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July 28, 2016
Probably the only plus to all the hot weather has been the tremendous growth in our vegetable gardens. The reports I get from customers who have kept up with the fertilizing and watering of their plants is the plants have gotten huge in the last few weeks. Luckily for some, the tomatoes are beginning to ripen.
Speaking of tomato plants, as is always the case this time of the year, the insects are having a feast on the tomato plants as well as the rest of the vegetable plants. I have had a few customers who have had large tomato hornworms strip the leaves off the tomato plants in just a few days. The hornworm has, in reality, been feeding for a while. When they are small, they still eat leaves but not at the same rate they do when they get big. When the hornworm is small, the same BT that you used to control the winter moth caterpillar in the spring will also control the tomato hornworm. Once the hornworm gets big, BT is no longer effective at controlling them. If it doesn't freak you out, you can pick the hornworms off the plant. However, if you see a hornworm that looks like it has grains of rice on its back, don't kill the caterpillar. The grains of rice are actually an insect that is eating the caterpillar. By letting some of the large hornworms get eaten by this parasite, you are building up a population that will help to control the hornworm in the future.
We have had quite a few customers come into the store with tomatoes that have blossom end rot. Regular readers of the column will remember that about a month ago, I warned people that tomato plants that were allowed to dry out would develop the black patch on the bottom of the ripening tomato. Unfortunately, once this starts, there is no way to stop the progression on those tomatoes that were flower buds at the time of the dry soil. The good news is if you kept up with keeping the soil moist, the next batch of flowers should turn into nice ripe tomatoes.
At this time of the year, vegetable plants grown in containers will need to be fertilized on a regular schedule. If you are using a fertilizer that you mix with water, you may have to fertilize those container grown plants every 7 to 10 days. Plants that are grown in the ground will need to be fertilized every 2 weeks. If your plants show signs of slowing down on their growth or they are slow to ripen the vegetables, you will need to fertilize more often. Watch your plants and "see' what they are "telling" you. Don't forget that fertilizing your vegetable plants is an on going process. Every year in late August and early September, I will have people come into the store and tell me that their tomatoes are not ripening. They have lots of green tomatoes but no ripe tomatoes. One of the first questions I ask is, " How often do you fertilize your plants? " A sheepish look usually follows, with an explanation that they forgot. Once you plant those vegetable plants you need to fertilize them until they are done producing vegetables or the frost kills the plants in the fall.
Well, that's all for this week. Yankee Homecoming will nudge the column next week, so I will talk to you again in two weeks.


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As a passionate and dedicated Financial Planner at The Retirement Solution, Ryan uses his acquired skills and wisdom to help his clients optimize their retirement and plan for their future without worry.
Ryan studied Business Management at Brigham Young University and Western Washington University. In 1997, he began working in the financial industry and developed his skill as a knowledgeable instructor, drawing a large international client base while developing his own product line of training material. Additionally, he became a published author in technical analysis. Ryan was often invited to train members of TICN, the largest private investment club in the world, based in Ireland. In 2002, Ryan was a founding member of a financial education startup where integrity was the core principle. He exemplified this guiding principle as an instructor for twelve years providing the best possible education and training for his clients.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to increase engagement in on-boarding - How to increase engagement in on-boarding
Asset Publisher
It's an extreme parallel I grant you, but poor on-boarding, would be the equivalent of me having dated my wife for seven years, agreeing to marry, organising the wedding and then me not contacting her for three months and still expecting her to happily walk down the aisle with me! I'm pleased to say I got the on-boarding part right (well some of it!) and we've now been married for eight years. However, I hope the parallels with what we do in recruitment, on-boarding and ongoing employee engagement are clear.
Maintaining a level of contact with your hard found new hire during the on-boarding process will ensure that their level of engagement and excitement around joining the organisation is sustained until their start date. Why then do we so often encounter processes that fragment so rapidly once we move to on-board someone into the organisation?
Step 1: Simplifying the on-boarding experience
As most new hires move from the offer to the on-boarding stage we tend to see multiple teams engaging the candidate. We handover from the recruitment team into other teams to facilitate their background checking, to issue their employment contract and confirm any pre-booked induction plans or training programmes, let alone contact with their line manager to make plans around meeting on their first day in the role. All of this presents a very real risk to showcase the worst of any organisation, with poor communication between teams creating confusion at best or conflict in messages at worst. Providing candidates with a single point of contact for all of these communications simplifies their experience and is a simple step towards improving the on-boarding experience, which sits within the control of most resourcing functions.
Step 2: Providing social interaction with the new team
I've worked in a sales organisation for my entire career, and it has always been quite normal to have drinks with the new team as part of the on-boarding experience, even the interview process in some cases! The reality for most of us is that the team of people we work with becomes every bit as important as the organisation we work for and finding new and innovative ways of creating engagement with new hires and the team will definitely help to on-board new hires in a way that minimises risk of early rejection, either by the new hire or the team themselves.
Technology can now enable this by way of a social interaction, with platforms like the Avature DNA product, or Hollaroo, providing good functionality in this space which is worth exploring.
Step 3: Structured on-boarding delivers consistency in new hire experience
The recruitment market has explored gamification in a number of different guises to support candidate registration or interaction with the recruitment process. The on-boarding stage really lends itself to gamification due to the number of forms that need completing and returning, training courses that need booking or team members that can be engaged with during the notice period. Organisations like Kindred, an Australian marketing strategy firm, definitely got the balance between functionality and gamification right with their on-boarding platforms with a number of organisations now using their systems successfully to drive improved engagement during the end to end on-boarding process for their customers.
So what does this tells us about how to increase applicant engagement in the on-boarding stage of any new hire process? The opportunity exists to deliver a streamlined way of coordinating the on-boarding activities, using people to support new hires and technology to socially enable their experience. Gamification won't be for every organisation but we could all learn from the structured approach to on-boarding that gamification requires in order for all new hires to receive the same, consistent experience.
Identifying the quick wins which make a real different in your new hires experience are key, and often the best way to identify those improvements is to place yourself at the heart of your own recruitment process and to ask yourself whether you'd be happy with the experience you asking your candidates to endure. If you need any inspiration in improving their journey then please contact me or one our team for support.
Jon Mannall
EMEA Managing Director and Global Head of Sales, Solutions and Innovation, Hays Talent Solutions
Jonathan is the EMEA Managing Director and Global Head of Sales, Solution and Innovation for Hays Talent Solutions, having joined Hays in 2011. Previous roles held at Hays included Client Director, Service Delivery Director and Head of Sales for the UK. He is now responsible for leading the approach to engaging and securing new clients and to ensuring that the products and services offered by Hays Talent Solutions continue to meet the changing needs of our global, regional and local customers. For more information about Hays Talent Solutions, visit our website.
