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What do Roxy's look like?
Roxy is the street name for the prescription drug Roxicodone (generic name is Oxycodone Hydrochloride). It comes in different strengths, and each one looks different. In general, Roxy's are small, round pills. They are not capsules, because the drug is an immediate release formulation (unlike the drug OxyContin, which is the time-release formula of oxycodone hydrochloride.)
The most common street formulation of Roxy's is the 30mg strength. Generally, the 30 milligram Roxy's are small, round, and range from light to dark blue in color. All generic Roxy has the same active ingredient, but the different types of generics have different inactive ingredients. Some illicit users are very specific about the type of Roxy's they buy. They claim that binders in some of the formulation make the pills harder to break down for injecting or snorting. When manufacturers make generics, they just have to ensure that they have the same bioavailability (amount of free, active drug in the system) as the real thing. However, in the case of oral drugs like Roxy's, they only have to have the same ORAL bioavailability. Thus, different types of generic roxies could very well have different bioavailability for injection or snorting when compared to other types depending on the inactive ingredients.
The 15 milligram Roxy's are also often sold on the streets. These pills are also small and round and they usually are some shade of green. There are also 5, 10, and 20 milligram Roxy's, but these are rarer. 5 milligram pills are usually brown or white in color, 10 milligrams may be pink, and 20 milligrams are usually some shade of grey.
Keep in mind that these are just generalities. New types of generic pills come out all the time, and they don't need to adhere to any specific look or color. If you don't know if the pill you have is a Roxy, you should double check.
What do Roxy's look like? : How to check an unknown pill
If you buy Roxy's on the street, and they don't look like what you would expect or you don't know what Roxy's look like, you should always double check online. There are several free online sites that will tell you what kind of pill you have so you know what you are taking. This is very important for safety reasons.
If you type "Pill identifier" into your browser, several different sites will come up. You can type in identifying features of your pill such as size, shape, color, and imprints and the sites will tell you what the pill is. Usually, they will even provide a picture so that you can compare your unknown pill to the real thing.
Keep in mind that online sites sometimes sell counterfeit pills. Sometimes these will look identical and even have the same imprints as the real thing. There is really no way to tell, so it's best to avoid ordering Roxy's online, especially from any online pharmacy that is advertised via spam email.


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Mid-South producers are being reminded by USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Jackson, Miss., regional office that final sales closing dates for 2009 Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) are approaching. The dates below apply to Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi:
Corn — Feb. 28
Cotton — Feb. 28
Soybeans — Feb. 28
Rice — Feb. 28
Grain sorghum — Feb. 28
Peanuts — Feb. 28
Fresh market tomatoes — March 15
Insured growers have an opportunity to make important changes to their coverage. Current policyholders as well as uninsured growers must make all of their decisions on crop insurance coverage, especially which crops to insure and which level of coverage to obtain, prior to the sales closing date.
Producers should contact a local MPCI agent to learn additional program details. If the traditional MPCI program for your crop is not available in your county or parish, please ask your agent whether you would be eligible for coverage under a written agreement.
A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers throughout the United States or on the RMA Web site: AGENTS.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Genius of the System
The rich discussion on auteurs and auteurism in the previous post thread has me humming with questions. Let me take up one particular line of inquiry in this post.
I think it would be uncontroversial to assert that our present moment is not the Golden Age of American Cinema -- especially so in comparison with Hollywood's aesthetic zenith at the height of the studio era from the 1920s to the 1950s.
For example, here is a small subset of Andrew Sarris' list for best films of 1956: Ford's The Searchers; Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Wrong Man; Nicholas Ray's Bigger than Life and Hot Blood; Budd Boetticher's Seven Men from Now and The Killer is Loose; Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows, There's Always Tomorrow, and Battle Hymn; Fritz Lang's While the City Sleeps and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt; Vincente Minnelli's Lust for Life and Tea and Sympathy; Frank Tashlin's The Girl Can't Help It; George Cukor's Bhowani Junction; Stanley Kubrick's The Killing; Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers; George Stevens' Giant; Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments; and many more.
What was in place -- what combination of factors existed -- during that moment in Hollywood, and in America, that allowed a thousand good movies to bloom? One early answer came from André Bazin, who cautioned the 'young Turks' of Cahiers, like Truffaut, Rohmer and Rivette, against creating a "personality cult of the auteur". Instead, he defended the fertile context composed of industry, genre, and tradition he called "the genius of the system":
What makes Hollywood so much better than anything else in the world is not only the quality of certain directors, but also the vitality and, in a certain sense, the excellence of a tradition...The American cinema is a classical art, but why not then admire in it what is most admirable, i.e., not only the talent of this or that filmmaker, but the genius of the system, the richness of its ever-vigorous tradition, and its fertility when it comes into contact with new elements.
Bazin's point struck the Cahiers writers most forcefully only after his death, partly because the decline of the studio system faced them with mediocre works by such venerated filmmakers as Mann, Ray, and Cukor. 'We said,' remarked Truffaut bitterly, 'that the American cinema pleases us, and its filmmakers are slaves; what if they were freed? And from the moment that they were freed, they made shitty films.' Pierre Kast agreed: 'Better a good cinéma de salarie than a bad cinéma d'auteur.'
I think that the fine arts during the Renaissance and theatre during Elizabethan times might provide two parallels to Studio-era Hollywood. In all three periods, we had large numbers of artists who produced work of great collective volume for a single, sizable audience. The scale of the system could support and nourish a large number of artists and craftsmen, permitting them to work towards a technical mastery of skills. Further, genres flourished as conventions were created, elaborated, modified, transformed and regenerated in a continual and vital process of exchange with a mass audience.
Two more analogues of such "systems" spring to mind, both of which, like Studio-era Hollywood, thrived in the first half of the twentieth century. First, the era of the "Great American Songbook," with its brilliant roster of songwriter/composers including Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Shwartz & Dietz, Hoagy Carmichael, and dozens of others. The institutions that made this great flowering possible included Broadway, Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood itself.
Second: Comics -- both comic books and newspaper comics. The Comics Journal, the leading US publication that focuses on comics as an art-form, conducted a large poll in 1999 of the "100 best comics of the century" (scroll down about half-way). Their results are revealing: while a good number of contemporary "art-comics" make the list, the uppermost reaches are occupied by works of popular art from earlier in the century like George Herriman's Krazy Kat, Charles Schulz's Peanuts, Walt Kelly's Pogo, Winsor MacCay's Little Nemo and Carl Barks' Donald Duck (all in the top 10).
So, to draw the circle back to where we started. We all know that American movies are still Big Business. Viewership is high. The industry has seen rapid technological development, with a concomitant expansion of palette for artists and technicians. What, then, accounts for today's American films not being in the same league as those made during the '20s to the '50s? How are the two eras -- then and now -- crucially different? And what role might "the genius of the system" play in all of this?
I realize that I've advanced more questions than answers in this post, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these issues. Thank you!
Some recent reading:
-- I've respected and learned from Cineaste associate editor Thomas Doherty's writings over the years, but his new piece at The Chronicle of Higher Education, "The Death of Film Criticism," is disappointingly glib, lazy, and inaccurate (as others have pointed out). See Chuck Tryon's and Jim Emerson's responses to the piece, and Jonathan Rosenbaum's comments on the Chronicle post thread.
-- The new issue of Cineaste has about a dozen pieces available to read online, including a few "web exclusives."
-- Adrian Martin at Filmkrant: "For my part, I often return to a key article of 2004 by the young Brazilian critic Filipe Furtado which...begins with a fine gesture: it juxtaposes Kiarostami's Ten (2002) and McG's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) while sharply lamenting, 'the fact that it seems impossible to talk about them together struck me as a shame.'
-- Zach Campbell at The Auteurs on the extras and supplements for Criterion's DVDs of "Rossellini's War Trilogy."
-- Kevin Lee puts up Jia Zhang-ke's 1998 essay "The Age of Amateur Cinema Will Return."
-- David Hudson looks ahead to several new films including Secret of the Kells; and a tad late but no less interesting for its delay: Doug Cummings at Film Journey has put up his list of favorite films of 2009.
-- Several new posts at prolific Jeffrey Sconce's blog, Ludic Despair.
-- Craig Keller posts notes on several new Masters of Cinema DVD releases.
-- The Self-Styled Siren mounts a defense of Sam Wood; and Glenn Kenny takes up auteurism in his "Topics/Questions/Exercises of the Week" column at The Auteurs.
-- Is there a harder-working film-blogger than Michael Guillen of The Evening Class? Recently: he interviewed James Benning.
-- A nice overview of the career of Sergei Parajanov by Ian Christie in the new Sight & Sound.


