Nation sept 14 2012
study by senate committee on health, ed, and pensions checked 20 for profit colleges half publicly traded such as u of phoenix and washington post's kaplan higher ed. results: "the for profit schoolds take in about 10-12% of all the students of higher ed but account for over 50% of the defaults."
these colleges appeal to lower income and veterns (mostly) looking to use on line classes. "many of these institutions can cost up to 420% more than their public counterparts...plus the vast majority of students enrolled--95%--will seek federal or private loans to pay for the tuition."
86% of their revenue comes from taxpayers (32billion in the most recent year). only 17% of this goes to actual ed, 22.7% is spent on marketing and recruiting.
Strayer's ROBERT SILBERMAN got 41.9 million in 2009 and former CEO JONATHAN GRAYER of Kaplan got 76 million severance 2008.
organic flower bulbs = www.ecotulips.com
healing w/comfrey--letter about digging up root, washing and peeling. grating and then it will be mushy--put on a wound to dry. interesting that old fashioned often works just as well as modern
newspaper:
the us spent 17.9% of its gross domestic product on health care in2010--more than double what other wealthy nations spend on a per person basis. in one sign of the growing importance of health care to the economy. s&p dow jones indices added health insurer unitedhealthcare to the dow jones industrial average, replacing kraft foods. (united--aarp)
chicago tribune sept 23 2012:
azithromycin use poses danger for cardiac patients, patients predisposed to certain types of arrhythmia (avoiding azithromycin may make sense) often sold in 5 day dose known as z-pak. not major risk but still. . .related are amoxicillin and cipro-floxacin (fluoroquinolone)
9-15-12 farm newspaper:
commentary released by council for ag science and technology "analyzes how proposed changes in livestock production practices might affect food safety and public health. these changes include modification of stocking densities, limitations on antimicrobial use and requirements for outdoor experiences. modern livestock production practices, which provide precision nutrition, decrease the spread of disease and reduce animals' contact w/manure, promote animal health and food safety, according to the report. scott hurd of the college of veterinary med at iowa state university chaired the task force that authored the CAST commentary, which said that housing livestock indoors provides advances in managing food-borne organisms. however improvements in animal production systems must not come at the expense of animal welfare, according to the commentary, and more research is needed to identify food animal production practices that protect human health while meeting public expectations." (i need to find out more about CAST)
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
CAST is
a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization composed of scientific societies
and many individual, student, company, nonprofit, and associate society
members. CAST's Board is composed of representatives of the scientific
societies, commercial companies, and nonprofit or trade organizations,
and a Board of Directors. CAST was established in 1972 as a result of a
1970 meeting sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, National
Research Council.
The primary work of CAST is the
publication of task force reports, commentary papers, special
publications, and issue papers written by scientists from many
disciplines. The CAST Board is responsible for the policies and
procedures followed in developing, processing, and disseminating the
documents produced. These publications and their distribution are
fundamental activities that accomplish our mission to assemble,
interpret, and communicate credible science-based information
regionally, nationally, and internationally to legislators, regulators,
policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. The wide
distribution of CAST publications to nonscientists enhances the
education and understanding of the general public.
CAST addresses issues of animal
sciences, food sciences and agricultural technology, plant and soil
sciences, and plant protection sciences with inputs from economists,
social scientists, toxicologists or plant pathologists and
entomologists, weed scientists, nematologists, and legal experts.
Hobby Farms:
info on wetland laws visit www.aswm.org/swp/states.htm
see part 303 wetlands protection of the natural resources and environmental protection act 1994 PA 451 for list of things one CANNOT do without a permit from the DEQ
IPM resources:
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu
www.wssa.net
www.attra.org
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu
http://insects.tamu.edu
www.entomology.wisc.edu
http://bugguide.net
www.wvu.edu/~agexten
suggestion to preserve herbs w/butter or oil and freeze (organic gardening oct/nov2012). wash, dry off, processor w/ 1/3 c olive oil for 2 cups leaves or 1/2 c unsalted butter per 2 to 4 tbls leaves. don't add cheese or nuts for freezing
indoor herbs: p. 56 organic
good for indoors are oregano, marjoram=m, chives, basil, cilantro, thyme mint
PLENTY OF WORK: A rise in public beach closures is just one of many
signs that Michigan needs a re-investment strategy for its public goods,
argues John Austin. (Bridge archive photo/John Russell)
By John Austin/Michigan Economic Center
All of us who live in — and love – Michigan have some deep-rooted
sense of what makes the state special. Our great outdoors and
spectacular lakes. Our cars, the open road, hauling the camper or
snowmobile Up North. Great colleges and universities that bring us
together on football Saturdays and give us a shot at a world-class
education close to home. The outsized history and special vibe of cities
such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo that — through triumph,
tragedy and rebirth — fascinate us still.