Prior to joining Hays, and after completing his Masters in Philosophy and Management, Jon worked in the RPO and MSP sector for 10 years with a range of Financial Services, Public Sector, IT & Telecommunications, and Insurance clients in Sales and Operations Director roles.


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Issue Crawler
July 12, 2007
Would you like to analyze WWW for a particular word (company name, issue, interesting topci) and have a visual map representing most popular sites describing this word?
If yes, then try out Issue Crawler (http://www.issuecrawler.net) – it allows you such things.
Check out the map generated for "System Dynamics"
The art of systems thinking
January 21, 2007
Hey there!
I am now reading a great book about systems thinking called "The art of systems thinking" by Ian McDermott & Joseph O'Connor. It introduces reader to systems thinking and is really interesting. One of the great things is that authors are using simple language to describe complex things.
So, I recommend it to everyone. Systems thinking helps us to take a look at our life, business from different point of view – from systems point of view. Systems are everywhere and in order to success we need to use systems approach when evaluating things and solving problems of everyday life.
I have heard a lot about system thinking skills from my teacher at Moscow State University, but had no idead what it means – now I do. The book is really interesting.
If anyone here is interested in systems thinking and in dynamic modelling – feel free to contact me. I am doing a research for my PHD to model business processes of my company in Ithink (software for dynamic modelling) and use this model to teach employees, project managers in particular.
Here are the links:
P.S. For all us looking for simplicity: compare the links for English & Russian versions – which link is easier, huh?


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Who is Train Food Safety?
Train Food Safety is made up of a team of educators and food industry professionals. We all share a common goal of educating our communities on the importance of safe food handling practices in the workplace.
How Does It Work
Register for the Course
- Create a profile here
- Pay for the course
- Must be completed within 30 days of registration
- Course takes approximately 6 hours to complete**
Finish the Course and Exam
- 50 question multiple choice exam
- Require 70% or higher to pass
- The exam is 1 hour long
- If you fail, you may take the exam again for a small fee
- Computer requirements click here
Print Certificate
- Certificate is available immediately after passing your exam
- Certificate will be sent to your e-mail
- Print a copy of the certificate and start working right away
A course designed for students at all levels
Our course was designed by education professionals focused on creating a course that was fun and interesting while covering all the topics needed to get certified including:
- The importance of food safety
- Canadian Food Safety Laws
- Different Types of Food Contamination
- Food Handling Best Practices
- Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing
- Personal Hygiene
- Pest Control
- Construction and design


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In a single document you have multiple points spanning a wide range of topics. Tag, Search & Summarize allows you to tag specific parts of your notes, to later access them for a given topic, across and within all documents and owners in your Google Drive.
Would you recommend this product?No reviews yet
Can you give a bit of background and info here @rumble_ish? Always interested in learning more about new publishing-related projects.
@davedri - Absolutely! Currently in Drive you can tag and search files, but there wasn't a way to tag content within Docs. This Docs add-on allows you to highlight and tag sentences or paragraphs with in a Doc and then search and summarize the usage of those tags across Docs. So if you are taking notes or doing research and have 10 different documents you can tag a paragraph in each Doc as "quote". Then when you need to find all the quotes in all your Docs, search for that tag to return a list of all the occurrences or create a summary spreadsheet to reference later. Here is some more info and a bit about why we needed something like this: https://medium.com/mavenlink-pro... Thanks for your inquiry and let me know if I need to explain anything better or if you have any further questions! Thanks, Chris
@rumble_ish @davedri This is a very nice Friday project! I can see the value for any sales team doing qualitative analysis on the fly. It clicked for me when I saw the export, compiling all of the related pieces of feedback [tags] for easier analysis. Sweet. The trick might be adopting the process across a team, or investing in someone to review notes and do the tagging. Simple for one person to adopt but an unlikely practice for an entire team without regular prodding. And good work on the PH launch success -- your Medium post is well written. I might suggest a headline that cuts right to the benefit. Some quick ideas: Easy, exportable user research Better visibility into your customer's needs Scale your sales research Add value to your user research Stop wasting all of your user research What do you think? Well done, Team Mavenlink :) -Emily
@editemily - Wow! Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! Those are some great ideas and I appreciate the thoughts around scaling this to a team. That seems like a great thing to address in future versions! I will also think about retitling the post to something more direct like your suggestions...Thanks again for your message and time! :)
@editemily - I renamed my article per your comments! I can't really tell if it has helped but I'm totally on board with your logic! Thanks again. If your in town, please let me buy you a coffee, and or find you some gigs! I really appreciate your comment!
How is this different than the comment and suggestion features built-in?
@troychristmas - Thanks for your question! Let me know if this helps to clarify things a bit. This allows you to search tags within all Docs in Drive not just one Doc. And will return the tag, associated highlighted text, title of the doc as well as a link to the instance. It will also return multiple instances of the same tag within one document if multiple instances exist. In addition you can create a summary document which can function as a table of contents for all tagged content across all documents in drive. Does that make sense?
Upvote (2)Share
@rumble_ish Yep. Kinda like what I do with Evernote search - Thanks.
Upvote (2)Share
@troychristmas - Awesome! I'll have to check that out! It's super interesting to work with how we create and access content, I feel like a lot of progress can be made!
Great stuff !! The walk-through video doesn't have the audio?
@ayush_chandra - Thanks!! I need to add the audio still...just wanted to get something up in the meantime to show a usecase flow! Thanks for checking it out!!
Chris, Is 'Tag, Search & Summarize' still available? I recently stumbled across the ZettleKasten method of research (https://medium.com/@mosessampaul...) that I would like to try. Your product would be a great way to do this, but I wasn't able to find is as an add-on. Thanks, Todd
@mosessampaul @mt_black Second that!


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Mori Girl and Reindeer is an Apple suit which can be obtained via the Clothes Store, 2-9(Princess), 3-10(Princess) and 5-12(Princess), as well as evolution.
Completion Prize: Blush.
Wardrobe Edit
- Hair: Bambi
- Dress: Mori Girl & Reindeer
- Coat: Warm robe-Rare
- Hosiery: Reindeer Socks
- Leglet: Fresh Socks
- Shoes: Fresh Snow Boots
- Hair Ornament: Reindeer Hat-Rare
- Scarf: Multicolor Scarf
Lore Edit
Its shoulder-length wavy hair and neat bangs look cute and sweet.
– Bambi
Just like an obedient little deer, she quietly awaits the day when snow and ice will melt...
– Mori Girl & Reindeer and Mori Girl and Deer
This robe looks quite warm and soft in texture. Hide inside it to keep warm!
– Warm robe-Rare and Warm Robe
Give yourself more warm protection in this chilly winter.
– Fresh Socks
Let the little reindeer guard Nikki carefully throughout this winter~
– Reindeer Socks
Unique snow boots of fresh artistic style...
– Fresh Snow Boots
Nikki feels that the hat could be a wall hanging of the European noble if big enough.
