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Latest News
China arrests 3 more in train station attack, claims international terror link
Chinese authorities said late Monday that they had arrested three more suspects in Saturday's deadly bloodbath in southern China, an attack they hinted earlier in the day was linked to international terrorist groups.
Both claims were difficult to verify, deepening the mystery of how a handful of assailants, armed with only knives and sabers, managed to kill 29 train commuters and injure more than 140 others.
Since news of the train station attack broke Saturday from the southern China city of Kunming, the Chinese public has responded with both sympathy for the victims and calls for harsh retribution against those who had a role in carrying out the terrorist attack.
As of late Monday, however, Chinese authorities had not made public the identities of four assailants initially killed at the Kunming train station, another one quickly captured and three others reported arrested on Monday. Nor have they detailed why Kunming police have linked the suspects to "separatists" in China's far western Xinjiang region, where police and the local Muslim population — known as Uighurs — have clashed for years.
Dru Gladney, a professor at California's Pomona College who specializes in Central Asia, said China has offered little evidence to back up a link to Xinjiang militants. If a link is confirmed, he said, it would represent a significant change in tactics and planning among Uighur militants, whose attacks generally have been aimed at Xinjiang police, not civilians in other parts of China.
"Assuming this is confirmed, it represents a whole new level of planning and complexity than what we have seen in the past," Gladney said. "It really ups the ante."
Many in China agree. The Kunming attack follows a deadly Beijing incident in October, when three Uighurs drove a jeep into a crowd at Tiananmen Square, killing two and injuring 40 before setting the vehicle on fire, killing themselves.
"The latest attacks in Beijing and Kunming have clearly indicated a despicable trend that separatists are targeting civilians out of Xinjiang," said a commentary Sunday on the English-language website of the Global Times, a state-run newspaper.
Xinjiang, a vast desert region that borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, is home to more than 10 million Uighurs (sometimes spelled "Uyghurs") who speak a Turkic language. In recent decades, they've become greatly outnumbered by Han Chinese, many of whom have migrated to Xinjiang to work in the region's expanding oil and gas industry.
Experts say that young Muslims in Xinjiang are becoming increasingly radicalized, a trend that human rights groups blame on China's systemic repression of Uighurs, including excluding them from jobs and restricting their religious practices.
On Monday, a Chinese military official suggested that outside forces had a role in helping to carry out the Kunming massacre. As reported by China's Xinhua news service, Rear Adm. Yin Zhuo was quoted as saying: "The well-planned attack was not an issue of (ethnicity) or religion, it was an issue of terrorism with links to terrorist forces out of the country."
Later that day, reporters pressed a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman to detail evidence that the attack was carried out by Xinjiang separatists with outside help. Spokesman Qin Gang said police investigators had found "East Turkestan" flags at the scene, a reference to the name that Uighurs use to describe their homeland.
Qin provided no further details, but images of a flag purportedly belonging to the terrorists flashed across social media starting on Sunday. Its authenticity could not be verified.
Gladney urged caution in leaping to conclusions about the assailants, based on what China has offered up so far. He said that photos of the knives used in the attack did not appear to be those used by Uighurs in Xinjiang. He also was suspicious of the "East Turkestan" flag appearing on social media, noting that it was dark blue in color, as opposed to the flag flown by Uighurs, which is light blue.
China has linked past attacks by Uighurs to an organization called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a group linked at one time to international terrorists. But in 2009, a U.S. appeals court, ruling in a case on releasing Uighurs detained at Guantanamo, noted that "the government had not presented sufficient evidence that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement was associated with al Qaida or the Taliban." In recent years, debate has increased about whether the group was ever a functioning organization.
Chinese officials alleged the Kunming attack was timed to gain maximum international attention ahead of a big week in China, when the Communist Party's version of parliament is scheduled to meet Wednesday in Beijing. Security, already tight for that meeting, was tightened further Sunday at airports and crowded subway stations.
Gladney said the choice of Kunming for the attack eventually may reveal much about the assailants, their origins and their training. Unlike Beijing, Kunming is close to China's border with several Southeast Asian countries, including that of Myanmar, also known as Burma. Militants trained in Malaysia or Indonesia, where there are known Islamic terrorist groups, could easily enter China across the porous border with Myanmar.
According to state media, the attackers were dressed in black and two were women, one of whom was killed and one captured. Gladney said this was reminiscent of rebels in Chechnya, who have dressed in black and deployed "black widows" to carry out suicide bombings against Russians and Russian forces.
Chinese state media claimed the case was closed, with all eight attackers accounted for, down from 10 as originally reported. Xinhua reported that "the terrorist gang of eight members led by Abdurehim Kurban was responsible for the attack." It provided no further details.
The Uighur self-determination movement is represented by a Munich-based group, the World Uyghur Congress, which the Chinese have accused of instigating past Uighur rebellions and crude bombings. In an interview Monday, a spokesman based in Washington denied that the group endorses violence and said the group is in sympathy with Chinese victims of the attack.
"We are shocked and saddened by what happened in Kunming," said the spokesman, Alim A. Seytoff. "We don't know who did it, or why they did it."
Like Gladney, Seytoff said the public should be cautious about Chinese government claims about the attacks, given past cases in which Uighurs were accused of crimes they did not commit. Regardless of who is responsible, he said, he suspects a harsh response from the Chinese against Uighurs both in Xinjiang and in other parts of China.
"Those kind of policies only serve to radicalize Uighurs," he said. "That is not in the interest of China or the Uighur people."


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Montana Man Gets $59,000 for Brain Cancer Misdiagnosis
For six months, Mark Templin, a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran from Helena, Mont., prepared to die.
The retired 78-year-old checked himself in to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center
in 2009 after suffering chest pains. Templin remembers little of the
weekend, except the dire diagnosis before his release: He was told he
had a terminal brain tumor.
"They put a stent in and when I woke up on Monday, they told me there
was something wrong with me," Templin, who worked for 18 years for
railroad companies, told ABCNews.com. "I went home and made my funeral
arrangements because I was told I didn't have much time to live. …I
cried a lot."
Were it not for his son -- who stopped Templin from killing himself with
his gun -- and the concern of a hospice nurse who took him back to the
VA for a reevaluation, he would never have learned that doctors had
misdiagnosed him.
Now, Templin, who in reality had a series of small strokes, has won a
$59,820 lawsuit against the Fort Hamilton VA. He was awarded $500 per
day for the initial period of severe mental and emotional distress and
then $300 per day until his revised diagnosis, according to court
Just this week, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy wrote that the
family's distress was caused by internist Dr. Patrick Morrow and his
"negligent failure to meet the standard of care."
"It is difficult to put a price tag on the anguish of a man wrongly
convinced of his impending death," Molloy wrote. "Mr. Templin lived for
148 days … under the mistaken impression that he was dying of metastatic
brain cancer."
While thinking he was dying, Templin quit his part-time job, sold his
truck and signed a "do not resuscitate" order, which he posted to the
refrigerator. He prepaid his funeral and his son-in-law built a wooden
box for his ashes. His family, wife Marion and four grown children, gave
him a "last birthday" dinner.
The court additionally ordered the VA to reimburse Templin for those expenses.
"I didn't want to do it," Templin said of the lawsuit. "I was a veteran
and I love those guys up there. But the way they treated me ….I asked
them for an apology and they wouldn't give it. That really got me mad. I
wondered how many go through this. I don't want to see anyone go
through this."
Templin's lawyer, Dan Buckley told ABCNews.com, "It was a long battle
and good to see that at the end of the day, justice was done."
U.S. Attorney Jessica Fehr told ABCNews.com that the U.S. Attorney's
Office in Billings, Mont., did not have any comment on the judgment. She
said the VA has 30 days to decide whether to file an appeal.
Templin's ordeal, which was first reported by the Helena Independent Record,
began in January 2009 when he arrived at the VA hospital with what
appeared to be a heart attack. After a stent was inserted, he
experienced headaches, as well as problems with his memory, speech and
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/montana-man-59000-brain-cancer-misdiagnosis/story?id=19158167#.UZDtGcpfmCw

