The Pandemic is Panic, Not Swine Flu!

It must be another slow week for the media: With nothing better to hype up they’re focused on swine flu. In the absence of enough facts to fill a 24 hour news day they’ve got every possible talking head offering an opinion. Where there are cameras and reporters there are also aspiring politicians that want to appear engaged. Follow that with avoiding pork products, banning pork imports from infected areas and then wholesale slaughter of pigs in muslim countries: Before you know it we have a pandemic of panic.

If only we could vaccinate ourselves from the viral spread of speculative opinion before it spreads throughout the global village.

Share your Urbanspoon experiences with me …

I loaded up my iPhone with the free Urbanspoon application some months back and since then I’ve discovered several good restaurants where I live, work and play. It uses the phone’s GPS to be location aware. The key is to find like minded foodie friends so I’m inviting you to follow me on Urbanspoon by linking here. An account is free if you haven’t signed up yet — and there is no kickback or financial incentive for me to promote Urbanspoon to you.

Fathers Day Hint …

Caption: My pick for the under $200K category is the Morgan Aero SuperSports!

This gives new meaning to taking a “light” snack!

You’ll find this photographic gem in National Geographic’s Daily Dozen for the 1st week in April, 2009 …

Photo and captions by James Snyder: April 2, 2009. This is a Cuban tree frog on a tree in my backyard in southern Florida. How and why he ate this light is a mystery. It should be noted that at the time I was taking this photo, I thought this frog was dead having cooked himself from the inside. I’m happy to say I was wrong. After a few shots he adjusted his position. So after I was finished shooting him, I pulled the light out of his mouth and he was fine. Actually, I might be crazy but I don’t think he was very happy when I took his light away.

I’m guessing the frog instinctively thought this was a fire fly!

Ground Zero Calculator!?

CarlosLabs Ground Zero

This will probably attract some seriously unwanted psychological counseling, but in case you’ve ever wondered what the effect of nuking your neighbourhood would be (from a selection of thermonuclear weapons and an asteroid impact), there’s an online mash-up just for you …

PMI LIC’s May Meeting on the Lauren Kristy

It’s hard work but somebody has to do it: Our May General Chapter Meeting of the Project Management Institute Long Island Chapter (PMI LIC) will be a dinner cruise on the Lauren Kristy, sailing out of Bay Shore.

Suggested links: Lauren Kristy | PMI LIC’s May 2009 General Chapter Meeting

Chandra X-Ray Telescope conjures up the “eye” and the “hand” of god!

Caption: For your nephelococcygial pleasure (like seeing shapes in the clouds) these stunning photos from the Chandra X-Ray telescope.

Easter Portrait

As a family, we so seldom get photographed together, since one of us is usually taking the pictures. Today we managed to capture ourselves rather well — at Easter, with the Treanors.

Why ruin a good story with the facts?

Fear tells a good story and sells well: The Conficker April Fool’s joke as told to you by CBS and a security consulting business …

Caption: The Finnish youth group which CBS’s 60 Minutes falsely accused of being a Russian cyber gang

Firemint’s Flight Control for iPhone

UPDATE October 20th, 2009: The tips and cheats evolved here are working. My high score landing at the Beach airport is 176 and I’m now a Captain. Please share your own winning techniques in the comments.

UPDATE June 3rd, 2009: Fight Control update 1.2 is out today, on iTunes! There are new fields, including an aircraft carrier, to land on and new craft to land, some on water! Plus you can submit your high scores.

An iPhone game has kept me company these past few days as I nurse an allergy that turned into a cold. It’s Firemint’s Flight Control. A retro illustrated flight controller game, easy to play but logarythmically difficult as time passes and more aircraft come in to land. It’s 99c. No question. Buy it!

Spring Break in Florida with the Everitts!

Caption: Gisela (holding Tula), Paul, Carolyn & Harry

We take our Spring Break with the Everitts in Florida: Here standing at the end of the runway of their fly-in community, aircraft landing and taking off overhead, land tortoises burrowing under foot. For Gisela we wish miracles!

On Winning the Florida Power Ball …

No, no, not the jackpot*, just the Power Ball. One little number, the actual Power Ball number, number nine, at the end of the line. An important number, but on its own, worth only $3.

They said the tickets were either one dollar or two, without explanation. I suggested we pay only one but Carolyn, dispensing with her Scottish frugality, paid two. We were on holiday after all.

A bit of Apple April Fool’s humour, or what?

Take the guided tour here for a spoof of the Apple Store: Find out what an iHam nano looks like!

Sex Education for Girls: A Refresher Course ..

This internet meme has been making the rounds: It claims to be an actual extract from a sex education school textbook for girls printed in the early 60’s in the UK — or the 50’s in Australia, depending on which version you read. Written by a woman, apparently.

“When retiring to the bedroom, prepare yourself for bed as promptly as possible. Whilst feminine hygiene is of the utmost importance, your tired husband does not want to queue for the bathroom, as he would have to do for his train. But remember to look your best when going to bed.