– Reindeer Hat-Rare and Reindeer Hat
A highbrow multicolor scarf. Nikki once decided to learn knitting, but she couldn't hold on.
– Multicolor Scarf
Trivia Edit
- This suit was based on a suit from Hello Nikki-Let's Beauty Up, the second Nikki game, called Elk Girl.


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Membership of HEP is membership of a system that commits to working together to improve all of its parts and to ensuring all children achieve the very best outcomes. Any offer can be built around your school/s, reflecting your context and your strategic priorities
It is central to the founding principles of HEP that we know our member schools well, shaping our work and support so schools are able to move rapidly through their journey to provide and sustain exceptional provision and outcomes for children. Each school and setting is allocated an Improvement Partner (IP) who will primarily provide external challenge and support, they will also be the link for the school in accessing additional aspects of the core offer and brokering any additional support that a school feels it may need. While each school has its allocated IP, schools can access the skills and expertise of the IP team through its allocated time or by additional time purchased.
Our IP team consists of a small team of central staff and a number of contractor IPs who have been specifically recruited to ensure there is a wide ranging skill set to meet the needs of our schools and support leadership in the system as a whole.
IPs will offer to their schools:
- Termly visits built around a mutually agreed framework where school leaders will, along with their IP, design each visit to best support and challenge the schools work. Typically schools draw upon a range of activities
- Data review along with school priorities
- Review and validation of SDP/ SEF – challenge to school's own judgements using data, plus information received from any peer challenge reports (can be Desk top)
- Challenge for senior and middle leaders
- Health Checks for year groups or departments
- Annual Website compliance check (Desk top)
- Access to an Annual Safeguarding compliance check audit tool
Schools will be allocated 4.5 days from their Improvement Partner (including prep and follow up). Where a school is in the Ofsted window this will be increased to 7 days so that schools can access specific support in relation to support and preparation for inspection.
For schools facing additional or specific challenges, their allocation of time will be tailored to meet their needs. This may include the establishment of a project board or rapid recovery group.
Ensure schools have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their data which will support SEF and SIP/SDP writing.
- Analysis of school data, comparisons with local and national data – annual report across all phases.
- Annual data school profiles (bespoke as requested).
- Access to data reports which support leaders to be able to quickly make comparisons between schools, NLC and national data sets.
- Access to expert advice with regard to data.
- Access to discounted bespoke training with regard to data analysis.
- 1 data workshop for leaders of all phases including sessions for Governors.
- Access to an open and transparent RAG rating system which enables the system to make an early identification of issues arising and to know where its strengths are.
- Target setting advice and challenge.
- Annual Validation of SEF – challenge to school's own judgements using data, plus information received from any peer challenge reports (desk top)
- Support and validation of School Development Plan priorities (Desk top)
- Annual Website compliance checks (Desk top)
Primary delivery mechanism for school to school support, joint working on local priorities and the engagement with local communities.
- Membership of an NLC and access to joint working on local priorities.
- Membership of a school peer challenge group at a reduced cost (e.g. SPP).
- Support for new Headteachers via a 'buddy system' alongside tailored workshops.
- Access to subject leader networks – led by schools within NLCs.
- Secondary, Primary and Post 16, Special schools network across the partnership.
- Access to joint moderation opportunities – NLC or cluster led with specific groups for Secondary, Primary and Post 16, Special schools and Nursery.
- Access to a brokerage function for school to school support as required- within an agreed protocol and payment structure.
- Access to an application for contingency funds if school should find itself requiring intense school improvement support.
Phase and setting specific monthly meetings and half termly breakfast briefings will be delivered to keep Headteachers up to speed with:
• Ofsted updates
• DfE developments
• Statutory duties
• CPD opportunities
• Budget and finance updates
• Curriculum updates
• Safeguarding updates
• Legal updates and HR
• Governance updates
• Health and Safety
Heads can recruit high quality NQTs to the local partnership giving schools access to a central database of vetted NQTs.
- Access to an NQT pool – Primary and Secondary.
- Exploration into Special and Post 16 service.
- Access to high quality, discounted NQT training programme.
- Promotion and advertisement of vacancies and jobs in school via HEP website and relevant publications.
- Access to discounted rates for supply teachers from preferred provider.
An advice hotline will ensure that all Headteachers can receive timely advice and signposting if issues arise, including:
- Buildings
- Leadership and Management
- Ofsted
- Safeguarding
- Exclusions
- Data
- Assessment
- Moderation


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Home for Sale in Waynetown, Indiana by REALTORS®
Our REALTORS® can help you see inside every Waynetown, Indiana house listed by any real estate agent or broker. When you find a home you'd like to see, submit a showing request or call us.
|201 Blackford Street, Waynetown, IN 47990
|Add to Favorites
|Subdivision: NA
|Wonderful home with much to offer including a home warranty and a New Roof! This two bedroom ranch is ready to move into and has had several modifications to help make the interior handicap accessible. The enclosed entry porch leads into the large living ...
|2 Beds, 1 Bath Areas, 1128 SqFt
|$122,800 (For Sale)
Action Realty Group, Inc. 802/993
Page 1 of 1
Browse Waynetown Neighborhoods or find Waynetown Open Houses coming up this weekend. Look for Waynetown Foreclosures, HUD, & Bank-Owned Homes for sale, or look for Waynetown Water Front Properties. You can also view Off-Market Homes or search Waynetown Homes for sale by Street Address.


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Cross Country Season
December 14, 2018
Running is a mental sport, and these girls are insane! They willingly sprint 3.1 miles and enjoy doing it. People who play a fall sport or teachers leaving school for the day have spotted the XC girls stretching or performing numerous drills in front of the softball fields. As the season comes to a stop, members of the Merion Mercy Cross Country team reflect on their accomplishments and achievements this season.
Preseason began at Haverford College on August 12. The mornings were early, some drives were far, and the weather was muggy; nevertheless, they ran. They ran about 15 miles each week, with sprinting workouts scattered throughout the days. Girls who had never run cross country before pushed themselves and the girls who ran last year challenged themselves to run faster. The team sprinkled in some fun during the sweaty summer practices. They practiced at Boathouse Row one day, had a team breakfast, and even incorporated ice cream. With preseason complete, the Merion Mercy Cross Country team strided towards the regular season.
The team competed in multiple AACA meets after school on Wednesdays and various Saturday meets. Unfortunately, excessive heat and thrashing rain resulted in the cancelation of their meets at Rosetree and Malvern. Notably, they suffered two meets at St. Basils and survived a meet at the Mount. The team loved running Saturday meets. Dedicated team parents set up a tent and brought food, such as muffins and granola bars, to motivate the team on the early Saturday mornings. In addition to running relays at Belmont Plateau and participating in Penncrest Invitational, the team raced through a safari at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Though they did not see any animals, they rode roller coasters, including Kingda Ka, and most girls set personal records. Many girls suffered injuries during the season. The girls bonded and worked through their pain. They finished seventh in their league.
