The area of Snow Bird that I recently reviewed has claimed the life of a young woman. The Post Chronicle reports that she died Sunday evening after being stuck in the snow for an hour:

The incident occurred Sunday afternoon at the Utah Snowbird ski resort in the Eye of the Needle area, halfway down the mountain. Heather Gross was skiing when an avalanche buried her, concealing her from rescue for nearly an hour before her death later that evening.

The Salt Lake Tribute explains more about the victim, the time (12:30pm) and conditions:

“Heather is skiing freshness for the next mannny [sic] days,” she wrote on her Facebook page Thursday.

That’s mannny as in one more day than manny (the n works as a multiplier on Facebook updates). Had the snow been more fresh, she might have written freshnessss.

The SLTrib provides a thorough report, but I find the risk management explanation by Bruce Tremper, director of the Utah Avalanche Center, a bit curious:

Early winter brings some of the most dangerous conditions for avalanches in the backcountry, Tremper said. First, people are not used to paying attention to risks until they experience a “wake-up call” each year.

Second, he said, heavy early snows fall on a weak underlying layer.

“We have windblown snow and new snow on top of it,” Tremper said. “Kind of like putting a brick on potato chips.”

Ok, I admit I don’t get it. Brick on potato chips? If you eat potato chips a brick falls on your head? Don’t ski when you see bricks sitting on chips? Is that easy to recognize?

Things are heating up for what some are calling an Extremely Dangerous Internet Explorer Security Hole. Microsoft’s Security Advisory 961051 is for all versions of Internet Explorer. Patch now!

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?

This vulnerability requires that a user is logged on and reading e-mail messages or is visiting Web sites for any malicious action to occur. Therefore, any systems where e-mail messages are read or where Internet Explorer is used frequently, such as workstations or terminal servers, are at the most risk from this vulnerability. However, best practices for servers discourage users from browsing and reading e-mail on servers, to reduce the level of vulnerability.

You also could stop reading email or visiting web sites with IE. Your choice.

I like the part about “discourage users”. That totally obscures the fact that any administrator worth his/her salt would never need to be discouraged from browsing with IE on a server. Here’s an idea, Microsoft. Stop installing IE on servers. Oh, it breaks the OS “design”? Well, then, perhaps it is time for something a little more useful in server security rather than “discourage users” advice?

The BBC seems to be building a set of short films on animals that commit criminal acts. Here is the latest installment:

Cat burglar strikes again

Frankie the cat has been stealing soft toys in Swindon for the past year.

Prior episodes:

Shoplifting seagull caught on camera (01.01)

Brazil’s pigeon drug mules(00.20)

Perhaps an entire series can be started to reveal the “criminal mind” in the animal kingdom. I wonder if there are any examples of animal cyber criminals (yet)?