subset: commoncrawl


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David Schwartz
David Schwartz
Founder of The Real Food Challenge
2010 Global Fellow
Build a healthy, fair and green food economy by harnessing the political power of youth and the purchasing power of universities to shift demand toward socially responsible farm and food enterprises.
David Schwartz's experiences growing up in two communities with stark socioeconomic differences opened his eyes to the disparities in rates of diabetes, obesity, and access to healthy food. His experience is mainly in grassroots organizing and connecting with student leaders. While studying at Brown University, he co-founded the Sustainable Food Initiative, and worked with his co-founder, Anim Steel, on the Real Food Challenge.


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Make this new home yours!! Buy now and choose colors. Sizable back yard. Stainless appliances in kitchen. Master bedroom on main level. Come early and pick the lot of your choice.
114 Frey St
Ashland City, TN 37015
(615) 476-5438
Email Me
I'm Laken Lenhart. Raised here in Cheatham County, I have deep roots in the community. I volunteered as the Central Chapter Chairperson for the Chamber of Commerce for three years which gave me the opportunity to get to know our local government and business leaders. I have a degree in marketing giving me the edge over many real estate agents to help market and sell your home. With children either currently in or having graduated the county school system, I have personal knowledge of our public schools, which can be very important when buying or selling a home. After several years in this business, my name and reputation have become synonymous with hard work and honesty. I would love to represent you in your next home purchase. I will work hard to preserve your best interest. I appreciate your business. Please call me any time at (615)476-5438.
Laken Lenhart | 615-476-5438 | firstname.lastname@example.com
Goldstar Realty | 615-792-1910 | 114 Frey Street | Ashland City, TN 37015
Copyright © 2015. Laken Lenhart, All Rights Reserved
Home | Office | Featured Listings | Mortgage Rates | Schools | Weather | Relocation | Buyer/Seller Info | About Me | My Blog | Contact Me | Real Estate News | Quick Search | Advanced Search | Map Search | Foreclosure Search
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What Does Mechanical Engineering Services Mean?
We at Mechanical Piping Design have the knowledge to explore the layout of unsuccessful devices elements to discover whether the failing can potentially be credited to imperfections in layout or manufacture, or whether it was because of abuse, not enough maintenance, material choice, or various other parts including the customers or the community where it definitely was made use of.
Making servicing routines, strategies and also assumptions as well as offer recommendations to commercial upkeep teams
Piping likewise has a variety of various other commercial applications, which could be critical for transferring Uncooked and also semi-processed liquids for refining right into a lot more helpful remedies. A great deal of the added unique products of structure are Inconel, titanium, a number of as well as chrome-moly various other steel alloys.
You might produce mechanical design illustrations concerning the gadget of the option. Bring in on your Home window ® desktop computer or Mac ® laptop computer, or merely mobile Android ® or iphone ® system. You'll have the ability to experience the toughness of SmartDraw on any kind of system with the Link to the net.
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Mechanical design is the technique that uses the concepts of design, physics as well as products scientific research for the layout, evaluation, production, as well as upkeep of mechanical systems. It is the branch of design that includes the style, manufacturing, and also procedure of equipment and also devices.


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Poetic party
The public is invited to hear award-winning poets Allison Joseph and Jon Tribble at Quiddity's fifth anniversary celebration. Held Nov. 7 in the historic Brinkerhoff Home on the campus of Benedictine University at Springfield, Joseph and Tribble will read, Springfield High School Jazz Band will play Dixieland-style music and the local Vachel Lindsay contest winner will be announced. Joseph is director of creative writing at SIU Carbondale and Tribble is Crab Orchard Review editor. Quiddity is an international literary journal and public-radio program produced by Benedictine University and WUIS. More info is at quiddity.ben.edu.
Brinkerhoff Blowout Bash
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7pm
Benedictine University at Springfield
Brinkerhoff House
1500 N. Fifth St.


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LAKEWOOD — Realistically, Chatfield Senior girls soccer coach Brock Blume said, freshman Bree Bezdek should have 10 goals this season, but she has only four. That's how good she is and can be. Blume almost certainly is going to be a player to watch in the future.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Columbine Courier, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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NEW YORK, March 14 (UPI) -- Warren Buffet said Friday that he would be "surprised a lot" if stock prices globally fell by 50 percent, but said another financial crisis was possible.
The Oracle of Omaha, as Buffet is popularly called, said he did not expect stocks to fall from their current levels and that there would be another financial crisis "someday" but he didn't think it would happen anytime soon. Buffet was making an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box when he made the comments.
"Humans will behave in crazy ways, both on the upside and the downside in the next 50 years. It's very unlikely they do it in the next few years because after something like 2008, once they get out of the emergency room, they're a little more careful for awhile," said Buffet.
Buffet said that after reading a preliminary draft of former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's memoir, he feels his calling the 2008 financial crisis an "economic Pearl Harbor" was an understatement.
Speaking of the economic recovery, following the country's plunge into a recession, Buffet said that he believes "this country will come through anything." He said that since its founding, Berkshire Hathaway stock had dropped 50 percent four times but has always rebounded.
Buffet has been outspoken critic of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency and continued to ask people to stay away from it, calling it a "mirage" without any intrinsic value.
Buffet also had some advice for General Motors, the company currently embroiled in allegations that suggest it did not recall vehicles despite knowing they had faulty ignition switches.
"Get it right, get it fast, get it out, get it over, but get it right first," he said.


