Remember Michael Moore’s thesis in Bowling For Columbine as to why Americans are so violent—we’re scared out of our frigging minds. Well, we wake up this morning to find out all we have to fear is fear itself. And hospitals. And freeway tunnels. And staph infection superbugs. And AIDS—though not as much as staph infection superbugs. All this along with the usual suspects: terrorists, Iran, Disney—pumping $1.1 billion into California Adventure—and George Lucas—pumping out a Star Wars TV series; Let go, George. But, in today’s LA Times, it’s the staph infection known as Staphylococcus aureus-“Jiggles” to its closer friends-that gets top billing. The infection, which most victims contract while in the hospital, is estimated to have killed 19,000 Americans in 2005 as compared to 17,000 who died of AIDS. Making this superbug especially deadly is its’ resistance to antibiotics as well as to teaching evolution in the schools.

Tags: AIDS, California Adventure, LA Times, staph infection, Star Wars, superbug