Becoming Indy

Help Grow Your Soup: Virtual Garden

2009-10-02T14:10:00.001-07:00

Help Grow Your Soup: Virtual Garden

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Agri: Culture

2009-07-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

The Greenhorns trailer

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

2009-07-26T11:17:00.001-07:00

Too funny!

This Place is Awesome

2009-07-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is the metalugry mill and shop at the Hagley museum which chronicles the history of the DuPont family and company located in Wilmington, Delaware.

The mill has 1800s style machines all belt powered by one overhead shaft. The shaft was originally run by a waterwheel on the river but now it is electric. The concept is still amazing and I love how the operator can shift each machine to neutral and/or increase speed and power with extremely simple concepts.

D.C. 4th of July

2009-07-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Fireworks at our nation's capitol. Sitting at the base of the Washington Monument looking at the Lincoln Memorial.

WattzOn presentation at Long Now

2009-03-09T07:22:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

WattzOn presentation at Long Now

View more presentations from raffikrikorian. (tags: energy long-now)

Climate Change Explained

2009-03-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

http://fora.tv/2009/01/16/Saul_Griffith_Climate_Change_Recalculated

Montana Trout and Drought

2009-02-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

The flow of water in Montana’s rivers is lifeblood for its economy, both through tourism and agriculture. Montana’s trout and the $300 million recreational fishing industry depend on cool waters flowing from melting snow high in the mountains throughout the summer. Irrigated crops play a prominent role in Montana’s $2.4 billion agricultural industry, and these crops rely on the same strong river flows during the summer when soils are driest and plants thirstiest. But a broad trend is changing the way streams and rivers flow in Montana.
The pattern over the past fifty or so years is unmistakable. Across Montana, temperatures in March have been rising. An analysis by Climate Central shows that average March temperatures have risen over 7°F since the 1950s. This rise matches general expectations from other research on effects of human-caused global warming in the U.S. West; and the climb is projected to continue (see animated map), although its steepness will depend on how many more greenhouse gases go into the atmosphere.
Warmer March temperatures mean that snow in the mountains begins melting sooner. Earlier snowmelt means less snow remains during the summer months—especially late in the summer—which translates to less water flowing down Montana’s rivers. This means less water for irrigation, and slower flows in streams. Slow-moving water heats up more easily when the weather is hot, so slower summer flows mean more opportunities for water to get above the lethal 78°F threshold for trout.
Beyond this, Montanans also have to cope with increased wildfire activity and more outbreaks of tree-killing insects. Both trends, which have been linked to human-caused warming, cost the economy dearly.
Montanans are not sitting idly in the face of these challenges. They have already begun to tap their massive potential to produce climate-friendly wind energy. In fact, it is estimated that Montana’s winds could generate as much electricity as nineteen western states consume today; currently, Montana is tapping about 4% of this potential. Making energy from wind produces essentially no greenhouse gases.
Montana also sits on about a quarter of the nation’s coal reserves. Governor Brian Schweitzer wants to build coal to liquid (CTL) plants, which use coal to make liquid fuels that can replace gasoline or diesel fuel. However, CTL plants are water-intensive, and the production and use of CTL fuels generates twice the greenhouse gases that regular petroleum products do. Recognizing the carbon challenge from coal, Montana is aiming to be a leader in a new technology that would harvest coal’s energy while capturing and burying deep in the ground carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released in liquid fuel production. Even with this step, however, using CTL fuels would still release about the same amount of greenhouse gases overall as burning gasoline or other crude oil products.
Watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/2091418

Iowa: Climate Central

2009-02-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

The rush to turn corn into ethanol as a replacement for gasoline has been profitable for Iowa’s farmers—but recent research has uncovered some energy and climate drawbacks. Turns out it takes a lot of fossil fuel, like coal, oil, and natural gas, to grow and process corn into ethanol—so much that only about 20% of each gallon of corn ethanol represents new energy. That’s still a benefit, though; and if this were the end of the story, corn ethanol would emit 10 to 20% less greenhouse gases than gasoline.
However, the boom in corn for ethanol has also led farmers to convert more land into cropland. That releases carbon that was stored in shrubs and trees and in the soil, adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The result, surprisingly, is that corn ethanol may actually be worse for the climate than gasoline.
It’s easy to see why Iowa ramped up its corn output in the first place. The state was already America’s biggest corn producer, and over the past several years, concern over our dependence on foreign oil and worries about climate change led to a focus on biofuels—fuel derived from plants, which can be regrown season after season, within America’s borders. That resulted in the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, enacted in 2005 and updated in 2007, which dictates that by 2015 the nation must produce 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol, compared with only about 2 billion in 2000. A healthy government subsidy for ethanol is making sure it happens. As a result, about a third of the nation’s corn is already being turned into ethanol.
This has been a boon for farmers, who have long suffered from wild swings in the price of corn. It has also led to a major expansion in production of corn. Some land that was once used for soybean production is now devoted to corn—and land that had been set aside under the federal Conservation Reserve Program has been plowed up to grow even more corn.
While they acknowledge the economic benefit for Iowa farmers of these shifts, scientists are worried about some of their unintended consequences. Conservation Reserve Program land serves both as a buffer, to keep pesticides and fertilizers from leaching into waterways, and as a rich habitat for wildlife. Such areas can also accumulate topsoil over time. Turning them into cropland essentially eliminates all of these benefits.
The switch away from soybeans, meanwhile, may be leading indirectly to the destruction of rainforests in Brazil and other nations. The idea is that with less soy being grown in the U.S., the price of soybeans is rising, pushing other countries to cut down trees in order to make way for a cash crop.
The case hasn’t been rigorously proven, but some researchers are convinced it’s a growing danger. The felling of forests is a major contributor to climate change: trees that are burned or chopped down and left to rot add heat-trapping carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. That might not be so bad if corn ethanol were a much more climate-friendly fuel than gasoline. You might assume it is, since the carbon dioxide released in burning this ethanol was originally pulled out of the atmosphere by the growing corn plants. But it takes a lot of fossil-fuel energy to grow and harvest corn, and to convert it into ethanol. If you take that into account, only about 20% of the energy from corn ethanol is actually renewable.
For that reason, experts are now rethinking the rush to corn-based ethanol. A better source of ethanol, they think, may be crop wastes such as corn cobs and stalks, because they don’t increase the demand for agricultural land. Neither would another candidate source, native perennial grasses like switchgrass, if grown on marginal lands. These ingredients are not as easy as corn kernels to convert into ethanol, but there are a number of companies attempting to commercialize what is know as the production of “cellulosic ethanol.” For example, by 2011 the Poet ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, plans to start producing fuel, not from kernels, but from corn cobs that would otherwise be left in the field. If they can do it economically, and in a way that keeps greenhouse gas emissions low—both “ifs” at this point—Iowa’s farmers may be able to keep riding the ethanol boom, and do it in a way that’s easier on the climate.
Watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/2607690

