Barry Letts, classic Doctor Who producer, has died. [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless on Oct 9, 2009 - 46 comments

WHO declares global flu pandemic. "The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century," [WHO Chief Margaret ]Chan told reporters. "The (swine flu) virus is now unstoppable." [more inside]
posted by empath on Jun 11, 2009 - 84 comments

The World Health Organization, which had recently warned of the danger of swine flu, has now raised the pandemic threat level to 5, indicating a pandemic is "imminent". The WHO chief was quoted as saying "all of humanity" is threatened by the virus
posted by crayz on Apr 29, 2009 - 337 comments

How you will (and won't) likely die in the next 20 years (from WHO's Global Burden of Disease). Bonus: map of the last thirty years of disasters, showing the relatively safe and unsafe parts of the world.
posted by Kickstart70 on Nov 29, 2008 - 5 comments

A new WHO study finds that Americans by far lead the world in rates of illegal drug use, despite America's crusading role in prosecuting the Global War on Drugs. [more inside]
posted by saulgoodman on Jul 1, 2008 - 33 comments

Can three happy kids (15, 13, 9) REALLY play the blues? (and without knowing how to read music). Hell yeah! They placed 2nd (out of 157 bands) at this spring's International Blues Challenge in Memphis. (Featured: CBS Sunday Morning video) Even BB King is impressed. More YouTubery (this has to be a parent's posting page) - not the place for high fidelity, but you'll get the idea: Harvest Blues Festival performances.
posted by spock on Dec 5, 2007 - 7 comments

Because water is a basic need for all life and good health, access to enough safe water, or water security, is defined as a human right by international law. [mostly pdfs]
posted by bigmusic on Sep 16, 2007 - 16 comments

The Doctor Who Fan's Phrasebook is like looking down a long dark corridor and seeing yourself. Surprisingly flexible too. "The Silent Majority -- A collection of people who don’t exist. I’ve just made them up so that I can claim to speak for them." Note: Big spoilers for the third new series, which has just begun on Sci-Fi in the US, and possibly Torchwood.
posted by feelinglistless on Jul 8, 2007 - 36 comments

Doctor Who fun and games. While you wait for Series 3 to start - and toss and turn wondering who the next Doctor will be - blow a little bit of time with K-9, the Daleks and the Slitheen.
posted by jbickers on Mar 27, 2007 - 56 comments

Eel Pie Island: the early 1960s incubator and catalyst of the burgeoning R & B scene in Twickenham and Richmond, The young musicians who played there included members of The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Long John Baldry, the Small Faces, to name but a few. BBC Radio documentary on Radio 4 (30 minutes). Plus, from about 1964 (?): pre-Wheels on Fire Brian Augur and the Trinity with three-quarters of Steampacket (Long John Baldry, the delicious Julie Driscoll, and Rod "the Mod" Stewart) I guess what with Augur on keyboard, the Steampacket didn't need their pianist, Elton John. youtuber
posted by Mister Bijou on Feb 1, 2007 - 10 comments

Fill in the blanks, connect the dots. We've had Star Trek special effects possibly redone, we've had Battlestar Galactica "reimagined". Now the BBC is replacing a couple of lost episodes in a live series Doctor Who DVD with animated versions, to match the soundtracks, which weren't lost. Of course, we've seen some Flash based episodes already.
posted by juiceCake on Jun 23, 2006 - 7 comments

36 years later, the remaining members of The Who will return to reprise their seminal concert recording Live at Leeds. The original record was compiled from one concert, in the Leeds University Refectory, and that's where they'll be playing tonight.
posted by handee on Jun 17, 2006 - 30 comments

Dumped, but which BBC Trail got these responses? Hint, its not the Christmas Doctor Who...

"I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill."

"Anyone else think this is the single most terrifying thing ever, or is it just me?"

"Terrifying. Given me nightmares, so it has."

Find out here
posted by Dio on Dec 13, 2005 - 49 comments

Dengue in Texas. If it ain't the flu, it's the haemorrhagic fever. Disease info from WHO, CDC, Wikipedia.
posted by Eothele on Oct 28, 2005 - 10 comments

Come on, the inventors of The Spazz had to realize they weren't choosing the best name for a wheelchair. And such thoughtful marketing: "Have you been dreaming of that unique custom wheelchair that would not cost you an arm and a leg?" [more inside]
posted by allen.spaulding on Oct 19, 2005 - 37 comments

Competitive rabbits. They are even cuter when they win prizes!
posted by Viomeda on Jun 15, 2005 - 22 comments

