
The latter is the main issue when it comes to information that can cause panic. And it's not always the media's fault. Sometimes we only listen or read the headline, or we drop an article after the 1st paragraph. That's why it's imperative that journalists be extremely attentive to how they write their headlines. A lot of them want to write the shocky kind because "it will attract more readers." But it will also scare more readers, because a lot of people will stop reading and keep only the information included in the lead.
I read an article in one of Mexico's most prestigious newspapers yesterday, the headline read: "Alarm on rising swine flu cases in Canada." The second paragraph went on to explain how all of the cases mentioned were found benign and none of the patients were in grave danger. There's an obvious disconnect between the headline and the rest of the text. This is irresponsible journalism.
The inspiration to write about this comes from the swine flu outbreak in my country. I want to say that I'm really sad to know that my hometown is going through rough times. That people are not leaving their houses, that the streets are empty, people scared, sick and some dying.
The World Health Organization has just raised the alert level to 5, one before this is declared a pandemic. These are reasons for people to be nervous and can obviously cause paranoia. But we also have to reason and use the information that has been given to us to understand what exactly is going on. The virus itself is treatable, so that tells us that we should seek attention when the 1st symptoms show. The cause for international concern comes from the fact that it's an unknown strain of the virus, which may even go away by the end of the flu season (reports show that it's likely to come back for the winter when, hopefully, a vaccine will be available.) It's more likely to attack people with weak immune systems, so stay healthy and take your vitamins. Be extra cautious when it comes to hygiene, wash hands a lot, this can protect you up to 99% against the virus and other germs. And if you do get sick go see a doctor, there's thousands of flu cases every year and not to minimize the impact of this specific one, but the cases and deaths are still proportionally small.
And the main recommendation is not to panic, be well informed (but not over-informed) and for the media, keep in mind that the collective conscience lies in your hands. Don't be alarmist but useful and helpful.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Cinismo.
La Real Academia de la Lengua Española lo define como:
1. m. Desvergüenza en el mentir o en la defensa y práctica de acciones o doctrinas vituperables.
2. m. Impudencia, obscenidad descarada.
Para definir a ciertos políticos mexicanos a mi me gusta más la segunda.
De acuerdo a una nota publicada esta tarde en la página de Internet del periódico Reforma algunos senadores como Beltrones, Monreal y otros destacados perredistas no están de acuerdo con la manera que el Gobierno Federal ha manejado la crisis de la influenza.
Carajo. No puede ser.
Es una "obscenidad descarada" el querer tomar una situación tan delicada como ésta para hacer una zancadilla política. Acuérdense que estamos en año electoral.
Por fin tenemos al Gobierno Federal y del DF colaborando intensamente, un trabajo que han aplaudido autoridades de otros países y de la OMS. Pero eso no les basta a esta bola de animales.
Lo único que les interesa es hacer ruido. Porque lo que hacen no es otra cosa. No ayudan en nada, no proponen nada, sólo hacen ruido.
Hace falta gente que se una a la lucha, sin importar de quién y qué partido pertenezcan aquellos que ya están luchando. Que se pongan a trabajar. Y que dejen de ser gente que sólo se dedica a apuntar el dedito cómodamente aposentados en sus curules.
Es el colmo.
Senadores, diputados y integrantes ilustres de la clase política mexicana: Nos importan madres sus elecciones y sus problemas, grilla, en este momento. Lo único que queremos es que la gente esté sana, que paren los contagios y las complicaciones y que el País regrese a su ritmo normal. Nos conviene a todos. A nosotros. Y a ustedes.
Pónganse a trabajar y dejen las trampas políticas chafas y sucias para cuando no haya gente sufriendo en este País. Que para términos prácticos es nunca.
1. m. Desvergüenza en el mentir o en la defensa y práctica de acciones o doctrinas vituperables.
2. m. Impudencia, obscenidad descarada.
Para definir a ciertos políticos mexicanos a mi me gusta más la segunda.
De acuerdo a una nota publicada esta tarde en la página de Internet del periódico Reforma algunos senadores como Beltrones, Monreal y otros destacados perredistas no están de acuerdo con la manera que el Gobierno Federal ha manejado la crisis de la influenza.