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Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
Troy Loney wrote:Kraftster wrote:Question: What goes in to determining how high of a limit to give when applying for a new card? I want to consolidate my remaining cc debt onto a 0% card, but I don't want to waste the credit inquiry if the limit won't be enough to move the debt to the card.
Debt to income to determine how much debt you can service.
Troy Loney wrote:you tell them.
Troy Loney wrote:I think you guys are too concerned about the inquiries. that's the same as like being afraid to report a fender bender to the insurance cause your policy might go up $25/year.
Kraftster wrote:I guess the main thing I'm curious about is how unused credit limits affect what sort of limit I can get. I have a big chunk of unused credit now that I am at about 40% credit utilization, but I don't have 0% APR for balance transfers on those limits so I have no interest in using it. I just wonder if a new card is going to be likely to give me a high limit knowing I have that other unused credit out there.
It says my credit history is only 5 yrs and 2 mos, yet the only derogatory marks left on my report go back to my college days (early-mid 90s). Porquoi? Only have one credit card, and it's a low limit account.
My report shows my paid off car loan and one late payment (it was a 60-month loan). Will that one missed payment in five years - which may have actually happened six or seven years ago - still be impacting my credit rating?
How do I find out what they are and what steps can I take to remove them from my report?
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This jute and chenille rug is hand woven on traditional looms with a weft of natural jute fiber and a warp of bright yellow green chenille fabric in a beautiful zig zag pattern. Self hemmed ends. Indoor use only. Jute and chenille rug measures 3' x 5'. Imported.
What is jute?
Jute is a renewal resource--it is a type of plant fiber used to make common items such as rope, twine, chair coverings, curtains, sacks, hessian cloth, and carpets. This is accomplished by spinning the fiber into a coarse thread. The thread created from jute is quite strong and it also has exceptional insulating properties, low thermal conductivity, and antistatic characteristics. However, jute tends to lose its strength when wet, so it should be kept dry, if possible.
Originally sold for $110.00.Now on sale for $77.50.


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--and the Truth Shall Set You Free
Bridge of Love, 1996 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 518 pages
David Icke exposes what he says is the real story behind global events which shape the future of human existence.
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - IonaS - www.librarything.com
I have to say that I found this in part the most boring book of David Icke's that I've read. But much essential information is revealed, and especially the first chapter and last two chapters (plus ... Read full review
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muy bueno
Common terms and phrases
Adolf Hitler American assassination Bank bankers BCCI became believe Bilderberg Group Bill Clinton Black Nobility bomb Britain British Brotherhood called centralised chairman Club of Rome Comm Committee Committee of 300 companies connected consciousness Council on Foreign countries created cult director drug Earth economic Elite's energy esoteric Europe European extraterrestrial Foreign Relations former Freemasonry Freemasons funding George Bush German Global Elite going happening Harriman head Henry Kissinger Hitler human intelligence International involved Israel Jewish Jews John Kennedy Kennedy assassination Lansky levels London Lord manipulation Meyer Lansky million mind Mossad Nazi official operation organisation Party planet political population president Prime Minister Prison Warders problem-reaction-solution race Ra�l realise reality Robot Radicals Rockefeller Roosevelt secret society Secretary story thought patterns told Trilateral Commission United Nations world government World Order
References to this book
Dismantling the Big Lie: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Steven L. Jacobs,Mark Weitzman
Limited preview - 2003
Toyne Newton
No preview available - 2002


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If you really think about it there are fanatics on both sides. Religion is really only
a group of people believing in a certain way. Atheism to me is the same way
my beliefs and the right to them. I like to live my life with my own beliefs
so I do not begrudge anyone else in their beliefs.
Views: 478
An atheist is simply someone who doesn't give any creedence to any of the god proposals or definitions.
It is similar to those who don't think there's enough evidence to believe in fairies.. Just because I don't believe in fairies doesn't make my non-fairy-acceptance into a religion. I don't feel the need to start the First United Church of Non-Fairieism'. There's just too many things I don't accept the validity of because there's not enough evidence to support the proposal or definition in the first place.
I have posted these links elsewhere in this discussion, but they are worth offering again.
Please see this, by Greta Christina: "Is Atheism a Belief?"
And this: "Do You Care Whether the Things You Believe in Are True?"
Yes, Jared, but we ALL have beliefs. That's not the point. Atheism, at its essense, is the absence of belief. That is what the word means. Some atheists may believe, as you say, that gods do not exist, but their conviction does not make atheism a belief.
Let me offer this again from George Smith:
"Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief. One who does not believe in the existence of a god or supernatural being is properly designated as an atheist. Atheism is sometimes defined as 'the belief that there is no God of any kind,' or the claim that a god cannot exist. While these are categories of atheism, they do not exhaust the meaning of atheism--and are somewhat misleading with respect to the basic nature of atheism. Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief: it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist, rather he does not believe in the existence of a god."
Atheism: The Case Against God (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1989), p. 7.
Valid belief arises from knowledge, nowhere else. A belief has value only insofar as the knowledge it's based on is reliable. The validity of any belief must hinge on our ability to determine the extent to which it may be true. That is, to hold a valid belief we must have a way to determine whether the knowledge on which that belief is based is true. And we do have a way; it's called epistemology.
To use the word "belief" to refer to a deep religious conviction is to stretch the word's useful meaning and to ignore its essence, the knowledge on which any belief must be based. The fact that many religious people hold "true believers" in such awe only testifies, perversely and witlessly, to the emptiness of religious belief. When a fundamentalist rises to his feet in church to shout, "I BELIEVE, I BE-LEEEEVE!" he is declaring his absolute conviction and trust in something (a system of belief) for which everyone in that church knows there exists no evidence. That's why, to them, his declaration of belief in all its fervor is so moving, so inspiring. He doesn't know, but that doesn't matter! Because he beleeeeves anyway.
When theists use "belief" to refer to something that can be known without any evidence, and when they insist that wishful thinking is knowledge, they have righteously and arrogantly corrupted the essential meanings of both words, "belief" and "knowledge."
Of course words have essential meanings. We could not communicate effectively--and a good many of us can--if that were not true.
Disagree with Smith if that makes you happy, Jared, but an assertion isn't an argument. The argument in support of the purest and most accurate meaning of "atheism" runs like this:
Atheism is: "the absence of [belief in] gods." From the Greek; "a" meaning "not" or "without," and "theism" meaning [belief in] gods.
You're also confused about the meaning of "agnostic," a word that refers more to knowledge (from the Greek; gnosis, for knowledge) than to belief. There are many agnostics who say that we cannot know whether a god exists; yet, therefore, they have no belief in a god. Those agnostics are also atheists.
'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'
'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'
'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master — that's all.'
Jared, you're as stubborn and nonsensical as Humpty Dumpty. You're right about the Greek, of course. theos is the root of theism. Which is [belief in] gods. Which is what I said.
I have said nowhere that I am an agnostic. I am not an agnostic.
Words can convey concepts effectively only to the extent that the words' essential meanings, with regard to their context and syntax, lead to accurate comprehension and appreciation in the mind of the reader or listener. Good communicators make careful choices that are based on our shared understanding of what words mean. Of course words are the choices of individual people--but their value as tools is determined by their aptness as conveyors of meaning.
"I've noted you compared me to Humpty Dumpty. I don't see what this adds to the discussion."
It adds humor. And it uses a fitting illustration to emphasize the silliness of the notion that words do not have certain meanings that we, as possessors of the language, have by consensus ascribed to them.


