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Once we get past the name of Double D Blonde, the wheaty, quick-drinking blonde ale out of Oregon's Hop Valley Brewing Company, you can appreciate it as a hoppy little number that won't offend you, won't overwhelm you. It's lager-golden and keg-ready at 20 IBU and 4.9 percent abv. It has a sharp note upfront that hits the sides of the tongue and snaps more strongly than your typical football-watching beer.
In this, I'm assuming a typical football-watching beer is a bladder-filler like Coors Light or Miller Lite, beers that do a great job of staying wet and are in your stomach before they warm a single degree. They have almost no taste because they need almost no taste. The ritual is in the cracking, the tipping, the finishing, the repeating. You could do that with Double D Blonde - it's much more drinkable cold than even a bit warmer. At the front it has notes of citrus and spice. If it rises a couple of degrees, it has stronger notes of hatred and despair. It's welcome at first, but you're better off not letting it stick around your mouthspace too long. Crack it, tip it, finish it.
We wonder, then, why do we name such a party beer after the first girl most men would approach at the bar. Or is that true, that guys go for a certain hair color and torso dimension? I figure most dudes are omnidirectional attention-slinging machines, basing any dedicated wooing on the three-point assessment (face, then body, then left ring finger) but I'm not sure I'm any more attracted to a beer called Double D Blonde than I would be to a beer called Brunette Who Can Wolf-Whistle or Girl With Curious Hair. The most interesting people are rarely the ones who are approached most often. Visuals are so often misleading, but they're all we have to go on, so sometimes you wind up talking to the wrong person because the person looked promising, but what you really need to do is tilt your cup, tilt your cup, smile, nod and double back to the keg because your beer got warm and started tasting like unsalted sweat. Shake it up, troglodytes. The world includes more than double-d blondes, blessedly.
Suggested game pairings for this week: It's straight out of Ducks country, so Arizona at Oregon tonight is a must. Going with the blonde theme, Air Force at UNLV, not that anyone's going to see that. Tomorrow, pour a tall glass for Philadelphia visiting the bottle-blonde Arizona, but knock it back quickly and then move along.


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New York, New York (PRWEB) June 28, 2013
The I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form is being viewed by highly respected international family law attorneys around the world who are deeply familiar with the grave challenges of international parental child abduction prevention and reunification as a significant new tool that may assist them and courts protect against abduction.
Worldwide, international parental child abduction increases substantially during the summer months when children are on summer school break. One of the primary methods behind these abductions under the rules established by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction occurs when a parent wrongfully detains a child in a foreign country outside of a court order or without consent of the other parent after the 'taking parent' is initially granted permission to travel with the child to a foreign country.
In many of these cases the 'taking parent' carefully conspires to mislead and defraud the courts and the 'targeted parent' of their true intent: to relocate in their country of origin with the child while removing the targeted parent's contact with their child. Detecting abduction schemes is often not easy. In fact, some parents conceal their true intent to abduct by inviting the child's other parent to travel abroad with them in an attempt to avoid suspicion of abduction. However, once in a foreign country (often the conspiring parent's country of origin), the conspiring parent unleashes a horrible scheme intended to remove the other parent's rights to the child. They often succeed.
The I CARE Foundation's comprehensive 'International Travel Child Consent Form' was created to prevent these types of international parental child abduction schemes by calling for both parties to affirm key components central to the ability for an abductor to mount a false and misleading legal defense while also creating additional affirmations for an expeditious return of a child who has been wrongfully detained.
Steep in Hague-oriented case law with focus on Articles 1, 12, 13 and 20, the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form was created to remove a parent's legal defenses under Articles 12, 13, and 20 of the Hague Convention who may be scheming to abduct a child prior to an alleged 'family vacation' abroad while also establishing strong support for a child's immediate return under Article 1 of the Hague Convention.
New York City attorney Barbara Bevando Sobal, considered by many in the legal profession as one of the most knowledgeable international family law practitioners and who represents clients all over the world provided expert insight on the relevance and need of the I CARE Foundation's landmark tool when she said, "As an attorney for 26 years, working on Hague Convention cases for 23 years, and having recovered, consulted, been involved with and participated in more than 450 Hague Convention cases, the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form is crucial to Hague Convention Prevention cases. It is not only instructive, and, provides protections that can allay a consenting parents fear of a no-return, but, it is also helpful to Judges in the event that the parties reach an Agreement, consistent with this form, during a contentious travel litigation."
Silvia A. Sejas Pardo, a highly respected Argentinean and Spanish international lawyer based in Spain and who is a Founding Member of FASIM, an international association of attorneys dedicated to preventing child abduction commented, "We need to continue to treat child abduction and prevention of kidnapping as something extremely exceptional as we are dealing with children's lives. The uncertainty and abuse related to abduction is not in their interest. The I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form is workable and would make child abduction more difficult as this document is a legally strong piece of evidence that may result in protecting many children. I hope all Hague-member states embrace this initiative."
Peter Thomas Senese of the I CARE Foundation and author of the critically acclaimed Chasing The Cyclone and lead creator of the consent form added, "The new abduction prevention tool was created to help provide clarity and directional paths for any court or law enforcement agency overseeing international parental child abduction associated with the wrongful retention of a child abroad. As the new international travel consent form reaches into Central Authorities and courtrooms around the world, and as attorneys dedicated to protecting children implement this tool or one similar to what the I CARE Foundation has created, we hope that there is a dramatic decline in abusive child abductions. We may not have created a new law, but we have created a universal child abduction prevention tool the entire world can use."
Mexico's Carlos Alvarado, a renowned international family lawyer specializing in international parental child abduction prevention and reunification issues, and who is actively involved in new legislation initiatives in Mexico focused on protecting children of abduction added, "As a law practitioner deeply familiar with Hague Convention law and the great challenges parents and lawyers have protecting children targeted for international abduction, it is critical that new and creative abduction prevention tools are utilized to protect children. The I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form is an important tool that can and should be used to prevent children from being wrongfully detained in a foreign country. We intend to widely implement this new tool to protect children in Mexico and whenever possible, assist parents who have had a child abducted to Mexico who have utilized this agreement. This is a tool all attorneys should use."
Adding further insight, renown Florida family law attorney Denise Gunn, who is a member of the U.S. Department of State's Hague Convention Attorney Network and who recently prevented the abduction of two minors from Florida to a non-Hague Middle Eastern country in a complex custody dispute added, "New and applicable international child abduction prevention resources such as the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent form is a critically needed tool to stop the abusive criminal act of parental abduction. Once implemented, the foundation's groundbreaking Hague Convention-oriented travel consent form should protect a large population of at-risk children around the world who are targeted for wrongful retention under the rules of local and international law. The ingenuity and thoughtful creation of this agreement illustrates the expertise and commitment of the I CARE Foundation to protect children."
Linda Hammerschmid is Secretary of the Family Law Association of Quebec and a Family Law practitioner in Montreal Canada with over 30 years' experience in the field. Ms. Hammerschmid commented, "The creation of the new International Travel Consent form is a MUST have, not only for Government Departments, Family Law Attorneys and divorcing couples, but also for INTACT families, and should be kept at the homes of ALL parents to use whenever one or the other wishes to travel alone with their children. Far too often the traveling parent only informs the other, AFTER departure, of their intention not to return the children."
The I CARE Foundation is a self-funded non-profit organization dedicated to preventing child abduction.
Jennifer Cluff, one of the world's foremost parenting blog writers who has stewarded the message of child abduction prevention on her Mom-ology parent site added, "Parents at risk of having a child kidnapped often are not aware of the scheme against them. The I CARE Foundation tool is something all parenting-focused writers need to share with their readers, especially since the majority of our reader-base is the near-identical demographic of targeted parents."
To download a copy of the 'International Travel Child Consent Form' in English or Spanish please visit the I CARE Foundation's official website. For more information about suggestions on how to implement the form and to obtain the legal analysis used to create this abduction prevention tool, please contact by email: email@example.com or call 310.882.3967.
*NOTE: The press news release does not constitute legal advice. Should you require assistance please consult with a qualified attorney.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/6/prweb10881800.htm

subset: commoncrawl


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A celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center between Balsam and Maggie Valley.
The festivities, called "Blue Ridge Parkway: 75 Years of Heritage and Communities" will have a variety of free, ongoing craft demonstrations throughout the day as entertainment.
The entertainment lineup includes Cherokee Dancers at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Old Time Appalachian Music by the Bean Town Boys at 11 a.m., Ammon sisters storytelling at noon and the Francis Family Bluegrass band at 2 p.m.
Demonstrations will include potters, blacksmith, woodcarvers, quilting and yarn spinning. David Brewin will have Nannie the Plott Hound on display and will talk about the famed state dog bred for hunting bears.
Food will be available for purchase from Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro.


