Recently, this blog was threatened with a law suit, a scenario that occasionally rears its ugly head when writing accidentally hits a fragile nerve.
The threat, actually three incoherent comments with poor syntax and spelling, was reminiscent of the annoying, persistant horse fly that buzzes around one's head before finally landing.
To be honest, these short-lived insects pose no real threat to humans, beyond the annoyance of landing on your skin.
Swatting them is almost instinctive as their mere presence feels invasive. It's not a triumphant kill as you still have to deal with the gook from the dead insect's ugly carcass.
Just to be sure there was no "clear and present danger" we checked the internet resource wikipedia to learn that the insect was not a threat to humans:
Horseflies carry equine infectious anemia, also known as swamp fever. When they bite an equine animal, they can transmit this life threatening disease.
Female horseflies in particular are very persistent. They’ve been known to chase their victims for a short time if their first bite does not get them the satisfying meal they were hoping for.
That's reassurring.
Knowledge is power, while fear, even if if it's irrational, can be paralyzing.
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