In one of my recent posts I tried to stress vigilance and caution in regard to the Swine flu, but expressed a concern that some of the media outlets had cross the line from informative to sensationalistic. Today MSNBC posted this article that addresses my concern and what I’m sure is the concern of many others.

And now the WHO has raised the Pandemic Phase level to 5. In addition to the Q&A from MSNBC about Swine flu, I’ve discovered another very informative Q&A from CNN. Because there is so little that the average person can do, I suggest reading both Q&A articles, however, if you’re only going to read one, I strongly recommend reading the CNN Q&A. I think it’s important to apply the recommendations regarding personal hygiene and maintaining distance from anyone that appears symptomatic in the least. Vice President Biden made some comments just a few hours ago on the Today show indicating that he’s recommending his family and friends avoid enclosed public places, like buses, trains, and aircraft. I’m certain that not every city has reached that level of infection, so use discretion. Some people can’t commute without using public transportation. Considering the highly infectious and dangerous nature of this virus, some are exercising more caution than others. As for me, the benefits of avoiding possible exposure outweigh the inconveniences of avoiding public places, except for my workplace. If I get it, I’m sure it will come from my workplace. Until there is an outbreak in my office, I can’t justify working from home. Of course, by then it might be too late. I am now going to apply more hand sanitizer.

As I write this post, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set the Pandemic Phase level at 4, but they’ve indicated that they’re considering raising it to 5. But, what the heck does that all mean? Well, the WHO website offers an explanation.

I think it’s important to remember that there have only been 91 confirmed cases of the Swine flu in the USA (at the time of this writing) (source). There are a large number of suspected cases, but so far, only 91 confirmed and only one death. However, the acting head of the CDC was on the Today show this morning emphatically stating that there will be more deaths. Considering that there are only 91 confirmed cases, doesn’t it seem a little bit alarmist to declare that more deaths are to follow? How many is he talking about? Two? Two-hundred? Without quantifying his warning he’s effectively telling us that someone, somewhere is going to die from this. Given the population size, the estimated number of people currently infected, and the fact that thousands of people die every year from the regular flu, I’d say … duh. Someone probably is going to die. I think it’s a bit unwise to go all “doomsday” on everyone and make people panic. Sure, the worst case scenario is scary, but that’s the worst case. Telling people about the H1N1 flu is important. Suggesting that people should be wary and wash their hands is important, but they’ve whipped up a fervor and stirred up a panic. Is that really wise? Can we really do much more than wash our hands and keep away from anyone that’s symptomatic? I think they’ve crossed the line that separates, “informing” public, and “dramatically instilling fear” in the public.

Everyone seems to be wondering how far the H1N1 (Swine Flu) epidemic will go. No one truly knows, but the government is planning for the worst case scenario, and it’s rather scary. Yahoo News posted an article that contains the “worst case” stats from the government report. In a nut shell: “Two million dead. Hospitals overwhelmed. Schools closed. Swaths of empty seats at baseball stadiums and houses of worship. An economic recovery snuffed out.” Yikes.

According to the article, the 1918 flu killed approximately 2% of the infected. If the H1N1 flu were to have the same death rate, it would infect about 30% of the population and would kill 2% of the infected, which would be about two million people. However, it doesn’t mention that the H1N1 flu has killed between 7% and 10% (150,000 infected in North America, 150 dead). Infections come in waves, which means that this bout with the H1N1 probably isn’t our last. This Fall, which is the start of the regular flu season, could bring another round of illness.

One of the keys to staying healthy is to remember that your eyes, mouth, and nose are your most vulnerable areas. Avoid touching anything above the shoulders. Don’t rub your eyes, don’t scratch your nose, and don’t wipe your mouth with unclean hands. Hands are “unclean” if they’ve touched almost anything (keyboard, doorknob, faucet handle, shirt sleeve, pants leg, counter top, etc). Wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, and don’t touch anything above the shoulders without washing your hands first. The H1N1 particles can be airborne, so keeping your hands clean is only a part of the puzzle. If the infection gets worse, America may need to practice “social distancing“. Just this morning they announced the first US death from the H1N1 flu. Hopefully, that little child is the only one.

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map
Wow, I think this is amazing. The events surrounding this Swine flu outbreak seem to be happening at a breakneck pace, and it’s all being tracked on a Google map, complete with incident details. I’m not aware of any time when a disease was tracked by the general public in such a manner. On a related note, MSNBC has some good articles about this outbreak, including, “Q&A: Why is swine flu such a big deal?”, and “Is swine flu ‘the big one’ or a flu that fizzles?”.