Aha Moment

2009-02-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

What is an aha moment?

A moment of clarity, the aha moment is a defining moment where you gain real wisdom - widsom you can use to change your life.

Martin Luther King

2009-01-19T17:35:00.001-08:00

Josh Groban Obama Inaugural Concert

2009-01-19T08:27:00.001-08:00

the office public service announcements (PSA)

2009-01-01T17:52:00.001-08:00

LiNK

2008-12-16T17:49:00.001-08:00

A look into the life of what many North Koreans go through just to survive. What if we grew up with these types of uncertainties: torture, starvation, and no freedom? Join the movement, visit www.linkglobal.org

http://vimeo.com/2522667

Carbon Negative Fuel Source?

2008-12-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Time Magazine, The Independent (UK) profile pyrolysis of biomass into biochar as CO2-reducing strategy
December 8, 2008: Bio Fuels Digest

Pyrolysis and biochar have surfaced as climate change-fighting techniques in separate reports in TIME and The Independent (U.K.). Both articles point to the rich, dark “terra prete” soils found in the Amazonian basis which are, scientists say, the result of ancient civilizations adding biochar to their soils.

Biochar is the charcoal byproduct of the pyrolysis process that traps up to 90 percent of carbon from biomass. Entrepreneurs from the US and the UK have proposed large-scale pyrolysis projects, in which biomass absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, and the resulting carbon is returned to the soil when the biomass is turned into biochar through a pyrolysis process. Other by products from fast pyrolysis include renewable biogas and pyrolysis oils that can be used in generators or refined into renewable fuels.

The Independent story tracks a venture proposed by the Green & Blacks chocolate and Future Forests, focused on operations in Belize and England. The TIME article highlights efforts by US-based Epidra to develop large-scale pyrolysis systems.

The Frontal Cortex : Dangerous Models

2008-11-02T10:31:00.001-08:00

The Frontal Cortex : Dangerous Models

You know what I think about when I hear about the epic failure of all these fancy financial models that were designed to calculate risk? I think about the Atlantic Cod. These fish used to be everywhere. (Once upon a time, they were considered the cash crop of the ocean. Spanish fishing vessels would trek across the Atlantic just to fish the abundant cod off the coast of Canada.) Now the Newfoundland cod fishery is gone, yet another victim of overfishing.

Click the link above to read the rest of the article....

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Boiler Up!

2008-11-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

My first Boilermaker football game! Fortunately we prevailed over the Wolverines.

Phishing Scams in Plain English

2008-10-22T03:33:00.001-07:00

Farmer in Chief

2008-10-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Check out Michael Pollan's letter to the President from the NY Times. It identifies three of the major issues in the current election debates - health care crisis, energy independence, and climate change - as having a common thread: the way we grow, process and eat our food.

Butternut Squash

2008-10-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Our NYC trip for work was to have some FFA presence on the Martha Stewart Show. Jewel was Matha's guest and they were cooking with some butternut squash that was grown by John Bowne FFA students.

I made it on camera and you can check it out when it airs this Friday, Oct. 3. Check your local listings for the exact time.To see all the cool stuff I've been working on with Campbell Soup Company supporting the FFA, click here.

The Big Apple

2008-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Work took me to NYC the first part of this week. When not in meetings, we were able to take in some of the sights.We did the normal stuff like Liberty and Ellis Island.Then we also made our way up town to St. Patrick's cathedral and Central Park.We also took in an Off Broadway show - The Altar Boyz. It was very funny and a good show. One of the leads was Neil Haskel of SYTYCD and so the show was very high energy and had some great dancing.

Poisoned

2008-09-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

We flew up to New Hampshire for a good cause and we took part in The Timberland Company's Serv-a-palooza.
The event is an annual event focused on improving the local community. This year's activities were to clear underbrush and growth at Odiorne Point State Park. It was a beautiful location and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.
It was great to eat lunch looking over the Atlantic and feeling the salt breeze. It was also great to be out of the office and doing some physical labor.
I am an Earthkeeper!
However, after rooting around in the shrubs for a couple hours one of my teammates paused and exclaimed "We've been working in a field of poison ivy!" Honestly, I was not familiar with the plant.
Two days later, my arms looked like this.
I continue to heal, but one thing is for sure. Now I know what poison ivy looks like and I won't make the same mistake twice.

