Friday 17 July 2009

Friday already?

This week has flown past!

Number One Son (doing work experience with me) has been fantastic, really showing off how good he is with programs like Excel and also how quickly he can pick up other programs. Yesterday he created a video fly-through along part of the Grand Canyon using our mapping software, complete with tilting view at the bends. So cool! He seems to have really enjoyed himself, and has risen amazingly to every challenge that I have thrown at him. Right now he is trying to automate another Excel task for me, while I do the photocopying. Isn't HE supposed to do that sort of rubbish job?

Has anyone else been trying to keep track of Swine Flu? Over here it isn't as much in the public eye as it should be, and has been spreading rapidly. The number of deaths here has suddenly jumped too, going from 17 to 29 in the last couple of days. Haven't see a figure this morning. The Health Service also suddenly announced their worse-case scenario - up to 65,000 deaths in the UK. This is a major change from the previous "nothing to really worry about" stance. Are they really only just waking up to how bad things could get? I don't know how things are in the US or Canada now, as it rarely seems to get a mention on CNN or FoxNews - except for the couple of billion that has now been allocated to dealing with it! Mrs RC smells a "keep quiet so they don't panic" situation...

Thoughts?

8 comments:

terri said...

That's great that your son is enjoying himself so much and learning so well with you. No surprise there!

It seems like here in the U.S., there was initially a huge panic about the Swine Flu and it sort of fizzled out. Seems it was pretty manageable for those in good health and only a real threat for those with already compromised immune systems.

Rock Chef said...

Terri - That is how it looked to us until recently - all those who died had "underlying health problems". We have now had at least 3 deaths that could not be passed off like this. Let's hope that I am just over reacting!

Sitting In Silence said...

Huge panic over here with the swine flu. The have shut schools for weeks on end. They banned people from school if they have travelled and they have set up flu rooms in hospitals..
We have 20 odd deaths and 11 in ICU at last count....very very sad...

Rock Chef said...

SiS - My wife has said that she has seen reports about Australia - sounds bad....

Michele said...

I don't know where Terri lives in the US, but it is the same where I live. I read enough spy and thriller novels to have to agree with your wife on this too! But, then again, sometimes the media puts a "horror" spin on the news making it far worse than it really is.
I'm sure the Swine Flu is very bad, that you don't want to contract it and all, but I don't think it is the new disease that is going to decimate the population centers either. Remember how AIDS was going to kill off everyone? Or the Hantavirus? Or Ebola?
Just remember to use good hygene, especially if anyone near you seems to have the flu.

The Moody Minstrel said...

Here in Japan it seemed like the swine flu scare was pretty much over. Then, a few days ago, we were told that the older brother of one of our students has it after having returned from a homestay in New Zealand.

The principal told us not to tell our students so as to avoid rumors and panic, but word is already getting around.

Kate said...

Love the new blog title! ha!

Alyssa said...

Here the newspaper is making a big deal out of it but regular joe tends to be scoffing it off. All the people in my circles (various circles) have commented that it's only people, like Terri said, who have compromised immune systems - and that we don't need to worry about it.

I'm kind of glad people around me are downplaying it, even though it actually is likely more serious, because I already have so many unaviodable disease fears (West Nile Virus, carried by misquitos over hear, being the biggest one) that I just can't handle being paranoid about something else I just can't control!