How safe are the passwords you use for your computer? It’s important to choose passwords that are easy to remember, but not easy for someone to guess or discover using hacking software. Because this is such a tough balance to maintain I thought I’d spill the secret on two of my password selection secrets. To be effective, passwords should contain upper and lower case characters, contain special characters, contain letters and numbers, and be longer than eight characters in length. The longer the password, the tougher it will be to crack.

My first trick is for a password that isn’t for anything critical. I’ll let you decide what that is, but I would define non-critical as any password that, if cracked, would be a annoying but wouldn’t destroy your financial or personal life. For this type of non-critical password, you want it to be something very easy to remember, but hard for someone to guess or find in your Blog entries. Most of us have an old phone number we still remember from our childhood floating around our noggin. The trick is to never use a number that could be associated directly with you through public records. For instance, you could use a phone number from when you were a child, which would have been registered to your parents. You could use the phone number of a childhood friend, a church, or even one you saw on TV. Just make sure it’s not one that could ever be associated with you. For extra security you should add a few characters to the password and/or include the area code. For instance, “Betty_9015551234″, “8675309_Jenny”, or “oldWork_5551234″. The problem with this method is that you have a limited supply of old info like this. If you need to change the password often, you might find yourself struggling to come up with a new password.

This next method I use regularly. This is secure and easy to remember and I use a similar method for my bank, email, and administrator passwords. It allows me to create an infinite list of passwords without ever fearing that I’ll forget one. Instead of remembering a password, you remember a format for the password. Then you can make the password something simple and familiar, but the format makes it nearly impossible to guess. For instance, I use a date method similar to “year_day_month”. Today’s date would be written like this, “2009_26_April”. This password is alpha-numeric, upper-lower case, and longer than eight characters. If I pick dates that I know, I’ll always know the password. What was the date when I got my first car? When was the battle of the Alamo? What was the date of the Chernobyl disaster? What date did I receive my first kiss? All of those dates are either easy to look up online, or easy to remember. So, if I would happen to forget the exact password of, “1969_20_July”, I’ll know it was the date of the moon landing, which I’ll be able to look up online and then I’ll immediately know my password. If you format all dates in the same way, then you just need to remember your format, not the actual password. More examples using dates from space exploration, “1957_4_Oct” (Sputnik), “1962_20_Feb” (John Glenn’s first orbit), “1977_18_February” (first space shuttle flight). Just make sure to never reveal your format to anyone. You could even tell them that your password is your own birthday, but figuring it out might be really tough. Especially if you add more complexity by spelling out one digit as, “196nine_20_July”. It’s much easier to remember a format and a concept, like “moon landing” or “dad’s birthday”, than a string of characters.

The important thing to remember is that your personal information needs to be protected, which means that your password needs to be more complex than, “123″. Using a special format allows you to keep your password complex and secure, while still keeping it easy to remember.

Another television opening sequence mashup. via starwars.com

I want to be a storyteller. I started out trying to tell stories in a single artistic image through oil paint and watercolors. Over the years I continued to seek a storytelling method, learning the basics of 2D animation, 3D animation, and video production. I’ve spent hours exploring graphic novels and considering their storytelling potential. About a year ago I finally realized that I want to tell a story, and I had been too focused on the method of my storytelling, instead of the story itself. So, I started writing, focusing on the story, the message, and the journey on which I want to take people. Moments ago I checked my email and my cousin, Jason, sent me a link to an absolutely fantastic article by J.J. Abrams, the creator of many successful TV shows (Lost, Alias, Fringe) and movies (Cloverfield, Star Trek). In this article he discusses the value of the storytelling journey. He discusses the value in avoiding the quick payoff of “spoilers” and allowing yourself, as a viewer, to enjoy the journey. This is an amazing article, and if you’re interested in any form of storytelling such as movies, television, or books, I suggest reading this article. Here’s a tiny little excerpt:

People often ask me how Lost is going to end. I usually tell them to ask Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who run that series. But I always wonder, do they really want to know? And what if I did tell them? They might have an aha moment, but without context. Especially since the final episode is a year away. That is to say, the experience—the setup for a joke’s punch line, the buildup to a magic trick’s big flourish—is as much of a thrill as the result. There’s discovery to be made and wonder to be had on the journey that not only enrich the ending but in many ways define it.