Bible In a Minute

2008-09-04T17:42:00.001-07:00

My Birthday with Jewel

2008-08-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

My birthday this year was spent with singer/songwriter/Nashville Star judge, Jewel. We flew to Texas to record some sound bites and film footage that will be used in a new promotional campaign. Jewel and her rodeo husband, Ty Murray, live on a 2,000 acre ranch just outside of Stephenville, Texas. It is a really nice ranch.

Jewel was sick but she is a pro and did a great job for us. She was well prepared and really understood the message we were going for. She was funny too. One of her quotes that we won't be able to use was "My family were homesteaders in Alaska. We didn't eat anything we didn't kill or can!"

Before we left, I got a couple of things autographed and she was nice enough to do pictures with all of us.

Medley Weekend

2008-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Friday evening we decided to class up our happy hour festivities and went to a performance of the Tommy Dorsey Band at Conner Prairie. It was a really neat ampitheater and they even had a dance floor for some sing dancing.

The band played some great tunes with lots of Sinatra covers.

Saturday we started with a movie party at my place. We watched The Goonies, "Hey you guys!" After the movie, we went downtown to listen to some jazz music at the Chatterbox. It is one of those cool local venues that definitely has its 'regulars'. Small space that even without amplification, the sax, bass, piano and drums fill every corner with over-powering music.

Barn Red

2008-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

My work life has been consumed with one major project - painting barns. We did our first barn painting a couple weeks ago and it turned out amazing. Look for it to be featured in some national media publications (Hallmark magazine, Country Living, etc.)

Agri- Culture: Biofuels

2008-08-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

The seven next generation biofuels. Set to replace fossil fuels?? I'll tell you....as soon as I find my crystal ball. Most are set to debut in 2012.

1. Cellulosic ethanol (biological) - 66% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

2. Cellulosic ethanol (gasification) - 66% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

3. Algal biodiesel - 103% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

4. Green gasoline - 100% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

5. Biobutanol - 90% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

6. Designer hydrocarbons - 106% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

7. Fourth-Gen fuel - 103% energy yield compared to a gallon of gasoline

Electing a US President in Plain English (Revised)

2008-08-15T19:35:00.001-07:00

Getting Sick on Blueberries

2008-08-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I talked Gram and J into going blueberry picking with me. We searched the web and decided on Jones Berry Farm in Michigan on the shores of the lake.Blueberries do especially well there because of the sandy soil and the lake effect weather patterns.We ended up with just under 23 pounds of berries after three hours of picking. We probably would have had even more berries but I have a bad habit of putting one handful of berries in the bucket and the next in my mouth. Yum!! The weather was just about perfect and wasn't unbearably hot or muggy. After berry picking we had lunch and then stopped for some wine tasting at Tabor Hill winery on the way home.

Summer in D.C.

2008-07-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have done a lot of traveling this summer and my destination of choice has been Washington D.C. While work has kept me roving around the city, I have been able to do a little sight seeing. I've just done the traditional stops: the capital, Vietnam Wall,
Lincoln Memorial,Washington Monument, Korean War Memorial,
Library of Congress, and a handful of others.

The Cornhole Song

2008-06-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

Some people are a little bit obsessed with this game.

Corn Hole

2008-06-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

A bunch of us got together to play Cornhole. What do you do when you live in the Midwest and you don't have any horse shoes but you do have an abundance of corn? Invent a new game. A favorite of tailgates and backyard barbeques...Cornhole.Apparently Cornhole has a long and steeped history. The game is played by setting two boards opposite each other. The boards each have a hole cut in them. Alternating turns, teams try to toss sacks of corn toward the opposite board. Points are awarded if the sack lands on the board or goes through the hole. Specific rules outline other do's and don'ts.The game is taken very seriously and even has a national association from which championship trophies are awarded to winning teams.

Goslings

2008-05-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

How they've grown

2008-05-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Turkey Run

2008-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's pouring down rain but I just got back from a hike through Turkey Run State Park. The park is located approximately an hour west of Indianapolis on the Wabash river.

The river and all of the creeks flowing into it have cut amazing gorges into the landscape.

The hike started off crossing the river on a suspension bridges and then quickly got lost in the maze of creeks, gorges, valleys and hills in the park.

It was raining so water, lots of water, was flowing every where. I ended up fording every creek multiple times.

The trail ran into a waterfall but a ladder was cleverly provided so that one could continue the hike.

There was so much water that my initial choice of trail had to be changed. The way was blocked by a torrent of water racing down a narrow and slippery looking funnel.

I ended up at an abandoned coal mine before crossing the suspension bridge and returning home. I'll have to go back when there isn't so much water falling from the sky.

My Goslings

2008-04-30T13:55:00.001-07:00

I wake up each morning to some visitors in my backyard. Goslings now and ducklings very shortly.

Fogo de Chao

2008-04-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've been ruined.

When we were up in Minneapolis this week one of my co-workers insisted that we go to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steak house. My first reaction was to question just how good of a place this was going to be. I'd never heard of it before.

We walked in the door and were quickly ushered to our table. Fortunately we had reservations. They quickly brought out our drinks and then led us to the ample salad bar. It was full of good traditional American salad bar stuff but then it had loads of Brazilian dishes as well like cured meats, palm hearts, fresh farm cheese, green salsa and much more.

