"Don’t panic" has been the phrase most commonly used in the airwaves in relation to the new Influenza A(H1N1) virus. This phrase has been used along with reports of the virus emerging in the United States, the growing number of cases around the world, and the World Health Organization raising its alert on the outbreak to Level 5,  stating that a pandemic is "imminent." Around the world, people learned of this virus just as they learned that all schools and most businesses in Mexico were forced to shut down due to the outbreak. There is a sense of panic arriving from these reports, and from these measures. Though the Influenza A(H1N1) has been identified as mild, the global reaction to the outbreak has caused great damage to North America. Mexico and the United States are suffering the effects of this virus, not just on the health of the nations’ citizens, but also at an economical and sociological level in both countries.

The Influenza A(H1N1) virus emerged as a global concern, pinning North America as the epicenter of the outbreak. It is unclear exactly where the virus originated. One version states that the patient zero came from California; another version states that ground zero could be the town of La Gloria, in Veracruz, Mexico. Though the origin of the virus is yet undefined, it is clear that the two countries most affected by the virus have been Mexico and the United States. Mexico had the highest number of cases of the virus when it was first identified. The country now has a total of 2,888 confirmed cases, and 58 deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States now has 3,009 confirmed cases in 45 states, with only three deaths.

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 12, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States*	Laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
TOTAL (45)	3009 cases	3 deaths
*includes the District of Columbia
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection, see World Health Organization

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

The virus is almost equally present on either side of the U.S./Mexico border. According to the UTEP Prospector, El Paso Health officials have confirmed seven cases of the virus in the county, while the UTEP Health center suspects two cases on campus. There are also two confirmed cases in Ciudad Juarez. As both the United States and Mexico are subject to the health effects of the epidemic. In this global health crisis, the two countries are also subject to staggering economic and sociological effects as collateral damage of the virus. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his Secretary of Health José Ángel Córdova Villalobos responded to this emergency by seizing all academic activity, and limiting economic activity in the nation for several days to prevent a serious outbreak from occurring. On April 27th, all schools were shut down, as were most restaurants, bars, stadiums, theaters, cinemas, and other places where large numbers of people could gather around the country. Individuals were advised to remain home, and to otherwise avoid public places where the virus could spread. Stadiums and churches were closed; and festivities, including the Cinco de Mayo parade, were canceled.

The measures taken by the Mexican government to prevent an outbreak might seem extreme, but they came as a large number of cases of a new virus had been reported in local hospitals. Mexican President Felipe Calderon said in a press conference that the measures taken against the virus were ad hoc to the potential threat the virus posed to the nation’s citizens. As the virus and its nature were unknown, the measures were preventive, in preparation for what seemed to be a highly contagious strand of influenza. The country was on hold, waiting for the virus to be thoroughly analyzed. The U.S. Center for Disease Control finally deemed the virus "mild," and only slightly more contagious than the seasonal influenza. This identification occurred just as the surge of cases saw a decrease in Mexico. President Calderon then announced economic activity would resume on May 6th, while secondary education would resume on May 7th, and primary education on May 11th, in all but five states.

The measures taken by the Mexican government in minimizing the spread of the virus were praised by the World Health Organization, stating that Mexican authorities followed, and went beyond the standards of prevention of a novel virus. According to a study published by the Pan American Health Organization, had these measures not been in place, the number of hospitalizations in Mexico due to the virus could have been up to 30,000 and the number of deaths up to 8,605. These are "highly conservative" figures, using the CDC model of the virus of 1.4% to 1.6% contagion rate.

Although the Mexican government helped spare a large number of its citizens from contagion, the preventive measures came at a cost. Due to the shutting down of activities from May 1st to May 6th in the country’s commerce, service, and tourism industries, Mexico’s economy suffered a loss of $12,645 million Mexican pesos. According to El Economista, Mexico’s leading economic publication, this amounted to 0.7% of the nation’s total GDP. Mexico is also reportedly in a recession, and the decrease in the GDP in 2009 had been estimated at 3.8% to 4.5%, a measure which did not take into account the millions lost due to the partial shutdown. The economic effect of saving lives was high, but a life has no estimated cost, said President Calderon in an interview on May 7th.

The North American outbreak also brought extreme sociological problems to Mexico. These extreme preventive measures taken by the Mexican government, though beneficial to citizens, were also the catalyst for a collective sense of panic around the world. Mexico has been stigmatized as the epicenter of the outbreak, with the virus being dubbed the "Mexican flu." Also, though the virus has been identified as mild, the fact that the measures taken by Mexico were so extreme caused panic around the world. The global perception seems to be that the strength of Influenza A(H1N1) could paralyze a whole nation’s activities, as they did in the country. Mexican citizens have also felt stigmatized due to other countries’ actions against Mexico. Several governments have taken extreme preventive measures against the country, expecting to fully avoid the virus. These measures include the canceling of all flights to and from Mexico, as well as quarantining travelers from Mexico in countries like China and Singapore.