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WASHINGTON — Their ranks swollen after the last election, Republican governors from Florida to Alaska are undermining President Barack Obama's agenda at every turn ahead of the Democrat's 2012 re-election campaign.
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
Some are rejecting federal money for high-speed rail. Many are fighting the president's health care law. And several are going after the Democratic Party's bedrock constituency, pushing laws that would weaken the power of unions.Video: A new foe for President Obama: Governors (on this page)
Not that any Republican governor will acknowledge that this is politics at play — even if it is.
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Christie acknowledges federal subpoena
- Obama says Fox News's O'Reilly 'absolutely' unfair in extended interview
- Christie security officer hit with shoplifting charges
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
More politics
"Republican governors are doing what they said they would as candidates," insisted Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who led the GOP's campaign efforts last fall and may seek the party's presidential nomination. "All this goes back to our commitment in the last election that we're going to get control of spending for the sake of the taxpayers."
"It's not a conspiracy. It's not that we're doing this for a political reason to go after the president," added first term Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. "We have fundamental disagreements. We have different perspectives."
But left unsaid in interviews with governors attending this weekend's National Governors Association meeting was this: Republicans, particularly in places with many electoral votes, like the Midwest, are fully aware that stymieing Obama's plans in the states could weaken him just as he tries to make the case to the country that he should get a second term.
One Republican governor has gone so far as to privately liken GOP governors' efforts to providing "oversight of the Obama administration."
"They are so obsessed with the short-term political game of keeping the president from succeeding that they've taken their eyes off of the big goal ... which is creating jobs and moving our states and country out of this recession," said Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.
Could the GOP effort to undercut Obama backfire?
"Yes. I think it already has," said Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, a Democrat. "Americans aren't anxious to refight the fights of the last two years. They want to move on."
The president's conflicts with GOP governors date to his first years in office. Many Republican governors opposed Obama's economic stimulus plan. Some also objected to his Gulf Coast oil-drilling moratorium.
After big GOP gains in November, Obama is running into even more roadblocks.
GOP governors now control most of the 26 states that have sued to stop Obama's health care overhaul, his signature domestic accomplishment. They say it would cost their states too much money. Last month in Florida, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled the law was unconstitutional.
Some GOP-led states — such as Alaska, where Republican Sean Parnell is governor — have refused to implement the law in light of that ruling. But the Justice Department wants the judge to order the states to follow the law pending an appeal.
"We cannot sustain it. We can't afford it," said Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, who also has assailed Environmental Protection Agency efforts to regulate greenhouse gases. "We believe that the federal government just needs to get out of the way and let us run the states."
Obama's high-speed rail plan has run into trouble, too. Democrats say the projects — mostly funded by the federal government — would create jobs; Republicans worry about cost overruns and the long-term expense.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, both Republicans elected in November, have killed two major projects that their Democratic predecessors had approved. And Florida's new governor, Rick Scott, is refusing to accept a $2.4 billion federal block grant for high-speed trains between Tampa and Orlando; the state would have to provide $300 million.
Scott said he worries about cost overruns, and would rather use the money to protect the state's ports. He's showing no signs that he will reconsider his opposition even though the federal government has given him a revised proposal and a week to change his mind.
"What each state is doing is figuring out the needs of their states," Scott said. "I'm focused on what's good for my citizens." He said that's not Obama's high-speed rail plan or "Obamacare."
Only on NBCNews.com
- From belief to betrayal: How America fell for Armstrong
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- China: One-child policy is here to stay
- New 'Practice Range' shooter game says it's from NRA
- 'Gifted' priest indicted in crystal meth case
- China's state media admits to air pollution crisis
- French to send 1,000 more troops to Mali
Going to the heart of Obama's political base, Republican governors' efforts to hamper unions have been on full display in the past few weeks.
Protests have raged in Wisconsin and Ohio over proposals that would limit bargaining rights for many public workers, efforts that Walker and Kasich insist are necessary to rein in costs amid budget crises.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels stripped power from unions six years ago but saw nowhere near the outcry that his counterparts have. Democrats in his state successfully blocked a GOP bill last week that would have prohibited union membership from being a condition of employment.
Obama, himself, waded into the Wisconsin dispute recently by arguing that limiting bargaining rights "seems like more of an assault on unions."
GOP governors are fighting other Obama policies as well; states like Wyoming are challenging the EPA's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, said longstanding environmental feuds between the states and Washington have worsened during the Obama administration because of its emphasis on renewable energy over oil and gas. The White House, Mead said, has a "view that we need cleaner energy at the expense of all the energy and production that we have now. We need both."
It's a safe bet there will be even more tussling between Republican governors and Obama between now and November 2012.
Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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MONEY ADVICE: How much can I contribute to an IRA and 401(k) this year?
Anyone who has bought groceries, filled their gas tank or paid insurance premiums recently would probably be surprised to learn that, according to U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the rate of inflation is relatively flat — only 1.2% from September 2012 to September 2013.
That's bad news for people who were hoping to boost their contributions to an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts, since the IRS uses the CPI-U's September year-over-year performance to determine whether or not to make cost-of-living adjustments to many of the retirement contributions you and your employer can make in the following year.
Here are highlights of what will and won't change in 2014:
Defined contribution plans
The maximum allowable annual contribution you can make to a workplace 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) or federal Thrift Savings plan remains unchanged at $17,500. Keep in mind these additional factors:
— People over 50 can also make an additional $5,500 in catch-up contributions (unchanged from 2013).
— The annual limit for combined employee and employer contributions increased by $1,000 to $52,000.
— Because your plan may limit the percentage of pay you can contribute, your maximum contribution may actually be less. (For example, if the maximum contribution is 10% of pay and you earn $60,000, you could only contribute $6,000.)
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
The maximum annual contribution to IRAs remains the same at $5,500 (plus an additional $1,000 if age 50 or older — also unchanged from 2013).
Maximum contributions to traditional IRAs are not impacted by personal income, but if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds certain limits, the maximum amount you can contribute to a Roth IRA gradually phases out:
— For singles/heads of households the phase-out AGI range is $114,000 to $129,000 (increased from 2013's $112,000 to $127,000 range). Earning above $129,000, you cannot contribute to a Roth.
— For married couples filing jointly, the range is $181,000 to $191,000 (up from $178,000 to $188,000).
Keep in mind these rules for deducting traditional IRA contributions on your federal tax return:
— If you're single, a head of household, a qualifying widow(er) or married and neither spouse is covered by an employer-provided retirement plan, you can deduct the full IRA contribution, regardless of income.
— If you are covered by an employer plan and are single/head of household, the tax deduction phases out for AGI between $60,000 and $70,000 (up from $59,000 to $69,000 in 2013); if married and filing jointly, the phase-out range is $96,000 to $116,000 (up from $95,000 to $115,000).
— If you're married and aren't covered by an employer plan but your spouse is, the IRA deduction is phased out if your combined AGI is between $181,000 and $191,000 (up from $178,000 to $188,000).
For more details, read IRS Publication 590 at www.irs.gov.
Retirement Saver' Tax Credit
As an incentive to help low- and moderate-income workers save for retirement through an IRA or company-sponsored plan, many are eligible for a Retirement Savers' Tax Credit of up to $1,000 ($2,000 if filing jointly).
This credit lowers your tax bill, dollar for dollar, in addition to any other tax deduction you already receive for your contribution.
Qualifying income ceiling limits for the Savers' Tax Credit increased in 2014 to $60,000 for joint filers, $45,000 for heads of household, and $30,000 for singles or married persons filing separately. Consult IRS Form 8880 for more information.
Jason Alderman directs Visa's financial education programs. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.


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Well, if Aufit could do it, I would not ask for those track dumpsDrCoolZic wrote:Unfortunately Aufit do not currently have write track data capability ... so I cant do it
Pure speculation ...
The code is probably looking for the non readable last sector located after sector 9 in the read track data
For that matter look for A1 A1 A1 FB sequence and compare the first few bytes (looks like byte 8 is a good candidate)
If you want to simulate what you can do is put a break point after reading track and substitute byte 8 ion the non readable last data record ...
I can extract track dumps easily from STX images, so if you can make 5 STX images where in each track 78 dump is from different rev. , it would be good enough for me.
I already tried to fool with changing some data in track read, but it worked not. Code is sophisticated.


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Soft black cotton neckerchief with overlocking edges featuring EdW motif screen-printed by hand in grey.
100% Soft Pure Cotton. Silk-Screen Printed by Hand. Approx. 57x 57cm. Hand Wash. Made in Taiwan. For both men and women.
EdWonder creates quality lifestyle goods that seek to inspire people to follow their passions with focused daring and just a hint of foolishness. more
Our current shipping and handling time is within 5 business days of placing your order, thank you for your patience. /// It's okay if you change your mind, we offer a 7-day return policy. more info 奌我看更多中文信息


