Swine Flu Panic Hits Peters Township, Pennsylvania

50 cases of swine flu in the US. No deaths. Insignificant in relation to the 36,000 estimated to die in the US each year due to the flu.

But there's panic. Stores are selling out of hand sanitizer, according to a video on CNN. Bottled water and toilet paper supplies are certain to dwindle. And now, Peters Township, a municipality near Pittsburgh, may get in on the panic, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, One of America's Great Newspapers.

Alert Peters resident Ron Boocks last night asked the Peters council to form a task force to address a possible flu pandemic. It's "a great threat to public health," he said. He wants to make sure that local emergency officials stock up on masks, gloves, and other emergency supplies.

I hope they stock up on them, because if my house is ablaze, I'm only going to accept firefighting services from Peters Township or other similarly swine flu-protected firemen.

Breaking News - Swine Flu Source Found!

Swine Flu has been traced back to a little Midwestern town called Hooterville. Turns out it's a pig named Arnold at the Fred Ziffel farm. here's a picture of Arnold Ziffel listening to a Victrola, which is an early type of iPod.

New Managementship - Our Most Desperate Need

It's what I, for one, am looking for...

see funny english mistakes

Of Birds, Swine, and Guns

A couple of years ago it was all about Bird Flu. It was gonna kill us all. We had national and state government websites about it. My company even had a spot about it on their intranet site. According to Wikipedia, in the last 7 years there were 421 cases of bird flu, with 257 deaths, a 61% death rate, which is pretty bad. On the other hand, none of these cases were in a country with anything remotely resembling a health care system.

But you can forget about those websites, because now we have a real killer, Swine Flu. We now have a public health emergency, with, according to Wikipedia, 11 laboratory confirmed cases in the southwestern United States and in Kansas, and several suspected cases in the New York City metropolitan area.

Now, let's look at a real problem: Gun deaths in America. In 200 alone, alone, 30,136 Americans died by gunfire, according to the NRA. Maybe it's time we started addressing this real public health menace!

Today's Oneword - General

Go to the OneWord website and write about today's word.

Most of the stuff coming to mind has "generally." I can't get this great quote out of my mind - "Mankind will not be free until the last general is strangled with the entrails of the last systems analyst." Edward Abbey

I'm A Bee!

You're a Bee!

Hard-working and loyal, you are one of the few supporters of the Queen who remains steadfast in her service. You do find time to stop and smell the roses in your busy schedule, but you don't let this distract you from your endless duty. Your favorite term of endearment is "honey". You've always been very fond of the painted dividing lines on freeways. In the 1980's, people briefly thought you were a killer.

Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Improving Your Project Planning Skills

I'm always getting dinged at work about my planning and organizing skills. It's a fair criticism. I've taken classes, dumped money into Franklin Covey, Day Runner, and Day Timer, have had Palm, Windows CE, and RIM Blackberry devices, and I still come up short.

But maybe I just need to pick up a copy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of America's Great Newspapers. According to an article in today's edition, Pittsburgh has had 3 bank robberies in 2 days, all taking place during ceremonies or preparations to honor three slain officers that drew thousands of police from Pittsburgh and other areas.

It's the kind of planning I can only dream of aspiring to. One of these robbers could soon be sitting in my chair...

Punxsutawney Phil Escapes - Stimulus Funds Needed

Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous groundhog, is turning into an escape artist, according to an article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, One of America's Great Newspapers. Phil, who lives in a man-made den in the Punxsutawney Library, has escaped 3 times in the last 2 weeks, climbing into the library's ceiling and making it about 50 feet before the ceiling gives way and he drops unceremoniously into the library's offices.

Here's an opportunity to apply some stimulus money to protect this most important national treasure.

Today's Oneword - Flutter

Go to the OneWord website and write about today's word.

There was one time when I was awoken in the predawn hour by the flutter of wings above my head. It was a bat.

Finally, An Upside To The Current Economic Crisis

Today's New York Times has some very good news regarding our current economic woes. It appears that chain restaurants are taking it on the chin and are being forced to close restaurants. The article notes that the Applebee's at Times Square is having a hard time, what with the economic times as well as the competition from fellow casual chain eateries such as ESPN Zone, Dave & Buster’s, Chevys and Dallas BBQ.

These chain restaurants, like many businesses, overexpanded in the times of freely available credit. There were too many of them even when times were good. And now, business is slow at many of them.

When I travel, one thing I NEVER do is to look for a chain restaurant to eat at. Particularly Applebee's, at which I've had the misfortune to eat 3 times. Who would go to Times Square and eat at an Applebee's?

It will be a good thing if that place doesn't survive.