Even with these measures taking place against Mexico by countries around the world, the border between the United States and Mexico has remained open. President Obama stated in a press conference that closing the border with Mexico would be a similar measure to "closing the barn door after the horses are out," as cases surfaced in the United States at the same time they did in Mexico. Keeping the borders open is beneficial to both the U.S. and Mexican economies, in regard to the North American Free Trade Agreement. This practice also respects the recommendations by the World Health Organization that international travel should not be restricted as a result of the virus, as it could cause a damage to the global economy while not preventing the virus from spreading. President Calderon has voiced his concern to restricting governments and to the U.N. that Mexico was being discriminated against, claiming that the measures affected its citizens directly, as well as the nation’s economy. The WHO has since requested that governments limiting travel with Mexico provide scientific research which led them to take such actions.

Mexico’s experience with the Influenza A(H1N1) may serve as a guide to other countries on how to deal with the virus. The Mexican government sacrificed the nation’s economy in order to spare the world from the dangers of an imminent pandemic while the virus was being analyzed. Now that more information is available, activities in the country have resumed. The campaign for better higyene has also stabilized the number of cases in the country.

Mexican Secretary of Health José Ángel Córdova Villalobos reported that the large number of deaths in the country resulted from cases where infection occurred before the virus was identified as a new strain of influenza, and before the campaign for better hygiene began. The staggering difference in the number of deaths between the United States and Mexico may be due to better higyene being practiced in the United States now than in Mexico before the virus was identified. The World Health Organization reports that nations with worse higyene may suffer higher effects from the virus than those with better higyene. The WHO also mentions that the virus may mutate and will likely travel around the world three times as a pandemic. The world must be prepared to take measures against this virus.

The pandemic of this North American flu is imminent. Countries may be saved from the severe economical and sociological effects on the virus as a result of the actions taken by Mexico and the United States in containing the virus and informing the world of its nature. Governments may retain a healthy economy by maintaining most of its activities despite the virus being in their country, including maintaining their borders open and avoiding limiting travel to other affected countries. Similarly, in this global emergency, the most important measure taken by individuals is to wash their hands regularly. This will reduce the transfer of many viruses, not just this novel influenza. The world will, at least thrice, be exposed to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus. With all the information acquired from Mexico and the United States, as well as their respective health organizations, the world may be ready to face this pandemic. As President Obama said, the global outbreak is "a cause for deep concern, but not panic."

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. The CDC website is updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
• Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

For more information on the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

McCain released that horrible “Celeb” ad attacking Obama, Paris, and Britney alike last week [sadly, the ad may have worked].

Then, McCain got it back bad: he received angry phone-calls, telegrams and blog posts from the Hilton family, all the way up to grandfather and co-chair of the Hilton Hotel empire William Barron Hilton. It seems that, being Republicans and having supported his campaign, they did not approve Ms. Hilton being in this message.

I’ve been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country’s time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

Here’s the surprising part: Paris did something smart and possibly funny. She went PR-friendly and parodied the whole thing on Will Ferrell’s Funny Or Die.

The realistic punch-line is that McCain’s spokesman actually responded to Paris’ video, implying her “energy plan” may be that of a dumb celebrity, but smarter than Obama’s [via Gawker, Huffington Post].

Addendum: Why won’t this thing let me insert Flash objects?

• The August Eclipse happened, and it looked like this.
• I may have found a roommate. More on this as it develops.
• I should be getting to El Paso next week.
• Incidentally, I should be hosting some sort of birthday gathering next week. RSVP.
• Also related, I’m sorry to inform that I will not be pre-celebrating at Altitude Concert Hall tomorrow, as planned.
• But enough about me…

Picture by Flip Barrientos

I knew there was something educational about that Paris Hilton video! Okay, not funny. I really haven’t seen it. Though, I have to admit, this is because I haven’t had the energy to look for it, especially after reading recounts of the content. Viewers claim say she is “like a board,” not referring (only) to her frontal torso. Rather, she’s been used as evidence in a theory that belles & beaus sometimes don’t put effort into romance, as they feel it should be served to them as part of the beauty-not-brains package.

This is another reason geeks are astounding. Geeks research, experiment, and outsmart themselves; they hack their minds and useful objects; and, apparently – once they overcome their bad social skills and interact to procreate – they can make better lovebirds than your average stud.

Let’s see: …I do occasionally geek out at the computer,…and…I do cook,…and…Lifehack,…and…read and write and document all this in a blog…
Also, I do agree with several of the reasons given in the article:…[WIRED].

Geeks interact

A technophobe mostly talks to you in person, but a geek is happy to be with you by texting your phone, flirting with you in a chat room, Skyping you, Twittering just in case you’re on your vibrating couch (NSFW), sending funny cell-phone snapshots to your e-mail, playing online games, commenting on your blog, Digging articles that interest you, seducing you by instant message….