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Just what exactly is Monsanto playing at? Apparently not satisfied with its continuing role as the favourite pantomime villain for every anti-GMO activist in the world, the St Louis-based company everyone loves to hate seems to be doing everything possible to make its predicament worse.
I'm a fan of some aspects of its biotech work. Unlike Bill Nye the Science Guy, I've not had the pleasure of visiting Monsanto's HQ or been on a guided tour of the labs and greenhouses, but I occasionally run into Monsanto people at conferences and the like. I had a brief conversation with Robb Fraley at the World Food Prize, and later at the IQ2 debate in New York that he and Alison van Eeenenaam won.
Monsanto doesn't ask my advice. But I give it anyways – for two years at least I've been urging the company to ditch the glyphosate division and focus entirely on seeds. Most anti-GMO people don't seem to realise it, but glyphosate has been off-patent for a while, and most of it these days is made in generic form in China. Roundup is a cash cow for the company, but nowadays comprises only a third of overall turnover.
I see biotech as a disruptive technology in agriculture, potentially challenging the age of chemistry – meaning chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilisers – and ushering in an age of biology, where the technology is in seed genetics rather than in added inputs from outside. In principle this should be more sustainable, more targeted and help address public concerns about industrial agriculture.
Because Monsanto is still a maker of Roundup-brand glyphosate, the old idea that all GM crops are a Monsanto plot to sell more weedkiller refuses to die. I often think that herbicide tolerance is the 'original sin' of GM crops – people simply can't get over it, or understand that there are many different traits nowadays. For the antis, all roads lead back to Roundup. Seralini, Benbrook, the Center for Food Safety – they're all obsessed with Roundup.
My recent New York Times piece on pesticide-reducing Bt eggplant in Bangladesh was tailed by all the usual comments about Roundup, even though the Bt trait has nothing to do with herbicides, and indeed often enables a 100% reduction in insecticides. Things have got even worse recently with the furore about the WHO 'probable carcinogen' designation.
So what does Monsanto do? Instead of hiving off Roundup and becoming a non-pesticides seed company, it does the precise opposite. In seeking to take over Syngenta, it looks to double down in agro-chemicals, including many more forms of pesticide and insecticide in Syngenta's current portfolio, most of them far more toxic than glyphosate.
Indeed, according to the Wall Street Journal, Monsanto has pledged to regulators that it would sell off Syngenta's seeds division, keeping the chemicals instead. It combines this with the usual arrogant corporate PR campaign with soft-focus imagery and warm words – all the sort of stuff that just puts thinking peoples' backs up.
This is to my mind the exact opposite of what the company should be doing. Okay, so I accept its corporate strategy is none of my business, and I'm an ignorant outsider who knows very little about its real-world operations.
But the problem we have today is that Monsanto is in the way – the awful reputation that Monsanto has managed to garner – up there with Chernobyl and Union Carbide – is not just hindering the rollout of large-scale GM crops in Europe and North America, it is potentially affecting such badly-needed innovations as virus-resistant cassava and wilt-resistant banana in East Africa, which are both opposed by anti-Monsanto activists.
Similarly in Bangladesh, where the Bt brinjal project has seen very successful results in pesticide reduction and increased productivity, anti-Monsanto attitudes are probably the biggest single problem: because of the use of the Bt trait, the crop is seen as a Trojan horse for the hated Monsanto. (And I'm apparently the Trojan horseman!)
I believe that biotechnology is too important to the future of world farming, particularly in developing countries, for its future to be curtailed because of this toxic witches' brew of corporate myopia combined with public hysteria. Yes, the green movement is in the way of GM technology, but so too, judging by its lamentable current performance, is Monsanto.
At this rate I will be joining the March Against Monsanto on May 23 (though I'll wear my Groucho Marx glasses to be on the safe side!). The corporate bigwigs ensconced in their offices in St Louis still don't seem to get it. If Monsanto wants to get out of the hole it is in, it needs to change its business positively, not sell more chemicals and pump out more PR. Perhaps this message needs further amplification before it finally hits home.
46 Comments
It certainly is frustrating that the fog of conspiracy theory blown by activists about GMOs has a cartoon villain to use as their focus. But I think your dismissal of herbicides is almost equally as one-sided as the gene-haters.
I was chatting with a person who does ag development projects a while back. We were talking about herbicides. Here's the quote [http://boringdevelopment.com/2014/12/01/deconstructing-green/]:
"I remember in rural Venezuela coming across a family the neighbours described, with averted gazes, as "so poor they can't even afford round-up." I was pretty green (in the other sense!) at the time, and didn't get it, so I pressed them.
"Bueno, they said, their son isn't going to school because they have to keep him home to do the weeding by hand." Then the penny dropped."
I think getting this kid to school matters very much.
Also, not long ago, Nathanael Johnson was talking with farmers in rural Africa, and looked into an interesting story from someone who championed organics for decades: Even this organic advocate thinks African farmers need herbicide. http://grist.org/food/even-this-organic-advocate-thinks-african-farmers-need-herbicide/
Herbicide is a tool that can benefit farmers, and it's not clear to me why throwing this under the bus because activists whinge about it makes sense.↓
Glyphosate is a biocide that blocks the EPSPS enzyme that is in the human gut microbiome. Weeding by hand is good work. I think you make a strange story here. Smells like crocodile tears.
You said Herbicide is a tool that can benefit farmers. Well theoretically that may be true, but certainly not the way it is being used commonly now. Maybe as a spot treatment here and there against tough invasive noxious weeds. But as a general rule, the biological function of weeds is to heal soil. A biological approach is almost always better than an indiscriminate herbicide.
I have followed your work for a while now Mark but you missed a huge amount of contextual information to jump to your conclusion on this article. Herbicides come in many colours and many different EIQ's. It is very clear that herbicide, (when used sustainably) offer many benefits to farmers (luck enough to be able to afford them). Glyphosate is a very low impact herbicide that has allowed a tremendous increase in no-till farming. It has replaced other older herbicides with higher EIQ's. This has resulted in huge conservation of soil and reduction in ground water contamination. I suggest you read the 2010 National Academy of Sciences report-Impact of GE crops on Farm Sustainability in the US for a detailed evaluation of all GE crops including Ht crops and glyphosate use.
They said:
"In general, the committee finds that genetic-engineering technology has produced substantial net environmental and economic benefits to U.S. farmers compared with non-GE crops in conventional agriculture."↓
Sustainable herbicides? Are you kidding? It is an oxymoron.
I agree with you Mary M, and was disappointed to see Mark Lynas getting sidelined with one company's ethics rather than the whole topic of agricultural practices and what will work best to prolong the viability of our planet.↓
*bangs head against desk*
I can only hope that publicly-funded research carries on regardless and without activist-led disruption. I also suggest that you can do a great public service by highlighting this research.↓
Don't hurt yourself Clyde. Mark is spot on in this essay.
I wasn't disputing that.
1) Many companies removed thimerosal from vaccines, despite that no scientific evidence was indicating any harm from them, and they did so with hopes that there would be less resistance to getting vaccines. And did it curb the anti-vaccine movement? Nope.
2) As somebody who is constantly exposed to GMO-phobic propaganda, I have already see anti-GMOists scream murder when plants are genetically engineered to produce a pesticide against this or that pest. They were alarmed! Plants producing pesticides inside them too, no! Oh no! (Except plants have always done so naturally, but science, meh.)
3) One of the overlooked but awesome aspects of herbicide-resistant crops like Roundup Ready crops is that it allows for no tilling agriculture. This factor has been estimated to reduce topsoil loss by 93%. Topsoil is a scarce resource which cannot replenish itself at the rate that we are currently using it up. And, in drier climates, when you aren't regularly tilling your soil, it also helps you trap soil moisture.
4) The other great thing about glyphosate-resistant crops? Well, without needing to till regularly, you are reducing your carbon emissions imprint substantially too. Which is good for the climate.
See http://www.soyconnection.com/soybean_oil/comparison_of_sustainable_production_systems.php↓
Glyphosate is absolutely NOT required for no-till agriculture. In fact it actually reduces the benefits seen in no-till agriculture compared to no-till without herbicides.
It is unfortunate that you have such a low opinion of glyphosate resistant crops.
It is also unfortunate that it has been Monsanto's policy not to push glyphosate resistant crops where they are most needed – in the developing world. It is there that women toil from dawn to dusk with short handled hoes to weed their maize crops. The possibility of having no-till maize available to the old farmers in villages where the young have disappeared to the cities or to the ravages of HIV would be ideal. The farmers weakened by HIV or malaria could then have decent yields, in the fields that they are not strong enough to cultivate. In Africa where parasitic root-attaching witchweed is devastating and cannot be hoed away, glyphosate resistant crops would be ideal. Generic glyphosate is the cheapest herbicide on the market, and the one most appropriate for this task. Glyphosate resistant maize is only available in South Africa, where poor farmers have rapidly adopted its use. Unfortunately, Monsanto has not seen these other countries in Africa as sufficient markets. Well over a decade ago I was at a meeting with their rep in Kenya at the Ministry of Agriculture – the local officials asked Monsanto to put in a request to register glyphosate resistant maize, and the answer from St Louis was negative.↓
I'd imagine that Monsanto look at their business and factor in the opposition as a cost and have decided that, frankly, they're coining it anyway.
That and the fact that they're already so vilified it wouldn't matter if it came out they were testing Glyphosate on babies and conversely they could invent a cure for cancer and still have people oppose its use because it was invented by Monsanto.↓
That actually might be true. But it is precisely due to a track record of bonehead moves like the one Mark just referenced.
Monsanto doesn't ask my advice. But I give it anyways – for two years at least I've been urging the company to ditch the glyphosate division and focus entirely on seeds. Most anti-GMO people don't seem to realise it, but glyphosate has been off-patent for a while, and most of it these days is made in generic form in China. Roundup is a cash cow for the company, but nowadays comprises only a third of overall turnover.
If you think that Monsanto not manufacturing glyphosate would ever remove the objections of someone opposed to GMOs I think you are sadly mistaken. That's the problem many of us have, we overvalue the significance of facts when it comes to something like opposition to GMOs (or vaccine denialism, or climate warming denialism, or evolution denialism, etc.).↓
I am quite pleasantly surprised by your reprimands of Monsanto on this stupid decision–which is just another bumbling in a series of epic mistakes the crazies at Monsanto have always made–including the one choosing to roll out herbicide resistant trait as the first agricultural GMO, in the first place. But speaking of myopia, I am wondering if you finally recognized that your epic flip to support GMOs was myopic, as well–if you envision how associating with a global public menace could easily hurt deployment of fourth generation nuclear molten salt power reactors, which could be a real global game changer. As someone who has been interested in Gen IV since way before Pandora's Promise was released to the public, and yet has been a critic of Agricultural (not medical) GMOs–I chose to overlook the tasteless insipid rancid propaganda stew- simmering together vaccines, climate change denial and creationism, spiced with moronic inflammatory terms to describe GMO critics as hysterical. I know that I can't hold GMO zombies commenting here accountable for their idiocy any more than holding a schizophrenic accountable for their disease.
But I have wondered how long it would be before you'd come to your senses and realized that your association with a toxic company, hated by the entire planet is a seriously dumb strategy if you ever want to see us move towards the atomic age, like I would.
Dr. Ena↓
Mark, after having read the article I had mixed thoughts. After reading the comments. Came to remember just how fanatical the antis are and that this decision was irrelevant to acceptance of g.e. crops. Finally after reading Ena's response. I am completely convinced you erred on this one. She is almost always incorrect. Where as the other commenters rarely are.
I don't think caving to the cranks will help in the slightest.↓
Mark, I guess I have understood your criticism but the Anti-GMO-Movement won't. If you join them at the March against Monsanto they will celebrate their victory. Cause they have no interest in explainig your differentiated point of view. They will just say "Look he is back on our side".
In spite of your "conversion" to support GMOs – and the comments made here – this "failure" by Monsanto is a red herring in an effort to continue an attack on Monsanto and shift the burden of blame. Furthermore, if it wasn't Monsanto it would be someone else and with the same level of virulence.
Exactly whose fault is it Monsanto has an "awful reputation"?
Whose fault is it the public is "chemophobic"?
Whose fault is it there is resistance to the introduction to all these wonderful GMO plants?
Whose fault is it Golden Rice has been kept off the market all these years?
Whose fault is it junk scientists continue to spew out nonsense supporting green initiatives?
It's your fault! You and your peers in the green movement. A movement that's irrational, misanthropic, morally defective and clearly insane. Start there – then maybe you'll have credibility with "thinking people". This mere conversion on GMOs doesn't absolve you from all the damage you've done in the past and any damage you will clearly continue to do in the future.↓
I am amused by some of the comments by "experts" on weed control who think you can perform no-tillage agriculture without herbicides. Either you till, use herbicides, or lose your crop, unless you want someone else (never the one who is against herbicides) to pull the weeds by hand. Other herbicides can replace glyphosate for pre-plant use in no-till, and should be used to delay resistance, but alas they are more expensive, and excellent ones such as paraquat are also more human toxic.
Monsanto surely makes mistakes and is vilified by some, but their pioneering products are loved by millions of farmers in both the developed and developing, who have a choice, and make it with their wallet. Europe is anti-choice, and does allow the farmers to cultivate GMO's, but glyphosate is widely used pre plant in no-till.
The expert remarks made about weeds by one discussant remind of another expert who wished to deny farmers choice, and dictate what they may do – Trofim Lysenko. In one of his books (that I read 60 some years ago) he declared that "there are no such things as weeds. Weeds are a capitalist construct. All plants work together cooperatively to fulfill their Marxist ideals." (approximate citation from memory, from an English translation). The preface to the book had the imprimatur of the Central Committee of the Party, so it must be accurate.
Anyone who does not like herbicides should have spent a day in the sun working with a short-handled hoe before deciding that he/she is an expert on weed control.↓
Always amused by "experts" that say what is being done already is impossible. Maybe impossible for you, considering you lack the skill and knowledge. Certainly not impossible for those educated and experienced in the most modern scientific methods.
Here is one:
There are no yield data in the website report that you cite – and no comparison with other other forms of cultivation in controlled experimentation, not for yield, soil organic mater, nutritional status, water usage, nothing of any value that would allow evaluation of the technology. Such non-data are fine for "believers", but experts in weed science demand hard scientific evidence, typically published in creditable scientific journals with peer-review. People who believe junk science follow one-off "news" reports/infomercials on the web such as this. The co-cultivation technology described is not too different than cultivating a crop in a weedy field, and such technologies have long been abandoned by farmers who see a need to feed the world, and simultaneously send their kids to school to learn scientific farming.
If the technology was any good, it would have been adopted by millions of farmers. They rapidly adopt new technologies that they themselves or their neighbours first tested by experimentation in their own fields; which is what was observed with genetically-engineered herbicide resistance – adopted much faster than anyone's estimation. Farmers are not dumb – they astutely evaluate new technologies as they come out.
You may wish to check out my credentials as an unbiased, academic innovator in developing new and biosafe technologies for weed control and food security on Google Scholar or on my website. Others may wish to check the expert credentials of Scott Crook there, and might have more success than I have – I came up empty handed when I tried. And before you label me as a shill for your favourite devil, read my article "Gressel, J. (1996) Fewer constraints than proclaimed to the evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds. Resistant Pest Management 8 (2):20-23 (available on the internet) – the only academic who published a paper telling the world that their theory that there would not be a problem of glyphosate resistant weeds, was crap.
Good Job!!!!
Rich Kozlovich
Ironically you spoke from ignorance, because the technique is rapidly being adopted by farmers after experimenting themselves or their neighbors. And there are multiple academic studies right now attempting to catch up with the innovators and early adopters by scientifically confirming the observed effects.