The art of Double Dutch: Whatever happened to the that tricky urban past time Double Dutch? The savvy dames from Harlem made it famous and continue to keep it competitive. How about the Double Duchess' jumping in schoolgirl plaids and kitty suits? Even Fat Albert can keep the legacy hip. Video's galore.
posted by Viomeda on Apr 8, 2005 - 25 comments

25 years ago tonight, 11 people died in a horrific crush outside the doors of the Cincinnati Coliseum before a concert by The Who. "Every square foot of that room (the Coliseum’s first aid room) was covered by bodies," recounts then-police lieutenant Dale Menkhaus. Pete Townsend took it hard: "I dealt with it, … by sitting and getting drunk." Lessons were learned, but it happened again. This city’s resulting ban on festival seating was repealed just this year. As Jerry Springer, who was a Cincinnati city councilman at the time of the Who concert tragedy, would say, “Take care of yourselves, and each other.”
posted by tizzie on Dec 3, 2004 - 9 comments

Up to 100 million dead within weeks. A pandemic of biblical proportions according to the latest World Health Organization warning about the bird flu virus H5N1. It is so lethal that it kills most people it infects. Some experts are even warning that the WHO are being too conservative and that a death toll of 1 billion could be expected.
posted by Meridian on Dec 1, 2004 - 87 comments

African AIDS Drug Plan Faces Collapse. The World Health Organization's Three by Five programme seeks to supply 3 million Africans with anti-HIV drugs by 2005. But it's in danger, due to lack of cash... and opposition from special interests who seem to be exerting influence over the U.S. government. According to Stephen Lewis, U.N. Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, 'If Three by Five fails, as it surely will without the dollars, then there are no excuses left, no rationalisations to hide behind. There will only be the mass graves of the betrayed.'
posted by stonerose on Mar 17, 2004 - 20 comments

Vatican declares fresh Death all around. It seems the Vatican is telling people in countries with high AIDS infection not to use condoms, because the virus is small enough to pass through the porous latex. The World Health Organization believes condoms do reduce the risk of AIDS transmission. To which the Vatican's Cardinal Trujillo replied: "They are wrong about that... this is an easily recognisable fact."
posted by the fire you left me on Oct 9, 2003 - 93 comments

WHO lifts Toronto travel ban. And Health Canada Recommendations: Health Canada continues to strongly endorse travel into and throughout the GTA [Greater Toronto Area] as safe and encourages travellers to maintain their business and/or personal travel plans to the GTA.
That's just great. What, a week after banning all travel to Toronto because of SARS, it's on again?

That's bloody irresponsible, considering the damage it has done and will continue to do so to travel to Canada no less Toronto. [s'more inside]
posted by alicesshoe on Apr 29, 2003 - 15 comments

Yesterday the World Health Organization launched a report on diet and nutrition, saying that sugar should be restricted to 10% of caloric intake. Predictably, the sugar industry (press releases) threw fits and called on their cronies in Congress to cut off WHO funding. Apparently they're fighting and clawing even more than the tobacco industry in similar circusmtances, and WHO fears that lobbyists have more power with the Bush administration. The SA believes that inactivity, not our increased sugar consumption, is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic. Are we in for another few years of declarations of junk science and endless gov't investigations into what seems obvious, a la most environmental and health concerns?
posted by fotzepolitic on Apr 24, 2003 - 35 comments

''It's a bunch of bullshit," said Dr. Donald Low, one of Canada's leading infectious disease experts and a key member of the SARS containment team. ''It's inappropriate.'' The WHO added Toronto to the list of places to avoid due to the SARS breakout. This is certain to f'up T.O.'s economy if Ottawa can't get the WHO to retract the advisory. Are people blowing SARS out of proportion? Perphaps it is time to relax and look at things in perspective.
posted by birdherder on Apr 23, 2003 - 37 comments

Couch potato lifestyle is worse for your health than smoking Poor diet and lack of exercise cause more illness than smoking, new figures show. The lifestyle of couch potatoes has overtaken smoking as the major cause of ill-health in EU countries for the first time, the World Health Organisation says. Great, now reading Metafilter is bad for me.
posted by Coop on Sep 4, 2002 - 12 comments

"If you value your health, don't trust the WHO (World Health Organization)." As you recall, there was a World Health Report 2000 issued, ranking US #37, behind Columbia, Malta and Oman.
posted by tiaka on Jul 7, 2000 - 7 comments

World Health Report 2000 ranks world health care systems. France #1; UK #18; Canada #30; USA #37
posted by mkn on Jun 20, 2000 - 0 comments