John Snow for the Ebola era

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Here’s a very important point:

It’s impossible to treat an epidemic when you know next to nothing about the population it’s ravaging.

Just thought I’d plonk this here for your reading delectation. It’s a good starting point as to how the principles of John Snow and the Broad Street pump are still relevant and how they can be applied to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and also how and why that’s not happening.
The piece itself is unremarkable, but the sum of its parts and all that…

It’s an instance where the gloss of digital ubiquity hides our lack of real understanding. Where technological solutionism masks the fact that nothing has been solved.

A lesson for us all in how technological Utopianism isn’t always quite the flawless answer to everything. There’s a lesson for SA’s TB diagnostic progamme in there too, but I’m wholly unwilling to elaborate on that bit.

PSB in CPT

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I can’t believe it. I pop across to the UK for a couple of weeks and the Pet Shop Boys decide to make an appearance in SA.

“Cheers guys.” “Thanks for that.”

The “Pioneers of synth-pop and global music icons” are over here in December headlining the Sónar Cape Town and Johannesburg festivals (15th & 16th December and 12th December) before doing a standalone concert in Durban on the 19th.

I’m not here for any of them. Gutted. I think it would have been an absolute must.

On the plus side, Kasabian and the Inspiral Carpets are on while we’re over in the UK, so that might ease some of the pain.

Don Pettit ISS startrails shot

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While Chemical Engineer Dr Don Pettit was up on the ISS doing Chemical Engineering stuff, he also did some photography. And wow.

isslongex

Those yellow streaks are city lights as the ISS speeds over the surface of the earth, and the blue/white flares are lightning. The white vertical stripes in the distance are star trails.

There’s a bit more to this image than simple long exposure, but fortunately, Doc Pettit has also done a video so that when you’re up in space, you’ll be able to recreate his work. In the meantime, go and have a look at the Flickr album with the rest of his amazing photos.

United beat MK Dons in Capital One Cup

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No – not that United (obvs):

mkd1

This United:

mkd2

Forget all your fancy big name, big money international signings – it’s getting job done on the pitch that matters, not your massive weekly wage and your lucrative boot sponsorship deals. We got the job done, you didn’t.

And while we left it late, I’ve done a quick check and both those Michael Higdon goals count, so we’re through to the last eight (where we’ll probably get murdered by some big name, big money international signings, but that’s beside the point).

hig

Louis – if you want to get in touch with our boss and find out how to win cup ties away in Milton Keynes, go through the switchboard at Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane: 0871 995 1899.

Further 30 Seconds to Mars delay

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After American rockers 30 Seconds To Mars postponed their South African concerts from June until November, many of us thought that the 163 day delay was quite enough.

Apparently not.

Computicket – specifically “Racine Jardine | Cancelled Events” (shame – how rubbish must her job be? Why not just promote her to ‘Harbinger of Shattered Dreams’?) – have been in touch with more distressing news for 30STM fans:

Good Day Valued Patron

Please be advised that “30 Seconds To Mars” taking place at the Grand Arena Grand West  on 23/11/2014 will now be at 19:30 and NO LONGER at 19:00.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us at 0861 915 8000.

[cue gasps of horror from those assembled]
[at least, from those who assembled at 19:00]

Yes. You read correctly. There will be another 30 minute delay (on top of the 234,720 minutes we’ve already had to wait) until we get so see Jared et al. on stage in Cape Town. And that half hour was deemed worth an email and an SMS to each and every ticket holder.

Well, thanks for telling us, but I’ve yet to see a band appear on stage at their appointed time anyway, so now I’m expecting them to turn up at 8ish. In the meantime, I guess I’ll just have to grab another couple of pre-performance beers.