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Transforming Higher Education
Safeguarding America's Colleges
Education Appropriations
Teacher Resources
Community Resources
Faith-Based Urban Schools
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
Transforming Higher Education
On October 1, Secretary Spellings delivered a major address, entitled "Educating America: The Will and the Way Forward," at the John F. Kennedy Forum at Harvard University. "[W]e need to ask ourselves, is our education system all it should be?," she said, rhetorically. "Is it preparing all of our children for success in college and the workforce? Is it giving them the skills to make a difference in solving the vital issues of the day?.... In all candor, we must answer no." Yes, she continued, some schools are "challenging the status quo," lengthening the school day and year, spending more time on basic subjects, customizing instruction, and paying teachers for results. Moreover, the No Child Left Behind Act is "spurring change and innovation," shifting the conversation from how much we are spending to whether students are actually learning. Nevertheless, "We cannot be content with having some good schools and some bad ones, or a bright future for some and not for others. We live in a global economynot a gated community." Therefore, "[W]e need the support of the higher education community," she concluded. "You have a major skin in this game. You pick-up where the schools leave offpaying the price with remedial coursework and lost opportunities. Over the past three decades, federal investment in higher education tripled. Yet, college enrollment and attainment is virtually flat. In 1975, the U.S. was number one in college completion rates. In 2005, we were number 10.... We may have 'the will.' But it's 'the way' that has me worried." For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/10/10012008.html.
At the forum, the Secretary specifically proposed a dramatic simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which new and returning college students must complete to qualify for a share of more than $80 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study assistance. The current form is six pages long, with four additional pages of instructions, and asks students to answer some 120 questions. The Secretary's new formwhich must be approved by Congresswould contain less than 30 questions, arranged in eight evident categories, and, coupled with other reforms, provide "real-time" notification of eligibility and financial aid amounts. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/students/college/aid/fafsa.html.
One day later, at Boston's Charlestown High School, the Secretary demonstrated College.gov, the new, student-focused web site designed to inspire and motivate students to continue their education beyond high school. This sitea gateway to credible informationhas three main sections: why go to college, what to do to get to there, and how to pay for it. Each section features videos of college students sharing their stories of overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams. The Secretary also visited Steven Berbeco's Arabic class. Berbeco is one of the Department's 25 Teaching Ambassador Fellows, contributing to and learning about education policy at the national level. James Liou, a Fellow at Boston Community Leadership Academy, attended the event as well. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/10/10022008.html. (Note: Looking for information about individual institutions? Explore College Navigator [http://collegenavigator.ed.gov/], College Portrait [http://www.collegeportraits.org/including recent results from one of three standardized measures of learning], and the University and College Accountability Network [http://www.ucan-network.org/with the ability to search by an array of variables.)
Safeguarding America's Colleges
The next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast (October 21, 8:00-9:00 ET) will focus on preventing and mitigating safety breaches on college campuses and more effectively responding to emergencies if they occur. The U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies have created safety guidance for the K-12 and higher education community based on a common framework. However, the nature of college lifewhere students enjoy open campuses and considerably more freedom and privacy rights than younger studentspresents unique challenges. In turn, colleges and universities are encouraged to be thoughtful and comprehensive as they go about creating their own plans to furnish a safe learning environment. The broadcast will: highlight several Department programs available through the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools that seek to enhance safety on campus; discuss the rights students and parents have under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); feature institutions that are leading the effort to enhance campus safety; and supply tips for parents on the health and security of students. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/edtv/. (You can watch archived webcasts at http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/.)
Education Appropriations
On September 30, President Bush signed into law a continuing resolution package, extending funding for most education programs and other parts of the federal budget at Fiscal Year 2008 levels through March 6, 2009. The bill does include some new spending, such as $2.5 billion more for Pell Grants, to prevent a possible reduction in awards in the middle of the academic year, $15 million for school districts whose enrollments of homeless youths have increased as a result of presidential-declared natural disasters in 2008 (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act), and $15 million for colleges and universities located within areas impacted by presidential-declared natural disasters (Title VII-B of the Higher Education Act). Separately, as part of the financial rescue package, Congress approved and President Bush signed the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which supplies federal aid to replace timber tax revenues in districts that are near national forests, and a two-year extension of various tax benefits, such as college tuition and expenses, out-of-pocket teacher expenses, and Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs). For more information, please go to http://appropriations.house.gov/ AND http://financialservices.house.gov/. (Note: State-by-state tables, with many final FY 2008 allocations, are available at http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/.)
Teacher Resources
The Department's Doing What Works web site (http://dww.ed.gov/), a growing collection of research-based tools for teachers, has developed new, interactive sections on how to organize teaching to improve student learning and the critical foundations for algebra. This site has a user-friendly interface to quickly identify practices that have been determined effective by the agency's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and similar organizations. It also offers examples of possible waysalthough not necessarily the only waysthis research may be used to help students reach their academic potential. Under organizing instruction, the site details: space learning over time with review and quizzing; alternate worked examples with problem-solving practice; connecting abstract and concrete representations of concepts; and using higher-order questions to help students build explanations. Under foundations for algebra, the site specifies: preparing students for entry by developing a focused, coherent progression of topics and skills; providing instruction that develops conceptual understanding, computational fluency, and problem-solving skills; and using a mastery framework to guide instructional planning and student assessment. (Note: The findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel underpin all the algebra material.)
Other resources for educators:
The latest practice guide from the Department's What Works Clearinghouse (http://whatworks.ed.gov/) presents five recommendations for promoting positive student behavior in elementary classrooms.
This week, Secretary Spellings hosted a roundtable on performance pay for educators, discussing how the federal government can further support this movement (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/
10/10082008.html). She also released a brochure outlining best practices in implementing performance pay systems.
"Teachers' Use of Student Data Systems to Improve Instruction" (http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/teachers-
data-use-2005-2007/teachers-data-use-2005-2007-intro.html) analyzes teachers' access to and use of information from student data systems.
Community Resources
Earlier this month, at an elementary school in Washington, DC, Deputy Secretary Ray Simon unveiled a new series of publications, called "Helping Your Child" brochures. These brochures provide clear and concise advice to parents for helping their school-aged children with different subject areasincluding reading, math, science, history, homework, and citizenship. Each brochure also contains helpful tips for parents, learning activities that families can do together, and resources for additional insight. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html.
Other resources for the community:
The Achiever newsletter (http://www.ed.gov/achiever/), available solely online, focuses on how successful schools across the U.S. are working toward the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act: to have every student reading and doing math at grade-level by 2014. The latest story spotlights a Richmond, Virginia, elementary school whose parent and community connections are credited for the more than 90% of its students passing state assessments in reading, math and science.
"Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008" (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?
pubid=2008084) examines the educational progress of American Indian/Alaska Native children and adults and challenges in their schooling.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) "Education at a Glance 2008" (www.oecd.org/edu/eag2008/) enables OECD's 30 member countries to compare performance using a range of indicators. The main topics covered are participation and achievement, public and private spending, conditions for students and teachers, and the state of lifelong learning. On average, 57% of OECD high school graduates went on to higher education in 2006, compared to 37% in 1995.
Faith-Based Urban Schools
Inner-city faith-based schools have helped educate generations of low-income American students. Yet, between the 1999-2000 and 2005-06 academic years, the U.S. lost nearly 1,200 of these schools, and those remaining reported nearly 425,000 fewer students. In response, the White House recently released a new report, "Preserving a Critical National Asset," chronicling the historical role of faith-based schools in America (particularly their service of low-income urban populations), explaining the causes of their disappearance, and offering recommendations for reversing this precarious trend. The report follows-up on the White House Summit on Inner-City Children and Faith-Based Schools, where the President convened stakeholders to develop potential strategies for preserving these valuable educational institutions. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/faithbased/.
Quote to Note
"While Harvard's $35 million endowment will help you graduate with less debt, others are not so lucky. The average private school graduate leaves college $20,000 in debt. One in 10 carries $40,000. This often closes the door to opportunities like public service or teaching.... In these consequential times, I know you are eager to make a difference. And, you will have the means to do it. You have been blessed with one of the finest educations in the world. You are earning not just a degree but status as a role model in society. Have the will to use itto pay it forward.... You never know where your efforts will lead you. But, your leadership is needed. Because where Harvard leads, others follow."
|Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (10/1/08), to students at the John F. Kennedy Forum at Harvard University
Upcoming Events
This year's Federal Student Aid (FSA) Conferences are premiere training and networking opportunities for financial aid professionals. Register now for either Dallas (October 28-31) or Las Vegas (December 2-5). The program and session content at each event is similar. For more information, please go to http://fsaconferences.ed.gov/.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest award a K-12 math or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the U.S. The President officially names up to 108 teachers annually. Awards alternate between elementary and secondary teachers, with secondary teachers eligible in 2009, and are given to teachers from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the outlying territories, and Department of Defense schools. The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2009. For more information, please go to http://www.paemst.org/.
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Please feel free to contact the Office of Communications and Outreach with any questions:
Director, Intergovernmental AffairsRogers Johnson, (202) 401-0026, firstname.lastname@example.com
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To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/index.html.
This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.