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TAKE NOTE! Update your address books, because in a month or so, my only email address will be:
Yep, hotmail - the first email address I ever got, back in the 1900s. Remember the days? Horse-drawn wagons...gals in bonnets...barn dances...how we got those barns to dance I'll never understand (boom-tish!). Anyway, I'm getting rid of hosting my own bandwidth - everything's blogspot, mediafire and divshare from now on. Will save me plenty of $, so if there's anything you want to download from the old days, do it now. Otherwise, write me/leave a comment, and I'll re-up on divshare or sumthin.
Last week was my 6th appearance (I counted!) guest dj-ing on legendary weird-ologist Greg Bishop's show Radio Misterioso, and Greg thinks it might be the strangest one yet. He has posted it for your listening/downloading pleasure:
Music For Maniacs on Radio Misterioso
"Plan Nine From Outer Space" intro
EJH (Electronic Jew's Harp) "Skyer" [thanks to Rich from Kill Ugly Radio]
David Leibe Hart "Ring Out The New Year" [from new Best Of cassette]
Stock Hausen & Walkman "Index"
Jean-Jacques Perrey "Crazy Crow & Daffyduck"
Mel Blanc "Daffy Duck's Rhapsody"
Mel Blanc "Daffy Duck drug PSA"
Bernie Sizzey (Solitaire) "Smokin' and Trippin' Song"
"The Hippie Revolt" film ad
Ben Colder "The Love-In"
Lothar & The Hand People "L-O-V-E (Ask For it By Name)"
Rascal Reporters "Freaks Obscure"
Lalo Schifren "Be Happy Again (Jingle of the Future)"
Longmont Potion Castle "Rec Center"
The Korn Kobblers "The Light Turned Red"
Duangdao Mondara & Chailai "Muhammad Ali (Black Superman)"
"Space is So Startling" (original London cast recording): "Sleep on! /Millions of years ago /Why worry? /It would help a lot to squat"
Twink The Toy Piano Band "Tough Cookie"
Messer Chups "Voodoo Man"
The Spotniks "Rocket Man" [see the video we were talking about HERE]
William Shatner "Rocket Man" [not the well-known video version, but a new studio remake]
"Space is So Startling": "The world can be one family/Space is So Startling"
Bill Cosby "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"
Ted Mazio Percussion Group "I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
D.A.F. "Die Fesche Lola"
Shoji Tabuchi "Orange Blossom Special"
King Kennytone & His Top Toppers "Sussy Twist"
Bogard Brothers "I'm In Love"
The Hathaway Family Plot "Means of Production"
Ace of Clubs "Rehab Dem Bones" [Amy Winehouse vs Herman Munster mashup]
David Leibe Hart "That Girl" [previously unreleased tune from new Best Of cassette]
Department of Crooks "Plan Nine From Las Vegas"
Hoosier Hot Shots "Etiquette Blues"
"Thank you for your very kind attention."


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UK immigration matters and articles on migration, studying or working in the UK, as well as other countries. UK immigration visa appeals, refusal of visas or leave to remain, deportation and removal from the UK and overstaying in the UK. Articles on setting up a business online and making money online.
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Always good to see these old girls being restored / looked after. I had one of these as my first car.
So Recently I bought this,
An AE-82, Toyota Corolla with its original 4A-C Carby engine inside. Built back in August 1985, with only one owner? I couldn't pass up.
Sure its not the worlds most exciting or popular car, but to me having the late 80's look and being in next to mint condition for what i paid? Its perfect.
It has a few km's on the clock at around 370k, came from a cane farm down near Bundaberg, and the older man who owned the car was one of the nicest i have ever met.
The car overall was in great condition other than a pretty messy engine bay, few missing screws throughout the car, faded plastic and a crack in one of the rear lights...
Its unregistered for now, but tomorrow i actually have my roadworthy booked, and hope to see it become the first day for it back on the road in a few years.
At this stage i'm mainly working on cleaning up the car, e.g. replacing some bad wiring within the engine bay and giving the inside a really good clean, however who knows whats to come
- Darcy
Always good to see these old girls being restored / looked after. I had one of these as my first car.
Ae86 Drivingclub - Toyota AE86 Car Club where AE86 | KE70 | Toyota 86 / GT86 | Subaru BRZ | Scion FRS owners
Long story short, it didn't pass the roadworthy, tyres made back in 2001 dont always look great and my rear drum brakes need some work.
Couple of other little things but hey, as most of us were expecting for a car its age it was due for something to be worked on. Nothing major other than the tyres and brakes but still, HOWEVER.....
Took off the rocker cover cover today, this was a fun find. It kinda solves the engine clicking noise too...
Its surprising how well it has been running despite the rocker arm being clean snapped off for who knows how long...
The snapped off part wasn't far away and thankfully by the looks no fragments have come off that could be running through the engine.
So i have some more mechanical work to do, but hey, wasn't listed for the RWC not that i will be driving it like this
Thats awesome, I bought a Mazda engine years ago and put it in my 323 van, and it never ran quite right. Took it in for a tune up and they bore scoped it, and noticed a chunk out of a piston. Drove it like that for years and eventually sold the car to a mechanic from the local mazda dealer.
Chunk out of a piston? damn! Its crazy how little knocks and sounds turn out to be stuff like this while the car is still running decently....
Managed to install the new rocker arms, somehow managed to over torque a bolt and break it though so i had to quickly touch that up....
I had a spare bolt and where it broke i managed to unscrew it with pliers but, i did learn my lesson with really taking it slow torquing things, which is what the whole car is for me, a learning experience.
Touched her up, went full ricer and painted the rocker cover but hey, its about making her appeal to me and not the world. (though my goals are for it to stay pretty true to stock, no turbos or body kit crap (cool but not for this car))
So long story short i got her registered! Its been a while but thats because i have been busy....
First day on the road, i travel about 15km to visit family, yknow show em the car? BAM, car breaks down at their house...
Thick rust in the fuel tank woke up and started being fed into my car. Blockages and gunk, you name it.
So, for a while, my car sat at their house, waiting for help. During work days i would bounce over and get to work, needles to say though now its all fixed. From dropping the fuel tank (which took ages (seized bolts)).
Guernied inside the fuel tank to clean it, god it was bad. Came up nice though.
Washed the water out with metho, let it dry, easy peasy and did a bit of sealing with good ol WD40.
Before and after shots to compare, 40~ years of dust dirt and tar kinda hinders the look of it
Such drama but all good now
Everything was going well, fuel tank fixed, or so i thought...
Bam! One day, a few weeks ago now, i realised my car was struggling to start, checked my fuel filter and it was happening again. Rust was finding its way back into my fuel tank like crazy.
The fuel filter was literally chocking with f*king rust. Opened up the tank and surely enough i had rust sludge at the bottom and feathery crap all in the tank, not to mention the fuel pickup was falling apart and the fuel sender died the following day.
So off to the wreckers i went, there were two cars with fuel units that could be compatible, the first car was a slightly newer version of my car, and a hatchback model, fuel tank would have been perfect but someone had put a screwdriver through the tank a few times..... HOWEVER the sender unit in it was exactly what i was looking for and i managed to get out for a mere $10, pretty good for what was almost a bran-new sender.
And thankfully, the other older corolla out there that i had already been pinching engine parts off of had the same fuel tank again in perfect condition, it even had half a tank of fuel, which became a problem when i was ready to remove it.
See, our wreckers out here had a few interesting rules, NO JACKS under any circumstances, and NO FUEL SIPHONS, which was a pain in the ass. Partial to the fact that my model of fuel tank has no drain port, and the car being so low to the ground with me barely being able to fit under it, i knew i was in for it. Did i mention the two bolts holding the fuel tank straps were seized? oh yeah that was fun. Hot weather, an hour and a half of trying to take the bolts off (no joke 90mins(i ended up just cutting the straps with pliers)). overall it took two and a bit hours to get the tank out, and i was a little light headed from heat and the petrol i was soaked in, but it was not in vain i had a bran-new fuel tank to go with. Easy. Ish.
$10 Sender unit, $35 fuel tank (which i sneakily left the fuel pickup unit attached in so they didn't notice or charge me for), so $45 worth of parts and before i put it in i made sure i cleaned all of my fuel lines, which were pretty good thankfully and i cleaned the carby out. Glad i did all of the lines properly this time too because i actually found a near kinked fuel line so my car is actually getting a decent amount at high speeds/RPM, explaining a bit of the lag i was feeling. And now?
she runs perfectly! For now!


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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. and WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Oct. 4, 2012) – The ETSU men's and women's tennis teams will each be in fall action this weekend, as the men's side heads to the UVA Fall Classic and the women's squad hits up the Wake Forest Invitational.
Each tournament is scheduled to open on Friday and conclude with championship finals on Sunday. The UVA Fall Classic will be held at the Cavaliers' Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center, and feature teams including UVA, Wake Forest and VCU. Meanwhile, the Wake Forest Invitational will take place at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex, and feature teams including Louisville, West Virginia, UNC Greensboro and the Demon Deacons.
Heading to UVA from ETSU's men's team will be seniors Jesus Bandres (Caracas, Venezuela) and Juan Ramirez (Asuncion, Paraguay), junior Roger Ordeig (Gurb, Spain), and sophomores Rogerio Ribeiro (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Jorge Varon (Valencia, Venezuela) and Ricardo Pabon (Bogota, Columbia). Bandres and Ribeiro will make up one doubles team, Ramirez and Varon the second, followed by Pabon and Ordeig.
Of the men's team's weekend participants, Ribeiro holds the most singles wins this fall with an 8-1 record. Last weekend, he ran through the top singles flight at UTC's Steve Baras Fall Classic, helping ETSU capture all four of the tournament's singles titles. Pabon took home Flight 4, and holds the team's largest winning streak at five games.
On the way to Winston-Salem will be senior Antonia Kolovou (Larisa, Greece), junior Salma Dahbi (Marrakech, Morocco), redshirt freshman Lyn Yee Choo (Kuching, Malaysia) and true freshman Anna Gerbasi (Caracas, Venezuela). Kolovou will test her skills in the tournament's top flight, while Gerbasi and Choo compete in Flight B and Dahbi tries her run in Flight C. As far as doubles go, Gerbasi and Choo take on the top competition in Flight A, while Kolovou and Dahbi look to capture Flight B.
Gerbasi makes her first appearance since last month's UNCW-Landfall Invitational, where she went 3-0 in Flight C en route to winning her first collegiate title. Choo has competed at both the UNCW and USC Upstate tournaments, boasting a 5-1 singles record. Dahbi holds a 3-1 fall record, while Kolovou will be looking to improve upon her 2-3 mark.
Recaps will be available at the conclusion of each day on ETSUBucs.com. Tournament draws will be posted as soon as they become available.
ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for "Buc Updates." Click here to sign up today!
For more information on ETSU tennis, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the tennis links.