Time for the main course. We were each given a flip card - green for go, red for stop. A flood of chefs/waiters, maybe as many as twenty, poured out of the kitchen doors and stormed the restaurant. Each with his own wand of skewered meat. If they saw your meat card green side up, they would race to fill your plate. Every cut of meat imaginable from lamb chops and sausages to rib eye and fillet. Each morsel was perfectly cooked with meat at the top end of the fire roasted skewer well done and at the bottom rare. Just say what you like.

The attempt is to try every cut of meat offered but you quickly feel like you've gorged yourself on a whole bison. Just a flip of the card to the red side and the waiters will avoid you like the plague while you catch your breath and take a break. Flip the card back to green and once again they trip over each other to serve you.

This first rate service says nothing of the deliciousness of the meal. The meat was perfectly marinated, some in a brine, some with a dry rub and so each piece melted in your mouth. While the salad bar could easily be a meal in itself, this is a place for carnivores! The meat was so good that I have been ruined from all other meats. Nothing I've had before quite compares.

The restaurant apparently has a long history, and I can only be thankful that we will shortly have one of our own in Indianapolis. The service, the meal (delicious and all-you-can-eat), the experience could easily demand $80 or more a plate. It's that good. But, it is more moderately priced at $44 a plate. None of us felt the slightest bit of remorse at the price, especially since the man picked up the check.

Dinner concluded with a decadent dessert called Tres Leches - Three Milks cake. It definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. If you come visit me in Indy, remind me about Fogo de Chao and we'll go have dinner there. I'm always up for good food and good company.

Trekking Morgan-Monroe

2008-04-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

I decided to explore one of Indiana's state forests and so I geared up for an 11 mile hike through the woods. Morgan-Monroe State Forest is located approximately 45 minutes south of Indianapolis and offers a number of hiking trails.

People taking advantages of the public lands can go hiking, hunting, mushrooming, gold panning, camping and a variety of other activities. Along the trail I found some wild garlic which gave me foul breath for the rest of the day.
Signs of spring were everywhere however faint.About six miles into the hike my cell phone rang. It really startled me because I hadn't seen another person the whole time and I had forgotten that I was even carrying my phone. Amazing what kind of cell reception is possible when you are in a flat state like Indiana.

The person on the other end had some exciting news. One of my favorite FFA chapters had just won the state parliamentary procedure competition. I do miss teaching and the connection with students but at least I can live vicariously through others.

Shaking Things Up

2008-04-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was awoken this morning thinking I had been transported to a very cheap hotel with a vibrating bed. Immediately, I new what was happening and judged it to be a quake not worthy of immediate action.

The epicenter registered 5.2 on the Richter scale but after traveling 170 miles through the ground the vibrations reached Indianapolis were noticeable and rather fun. Later that morning a four point something aftershock rocked then center and started a flurry of murmurings that rose above the cubicle walls.

Only last week I had the pleasure of sitting through an hour long briefing on the company emergency preparedness plan. Curiously, when the aftershock struck no action was taken. I guess that by the time the powers that be flipped through the sixteen page plan to find earthquake actions steps, the 12 second tremor was long since finished.

Papal Visit

2008-04-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

D.C. was the place to visit this week. Business took me to our nation's capital on Wednesday, the same day on which Pope Benedict XVI arrived.
We were trying to get around downtown but they had completely closed off Pennsylvania Avenue along which the Popes motorcade was scheduled to ride. We walked forever trying to get across to our 11:30 appointment.

We followed the route for more than a half an hour and ended up missing seeing the Pope by only ten minutes. I'm not sure which I would have been more excited to see, the Pope of the Popemobile.
The crowd was enormous. I believe Catholicism is alive and well in the Spanish speaking world. The Latino community was out in full force to welcome his Holiness. They were singing and dancing up a storm.

We were late to our meeting but we did make it eventually. All of our meetings went well and it was a really nice day to be walking around D.C.

Aggies are everywhere!

2008-04-15T07:55:00.001-07:00

I just landed in New Hampshire and who did I sit next on the plane? None other than Dennis Quaid. Either that or an incredible look-a-like. And what did he happen to be reading? The latest issue of Dairy Herd.

Gandalf And Frodo Using Yahoo! Mail

2008-04-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

Human Footprint

2008-04-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

This will be interesting. Just how large is the Human Footprint?

'Revolutionary' CO2 maps zoom in on greenhouse gas sources

2008-04-10T05:46:00.001-07:00

Agri ‘Culture’ – CRP

2008-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Plow up the front lawn, it’s time to plant wheat.

With the high current price of commodities (wheat, corn and soybeans), farmers are looking for a way of cashing in. Global shortages of these cereal grains have been caused by a combination of factors including poor weather conditions, increased demand, and fewer acres being planted.

This decrease supply and increased demand has driven the price skyward prompting farmers to plant more acres. Crops with which they can cash in won’t be harvested until August and September but farmers are already salivating at the promise of a pay day.

Many producers are now taking lands out of CRP. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was started in 1985 pulling nearly 45 million acres out of production due to a surplus if food production. The current cap on the program is 39 million acres having been renewed with the 1996 and the 2002 Farm Bills.

Though the key reason it was enacted was economical (food prices were too low), CRP was sold on environmental reasoning. With the land not being plowed up on an annual basis, vegetation returned to a somewhat natural state and provided excellent habitat for upland game birds, deer, and a variety of rodents, birds, predators and prey.

