Republicans still not getting it

Griping about the first couple’s night out in New York? Does the RNC realize how petty and desperate that makes them look?

And here’s an interesting op-ed piece in the NYT about the differences between liberals and conservatives from a psychological perspective.  Turns out conservatives are more driven by loyalty, respect for authority, fear and disgust than liberals are. 

Straight friends

Going to the new Star Trek movie this Thursday with a guy who asked me to go with him.  If he wasn’t straight and had a son, I’d think this was a date.  A new species in my wonderful ecosystem of friends: the straight guy who just wants to be friends.  Maybe I’ve been gay too long.  I have tons of straight friends in a business context but I’ve never had a straight guy friend who just wants to hang out one-on-one. I need to broaden my horizons.

Random plane thoughts

Image by i heart him via Flickr

On a flight from Singapore to Hong Kong, did the following things:

• Read a GQ article on losing weight that says fad diets are out, the new diet is…wait for it…Eat Less! But seriously it totally makes sense, dieting should be about overall lifestyle change.
• Learned a new phrase for fan: “picture-kisser”.  This in relation to the enormous tween response to GQ’s earlier article about Robert Pattinson. Guess that makes me an Obama picture-kisser.
• Pondered how much I like Singapore but hate living there. 
• Decided the iPhone 3G, which has been constantly glued to my ears the past week, is the best designed consumer product on the market today.  Of course for serious work I still stick with Windows Mobile, but for weekend fun and just listening to music it is terrific. I am glad I got it at the current iteration, when the various kinks are worked out and a new software version comes out this summer. Things I like about it:
  • The speakers don’t blast music when you unplug the headphones
  • There’s a simple physical flip switch to silence the phone
  • Music actually sounds better.
  • The tons of apps, such as NYT, USA Today, Midomi, Old Camera, etc. etc.
• Realized how much time i have to think when I’m on planes.

 

Kris Allen

I didn’t watch American Idol this season, but online came across this version of Kanye West’s Heartless by the winner Kris Allen.  I like it!

 

H1N1: Panic versus reason

Today WHO announced the number of deaths from H1N1 now at close to 100:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said an estimated 12,515 people have now been infected with swine flu worldwide, with the number of deaths as a result of the virus now reaching 91.

Oh no, the sky is falling!

I support caution and taking all the necessary measures to prevent the spread of H1N1, such as wearing face masks, frequent hand-washing, and so on, but the concern has reached panic levels because of all the hype.  I’ve heard of friends that refuse to travel to the US, for example.  And I can only imagine the effect on poor Mexico’s tourism industry.

What many people don’t realize is, regular flu kills people too.

According to the WHO’s web site,

While most people recover from a bout of influenza, there are large numbers of people who need hospital treatment and many who die from the disease every year. Little is known about the effects of influenza epidemics in developing countries.

(Emphases mine.)

In fact, a Lancet article describes research that predicts that if a global flu pandemic were to happen today, 95% of the deaths would be in developing countries.  Many factors contribute to mortality caused by flu, including environmental hygiene, early treatment, individual health condition, other health complications, and so on. 

It’s time to do a reset, be concerned, careful and safe, but don’t panic.

 

Technorati Tags: H1N1,influenza,pandemic

Sunday morning

It’s a rainy morning, there’s a monsoon warning going, which means it’s going to rain nonstop for the next few days.  I love these days, wet melancholy mixed with the security of being dry and warm inside.  

Perfect for listening to music.

 

Middle-aged birthday boy

Tonight I turn 41.  Not sure how I feel about that…it’s been a very eventful seven months, my life is feeling very unsettled right now, lost.  I’ve gained a lot, but also lost a great deal, through my own machinations. 

Still, there is the sense that a new life is ahead. Anything and everything is possible. 

The last time I felt like this I was probably 21, fresh out of Polytechnic with my life ahead of me, trying to decide what to do with it.  That was 20 years ago and it’s all come full circle, with a few new perks gathered along the way, of course.  More maturity, more freedom, financial security.  It’s almost like that classic question, “If you were 20 again, how would you do things differently?” Finding out will be fun.