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Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Cut and Run
What a difference a week and nine points in the national polls make.
I actually had to do a double-take when I first saw this story, figuring I was reading it wrong because there was just no way it could be true. He may be a half-batshit old man, but John McCain simply wouldn't allow himself to be put in a position where it could look to some voters like he was, well, running scared.
But nope, it's true.
John McCain wants to postpone Friday's first presidential debate with Barack Obama.
The excuse he's offering is that, suddenly, now is not the time for partisan bickering -- that he's planning to suspend his campaign temporarily to focus on the current economic catastrophe and that Barack Obama should do likewise for the good of the country. For those playing along at home, that would be the economic catastrophe caused by the deregulation, mismanagement, unfettered greed and bald-faced incompetence that his party willfully promoted and which he himself has espoused (regardless of the horseshit he's spewing now in an effort to distance himself from this disastrous mess).
So basically, McCain wants to call a time out now that his team's down by nine in the fourth quarter (and make no mistake, if the roles were reversed and it was the Obama campaign lagging behind in the polls, McCain not only wouldn't agree to such nonsense, he and his surrogates would be on every television network in America -- even the Cartoon Network -- mercilessly ridiculing Obama for his cowardice, to say nothing of his inability to multitask).
Tell you what -- Obama should agree to let McCain off the hook for Friday provided he agrees to a no-holds-barred joint press conference to include both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin -- during which they'll be grilled about their respective plans for the economy, foreign policy, anything else that comes to mind.
I figure with all that executive experience, Palin should probably have some really good ideas for solving these problems.
And McCain, well, he spent time in a Vietnamese prison camp -- surely he can handle a few pointed questions.
I mean, really, he's a war hero -- there's no way he's afraid.
16 comments:
McCain knows jack shit about the economy, why should he want to delay. And not to stir up any old jokes, but I will, the proof that he doesn't know anything about the economy can be found in the fact that anyone who owns seven houses we can only conclude that he can't see (and probably has never even heard) the economy from his back porch. This is just another tactic to make McCain look like he actually gives a shit and is not just trying to use the presidency to fill his pockets with bucket loads of cash. This is all a ploy to make him look like a "compassionate conservative", which, in the Republican world - let you tell you folks - there is no such thing.
Just another tactic to make Obama look like a self-centered elitist jerk. Nice one, McCain.
Next he is going to try and delay the elections for another year of two, or four, or eight, until they can figure this whole thing out. The thought of 'W' being prez for another terms makes me want to take a long dive off a short cliff. All the sudden I don't feel so good.
- Steve said...
Hope he has Depends.
To paraphrase Monty Python-
This is supposed to be a presidential campaign. Let's not bicker and argue over who fucked-up what.
- Steve said...
By the way, in spite of what some pundits suggest, this isn't the GOP's "Hail Mary" play.
I'm afraid that when it comes, it will involve National Security, which is McCain's only card left to play.
check this link for the Palin video out: http://www.mollygood.com/video-of-witch-hunter-blessing-palin-20080924/
Then read this: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20278737/jesus_made_me_puke/print
If I wasn't scared shitless before, I am now.
- Heather said...
Em --
I thought the same thing when I saw this, and then Obama's subsequent rejection of the delay. This will either make him look really good; or really, really bad. The other side of the fence will loudly proclaim him an ass because unlike their guy he doesn't care about the economy and finding solutions enough to postpone a "silly" debate. I agree with Obama's logic, that this is the time we need to hear from the potential leaders, what they think and what their plans are because this bailout will not be the end of it. It will help, but there's a lot more mess to clean up afterward, and whichever of them wins will be the one stuck with it.
I find it odd that the very man who promoted deregulation is now all about throwing under the bus the very same people he helped, and spewing talking points about a situation he helped to create.
It makes my head hurt.
- Kurgan said...
It seems like the Obama camp called McCain in the morning.
The conversation went something like, "I dunno, what do you want to do?".
As the McCain camp was wringing their hands, looking for an aanswer and an angle, Karl Rove got back in from lunch.
The rest is history. It is a farce. It is a smoke screen. It is brilliant!
I swear that evil bastard is my hero!
- Master Mahan said...
First McCain delays the opening of the Republican National Convention on account of hurricane, and now he wants to back off of a debate because deregulation proved to be as astonishingly stupid as it always does. Fucker. It's not so much the palatable sense of desperation that pisses me off, it's the exploitation of other people's suffering. It's clear the only disaster McCain is worried about is his campaign. Sure, any potential president with the ability to learn when something isn't working is a refreshing change from the Bush Administration repeatedly smashing the country into a brick wall rather than turning the goddamn wheel. Being able to change is good. This isn't change, though. This is blind panic.
I'd also love to hear McCain, self-admitted economy idiot, explain what exactly he plans on doing in Washington.
- Ryan said...
Obama should say yes to bumping the presidential debate on one condition: swap the veep debate on the 2nd with Friday's.
Let Biden/Palin go toe to toe on Friday... not like they'll be doing anything anyways while BO & Pappy are off saving the fiscal world ;)
- Chez said...
According to CNN, McCain wants to move Friday's debate to October 2nd and move the VP debate scheduled for that night to... well... some other day.
I agree with swapping the Prez debate with the Veep, but it looks like moving the VP debate is what this whole gambit was about.
- Pants said...
What a crock! How can they get away with this? Should we send in UN election observers?
I think that this is going to blow up in McCain's face. He just looks like a huge pussy who's afraid of getting his ass handed to him in the debate. The funny part is that the debate was supposed to be about foreign policy which is McCain's strong suit.
All Obama had to do to undermine McCain's supposed maverick move was to do exactly what he did and ask why McCain couldn't do both. That's really not that much to ask, really.
Everybody on Earth knows that McCain knows jack shit about the economy, so it's not like he's running up to Washington to do anything except to put on a show. Couldn't he run up there, have some face time, vote, and fly down to Mississippi? That's not entirely unreasonable to expect for someone WHO'S RUNNING FOR FUCKING LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD! Shouldn't we at least require the fucker to be able to multitask?
- b80vin said...
Yes, McCain wants to cancel the VP debate and move the first Presidential debate. The Dems are saying they have an agreement with Paulson. The only thing left is to see how the Republicans vote on the agreement between now and Friday. If they delay the vote or defeat the agreement we know this will be a partisan tactic to shield Palin from Biden and not in any way to help the country.
The second thing is that, according to polls (for whatever they're worth) the majority don't want to cancel the debates and don't think the nominees should suspend their campaigning.
It's getting more and more obvious that voting for McCain/Palin would be treasonous.
- dick_gozinia said...
My thought is McCain wants to move the debate because he's sure that the debate will lean heavily toward economic policy questions.
Which he knows absolutely nothing about. Remember the "economic policy is not my strong suit," comment that Romney, Giuliani and others hammered him over in the primaries? And why have I not seen hourly Obama commercials where they play that sound clip to death? Hell, even Ron Paul made McCain look like a bumbling idiot when he asked him a debate question about the President's Working Group on Financial Markets. McCain basically answered by saying, "I have no idea what that is, but I've got guys like Phil Gramm who do."
How'd that vast economic knowledge of Gramm's work out for our current economic situation?
McCain knows that Obama can absolutely smoke him on economic topics and doesn't want to walk into that buzzsaw Friday. By postponing, he takes the chance that he gets good press over helping to push a recovery package through, the markets somewhat stabilize, and he doesn't get peppered with economic questions that he can;t reasonably answer. Because "economic policy is not my strong suit."


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April 2008
4 April 2008
On Friday March 28, Australia Zoo staff converged on Suncity Tenpin to knock down a few pins and raise funds for Cassowary conservation.
Organised by Australia Zoo's very own POUNCE (Profits Only Used for Needy Conservation Efforts) team, 'Bowling for Cassowaries' attracted over 80 staff and their families all playing to win!
Competition was fierce but nothing could stop fiery team the 'Zoo Crew' as they bowled there way to victory! With a cumulative score of 490, the unbeatable team included Rowena (Shuttle), John (Buses), Jason (Customer Service) and Hannah (Admissions). Well done team!
Competition aside, it was a fantastic night which raised nearly $600 for the Southern Cassowary.
The Southern Cassowary is the largest native herbivore in the Australian rainforests. It is seen as the flagship species for the conservation of Wet Tropics rainforest conservation and attracts regional, national and international attention as a unique and impressive bird. Sadly, due to extensive habitat destruction, the Cassowary is classified as endangered with only 1200 individuals left in Australia.
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- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 22, 2010) - The ETSU baseball team is set to face Campbell in a three-game series this weekend at Taylor Field in Buies Creek, N.C. The first game is set for 6 p.m. on Friday with a doubleheader to be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Bucs (20-16, 9-6 A-Sun) have dropped their last three contests coming into the weekend. ETSU is 6-2 in weekend series this year including 2-0 on the road with series wins over Lipscomb and Jacksonville. Junior Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) has continued to put up gaudy numbers as he is hitting .455 with 18 doubles, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 131 total bases slugging .903 with a .540 on base percentage.
ETSU is 6-6 all-time against the Camels after taking two of three from Campbell in 2009.
The Camels (19-19, 5-13 A-Sun) come into the series having lost three of their last five games including two of three the USC Upstate. Campbell is led by junior Ellis Lowe as he is hitting .393 with 19 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBI. As a team Campbell has swiped 100 bags in 38 games.
Live stats and audio are available for all three games by clicking the links above. For more information on Buccaneer baseball or any other athletic news, please visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Crane and Co., a Massachusetts-based company, has been providing the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing with paper for U.S. currency since 1879.Â
The U.S. Currency Education Program
By clicking this this link, you will leave this site.
Al hacer clic en este vÃnculo saldrá de este sitio.
Your version of Internet Explorer is out-of-date. For the best experience with our site, please update to Internet Explorer 10.
You are now leaving the U.S. Currency Education Program website.