You seem to have a mistaken view of how progress is made. In the real world scientists do not innovate. The Wright Brothers were not scientists. What scientists do is refine and expand. It is improper to declare that mankind can not fly after seeing the Wright brothers fly over head. Instead the scientist observes and asks how and why the observation is occurring.. The answers to those questions then allow improved flight. It's not much different here. Colin Seis is the innovator. There are already many thousands of early adopters. And scientists are scrambling to understand how and why this is succeeding when similar things failed repeatedly in the past.
As is typical – no data – just anti-science commentary. No references other than a web infomercial – just undocumented claims. Thus, there is little more to discuss without the needed comparative data.
Intercropping is not a new technology – so unless Colin Seis' middle name is Methusalah, he cannot be an innovator of what was practiced for many centuries before the advent of weed killers (which raised yields incredibly). Intercropping is still sometimes practiced in subsistence agriculture by poor farmers who cannot afford inputs. When they can afford inputs, they abandon intercropping.
On one thing we almost agree – it has been my observation over the years that the best and most innovative ag scientists typically come from a farming background – they understand the problems – and find solutions that raise yields and quality.
Here is an article that may be helpful for you:
Here is another source that may be helpful to you:
Keep in mind though, as I stated before, the scientists are scrambling to catch up. It this moment they are rather far behind. That however, is no excuse to call this woo or pseudoscience.
Nothing more than science attempting to catch up with the innovators and early adopters. By necessity, rather obviously, scientific studies on the longer term benefits observed by Coli Seis and other early adopters will take years to confirm scientifically. On the other hand since benefits can be seen even in short term, it should not stop this technique from continuing to spread rapidly.
The opinion of the experts show how limited the utility of such an approach – i.e may be worthwhile in specialized locations on specialized farms. I quote from the only econometric evaluation of the resuscitated method that I could find in the peer-reviewed literature:
"However, a wide range of factors can affect the uptake of such systems. This paper evaluates the farm-system economics of subtropical grasses and pasture-cropping. The research question is: what factors affect the profitability such as (1) subtropical grass and (2) subtropical grass that is pasture-cropped. The analysis uses the MIDAS model of a central wheatbelt farm in Western Australia. The results suggest the profitability and adoption of subtropical grasses is likely to be strongly influenced by the mix of soil types present on the farm; the feed quality of the subtropical grass; whether the production emphasis of the farm is for grazing or cropping, and the level of production in summer and early autumn. The same factors are relevant to pasture-cropping, with the addition of yield penalties due to competition between the arable crop and the host perennial." From: A bio-economic evaluation of the profitability of adopting subtropical grasses and pasture-cropping on crop–livestock farms, Agricultural Systems Volume 106, Issue 1, February 2012, Pages 102–112.
This is not a technology adaptable to broad-acre agriculture on the large scale needed to feed the world. The economic analysis states that it is only applicable to where there are poor soils and grazing sheep to utilize the intercrop. As people are using less wool, the markets would not be there if adopted on a large scale.
The innovative new technologies using all tools available to science will be the only way to keep ahead of the growing world population. The only way to decrease the rate of population growth is to get farmers out of subsistence agriculture and into modern productive agriculture. History has shown that people with full stomachs and a consistent source of income have less children.
To achieve this, we need to decrease our dependence on 4 crops for 80% of the calories devoured by humans and their domestic animals. We need to increase the use of under-domesticated crops, whose cultivation is limited by their genetic diversity. One way to increase genetic diversity is to bring the needed genes from wherever they may exist. Nature does this very slowly – science can do this quickly. See the book: Genetic Glass Ceilings – Transgenics for Crop Biodiversity https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/genetic-glass-ceilings
It describes how innovative modern science can do this, including how to deal with biosafety issues in the instances where this is necessary.
Well Jonathan,
I see no reply, so I guess the scientific study was convincing. I am glad. Because one thing is certain, there is nothing more destructive to the environment than agriculture, and changes need to be made, pasture cropping being just one of many changes needed.
Look again↓
Your post doesn't show yet, so it is probably awaiting moderation. I'll wait until it shows up.
Indeed it shows on my computer that its been "awaiting moderation" since early yesterday. Perhaps the moderator missed it….↓
I see your reply now. You seem to have a problem with the fact the referenced example is not a one size fits all solution. Please keep in mind I gave it only as an example. There are multiple ways to solve that particular issue. In fact even that particular method called pasture cropping is far more flexible than you give credit. I use it combined with sheet mulching to raise organic no till vegetables. Others have used it to increase milk production beyond even what the top confinement dairies can do with their most advanced feed mixes. It can be done both with and without stock. And many types of stock can be used, all the way from rabbits and geese, to sheep and cattle, and several species in between. And keep in mind that is just one single methodology, there are others like multi-species allelopathic cover crops in off seasons to reduce weed pressure and reduce or eliminate the need for inputs of both fertilizers and pesticides.
There is no need for a one size fits all, because there are multiple ways to accomplish no till without herbicides. All of them are more beneficial than no till with herbicide resistant GMO's. That is in fact an antiquated model. Simply adding GMO to that model accomplished nothing more than lipstick on a pig.
Sorry – all solutions you propose from hand weeding, organic systems, various forms of intercropping etc. all all appropriate for minor niche systems. None of this is appropriate for broad acreage grain crops needed to feed the world.
You mentioned allelopathy: My thesis was on allelopathy (4 score and ten years ago), and wherever there is allelopathy, there are reduced yield potentials. The energy required to produce herbicides is much much less than to produce allelochemicals giving the same level of weed control.
It is interesting that millions of farmers worldwide seem to be painting their pigs with lipstick because they are too stupid and are conned by multi-nationals (or in the case of Brazil by EMBRAPA, or China by local research) and are cultivating GMO crops. Obviously they do not have the economic or agronomic insights that you possess.
As Ike said many years ago – "farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from a corn field". You can pencil all the alternatives you want to conventional herbicides, but farmers will use them because they see a value. They will often use them injudiciously, and weeds evolve resistance, an issue that I have been railing about since 1978 in dozens of scientific and semi-popular articles, but that is not the issue we are discussing here. Let me remind you that the organic industry has been using ancient herbicides – some subsequently banned by the authorities (sulfuric acid, chlorate) and now uses acetic acid and soaps, none of which are selective between crop and weed nor good for soil health, all with ultra-high doses and much greater cost than conventional herbicides.
Excuse me? Pasture cropping is broad acre grain production combined with grazing. That means more yields per acre because production is stacked. And it can be done with corn too. I know because I have done it.
Seems to me the only one with "a plow as a pencil and a thousand miles from a corn field" just might be me. I see you can write books, but I haven't seen your pasture cropped field where you tested the methodology first hand. Not even a small test plot against a control.
Most farmers will take the attitude of "show me, not tell me" That's why when people see a neighbor doing it successfully, they try it themselves. Doesn't matter how many people like you say it can't be done.
I especially like what Farmer Gabe Brown says, "I like signing the back of the check, not the front." Take that business model to a farmer and he listens, because believe me, not one of them likes paying everyone else and keeping next to nothing for themselves. They'll do what they have to do, don't get me wrong. If their operation is failing and no till with roundup ready GMOs will help, they'll do it to save the farm. They'll put that lipstick on the pig. But the reason these alternatives to that business model are spreading rapidly, in spite of heavy lobbying against them by people like you, is they work and the farmer can see the benefits, both in his land and his pocketbook. There is no comparison. It's not even really close. Gabe Brown the farmer I mentioned above has gradually weaned himself off all commercial fertilizers, all insecticides, and is down to one herbicide application every three years on average. Meanwhile he has improved his yields per acre of both corn and more than doubled his stocking rate of cattle. He has gotten so profitable he makes 6,000 dollars an acre on the land he raises pastured poultry, cattle, and a cash crop like corn, all together. That's what I call signing the back of the check. Not only that but he has a field up to 11% SOM! Not bad for a farm not long ago "farmed out" and averaging near 1% SOM. In my trial plots I do even better than that. But I haven't trial my own fields large scale yet. We will see. The only thing missing is education to the fact that it can be done and then just doing it.
I am perplexed by this dismissal of "chemicals". The data I have seen has led me to conclude that smarter pesticide use, enabling no-till is the most environmentally friendly way to go. I've written about it here:
"…reduced levels of greenhouse gas emissions follow largely from reduced tractor fuel use and additional carbon retained in the soil. So what about GMO farming leads to increased soil organic matter (carbon sequestration)? One of the big benefits is the wider adoption of the no-till method, also known as conservation tillage, which means omitting the plowing or tilling step (a crude means of weed management). The US Department of Agriculture notes that the spread of the no-till method is largely thanks to the adoption of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) crop varieties.
"Despite the relatively minor effect HT crop adoption has had on overall herbicide usage, HT crop adoption has enabled farmers to substitute glyphosate (which many HT crops are designed to tolerate) for more traditional herbicides. Because glyphosate is significantly less toxic and less persistent than traditional herbicides, the net impact of HT crop adoption is an improvement in environmental quality and a reduction in health risks.
HT crops and conservation tillage
Conservation tillage (including no-till, ridge-till, and mulch-till) is known to provide environmental benefits and is facilitated by use of HT crops. By leaving at least 30 percent of crop residue covering the soil surface after all the tillage and planting operations, conservation tillage reduces soil erosion by wind and water, increases water retention, and reduces soil degradation and water/chemical runoff. In addition, conservation tillage reduces the carbon footprint of agriculture."
I hope you could elaborate on what you so strongly object to about the use of methods with these benefits. Thanks,
Iida Ruishalme @ Thoughtscapism↓
Those "benefits" are only when compared earlier conventional no-till methods. Compare them to no-till without pesticide use and they are wanting, to say the least.
I am a small tiem farmer from India. Farming is not fro feeding my belly but to feed my ego ,that i am being organic!.
However i live in a vilage surrounded by farmers who depend on their land for a living.i see them struggling with chemicals, when i am fashionably producing organic peanuts which just enough covers my cost of ipit and have lots to use at home .additionally various schemes by the governments to keep voters happy have made sure labour shortage.We are not going there.
Reading all the comments between Scott and Prof.Gressel i a, confused tot he hilt.
In simple terms ,folks ,can you please tell me if there any herbicides that are safe?
Are there any crops that can be cultivated without much debt and tilling?
I am sincere as i live in a state in india where the rainfall is not much, execessive heat and an arid land scape is what farmers have to dela with.Millets were farmed traditionally but given the labour intesive process ,i am guessing, farmers shifted to peanuts as a rainfed crop.
This whole thing GMO vs Anti Gmos is not what i am interested.because,in my view even the environmentalists have hidden agenda and they are 'violent' too.
Thank you.
Whether there are herbicides appropriate for peanuts and are safe to use depends on whom you choose to believe. If you choose the many governmental authorities who demand piles of testing and utilize cadres of trained scientifically unbiased toxicologists with years of experience for advice, then there are. If you choose to believe hysteria mongering activists who seem to be more interested in keeping the poor poor, and have agendas hurting farmers, and who seem to believe it is bad for manufacturers to make money on products sold – while the farmer makes much more, then there is no such thing as a safe chemical (not telling you that organic farmers may use many unsafe chemicals), then there are no solutions to your problems other than poverty. The internet contains all these views, and the media find that promoting the hysteria helps their sales.
An example of science based recommendations from un-biased public sources can be found at:
which gives the recommendation for consumer safe use of herbicides for peanuts. What may be appropriate for Texas need not be appropriate for your area of India. I cite this is an example of how academic scientists in the public sector make recommendations based on their experimentation, for their area. They must take into account the regulation on each chemical made by the various regulatory authorities in their country, to assure that any herbicide residues will be below regulatory thresholds, as advised by the toxicologists (and having a huge margin of error, i.e. that go well on the safe side).
Peanuts should not be cultivated in most climates without fungicides due to the typical infection of peanuts by fungi that produce aflatoxin, which at low levels chronic liver malfunction, and at higher levels liver cancer and death. The epitome of hypocrisy occurred a few years ago when organic peanut butter manufacturers petitioned the US Food and Drug administration to double the allowable aflatoxin level specifically for them, bacuse they could not produce their material under the threshold
In this case, of peanuts, I am forced to defer to Jonathan. It is not an area of my experience or expertise. I suspect there may be an organic solution for peanuts, but that would be only a guess, not backed by data.
Since you are a hobby farmer, I would suggest doing your own trials side by side and get them tested at a certified lab. See if you can develop the peanut method suitable for your own unique situation. If you can't, then think about some other crop more appropriate to your area. Millets certainly can be pasture cropped for instance, but you may have a cultural taboo about raising animals? Some areas of India have this taboo and other parts of India do not. It would help to know more about this community you are trying to help. The first rule is first listen, then devise a plan,
You asked "In simple terms ,folks ,can you please tell me if there any herbicides that are safe?" In my opinion herbicides are a last resort, when all else has failed. There are times when they are needed, so I wouldn't want them outlawed, but they should always be minimised whenever possible. A properly designed polyculture shouldn't require herbicides and in fact herbicides would make a good polyculture almost impossible to attain. But sometimes a piece of land is so unbalanced that it takes several years to heal. So this tool needs to be used with caution, but it is a tool you may need for a while to transition. You know you are on the right track if each year you need less and less.
You said, "Are there any crops that can be cultivated without much debt and tilling?". Absolutely! Hundreds of crops fit this criteria. I grow tomatoes peppers and sweet corn with no tillage or herbicides and with zero debt. My companion crops for those main crops are basil, cilantro, dill, and other herbs, marigolds, sunflowers. But to know what crops are best for your community, I would need to know more information. You are looking for a crop that produces a high dollar return for your climate and can be transplanted into a heavy mulch. Then you will use companion crops that benefit your cash crop.
You might try contacting Dr. Vandiva Shiva's Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, for advise on what crops fit your area both ecologically and culturally.
Then use these principles for soil health:
1) Least amount of mechanical disturbance possible
2) Armor on the soil
3) Diversity
4) Living root in the ground as long as possible
5) Animal impact
To accomplish these goals use mulches, multi-species cover crop blends for the off season, companion plants according to plant guilds, keyline design for water management, and holistic management of animals (if appropriate).
Thank you scott for taking the time to reply.can have cattle ,no problems at all.i do ask my neighbors to bring in their cattle for grazing at times.i rotated crops this time. I did a small amount of urad dal , a kind of legume / pulse ,i dont know how to classify, which we use extensively use.we had enough for us ,but no major harvest as it was completely rainwater fed.also i had not put in cow manure .but not much pests either. It was enough for a short period for our own consumption and share.with family and friends.may i knwo where do you live?so i can atlk about companion planting etc.
You may click on my name and find many educational videos from my youtube channel. Or you may contact me directly by email at email@example.com
Thank you professor jonathan gressel. I had no idea of fungal infection. as of now we do manual weeding out.
thanky uo for taking the time to reply.↓
Roundup Ready seeds and glyphosate are the perfect product combination , except for the small inconvenient fact that glyphosate causes tumors in lab rats according to Monsanto's own data.↓
A "perfect product combo" except for the fact that glyphosate is not safe for human consumption.↓