The article linked below discusses a very frightening report. Apparently I am an extremist and you may be too. Oliver North has written an article about the government’s attempt to identify “extremists”, and it seems that Mr. North fits the bill … and apparently so do millions of other Americans, including me. I highly recommend reading the entire article, because in it Mr. North thoughtfully and succinctly decries the dangers and unconstitutional nature of the report. The type of thinking put forth in this report is the type of thinking found in dictatorships and non-democratic governments. It should have no place in America. The report specifically cautions law enforcement officials to be wary of Christians and men and women who previously served in the United States armed forces. Again, I highly recommend reading the entire article, however, I’ve included excerpts from Oliver North’s article below:

According to the U.S. government, I am an extremist. I am a Christian - and meet regularly with other Christians to study God’s word. My faith convinces me the prophesies in the Holy Bible are true.

I believe in the sanctity of human life, oppose abortion and want to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman. I am a veteran with skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.

I own several firearms, frequently shoot them, buy ammunition and consider efforts to infringe on my Second Amendment rights to be wrong and unconstitutional.

I fervently support the sovereignty of the United States, and I am deeply concerned about our economy, increasingly higher taxes, illegal immigration, soaring unemployment and actions by our government that will bury my children beneath a mountain of debt.

Apparently, all this makes me a “rightwing extremist.” At least that’s what it says in the April 7 “Assessment” issued by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security.

He continues later in his article, referencing the governments report:

Though the report proffers a passing reference to the First Amendment, it is replete with bias against conservative thought, writing and communications. On Page 3, law enforcement authorities are warned, “Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.”

This is a frightening acknowledgment that political speech is being monitored in America. It is also wrong. Loss of jobs is not a matter of perception. It is fact. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the manufacturing and construction sectors lost 161,000 and 126,000 jobs, respectively, last month alone.

In the quote below, Mr. North mentions a frightening passage in the report and, in his complete article, discusses it’s insidious nature:

Evidently, you and I were never supposed to read this assessment. At the bottom of the cover page is a warning that it is “not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know.”

A full copy of the government’s report titled, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment”, is posted at www.freedomalliance.org

In the state of Alabama, 1024 miles from the Mexico border, a horrifying murder scene has the tell-tale signs of a Mexican drug crime. Yahoo News reports the details. The American drug market provides a lure of big cash to the Mexican drug cartels, so it seems unreasonable to think they would stay in Mexico. Via survivalblog

I love these! The original article was originally posted back in February of ‘08, so in the last year you may have already seen this stuff, but it’s new to me. Some of these are funny but bad ideas, however, I’d buy the carbonite cooler and maybe a few others. Check out this collection of rejected Star Wars product ideas.

Wow, check these out! Great designs!

Considering all the stuff that I’ve read related to Star Wars, I’m a little surprised that I’ve never read this story. The original model of the Death Star, used in the first Star Wars film in 1977, was discovered at an antique store in Missouri in 1988. There are three parts to the story, and it’s a rather interesting tale. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

The displeasure is apparent on the face of the poor kid in the non-Star Wars costume. I’m sure he’s thinking something like, “I wanted to be Luke, but noooooooo, mom bought THIS piece of crap! I look like an idiot.”

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has a very interesting article about the current economic situation and how we’re going to pay for the staggering debt this nation is rapidly accumulating in order to maintain an unrealistic lifestyle. The article presents the opinion of one person, but he is a learned and experienced economist. Kent Smetters is a former deputy assistant Treasury secretary and economist for the Congressional Budget Office. He is also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. You can read his thoughts on the Wharton School website in an article titled, “A Thought for Tax Day: The Real Fiscal Crisis Is Yet to Come”. Below are two quotes from the article:

… most Americans should not be worrying about having to pay higher taxes. Why? Because even the biggest tax hikes will not raise enough money to pay off the debt and meet coming obligations. Accomplishing the latter would require politicians to do something they fear even more than raising taxes: Cut back on Medicare and Social Security benefits.

These old institutions, these investment banks and large insurers like AIG, they’re just old, inefficient and too large. And we’re trying to prop them up. We’re trying to keep them alive. And that’s exactly what Japan did and that’s why Japan had a recession that lasted a good decade. I see that scenario playing out over the next five years in the United States. Unless we’re willing to allow for a good train wreck, to have some pain in the short run, we’re going to have this train wreck screech out over many, many years. And, as a result, we won’t clear the tracks very quickly.