We need to appreciate that these foundational assets of our state —
great schools and universities, quality roads and transportation system,
historic cities, clean water and great parks – also are the most
important assets to rebuild, if we are to reboot our state’s economy.
They have given us a unique identity and strategic economic advantages
for many years, while also engendering pride among our citizens and
making Michigan a desirable place to live and work.
And these assets are public goods — the things we do together as a
community with our tax dollars; ones that the private sector and market
does not provide on its own.
John
Austin directs the Michigan Economic Center at Prima Civitas
Foundation, and is the elected president of the Michigan State Board of
Education.
And our public goods are severely degraded: A down economy, combined
with 12 years of state tax rate cuts, has dramatically reduced our
investment. Michigan has a yawning $1.5 billion hole in fixing roads and
bridges; our citizens are poorly served by transit. Community revenue
sharing has been slashed 32.7 percent. Michigan’s high-quality higher
education is now being priced out of reach: tuition has doubled at
public universities, state support for community colleges has fallen by a
third.
Once a conservation leader, Michigan is 47
th out of 50 states in conservation funding. Environmental cleanup spending has dropped dramatically. Beach closures have doubled.
To thrive anew, we must tap what we value most in this state, what is uniquely special about Michigan, and build it up again:
Great and affordable schools and universities that produce
well-educated people, attract top talent, and do the research that
brings economy-changing innovation and new enterprises.
The 21st century infrastructure needed to move goods, services and ideas in the global economy.
Communities where our kids, and those from outside the state, want to
live and work — with parks, libraries, arts and culture, transit,
entertainment and safe and exciting neighborhoods.
We must polish our “Pure Michigan” jewels to shine anew: clean water, rivers, parks and forests.
Better connecting what is special about Michigan — and how to
turbocharge it for economic growth — is the work we are about in the
Michigan Economic Center’s “Michigan Dream Restored” Initiative.
Supported by a $225,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, guided
by a multi-sector advisory board of diverse Michigan stakeholders, we
will be having deep discussions with Michigan citizens over the coming
months about what they value and what is special about Michigan.
A key feature of the initiative is the use of sophisticated
citizen-value identification tools, drawn from private-sector consumer
market research, to better match public investment ideas with what
Michigan residents value most — and what they are willing to pay for. We
are going to ask the people of Michigan what’s special about this state
and, with their help, inform specific public good investment ideas that
have a better chance at winning support in the public sphere. In doing
so, we have a shot at restoring the uniquely Michigan version of the
American Dream.
Join us at
www.mieconomiccenter.org.
slowmoney.org/principles
from oct 1 2012 hightower: bain capital helped transform monsanto from a chemical co into the genetic plant producer that swiss research firm covalence last year ranked as last in overall ethical performance of multinational corporations. monsanto was one of bain and co's first clients. john hanley then monsanto's CEO collaborated with bill bain to create bain capital to keep romney in the bain fold and provided $1 million in bain capital startup funding. romney in turn helped monsanto move from chemical production (which gave the world PCB's) to bioengineering seeds.
languages: www.learner.org/resources/series75.html-- spanish seems good source for learning the language
checked surefit.com for sofa sleeper covers--not impressed w/choice
nor diybacksplashkit.com for choices
volunteermatch.org--saw to bhg i think to check for local referrals. checked w/davison zip and found a pretty good list if you have no idea of who/what organization might need some help
movie = Genetic Roulette the world's most dangerous food scam exposed. movie just in flint. see utube trailer
oct town and country
about cousteau work Blue Legacy International: has launched its latest venture, the great am water crisis, a series of 6 expeditions to regions where the watersheds are considered to be at risk...film to come in about 2 yrs. "4 states that blue legacy has already identified as areas of concern are ak, fl, mi, and tx." see www.alexandracousteau.org
aug 15 2012 mi farm news:
reasons to "like" the paper
1. a court case recently filed would, if the plaintiffs are successful, limit fertilizer application in the Mississippi Basin. It might mean some land in the Midwest would lie idle each year.
2. if the Humane Society meets its goals, modern livestock production practices will no longer be used. that would mean among other things, that it would take more grain to produce the same amount of meat.
3. the recent clean water guidance written by the EPA would triple the amount of farmland regulated by the agency. farmers would need permits to follow normal farming practices. it isn't difficult to envision a future when permits would be denied and land would leave production.
