H1N1 vaccination strategy: "If you can stop it in the schools, you can indirectly protect grandparents, or co-workers without kids"

SHOOt: They key to fighting this virus appears to be containing the infections taking place in schools.

clipped from www.reuters.com "Flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective at blocking infection. If you can prevent people from being exposed to begin with, it is more effective than vaccinating people at risk," Medlock said in a telephone interview. CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Contrary to current U.S. strategy, vaccinating school children and their parents against the flu is the best way to protect the nation from influenza, including the new pandemic swine flu, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They said vaccine priority should be given to people most likely to spread the virus, not those most at risk of serious complications from it. Seasonal and H1N1 vaccination guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently target people who are likely to become the most ill if infected.

South Africans addicted to motoring fnatasies more than any other market in the world

Here, 53% would choose "fantasy" - the highest percentage of any market. Synovate executive Richard Rice says: "People love their cars for the freedom, the image they create and what they say about their status. That image is far more important than how environmentally friendly a car is.

SHOOT: I'm not surprised; we're in denial about everything else.

clipped from free.financialmail.co.za South Africans are the world's most "un-green" car buyers, suggests a study by international market research firm Synovate. The study, across 18 countries, found 60% of people would buy an environmentally friendly car ahead of their "fantasy" one. Not in SA. Here, 53% would choose "fantasy" - the highest percentage of any market. Synovate executive Richard Rice says: "People love their cars for the freedom, the image they create and what they say about their status. That image is far more important than how environmentally friendly a car is." Not necessarily at the top end of the market, says Kevin Flynn, GM of Lexus SA, which has launched a range of petrol/electric hybrid vehicles in SA. He expects to sell 350 this year and predicts hybrids will outsell petrol Lexuses within five years. He says their advantage is that Lexus models don't sacrifice performance for environmental correctness.

Eskom sayswe need 'at least' 40 new coal mines

SHOOT: That's code for 'We won't have enough electricity for everyone eventually', which I think we already know, but just aren't too keen to face. We needed to invest in nuclear power about 10-20 years ago. Now it is too late for a couple of reasons, one being that there just isn't any money.

clipped from www.mg.co.za South Africa needs at least 40 new coal mines to prevent shortages over the long term, Eskom operations head Brian Dames said in an interview published on Tuesday. "While Eskom's demand for coal in the past few years has been increasing by 5% per year, coal production in South Africa has remained constant," Dames told Sake24. "That is why it has become so difficult for Eskom to get coal cheaply. The demand is higher than the supply. In the next 10 years, big investments would have to be done in coal mines. South Africa needs at least 40 new coal mines," said Dames, adding that the investment could cost up to R40-billion. Dames said further investment was required in the logistics behind transporting coal. "Great volumes of coal have to be transported by road because there is no alternative. If the trucks stop running, there will be no more power. It is as simple as that," he warned. Coal sources are far from coal power stations, exacerbating the problem.

Swine flu in South Africa: Death toll doubles, case loads surge

SHOOT: I predict that while it may peak and dissipate in countries like Australia, here it will burn deeper and longer through our more vulnerable communities, and of course this is a major concern.

clipped from www.google.com JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's swine flu death toll has increased to six in two weeks making the country the worst affected by the epidemic on the continent, health officials said Sunday. Three people died last week, two pregnant women aged 23 and 27 and a man in his 60s. "Swine flu fatalities in the country now stand at six, this makes us the leading country in Africa with the most A(H1N1) case load and fatalities," national health spokesman Fidel Hadebe, told AFP. South Africa reported its first infection in June and the country is dealing with some 2800 cases so far, according to the health department.

Standard Bank profit moves backward 31%

WSJ: Credit impairments for the half-year were 58% higher at ZAR7.12 billion, which resulted in a credit loss ratio of 1.84% against 1.31% a year earlier.

SHOOT: The banking business is going to contract even further in the future as autos and property markets dry up. Standard Bank didn't do to badly in comparison to its nearest competitor.

WSJ: Absa Group Ltd. (ASA.JO), South Africa's biggest retail lender, earlier this month said it expects to remain under pressure for the rest of the year due to rising arrears and non-performing loans. The bank, majority owned by the U.K.'s Barclays PLC (BCS), posted a 39% drop in its first-half net profit after impairments rose and business volumes fell.

clipped from online.wsj.com JOHANNESBURG (Dow Jones)--Standard Bank Group Ltd. (SBK.JO), Africa's largest lender by assets, Thursday said it expects a decline in earnings this year after its first-half profit was hit by rising impairments amid the global economic recession. The Johannesburg-based company said it wouldn't provide specific guidance for the year, but that current trends suggest so-called normalized earnings will be lower than in 2008. Standard Bank said its first-half earnings fell 24% to 5.41 billion rand ($674.3 million), excluding one-time items and adjusting for shares used to fund ownership by black South Africans and stock held for policyholders of its insurance unit Liberty Holdings Ltd. (LBH.JO). Liberty was pushed to a loss of ZAR1.21 billion in part by a rise in lapses of insurance policies. Net profit was down 31% at ZAR5.11 billion, or 343.5 cents a share, from ZAR7.4 billion, or 521.2 cents, a year earlier.

1 Reason why not to friend your boss on Facebook

Brent Wong: Some people just don’t care what they share everywhere or don’t realize that once you put something out on the internet, it is (presumably) there forever. This person obviously hasn’t marketed herself well and might have a harder time finding a job in the future.

SHOOT: Errr... after reading the clip below do you need any more?

clipped from www.businesspundit.com One Reason Not to Friend Your Boss on Facebook clipped from www.businesspundit.com

IOL Swine Flu poll shows South Africans say: "Snore, it's no big deal"

SHOOT: Must admit I am contemplating a trip to Cape Town in 2 weeks and am considering wearing a face mask on the plane. I'm also a little bit doubtful of going, but I probably will go.

When I lived in South Korea and H5N1 came out I remember people reacted in the same way. AIDS/TB/Malaria is 'much worse'. Of course, none of those sicknesses spread as effortlessly as flu. And while death tolls are low now, and virulence low, that can change. It might, it might not. Here's the common sense takeout: historically the greatest killer of our species isn't war - it is pandemic flu. It is the POTENTIAL that this flu has to kill millions that should keep us vigilant, and concerned. Our standards to health and fitness around the world are poor, and each person needs to re-examine their diets and activities, or lack of.

clipped from www.iol.co.za IOL asked its readers: What are you doing about swine flu? Of the 1 012 people who participated in the poll, 84 percent (854 votes) said "Nothing"; 11 percent (107 votes) said "Fretting" and 5 percent (52 votes) said "Staying in". Here are some of the comments posted online...: Infected: Nothing can be done by the government. the best advise is for poeple displaying the symptoms to stay at home , this is the only way the spread can be stopped. No country has managed to contain the spread so far James People are still more likely to die in a car crash, or by being murdered or from something like TB/AIDS related illnesses than from H1N1 at this stage. If you live healthily and if you go for your checkup if you get flu like symptoms then what more can you do? If you get the flu then you get it, and no amount of stressing beforehand is going to help you.