That's Life, I Swear

The economic challenges facing pharmacies impact everyone. As more locations close, those that remain are overwhelmed with an increasing patient load, often with the same or fewer staff and resources. 1.      Pharmacy Deserts [CNN]  2.      Pharmacy benefit management [Wikipedia] 3.      Rite Aid Bankruptcy Explained [Newsweek] 4.      Pharmaceutical industry [Wikipedia] 5.      Pharmaceutical Ind...

What happens to your digital life after you die? How does society unravel the ethical dilemmas with the afterlife of data? supporting links 1.     What happens to your social media presence after you die? [WIRED] 2.      Digital Ghosts: Can AI help us commune with the dead? [The Economist] 3.      Growing up online: Digital Ghosts [Medium] 4.      Dr. Carl Öhman interview & new book release in...

A new scientific study shows when you’re drinking bottled water, you’re swallowing microscopic pieces of plastic or what’s called nanoplastics. supporting links 1.      Visualizing the Relative Size of Particles [Visual Capitalist] 2.      Thousands of nanoplastic bits in bottles of drinking water [LA Times] 3.      Nanoplastics and Human Health [NIH] 4.      Bottled water contains thousands of na...

In this episode, host Rick Barron interviews culinary innovator Julie Jacobs, who shares her inspiring journey from a rural upbringing to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the food industry. Julie discusses her passion for cooking, the challenges she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her evolution from Single Serve Co to Hickory Lane Catering.  She emphasizes the importance of resilience...

Show notes AM radio fights to keep its spot-on US car dashboards supporting links 1.      The Real Reason AM Radio is Being Removed from New Cars [Motorist Org]  2.      Automakers Are Starting to Drop AM Radio in New Cars. Here’s Why [The Drive] 3.      Is AM Radio Walking “The Last Mile?” [Jacobs Media] 4.      Industry gives Congress static as they press AM radio mandate [Courthouse News Servic...

Fifteen governors have decided to thumb their nose at President Biden out of spite, and at the same time allowing over 8 million children to starve.   supporting links 1.      Why are GOP governors taking food out of the mouths of poor kids? [The Fern Org] 2.      Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders [website] 3.      Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen [website] 4.      2023 Kids Count Data Book [AEC Foundat...

In this episode, Rick Barron speaks with Pamela Kerman about her journey as a mother raising a son with autism. Pamela shares her experiences navigating the complexities of autism diagnosis, advocating for her son's needs, and the challenges faced in the education system. She emphasizes the importance of resilience, community support, and self-advocacy for both parents and children. The conve...

TreeTag sensors, developed by startup ePlant, can give homeowners, farmers and forestry managers early warning when trees are water stressed or in danger. supporting links 1.      ePlant: How it Works [ePlant website] 2.      This ‘Fitbit’ for tree health [MarketWatch] 3.      Liquid Robotics [Website] 4.      Growing Crops with Less Groundwater [College of Agricultural & Environmental Science...

Welcome to a discussion about a journey where water meets ambition and innovation bridges continents. We dive into the heart of one of the world's engineering marvels—the Panama Canal. supporting links 1.      What the data says about Americans’ views of climate change [Pew Research Center] 2.      TOP 15 navigable canals important for shipping and maritime logistics [Marine Digital] 3.     ...

Today we’re tackling a topic that hits close to home for millions of workers — tipping. Has tipping reached its limit, or are we just getting started? supporting links 1.      How Americans Feel About the Basics of Tipping [Wikipedia] 2.      Trump proposing tips be tax free. What would that mean for you? [AP] 3.      What is the new etiquette for tipping? [NPR] 4.      Tipping Is Out of Control....

As more people cancel subscriptions, streaming video companies must work harder to sign up new users to expand their overall customer base. supporting links 1.      Antenna [website] 2.      The Future of Streaming: How to Cut Costs & Save Money [Cloudwards] 3.      Streaming services keep getting more expensive [The Verge] 4.      Price Storm: Why Major Streaming Services Have Hiked Rates [Va...

New prime minister or not, meet Larry the cat. The chief mouser to the Cabinet Office who lives at 10 Downing Street.   1.      Larry (cat) [Wikipedia]  2.      Feline pushed out? [BBC] 3.      Larry the Cat’s 12 Years as Chief Mouser [The Atlantic] 4.      Larry the Cat [Twitter] 5.      Justin Ng [Twitter] 6.      Number 10 Downing Street [BBC] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website:...