All this brings up several items for question.

1. What happens to that habitat and what will be the result of displacing those animals?
Hunters and other outdoorsmen will be affected and government management of hunting programs will have to be adjusted. This brings groups like Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited into the mix, not to mention the state departments of fish, wildlife and parks.

2. If even a portion of that CRP is put back into production, won’t another surplus of food result?
Most land gets put into multiple year contracts but any contracts that are coming up due will unlikely be renewed. Unless distribution of the surplus grain is well managed and put into export markets as well as domestic markets, we could see a surplus of grain.

3. If there is a surplus of grain, then will prices be driven down again?
With current demand the way it is and the world needing to support an every increasing population, a major food surplus driving prices down would be unlikely. However, top economists often have problems predicting the temperamental supply and demand curve.

4. Is it the best policy to restrict how many acres can be planted through a program such as CRP?
At the onset of the program in the mid-1980s, food prices moderated but a negative impact was felt with implement dealers. Farmers didn’t have as much land to plant and harvest so they stopped buying tractors. Implement dealers went out of business and entire communities felt the economic loss. Some small communities lost a sustaining population and actually became ghost towns. The program has since had numerous positive benefits that seem to out weigh any negative impact.

5. How else can we bring stability to the supply and demand curves that affect commodities?
Producers should be getting fair prices for their crops. It seems they tighten their belts for years and years before receiving a windfall. Meeting the world food demand is by no means easy. With uncontrollable factors like weather, it would be nice to manage the food supply in other ways. Any suggestions?

Discipline

2008-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

One of my students who is studying to become a teacher recently asked for some guidance on classroom discipline. At first, I was stumped. After a lot of thought on the matter I tried to give him some advice from my experiences.

I thought I'd share my response to him with you:

Dear SS,

Funny that you should ask me about discipline in the classroom. I always thought that was one area of teaching that I was not good at. We had a couple of major issues over the years in Sheridan, but in several of those instances, it was out of my control. For those times students still did stupid stuff I tried to handle it the best way I knew how.

Reflecting back on it, I would say the keys to effective discipline in the classroom, shop, on field trips would be:

1. Lay the ground rules and make sure everyone understands them. I had a lot of unwritten rules in the classroom which were more-or-less just my expectations of how everyone should act and be treated. Laying ground rules is incredibly important especially on field trips and anywhere that is different than then normal classroom setting. I usually tried to sequester students on the bus when we arrived at a destination for two reasons - let then know what the plan/schedule was and establish the rules of behavior. Only after they'd heard the spiel and verbally agreed to act accordingly were they allowed to disembark.

2. Respect. I'd like to think that because I respected the students as young adults, respected their differences in learning requirements, etc. they respected me. If students respect you as a teacher, there is less chance of misbehavior. I'm not sure if this actually happened but I'd like to think it did. I liked having conversations with you as a friend but I never allowed that relationship to get too friendly. I was still the one responsible and I wanted you to know I was still in charge.

3. Create a moral environment. Little things like making students write thank you notes, participating in a food drive, or school beautification projects help foster a good moral attitude in the classroom. If there is a good moral basis, then I believe misbehavior is less likely to occur.

4. Constant vigilance. As an ag teacher it is really hard because you might send students to four completely separate areas of building (or multiple buildings) and expect a productive class period. I used the roaming tactic. I made sure to check up on every student multiple times throughout the class period. If I didn't physically walk to them, I tried to make sure they were within eyesight. I also made it a real priority to know where every student was at all times. I just about died every time I left a substitute because I never trusted them to watch the class like I did. It is when students aren't supervised that they misbehave.

5. Follow through on consequences - even if you are just making an example. If you say you are going to punish misbehavior is a certain way then you'd better do it that way. So, be sure the consequences fit the action before you threaten. For example, you remember one of my pet peeves was not wanting to students to sweep dirt into the sump. I always gave everyone one warning. After his first warning SB swept some sawdust in as we were cleaning up one day. I wasn't mad and I could have honestly cared less because it was such a small amount of dirt, but I had to follow through. I had him come in after school that afternoon and clean the entire sump out. Hopefully, he went back and told everyone what a mean teacher I was and that no one else should sweep stuff in there or else you'll have to clean it out. I was using him as an example and that if broken, the rules would hold up and have consequences.

6. Engagement and constructive activity. I am a firm believer that an idol mind is a mischievous mind. Active minds and active hands can do great things. I worked really hard to have students active in my class from first bell to last bell. Maybe taking notes, maybe welding, maybe cleaning. Point is, if students are active and engaged then they won't have time to cause trouble. Take for example paper collection for the recycling project. I sent students around the school without supervision. I felt comfortable with that because they had a task to collect paper from every classroom and it was somewhat of a race to get around the entire school before the class period was over. Planting in the greenhouse was the same. I never had anyone cause problems in the greenhouse because they were always active. If I saw someone standing around, I always found something for them to do no matter how minuscule or mundane. Usually, about five minutes before the last bell, everyone was so happy to be done they just sat quietly waiting for the bell to ring.

This is probably a lot more than you wanted but it is the first time I've really thought about it. Obviously, these recommendations don't work perfectly in every instance and I had plenty of challenges over the years. I hope it helps. Good luck with your paper and let me know if I can do anything else for you.

WF

Agri – Culture: The Price We Pay

2008-04-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

More than six billion people on the globe have placed a fair demand on the food supply. The demand for cereal grains has driven corn, wheat and soybean prices to an all time high. Farmers are actually getting paid respectfully for their crops!

