Monthly Archives: April 2009

Swine Flu Threat Update

Uncategorized

The most significant thing that has happened over the last 24 hours or so is that the CDC has confirmed a handful of Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu cases in new locations. Previously, cases were only identified in Texas and California. Now, there are cases in Ohio (1 case), New York (8 cases), and Kansas (2 cases). In at least some cases, there is a Mexico connection. I think it is reasonable to assume that new cases will start showing up in other locations over the next day or two.

WHO has some updated information on the situation in Mexico:

…as of 26 April, the Government of Mexico has reported 18 laboratory confirmed cases of swine influenza A/H1N1. Investigation is continuing to clarify the spread and severity of the disease in Mexico. Suspect clinical cases have been reported in 19 of the country’s 32 states.

This is not a lot of new information from 24 hours earlier. Reuters has reported that a teacher visiting Mexico from New Zealand has returned with a flu. Of course, a zillion people have the flu every day, so this may not mean anything….

At the moment no travel or trade restrictions are being recommended by WHO.

One question I have that I have not seen any information on is this: We see cases showing up in the US with an apparent Mexico connection, suggesting that this flu may have an origin in Mexico. What about Central America and other points south? Is there any movement in that direction? (And could that explain the family of people I know of who returned form Panama with the “flu” a few weeks ago???) I wonder how good reporting is in countries south of Mexico …

The CDC web site is here.
The WHO web site is here.

Possible Cleopatra Tomb?

Uncategorized

A tomb in Egypt, on the sea coast, is being investigated by Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who claims it is the final resting place of Cleopatra and her main squeeze, Mark Antony. One of the pieces of evidence used to make this claim is a mask with a cleft chin, just like Richard Burton’s.

It seems that most non-Egyptian archaeologists are claiming that this is incredibly unlikely. Most of the actual relevant evidence that would address the likelihood has not been examined by anyone, so I won’t take this disbelief any more seriously that I’m taking the claim.

Details can be found here in what is actually a pretty funny news report.

Minnesotans Want Coleman To Give Up in Senate Recount

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Only 28 percent of Minnesotans think Coleman’s current appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court is appropriate. Sixty four percent think he should give up now. Seventy three percent feel that he should not go beyond the State Supreme Court if he loses there. The will of the people has been heard in both the voting booth and the polls.

This will not affect former Senator Norm Coleman’s strategies, because the will of the people is of no concern to him. Coleman will continue with the State Supreme Court appeal, and when he loses there (and he will) he will continue on to the US supreme court. Coleman’s strategy is to delay the seating of Franken for as long as possible. Why? Because Coleman is under various Federal and Senate investigations and owes a huge pile of money for the legal costs of this recount. He needs the Republican party to help pay off some of these debts (to the extent that they can … they may not be able to help much give their overall loss of support) and to yield their political clout to blunt the effects of some of these investigations (which of course, they can’t really do but Norm has never been the sharpest knife in the drawer and probably does not know this).

It is now time for Republicans whose careers are not over to stop openly releasing statements supporting Coleman. Personally, I don’t care whether they do this or not. What I’m saying is that you will stop seeing the support Pawlenty and others have been mouthing over the last few months. Furthermore, this latest poll is likely to prompt Pawlenty to issue an election certificate once appeals have been exhausted at the state level, possibly in July.

The state Supreme Court proceedings being in June.

Continue reading Minnesotans Want Coleman To Give Up in Senate Recount →

A good day for birds.

Uncategorized, ,

This was not an intensive bird watching day. This was a day driving to the cabin, sitting in the cabin writing, looking out the window, driving to run an errand, going to town for dinner, sitting in the cabin looking out the window some more, etc.