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Reid's comments echoed Senator Dick Durbin's cautious statement over the weekend.
Stocks were volatile for most of the session as investors juggled worries over the "fiscal cliff" against a batch of positive economic reports and optimism over the Greek deal.


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text:
Matt Kenseth gets to keep the Kansas 400 win, but not much else (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
RICHMOND, Va.
NASCAR officials are going wild this spring handing out penalties, and Kansas 400 winner Matt Kenseth is the latest victim.
Post-race inspectors didn't like the engine connecting rods that Kenseth had in his engine, when they tore it down at the Concord, N.C., R&D center.
And NASCAR hit the Kenseth-Joe Gibbs team with a huge, apparently record-setting penalty:
-- A $200,000 fine;
-- a six-race suspension for crew chief Jason Ratcliff, and probation till Dec. 31st;
-- a whopping 50-point penalty, plus loss of Kansas bonus points, for both Kenseth in the driver standings and team owner Gibbs in the owner standings;
-- the race win will not count toward the 'wild card' playoff spot;
-- Gibbs himself will have his owner's license suspended for the next six Sprint Cup points events, meaning he and the team will receive no championship points over that span;
-- Kenseth's Kansas pole will not count toward eligibility in the 2014 Sprint unlimited shootout at Daytona;
-- And Toyota, which builds the engines at its Los Angeles facility, will lose five points in the manufacturers' championship standings.
NASCAR's official announcement:
"The No. 20 car was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-5.5.3 (E) (Only magnetic steel connecting rods with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted; connecting rod failed to meet the minimum connecting rod weight) of the 2013 rule book."
Gibbs issued a brief statement: "It is our understanding that one of the eight connecting rods on the engine was ruled too light. We are working with our partners at TRD on this issue. In the meantime we will plan to appeal the penalty."
Toyota racing boss Lee White also issues a terse statement:
"During NASCAR's routine post-race tear down of Matt Kenseth's race-winning car and engine from Kansas Speedway, one of our engine connecting rods weighed in approximately three grams under the legal minimum weight of 525 grams.
"None of the other seven connecting rods were found to be under the minimum weight.
"We take full responsibility for this issue with the engine used by the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team this past Sunday in Kansas -- JGR is not involved in the process of selecting parts or assembling the Cup Series engines. It was a simple oversight on TRD's part and there was no intent to deceive, or to gain any type of competitive advantage.
"Toyota is a company that was built on integrity, and that remains one of the guiding principles of the company. The goal of TRD has always been -- and will continue to be -- to build high-performance engines that are reliable, durable and powerful, and within the guidelines established by NASCAR."
Maybe NASCAR should also set a penalty against Joe Gibbs Racing Team fans. Maybe not allowing Gibbs fans to watch the first 30 minutes of the next 6 Cup races would be a good penalty. Also Gibbs fans should be fined by NASCAR. They should mail NASCAR around 500 dollars in fan fine money. Also Kenseth/Gibbs race fan supporters should be forced to buy some Jimmy Johnson/Lowe\'s souvenirs. NASCAR should set a limit of over One Hundred Dollars for the Johnson/Lowe\'s souvenirs. NASCAR needs to drop the hammer on Kenseth/Gibbs fans and supporters. Gibbs did the crime, time for the fans to pay the price. Also NASCAR should not allow Gibbs/Kenseth to sale any souvenirs for 6 months. Make the fans pay. There should be a 6 month ban on Kenseth\'s fans betting on NASCAR races. It\'s time that race fans start paying the price for those illegal engines.
I hope they appeal, and we'll see how the former GM boss will rule now that he has two Ford teams and a Toyota team to judge. I'm going to make a wild guess that neither appeal will be overturned.
wow, this is as hard a landing as I've ever seen ---- and the ramifications will span not only this year but next with the 6 races of a "parked" car. Nothing Toyota can say or do is going to fix this.
I wonder if there are legal angles to explore by Gibbs against Toyota. Home Depot against Gibbs (not able to fulfill contract)
I see this getting very, very ugly.
Well, I guess you can cut and paste the article that was never written in regard to the Penske team. Gibbs and Penske what is the diff...interesting to see in the very short future who isn't targeted. All the loons out there cannot deny that "Vanilla Matt" is now a "cheater" like they called the other boys. As an arguement made by the Penske haters..."A cheater is a cheater"...just sayin. Matt you need to give your trophy to Kasey...seriously, if your appeals fail. I do not believe the Nascra p deal about a winner needing to be crowned..crown em' then next day give it to the second place loser.
Ok, Nascar means business this year. Isn't it interesting though, that when one of Hendrick's teams gets caught, the penalty is "cut that *#+%* out after the season ends". I see the stands with a few thousand fewer fans now and the TV audience down by a few hundred thousand while Nascar hands another gift to Hendrick.
Two quick thoughts. As I understand it we're talking about the weight of two cotton balls here. Does that really warrant the steep penalty? Secondly, if Gibbs has his owners license suspended than why show up and race during the suspension? He can't accumulate points. Bet NASCAR would really love that.
Contrary to what some chose to believe JGR has not been exactly perfect in its compliance with Nascar's rules.
Who can forget the heavyweight oil pans of a while back. And I believe there have been an occasional minor issue along the way as well.
But the bottom line is it's legal or it's not, and the team is responsible, end of story.
And remember in a spec series you only need a tiny advantage to separate yourself from the pack.
Move on to the next crisis.
Teams have been screaming about the difficulty in getting sponsors. Costs are through the roof. Yet NASCAR throws fines that are many times any ever before for infractions that were of no advantage and by accident. That rod was off by less then the weight of 1/10 that of a hot dog. Quote a price. Brian is NUTS!
Nobody is arguing that Gibbs' team (or any other team) has been in 100% compliance, Russ. The issue , as Mike has pointed out several times, is that when one of Hendrick's teams violate the rules, they get a slap on the wrist from Nascar (or their cohort, Mr Middlebrook, during the appeals process), while their main competitors' top teams receive crushing penalties.
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2575 West 15th Avenue - DP-2020-00588
Elite Design has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to develop on this site:
- A two- storey plus basement one-family dwelling with a secondary suite located in the basement with a parking pad at the rear, providing a parking space, having vehicular access from the lane.
Under the site's existing RS 5 zoning, the application is "conditional" so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Director of Planning.
We welcome your written comments (letter or e-mail) on this development application. Comments should be received on, or before October 21, 2020, to be included in the staff review. However, comments will be considered up until the date of decision.
- Notification Postcard (284KB)
- Design Rationale (1,173KB)
- Elevations (2,165KB)
- Site Plan (1,227KB)
- Streetscape (1,625KB)
- Landscape Plan (964KB)
Contact: Cheng Wong, Project Coordinator, firstname.lastname@example.com, 604.871.6453
To assist you, a Glossary of key technical terms and a brief explanation of the application process is posted on our website at: vancouver.ca/devapps
In reviewing this application, and before making a decision, the Director of Planning will also need to consider City by-law regulations, and Council-adopted policies and guidelines. Once a full application review is completed, a decision will be made.
Copies of City by-law regulations, policies and guidelines are available at the City's website at https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/land-use-and-development-policies-and-guidelines.aspx or at the Development and Building Services Centre (1st Floor, 515 West 10th Avenue).
Please note that all comments and responses to this notification are subject to, and may be released, pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Act does, however, protect your privacy by prohibiting disclosure of personal information (such as names, addresses and other identifying information) where such a disclosure would be an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy.


