Cases of a rare West Nile-like encephalitis virus started surfacing in and around the New York City area. Because the virus was supposedly being spread by mosquito bites, Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs had helicopters spray insecticides over neighborhoods. I made it a point to go outside and open mouth whenever I could; maybe the mosquitoes that survived would not want my blood.

I’m not sure whether contracting the virus was fatal or not, but a good number of birds were found dead in the area. Virus or insecticide? Then some horses were found dead. I read articles in the newspapers speculating of biowarfare – the virus sent to the US from somewhere in the Mid East. All the hoopla seemed to have died out pretty quickly, but it was pretty scary while it lasted. Much more interesting than some controversial art show or a white supremacist group coming to the city.