In the world of business, the “Peter Principle” isn’t just an interesting concept, it’s become a law of nature. I have personally seen it in action dozens of times. The popular book from the early 60’s promoted the concept that, “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” For example, someone demonstrates a skill or aptitude, then that person is promoted, and again achieves success. That person continues to succeed and receive promotions until they reach a point where their skill-set is inadequate to perform their job. They can no longer achieve success and their skills are barley adequate to perform the job at all. Then you have a person filling a role they are ill-equipped to serve. This situation is repeated over the years and you end up with an organization whose upper echelons of management are incompetent and unable to perform their duties to a successful degree. Some companies and organizations come to mind, and I’m sure you can think of a few too. MSNBC is reporting that the book, “The Peter Principle”, is about to be reissued in a 40th year anniversary edition.

Wow, this is quite a claim! You gotta read this article: Texas governor says secession possible. Make sure not to miss the end of the article, where someone famous comes out and admits they’d like to be President of Texas.
UPDATE: It appears that some people are taking the Governor’s comments seriously, and now it’s started a real discussion. Wow. I don’t think he was being serious. I think it was just a silly, empty, and idealistic threat. Now, it’s being discussed as if it were a real option.

It’s amazing to me that, just a year ago, the only time firearms ever made the front page of any major news source was when there was a mass murder or when legislation threatened the second amendment. Now, I see articles almost every day on guns being valuable for self protection or, as in the case of the article linked below, being a good investment. The Wall Street Journal headline reads, “Fear and Greed Have Sales of Guns and Ammo Shooting Up”, which alludes to their findings that guns sales aren’t just rising because people are scared of increased crime, people are buying guns as an investment. I know my own 401K has been decimated by the economic downturn, and when you consider the sizable increase in ammo and firearms prices over the last year, I can understand the logic in placing money in weapons instead of stocks. If congress were to re-enact the weapons ban, prices would instantly soar overnight, far above their already inflated prices. However, as the article points out, weapons prices don’t always go up. If congress were to loosen the restrictions on gun purchases and ownership, prices may go down. Given the president’s stance on gun control, I seriously doubt that the laws will be softened. From my perspective, firearms and ammunition sure don’t appear to be a bad investment.

I was recently asked about a few of my posts where I mention that the Federal Reserve is printing money at an alarming rate. My cousin first asked, and then I had someone else question that fact again the other day, so I thought there may be more people wondering about it. This is how I understand our current situation. Many years ago the American dollar was based on gold, which meant that you could take any paper dollar into a bank and be given a portion of gold equal to the current value of that paper bill. Money was backed by real metal, which was valuable in any land or under any government. It had intrinsic value. The gold standard ended decades ago, leaving the American dollar to be based on nothing. It is known as a fiat currency. The term “fiat” derives from the Latin fiat, meaning “let it be done”. So, the US dollar doesn’t have intrinsic value, it merely has value because our government says that it has value. It’s just paper, to which we ascribe value. I can pick up a post-it note and declare that it’s as valuable as a new car, but it’s really just a piece of paper. That’s what American money is … it’s just paper. If the value of that piece of paper changes , it may take more pieces of paper to buy the same goods that only a few pieces of paper bought last year. That’s called inflation. The United States Federal Reserve has the power to print more paper whenever the “need” may arise. This is problematic, because the value of the paper isn’t tied to anything tangible that has universal value (like gold). Instead, our paper money is tied to a multitude of variables, abstract concepts, and a fair amount of trust. When the US government says that a small piece of paper has the same value as a barrel of oil, a field of wheat, or a fleet of aircraft, people have to be willing to trust that they will be able to take that same piece of paper to another country and get the same value out of it. If they can’t then they might feel like they’re trading a field of wheat for a piece of paper with writing on it. That’s called a complete collapse of a currency. (more…)

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Pakistan is nearing a total collapse. They quote David Kilcullen, a former Australian Army officer, a former specialist adviser for the Bush administration and now a consultant to the Obama White House, as saying, “You just can’t say that you’re not going to worry about al-Qaeda taking control of Pakistan and its nukes.” They also quoted him as saying, “Pakistan has 173 million people and 100 nuclear weapons, an army which is bigger than the American army, and the headquarters of al-Qaeda sitting in two-thirds of the country which the Government does not control.” The UK Telegraph is reporting a similar story; that Pakistan may collapse within six months. The president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, is quoted as saying, “Pakistan is fighting a battle of its own survival”. If the Pakistani government collapses, Islamic extremists could gain control of the country, it’s army, and it’s nuclear armaments. It’s a chilling thought. That’s a situation where Earthly preparedness must give way to spiritual preparedness.