The Madoff situation was a variation of the classic Ponzi scheme. Named after Charles Ponzi, this scam depends on constantly obtaining new investors and new sources of money. The first investors are paid from money from the second wave, the second wave paid by a third group and so on. The original Ponzi operated in […] Read more
Farm Living
Methods of scam artists – The Law
Mealtimes a war zone – Speaking of Life
Q: Mealtime is a nightmare in our house. We have three children, ages 10 and under, usually one of whom will not eat what has been prepared. When my husband and I try to force the issue and get the kids to clean up their plates, we get stuck in those infamous power struggles where […] Read more
H1N1 virus ‘like avian flu on steroids’
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) – Autopsies on people who have died from the new pandemic H1N1 flu show this virus is different from seasonal influenza, even if it has not yet caused more deaths, experts say. Americans who died from H1N1 had infections deep in their lungs, Dr. Sherif Zaki of the U.S. Centres for Disease […] Read more
Hunters battle bad reputation
For Ogema, Sask., farmer Perry Johnson, hunting means more than extra meat in the freezer. For him, it’s an enjoyable pastime that provides a sense of camaraderie. “Lots of people even make a holiday out of it,” he said. But sometimes hunting receives bad publicity. Stories circulate of hunters shooting livestock or hunting outside regulated […] Read more
Free offer a hot potato
EDMONTON – It was like a modern day gold rush. Thousands of people drove to a farm in northeastern Edmonton where they’d heard there were 100,000 pounds of free potatoes and all they had to do was pick them off the field. The Great Potato Giveaway was bigger than organizer Gordon Visser imagined. Visser planned […] Read more
Ag Notes – for Oct. 1, 2009
Bull-A-Rama A unique community fundraiser is scheduled for Bowsman, Man., Oct. 16. Proceeds from the Bowsman and District Lions Club’s annual Bull-A-Rama will be used primarily to help residents of Swan Valley, Man., who require assistance with unexpected medical expenses. The bull riding event is sanctioned through the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA). All riders compete […] Read more
Students make space connection
VULCAN, Alta. – Four astronauts from the International Space Station found a fitting way to end their 20 minute conversation last week with southern Alberta high school students: live long and prosper. The ultimate in long-distance telephone conversations took place Sept. 23 at County Comprehensive High School in Vulcan. It was the result of months […] Read more
Gardener puts green thumb to work to help others
Charon Blakley watched the television commercials about people living with leprosy and wished she could help. It costs $350 to cure one person from the disease and she needed a project to raise that money. She had the idea of one person helping one person. So this spring, on her farm just south of Langenburg, […] Read more
Suicide less likely among healthy, active people – Speaking of Life
Q: A neighbour committed suicide and the whole community was devastated. No one knew him well, he tended to keep to himself on his little piece of land, but the thought that someone who was a part of our community died in this way was unbearable. We have no idea what made him do it […] Read more
UN struggles to find food donors
LONDON (Reuters) – Food aid is at a 20-year low despite the number of critically hungry people soaring this year to its highest level ever, the head of the United Nations relief agency said. Josette Sheeran, UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) executive director, said the WFP is facing its biggest ever challenge. “The problem with […] Read more