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Free Virginia 511 Tools
About 511 | 511 FAQs | iPhone app | Android app
511 Traffic Info Wherever You Go
The Virginia 511 system is your key to knowing what is on the road before you go. There are three free tools to give you the latest traffic information from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT):
511 Telephone
The 511 telephone service is an interactive, voice-activated traffic information system you can access by calling 511 from your land line or cell phone.
To be safe, do not use a hand-held cell phone while driving. Instead, use a hands-free accessory so you can keep both hands on the wheel.
Or better yet, call when you are stopped at one of VDOT's safety rest areas.
511 Website
The site, at 511Virginia.org, is powered by a map with 511 information placed in layers on top of it.
Simply click on the icons for more information.
You may also register for a username and password to personalize the site. Note: If you had previously registered on the older version of 511Virgnia.org, you must recreate your account.
511 Smartphone Application
VDOT has introduced a 511 smartphone application to meet the growing trend of information on mobile devices.
The application works on phones and tablets that operate on the iPhone and Android platforms, the two most popular smartphone types.
These applications will tell you what incidents and construction will be on your predetermined route. You can also see traffic cameras on the apps.
Do not use these apps while you are driving. Distracted driving while using cell phones is a major cause of crashes.


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SF Sunset, CAThis is an original 6"x 8" oil painting on Arches oil paper. It was done in the "plein-air" tradition, meaning that it was painted outside on location. It can also be considered an "alla prima" painting as well, since it was started and finished in one pass.
These little paintings are what I love to do. They are distillations of all the elements that go into making a painting, but without any fluff. They are wild and free, created on hikes, in the mountains, in the rivers, and sometimes, on the side of the road. They are my version of a travel journal.
Purchase includes:6"x 8" original oil paintingCustom matting (8"x 10" overall size)Free Shipping
Frame is not included


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Enhancing academic excellence is fundamental to achieving the university vision. Academic excellence creates personal and professional success for all learners. It is pivotal in recruiting and retaining talented and diverse students and personnel.
The search for the "best" college or university takes many forms. College-bound high school students and their parents schedule campus visits and attend open house programs. Magazines and guidebooks publish annual surveys. Prospective students consult friends, relatives and counselors for advice. In the end, serious students narrow the list of possibilities to institutions where they believe they will find academic excellence in the field they wish to pursue, faculty who are dedicated teacher/scholars and opportunities that support and extend classroom learning.
Bloomsburg University has a strong reputation for academic excellence reinforced each year by the large number of graduates who are employed in their fields, outstanding alumni achievements and a strong pool of applicants. To retain this well-earned reputation, the institution will meet the demands associated with an ever-changing society, employment trends and an increasing emphasis on globalization with innovative programs of study, expanded classroom opportunities and an atmosphere of respect for all members of the campus community.
Bloomsburg University advocates study abroad opportunities to help students grow into well-informed citizens. The university will continue to encourage students to pursue scholarly activities in collaboration with faculty and increase the availability of courses through distance education offerings. The university also will provide a general education program that promotes skills, knowledge, cultural awareness and citizenship to help develop each student's ability to think critically and communicate effectively.
To enhance academic excellence, Bloomsburg University will:


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Tesla got patents?
Tesla got patents?
Coda as well!
I don't think ideas can be patented, only devices. Battery pack positioning is idea, battery pack connections would be device.
You can argue that the skateboard design with no car body on top of it is the device otherwise? Very real, just slap an accelerator, steering wheel and lawn chair to that and you have the most awesome go cart of all time!
The Nissan Leaf also has the battery mounted under the car, like so:
Obviously not nearly as elegantly integrated as the Model S but the basic principle is the same and the Leaf came to the market 2 years earlier.
pvenkate, to use Steve Jobs' words: "and, boy, have we patented it!" You can rest assured that Tesla has patented as much as they could while developing the Model S. They hold hundreds of patents, and have many more pending, at least that's what Elon says when asked in an interview.
In the 10-Q financials, the final sections, "ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK" have extensive discussion, mostly in general formal accounting terminology, about patent risks.
Challenges, varying jurisdictions, etc. are all mentioned.
IMO, the collaborative approach TM is taking, essentially trying to make it easier and more economical to license and contract with them rather than either break a patent or duplicate its facilities and research, is likely to pay off. That's the bet it's making, in any case.
hmm... I stand corrected, apparently you can patent ideas. However when "idea" is obvious enough that anybody can "invent" it it should not be patentable. Should I patent wheel? I just invented it (about zillionth time).
For "flat touchscreen with rounded edges" Apple patent, that should not exist at all. Anybody who tries to make touchscreen-only mobile phone ends up having near-exactly same design: flat, slim, rounded edges, about palm-sized but narrower.
Same applies to Tesla design for major scale: battery in middle under the floor (creates low point of gravity and centers the mass creating better handling), motor between wheels (takes least space there). This is a design that cannot be "intellectual property" because anybody thinking about it ends up more or less same conclusion.
I stand corrected, apparently you can patent ideas. (Timo)
Depends on legislation. There are some substantial differences between what can or cannot patented in Europe vs. USA.
This is a design that cannot be "intellectual property" because anybody thinking about it ends up more or less same conclusion. (Timo)
It is extremely hard to draw the line there because after the fact, the best ideas look simple and obvious and yet no one has had that idea before.
Authors run into this problem. Where does a plot idea end and a novel(!) thought begin? There are always lawsuits over people stealing plot outlines, yet how many new story structures are there? Car design seems a bit more straight-forward, yet it still seems murky.
There's specific wording relating to "prior art" etc. which has to be satisfied. This leads to all sorts of peculiar wording in the patents themselves, too. Sometimes stuff gets thru due to the sheer ignorance of the patent office.
A big controversy is patented genes. Existing genes, discovered and replicated. Theoretically, many of your genes are the property of biomed companies right now.
At least they'll expire in 17 yrs or so. But if you replicate yourself or reproduce before then ...
Keep in mind that the theoretical purpose of patents is to make ideas and devices widely available (after a minimal reasonable delay) by making the patent sufficiently specific that anyone "skilled in the (relevant) art" can reproduce it. Part of the reason for requiring submission of actual prototypes.
Those wanting to truly remain exclusive for as long as possible often thus don't patent, just rely on secrecy. Reverse engineering is their enemy.
Often, it's just "time" for an invention. The car, phone, radio, etc. were multiply invented. Bell, Marconi, etc. just won "footraces" to the patent office.
Tesla, not Marconi.
Sorry to bring up an old thread but was going through some of the Tesla patent applications and came across this:
Looks like they are planning on using a metal(lithium?)-air battery paired with a standard lithium ion battery.
I guess the lithium-air battery is much lighter (much lower kg/kWh ratio...only problem is that you can't draw power (discharge) as fast from a lithium-air battery as you can a lithium-ion battery.
So are they planning on using the lithium-ion battery for large draw situations (acceleration, passing, etc) and the lithium-air for more steady (maintain your speed - highway driving)...all depends on the rate of draw needed for certain applications really...of course I have no idea, but Tesla will have compiled A LOT of data regarding draw rates on the Roadster and Model S.
Guess the idea would be to store most of the energy in the lighter lithium-air battery and have enough in the lithium-ion battery to handle the large draw situations.
Hmmm...just blew my own mind but...maybe the lithium-ion battery does ALL the actual discharge work but is constantly being trickle charged by the lithium-air battery?
Can batteries be charged and discharged at the same time? I guess so because I am using my cellphone right now as it is plugged into the charger.
Is this old news??? Haven't heard this anywhere as of yet. Seems pretty revolutionary to me.
Looks like JB Straubel is on the patent.
Hope somebody can comment on this!!!
Years down the road. Lithium air is not out of the lab, so far as I know, let alone automotive grade. I'd say check back in five years.
capacitors are used in some applications that way, with almost instant response times, very high charge/discharge rates. Buffer for fast charge/discharge situations.
I guess you could still use them; layers with the high power density ones on the "outer" layer, energy densest ones on the innermost.
Companies file all sorts of patent applications they never expect to use. They do it defensively. I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.
From what I read, Elon studied super caps in college with an eye toward using them to power cars. So far, caps don't have the energy density to provide the required range. If we don't find a single technology with both high energy density and high power density, we will probably end up with a high energy density battery driving super caps, which will drive the motor. This is advantageous because regen can go directly into the caps, which can charge and discharge millions of times without being degraded like batteries.
I think capacitors would help mainly with surges. Any caps big enough to accept much regen would be very bulky.
Not so sure JBunn...the book I am reading says that Lithium Air in terms of charging is ready to go...they are just struggling with the discharge rates...if Tesla uses a lithium air the way they have put in the patent then they may not be as far off as you think in terms of getting this into a car. Guess we will see.
just surprised nobody has discussed this before.
We have. Charge per kg. isn't the issue; it's SIZE. Not many kg. per m^2. You, 1 passenger, and your 85kWh lithium air battery fill your Model S ...
??? From what I read Lithium air has best kWh/kg ratio that can ever be hoped for in any battery...i know IBM has been working flat out on lithium air for at least 5 years...you would think Tesla might be testing some of thus stuff by now.
Brian H noted that problem is not specific energy (Wh/kg) but energy density (Wh/L). To contain enough energy to be useful that battery needs to be BIG. It's still light, but it takes a lot more space than current batteries. Power density is another problem, so there are two problems to solve.
You're not following. Kg is mass. VOLUME is what I'm referring to. Air takes up a lot of SPACE. Lithium-air batteries are light, but BIG. Bigger than cars can accommodate.
Yeah teddyg, if we use Lithium air, we would have to carry a giant bag of air around with us to feed the battery! Too bad we don't live on a planet that is covered with air. Hey, wait a minute...
The air problem is in the airspace inside the batteries. Doh.
@EcLectric - Unfortunately, it is true: we do need to carry a bag of air, it is the air inside the batteries that is in direct contact with the cathode. That makes the Li-air batteries both lightweight and bulky. Then we need to move the used air out, and move fresh air in. Like in an ICE: air filters, compressors, air hoses...
But it is promising. IBM estimates production will start between 2020 and 2030... lots of things may change in the meantime...
And - bummer - will not be able to drive a Model S on Mars...
(Brian H beat me to a click :-) )
Tiebreaker -- And - bummer - will not be able to drive a Model S on Mars...
Sure you can:
As far as driving anything on Mars -- what do you do with the heat? The atmosphere is 1% Earth's pressure & density, and even liquid cooling ends at the radiator. There'd have to be radiative cooling: maybe big red hot tail fins? Or else stick to a few days per mile like the Rovers and Curiosity.
Not sure about this either...looks like there are a lot of patents in conjunction to the one I found regarding the "venting" of metal-air batteries. Not sure why Tesla would do this as they are not in the battery business (as far as we know anyway). But maybe they think they could modify a supplier's lithium-air battery and make it work?
Long shot I know...but it's nice to dream that we might hit the magic "500 mile per charge" number sooner rather than later...we will get there eventually anyway.
I thought that Mars was about the temperature of Antarctica on a warm day and generally much colder. Also I'd expect that you would be driving inside the terraforming domes, not outside in the Martian atmosphere.
"There'd have to be radiative cooling: maybe big red hot tail fins?"
Fortunately, aerodynamic drag would be much lower.
Unfortunately so would be grip too. Mass doesn't disappear, but weight does, so cornering would really suck.
@teddyg, those 500+Wh/kg batteries have more than twice the capacity of Model S batteries, and if Model S gets 265miles / charge you have your 500+ miles in just couple of years using just traditional batteries.
The only was electric, powered by silver-zinc potassium hydroxide batteries. Range (not sure which EAP cycle was used....) was 57 miles (92km).
Of interest: "The first cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to Boeing was for $19,000,000 and called for delivery of the first LRV by 1 April 1971. Cost overruns, however, led to a final cost of $38,000,000"!
^^ messed up my post ^^ .... The only vehicle drive on the moon was the lunar rover.
Hm, an MS with wire-mesh wheels and outriggers (for turns). Need a lot of elbow room!
@jerry3 - LOL, matching color too. Has to be a classic non-metal-air Model S.
Just thinking, with the lower gravity and thinner air, the MS would be way over-powered! You'd get dangerous air time on every lump, bump, and hill. Probably need big 45° spoilers on front and rear for downforce and traction.