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Backpackers Pantry Freeze Dried Lasagna 2 Person ServingID1298856
Backpackers Pantry Freeze Dried Lasagna 2 Person Serving - As outdoor enthusiasts participating in an array of activities Backpacker's Pantry understands the need to pack light and eat well. They are dedicated to creating dishes that satisfy not only your palate but your nutritional needs as well. Preparing products using both the freeze drying and dehydration methods not only reduces the weight and prolongs shelf life, but also locks in all of the nutrients needed to keep an active body fueled and ready for the next adventure. Directions: Add 4-1/2 cups (1,080ml) of boiling water. Stir well. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir and serve.
- Dry Weight: 7 oz
- Servings Per Package: 2
- Nutrition Facts: Per Serving
- Calories: 380
- Total Fat: 5g
- Sodium: 690mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 55g
- Sugers: 11g
- Protein: 23g


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MAC Meeting
Repeats weekly until May. 16
Houston Harte University Center Multicultural & Student Activities Center UC 114
The Multicultural Advisory Council is a diverse group of student leaders that seeks to broaden traditional definitions of the term multicultural.
The council is comprised of student representatives from the registered multicultural organizations on campus.
We look for members who possess a passion for educating the campus community about a variety of multicultural topics and issues. Multicultural Advisors must be active advocates of unity and peace.
Composed of 20 students, the Multicultural Advisory Council is committed to inclusion, diversity, and identity development. The advice provided by this council will serve as a guide for multicultural educational programs and activities.
- Must be a fulltime ASU student
- Must have a GPA of 2.0 or above
- Must be active in a Registered Student Organization


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Personal Banking
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North Star Bank is an independent, locally owned bank with a proud tradition of sound management and integrity. Established in 1947, we have been continuously committed to providing quality, customized banking service for personal and commercial financial needs. When you bank with us, your money is reinvested into the community in which you live and work…and in people just like you.
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Deposit and loan products offered by North Star Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender


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Renters and buyers find prices in the Sarasota area have increased, partly because of a lack of viable supply.
When Mike Beller moved to Sarasota three years ago, he didn't expect apartment hunting to be such an arduous chore.
The 31-year-old had lived in Sarasota several years ago, and he grew up in Largo, just north of St. Petersburg, where rents were always relatively cheap. He expected the same here.
But after a frustrating nine months last year looking for a modest place to live with his wife, Michelle, and their 3-year-old son, the family was about ready to call it quits.
They toured more than 25 apartments in the area. Each was either beyond the budget of their retail jobs or in an area where they did not feel safe.
They were ready to move when he stumbled upon a newly renovated complex at the corner of Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue. The family now rents a two-bedroom apartment for $670 per month — a cost that is below market value thanks to a government subsidy.
"I never figured it would take so long to find a decent place to live," Beller said. "It was not a pleasant surprise."
The family's frustrations are commonplace throughout Southwest Florida, and not just among renters.
In a trend that is almost certain to resurrect the same complication that affected Southwest Florida during the mid-2000s real estate boom, affordable housing is once again becoming increasingly difficult to find.
If prices continue to rise, experts believe working-class professions such as teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers soon will be largely unable to afford housing — a phenomenon that could have wide-ranging economic repercussions.
Fierce demand from homebuyers and renters alike, coupled with a tight supply, has inflated the cost of housing to its highest point since the onset of the Great Recession in 2007.
And stagnant employee wages have failed to keep pace — a troubling mix that has many working families spending a greater percentage of their incomes on housing than is considered financially stable.
And with housing expenses expected to appreciate further — along with other essential commodities like food, gas and clothing — many officials are scrambling to come up with solutions.
'It's a shocker'
The problem highlights the vast shift that has occurred in Southwest Florida's home market faster than industry observers expected.
Housing prices had sunk by as much as 60 percent during the prolonged downturn. Just three years ago, when the economy bottomed out, the idea that Southwest Florida would again struggle with the issue of affordable housing this soon seemed inconceivable.
"Without a doubt it's a shocker we're here this fast," said Jack McCabe, a housing analyst in Deerfield Beach. "We're getting back to the rapid price increases that will make it more difficult for Floridians to afford their housing. That's my biggest concern right now."
Propelled by affluent foreigners and baby boomers buying retirement homes, sales across Southwest Florida this year are on pace for one of their highest marks in history.
That demand has boosted the median sales price for a single-family home in Sarasota to $217,000 in April, a 24 percent increase over the year and the highest since August 2008.
At the same time, regional rents also are rising at one of the fastest rates in the nation, as recession-battered borrowers pushed out of their homes by foreclosure turn to leased apartments.
The Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice area has the fourth highest rental demand of all metropolitan statistical areas in the country, with an average occupancy of nearly 97 percent, according to data from apartment data provider Axiometrics Inc.
That has pushed up rental rates in the past year up by 6.68 percent — the sixth fastest pace in the nation and nearly double the U.S. average.
Workers' wages have not kept pace.
In Florida, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $995. To afford that under the optimum formula for a family's housing costs, a household would need to earn $39,804 per year, which translates to a wage of $19.14 per hour, according to research from the University of Florida.
The average wage among renters in Florida is a much lower $14.32, UF statistics show.
"The general workforce has been priced right out of the market," said Harvey Vengroff, who operates 1,400 low-cost rental units in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
"A lot of people have called in the past few months who are living out of a station wagon because they cannot afford rent. We're talking about the single mom with two kids."
Housing affordability — based on current prices and median incomes — dropped nearly 35 percent in the Sarasota-Bradenton area during the first quarter of 2013 as compared with the region's historical average from 1985 to 1999, according to Zillow, a Seattle-based real estate information firm.
In Charlotte County, the same measure fell nearly 38 percent, Zillow's research shows.
The total amount of income that consumers spend on housing also has climbed 19.1 percent from the historical average in Sarasota-Bradenton, and 9.7 percent in Charlotte.
Housing officials say the healthy average a family should dedicate to housing costs is 30 percent of take-home pay. But most Floridians have far surpassed that benchmark, a trend that presents a danger to the overall economy, experts warn.
Nationwide, more than a quarter of working, renter households spend at least half of their income on housing costs, according to the National Center for Housing Policy.
"There's a reason for concern," said Bill Russell, executive director of the Sarasota Housing Authority. "People, by default, are just paying a higher and higher percentage of their income on housing. It has really put renters in a squeeze."
Supply and demand
Experts say the problem roots at a lack of viable supply.
That's because a series of affordable apartments were converted into condominiums during the housing bubble, and there were no new complexes built during the prolonged recession.
At the same time, demand from renters who need to lease a property because of their bruised credit standing has skyrocketed.
To combat the problem, the Housing Authority is applying for a $1 million grant from the IRS, which the local agency can then use to build income-based housing.
A similar program was used to refurbish the 28-unit complex where the Bellers live.
If the $1 million is awarded, Russell estimates that it would result in nearly 70 new low-cost apartments.
The dearth of affordable housing is not limited to Southwest Florida.
Requests for housing relief are pouring into housing assistance offices at near record levels throughout the state.
"The problem is the governor and Legislature have not kept up with the market, and it's understandable," said Jamie Ross, president of the Florida Housing Coalition. "This has all happened fairly quickly."
Many local nonprofits formed to create affordable homeownership were funded from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, which provides revenue to local governments through a formula based on population.
But money for the program has largely run dry, the result of government budget constraints and questions over how the funding was handled, which has forced many housing agencies to close their doors.
Fiscal 2008 and 2009 was the last time the Florida Legislature devoted SHIP money to the the Florida Housing Finance Corp., which administers the program. That year, the agency received $176.3 million.
Of that, $3.74 million was directed to Sarasota County, $3.08 million to Manatee and $1.6 million to Charlotte County, state records show.
The earmark, along with another $30 million from other programs, kept many SHIP-funded agencies afloat until last year.
Housing officials, meanwhile, have lobbied for money from a $25 billion mortgage settlement spurred by the banks' handling of the foreclosure crisis.
"It has really limited the housing assistance available in these communities," Cecka Green, a spokesman for the Florida Housing Finance Corp., said. "Anytime there's a lack of funding, you definitely have these challenges."