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You might think that your small-business file-storage needs have to span several companies: remote backup plus local backup, employee and client file-server access, and collaboration tools. But you might save money by choosing a single host that can provide all of those functions.
Egnyte combines these elements into one service. Client software enables Macs and PCs to access storage directly through those respective, familiar OS-enabled network interfaces. Or you can tap in through a browser or FTP application.
Beyond those storage options, Egnyte handles backups. The service constantly transfers new versions of files between your network and its servers, letting you recover from major crashes or just retrieve an old copy of a document.
An optional local-drive tool speeds up the process and adds another layer of protection from data loss. A utility turns a local PC into an intermediate step between your office and the Egnyte servers, buffering data and keeping redundant versions synced on each end.
That extra hop can drastically speed up your local file access, plus you can keep working even if your Internet connection fails. In those cases, the local drive will sync changes to the Egnyte servers when the connection is restored. Even better, Egnyte plans to allow certain network storage boxes to serve this function in about a month.
Collaboration tools automatically track version numbers and revisions to documents. You won't be working together in the same file, live, such as in Google Docs, but you can set Egnyte to send alerts when a colleague makes an update. And you can backtrack to old versions if needed.
The service fees depend on the number of "Power Users" needed; those accounts allow backup and desktop access without a web browser. You'll pay $15/month for each basic account, with access to a total of 1TB storage. Once you exceed 10 accounts, per-user costs decrease, and you get unlimited storage. You'll have to add $10/month for the 1TB bring-your-own-network-drive local storage service. (For unlimited storage accounts, Egnyte raises that fee to $20/month.)
Egnyte scrambles transmissions as you'd expect, with 128-bit AES over SSL. More surprising, its browser-based search tool can quickly wrangle certain files, plus there's even an iPhone client to forward files remotely.
Weighing in IT costs, small businesses could come in cheaper than hosting their own file servers. And compared to stringing together several services, Egnyte's combined approach could save money.
Zack Stern is building a new business from San Francisco, where he frequently contributes to PC World.