This year, new recruits across three grade levels flooded the team. With four freshman, one new junior, and three new sophomores, the team had 14 runners – a great improvement from last year's eight. Morgan Doyle '21 commented that joining the cross country was an experience that she'll never forget. "The friends and memories I made made stayed with me long after I crossed the finish line. I'm so glad I woke up and ran!"


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Florida State University
Strozier to Offer Blind Dating Service for the Nerds Who Need It
This year, for the second time ever, Strozier is offering something unique and exciting– a blind dating service. Students swipe in at 8 p.m. sharp, and they'll be directed over to a variety of potential suitors. Lining the shelves of the first floor are books disguised in wrapping paper, waiting for the perfect person to take them on a spin around Tallahassee.
Rapper and apparent nerd Childish Gambino traveled to FSU for last year's Blind Book Date: "But beware this shit is potent, E. E. Cumming on her face, now its poetry in motion," said Gambino. "I've never loved poetry more than I do now."
Three qualities describing each candidate will be listed on the wrapping paper for nerds to choose from, such as "Romantic. Dragon Slayer. Loves coffee." and "Hilarious. Mama's Boy. Easy to read." The dater pursuing a new lover can choose what they look for in a partner, and through a wild algorithm Strozier dating experts have conjured up, will walk away with a book of ideal qualities.
"I didn't think blind dating could actually work, but I found the one and I owe it all to Strozier," said veteran nerd and Blind Date with a Book user Marty Sants, who swears by her pairing with William Golding's Lord of the Flies. "I'd always looked past this book in school, thinking I was too advanced for it, but now I know that it's the book of my dreams. Plus, I always knew I had a kink for cannibalism. Thanks Strozier!"
Roman Tick, a rep for Strozier, tries his best to unite the FSU community through Blind Date with a Book each year.
"We didn't realize the impact our blind dating service would have on nerds, but we're glad we could set them up and help their love lives in some capacity. We figured no one deserves to be alone on Valentine's Day and we're actually expecting a larger turn out this year than last year. Let's hope we don't run out of books!"
As a wise ethics professor at FSU once said, "Everyone has a soul mate." Now, hoards of nerds can confirm this statement thanks to Blind Date with a Book.
Oh hey, listen and subscribe to Talk of Shame:


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Maine and Vermont Pass Plastic Bag Bans on the Same Day
Governors in Vermont and Maine signed bills on Monday that will ban plastic bags in their states next year, The Hill reported.
The Maine ban will go into effect next Earth Day, April 22, 2020. The Vermont ban, which extends beyond plastic bags and is the most comprehensive plastics ban so far, will go into effect in July 2020. The wait time is designed to give businesses time to adjust to the ban.
Mandatory Labels With Simple Disclosures Reduced Fears of GE Foods in Vermont
By Jane Kolodinsky
There has been substantial debate over whether mandated labels for genetically engineered foods might increase or decrease consumer aversion toward genetic engineering.
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
GMO Label Bill Clears Major Hurdle in Senate ... Now What?
Sen. Bernie Sanders "expertly trolled" the Senators who support the so-called DARK Act
Yesterday—five days after Vermont enacted its landmark GMO labeling mandate—the Senate voted 65-32 in a cloture vote to move a controversial GMO labeling bill forward.
This bipartisan "compromise" bill, introduced after years of negotiations by Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, would require businesses to label genetically modified foods. That is, if you consider a QR code, 1-800 number or a website URL a label instead of clear, concise language that 9 out of 10 American consumers want and a number of major food companies have started doing anyway. The bill would also nullify state-by-state mandates such as Vermont's and halt efforts by 30-odd states considering similar legislation.
The Senators's bill is unsurprisingly backed by the very industry that produces and profits from such products, including the Grocery Manufactures Association, Monsanto, etc. Deep-pocketed food and beverage corporations have spent millions to lobby politicians and even sued Vermont to stop GMO labeling with the belief that GMO labels would scare consumers away and that a 50-state patchwork of rules would be confusing and costly.
The Senate is voting on a very bad piece of Monsanto-backed legislation today. Text GMO to 82623 to oppose it. https://t.co/21yiDd5zpc— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders)1467827882.0
Incidentally, as Common Dreams reported, in data revealed by OpenSecrets.org and the Organic Consumers Association, the senators who voted "yea" on last week's 68-29 preliminary vote received more than twice as much in contributions from the agriculture lobby than those who voted "No" ($867,518 for the supporters vs. $350,877 for opponents).
Opponents of the bill have dubbed it another version of the "Deny Americans the Right to Know," or DARK Act. The earlier DARK Act, which would block state labeling laws, failed in March. The New York Times editorial board also called the latest bill "flawed," stating:
While most scientists say that genetically modified foods do not pose a risk to human health, consumers should have a right to more information about what they are eating. Polls have found that a vast majority of Americans favor mandatory labels. Dozens of countries, including all 28 members of the European Union and Australia, already require similar disclosures.
Researchers have found that labels do not dissuade people from consuming genetically engineered food, which has been a big worry of farm groups and businesses. It is no surprise then that some companies, like Campbell Soup, have voluntarily agreed to label their products.
The biggest problem with the Senate bill is that—instead of requiring a simple label, as the Vermont law does—it would allow food companies to put the information in electronic codes that consumers would have to scan with smartphones or at scanners installed by grocery stores. The only reason to do this would be to make the information less accessible to the public.
So where does that leave us? Well, the decision means that debate is now limited to 30 hours and can withstand filibuster. The final vote could happen sometime tonight or tomorrow and would only require a simple majority, or 51 votes. Efforts by Sen. Bernie Sanders to put a hold on the bill have been quashed since the cloture vote mustered more than 60 yeas.
If the legislation clears the Senate, it would go to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which has historically voted against transparency after passing Rep. Mike Pompeo's bill (H.R. 1599) last year. It would then goes to President Obama's desk, who could sign the bill into law.
If it seems that the bill probably stands a chance, there are still a number of obstacles. As Politco's Morning Agriculture blog reported, Roberts did not exactly celebrate the cloture vote, adding, "Strange things can happen." For instance, on Wednesday during the cloture vote, GMO labeling advocates from the Organic Consumers Association threw $2,000 in cash from the Senate balcony to the floor. They yelled "Monsanto Money" and "Sen. Stabenow, listen to the people, not Monsanto" as the bills fell, according to The Hill.
Yesterday's vote also revealed that the bill has lost some steam since last week's 68-29 procedural vote. According to Politico, "Maine Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I) voted yes last week but opposed cloture, as did Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Meanwhile, Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.) and Bob Menendez (N.J.) voted for cloture after opposing the vote last week. The nays added Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who did not vote last week."