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Douglas Arrison necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 221 diseños de 63 diseñadores freelance.
Logo design needed that will serve as logo for website and business cards - but could eventually be used on solar products (solar bags, backpacks, other consumer solar items). I'm looking for something simple but striking and slightly edgy. Most competitors are old school and use the sun in the "O" of solar. That is NOT what I'm looking for. My self done logo is a nod to what I'm looking for. Thank you!
The dasolar.com business is a web based business. The main functions of our site are to educate people about energy and renewable energy - and sell solar products (from solar lights all the way up to solar panels.) The logo should be simple, fresh and give a new feel - and be translatable to business cards and ultimately to consumer products.
The ".com" needs to be part of the logo as that is how people willknow how to reach us. The "da" in "dasolar" represents the foundersinitials, but we recognize that alot of people will look at the nameand pronounce it like "daaaa". Oh well. Our preference is to keep the"dasolar.com" as small letters in keeping with the lower case nature ofthe web address.
Simple, clean, fresh, new. I like the concept of the Fibonnaci spiral of the sunflower on the home page - maybe work that in somehow? I likethe use of colors to break up the name into it's parts (my attempt toseparate the "da").
The colors on the site can be a guide for logo colors. Feel free to contact me with questions.
- Don't want the sun in the "O" of solar
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Jamey Johnson Celebrates the Music of Hank Cochran with Upcoming Duets Album
Jamey Johnson has announced that his upcoming record is a duets album dedicated entirely to the music of legendary songwriter Hank Cochran. 'Livin' For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran' is slated for release on Oct. 16, and features Johnson performing duets with Willie Nelson, George Strait, Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello and many more.
Cochran, whose catalog includes 'I Fall to Pieces,' 'Ocean Front Property,' 'The Chair,' 'Make the World Go Away' and many other timeless classics, is one of the most celebrated songwriters in country music history. He was a mentor and friend to many up-and-coming artists, including Johnson, who used to park his bus outside Cochran's hospital and run in to see him after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Johnson joined Buddy Cannon and Billy Ray Cyrus in a bedside jam in Cochran's room just hours before he died in 2010.
"If I had to dream up somebody like Hank to influence songwriters, I couldn't have done a better job," Johnson commented in a press release. "That's what he was — not just for me, but for Willie and for a lot of people — just a helpful friend. If he knew you needed help with something, he could help you. He was there. And that's what I want to be for the people in my life, same as Hank. He influenced me, not only as an artist and songwriter, but also as a person."
'Livin' For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran' features Johnson and Willie Nelson performing 'Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me,' and the duo is joined by Leon Russell and Vince Gill on 'Everything But You.' Johnson teams with Merle Haggard on the Patsy Cline hit 'I Fall to Pieces,' while he, Nelson, Haggard and Kris Kristofferson sing 'Living for a Song.' Other notable performers include Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Ray Price and Ronnie Dunn.
Cochran's widow, Suzi Cochran, says the songwriter would have approved of the album, which is a labor of love from a friend. "This is incredible," she says "I wish Hank had been here to see it. He wouldn't believe it. He would have cried. He'd be happy. It's exactly like Hank would have done it."
Jamey Johnson's 'Livin' For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran' Track List:
1. 'Make the World Go Away' – Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss
2. I Fall to Pieces' – Jamey Johnson and Merle Haggard
3. 'A Way to Survive' – Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill and Leon Russell
4. 'Don't Touch Me' – Jamey Johnson and Emmylou Harris
5. 'You Wouldn't Know Love' – Jamey Johnson and Ray Price
6. 'I Don't Do Windows – Jamey Johnson and Asleep at the Wheel
7. 'She'll Be Back' – Jamey Johnson and Elvis Costello
8. 'Would These Arms Be in Your Way' – Jamey Johnson
9. 'The Eagle' – Jamey Johnson and George Strait
10. 'A-11′ – Jamey Johnson and Ronnie Dunn
11. 'I'd Fight the World' – Jamey Johnson and Bobby Bare
12. 'Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me' – Jamey Johnson and Willie Nelson
13. 'This Ain't My First Rodeo' – Jamey Johnson and Lee Ann Womack
14. 'Love Makes a Fool of Us All' – Jamey Johnson and Kris Kristofferson
15. 'Everything But You' – Jamey Johnson, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and Leon Russell
16. 'Livin' for a Song' – Jamey Johnson, Hank Cochran, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson


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2010 Summer Session
June 21 - July 1, 2010
American University Washington College of Law (WCL) announces the third annual Health Law and Policy Institute. This two-week program will provide JD and LLM students and practitioners with training in a broad spectrum of health law and policy topics. Custom-developed courses taught by nationally recognized health lawyers from private practice, health care organizations, government, and non-governmental organizations will provide an intensive learning experience. The Health Law and Policy Institute is designed for students and lawyers who are practicing or preparing to practice health care law, and offers training in theoretical and practical aspects of health law and policy. WCL's location in the nation's capital also provides students with an opportunity to combine participation in the Institute with exciting externships or summer positions that will enrich their health care law experience. Guest lectures, panel discussions, and other activities will provide Health Law and Policy Institute participants with dynamic learning and networking opportunities. Institute officials will act as liaisons to select participants interested in learning about internships/externships.
Program Fees
Academic Credit
Tuition per credit: $1,503
Student Activity Fee: $50
Certificate of Attendance/CLE
1 course: $1,200
2 courses: $1,950
3 courses: $2,500
4 courses: $3,000
5 courses: $3,500
International Health and Human Rights
Introduces students to the substance and theory of human rights law through a focus on public health. Exploring the linkage between human rights, international public health policy, and international law, the course examines the right to health vis-á-vis other human rights, as framed by international treaties and covenants. Academic credit requirement: 15 page paper, plus endnotes, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday and Tuesday (June 21-22)
Comparative Health Systems
This course examines health systems from a comparative perspective. Like the U.S., many countries are struggling with economic, social and legal issues facing their respective health care systems and are being overwhelmed by escalating costs. In the process, many countries are confronting tensions between improving quality, ensuring adequate access, and controlling costs. This course will begin by defining "health systems" and exploring what they do and how they have evolved. We will then look at the configuration of health systems, examining different frameworks for healthcare delivery, financing, coverage, and allocation of resources. Next, we will focus on select health care systems around the globe and review the structure and functioning of their health systems. We will explore country-level debates on issues such as funding and will note how a country's history has influenced the development of its health system. The teaching strategies for this class include readings, lectures, group discussions, and experienced guest speakers. Academic credit requirement: 15 page paper, plus endnotes, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday through Thursday (June 21-24)
Health Care Business Transactions
This course is designed to introduce students to the business and legal issues that arise in health care transactions and the regulatory environment surrounding such transactions. This course will cover health care contracts and joint ventures, with a particular emphasis on hospital-physician business relationships. This course will also delve into the nuts and bolts of health care merger and acquisition transactions. The goal of this course is to provide students with practical knowledge and an opportunity to participate in contract drafting, issue spotting and negotiation exercises. Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Wednesday and Thursday (June 23-24)
Considers legal, ethical, and public policy problems posed by developments in health care financing, allocation, and delivery. Topics include bioethics, federal reform of health policy, health care dispute resolution, health care transactions, managed care, medical liability, health law legislative and regulatory process, and public health law. Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Thursday and Friday (June 24-June 25)
Health Law Fundamentals and Health Care Reform ("Boot Camp")
Addresses the unique issues attorneys face in counseling health industry clients, including: coding, coverage, reimbursement, billing, compliance and other regulatory matters. Includes Congressional and state legislative initiatives, health care reform and recent Federal government regulatory actions. Academic credit requirement: 15 page paper, plus endnotes, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday through Thursday evenings (June 21-June 24)
6:00pm-9:00pm and Friday morning (June 25): 9:00am-noon
Legal Issues in Health Care Fraud and Abuse
Examines fraud and abuse in the delivery of health care through discussions of the criminal and civil laws and regulations that combat various forms of health care fraud. Course includes a False Claims "Boot Camp", as well as Stark and Anti-kickback statute issues; health care anti-fraud enforcement efforts; sanctions; and compliance. Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday and Tuesday (June 28-29)
Genetics and the Law
Genetics and the Law is intended to introduce students to the many ways in which the legal system, construed broadly, is influenced by and influences the science of genetics. This course also aims to introduce students to the ethical and societal concerns raised by new genetic technologies and how the law addresses these issues or may do so in the future Academic credit requirement: 15 page paper, plus endnotes, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday and Tuesday (June 28-29)
Intellectual Property and Health Care Law
Provides significant exposure to the many relationships between U.S. patent, trademark and copyright laws and health care, including: Introduction to trademark law; Issues concerning trademarks and pharmaceuticals; Introduction to patent law; Introduction to Hatch-Waxman; Drug development pipeline and IP counseling; Reverse Payments and Heath Care Reform; Patenting Life Forms; Introduction to copyright law; Copyright and medical coding- who owns CPT?; Copyright issues and medical imaging; Copyright and medical technology - databases, software; Introduction to the international IP protection schemes; IP issues concerning medical devices; and The interplay in health care between privacy and IP-- data privacy, genetics, and biotechnology. Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Wednesday and Thursday (June 30-July 1)
Pharmaceuticals and the Law
As government increasingly determines the environment for how drugs are developed and delivered to patients, it is critical for biopharmaceutical manufacturers to engage in the policy realm to promote patient access to appropriate care and to preserve medical innovation. This course will provide an introduction to the range of legal and policy issues relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, including:
The regulatory regime governing drug development, approval, and promotion.
The laws and regulations governing access to biopharmaceuticals and other types of care under large government healthcare programs.
Fraud and abuse laws and regulations and "transparency" policy trends, including disclosure of and restrictions on interactions with healthcare providers.
"Healthcare reform" policy trends, including cost containment, expanding coverage for the uninsured, and improving the quality of healthcare.
Intellectual property protections for biopharmaceuticals, including patents and data exclusivity.
Product liability and biopharmaceuticals.
Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Wednesday and Thursday (June 30-July 1)
Introduction to Medicine for Lawyers
Teaches up-to-date information in an introduction to basic medical principles and practices, and reviews medical negligence law for those students interested in medical liability issues. Academic credit requirement: Take home exam, due 3 weeks after the course ends.
Monday through Thursday evenings (June 28-July 1)
2010 Faculty
International Health and Human Rights: June 21-22
Gwendolyn Majette, Global Health Scholar
Lindsay Wiley, Washington College of Law
Comparative Health Systems: June 21-24 (4 mornings)
Leesa Klepper, Adjunct Professor, Washington College of Law
Health Care Business Transactions: June 23-24
Asha Scielzo, Senior Associate, Jones Day
Bioethics: June 24-25
Heidi Gertner, Senior Attorney, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Health Law Fundamentals ("Boot Camp"): June 21-24 (evenings); June 25 (morning)
Joel Michaels, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Ahavia Glaser, Senior Medicare Lobbyist, AARP
Lynn Shapiro Snyder, Partner, Epstein Becker & Green
Robert Dinerstein, Professor, Washington College of Law
Lindsay Wiley, Washington College of Law
Legal Issues in Health Care Fraud and Abuse: June 28-29
John Boese, Senior Partner, Fried Frank
Carrie Valiant & Jason Christ, Partner/Associate, Epstein Becker & Green
Stuart Silverman, Attorney, DC Office of Inspector General
Johanna Michaels Kreisel & Mark Fitzgerald, Associate/Partner, Powers Pyles Sutter Verville
Corrine Parver, Practitioner-in-Residence, Washington College of Law
Introduction to Genetics: June 28-29
Maureen McTeer, Adjunct professor, University of Ottawa
Intersection of Intellectual Property and Health Care: June 30-July 1
Jon Grossman, Partner, Dickstein Shapiro
Stephanie Wade, Partner, Dickstein Shapiro
James Brady, Partner, Dickstein Shapiro
Jeremy Cubert, Partner, Dickstein Shapiro
Pharmaceuticals and the Law: June 30-July 1
Janice Toran, Adjunct Professor, Washington College of Law
Michael Ruggiero, Senior Director, Astellas Pharma USA
Introduction to Medicine for Lawyers: June28-July 1 (evenings)
Dr. David Parver, Managing Partner, Retina Consultants
Steve Pavsner, Partner, Joseph Greenwald & Laake
Corrine Parver, WCL