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Alabama's offense absent, but Christion Jones shows up
- The two-time defending national champions easily disposed of Virginia Tech
- Defense and special teams carried the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide
- Despite the runaway score%2C Alabama finished with just 206 yards of offense
ATLANTA – Maybe this season isn't going to be a cakewalk for Alabama after all.
The two-time defending national champions easily disposed of Virginia Tech, 35-10, in Saturday's Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, but did not escape without showing some fairly significant flaws.
Two special teams touchdowns by Alabama's Christion Jones – one on a punt return, the other on a kickoff – helped mask an ineffective offensive performance by the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide, which has next week off before the mammoth Sept. 14 matchup at Texas A&M.
"We have to create an identity as a team," Saban said. "I don't think we did that in all phases of the game today. But at least we know where we are. We know what we need to do to improve. I think our players also have to learn that you have to be a little more relentless as a competitor. You can't be satisfied with where you are."
Despite the runaway score, Alabama finished with just 206 yards of offense and did little to satisfy the biggest offseason question around the program: How would the rebuilt offensive line look?
After losing three elite players up front – Chance Warmack, Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker were all NFL draft picks – there was little doubt the Crimson Tide would need some time to figure things out. And though it's too early to write off the new-look offensive line, it did not have a good day against Virginia Tech's aggressive, veteran defense.
Alabama rushed for only 96 yards, and senior quarterback A.J. McCarron found himself without much time to make throws he has routinely been able to pull off over the years, finishing 10-of-23 for 110 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Tide spent much of preseason camp shuffling its linemen around, trying to find the best combination up front. But it was clear the chemistry and experience is not nearly what Alabama has grown accustomed to, and it wasn't a good sign that the Tide's most talented player up front – left tackle Cyrus Kouandijo – struggled badly for much of the game.
"I think we did alright, but we obviously wanted to go out there and just beat 'em straightforward up front," right guard Anthony Steen said. "It felt like the whole game they were moving constantly sideways and it took us awhile to adjust to it. We're more downhill guys and I like to just go straight at you and try to muscle you but they were going sideways a lot and it affected our angles a little bit."
McCarron, who had a procedure Thursday to remove an ingrown toenail, said there was nothing wrong with the way the offensive line played and denied that the foot problem had any impact on his performance.
"I've got three new guys and I thought everybody up front played excellent," McCarron said. "You have to have some experience to learn from, and it was an unbelievable job from my guys. I'm proud as hell. couldn't be any prouder.
"It's not always going to be great. It never has been. It's the game of football, so keep staying positive, keep progressing and we'll be fine."
Despite the lack of offensive pop, Virginia Tech never seriously threatened thanks to the massive difference in special teams and the dominance of Alabama's defense. The Tide led 7-0 before ever running an offensive play thanks to Jones' 72-yard punt return, then scored off good field position late in the quarter to make it 14-0.
But Alabama's offense pretty much stalled after that, and the Tide needed Vinnie Sunseri's 38-yard interception return for a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7. After Virginia Tech's field goal with 3:39 left in the first half to make it 21-10, Jones took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to become the first Alabama player since 1944 to score two non-offensive touchdowns in one game. He also became the first FBS player since 2006 to score return a punt and kickoff for a TD in the same game.
"I don't even think the guys that had a lot of experience played as well as they need to play on the offensive line," Saban said. "I think we're talking about the entire group realizing they need to play a little bit better, play a little bit better together, be a little more physical. We have too good of skilled players not to give them more opportunities to make plays in the game."
The tone of dissatisfaction from Alabama speaks to the incredibly high standards Saban's program has established, winning three of the last four national titles. To put it in perspective: Alabama beat a well-coached, major conference team that will likely be in a bowl game by 25 points Saturday – and left disappointed in its performance.
"Everybody expects us to go out every game and win by 50, I feel like anyway, but it's the first game of the season," Steen said. "I'm glad we have this bye week here and we can just go ahead and focus on two weeks of A&M and try to get better."
The Hokies, who suffered a number of injuries to key players in the preseason, ran the ball decently but got little out of Thomas, who finished 5-of-26 for just 59 yards and one interception. That kind of pressure by Alabama may not be quite as effective against Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M, but if nothing else the Tide knows it can rely on its defense to carry it early in the season as the offense tries to gel.
"The offense did great, they did all they needed to do," Sunseri said. "We need to improve. we gave up a big run, and we pride ourselves on stopping those and never giving up big plays. We have a lot to improve on and we have to learn how to stop that so we have to keep growing, keep maturing."
Dan Wolken, a national college football reporter for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @DanWolken.


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Most orders for In-Stock products begin shipping as soon as your online purchase is completed. Products are shipped once they are located in stock, your payment is approved, and the receiving address is verified.
In stock
Compact 4 Wheeled Brief Arrivé
About this item
Style: 117178-1041
Business will be pleasure with this handsome wheeled brief. It features pockets for your laptop, two tablets, and everything else you need when working on the go—there's even a pocket with a USB port for your power bank (power bank not included), meaning you can stay connected easily. The effortless maneuverability and incomparable style make this one a sure winner.
The Arrivé collection takes its cues from automotive design, with high-polish chrome details, elegant curves, and sleek magnetic zippers. Our ultra-modern pieces make world-class business partners and travel companions.
Features and specifications
|39.5 x 20.5 x 44.5 cm
|5.214 kg
Interior Features
- Padded laptop pocket (fits 15" screens)
- 2 padded tablet pockets
- 2 zip pockets (one with USB cable designed to fit your power bank)
- 4 open pockets (one with protective lining)
- Compression straps
- Card pocket
- Pen loops
- Removable leather key ring
- TUMI Tracer®
Exterior Features
- Double-zip entry to main compartment
- Front U-zip pocket with magnetic zipper pull
- Front straight-zip pocket with magnetic zipper pull
- Zip opening to USB port/power bank pocket (power bank not included)
- Retractable leather top carry handle
- 5-stage telescoping handle
- 4 dual-spinner wheels
- Bumper guards and skid bar
- Magnetic luggage tag
- Add-a-Bag sleeve
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Explore our products


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The Philadelphia Area Center for History of Science invites applications for short-term Research Fellowships and nine-month Dissertation Writing Fellowships in the history of science, technology and medicine, broadly construed. The Center offers a vibrant, challenging and collegial community. Our fellows participate in many public and scholarly events, as well as informal reading and writing groups, held at the Center and throughout the region.
The Center is a consortium of educational and cultural institutions promoting scholarly and public understanding of the history of science, technology and medicine. Consortium institutions offer rich opportunities for research, with a combined total of more than 17 million scientific specimens, 20 million manuscript items, 2.5 million images, and rare books dating back to the 15th century.
Look on our website at www.pachs.net for further information, an online application form and a list of current and past fellows. The website also features: information about the fellowship programs of member institutions; descriptions of the distinctive collections in the museums, archives, and libraries of the consortium; and a consortium-wide search hub for rare books and manuscripts.
Applications for 2013-2014 must be submitted online by January 7, 2013. Applicants must submit: a Curriculum Vitae limited to two pages; an abstract limited to 150 words; and a project proposal, limited to 1,500 words, describing the research project and how it will advance scholarship in the history of science, technology or medicine. In addition, each applicant must ask two recognized scholars to submit letters of support through the same web site by January 14, 2013.