Carajo. No puede ser.
Es una "obscenidad descarada" el querer tomar una situación tan delicada como ésta para hacer una zancadilla política. Acuérdense que estamos en año electoral.
Por fin tenemos al Gobierno Federal y del DF colaborando intensamente, un trabajo que han aplaudido autoridades de otros países y de la OMS. Pero eso no les basta a esta bola de animales.
Lo único que les interesa es hacer ruido. Porque lo que hacen no es otra cosa. No ayudan en nada, no proponen nada, sólo hacen ruido.
Hace falta gente que se una a la lucha, sin importar de quién y qué partido pertenezcan aquellos que ya están luchando. Que se pongan a trabajar. Y que dejen de ser gente que sólo se dedica a apuntar el dedito cómodamente aposentados en sus curules.
Es el colmo.
Senadores, diputados y integrantes ilustres de la clase política mexicana: Nos importan madres sus elecciones y sus problemas, grilla, en este momento. Lo único que queremos es que la gente esté sana, que paren los contagios y las complicaciones y que el País regrese a su ritmo normal. Nos conviene a todos. A nosotros. Y a ustedes.
Pónganse a trabajar y dejen las trampas políticas chafas y sucias para cuando no haya gente sufriendo en este País. Que para términos prácticos es nunca.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Kinko's 2:35 AM.
There's only two customers left. I'm one of them.
Business is slow at this time of the night, but even then the guy helping me is stressed.
He's loosing his patience as I take my time to pick the paper I want. We copywriters don't know a lot about this and it makes me nervous that I will make the wrong decision.
He works at an incredible speed. And it's nearly 3 AM. It's like the guy worked the night shift at an ER in Baltimore.
But it's Kinko's. Richmond's West End.
Across the street from a dark and closed Target and Barnes & Noble.
The other customer in the store is beside me.
He has printed some sort of political campaign posters that show him running for Congress.
He then proceeds to ask the Kinko's employee helping him if she thinks the poster is any good.
She describes it as "very eye-catching."
I start thinking what the world be like if every elected official took campaign advice from random people.
The guy helping me refuses to print my DVD labels.
Mrs. "eye-catching" is eager.
Kinko's (now officially FedEx Office) is deserted.
I'm exhausted.
I'll go to bed now.
Business is slow at this time of the night, but even then the guy helping me is stressed.
He's loosing his patience as I take my time to pick the paper I want. We copywriters don't know a lot about this and it makes me nervous that I will make the wrong decision.
He works at an incredible speed. And it's nearly 3 AM. It's like the guy worked the night shift at an ER in Baltimore.
But it's Kinko's. Richmond's West End.
Across the street from a dark and closed Target and Barnes & Noble.
The other customer in the store is beside me.
He has printed some sort of political campaign posters that show him running for Congress.
He then proceeds to ask the Kinko's employee helping him if she thinks the poster is any good.
She describes it as "very eye-catching."
I start thinking what the world be like if every elected official took campaign advice from random people.
The guy helping me refuses to print my DVD labels.
Mrs. "eye-catching" is eager.
Kinko's (now officially FedEx Office) is deserted.
I'm exhausted.
I'll go to bed now.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
YouTube killed the TV star.
Fame, according to Andy Warhol everybody will have their 15 minutes. And he didn't live to see YouTube. I really wonder what Warhol would have said about it. What most people don't know is that the original quote was preceded by the words "in the future." We are living Warhol's future.
It would be useless for me to enlist all the cases of how people are more famous by scoring a YouTube clip than by working for years to make it to the small or big screens. It was eye-opening for me though while watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist the other night (BTW, don't even bother watching the film.) In one of the numerous scenes happening in badly depicted hipster venues of the Lower East Side, Michael Cera's character notices his date for the night is very well connected since everybody greets her. Twenty years ago Michael Cera would have asked her if she was on TV, or if she had made it to MTV or something. But no, in 2008 (when the movie was originally relseased) Michael Cera asks "are you in YouTube or something?"