However, the price conscious shopper cringes at the idea of paying 25 percent more for eggs and 17 percent more for milk. Is the high price of corn, wheat and soybeans really driving up the price other food commodities?

The simple answer is yes-partially, but it would be fool hardy to just stop there and blame the farmer. Of the total price of a box of Cornflakes cereal, approximately 4 cents of corn goes into that box. The recent increase of commodity prices has drastically (sarcasm) raised the price of corn in that box to 5 cents. Other products include a slightly greater increase in the price of grain that went into the final product but not so drastic to account for the added dollars that we are paying at the cash register.

Food prices around the globe are on the increase potentially leading to more hunger and food shortages in areas that can’t afford the cost.

What is causing food prices to increase? The average American is spending an addition 4.5% of their annual income on food. (Of course, the U.S. still has one of the cheapest and safest food supplies on the planet.) The largest factor to consider is the increased cost of fuel. With crude oil at more than $100 a barrel, the price of Cornflakes is bound to increase. The transportation costs of that box are phenomenal, and then figure in the energy consumed to package it, market it, distribute it, etc.

Progression of thought asks, is it possible to decrease costs and supplement our consumption of crude oil with other energy sources like biodiesel? Opponents say that that would only increase the problem by taking food away from mouths to burn in engines. Not so. According to the National Corn Growers Association, between 2002 and 2007 the bushels of corn used for ethanol increased from 1,093 Mbu to 3,010 Mbu It would stand to reason that if the amount of corn going to ethanol has increased by that much then food consumers are suffering for lack of corn. But, in that same time the amount of corn produced increased from 10,573 Mbu to 14,393 Mbu. That means that despite an increase in the amount of corn being diverted to ethanol production there has been a drastic increase in the amount of corn available for human consumption.

It is a complicated issue with no one entity to lay blame. I’m not suggesting that we should just lie down and submit to high food and fuel prices. Nor am I saying that biodiesel or ethanol will be our saving graces. At least with a little bit of awareness about the subject, we can be more educated consumers.

Weekend Warrior

2008-04-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend found me driving around Indianapolis looking for an adventure. One the northeast side of the city I found a little haven of solitude in Fort Harrison State Park.
Since 1903 Fort Harrison has played an important role in Indiana history. It stored munitions for the city and at one point housed POWs from WWII.
Although the Fort was slated for closure in 1991, reuse of the land will continue to serve the citizens of Indiana. In 1995 the U.S. Department of the Interior approved the State of Indiana's request to convert 1,700 acres of the 2,500 acre post into a state park and nature preserve. Fort Harrison State Park includes one of the largest tracts unbroken hardwood forest in Central Indiana, several small lakes, three and one-half miles of Fall Creek and its tributaries, trails and picnic areas.
I hiked two trails for a total of nearly five miles. The river was high and had previously spilled from its banks. The entire trail was a little muddy but made it interesting dodging puddles.
The park was nearly deserted because the weather was questionable. I had the entire place to myself.

RUN_DMZ PLANET B-BOY

2008-04-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

No way in heck those are real North Koreans but a good clip nonetheless.

A Fool’s Grammar

2008-04-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

With the deadline for the renewal of the Farm Bill looming, senators and representatives are scrambling to finish deliberations before April 18.

One of the good ole girls, Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas while referring to the debates was recently quoted with saying “We are definitely getting down to the licklog here.”

Imagine my excitement when I realized that my review of agriculture policy and the Farm Bill was to yield a lesson in vocabulary! Because I had no idea what a licklog was let alone what was meant in getting down to it.

With a little research I discovered that a licklog was a felled tree in which troughs are cut and filled with salt for cattle. The term evolved to include any place where saltlicks were left for cattle or deer.

The phrase "down to the licklog" relates to the second to last thing cattle did before they died. It was an old rancher trick to take them to the salt lick and then to water to increase the weight before slaughter.

Apparently, many old lawyers (and politicians) use this term in referring to having exhausted all settlement efforts, discovery and other "things" lawyers do before they are ready for trial, leaving only trial/settlement/dismissal/some other 'final' resolution/end to the case. Everything has been done that could/should be done to resolve the matter, now it is time to resolve it. You need to either "spit or swaller", a tabacky term for when your mouth is full.

It was a day full of new words as later on in a staff meeting, when my boss was describing an unfortunate situation that the company is dealing with. He described a shyster who was creating a boondoggle. I was familiar with the term shyster but curiosity got the better of me and I had to look up the correct spelling. It isn’t a word I spell often in reports or include in official correspondences.

That ruddy shyster created one heck of a boondoggle for me wasting time and money in looking up what a boondoggle was.

Happy April Fool’s Day to you! For a laugh, enjoy some stories of past April Fool’s Hoaxes. Click here.

Agri – Culture: To bee or not to bee

2008-03-31T13:02:00.001-07:00

The honey-bee that wanders all day long,

The field, the woodland, and the garden o'er,

To gather in his fragrant winter store,

Humming in calm content his quiet song,

Seeks not alone the rose's glowing breast,

The lily's dainty cup, the violet's lips, --

But from all rank and noxious weeds he sips

The single drop of sweetness closely press'd

Within the poison chalice. Thus, if we

Seek only to draw forth the hidden sweet,

In all the varied human flowers we meet,

In the wide garden of humanity,

And like the bee, if home the spoil we bear,

Hived in our hearts it turns to nectar there.

by Anne Lynch Botta

With the warmth of spring just around the corner and the flowering of fruit trees looming, we will almost assuredly see some sort of media attention given to that tiny but significant insect, the honey bee.

