This swine fever thing......

So I thought I was going to use this blog to post funny news articles and make comments on them but with everybody so tied up with this "swine fever" thing there really hasn't been anything funny to read or write about. So I'm going to follow with the mainstream media and talk about this issue. My comment about the "illness" is that it is a lot of media hype. There are a lot of diseases that cross borders and infect people. Yes it is alarming that this is a mutated strain of a flu but it is no reason to cry "chicken little". The sky is not falling if everyone takes a step back and remember to practice basic hygiene.

Perhaps I am spoiled because I live in Toronto and we saw our own issues a few years ago. We were affected by SARS. Of course my life did not change much. I remember being told that when I entered a hospital to always sanitize my hands. Oh and also at church (when I went) the priest excluded the practice of shaking hands with our neighbours. No biggy really.

So I think the same thing can apply here too. There is no reason to panic. It will last a couple of months and yes unfortunately some people will die. This is a fact of life. However there are always people dying all the time. As George Carlin in his comedy standup so eloquently put it "There is someone committing suicide every 30 seconds somehwere". So really a few people dying is not out of the ordinary in my opinion.

The point is we all have to do our best to prevent further spreading of the illness. However to cause global panicking I think is not the answer.

Actually, this is a little morbid but my favourite part of these global crisises are the recovery activities. The best are the global musical concerts. I remember SARSSTOCK here in Toronto and of course there was LIVE8. So everyone should cheer up because the party afterwards will be huge.

27.... the new 50

I stumbled upon this article from the "Neurobiology of Aging, April 2009" recently that stated people begin to suffer mental decline starting at age 27.

I was stunned and sad all at the same time. I am not prepared for middle age yet. According to the article you will experience a dulling of certain mental functions such as "measures of abstract reasoning, mental speed, and puzzle solving".

So is it just a sharp decline after that? I hope not. 27 is so young. However if you look at things in another way your late twenties represents a crucial age in development. For instance professional sport athletes are normally in their peak at this time. Also in the music industry many famous artists join the "27 Club" either by their own hand or other circumstances. You rarely hear of a new music sensation breaking into the scene in their thirties. It seems your late twenties is really when things happen. Perhaps our ancestors were fortunate because of their short lifespan as 27 was actually considered late in the game generations ago.

Anyway, there is still a silver lining so don't feel old yet. The article does point out that as you age "performance on tests of vocabulary and general knowledge [keep] improving". So that's a good thing. We just become old people with knowledge that no one wants to listen to. Hmm? Why is that familiar? Damn it if only I could remember?

Anyway, you must excuse me now for I think I will read a book. Something has to get some exercise around here and I suppose it should be my brain.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090402/hl_nm/us_mental_decline

Pool Table Golf - The newest sensation!

Be the next Tiger Woods......... not on the golf course but on the pool table.

I was digging through some old papers when I came across these rules for POOL TABLE GOLF. It was folded into a tiny square to make it pocket sized so it can be used on those late night university bar hopping pool nights...... Ah..... Good Times.

I don't know where I found the time to write down the various "holes" but here they are. I pass them on to you now to use at your next late night bar hopping pool night.

POOL TABLE GOLF RULES

maximum 8 shots per hole
+1 shot added for scratches
cue ball may be placed anywhere on table after scratch

APRIL FOOLS DAY - what does it all mean?

Wikipedia defines this 91st day of the year as:

"... the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family, enemies, and neighbours .... the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible".

Why do we carry on with this tradition aside from the fact that it is a lot of fun to embarrass someone. That enjoyment has been happening for generations.

It is obvious that April Fools is not a Hallmark holiday like Valentines Day or Mothers Day. There is no money in it. I don't think I have ever seen a "Happy April Fools Day" card. So some might call it a free to participate holiday. I also would propose that it should be regarded with higher recognition because in these tough economic times anything that can be done for free is always welcomed.

I find it reassuring that once people accept they are victims of an April Fools ruse they will examine their own gullibility and promise themselves that they "will never fall for that one again". So perhaps it should be a personal growth day where we can continue to question the truth behind what we are told and shown.

How many of us will be "April Fools" today?