Additionally, the Right-wing Heritage Foundation is also against the bill (basically, the foundation says even QR codes are too transparent) and have urged lawmakers to oppose the bill and warned it would key the vote as part of its legislative scorecard.
As for the House vote, even though the lower chamber already passed their own GMO bill, the Senate version is different enough that the House would have to vote on it again, as Grist noted.
The House has been urged by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives to take up and pass the bill before summer recess, which starts next Friday.
A spokeswoman for House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway told Politico that Conaway "will await the outcome in the Senate before making any public statements regarding his position on what action he believes the House should or should not take. He's still engaged in discussions with industry and other stakeholders on the matter."
Detractors of the bill are speaking out against further advancement of the bill. Sanders tweeted Wednesday: "The Stabenow-Roberts GMO bill is confusing, misleading and unenforceable. It does nothing to make sure consumers know what they're eating."
The Stabenow-Roberts GMO bill is confusing, misleading and unenforceable. It does nothing to make sure consumers know what they're eating.— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders)1467818743.0
Also, as Quartz puts it, the presidential candidate also "expertly trolled" the Senators who support the bill.
.@SenateAgDems You can find my response here: https://t.co/WKYz2b8cUO— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders)1467826397.0
The QR Code is real by the way. If you don't have a QR scanner, the code links to a statement on Sanders's website defending his home state's GMO labeling law.
A number of environmental and consumer advocate groups have spoken out against the bill and the Senate vote.
"Friends of the Earth denounces the Senate's passage of the DARK Act, S. 764, a bill which was passed under the guise of GMO labeling," food and technology campaigner Dana Perls said. "This bill is a travesty, an undemocratic and discriminatory bill which preempts state laws, while offering no meaningful labeling for GMOs. If accepted, Americans will remain in the dark about what we feed our families. We are deeply disappointed in the members of Congress who supported this bill and who did not stand with the vast majority of Americans who want mandatory on-package GMO labeling.
"Friends of the Earth urges consumers to call on the House and President Obama to oppose any bills that would undermine state GMO labeling laws, and to only support meaningful, mandatory on-package labeling for GMO foods, including those made with new gene editing techniques."
Food & Water Watch California Director Adam Scow criticized Sen. Dianne Feinstein's "vote against consumers and for Big Food."
"[The legislation] rolls back the progress that people around the country have made to get clear, on package labeling for GMOs," Scow said. "The bill she voted for will leave way too many Californians in the dark when it comes to knowing what's in the food we eat and how it was produced."
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said, "If this bill becomes law, the industry wins what are essentially voluntary requirements under this GMO labeling 'compromise,' which does not mandate recalls, penalties or fines for noncompliance with the incredibly weak requirements of the bill that will likely leave many GMO ingredients exempt from any labeling requirements."
Senate Advances GMO Labeling Bill
[Editor's note: Read the latest here.]
Today, in a cloture vote, the Senate voted to do away with our right to know what's in our food, revoking a popular and clear state labeling law in effect inVermont and nullifying all future state labeling initiatives.
This is a slap in the face for all of the advocates that have worked hard to pass state-level measures because they believe strongly that labels should be transparent, and people should have the choice to decide whether or not they purchase and consume foods with genetically engineered ingredients. The majority of Americans support labeling for GMOs and will hold their elected officials accountable for stripping away this transparency.
If this bill becomes law, the industry wins what are essentially voluntary requirements under this GMO labeling "compromise," which does not mandate recalls, penalties or fines for noncompliance with the incredibly weak requirements of the bill that will likely leave many GMO ingredients exempt from any labeling requirements. And the bill gives companies the option to use discriminatory QR codes that require a smartphone to access basic information about the food on store shelves.
Now, we call on the House not to pass the bill. We also call on President Obama to veto the bill if it comes to his desk. On the campaign trail many years ago, he promised reform on many food issues—from giving family farmers a fair shot in the marketplace to food labeling, saying we had the right to know whether or not food is genetically engineered. Before he leaves office, he has one more chance to get it right when it comes to food policy that protects people over corporations. He must veto this bill.
Watch as Senators John Tester (D-MT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) speak out today against the Senate GMO food labeling bill, with Senator Tester arguing that including the label as a QR code protects corporate food producers over consumers:
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Senate Ag Leaders Lobby Hard to Pass DARK Act Compromise to Preempt Vermont GMO Law
Despite Vermont's historic GMO labeling bill coming into effect June 1, Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and ranking member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) are vigorously lobbying to get their industry-approved GMO labeling deal passed before Congress's summer break.
Senate Ag leaders Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow hope to pass legislation allowing food companies to label their products containing GMOs with a QR code instead of on-package labels.
According to POLITICO's Morning Agriculture blog, the Senate Ag leaders are using "every part of the lobbying playbook," with "letters being sent, staffs briefed, reports and FDA assessments flaunted, and farmers and consumers are being encouraged to inundate lawmakers with phone calls."
Roberts has been reportedly distributing a flier touting that the bill will nullify the "dangerous"Vermont law and stop other states from passing similar legislation.
Why Big Ag loves (and consumers despise) the Senate bill to kill #GMO labeling. See flier from @SenPatRoberts. https://t.co/4juPSWGmZQ— Gary Ruskin (@Gary Ruskin)1467122861.0
Even though Vermont's mandate comes into effect Friday, the Senators's bill still has a small window of passage as Vermont's attorney general will not start forcing producers to label their food products containing genetically engineered ingredients until the start of 2017.
A confident Stabenow told POLITICO that enough votes will be secured for the deal to move forward, while Roberts said, "We had 46 [Republicans] last time, and we're hoping to get a few more." Last March, the Senate voted down Roberts's previous bill that would have prohibited states from requiring genetically modified food labels. The bill required 60 votes for passage but failed 48-49.
Roberts said his latest GMO bill will be the first order of business next week and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will set up a cloture vote, according to this tweet from Agripulse senior editor Philip Brasher.
.@SenPatRoberts says #GMO labeling first order of business next week, McConnell to set up cloture vote @agripulse— Philip Brasher (@Philip Brasher)1467211721.0
While Democrat Senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Sherrod Brown of Ohio announced support for the bill, it is not clear if it will gather enough votes to pass. And not to mention, the bill has to pass the House and be signed by President Obama before it becomes law.
Vermont's own Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced he will try to block Senate consideration of the bill. In a statement on Tuesday, the Democratic presidential candidate said:
I am very proud that Vermont has led the country in GMO labeling. This bill would preempt what Vermont and other states have done. GMO labeling exists in dozens of countries around the world. It is not controversial. Already major food companies in our country have begun labeling their products. People have a right to know what is in the food they eat. I am going to do everything I can to defeat this legislation.
By putting a hold on the bill, Sanders can block it from coming up for debate unless the proponents can muster up 60 votes.