What's all the buzz about? The pollination of crops by bees is responsible for more than a third of the U.S. food production. Unfortunately, our six-legged friends are in trouble and no one has answers.

The first case of CCD – Colony Collapse Disorder was reported in 2006. The disorder has beekeepers perplexed when they check their colonies in early spring. In some cases the entire colony has died and in other cases, the entire colony has disappeared.

A dead bee is one thing. Scientists suggest mites and other viruses as being deadly and contagious to apiaries. But, bees that have just disappeared?

There are many potential culprits to blame for CCD. Firstly, bees are an insect and are therefore affected by things like insecticides and other chemicals sprayed on crops. Bees are not immune to climatic conditions and things like drought will affect a plants ability to produce nectar (bee food). My personal favorite excuse is electromagnetic radiation from cell phones.

Maybe the most logical is a combination of all factors. Combine with a weakened immune system, the bees can’t resist diseases they once overcame. Bee immune systems may have become weakened through constant transport of hives. Hives are rented out to pollinate crops and will be transported from one side of the U.S. to the other. This is a crucial element of U.S. agriculture and annually adds much more to the economy than the production of honey.

The CCD problem is not limited to the U.S. but is being faced by beekeepers around the globe. CCD is not only devastating to beekeepers but has devastating potential consequences to the production of carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, onions, pumpkins, squash, apples, blueberries, avocados, almonds, cherries and a host of other agricultural products.

Direction

2008-03-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have been searching for some direction for my blog. With my Korean adventures, the writing topics came easily because everyday offered a new adventure that was noteworthy enough to share.

But, in Indiana day-to-day life doesn’t seem quite as extraordinary as it did when I was 6,000 miles away from home. So, I’ve decided to start a new regular series which I’ve deemed “Agri – Culture”. (I am open to suggestions for a better name if there is one).

My passions include supporting and learning about the agriculture industry as evidenced by my current choice of employment and the development of my own education. For this series, I hope explore some of the issues that define agriculture, i.e. history, politics and culture. My goal is to bring some clarity for myself and to my readers. I hope that it will be of interest.

If you have ideas for topics, please leave a comment.

I met Bill Nye!

2008-03-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I met Bill Nye on Friday! Bow tie and all. Well, I didn't really meet him, but I did see him in the flesh and I was very tempted to go get his autograph.

Business took us to Boston on Thursday and Friday for the National Science Teachers Association convention. We have been working on developing an agriscience ambassador program for the past several years with the help of DuPont and Lab-Aids.

Some states like California already offer science credit for agriculture science classes. I think it is a perfect complimentary relationship between the science courses and the agriculture courses. Unfortunately, some look at it as an invasion of turf.

Belated Happy Easter

2008-03-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from last weekend.

Now I have lots of delicious hard boiled eggs to eat.

Lights Out!

2008-03-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

To help raise awarenessof a worldwide energy conservation effort, on March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., millions of people around the world will be making a statement about climate change by turning off their lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

Everyone throughout North America and around the world should turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town.

Join people all around the world in showing that you care about our planet and want to play a part in helping to fight climate change.

One hour, America. Earth Hour. Turn out for Earth Hour!

Cinderella

2008-03-26T23:43:00.001-07:00

Accents

2008-03-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have">What American accent do you have? http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

2008-03-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

Mine didn't look quite this cool.

Saint Louis

2008-03-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Saint Louis...patron saint of high water?

Work took us to Saint Louis this week. I had driven and every river along the route was filled to the brim and more than one had breached its banks.

We had two beautiful days and yet every news story, reported the expected cresting of the flood stage. The Merrimack is of primary concern. Its watershed has been declared a disaster area by Pres. Bush.

Downtown St. Louis saw rivers nearly touching the bottoms of bridges. This 23 foot tall statue of William Clark was completely devoured by Friday and cresting was expected Saturday.
The weather really seemed contradictory. We enjoyed 70 degree temperatures and then as I drove north to Chicago for the Easter weekend, the temperature gage went progressively lower. By the time I hit the city limits, it was a mix of rain and snow. North of the city saw as much as 10 inches of snow which will not be very welcome down stream as the rivers are already above capacity.

Great start to spring.

Carbon Leaf - Life Less Ordinary - Live @ Easy Street

2008-03-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

My new musical discovery. Thanks AB!

The Devil In Georgia

2008-03-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

We were down in Nashville again for business, a trade and vendor show for TSC. We had a lot of good meetings and we were able to connect with quite a few of our contacts.

TSC hosted everyone for a night at the Wild Horse Saloon and a performance of the Charlie Daniels Band.

The town is affectionately known as Nash-vegas...What happens here, stays here. We never did get too rowdy but we were all itchin' to hear one song. CDB does have a large fan base but for me, there is only one reason you'd ever go to his concert.

The Wild Horse Saloon is a three story bar with a large open area leading to the stage. It is actually a cool venue and exactly what you would expect to find in Nashville.

After a late last night tearing down the show we jumped in the car and made the 4.5 hour drive back to Indy. A nice relaxing weekend...Next week, St. Louis.

Isn't He Dead?

2008-03-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to a performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I really like big band music and so I was kind of excited to go. Upon receiving the invitation, I responded..."Glenn Miller...Isn't he dead?" Well, yes, he is dead but his band is alive and kicking.