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The best ski resorts for powder
St Anton, Austria
Best for: Serious off piste and serious partying
St Anton is a big name resort, and there's nowhere quite like it for those who like to ski hard, party hard and burn the candle at both ends. The place gets prodigious amounts of snow and usually has much better conditions than other resorts of a similar height. A bonus is that the resort is traditional in style and an attractive place to spend time off the slopes.
The area boasts countless powder opportunities. The runs in the huge bowl beneath the summit of the Valluga are justifiably world-famous, and in good snow this whole area is an off-piste delight for experts. There's more great backcountry in the Stuben sector and on the separate Rendl mountain (accessed from the town centre by a gondola). Descents of 1,000m vertical are possible, including some on north-facing slopes where the powder stays deep and light. Piste to Powder is a specialist off-piste guiding school run by British guide Graham Austick, and the local St Anton and Arlberg ski schools also have excellent off-piste guides.
St Anton's bars rock right through from mid-afternoon until the early hours. Après starts in a collection of bars on the slopes above the village. The Krazy Kanguruh and the Mooserwirt fill up with revellers as soon as the lunch trade finishes (the latter reputedly dispensing more beer than any other bar in Austria). The Heustadl and Sennhütte are also popular. All the partying is followed by a slide down the piste in the dark.
Slopes don't suit beginners or timid intermediates; pistes can get very crowded, sometimes dangerously so; most of the tough stuff is off piste; main slopes get a lot of sun, which can affect snow conditions; resort is spread out, with long treks from some lodgings to key lifts and bars.
Fast facts
Resort 1,305m
Slopes 1,305m to 2,650m
Lifts 38
Pistes 160km
Six-day lift pass €262
More info stantonamarlberg.com
Chamonix, France
Best for: Stunning views, traditional mountain town
Chamonix is renowned as an extreme sports mecca, with some of the best powder fields in the world, and there's plenty for those looking for their first off-piste experience too. But it's not just the varied terrain that makes Chamonix a stand-out resort – it's worth visiting just for the stunning views and year-round mountain town.
Chamonix is world-famous for the extent and variety of its off piste. A classic excursion is the Vallée Blanche, a mind-blowing 24km run through stunning glacial scenery. It is perfectly within the capability of a fit (and brave) intermediate, and is easily reached by the Aiguille du Midi cable car in town, though the walk down a ridge to the start is scary. The Grands Montets area, reached by lifts from Argentière (about 10km up the valley from town), has huge amounts of easily accessible off piste, while the Vallée Blanche and Grands Montets areas have very high north-facing slopes. If the weather's bad you can head to Les Houches for powder among the trees. Here and the Balme area have ideal terrain for trying powder for the first time. There's plenty of easier off piste in the vast bowls served by the Herse chair and Bochard bubble on the Grands Montets too.
The Chamonix valley cuts deeply through Europe's highest mountains and glaciers. Views of the towering, jagged peaks and tumbling glaciers are stunning, both from the mountains and the town. The best place to see Mont Blanc, the Alps' highest peak, is from the Brévent ski area across the valley. And no one should miss a trip up the Aiguille du Midi cable car for the stunning views.
Chamonix could not be more different from the typical purpose-built French resort. It's a bustling town, busy with climbers in summer as well as skiers and boarders in winter. The car-free centre is full of atmosphere, with cobbled streets and squares, beautiful old buildings and pavement cafés, and a wide choice of accommodation.
Several separate mountains; pistes in each area are quite limited; bad weather can shut the best runs; still some old lifts and queues; few good mountain restaurants; busy town with lots of road traffic.
Fast facts
Resort 1,035m
Slopes 1,035m to 3,840m
Lifts 42
Pistes 115km
Six-day lift pass €299
More info chamonix.com
Verbier, Switzerland
Best for: Steep slopes and lively nightlife
For serious off-piste powder and long mogul fields, Verbier is one of the world's cult resorts. It's difficult to beat for vibrant nightlife too. It's a sprawling, chalet-style resort with lots of second homes and luxurious places to stay, set on a sunny shelf facing spectacular peaks.
Verbier has some superb tough slopes, many of them off piste. The run off the back of Mont Fort, the high point of the ski area, is a highlight – a huge bowl with lots of ways down through untracked powder, giving a feeling of splendid isolation. The Stairway to Heaven run starts with a steep climb before you drop into a deserted valley, which usually has excellent snow. And there are plenty of other options.
Most runs that would be black in many resorts are classed as itineraries here, meaning they're marked but not maintained or controlled, but they are used as if they were normal pistes. Two of them, from Chassoure and Col de Gentianes down to Tortin, become huge mogul fields from top to bottom. Vallon d'Arby, from Lac des Vaux to La Tzoumaz, is less popular but still quite an adventure, with patches of untracked powder several days after a snowfall. Heliskiing is available too. Powder Extreme specialises in off-piste guiding and coaching, the British-run New Generation ski school offers all-day Off Piste Experience groups and Warren Smith Ski Academy offers powder and freeride coaching from one-day private lessons to five-day courses.
Bruson is a small north-facing ski area covered by the lift pass and reached by catching the gondola from town down to Le Châble in the valley, followed by another that whisks you to the middle of the Bruson ski area. It's well worth the trip for great tree runs that resemble Canadian heliskiing, with well-spaced trees and steep slopes. Snow is usually excellent thanks to the northerly aspect. The trees mean Bruson is a good place to be when it's snowing and a whiteout on Verbier's main slopes.
Verbier is as famous for its après scene as it is for its slopes. There are lots of bars and clubs, from the British-dominated Pub Mont Fort to the sophisticated Crock No Name, or the seriously expensive Farm Club.
Snow quality can be poor on sunny lower slopes; intermediates may want to take lifts down to avoid steep intineraries; eating and drinking can be costly; piste map and piste naming could be improved.
Fast facts
Resort 1,500m
4 Valleys area
Slopes 1,500m to 3,330m
Lifts 92
Pistes 412km
Six-day lift pass CHF373
More info verbier.ch
Whistler, BC, Canada
Best for: Big ski are with terrain to suit all
Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains together form the biggest ski area, with the longest runs and greatest vertical, in North America. They're linked at resort level and at mid-mountain by the spectacular 28-person Peak 2 Peak gondola. Both mountains have lots of excellent terrain for every standard from beginner through to real expert. And most lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts.
Over the last 10 years Whistler has received an average of almost 12m of snow a year. On the upper slopes, this usually falls as light, dry powder, which makes the place a dream for powder hounds. Experts will love the endless variation in the vast, go-anywhere terrain of Whistler Mountain's top bowls with their couloirs, gullies and cliffs, as well as open bowls. Blackcomb's steep slopes are not as extensive but equally satisfying. For intermediates, there is mile after mile of groomed cruising – plus in Whistler's most recently opened area, Symphony, there are lovely gentle slopes among widely spaced trees.
Extremely Canadian specialises in guiding around the resort's steep and deep terrain, and offers two-day camps three times a week, plus Whistler Heli-skiing organises great heli-days.
The big news is that Vail Resorts, which already operates 11 resorts in North America and one in Australia, is set to acquire Whistler at the beginning of this season – but it's unlikely that there will be any noticeable changes for skiers until 2017/18.
Rain at village level is not unusual; lift queues and crowded runs can be a problem; mountain restaurants are mostly functional and overcrowded.
Fast facts
Resort 675m
Slopes 650m to 2,285m
Lifts 37
Pistes 8,171 acres
Six-day lift pass from C$460
More info whistlerblackcomb.com
Snowbird/Alta, Utah, USA
Best for: Fabulous steep and deep
There can be few places where nature has combined the steep with the deep better than at Snowbird and next-door Alta. The two resorts' linked area is one of the top powder paradises in the world. Note that both resorts offer their own lift passes as well as a combined pass – and that Alta is one of the few resorts in the world that still does not allow snowboarding on its slopes. Although the two ski areas have been linked for well over 10 years now, a lot of locals remain fiercely loyal to one resort or the other and just buy a season pass for a single area – very odd to European eyes.
Both Snowbird and Alta receive an average of over 12m of snow a year – around 50 per cent more than the nearby Park City area and twice as much as some Colorado resorts.
