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Tonight at the dinner table the subject of the swine flu came up. Of course, my 6-year old daughter had a plethora of questions. Where did it come from? Will it come here? Do people die? I explained all the facts as I knew them, including how to prevent the virus from spreading. I thought it would be great to talk about the story like an adult with her. Wrong. About 10 minutes after she went to bed we heard the crying begin. And this was not your run of the mill crying, but a bloodcurdling wail like she was really hurt. When my wife and I ran upstairs and asked what happened she said, "I just sucked my thumb, I'm going to die from the flu!"

I think I know exactly how Joe Biden feels.

I should not have spoken about the subject to my child so bluntly. Of course, I did my best to comfort her and reassure her that she would be just fine. That we would protect her. She calmed down quickly, but to see the fear on her face was absolutely horrible, and it was all my fault.

It got me thinking about how easy it is to throw society into a panic. After all, we are a nation of 6-year olds when you get right down to it. We have no idea if the swine flu will even turn into a pandemic, whether it will kill anyone at all in the states, and even if it does that it will be widespread. Chances are slim that the worst case scenario will play out, and even if it does the government is much better prepared to deflect and/or reduce the damage caused by an outbreak.

Some things to remember directly from the CDC's website:

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Relax, use common sense, stay tuned to the news and check out this swine flu-inspired playlist.

The Swine Flu Blues

   1. March Of The Pigs - Nine Inch Nails   

   2. Dyin' Flu - Albert Collins   

   3. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers   

   4. Shaky Like The Flu - Loquat   

   5. The Flu Germ - Arthur Askey   

   6. Influenza - Todd Rundgren   

   7. Influenza (Midnight Configuration) - Gene Loves Jezebel   

   8. 1919 Influenza Blues - Bob Zaidman   

   9. Government Flu - Dead Kennedys   

   10. Swine Fever - The Sparkiovoggel   

   11. The Days Of Swine & Roses - My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult   

   12. Generation Swine - Motley Crue 

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