This is the world we live in. The YouTube world. The democratization of entertainment and content. It's not new. But it's a tricky thing that has to be played smart. Ask Domino's "buggy boys" how their joke turned out. It's Warhol's time to laugh at everybody getting their 15 minutes. If we will all get them this is when we'll do. How will you be spending them?
It would be useless for me to enlist all the cases of how people are more famous by scoring a YouTube clip than by working for years to make it to the small or big screens. It was eye-opening for me though while watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist the other night (BTW, don't even bother watching the film.) In one of the numerous scenes happening in badly depicted hipster venues of the Lower East Side, Michael Cera's character notices his date for the night is very well connected since everybody greets her. Twenty years ago Michael Cera would have asked her if she was on TV, or if she had made it to MTV or something. But no, in 2008 (when the movie was originally relseased) Michael Cera asks "are you in YouTube or something?"
This is the world we live in. The YouTube world. The democratization of entertainment and content. It's not new. But it's a tricky thing that has to be played smart. Ask Domino's "buggy boys" how their joke turned out. It's Warhol's time to laugh at everybody getting their 15 minutes. If we will all get them this is when we'll do. How will you be spending them?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Yes I watched Gossip Girl tonight. So what.
But panic not, since this post is not about the lives of fictional 17-year-old WASP Upper East Siders who behave, talk and think like 3o year olds.
It's just a segway to get into the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album. Which I really liked. A mix between Siouxie (who Karen O has always emulated) and Blondie. That's what I like about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, every album they've made has been so different from the other, and still good. The 1st one being post-punk, the 2nd one more acoustic and then this one being an homage to new wave.
But, parade your single in Gossip Girl? Really?
I've never had a problem with popular TV shows taking their soundtrack from good bands. The OC did it, Gossip Girl is doing it and many other shows have done it. I actually think it's great that more people out there are getting some good music from their TV shows. Now, that's one thing, there's a music supervisor, they pick your track, pay royalties, done.
At the end of today's episode the Yeah Yeah Yeah's newest single was playing in the back, and instead of cutting to titles we got to see a mini-ad telling us the music was provided by the mentioned band and the album was available. This is the Yeah Yeah Yeah's we're talking about. Not the Jonas Brothers. It's supposed to be punk. Not teen pop.
If bands are brands and you have to be careful what you surround your brand with, because it becomes part of it, this is definitely something to look out for.
This is only another sign that the term indie was not only manufactured but in fact has not existed in 20 years.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sven.
Lo de ayer ya ni lo comentamos. 3-1 contra Honduras. Qué pena.
Pero me da más pena es que en México seguimos pensando que el técnico siempre tiene la culpa de lo mal que juega la selección. Vivimos en un engaño. ¿Nunca se han preguntado que puede ser culpa de un sistema que práctica la FMF y la prensa deportiva en México? Ésta última, que se dedica a inflar a jugadores mediocres. Y los equipos que dedican a pagarle demasiado a jugadores mediocres.
El resultado de un sistema mediocre es un equipo mediocre.
Nery Castillo es el ejemplo perfecto de un jugador que no se merece llevar la camiseta de la selección. Nunca estuve de acuerdo con lo que hacía Hugo cuando dirigía al Tri, pero ahora entiendo porqué estuvo peleado tanto tiempo con Nery y le costó tanto trabajo llamarlo. Hugo será muchas cosas, pero también es una persona que cree, practica y exige disciplina, y Nery no la tiene. Ayer entró en el segundo tiempo a cometer faltas, a pelearse con los Hondureños y hasta con sus propios compañeros. No pasa el balón a tiempo, todo lo quiere hacer solo. Este tipo no se merece la verde.
Así como Nery, muchos jugadores mexicanos viven en el conformismo y en la mediocridad porque al pensar que en México son héroes, están calificados para medirse ante cualquiera a nivel internacional. El caso de Omar Bravo, que llegó a España a hacer el ridículo para que luego lo regresaran con laureles a México, y seguramente más caro. Rafa Márquez, el Gran Capitán, que pierde la cabeza en los juegos más importantes. Leandro, que nadie sabe qué hace en la selección.