 

Geeks get things done

Geeks know all the shortcuts. They research your interests, send you surprise gifts, plan your perfect vacation, get the bills and grocery shopping out of the way, write to their mothers, and tease you mercilessly, all while pretending to work. And when you ask them to set up your home Wi-Fi or install a home theater, it’s done quickly, expertly and without complaint.

In other words, geeks know how to get everything else out of the way so there’s more time for lovemaking.

 

Geeks are hot …

… and wear the coolest glasses.

 

Geeks understand multi-dimensional relationships

Geeks connect with their online buddies in several guises, often getting to know the person behind the avatar as friendships deepen and move from adult communities to personal IM.

A geek can flow seamlessly between conversation about a friend’s partner and kids in one window and an elaborate group sex scene in another, without feeling any discontinuity between the personas. Even if the friend is a 43-year-old father of two in IM, and a 22-year-old dominatrix in the group.

With all that going on, a geek has no problem accepting that sometimes you want mocha ripple cherry fudge chunk swirl with almonds and a waffle and sometimes you want vanilla lite.

Others are a bit extreme for me, like roleplaying à la “I put on my robe and wizard hat,” and using “pervertibles” from Home Depot (eek, geeks).

The conclusion: either I’m a romantic for only subscribing to these, or I need a good dose of G33k <3-in’ to awaken the true nerd in me, wink – wink, nudge – nudge.

Click for 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers.

Picture by Twilight Moon.

Every chord, lyric and silence is accounted for.The listening experience may be one of love at first, but the lasting effects may leave you never wanting to feel this again.

I hope you enjoy.

Verbatim:

• A. Everything

• B. Nothing

Keep reading for the full tracklist.

• A. Everything

01. Squarepusher – Tommib
02. Radiohead – House of Cards
03. Architecture in Helsinki – Neverevereverdid
04. Radiohead – All I Need
05. Of Montreal – Let’s Do Everything Again For the First Time Forever
06. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Calaveras y Diablitos
07. The Reindeer Section – Raindrop
08. Kings of Leon – On Call
09. Led Zeppelin – Heartbreaker
10. MGMT – Time to Pretend
11. Of Montreal – The Party’s Crashing Us
12. Elliott Smith – Twilight
13. Noir Desir – Le Vent Nous Portera
14. The Shins – The Celibate Life
15. Wilco – Say You Miss Me
16. Neko Case – Hold On, Hold On
17. Elliott Smith – Everything Reminds Me Of Her
18. Chris Garneau – Black & Blue
19. Cat Power – The Greatest
20. Mirah – Words Cannot Describe
21. Neko Case – I Wish I Was The Moon

• B. Nothing

01. Damien Rice – Volcano
02. The Smiths – I Know It’s Over
03. Enrique Bunbury – Alicia
04. Jose Gonzalez – Love Will Tear Us Apart
05. The Jesus & Mary Chain – Just Like Honey
06. Kings Of Leon – Molly’s Chambers
07. Peter, Bjorn & John – Objects of My Affection
08. Ben Kweller – Thirteen
09. Regina Spektor – Ne Me Quitte Pas
10. Le Tigre – Eau D’Bedroom Dancing
11. Ellen Page & Michael Cera / The Moldy Peaches – Anyone Else But You
12. Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats
13. Feist – 1234
14. Animal Collective – The Purple Bottle
15. Tegan & Sara – Where Does The Good Go
16. Of Montreal – The Past Is A Grotesque Animal

Photo by cnraether.

A recent poll suggested President George W. Bush was the most unpopular president in modern American history, even as compared to Richard Nixon just before his resignation.

Matador Pulse doesn’t seem to agree. In an effort to prove this, they have compiled images of Bush’s “public appearances” around the world. The walls, trash chutes and phone poles of twenty-five countries in six continents attest to President Bush’s popularity.

Keep reading for images of Bush’s “public appearances” overseas. Visit Matador Pulse for the full compilation.

Brazil:

Germany:

Costa Rica:

Canada:

The U.S. economy was bailed out by Congress last week, and President Bush today, using housing & mortgage (in)securities as assets.

What this means is that…, well, Congressman Ron Paul says:

The economy is addicted to…deficit financing, [...] and if we quit, there is some pain with it. But if we don’t, we could lose the patient[:] the dollar.

The dollah is on sterr-roids and pleasantly expecting renal failure all up inside it.

…On this.

[From Chuck Palahniuk's Q&A on the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Choke, which will see a limited U.S. release on September 26th.]

The trailer might make the movie look like a romantic comedy, but – thank Chuck – it’s not.

Once we extinguish all our chances to turn doors and open pages, we will look in hinds and say: I knew, I knew much better.

That was fun

Click for more Rafael Rozendaal, and good-night.

Terry Border describes himself as an Object Maker who expresses the absurdity of life through the language of bending objects.

Click thru to see The Circus Peanut Tragedies, his most gruesome series. Visit Bent Objects for more bent goodies.