The show was held at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. They set up the buffet line and then roll the carts away before rolling out the stage and setting up the band. It was a lot of fun with some great old music.After the concert set, they rolled the stage out and opened up the dance floor. LW and I had to elbow out all of the old couples from the assisted living home and fight for room on the dance floor. I am ashamed to say some of those couples showed me up with their mad dance skills.

That is my new goal: to be 93 and still dancing.

Burma Meets Grits

2008-03-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was shocked to get a call from a friend from a former life.

We had met in Korea at the IWE church and he has been living in New York since January taking classes. He called me up saying he would be coming to Indiana and wanted to know if we could meet.

He was visiting friends in Fort Wayne, IN and preaching a message at a local congregation of resident Burmese Christians. He said that it was a congregation of over one hundred people from Burma. Apparently there are over 7,000 Burmese living in Indiana. Who knew?

I drove the two hours to Fort Wayne and treated him to a classic American breakfast. He was pretty impressed with it and took photos of his meal. Unfamiliar food is always photo worthy.

Big Apple

2008-03-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Business took us to New York, New York.

Some of out meetings fell through so we lucked out and got the entire morning to sight see and explore the city.

We started out wandering Central Park.

We then made our way down 5th Avenue before catching the subway to Ground Zero and walking to Battery Park. Ground Zero is just as hauntingly incredible as you would imagine. The sight where those two buildings stood sends a chill down the spine and tears to the eyes.

It was a debate whether to take the ferry to Lady Liberty or make our way back to the Empire State Building. When I visited New York as a kid, we went into the lobby of the Empire State Building so I'm glad I had a chance to go up to the top.

We made it back to our hotel to change and head to our afternoon meeting.

That evening, we met some friends for dinner and then went to see Mama Mia. ABBA was definitely under rated. It was really good.

Standardized Testing

2008-03-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Not a fan. As a former teacher, I can understand the principle and thought process behind standardized tests. However, as a former teacher, I am adamantly opposed to standardized testing.

I recently had the opportunity to take the GRE test as part of the admissions process for grad school. I am really excited about starting my master's program and therefore I'm willing to jump through just about any hoop...but seriously.

First, I don't think there is any way to actually prepare for the GRE. If you actually wanted to try studying for the GRE here are my recommendations:

1. Buy a complete Oxford English Dictionary and gain a thorough understanding of all pages.

2. Make a little game of listing two to three antonyms of each word from the dictionary.

3. Be able to reason...(because this is an easily teachable skill).

4. Spend a little timing brushing up on the use of sin, cos and tan without pushing those buttons on your calculator.

5. Relearn advanced high school geometry (unless you already use it in everyday life like the majority of us do, yeah right).

6. Practice writing essays that people in the admissions office admit have absolutely no bearing on your actual acceptance into the program.

7. And finally, select your supreme being of choice and begin a regular prayer session.

You may just pass. Luckily, I did.

Mm, Mm, Good

2008-03-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

We have been courting Campbell Soup Company for sponsorship. They seem really excited about getting involved with us but nothing is decided yet. They definitely don't want to be outdone by Kraft.

We are trying to get them to sign on to our PALS program but they are more interested in painting barns.

We have flown out to Camden, New Jersey (just outside of Philadelphia) twice now. It is really exciting to work with them. The synergies that could be created are very positive.

There is a small side benefit that is slightly personal and selfish. If they sign on with us, I will have overshot my target goal of new money by two or three times for the year. That won't look too bad on the year-end report for me.

It is an interesting process to create a mutually beneficial partnership with these companies. Typically, companies will donate for one of three reasons:

1. Philanthropic ideals - Corporate responsibility is becoming a very hot topic. However, most companies haven't figured out how to manage this and don't know how to budget for it.

2. Investing in future employees and educated consumers - FFA is obviously producing top notch potential employees and well educated products consumers. It takes an admirable amount of foresight to invest in something that is very beneficial in the long run but doesn't provided an immediate benefit. Kudos to visionary leaders in the management positions.

3. Marketing - Want to reach half a million members? Donate to FFA and we'll make sure those students, parents, teachers, and alumni are exposed to your logo and message. We walk a very fine line because we are not selling hard advertising. Rather, we are selling soft messaging. It is a way to avoid selling ones soul to the devil and plaster the logo everywhere and compromise the integrity of the FFA program. It creates a win-win.

Music Captial

2008-02-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

I have been on the road for business a fair amount in the last several weeks. This past Wed - Fri took me to Nashville, Tenn.

Eight of our foundation staff met for a team meeting and then we had the opportunity to mingle at the Commodity Classic.

This trade show has an attendance of over 4,000 growers annually and more than 215 exhibiting companies.

Mike Rayburn performed at the opening session which was excellent. He is a self proclaimed virtuoso with the guitar and it is a status that is well deserved. The first time I saw him was at National FFA Convention two years ago.

Thursday night dinner took us to the Stock-Yard restaurant. It has an very good menu with decent atmosphere. The part I liked the most was the history as the building used to be the offices for the stockyard dating before the turn of the century. It was formerly a music club, brothel, casino, barber shop and bank. The Stock-Yard was also home to two of the oldest bottles of wine made in the U.S. dating to 1776 and 1795. It was an expensive meal and I am very glad my boss paid.

Welcome

2008-02-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new home on the blogsphere. The subsequent posts will feature my new home city of Indianapolis and the adventures I have along the way. Check back often for great pictures, moderately witty commentary, news and views.