Brian Gongol
Agricultural exchanges could do a lot of good for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Some helpful knowledge transfer could make a lot of economic difference for two countries that rely on agriculture for 31% and 43%, respectively, of their national economies. It's just too bad that CNN's report on their visit told next to nothing about what they were actually here to learn, and quotes a farmer as saying, "Soybeans are up $3. Corn is $3.25 up. And I get that information three times a day." They made that mistake because they didn't know enough to realize that when the farmer said "Soybeans are up three", he meant three cents a bushel. "Corn is 325 up" means $0.0325, not $3.25. A $3 rise in the per-bushel price for corn or soybeans in a single day would be an impossible spike. Disappointing work by CNN on an important story. Reducing poverty around the world will require a lot of innovative thinking -- and in some cases, some surprisingly simple steps, like providing bed nets to stop malaria.
Life for auto dealers after the automakers canceled the franchises
A surprising number of Iowa dealers seem to have survived losing their franchises with the Big Three Detroit automakers
How a business picks an exit strategy
One choice: Find a company that's looking for businesses to buy.
Do yourself a favor: Take two minutes for a self-exam today
Take a minute or two and conduct some basic self-screenings for cancer. Early detection saves lives. There's lots of misinformation about cancer that finds its way around the Internet, largely because we've been trained to wait expectantly for some sort of magic-bullet solution to cancer. But cancer risks can be significantly reduced through a balanced diet, exercise, and early detection and treatment. Meanwhile, science is making great progress towards improving genetic detection, which holds great promise for some types of cancer. Instead of forwarding hoax-ridden e-mails about "cancer cures" and false threats, people should instead remind their friends and family to assess their health once a month.
The man likely to become China's next president
Labor strikes leave France without gas
The EPA wants to know what happened to containers swept away in flooding