I will do everything I can to defeat this weak GMO labeling bill in the Senate, beginning by putting a hold on it.— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders)1467136719.0
The Roberts-Stabenow bill has been described by opponents as another version of the Denying Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act as it includes provisions that would establish a federal program based on QR codes, a symbol, 1-800 numbers or a statement on packages referring people to websites.
While many major food companies have already started labeling their products to comply with Vermont's labeling mandate, under the new federal scheme proposed by the Senators, food makers can change their labels to a QR code.
In fact, both Campbell's and General Mills have already said they support the new proposal.
"We need consistency across the country. And without this national solution, we risked having a system of 50 different regulations impacting our packages," General Mills' Mike Siemienas told The Olympian.
"We will continue to comply with Vermont's law until Congress and the president enact legislation that pre-empts and replaces it," Tom Hushen of Campbell's said. "With or without new federal legislation, the Vermont label will continue to appear on shelves across most of the country and well into the future."
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Tomorrow, Vermont's historic GMO labeling law goes into effect. This is the first law enacted in the U.S. that would provide clear labels identifying food made with genetically engineered ingredients. Indeed, stores across the country are already stocking food with clear on-package labels thanks to the Vermont law, because it's much easier for a company to provide GMO labels on all of the products in its supply chain than just the ones going to one state.
Alexis Baden Mayer
But this victory may be fleeting. The Senate will vote next week on a federal bill that would nullify Vermont's law and other state labeling efforts percolating, thanks to the heavy hand the ag-biotech industry wields over our congressional representatives.
With a vote for this so-called "compromise" bill, Congress would effectively be pulling transparent GMO labels from grocery stores. This legislation is in effect a voluntary disclosure bill since there are no penalties for companies that decide not to comply with the mandate to provide even the most meager disclosure mechanisms, like QR codes or 1-800 numbers. And the definition of GMO in the bill is so flawed that many products containing GMOs would not be covered.
The Senate should not vote to roll back the popularly enacted Vermont law and replace it with a giveaway to the agriculture industry. The majority of Americans support labeling for GMOs and will hold their elected officials accountable if they vote to strip away transparency about how their food is produced. We urge the Senate to reject this bill.
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Burlington, Vermont Becomes First U.S. City to Run On 100% Renewable Electricity
Burlington, Vermont is that state's largest city, with a population of 42,000 people. It describes itself as "forward-thinking" which is what you'd expect from a city that once elected Senator Bernie Sanders as its mayor. So it's no surprise that it recently became the first U.S. city of any decent size to run entirely on renewable electricity.
"Climate change is the biggest problem we face, maybe the biggest problem we've ever faced," University of Vermont environmental science professor Taylor Ricketts told NPR. "But there's no silver bullet to fix it. It's gonna be a million individual solutions from all over the place. And this is one of Burlington's, right?"
The city's publicly owned utility, the Burlington Electric Department (BED), says in its mission statement, "BED will continue to be a leader in sustainability by producing power that is as clean and as locally produced as possible. BED will continue to treat the environment with the utmost respect and will continue to influence decisions and public policy that enhance environmental quality, the use of renewable resources, and the sustainability of Burlington."
The city lives up to that mission by acquiring its energy in diverse ways, including biomass, hydroelectric, solar and wind. Its biggest power generator is hydro, which the city acquires from dams both locally and elsewhere in the region. Its biomass facility, the McNeil generating station, provides another 30 percent of its power. It runs on burning wood chips, although it can run on natural gas or oil on an interruptible basis. The wood chips are the residue of the region's logging industry and come primarily from within 60 miles of the city, reducing transportation costs. Wind turbines and solar panels provide another 20 percent of its electricity.
In addition, BED says, "McNeil is equipped with a series of air quality control devices that limit the particulate stack emissions to one-tenth the level allowed by Vermont state regulation. McNeil's emissions are one one-hundredth of the allowable federal level. The only visible emission from the plant is water vapor during the cooler months of the year."
Renewable electricity generation isn't the only way this forward-thinking city is addressing climate change, the environment and sustainability. BED has aggressive energy efficiency programs and boasts that it uses less electricity now than it did in 1989. And despite its small size, Burlington already has nine charging stations for electric vehicles.
And contrary to those who insist that renewably generated electricity is an expensive luxury that only a bunch of Phish-loving Vermont hippies will pay for, Ken Nolan of BED told NPR that the switch to renewables was initially driven by economic concerns and will likely save the city $20 million over the next decade.
"Greenhouse gas reduction is a major thing that we're concerned about and we are always trying to improve on," he said. "But in looking at whether to buy renewable power, we really were focused on an economic decision at the time. Our financial analysis at that time indicated to our—actually, to our surprise–that the cheapest long term financial investment for us with the least amount of risk was to move in this direction."
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The Vermont Yankee atomic reactor goes permanently off-line today, Dec. 29, 2014. Citizen activists have made it happen. The number of licensed U.S. commercial reactors is now under 100 where once it was to be 1,000.
Decades of hard grassroots campaigning by dedicated, non-violent nuclear opponents, working for a Solartopian green-powered economy, forced this reactor's corporate owner to bring it down.
Vermont Yankee is the fifth American reactor forced shut in the last two years.
Entergy says it shut Vermont Yankee because it was losing money. Though fully amortized, it could not compete with the onslaught of renewable energy and fracked-gas. Throughout the world, nukes once sold as generating juice "too cheap to meter" comprise a global financial disaster. Even with their capital costs long-ago stuck to the public, these radioactive junk heaps have no place in today's economy—except as illegitimate magnets for massive handouts.
So in Illinois and elsewhere around the U.S., their owners demand that their bought and rented state legislators and regulators force the public to eat their losses. Arguing for "base load power" or other nonsensical corporate constructs, atomic corporations are gouging the public to keep these radioactive jalopies sputtering along.
Such might have been the fate of Vermont Yankee had it not been for citizen opposition. Opened in the early 1970s, Vermont Yankee was the northern tip of clean energy's first "golden triangle." Down the Connecticut River, grassroots opposition successfully prevented two reactors from being built at Montague, Massachusetts, where the term "No Nukes" was coined. A weather tower was toppled, films were made, books were written, demonstrations staged and an upwelling of well-organized grassroots activism helped nurture a rising global movement.
A bit to the southwest, in the early 1990s, it shut the infamous Yankee Rowe reactor, which had been hit by lightening and could not pass a verifiable test of its dangerously embrittled core.
But Vermont Yankee persisted. Entergy, a "McNuke" operator based in New Orleans, bought Yankee from its original owners about a dozen years ago. It signed a complex series of agreements with the state. Then it trashed them to keep Vermont Yankee spiraling ever-downward.
But hard-core organizers like Deb Katz's Citizen Awareness Network never let up. Working through a network of natonal, state and local campaigns, the safe energy movement has finally forced Entergy to flip the off switch.
Protestors support the closing of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant at the Statehouse in January 2012 in Montpelier, Vermont.