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January 18th, 2012
Chefs with Issues is a platform for chefs and farmers we love, fired up for causes about which they're passionate. Hugh Acheson is the chef/partner of Five & Ten and The National in Athens, Georgia and Empire State South in Atlanta, Georgia as well as a judge on the current season on Top Chef, and author of "A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen." He has a very famous unibrow.
If you search "Paula Deen" on the Google, these are some of the search suggestions that appear: riding things, recipes, furniture, cookware, meatloaf, and diabetes. I strongly recommend researching the first and last on that list because both point to the decline of Western civilization.
Let me preface this with the wish that this piece not be about maligning a personality or calling out specific dishes in a repertoire. Hopefully it is about furthering a constructive discussion to rejoice in a better Southern food.
Southern food did not make the South unhealthy, rather a broken arrow of cookery did, one that is ultra-processed, trans fat laden, lard fried, and massively caloric. Thatâs not how I eat and I eat Southern food pretty much every day of my life.
The event began and I starting out lofting soft balls for Paula to swing for the fences and please her amassed fandom. These folks were not there to see a strange little Canadian guy talk about the importance of your local farms and revel in the green bounty that my adopted homeplace of Athens, Georgia has to offer.
Paula talked about her history, her family, made light of herself, and chatted up her clothing line at JC Penney. There was nothing out of the ordinary and it was the sort of chat she probably does three times a week.
I then decided to ask a pertinent question, at least to me. The question was, âDo you think that Southern food has had a start and a finish or do you think itâs something that continues to evolve?â
If there ever was a moment in time where I was speaking Esperanto to the Korean grocer on the corner, this was it. Paula looked a little confused so I went on to clarify.
I talked about how we do a dish at my restaurant in Atlanta, Empire State South, conceived by Ryan Smith, the chef there. It is Carolina Middlinâ Rice Grits with Kimchi, Pork Belly and Pickled Radish. The rice grits are the broken kernels of Carolina Gold rice, which historically were an important staple of the rice workers, predominantly the Gullah population, in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The whole kernels of rice would be exported while the broken kernels were kept by the locals and used to make porridges and paps, starches that when cooked are akin to the consistency of grits.
It is a dish that bounces between an homage to history and a celebration of the current. Its core is that very historical rice porridge, yet then it takes a current tangent and is suffused with chopped up house-made kimchi, an ode to the modern proliferation of Asian cultures in the South. Then we return to our Southern history with a small portion (two ounces) of braised and crisped local pork belly, and loop back to the world-inflected South with a simple pickle of local radishes.
It is a dish that thoroughly defines my views on the community of Southern food: Southern food is a celebration of the people within the community, using the agrarian bounty that is constantly around them. It pays homage to the past but is a constantly evolving, ebbing with the seasons and flowing with the constant progression of the South. It is a foodways that really has had a much stronger emphasis on vegetables and sides than huge portions of proteins, and one that is healthy if we show off the diversity of our crops and cooking styles.
Paula looked at me with moderate confusion and disdain and blurted out to her masses, âWhatâs wrong with just butter and salt in grits?â
And thatâs the issue isnât it? That is the monochrome image of Southern food, one that I am tired of challenging, a simply unhealthy version that has been pushed for decades. True Southern food is so much more than that.
The recent news about Paulaâs diagnosis with type 2 diabetes should be a wake up call. What may be the most ironic twist is that she has already secured a deal with a pharmaceutical company to be a spokesperson for diabetes drugs. Hereâs to hoping that well paid soapbox effects true change in how Southern food is viewed.
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Combining Commercial Opportunity With Environmental Sustainability
March 05, 2012
As pressure grows to produce more food, unsustainable practices threaten ecosystems and contribute to climate change.
|Bruce McNamer, TechnoServe's President and CEO, discusses our strategy for coupling improvements in food security with environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. He recently spoke on a panel called "Feed the world, protect the planet" at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Smallholder farmers can set an example of environmental sustainability while helping to feed the world.
The 2 billion people who live and work on small farms in developing countries are victims of paradox. They grow vital food and cash crops, yet most remain in poverty because they lack access to information and markets. They produce most of their nations' food but often go to bed hungry. And as they struggle to provide enough food for their families, the world looks to them to help feed a growing population.
We need to produce an estimated 70 percent more food by 2050. The greatest potential for productivity gains lies in the millions of small-scale farms in Africa, Latin America and Asia. But as the pressure grows to produce more food, unsustainable practices like slash-and-burn agriculture and excessive tilling of cropland threaten ecosystems and contribute to climate change.
At TechnoServe, we believe that with the right skills and knowledge, smallholder farmers can better feed themselves and the world while setting an example of environmental sustainability. But we must keep in mind a core truth: farms are businesses, and smallholder farmers should be viewed as businesspeople. Lasting change will happen only when farmers are implementing sustainable approaches because they can make money doing so.
This means that promoting environmentally sustainable practices should go hand-in-hand with efforts to bring smallholder farmers into commercial markets. Civil society, governments, the private sector and donors must work together to find the intersection of environmental protection and commercial opportunity. If done right, this approach can help protect the planet, feed a growing population and raise living standards for farming families.
TechnoServe works in agricultural industries to address the constraints that prevent smallholder farmers from creating the most value from their products. Many of these constraints also keep farmers from adopting more sustainable practices. For example, access to information is a major gap in much of the developing world. Information about soil, weather and proper farming practices can be the element that takes a farming family from subsistence to long-term sustainability. With the right knowledge, farmers can learn to be better stewards of the environment while also producing a higher-quality product.
Good stewardship of the land is good business for smallholder farmers in the developing world.
Similarly, with better access to finance, smallholders can make improvements to their farms that will have long-term benefits. With access to markets and confidence in their stability and transparency, they can have the cash flow to buy proper seeds, fertilizers and equipment. And with confidence in their land tenure, farmers will have the motivation to plan for the future. Any initiative to promote environmentally sustainable practices must address all of these elements.
That's why it's critical to involve multiple stakeholders in these efforts. Governments can play a key role by examining policies through the dual lens of commercial viability and environmental sustainability. This approach can help create smart policies in areas such as investment in input markets, enforcement of environmental standards, land reform and payments for ecosystem services. The private sector and donors also can do their part by examining business models side by side with environmental sustainability.
TechnoServe's experience has shown that this approach can work. We are integrating conservation into our trainings and emphasizing low-cost practices that can help maintain soil fertility, manage pests and make efficient use of water supplies. TechnoServe is working to incorporate technologies such as satellite imaging, GPS and mobile communications in order to help farmers determine how to use their land efficiently, productively and sustainably. These improvements can lead to short-term gains, but they also position farmers to succeed in the long-term by helping them adapt to a rapidly changing planet. Good stewardship is good business.
There is also huge potential for financial and environmental benefits by implementing improvements after the harvest. In several East African countries, TechnoServe has helped introduce coffee processing equipment that cuts water usage by 95 percent. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, this equipment reduces the capital needed for a smallholder-owned mill by a third. Improvements in other areas such as crop storage and transport can help cut down on post-harvest losses and reduce the need to clear more land for agriculture.
In all of these efforts, it's critical to think systemically in order to create lasting change. The smallholder farmer represents just one piece of a larger system. Without the right incentives and support, farmers will have little motivation or ability to adopt more sustainable practices. But with a system that supports commercial and environmental sustainability, smallholders can play a major role in feeding – and protecting – the world.
Related Blog Posts
Coffee Consumer Spotlight: Ethiopian Forest Coffee
In Ethiopia, wild coffee thrives under dense forest canopies. Since 2018, TechnoServe has been working with Partnerships for Forests to support the farmers who grow this coffee, and the diverse habitats they rely on for their livelihoods.
Lasting Impact Spotlight: Bhawarlal Sharma
In this series, we check back with TechnoServe program participants who were previously featured on our blog, documenting how their lives have changed and progressed.
Orchards that Revitalize the Environment – and Farmers' Lives
TechnoServe and the Kellogg Company are helping aging farmers in Madhya Pradesh, India, establish sustainable and environmentally friendly sources of income.