There is every type of expert terrain in Snowbird/Alta, from open bowls to trees and couloirs. It's worth hiring a guide, as many of the best and most adventurous runs are reached by traverses that are far from obvious if you don't know the terrain. And, unlike most North American resorts, Alta doesn't discriminate on its piste map between single and the more challenging double black diamond terrain – so you don't know what you're letting yourself in for. Snowbird does differentiate between double and single black diamond runs, and there are some seriously steep couloirs on its front face.
Both resorts have ski schools that run special sessions in the steep and deep terrain. Alta has Off-Trail Workshops every afternoon, which guide you round the whole mountain and show you the parts normally only discovered by locals. There are also four-day Powder Tracks clinics, run by the Alta Lodge chalet, which are aimed at teaching powder skiing and include accommodation. Snowbird runs half-day Mountain Workshops for skiers and snowboarders, which include powder skills, and occasional two-day Sidecountry Camps for skiers, described as "backcountry skiing without all the hard work".
Limited groomed intermediate runs; tiny resort villages; very quiet at night.
Fast facts
Resort 2,470m to 2,600m
Slopes 2,365m to 3,350m
Lifts 22
Pistes 4,700 acres
Six-day lift pass $473
More info snowbird.com
Tignes, France
Best for: A long, snow-sure season
Tignes and neighbouring Val d'Isère share a vast ski area, which is one of the best in the world for lift-served off piste. Tignes in particular is one of the most snowsure resorts in the world. Its main season lasts from November till May, and the glacier opens again from mid-June till early August for summer skiing and snowboarding.
The off-piste possibilities are almost endless. Val d'Isère-Tignes is famous for having a huge number of accessible off-piste runs. Classics in Tignes include Tour de Pramecou from the Grande Motte glacier (lots of variations to suit different abilities), Oreilles de Mickey from Tovière, which includes three long couloirs, and the Vallons de la Sache (an off-piste version of La Sache), which runs through stunning National Park scenery. There's plenty more, plus all the possibilities in Val d'Isère.
The British-run New Generation ski school offers all-day off-piste courses for between three and six experienced skiers, plus Snoworks offer week-long all-terrain courses.
Resort centres have some ugly block-like buildings; treeless setting means lifts can close in bad weather.
Fast facts
Resort 1,550m to 2,100m
Val d'Isère-Tignes slopes 1,550m to 3,455m
Lifts 88
Pistes 300km
Six-day lift pass €278
More info tignes.net
Warth Schröcken, Austria
Best for: Getting the most snow in Europe
Warth and Schröcken were relatively unheard of before a gondola linked these two neighbouring resorts to better-known and more fashionable Lech and Zürs over the hill, back in 2013. Warth averages an astonishing (for Europe) 11m of snow a year – almost as much as North America's snowiest resorts.
North-facing slopes mean lovely powdery pistes and acres of fabulous off-piste powder. Warth makes a more convenient base – it's a drive or bus ride to the lifts from Schröcken, although there are slopes back down to the resort.
It's quiet – too quiet for many; little to do off the slopes.
Fast facts
Resorts 1,260m to 1,495m
Slopes 1,260m to 2,050m
Lifts 47
Pistes 190km
Six-day lift pass €221
More info warth-schroecken.com
Revelstoke, BC, Canada
Best for: Challenging terrain and cult-status kudos
Revelstoke was, up until the last decade, a small hill for locals served by one short lift. But a gondola and two fast chairs transformed it into a resort with the biggest vertical in North America, and it gets huge amounts of powder. Terrain is mostly ungroomed and steep. The ski school runs Inside Tracks sessions where they show you around the steep and deep, and cat-skiing and heliskiing are also available.
If you enjoy adventure, put it on your shortlist. You can stay in Revelstoke town, or the newer resort village.
Very remote; not much intermediate terrain.
Fast facts
Resort 510m
Slopes 510m to 2,225m
Lifts 5
Pistes 3,121 acres
Six-day lift pass C$545
More info revelstokemountainresort.com
Val d'Anniviers, Switzerland
Best for: Rustic villages and uncrowded slopes
If you like ancient, unspoilt mountain villages with small, varied ski areas attached, get to Val d'Anniviers before the big tour operators catch on. The slopes are limited but uncrowded, with a good snow record and fabulous off piste to explore.
The resorts of Grimentz and Zinal have the best backcountry in the area, and the two have been linked since 2013/14 by cable car. A long black run, Piste du Chamois, goes back to Grimentz from the top of the cable car and there are lots of off-piste options on the way. Guiding company Mountain Tracks runs five-day courses in the area.
Very quiet resorts; lots of draglifts and slow chairs.
Fast facts
Resorts 1,340m to 2,000m
Slopes 1,340m to 3,000m
Lifts 43
Pistes 220km
Six-day lift pass CHF290
More info sierre-anniviers.ch
Fernie, BC, Canada
Best for: Sheltered steeps and expert terrain
Fernie has long had cult status thanks to reliable snowfall (9m a year, on average) and steep, ungroomed terrain. It's a superb resort for experts, as long as you know where you're going – a lot of runs are difficult to find and involve long traverses. To get the most out of the terrain, it's best to get a guided tour. The ski school runs two-day Steep and Deep Camps, and there's great cat-skiing on offer. The resort village is convenient but small. Fernie town is an alternative base.
Some slow lifts and lots of traversing; not much for less confident intermediates.
Fast facts
Resort 1,065m
Slopes 1,065m to 2,135m
Lifts 10
Pistes 2,500 acres
Six-day lift pass C$447
More info skifernie.com
Monterosa, Italy
Best for: Great off piste and unspoilt resorts
Monterosa's three resorts (Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna, each in a different valley) retain a friendly, low-key Italian ambience and share a three-valley network of lifts and pistes which are often deserted mid-week.
For adventurous experts and intermediates, powder is the main attraction. There are varied runs from the high points of the lift system in all three valleys, some excellent heli-drops and great tree slopes lower down. A huge area of fabulous off piste is served by a cable car from Passo Salati to Punta Indren, with runs down towards Gressoney and Alagna. Local guides have a deservedly high reputation.
High winds can close links; limited après.
First tracks
Resorts 1,200m to 1,640m
Slopes 1,200m to 3,275m
Lifts 23
Pistes 73km
Six-day lift pass €222
More info monterosa-ski.com
La Grave, France
Best for: Hardcore off-piste terrain
La Grave enjoys cult status among experts. It is a small, characterful old village with around 500 visitor beds and only one serious lift, an ancient gondola that takes you up to 3,200m. This serves an almost entirely off-piste mountainside that is often coated in glorious powder. This is wild territory with glaciated terrain, narrow couloirs, cliffs, steep slopes and places where, if you fall, you may die. There are no pistes back down and only experts should contemplate a stay here. The Bureau des Guides runs daily off-piste groups.
Poor weather means lift closure; nothing to do off the slopes.
Fast facts
Resort 1450m
Slopes 1450m to 3550m
Lifts 4
Pistes 5km
Six-day lift pass €258
More info la-grave.com
Montgenèvre, France
Best for: A big ski area linked to Italy
Set on a pass close to the Italian border, Montgenèvre has a very good snow record and receives big dumps of snow from westerly storms which are funnelled up the valley. It's not renowned as a resort for powder hounds and is all the better for it, because the off piste here remains untracked long after a storm. As well as great terrain to be explored with a guide, there's an avalanche-controlled freeride zone of ungroomed slopes. The resort is at one end of the huge Milky Way ski area on the French-Italian border.
Lots of slow lifts and mainly short runs locally; Italian Milky Way resorts are time-consuming to reach.
Fast facts
Resort 1,850m
Milky Way
Slopes 1,390m to 2,825m
Lifts 75
Pistes 400km
Six-day lift pass €211
More info montgenevre.com
Niseko, Japan
Best for: Light powder, fantastic food and friendly people
Niseko is the biggest resort on Japan's north island, Hokkaido. It's one of the snowiest resorts in the world, receiving an average of 15m of usually dry, light powder every year. Storm after storm comes in from Siberia and dumps day after day – it's not unusual for snow to fall almost constantly from early December until the end of February. Niseko is one of the few resorts in Japan to allow off-piste access within the ski area, and there are also gates to allow you out into the backcountry.
A long journey including a change of planes; small ski area by Alpine standards.
Fast facts
Resort 280m
Slopes 235m to 1,200m
Lifts 29
Pistes 55km
Six-day lift pass ¥38,400 (£290)
More info nisekotourism.com
Big White, BC, Canada
Best for: Easy powder slopes and family entertainment
"It's the snow." That's Big White's slogan, and snow is what you can expect here. Even when the surrounding plains are sunny, Big White is often covered by snow clouds. These snowfalls, combined with the resort's mostly gentle slopes, make it ideal for learning powder.
The village is purpose built, with most accommodation ski-in/ski-out and an excellent Kids' Centre. There's also a lovely area below the main village known as Happy Valley, where you can try winter activities from snowmobiling to dog sledding. All this makes Big White ideal for families.
Visibility can be poor; limited après.
Fast facts
Resort 1,755m
Slopes 1,510m to 2,320m
Lifts 16
Pistes 2,765 acres
Six-day lift pass C$490
More info bigwhite.com