Vermont Yankee is the fifth American reactor forced shut in the last two years. Two at San Onofre, California, were defeated by citizen activism. Wisconsin's Kewaunee went down for economic reasons. Crystal River in Florida was driven to utter chaos by incompetent ownership.
Five reactors are officially under construction in the U.S. But their fate is also subject to citizen action. Two others targeted for Levy County, Florida, have recently been stopped by ratepayer resistance.
Throughout the U.S. and the world, the demise of atomic energy is accelerating. Some 435 reactors are listed worldwide as allegedly operable. But 48 in Japan remain shut in the wake of Fukushima despite the fierce efforts of a corrupt, dictatorial regime to force them back on line. Germany's transition to a totally nuke-free green energy economy is exceeding expectations. The fate of dozens proposed and operating in China and India remains unclear.
But the clock on the inevitable next disaster is ticking. Cancer rates and thyroid problems around Fukushima continue to accelerate. Massive reactors like California's Diablo Canyon and Indian Point, New York, are surrounded by volatile earthquake faults that could reduce them to seething piles of apocalyptic rubble, killing countless thousands downwind, gutting the global economy.
Every reactor shutdown represents an avoided catastrophe of the greatest magnitude. As the takeoff of cheap, clean, safe and reliable Solartopian technology accelerates, greedy reactor owners struggle to squeeze the last few dimes out of increasingly dangerous old nukes for which they ultimately will take no responsibility. Vermont Yankee alone could require 60 years for basic clean-up. Fierce debate rages over what to do with thousands of tons of intensely radioactive spent fuel rods.
It remains unclear where the money will ultimately come from to try to decontaminate these sites, but clearly they are all destined to be dead zones.
As will the planet as a whole were it not for victories like this one in Vermont. This weekend the No Nukes community will celebrate this accursed reactor's final demise.
Many hundreds more such celebrations must follow—soon!
Harvey Wasserman edits NukeFree.org and works to shut all Vermont Yankee's mutant siblings so Solartopia can take root.
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Vermont Sued Over GMO Labeling Law
Much fanfare met the May 8 historic achievement in Vermont, in which the state passed the first no-strings-attached bill requiring labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. Fanfare from individuals and organizations who care to know what's in the food they eat each day, that is.
Photo credit: Vermont Right to Know GMOs
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and other trade associations? Now that's a different story. The GMA, the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Snack Food Association filed a lawsuit yesterday in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the law.
The same day that Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signed the bill into law, the GMA issued a statement vouching for the safety of GMO (genetically modified organisms) crops and promising a lawsuit, stating, "The government ... has no compelling interest in warning consumers about foods containing GM ingredients, making this law's legality suspect at best."
Many groups pushing for GMO labeling beg to differ, and, meanwhile, 64 countries have passed labeling laws and more than 60 state bills were introduced over the past year. Connecticut and Maine both successfully passed GE labeling laws, though they are contingent on other states in the region passing laws before they would go into effect. The Vermont GE labeling law is the first to pass without such a trigger.
"After years of good old-fashioned work, and playing by the rules, the grassroots labeling movement achieved its first real victory this year," said Organic Consumers Association Founder and Director Ronnie Cummins of the Vermont labeling law.
Why is the battle to label GMO foods so important to so many people?
As explained by the plaintiffs in the GMA lawsuit factual background:
If a person lives in the Unites States for any period of time and does not restrict all of her food purchases to organic food, she is almost certainly consuming ingredients from GE plants on a daily basis … The vast majority of foods sold in grocery stores in the United States today contain some amount of at least one ingredient that is connected to a GE plant.
That's right, on a daily basis. Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for Center for Food Safety, which has been active in the push for GE labeling, succinctly sums it up: "Transparency in a sector that is integral to our lives every single day is absolutely essential."
Many are confident that Vermont will prevail in a legal battle with the trade groups—and promise to continue the fight. "This battle is about your health, and the health of your environment," said Cummins. "This battle is about the rights of states to pass laws to protect their citizens."
7 Ways to Fight Back Against Monsanto and Other Corporate Bullies of the GMA
Defying repeated threats of a lawsuit from Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), on May 8, Peter Shumlin, Governor of Vermont, signed a historic bill requiring food manufacturers to label genetically engineered (GE) foods, and to drop the practice of labeling GE foods as "natural" or "all natural."
On May 9, true to its word, the GMA confirmed that it will sue Vermont in federal court to overturn H. 112.
Anti-GMO rally. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock / J. Bicking
Vermont is prepared to fight back. The state has already established a "food fight" legal defense fund. Legal analysts say Vermont will likely win.
Vermont isn't the only state up against the multi-billion dollar lobbying group. The GMA, whose 300-plus members include Monsanto and Dow, Coca-Cola and General Mills, is pushing a bill in Congress that would preempt all states from passing (genetically modified organism) GMO labeling laws.
It's time for consumers in every state to band together to defeat the GMA's full-on assault, not only on Vermont, not only on consumers' right to know what's in our food, but on states' rights and on our basic freedoms to protect our health and our communities.
Here's how we do it. We boycott every product, including the natural and organic brands, owned by members of the GMA. We flood their Facebook pages, tarnish their brand names. We pressure financial institutions, pension funds and mutual funds to divest from Monsanto and the other GMA companies.
Our motto for Monsanto and GMA products must become: Don't buy them. Don't sell them. Don't grow them. And don't let your financial institution, university, church, labor union or pension fund invest in them.
As soon as the GMA files a lawsuit against Vermont, the Organic Consumers Association, joined by a growing coalition of public interest groups, will launch a boycott and divestment campaign directed against all of the 300 GMA companies and their thousands of brand name products—including foods, beverages, seeds, home and garden supplies, pet food, herbicides and pesticides.
A new balance of power
Monsanto and the GMA have, until now, successfully blocked popular GMO labeling legislation in more than 30 states. They've defeated, by a razor-thin margin, two high-profile ballot initiatives, in California (2012) and Washington (2013). And they've intimidated Connecticut and Maine into including trigger clauses in those states' GMO labeling laws, successfully delaying their implementation.
Funding for this anti-consumer, anti-right-to-know lobbying and advertising effort topped $100 million in 2012-2014, including $12 million in illegally laundered donations to I-522, the Washington State GMO labeling ballot initiative of 2013. All of that money has come from the 300 chemical, seed, supermarket, grain, pharmaceutical and food corporations, including Monsanto and the other Gene Giants, who make up the GMA.
Until now the GMA colossus has ruled, not only in Washington D.C., but in all 50 states. But now that Vermont has passed a trigger-free GMO labeling law, and Oregon is poised to do the same in November, the balance of power has shifted.
Monsanto, the GMA and their allies are in panic mode. Because they know that when companies are forced to label or remove GMOs, and also are forced to drop the fraudulent practice of labeling GE-tainted foods as "natural" or "all natural," in one state, they will have to do it in every state. Just as they've been forced to do in Europe, where mandatory GMO labeling has been in effect since 1997.
