How Sleazy

A few days ago I wrote about receiving an email trying to scare me about an ebola pandemic so I might buy some of the company’s survival products. Because of those tactics I’m much less likely to buy from that company.

Yesterday I read about another company, Blue String Ventures, that is also trying to cash in on the ebola concerns. The company bought the domain Ebola.com in 2008, and it’s now trying to sell it for “only” $150,000.

The president of the company told CNBC,

Ebola.com would be a great domain for a pharmaceutical company working on a vaccine or cure, a company selling pandemic or disaster-preparedness supplies, or a medical company wishing to provide information and advertise services. There could be many other applications as well. With so many people concerned about the disease, any advertisement referring people to Ebola.com should get an excellent response.

How sleazy can you get?


 

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14 Responses to How Sleazy

  1. Rummuser says:

    Capitalism at its best. Domain squatting is as legitimate a business proposition as Monsanto is!

  2. bikehikebabe says:

    Nobody knows EXACTLY what Genetically Engineered foods do to our health, but I hate Monsanto for forcing it on us.

    • Jean says:

      I think genetic engineering can be a blessing at times, but we need a lot more information. I don’t like the fact they don’t let people know.

    • bikehikebabe says:

      How can it be a blessing? I only read the most horrible things GE does. I read the news from doctors & researchers.

    • Jean says:

      Genetic engineering is a faster way to produce new varieties than selective breeding. Some of the new varieties could be healthier than some of the old, if that were the goal and if they were tested. Unfortunately Monsanto’s interests are probably different from ours.

    • Evan says:

      The problem I have with GE is that it ends up with companies owning the food supply.

      Companies are interested in profit while people are interested in eating – and these interests don’t always mesh neatly.

    • bikehikebabe says:

      “Unfortunately Monsanto’s interests are probably different from ours.”

      It certainly is. MONEY. Even if researchers are working on healthier varieties they are Not working for Monsanto & I don’t think Monsanto would be interested. That’s my humble opinion.

    • bikehikebabe says:

      from a “foodnerd” friend:

      Genetic engineering is not about producing new varieties, in the sense that you get a new more vigorous hybrid of squash, that ripens in a shorter time, for example.
      Genetic engineering is splicing strands of DNA from one species into another species. These species are not even related. They are not even of the same kingdom. These foods are cobbled together- think Frankenstein. But does our body recognize them as food? Research is beginning to indicate that they wreak havoc in our guts and immune system.
      There are three main types of genetically modified corn. One of them I cant recall at the moment. The other two comprise ALL corn products you buy at the store, including dextrose in packaged good, high fructose corn syrup, , chips, corn meal, corn starch, tortillas, etc. Etc. Unless it is labelled organic non GMO, you are getting this stuff.
      BT corn has genetic material from a soil bacteria ( bacterium thurnengesis, and I probably spelled that wrong)implanted into the corn. This bacteria normally produces a sort of insecticide. The idea was that introducing the DNA from the bacteria into the corn cells will allow the corn to produce that same insecticide and protect itself against the corn borer. So they spliced the bacteria DNA Into the corn DNA. How would you feel if researchers wanted to mix DNA from, say, alligators, and your pet poodle. This is no less drastic.
      roundup ready corn has been genetically modified to withstand huge doses of Roundup, a terrible, terrible herbicide ( think Agent Orange of Vietnam days) the active ingredient glyphosate is so toxic it kills everything. So, what does Monsanto do? They make corn that can withstand this herbicide, so they can drench the fields with more and more of it. The more corn they sell, the more Roundup they sell, because they own both. This toxin is showing up in babies and children. We are poisoning our next generation. Plus, the environmental effects of more and more of this being dumped into fields and groundwater is mind boggling. There is some indication that these toxins are responsible for colony collapse in bees, and we will starve without bees as pollinators.

      And don’t forget that since all factory farmed animals are eating This as their main source of food, you are eating it too, if you eat that meat.

      And that’s just corn. Soy is the next biggie. And wheat, which is in Everything packaged, is coming soon.

      So, no, I don’t thnk there is anything remotely positive about GMOs. If Monsanto is so proud of it, why do they spend billions of dollars to keep it off labels?

    • bikehikebabe says:

      P.S. Jean knows that I can’t have a “humble opinion”. I’m a Enneagram ONE.

    • Jean says:

      As I said above, “Sleaziness abounds!” Monsanto is one of the ones at the top of the list.

    • bikehikebabe says:

      The bottom line for all GMO’s is profit. There is nothing wrong with a company making a profit, but doing so at the expense of our children, our health, our world, by lies, bribes, falsifying research, etc.. That’s dead wrong.

      Monsanto is making a killing… Too bad that is in a literal sense.

  3. Dixie says:

    Knowing who invented and patented this disease is eye-opening; was for me.

    • Jean says:

      It wasn’t the disease. They just claimed the domain name years ago, speculating it might pay off in the future. A lot of people/companies have done similar things.

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