Before you go and get your own cardboard computer case make sure you also get a fire extinguisher. And remember to keep the computer away from water and don’t put anything on top of it. Better yet, you should put the cardboard case inside a case of it’s own.

Via

The world rejoice this coming Christmas and the big two battery making kingpins cries foul.

You can fully recharge a depleted 9v alkaline battery at 63mA overnight without problems. You can fully recharge a depleted alkaline AA battery all day without problems. I recharged both types of batteries twice, and I would expect them to easily take many more charges. If you care about safety more than I do, attach a multimeter to the batteries and monitor them so they never reach more than 110% of their rated voltage.

Via here to here and finally here.

The World Health Organization says an influenza pandemic is “just a matter of time.” Some health officials particularly are concerned about avian flu because it seems to be extremely lethal when it jumps from birds to humans.

Drawing a lesson from Katrina, Bush suggested that he should have the authority to use the military to seal off an infected region in a pandemic, as well as to help deal with natural disasters.

We all should be worry about this avian flu situation now before we experience something like the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 where 20 to 40 million people died worldwide. If this bird flu starts to jump from people to people you will begin to see an epidemic that will also have great economic threats besides the health implications.

What is avian influenza (bird flu)?
Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans?
Symptoms of bird flu in humans have ranged from typical flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of bird flu may depend on which virus caused the infection.

You can find out more facts about the Avian Flu at the CDC.

Since 1997, more than 4,000 migratory birds have been killed or injured from colliding into skyscrapers, bird experts said.

One building group leader said he expected 100 percent compliance, and another said he expected around 95 percent of its members to participate.

So I guess there will be no more burning the midnight oil at work anymore. This can be good, no more having to stay at work past midnight to get a project finish. This can also be bad, now you will have to bring the work home and work at home. I wonder if residential building that’s over 40 floors also applies. Hopefully this light thing only applies to the exterior lights and not the interior.

Western Siberia has warmed faster than almost anywhere else on the planet, with an increase in average temperatures of some 3 °C in the last 40 years. The warming is believed to be a combination of man-made climate change, a cyclical change in atmospheric circulation known as the Arctic oscillation, plus feedbacks caused by melting ice, which exposes bare ground and ocean. These absorb more solar heat than white ice and snow.