Dead in the Water

Is there a swine flu going around for computers and internet connections too? I can't even reach my email server right now and have no clue what else is new in the blogosphere.

At least it waited until after my book released to go kaplooey. Thank goodness I posted early. Two days in the dark!

I did check my stats and found out this blog has been pretty popular lately, due in no small part to Marcia James.

Thank you, Marcia! You are a real treasure. I'm nominating you the patron saint of author marketing.

And guys...if Marcia gave you some good marketing advice, return the karmic goodness by ordering "Tails Of Love" for your favorite animal lover or library. Remember that 100% of the proceeds go to the Animal Adoption Foundation in Hamilton County, OH

Buy it at:

Borders
B&N
Amazon

I should be back soon. Meanwhile I will give you the only real news I have right now.

Swine flu: The Fort Worth school system has shut down ALL its schools. Some people think they're overreacting.

Maybe. Maybe not.

There is NO vaccine for this flu which makes it different from the other flus that have made the rounds. I say better safe than sorry. I keep wondering why we still have the US/Mexican border open.

One child has died from swine flu in Texas, but he was a Mexican National visiting the states. The other Texas cases have all been treated and are recovering. It sounds like New York has far more cases than we do.

The only good news about all this is at least we are more connected than people were during the 1918 pandemic. The internet is keeping everyone informed and tracking the virus with pinpoint accuracy. We also have drugs that seem to help those afflicted--so far. I worry a bit if it will mutate before a vaccine is grown.

What you can do:
• Buy enough groceries to last you 2-3 weeks so you don't have to expose yourself needlessly.
• Avoid large crowds, places like grocery stores, movie theaters, malls, airports and restaurants.
• Wipe down surfaces that are touched regularly.
• Keep antibacterial moist towlettes or waterless hand sanitizer in your car, purse and office.
• Remind everyone in the family to wash their hands often.
• If you think you're coming down with something, make sure it's not the flu. If you see your doctor within the first two days of symptoms, you have a better chance of making a quick recovery.

Stay safe, everyone. I'll talk to you soon.

I have plans for the coming month, my darlings. Stay tuned!

Comments

J.L. Johnson said…
Maybe you got hit with that Conflicker(?) virus everone was talking about last month?

Yeah, this new flu is scary. I'm suppose to go out of town the middle of the month, and now I don't think I want to.
I don't think Mercury is going retrograde until next Thursday, but when it does, it'll be retrograding in its own sign, Gemini. I think that maximizes the "bad electronics" effect.
Yes, I tried to email you and it says your account is disabled :-(

Yay for your new release - fabulous cover!
Maria Zannini said…
Hi Janette,
I'm afraid it's a combination of a very old computer and an internet provider that has to rely on satellite. We are deep in the boonies and many times I'm at the mercy of nature.
Maria Zannini said…
Hi Carol,
If Mercury is retrograding Thursday, I think I'm going to make sure I back up my data. Thanks!
Maria Zannini said…
Hi Sandra and thank you.

Check the email address in the blogger profile. I tried it just now and it appears to work.

If you still can't contact me through that addy leave me a comment and I'll post another email address you can try.

I did notice a very strange thing though. My counter has not moved from 1100 in months.