But the birds insisted on performing. So I thought I’d give you a list.,

En route north from the Twin Cities:

  • Two probable trumpeter swans heading west.
  • A flock of about 45 cormorants heading north. Leech Lake look out!
  • Near Fort Ripley: Rough Legged Hawk?
  • Blue Jay
  • Nisswa, overlookng Round Lake: Bald Eagle in tree
  • Lesser Scaup (small flock)

At the Cabin (Woman Lake):

  • Bald Eagle 1 (or two) of our nesting pair. Bald Eagle 3 (yearling).
  • Loons 1 and 2 feeding.
  • Loons 1 and 2 feeding with otter.
  • Loons 1 and 2 getting harassed by BE 3
  • Loons 1 and 2 joined by interloping male Loon 3, displays, much ado for a while, Loon 3 leaves (unlike three years ago, when one of the two males died in the ensuing fight)
  • White throated sparrow
  • Hooded mergansers (2 males breeding plus 1 female)
  • Red breasted nuthatch
  • White breated nuthatch
  • Phoebes
  • BC Chickadees
  • Various woodpeckers (sound only)
  • Common Goldeneye (sitting on edge of ice in the lake)

Longville:

  • RW Blackbirds
  • Loon

South of Longville

  • Bald Eagle sitting alone in the forest.

    • The above does not count numerous LBB’s unidentified.

A New Field Guide to the Birds from The Smithsonian

Uncategorized, , , ,

OK, not so new, but still relevant. The following is a repost of a review of this book.

i-fa5dfe2d17399111a7fe15b2404ddebd-smithsonian_bird_guide_cover.jpg

New Smithsonian Field Guide
Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Ted Floyd is a newcomer to the bird field guide scene. This guide offers a new combination of features that may make it the best choice as the primary guide for a small number of birders, and as an excellent second (or third) guide for most birdwatchers. Given the guide’s qualities and price (it is not expensive) if you are a North American birder (anywhere in the region) this is a must-have for your collection, and if you know a birder who is having a present-able event (birthday, etc.) any time in the next couple of weeks, get this as a gift because they might not even know about it yet and you will gain mucho brownie points.

Having said that, I do think there is room for improvement in this product, so do please read the fine print:

Continue reading A New Field Guide to the Birds from The Smithsonian →

Freed Hostage Takes Exception to Rush Limbaugh’s Racist Remarks

Uncategorized

Shane Murphy, second-in-command aboard the ship seized by Somali pirates this month, is happy to be home. But he’s not happy to be sharing turf with land-lubber Rush Limbaugh, who politicized the pirate affair by referring to the pirates as “black teenagers.”

“It feels great to be home,” said Murphy in an interview with WCBV in Boston. “It feels like everyone around here has my back, with the exception of Rush Limbaugh, who is trying to make this into a race issue…that’s disgusting.”

source

How do you know when to start worrying about the new Swine Flu threat?

Uncategorized, ,

Well, at some level, you should be worrying now. This is serious. But there are a lot of other things you should be worried about as well, such as the nuclear threat and, if you live in tornado alley, tornadoes. But when do you have to start paying attention to current information, bulletins, and so on, and to perhaps start planning to alter your behavior (like, not going to Mexico, or wearing around a mask and staying in the house, or perhaps something in between)?

Continue reading How do you know when to start worrying about the new Swine Flu threat? →

Friendship, grief, anarchy, fine dining, and random gunfire

Uncategorized

I was trying to explain to a friend who does not read my blog what I’d written about a set of related topics, and realized that what I’ve done may be a bit confusing. So, I’ve assembled the titles and links to these posts into a simple chronological list. If you’ve only read one or two of these, you might want to read them all. Or, just go back to sweeping out your garage, or whatever you were doing this fine day.

This is also relevant in relation to the Pro-Test thing that has been going on.

Some of this is the most important stuff I’ve written. Some of it is pure indulgence and frivolity. Which is which? I’ll never tell…

Why do you think they call it “dope”?

Uncategorized

I had mentioned earlier the discovery of Morris the Jewish hardware store owner and Mr. Bryne the Jewish department store owner. There are two ways in which Jewish people seemed to play a disproportionate role in the retail world when I was growing up. In fact, there was an overarching ethnicity to much of the business community; Diners tended to have been owned by Greeks, sit down restaurants tended to be Italian; and clothing and textile stores Jewish.

Continue reading Why do you think they call it “dope”? →

Goldie the Gopher is a Girl! And other strange sightings

Uncategorized

I had the strangest afternoon yesterday. I went and picked up Julia at school and brought her back to the U. My plan was to attend the retirement party of an honored colleague, Phil. The first strange thing was hanging out for fifteen minutes or so with my 13 year old Daughter at the University cafeteria …
Continue reading Goldie the Gopher is a Girl! And other strange sightings →