While privacy advocates had celebrated Google’s cookie-crushing plan, advertisers railed against it, saying it would only give the search giant even more of an ad-vantage. supporting links 1.      First-party vs. third-party cookies: What's the difference? [TechTarget] 2.      Google Chrome [Wikipedia] 3.      If an app asks to track your activity [Apple Support] 4.      The End of The Third-...

We’re diving into a seismic shift at one of the world’s top universities. MIT’s class of 2028 has shattered expectations — and not in a way many hoped. Supporting links 1.      Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action programs in college admissions [SCOTUS Blog] 2.      How the public sees the consideration of race in college admissions, hiring {Pew Research]  3.      US College Enrollment De...

Just when Europe thought it was clear from its nightmare with COVID, a single case of Mpox in Sweden reignited fears of a potential outbreak across the continent. supporting links 1.      Virulence differences of Mpox [PNAS] 2.      Mpox (monkeypox) [World Health Organization] 3.      Deadlier strain of mpox spreads to multiple African countries [Science] 4.      The Swedish Government’s efforts t...

Shownotes The conversation explores the topics of scams and spam in the digital world, providing guidance on how to navigate and protect oneself. The guests discuss the difference between spam and scams, how scammers obtain personal information, and the importance of strong passwords and password management. They also touch on the role of antivirus software in protecting against malicious activiti...

When we bring up the narrative of immigration at the Mexican border, it hits a raw nerve with the public. How and when do we fix this mess? Let’s explore some alternative recommendations. supporting links 1.      Democrats vote with GOP on resolution denouncing Biden’s ‘open-border policies’ [The Hill] 2.      Democratic Mayors need Federal Help Over Migrant Crisis [VOA News] 3.      Senate Republ...

President Joe Biden made a decision that shocked the political world; despite believing he could win a second term. There are those things in life that are greater than ourselves. For President Biden, it was his party, but more importantly, the country. supporting links 1.      President Joe Biden [Wikipedia] 2.      Democratic Party [Wikipedia] 3.      Inside Biden’s unprecedented exit from the p...

We all bear the responsibility to counter the growing anti-DEI sentiment in our workplaces. After all, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives aim to create fair and equitable environments where everyone can reach their full potential. supporting links 1.      Kamala Harris [Wikipedia] 2.      Karine Jean-Pierre [Wikipedia] 3.      These 4 phrases are sabotaging your DEI efforts [Fast Company...

Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected, she was a sociopath. supporting links 1.      Patric Gagne, PhD [website] 2.      Patric Gagne, PhD [Instagram] 3.      Psychopathy Is [website] 4.      Sociopath: A Memoir /author’s book...

The Seed Vault safeguards duplicates of 1,214,827 seed samples from almost every country in the world, with room for millions more. Its purpose is to backup gene bank collections to secure the foundation of our future food supply. supporting links 1.    Global Seed Vault becomes more important as climate change [PBS] 2.      Artic World Archive [Wikipedia] 3.      Gene Bank [Wikipedia] 4.      Gen...

Bill Maher is often a controversial figure in the world of politics and culture. Maher is taking stock of his decades of commentary in his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.” supporting links 1.      Bill Maher on his new book [PBS] 2.      Bill Maher [Official Site] 3.      Real Time with Bill Maher [Wikipedia] 4.      Bill Maher [Facebook] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit...

Generation Z are still recovering from the pandemic, and now dealing with a political awakening that has left them with a pessimistic look towards their future. supporting links 1.      Generation Z [Wikipedia] 2.      Dr. Jean Twenge [website] 3.      What we know about Gen Z so far [Pew Research Center] 4.      What is Gen Z? [McKinsey & Company] 5.      Understanding Generation Z in the wor...

Ukraine has become the epicenter of a new era in warfare, where the future of battle is being forged today via A.I. supporting links 1.      Mykhailo Fedorov [website] 2.      Alex Bornyakov [Zine] 3.      Starlink [Wikipedia] 4.      Clearview AI [Wikipedia] 5.      Unit. City [TechUkraine] 6.      Steve Blank [Wikipedia] 7.      The Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation [Stanford]...

Today we talk about a future war that we’ll fight with a keyboard instead of a rifle. We'll peek into the forefront of technological innovation and its profound impact on modern warfare. supporting links 1.      Palantir: A New Age of Technology, Warfare, and Deterrence [YouTube] 2.      The War in Ukraine Could Change Everything | Yuval Noah Harari [YouTube] 3.      Can Big Data Save the Wor...