20 Feb 2006
Animal Diseases Jumping to Humans

You've gotta wonder what kind of impact the massive [over]use of antibiotics in both animals and humans has had on this "jump-over" effect. On the other hand, as the article points out, we are living in a warmer, more crowded world now, with more extensive travel than ever before.

But whatever the cause, this doesn't bode well for pandemic avoidance.

Experts say the number of pathogens from the animal kingdom infecting people seems to be on the rise -- 38 have morphed to human versions over the past 25 years, HIV and SARS among them.

(link) [Wired News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Agriculture | 0 comments | permanent link

Podcasting Goes Pay-to-Play

It was bound to happen. I wonder if there's a new business model for the music biz lurking in here - not a subscription a la Napster, but something else ... hmmm.

For the last year, people have been wondering - how to make money off podcasts? Some have dabbled with advertising, some with user donations, but now the most popular podcast on iTunes is moving to a subscription model. Bit-Tech is reporting that the Ricky Gervais Show will cost $7 a month starting next week.

(link) [Slashdot]

00:00 /Technology | 1 comment | permanent link

RadioShack CEO Quits Amid Resume Questions

I just don't understand the people who do this - and it seems to be happening with increasing frequency. Do they think they can just tell such a blatant public lie and not get called on it in this media driven culture?

For the record, I'm a high school dropout, with a GED and about 50 hours towards a history degree. Which explains why I made programming a career, and then switched to agriculture when my job went offshore. Right?

AP - RadioShack Corp.'s embattled president and CEO, David Edmondson, resigned Monday following questions about his resume's accuracy.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Home | 1 comment | permanent link