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Traders got a distraction from the wash of red on their screens Friday as China's share market served up a wild ride and a bit of a mystery.
The Shanghai Composite Index surged by as much as 5.6 percent in morning trade before ending down a tame 0.6 percent.
The spike higher was initially triggered by jumps in shares of China Merchants Bank and Sinopec, within just one or two minutes, traders said, but the gains spread across the board.
(Read more: China market bounce: trend change or false alarm?)
After the market close, major brokerage Everbright Securities offered itself as a key suspect, saying in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange that its proprietary trading bureau encountered problems with its own arbitrage system, triggering talk the share spike may have been a result of a trading error.
Major Chinese business newspaper the 21st Century Business Herald reported Everbright was applying to cancel all its morning trades. China's market regulator said it was still probing the volatility late Friday afternoon.


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8am - I get up to the sound of coffee brewing. Ds(9) is already at work in his first hour, reading his library book. After that he moves on to a science chart of the life kingdoms and plays a matching game he devised.
9am - now that I'm fully awake we start our day with a run. We're building up to the presidential fitness challenge, but since it's the beginning of the year we go easy: today is 1 pushup, 1 sit up, various stretches and a 10 minute run. We almost make it down to the beach (about 1.5 miles) before we stop and turn to walk back. The walk is almost better than the run. It gives us a chance to talk about various things and admire the view.
10am - I take a shower after ds is done. He works on a math sheet that we go over together when I get out. I then help him correct his penpal letter and write a new draft.
11am - science time! The history of the microscope. We made a waterscope and compared the same image under all three scopes we have - the waterscope, pocket microscope, and an eyeclops.
12pm - Lunch. I make flashcards from language class and we test each other on them over the meal.
1pm - found out ds had done his history lesson during the weekend, so we played a game instead and went over what happened and why.
2pm - go babysit. Ds writes in his journal and takes off to play.
8am - wake up, have a cup of coffee. Ds builds a model of DaVinci's flying man on his own. We skip the run since it's raining out.
9am - play Cathedral. I win a few, he wins one. We decide to make lemon squares using the Math Chef book. Surprisingly they turn out pretty good, but a quick check of area lets him know the 'bigger' square he took is not bigger at all! Mine is! A second lemon square makes up for it.
11am - Comprehension detective time! 5 minutes and it's done. We are going to the library in the afternoon so we decide to have lunch in the living room and watch the movie he checked out last week.
1pm - Library! I pick up a few historical books to supplement the coming week, he gets 2 chapter books and the Bridge to Terabithia movie. We had to hurry because the rain wasn't stopping for long. Our afternoon tree walk was also canceled because of how nasty it got.
2pm - write to penpal, journal to self.
Monday/Friday in a classical-eclectic 4th grade
Describe your average homeschool day and give new homeschoolers an idea of what to expect!
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Monday/Friday in a classical-eclectic 4th grade
"The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."
- M. Montessori
Proud non-member of the HSLDA
- M. Montessori
Proud non-member of the HSLDA
sounds like a full day!
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Watch YouTube videos and improve your English at the same time. There are exercises, transcripts and worksheets to help you understand.
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ICA – Circus Boot Camp
Wednesday, December 19 2018 • 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm • Handball Court
Every Wednesday at 6:45PM
Circus Boot Camp is a great class for students at any level that want to focus on fundamentals and building core skills. Conditioning will whip you into shape, whether your goal is to become a better aerialist, or just to pump up those muscles. In this class we will lead you through cardio, strengthening, and flexibility exercises on the floor and in the air.
About Iowa Circus Arts
In addition to on-going classes, Iowa Circus Arts also offers after school programs, corporate team-building, as well as entertainment for social events and parties. Circus is a great way to improve your coordination and strength in a new, exciting way. All ages and fitness levels are welcome.