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Cheap Teacup Pigs
Phone: 801-376-5785
Teacup Piglets for sale
Teacup pigs
Useful Teacup pig information
Teacup pigs for sale in Alaska
Teacup pigs in New York
Teacup pigs in Connecticut
Teacup pigs in California
Teacup pigs in Arizona
Teacup pigs in Arkansas
Useful Teacup pig information and links
It is no secret that there has been some controversy over teacup pigs. A lot of attention was brought to it my A lady with large financial backing and extreme animal activist was we won't name but lives in California. She has several websites that she owns and has made it her full time job to reach out to different journalist. She has set up adoption programs but still requires fees. There is truth to sanctuaries being over-run by teacup pigs. Pet owners not yet ready to own a pet decide to pawn the pets off and let someone else claim responsibility. Owning any type of pet takes a lot of work and responsibility. Pounds are overrun by dogs and cats as well. We think it is wise to always look into getting a pet for adoption if possible before buying from a breeder.
With that being said we don't like the current hate campaign with the mission of scary people from having teacup pigs as pets. People should still have the right to choose whether or not they want a pet.
Pampered piglets
has sent out a press release About
misguided activist on teacup pigs
that helps state their stance on this false slander being put out that helps state their stance on this false slander being put out about teacup pigs not existing. News wires have been spreading recently admitting that
scientist have altered the genes and that teacup pigs do exist
. Teacup pigs are still very rare and they are expensive. They still require diets. Which bring up another point. Since numerous teacup pigs owners have come forth and proved with pictures that their
teacup pigs
not only exist but stay small these same activist have spread lies about these being normal size pigs and that they are just starved. This is another scare tactic and anyone that takes 5 seconds to think about it can figure out you can't just starve an animal and create a mini version. If you don't feed an elephant it dies it doesn't stay small. A mini pincher is not an underfed doberman and a teacup pig is definitely not an under fed hog. below are some links to videos as well as teacup pigs. As always feel free to email us with any questions we would love to help.
Here is a nice
article by TheDodo
on teacup pigs. I also think this micro pigs
question and answers page
has some great information on it as well.
Teacup pig lands backflip over dog
Adult Teacup pig in San Fran
Teacup Pig Dancing
Here is a nice article by TheDodo on teacup pigs.


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Hire Calling
This story appears in the August 2000 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Large companies have always had the edge when it comes to recruiting-their substantial budgets allow them to find new employees near and far. But the Internet is leveling that playing field, offering new ways for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to promote their businesses to job candidates. Today, even the smallest company can ad-vertise jobs on a Web site, go to recruiting sites such as Monster.com to post job openings or use mailing lists to get the word out. "For smaller businesses, the Net has decreased the barriers [to recruiting] and put them at the starting gate with larger employers," says Steve Pollock, 38, co-founder and president of WetFeet.com, a privately held, 5-year-old online provider of company, industry and career information in San Francisco.
Not only is the Net making it easier for small companies to promote job openings to Web-savvy job seekers, it's also speeding entrepreneurs toward the day when they can interview in real-time over the Net. The increasing power of computers, along with the growing availability of faster and cheaper high-speed Internet connections, will let entrepreneurs use live streaming video-digitally transmitted pictures that can be seen over a computer-to "meet" and weed out job applicants.
"In the very near future, phoning in for an interview over the computer will be commonplace," says Ken Ramberg, 35, co-founder of JOBTRACK.COM, an Internet-based service in Los Angeles that connects college graduates on campuses nationwide with potential employers through job listings. "[Online interviewing] will be a major benefit to small employers," he says, "who, in the past, have been limited by money and a local pool of employees."
Now You See It
For many entrepreneurs, posting jobs and sifting through the resulting resumes is only half the battle. Assuming you find prom-ising applicants, you still have to set up interviews. But what if, thanks to the Net, you're getting resumes from Portland, Maine, and you're in Portland, Oregon? Such situations have happened to Tena Hoke, 40, president and co-founder of EASE Software, a 10-year-old software engineering company in Beaverton, Oregon, thanks to a job link on its Web site. "We've gotten resumes from ev-erywhere-Canada, Russia, the UK and all over the U.S.," Hoke says. "At first, I was amazed, but now it's run-of-the-mill. We usually send out a canned response [to long-distance applicants] because it's too much of a problem to connect."
For budget-minded entrepreneurs, streaming video will let you interview potential employees in real time when face-to-face meetings are too challenging or expensive. With streaming video, both parties "dial in" to the same Internet connection so they can see and hear each other during the interview. Some software programs, like Microsoft's NetMeeting, even let both sides share resumes and other documents on-screen.
Another advantage: Online interviewing puts a face to a voice, and might even help determine whether it's worth the trouble to meet the candidate up close. "Streaming video would give us the opportunity to look at several candidates over the span of one hour, saving time, and, maybe in the long run, some money," says Steve Bradley, 37, CEO of RAC Solutions, a Bethesda, Maryland, company that provides customized com-puting services. He hasn't used streaming video for interviews yet because he still tends to recruit locally, but he's excited about its potential as his company expands. "Resumes and phone interviews alone don't do it for me," he says. "I need to see the person. Streaming video could be an added tool, a way to expedite the process."
The technology for streaming video has been around for a few years, but its market is small because most Internet connections are still too slow to support the large amount of digital information being sent and received. Today, people using slower Internet connections get grainy, slow video that lags behind the audio. This can be difficult for some people to handle. "The participants end up communicating via the audio," says Rick Pittson, product manager of Viewcast, a Dallas company that designs, manufactures and markets high-quality, standards-based video commu-nications solutions for businesses.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill MBA student Shannon Smith, 30, got some experience with online interviewing when she was on a European exchange program to the Netherlands in the fall of 1999. While there, she applied over the Net for jobs with various U.S. companies. She ended up doing preliminary interviews with some larger employers, live and online from videoconferencing facilities at her host school. Smith found the experience disjointed because the pictures and sound were out of synch. "I couldn't even look at [the interviewer] or I wouldn't hear the question," she says. "But at the same time, it was neat to see who I was talking to. The tech-nology is slow right now, but it will improve."
Ken Auer, 37, CEO of RoleModel Software Inc., a software company in Holly Springs, North Carolina, says that meeting someone via live video would be cheaper than flying the applicant out to interview, and could be useful if the person needs to do something that can't be done over the phone, like making a presentation on a white board. But Auer says he'll wait for the technology to improve. He adds that he'd never hire someone on the spot solely on the basis of an online video interview. "I'm not against [online interviewing]," he says, "but I'd need that face-to-face time before hiring, to let the person be around the others in the company beforehand."
Getting Started
If you think streaming video might eventually work for your business, here's what you'll need to get started: Internet access, conferencing software, a microphone, speakers and a video camera. The good news is, most of the hardware necessary is fairly inexpensive. Video cameras for computer use cost as little as $50, and microphones are even cheaper. Buying a headset with a built-in microphone is a good investment, because that will eliminate audio distortions. And the faster your computer and Internet connection, the better your experience with digital video will be.
There are a bunch of software options out there, the most well-known being Microsoft's NetMeeting (which comes bundled with Windows) and White Pine Software's CU-SeeMe (available for both Mac and PC). But be aware of compatibility issues, because some programs only work when the other party uses certain types of software. So ask a sales rep what the person at the other end of the connection needs to have in order to conference with you.
If setting up your own system sounds like a hassle, there are other options. With visitalk.com, PC customers are assigned free personal com-munications numbers-essentially Internet phone numbers-which are listed in a directory on the site. Members can connect to others via streaming video, voice mail or e-mail using NetMeeting or CU-SeeMe. "Videoconferencing is going to the Web," insists visitalk.com's Anne Price. "This is an option that small businesses didn't have before."
And finally, there are places that will set up your streaming-video meeting for you. Kinko's and Sprint have teamed up to provide packages with joint video-conferencing and streaming video-check out www.sprint.com/icc for details. But keep in mind that at least for now, this option tends to cost more than investing in your own system.
If you decide to dive headlong into digital video either now or later, be aware that the technology itself requires some advance planning and that going live online will create a whole new dynamic. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the experience:
- Use TV-friendly interviewers. Make sure the people conducting the interviews are comfortable being on camera. Remember, they are representing your company, and you don't want them to look distracted or upset in front of potential employees, who may already be nervous. To help, give interviewers some practice in front of a video camera and have others offer constructive criticism.
- Always have a backup plan. Make sure there's a phone nearby or you can access e-mail fairly quickly to contact the party on the other end if your connection fails. Right now, chances are, you'll have problems with the connection. (Smith's ex-perience as an interviewee is that getting connected to begin with is often the hardest part.) Make sure that prior to the interview, you figure out how you'll quickly reconnect if the line goes down. Knowing what to do if things disintegrate can alleviate stress on both sides of the screen.
- Streaming what? Video interviewing is still relatively new, and many job seekers may never have heard of it (much less experienced it). Don't be surprised if interviewees aren't familiar with this type of technology and be prepared to acquaint them with the process. By planning ahead, you'll feel more comfortable-which will help you make your initial recruiting decisions. Plus, planning ahead will surely save you some time and money down the line.
Contact Sources
- EASE Software, www.ease.com
- RAC Solutions, www.racsolutions.com
- RoleModel Software, www.viewcast.com
- Shannon Smith, email@example.com


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