4. anti GMO groups are fighting the use of modern seed technology. some counties in Oregon are moving to outlaw the technology, and CA has a ballot initiative that would demand labeling for any fool item produced using genetically modified crops.
the goal of these groups is to turn back the clock on science. if they are successful, creop yields will shrink. (blake hurst pres of MO farm bureau)
sierra july-aug 2012
otera mesa -- w/petroglyphs. grassland area in NM "but now the area faces threats from oil and natural gas drillers and from mining companies hoping to extract rare earth minerals. such dev would fragment the mesa and threaten its aquifer. local conservationists have sought to protect the place in a variety of ways. bills are currently pending to designate parts of otero mesa as a federal wilderness area. but since congress shows no sign of being able to move this leg, hopes have turned to" the pres. (41)
fracking --again the rule that physicians are barred from revealing trade secret chemical ingredients of fracking fluid even to patients (p54)
"gas developers say they can extract shale gas safely and responsibly. range resources leads the industry in recycling the water used to frack wells, rather than disposing of it, and ha had fewer violations /well than any other drilling co in PA. even so a 2010 PA land trust study found that the co had caused a 'serious environmental incident' in 1/8 wells. the industry average in PA is 6/8" wow only 6 of 8
ALICE being formed to counteract ALEC. see www.alicelaw.org. originated by joel Rogers--progressive, alice to offer one stop, web based public library of about 1000 model laws on a wide range of policy issues, complete w/in depth background materials.
sept '12 Lowdown issue--about Koch and the managers in michigan doing whatever they want.
p 2 "in 2005 one of the mackinac centers ideas was put forth in an essay by privatizing enthusiast Louis Schimmel, who was the Center's director of municipal finance. Noting that MI already had a limited program for sending state managers to aid cities engulfed in a fiscal crisis, he argued that the law should be radically expanded to create an emergency financial manager w/ autocratic power to take control of Detroit's troubled budget. Specifically Schimmel's Mackinac proposal called for 4 fundamental changes. 1-the financial overseer would replace and take on the powers of the governing body 2-have sole discretion to alter the governing charter 3-be immune from lawsuits 4-have the power to alter and ultimately abolish union contracts.' After snyder won and the gop gained big majorities in both legislative chambers in nov 2010, the Mackinac Center moved quickly to reprint and circulate Schimmel's paper. lo and behold, the governor's LGSDFA proposal, which seemed to come out of the blue 3 months later, actually came out of the koch boys' mackinac machine. Snyder's bill included all 4 of schimmel's democracy-usurping components, as well as other authoritarian add-ons presumably drafted by the Center". . . . . one of the cities taken over by a manager? Pontiac. And who was that manager? Schimmel.
Jeff Timmer was chief executive of the mi repub party--now happens to be one of the 4 voting members of the state board of canvassers.
Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility = creation of the Sterling Corporation a GO{ political consulting firm (same address, phone and staff). a Sterling partner = Jeff Timmer
"From secrecy and deception in high places; come home, America. From
military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home,
America. From the entrenchment of special privileges in tax favoritism;
from the waste of idle lands to the joy of useful labor; from the
prejudice based on race and sex; from the loneliness of the aging poor
and the despair of the neglected sick – come home, America. Come home to
the affirmation that we have a dream." -– George McGovern, 1972
Democratic nomination acceptance speech
why won't the epa ban bpa? maybe because the fda's decision is supported by the can industry, the american chemical council and the 3 biggest suppliers of BPA: dow, bayer, and saudi basic industries. sierra nov-dec 2012 p20
article The Cost of Coal about the effects coal, coal dust, mining etc have on communities--WV, MI (rouge river coal fired power plant), NV
p 38 "since 65 the coal fired reid gardner generating station about 50 miles northeast of las vegas has dumped its combustion waste into uncovered ponds beside the moapa band of paiutes reservation. tribal members believe that the coal ash--which contains mercury, arsenic, selenium, and other toxins and blows into their village in dust storms--has caused asthma attacks, cancer, heart disease, and many premature deaths among the 200 residents. MORE THAT 1,100 such coal ash sites exist nationwide; NONE IS SUBJECT OF FEDERAL REGULATION."
from bhg:
chalkboard paint = hudsonpaint.com
dry erase (idea to use baby crib later as desk w/dry erase paint) = rustoleum.com
stainless steel paint for appliances (saw video--bet you could mess it up fast) = liquidstainlesssteel.com
mirror look = krylon.com (might try on charlene's vase for christmas)
from oct ACRES usa p. 9: at the time of publication, campaign finance reports reveal the Monsanto Co contributed more than 4.2 million to defeat proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically engineered food. that is the largest contribution in the race. total contributions to defeat prop 37 amount to more than 25 million."
same issue p. 42: of the 12 million plus acres of cotton planted each yer. more than 90% are GMO's. less than 14,000 acres are organic. (article about farmer near pesticide drift from gmo fields around him)
p66--chocolate "healthful indulgence"
cocao (kuh-COW) refers to the seed that yields chocolate via spanish from cachuatl. mocha from coffee exporting red sea port of mocha yemen signified chocolate flavored coffee. percentages on bar = % cacoa w/ remainder flavoring, emulsifiers, sweeteners
In This Issue / Nov. 15, 2012 
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