Flu Vaccine: Yes or No?

We can't say we didn't see this coming. The H1N1 swine flu virus is making inroads as we hear of flu-related school closings and other measures being taken to stop its spread. Health experts are calling it a pandemic. Something with global implications needs to be taken seriously, yet many are dismissing the threat as just another flu going around or an example of government agencies or the media trying to alarm people unnecessarily. Many people, including my morning co-host Rebecca, are concerned that rolling out this H1N1 vaccine so hastily may mean it has not been sufficiently tested. The story on the internet and tabloid shows about the woman who got the vaccine and now can only walk backwards hasn't helped alleviate the fear. A crisis of confidence in public officials may also be fueling this reluctance to get inoculated. As a student of history, I know there are serious ramifications of a pandemic. Millions around the world died in a flu pandemic at the end of World War I. For many, including the very young, old and those around them, there seems to be greater danger in doing nothing than taking a chance on adverse reactions. There is certainly no outcry from the medical community warning that the preventative medicine may be worse than the affliction. I do remember getting a swine flu shot in college in 1976. Swine flu fears turned out to be a false alarm then. I think this outbreak is proving to be more serious. In this instance, an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure.

The Balloon Boy

"What an indictment of the culture we have created - a culture in which even kids come to think that a potentially serious stunt is worth trying to pull off because it might make the talking heads chatter and the TV screens glow."

Editorial page, New York Daily News 10/17/09

That pretty well sums up my reaction to the Balloon Boy drama in Colorado that played out on national news channels this week. Whether the boy said he caused a massive and expensive search "for the show" because his reality show star father wanted to or not, the fact that 6-year-old Falcon Heene would think to say this is somewhat disturbing. The family was on TV's "Wife Swap" a short time ago. The other aspect of the story is how much press it gets at the expense of other news that actually impacts our lives. You expect this kind of focus on the 7:00pm tabloid shows. Meanwhile a story like the threat of the Taliban to nuclear-armed Pakistan gets overlooked. You've got to wonder if what's considered serious news has gotten too concerned about giving us what we want (and ratings for themselves) at the expense of what we need.

Walking the Walks

The Walk with Fred for Parkinson's research at Ocean Beach Park (left) and the Memory Walk to fight Alzheimer's disease at a very rainy Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford (right)

Fall brings a wave of charity walks around the region and the country. With so many causes raising funds over so few weeks in the midst of a recession, it may be surprising that donor fatigue hasn't set in. While my involvement in several of these weekend events has been mostly due to my association with WBMW, I find a personal connection to many of these causes. There was my own diagnosis of type II diabetes last year, so that really brought me firsthand awareness. Mike Forte, a Cheshire resident who has Parkinson's and is chairman of the board of directors of the New Haven Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, was also my best friend in high school. I didn't get to see him at the New London walk, but I did get a chance to talk to him and hear that old familiar laugh. His kind of attitude always prevails. The Start! Heart Walk, coming up October 18th at Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic, has a special significance as well. My father died of heart disease at about the same age I am now. Rebecca and I will be walking again. We hope you can too.

Women Serving on Subs?

In the 1959 comedy movie "Operation Petticoat", the thought of having women on board a submarine was shocking. It still is with a lot of people here in the Submarine Capital of the World, at least judging by the reaction of some Navy wives here in southeastern Connecticut and some of the callers making their voices heard yesterday morning on WBMW. Now Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus wants to put an end to the prohibition of women serving on subs. One woman just came right out and said on our show that she wouldn't trust her husband. We kept her anonymous. Another caller thought men would be uncomfortable curbing their language in mixed company in tight quarters over a prolonged period of time. Many others seemed surprised that this was still an issue in 2009, maintaining that this was above all a profession protecting the country, and people should just control their libidos. A couple of callers suggested separate subs for men and women, but I don't see that happening. What do you think?

My Ticket

It does seem much more likely that a person will get stopped for speeding heading to work at 5:00am as opposed to, say, 5:00pm. I say that not because I'm always getting speeding tickets. It's more due to the fact that I see a lot of cars getting a very special greeting from local law enforcement at that early hour. Finally, a Ledyard police officer got me at the top of the Route 117 hill near the WBMW transmitter. I wasn't running late or anything like that - just late letting my foot off the gas downhill after accelerating uphill. The officer wasn't too impressed when I said I was headed to the radio station. When I mentioned on the air that getting stopped at that hour was more likely than later in the day, one listener emailed that I wasn't appreciative of the job police do for us. Nothing could be further from the truth, since my brother Gary has been a police officer in Massachusetts for 27 years. He appeared on our show this week to lecture me on going too fast. My good driving record helped me out with my day in court, and all I'll say is that justice prevailed. I've learned my lesson.

Penguins At My Back

One thing I'm always impressed by at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration - other than the variety of marine animals - is the level of professionalism shown by the staff. It is truly a labor of love. Rebecca and I always enjoy sharing what's happening here with our listeners. We were on hand for the penguin races last Friday. The little guys faced off in heats of three, and these African penguins seemed more interested in the crowd than getting quickly to the finish line. One of the penguins waiting to race decided it would be more fun to nip at my back! He stuck his neck out and gave me what felt like the pinch of my life. I let out an audible "ouch" before the penguin's handler got him under control. Earlier that morning, we were just commenting on how soft and docile they were. Despite the surprise, it was "no skin off my back." They did take me to a medical room, but I wasn't even bleeding. For some reason, everybody back at the station thought it was the funniest thing.