México ha mejorado en la exportación de jugadores. Márquez, Giovanni, Salcido y Vela son sólo algunos. Pero nos falta. Nos falta que nuestros jugadores se midan con equipos competitivos a nivel de liga, que "sufran" un poco y se vayan ganando un sueldo cada vez más alto.
Francia no ganó la copa del mundo hasta que logró tener un equipo lleno de jugadores que eran estrellas en las ligas más importantes de Europa (España, Italia, Inglaterra). ¿Cuánto más vamos a esperar para aprender la lección?
Aguirre.
Aguirre me gusta, siempre he dicho que la selección nunca ha vuelto a jugar el futbol que jugó con él. Tal vez era el equipo o las circunstancias. Pero el caso es que el entrenador importa. Importa la estrategia e importa la mentalidad. Ha quienes dicen que México acaba de dejar ir a uno de los diez mejores entrenadores el mundo (Sven), pero tal vez eso sea un hecho subjetivo de pensar que no todos los entrenadores están hechos para todos los equipos.
Aguirre es mexicano, ha lidiado con la selección mexicana, ha lididado con equipos mexicanos, sabe manejar al futbolista mexicano y viene de tener una carrera en España que seguramente lo ha hecho un mejor técnico. Esperemos que el Vasco cumpla.
Pero me da más pena es que en México seguimos pensando que el técnico siempre tiene la culpa de lo mal que juega la selección. Vivimos en un engaño. ¿Nunca se han preguntado que puede ser culpa de un sistema que práctica la FMF y la prensa deportiva en México? Ésta última, que se dedica a inflar a jugadores mediocres. Y los equipos que dedican a pagarle demasiado a jugadores mediocres.
El resultado de un sistema mediocre es un equipo mediocre.
Nery Castillo es el ejemplo perfecto de un jugador que no se merece llevar la camiseta de la selección. Nunca estuve de acuerdo con lo que hacía Hugo cuando dirigía al Tri, pero ahora entiendo porqué estuvo peleado tanto tiempo con Nery y le costó tanto trabajo llamarlo. Hugo será muchas cosas, pero también es una persona que cree, practica y exige disciplina, y Nery no la tiene. Ayer entró en el segundo tiempo a cometer faltas, a pelearse con los Hondureños y hasta con sus propios compañeros. No pasa el balón a tiempo, todo lo quiere hacer solo. Este tipo no se merece la verde.
Así como Nery, muchos jugadores mexicanos viven en el conformismo y en la mediocridad porque al pensar que en México son héroes, están calificados para medirse ante cualquiera a nivel internacional. El caso de Omar Bravo, que llegó a España a hacer el ridículo para que luego lo regresaran con laureles a México, y seguramente más caro. Rafa Márquez, el Gran Capitán, que pierde la cabeza en los juegos más importantes. Leandro, que nadie sabe qué hace en la selección.
México ha mejorado en la exportación de jugadores. Márquez, Giovanni, Salcido y Vela son sólo algunos. Pero nos falta. Nos falta que nuestros jugadores se midan con equipos competitivos a nivel de liga, que "sufran" un poco y se vayan ganando un sueldo cada vez más alto.
Francia no ganó la copa del mundo hasta que logró tener un equipo lleno de jugadores que eran estrellas en las ligas más importantes de Europa (España, Italia, Inglaterra). ¿Cuánto más vamos a esperar para aprender la lección?
Aguirre.
Aguirre me gusta, siempre he dicho que la selección nunca ha vuelto a jugar el futbol que jugó con él. Tal vez era el equipo o las circunstancias. Pero el caso es que el entrenador importa. Importa la estrategia e importa la mentalidad. Ha quienes dicen que México acaba de dejar ir a uno de los diez mejores entrenadores el mundo (Sven), pero tal vez eso sea un hecho subjetivo de pensar que no todos los entrenadores están hechos para todos los equipos.
Aguirre es mexicano, ha lidiado con la selección mexicana, ha lididado con equipos mexicanos, sabe manejar al futbolista mexicano y viene de tener una carrera en España que seguramente lo ha hecho un mejor técnico. Esperemos que el Vasco cumpla.
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