text:
Land improvements pay dividends
Consistency and cost-effectiveness are keys to success for Coyt Hendon, and they have helped earn him the 2004 Farm Press High Cotton Award for the Delta Region.
Hendon, who farms 1,000 acres of cotton near Shaw, Miss., consistently produces high yields of high-quality cotton. He also focuses on managing his production input expenses and keeping costs at a minimum — a rule of survival in recent years for cotton growers.
"My 10-year average yield is about 1,000 pounds of lint per acre," says Hendon. "Some of our cotton picked 1,300 pounds this past year, and some picked less, but we maintained an average yield of about 1,000 pounds per acre."
Hendon owns 650 acres and leases another 350 acres, with all but about 75 acres of his farmland under irrigation. In addition to his cropland, Hendon manages about 60 acres of woods for wildlife, primarily deer populations. To better manage production expenses and improve irrigation efficiency, he is precision land-leveling his cotton acreage on a field-by-field basis.
"We land-form a field or two each year during the winter months to improve drainage and lessen runoff, both from soil erosion and pesticide applications. Considering that the entire farm is located on Porter Bayou, the soil and irrigation water would run straight into the bayou if it could. We're doing everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen," he says.
Hendon's efforts at improving his land apparently are paying dividends. "It's easier for us to water the land-leveled fields, and we now use less water to irrigate our cotton. Hopefully, the improvements we're making to the land will continue to increase our water conservation, while still providing the water needed to produce consistently high yielding cotton. We've definitely seen less sediment runoff from our fields," he says.
Hendon plants his cotton during the third or fourth week of April or the first week of May, but still doesn't think he's planting quite early enough. "I'd like to get in the fields and get the cottonseed in the ground even earlier. There are numerous benefits to planting earlier. For one, it would allow us to harvest cotton quicker before the undesirable weather comes in. Planting early can really made a difference, especially in recent years when the Delta experienced extremely wet fall weather conditions. Thank goodness we had a dry fall in 2003, and planting date wasn't nearly as big an issue."
This past year, Hendon planted Stoneville 4892, a stacked-gene variety with early- to mid-season maturity. It was his second year of planting a Roundup Ready variety. "I really like the convenience of Roundup Ready cotton. We don't have to make nearly as many trips across the field. And, as far as the cost goes, our technology fees combined with the cost of Roundup is about equal to what we would normally spend in herbicide and application costs on conventional cotton."
The Bt technology is also helpful, he says, but he did have to spray his 2003 cotton crop five times for plant bugs. Despite necessary insecticide applications like the ones he was forced to make to control heavy plant bug pressure, Hendon says he carefully manages all herbicide, insecticide and herbicide costs on his farm, always striving to get the most bang for his buck.
Hendon has successfully marketed his cotton both independently and through the Staple Cotton cooperative marketing pool, which has enabled him to maintain acceptable profit margins even during times of low prices. "I've really been satisfied with Staple Cotton, and I'll be in their marketing pool until I die. They do a good job each year."
Grower protecting, improving land
It's not enough to simply protect the land you're farming — you also need to make it better. That's the guiding philosophy of Billy Sanders, the 2004 Farm Press High Cotton Award winner from the Southeast Region.
"Environmental stewardship is vitally important to our farming operation," says Sanders, a fourth generation farmer of the same south Georgia fields, who along with his son Johnny and nephew David farms 2,900 acres of cotton and 750 acres of peanuts in Dooly County, Ga. Another 4,000 acres is in pine trees.
"If we don't do whatever we can to protect the land — not only protect it, but make it better — there will be nothing to leave our children and grandchildren," he says. "Working with the Soil and Water District, I've recognized that a lot of political things come into play. But I think we should tie everything together for the benefit of both the farmer and the environment."
Sanders is recognized as a Georgia pioneer in the use of conservation-tillage and cover crops. His entire cotton and peanut crops are strip-tilled, planted into heavy cover crop residue. Sanders is working with wheat and triticale as cover crops, and he has come to prefer triticale.
In 2002, Sanders' highest yielding cotton was planted behind triticale. "Our irrigated, full-season cotton in 2002 looked very good and appeared to have good potential, but boll rot was very damaging. The cotton was trying to open at a time that didn't work for us. But with the cotton planted behind triticale, we had good weather when the cotton was opening, and we made a little more than 1,300 pounds per acre. The other cotton made from 1,000 to 1,150 pounds per acre."
Triticale ordinarily can be harvested by May 15, says Sanders. "We harvest just enough cover crop for our seed. The remainder is burned down. We do some of our strip-till prior to burn down to allow the cover crop to mature. It also helps us to spread our workload." The majority of Sanders' farmland is not irrigated, by necessity. "Ideally, we'd like to have big fields that are shaped to accommodate a pivot system. But we don't, and we're not going to change the shape of our fields. We have to play the hand that was dealt to us. We have put a lot of our short rows and corners into pine trees."
He began planting strip-till cotton in the early 1980s. "Our first objective when planting cotton is to have maturity in the cover crop. And maturity means having residue that will last. Some growers are making a terrible mistake by terminating their cover crop too early. They burn it down before it's ever booted out. They might have done themselves some good, but the residue won't stay on the ground. We have residue on the ground throughout the season."
Roundup Ready cotton, says Sanders, has worked well with his conservation-tillage system. "I'm hoping we'll have other options real soon — options that'll be economical. Spraying over-the-top and stopping at the four-leaf stage doesn't give us all we really need. I hope we'll have other choices that'll help us with different weed problems."
Con-till proves worth in dry Texas
Ernest Bippert says the yield difference between conventional and conservation till cotton may be a wash in wet years, but during dry growing seasons, which are more common than not in south Texas, con-till makes more cotton.
His commitment to conservation tillage, moisture management and technology help Bippert save soil, water, time and money on his 2,000-acre cotton and milo farm near Kingsville, Texas. That formula also earned him the 2004 Southwest Farm Press High Cotton Award.
"I had heard that conservation tillage in fields with mixed soil types would be a disaster," Bippert said. "But I talked with a farmer who had used conservation tillage for years and he convinced me that following a prescription for reducing tillage would work."
That prescription includes maintaining the same seedbed and following the same traffic pattern to prevent compaction in the furrow. He's planted on the same stale seedbed for three years. "I pull stalks and have found that cotton plants develop a deep root system in con-till systems. I reshape the beds in the fall and run a v-ripper in the furrow to loosen up the soil."
Bippert said weeds are no more trouble in conservation tillage than with conventional. "I take care of winter weeds with Roundup and Aim, usually in late December. I plant in March and like to be finished by early April."
In season, Roundup takes care of most weeds. "All my cotton is Roundup Ready," he said. "That technology makes conservation tillage so much easier. I can go over the top early and then I use a hooded sprayer to clean up middles."
He's also found the hooded sprayer and Roundup helpful in his rotation crop, grain sorghum, "to clean up the middles. But I can't get underneath the sorghum plant." He's looking at paraquat, labeled for grain sorghum use. "I tried it on 20 acres and within two days the weeds were burned down. That's really an advantage with milo. I might burn the bottom foliage a little but I haven't seen enough damage to affect yields." He said Texas panicum is the chief weed pest. Early control helps. "During the early stages of growth, one-half pint of paraquat is probably adequate." Bippert said Texas panicum is the reason farmers in his area cultivate. "But with conservation tillage, we clean the middles with the hooded sprayer."
Cost comparisons for conventional and conservation tillage systems "used to be a wash," Bippert said, "with labor savings and chemical expenses balancing out."
But long-term, he's convinced conservation tillage will save him money. "Consider equipment. I put 300 hours a year on a big tractor in conservation tillage. I'd put 1,000 hours on that same tractor with conventional production. When I trade that tractor, it will be worth more money.
"Also, I'm not buying sweeps and not buying as much diesel. I don't run a field cultivator. I can use labor for other chores. I have more leisure time to spend with my family. I don't have wind erosion and if I'm not cutting production, I'm ahead. Conservation tillage is definitely an advantage."
He's using furrow dikes to conserve water. "Those dikes can be inconvenient at harvest." He said the Texas Extension Service got him interested in furrow dikes several years ago. "I did a yield test five years ago, comparing furrow dikes to level middles. Depending on rainfall amounts, the furrow dikes averaged from 50 pounds to 200 pounds more cotton per acre. Other years the increase ranged from 50 to 75 pounds."
Family sets standards for farming
Few San Joaquin Valley cotton producers are as passionate about agriculture as Fred Starrh. His fervor is so unbridled, it is often misunderstood. University of California Extension Cotton Specialist Bob Hutmacher says arguing a differing viewpoint than held by the 74-year-old Shafter, Calif., cotton grower "can make you think Fred hates your guts — and then when it all over he says, let's go get a hamburger."
Starrh chuckled at that description, admitting that he can seem "overbearing" at times, but he makes no apology for his viewpoints or his profession as a San Joaquin Valley cotton farmer for more than a half century.
Starrh admits to more than a few "pretty heated discussions" over the years, but "I would hope that when they were over, we were still friends. Different viewpoints are what make this industry work. It's part of the process."
Farming is Fred's lifestyle, and he will do whatever he can in any arena to protect and advance a way of life he cherishes.
Fred's father came to the valley in 1936 to grow cotton on a 30-acre cotton farm in Kern County. Fred's oldest son now lives on that farm. Later he partnered with his father and now Fred, his two sons Fred Jr. and Larry, daughters Carol Kroeker and her husband Jay and Ann Ashley farm 12,000 acres as a family partnership, Starrh and Starrh Cotton Growers, on the West Side of Kern County, Calif.
They grow about 6,000 acres of cotton with the rest of the farm in 2,100 acres of alfalfa, 280 acres of pistachios, 1,600 acres of almonds and 30 acres of carrots.
The Starrh family is this year's Farm Press/Cotton Foundation Far West High Cotton Award winner, nominated by their peers for decades of leadership in agriculture, the cotton industry and in production agriculture.
Involvement and the name Starrh are synonymous. It would take pages to list the organizations Fred and his sons have served both in California and nationally. "I have always been aware of the fact that to have an impact you have to be involved the process," said Fred.
Time away from a farm for industry involvement could take a toll between the turn rows, but that is not the case for Starrh and Starrh Cotton Growers. They are leaders there as well. That is why the Starrh Family was nominated and selected for this year's High Cotton award for the production region of California and Arizona.
Farming is challenging everywhere today, but no more so than in California where environmental restraints are the most onerous anywhere and resources like water and land are growing more scarce each day in a state of more than 32 million people rapidly on its way to 50 million within the next two decades.
The Starrhs are meeting challenges head on by:
- Paving 33 miles of roads on their farm with an oil-sand compound to reduce dust.
- Converting older diesel engine pumps to cleaner burning models to reduce pollution.
- Installing drip irrigation exclusively for cotton production to reduce water use and to utilize well water as a replacement for increasingly tenuous surface water deliveries.
- Utilizing soil moisture sensors to fine tune irrigation scheduling and maximizing water use.
- Developing innovative, reduced tillage systems to cover more acreage with fewer passes.
In the High Cotton nomination package, the Starrh family was cited for "the level of commitment to Western cotton production, on-farm accomplishments and environmental stewardship the High Cotton award strives to recognize.
"The Starrhs have established new standards for California from their farming practices and from their leadership roles in California agriculture," said Bruce Roberts, University of California Cooperative Extension county director in Kings County who led the team which nominated the Starrhs.
The Starrhs have successfully maintained and even increased cotton yields while reducing inputs and meeting environmental standards unlike anywhere in the U.S. This year the Starrhs averaged 3 bales on upland varieties, including the ultra premium Acala from California Planting Cotton Seed Distributors,' Ultima, which is roller ginned and brings a 10 cents per pound premium over other saw-ginned Acalas. Their Pima yields averaged 2.7 bales.
Fred Starrh is one of the most research-committed producers. He has played a key role in reshaping the USDA-ARS research team at the Shafter Research Center and is an unabashed supporter of genetically modified crops. The Starrh farm is a frequent site for UC and federal research projects.


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