Swine Flu Cannot be Contained!

Well, what a surprise, the UK authorities have conceded that they cannot control the spread of Swine Flu! Amazing, Nature beats Man, again! Apparently, the computer models predict that it will lead to 100,000 new cases per week once the epidemic gets into full swing. It will be interesting to see whether the models are as accurate as those predicting Climate Change effects! I'm not aiming to belittle the potential seriousness of the virus, but I do find it amazing that 'we' always think that we can beat Mother Nature and then are surprised when we lose again!

Your Friday teasers are: -

1. Who took command of the Continental Army in the American War of Independence today in 1775?
   
   
2. Musician Vince Clarke (right) was born today in 1961 and teamed up with singer Alison Moyet to form which 80's pop duo?
   

   
   
3. Today in 1938, which steam locomotive set a world speed record of 126 mph? (the record still stands for a steam locomotive)
   

Yesterday's Answers: 1. 'The Crocodile'; 2. "Herbie: Fully Loaded"; 3. Yorkshire

Latest Climate Change Predictions

Where to start?!? If Swine Flu doesn't get me Climate Change might...or I might just die peacefully in my sleep! Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced that the UK needs to plan now for a future that will be hotter and bring greater extremes of flood and drought. This is based on the latest computer models presented in the UK Climate Projections 2009 report (UKCP09). I'm yet to be convinced that these models can accurately predict the future, especially when similarly sophisticated computers can't predict the weather more than 4 DAYS ahead!

Friday's questions: -

1. Kuwait declared independence from which country today in 1961?
   
   
2. In which city was Mayor of London, Boris Johnson (right), born today in 1964?
   
   
3. Which country defeated Hungary 4 - 2 in Paris today in 1938 to win the FIFA World Cup for the second time?
   

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg; 2. Attempting to Vote in the 1872 Presidential Election; 3. Bobbitt

Birmingham Cannot Contain Swine Flu

Health officials in Birmingham say the spread of swine flu in the city can no longer be contained. More than half of the cases of Swine Flu in the UK are found in the West Midlands. Am I worried? Not really (he says whilst touching wood!!) as I've never had flu! That has probably doomed me...but never mind!

Thursday's posers: -

1. Which notorious American spies were married today in 1939 and executed tomorrow in 1953?
   
   
2. Susan B Anthony (right) was fined $100 today in 1873 for what offence?
   
   
3. Today in 1989 Lorena married John Wayne, what was their surname?
   

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Denmark; 2. Twice (out of 7 meetings); 3. California

Swine Flu Pandemic

The Swine Flu outbreak that started in Mexico has finally reached the stage of being declared a pandemic by WHO! The last Influenza pandemic was over 40 years ago and it killed 1 million people worldwide. That was an H3N2 version, the current virus is an H1N1 which is the same family as the 1918-19 flu pandemic. Hopefully, the social conditions today are sufficiently different so that the more severe strain of the virus doesn't spread too widely - apparently the war in 1918 was a factor in concentrating the more dangerous version of the virus!

Friday's questions: -

1. Who was born today in 1819 and is best known for writing "The Water Babies"?
   
   
2. Who married actor, director, writer, producer David Arquette (right) today in 1999?
   
   
3. Which of these classic 60's TV series WAS NOT created by Irwin Allen who was born today in 1916 - "Lost in Space", "The Time Tunnel", "The Invaders" or "Land of the Giants"?
   

Yesterday's Answers: 1. Ross Kemp; 2. Calypso; 3. Alcatraz (but were never seen again!)

Swine Flu vs Global Warming

Is the world on the verge of a global pandemic of Swine Flu? Maybe we are, but is it such a bad thing? The worst flu pandemic killed 50 million people in 1918 - 1919; that's about 3% of the World's population at the time. If this Swine Flu were to be as devastating the death toll would be about 200 million worldwide.

So, would that be a sufficient reduction in the human race to have an effect on Global Warming? Probably not, but it does mystify me that scientists put so much effort into preventing loss of life when it is the abundance of human life on our planet that is having such a devastating effect on Earth's biosphere. Go figure!

Enough ranting here are your Monday's teasers: -

1. Who was born today in 1822 and became the 18th President of the United States in 1869?
   
   
2. Actor Jack Klugman (right) was born today in 1922 and played which Medical Examiner on TV from 1976 to 1983?
   
   
3. Who was born today in 1737 and wrote "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"?

Yesterday's Answers: 1. John Wilkes Booth; 2. 1948 London Olympics; 3. Spain