GMA members and corporate agribusiness hate labeling, because it forces them to reveal all of the hazardous GMOs, chemicals and drug residues lurking in the billions of dollars of foods, beverages, seeds, grains and pesticides they sell. It's no wonder that Monsanto and GMA's bill in Congress—a bill they've named the "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014"—has been renamed the "DARK" (Denying Americans the right to know) Act.
Let the boycott begin
We absolutely must defeat the impending GMA lawsuit against Vermont. This will require us to raise money and provide legal help to the state.
Equally important, we need to intensify our mass education, grassroots lobbying and marketplace pressure so we can defeat Monsanto and the GMA Big Food/Chemical lobby in the court of public opinion, too. If you would like to donate to this effort click here.
But there are other ways we can use our dollars to defeat the GMA. We can refuse to invest, even indirectly through retirement and mutual funds, in those companies. We can pressure institutional investors like Fidelity, Vanguard and State Street to dump their stock in these companies.
And we can boycott all of the 300 GMA companies and their more than 6,000 brand name products—including foods, beverages, seeds, home and garden supplies, pet food, herbicides and pesticides.
Where to start? As part of this Great Boycott, pro-organic consumer groups will put a special emphasis on boycotting the "Traitor Brands," those organic and so-called "natural" brands owned and marketed by GMA members.
Health-conscious and green-minded consumers often inadvertently support the GMA when they buy brands like Honest Tea, Kashi, Odwalla and others whose parent companies, all members of the GMA, have donated millions to defeat GMO labeling initiatives in California (Prop 37) and Washington State (I-522). (Take the boycott pledge here.)
These Traitor Brands include, among others:
PepsiCo ($4.8M) - IZZE, Naked Juice, Simply Frito-Lay, Starbucks Frappucino
Coca-Cola ($3.2M) - Honest Tea, Odwalla
Nestle ($3M) - Gerber Organic, Sweet Leaf tea
Kraft/Mondelez ($2.4M) - Boca Burgers, Green and Black's
General Mills ($2.1M) - Cascadian Farm, Larabar, Muir Glen
ConAgra Foods ($2M) - Alexia, Pam organic cooking sprays
Kelloggs ($1.1M) - Bear Naked, Gardenburger, Kashi, Morningstar Farms
Campbells ($980k) - Plum Organics, Wolfgang Puck organic soups
Smuckers ($900k) - R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz organic, Smuckers Organic
Hershey's ($880k) - Dagoba
Bimbo Bakeries ($560k) - Earthgrains bread
McCormick ($400k) - Simply Asia, Thai Kitchen
Why not just boycott the conventional GMA parent company brands?
Because those of us who support organics rarely buy products like Coca-Cola, Diet Pepsi or Kellogg's Genetically-Modified-Sugar-Coated Frosted Flakes, or a packet of Monsanto seeds or a spray bottle of Roundup or 2, 4-D. The only way to pressure Big Food and the Gene Giants is to get millions of conscious consumers to boycott the brands we actually buy.
Let's be clear. Junk food and beverage companies who are members of the GMA are gobbling up organic and "natural" brands because they recognize the huge profit potential in the fast-growing organic and natural markets. They want our business. If we stop buying their brands, they know there's a good chance we'll find alternative brands. And we might never look back.
Seven ways to fight back
There are about 50 popular organic and natural "Traitor Brands" (owned by GMA members). It's easy for most of us to boycott those brands. But how do we boycott the entire 6,000-product inventory of GMA member-owned brands, especially those of us who don't shop for those brands in supermarkets?
Here are seven ways to fight back against Monsanto and all the Corporate Bullies of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
1. Stop buying all non-organic processed foods.
Even if they are certified organic, don't buy any Traitor Brand processed foods or beverages. Ninety percent of the foods Americans buy or consume are heavily processed, deliberately laced with sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, contaminated with dyes, preservatives, pesticides, GMOs and drug residues. If you want to be healthy, if you want to avoid cancer, heart attacks or obesity, build your diet around whole foods, especially raw fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (coconut oil, avocadoes, pastured meat, dairy and eggs, nuts and whole grains) and nuts.
2. Patronize grocers, co-ops and community restaurants that serve organic, cooked-from-scratch, local food.
Many restaurants, especially chain restaurants (Chipotlé is a rare exception), sell many of the brands owned by GMA members.
3. Cook at home with healthy organic ingredients.
4. Buy only heirloom, open-pollinated, and/or organic seeds.
5. Boycott all lawn and garden inputs (chemicals, fertilizers, etc.) unless they are "OMRI Approved," which means they are allowed in organic production.
6. Read the labels on everything you buy. If a GMA member company owns the product, don't buy it.
Given the greed and reckless disregard for public health and the environment typical of GMA corporations, chances are these products aren't good for you and the environment anyway.
7. Download the Buycott app for your smartphone and join OCA's new campaign, "Buy Organic Brands that Support Your Right to Know" so you can scan products before you buy them.
In this age of the Internet and social media, consumer boycotts, divestment campaigns and other forms of marketplace pressure are more powerful than ever. Please join and support the Organic Consumers Association's "Great Boycott" of Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturer's Association today. Let's show Monsanto and the GMA we mean business.
Vermont Passes First No-Strings-Attached GE Food Labeling Bill
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Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS) celebrated an historic achievement in Vermont—passage of the first no strings attached bill requiring the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. The occasion marks an important day both for the food movement, with its many activists and partners, and for Center for Food Safety, which has been involved in the push for GE labeling for over a decade.
Center for Food Safety celebrates years of work as Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signs landmark GE labeling bill into law. Photo credit: Center for Food Safety
"To the people, legislators, and activists of Vermont, thank you for your tireless efforts in advancing the people's right to know. Center for Food Safety is extremely proud to have worked alongside so many fearless advocates over the past ten years," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for CFS.
The fight for legislation to require the labeling of genetically engineered foods has been fought on multiple fronts. CFS has led the federal rulemaking process since 2011, when it submitted a legal petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) providing a blueprint for the agency to enact a federal rule under authority granted by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. That petition is supported by more than 650 organizations and business, and more than 1.4 million people have since submitted comments in support.
While no action has been taken at the federal level, numerous states, bolstered by the legal and scientific expertise of CFS, have introduced legislation or ballot initiatives of their own. Connecticut and Maine each successfully passed GE labeling laws, though they are contingent on other regional states to also pass laws before they would go into effect. The Vermont bill is the first GE labeling law to pass without such a trigger.
"Center for Food Safety is committed to pursuing mandatory GE labeling across the country until every American is assured the right to know what is in their food," said Kimbrell. "Transparency in a sector that is integral to our lives every single day is absolutely essential."
CFS has provided legal expertise to numerous states pursuing mandatory GE labeling, and continues to offer expert testimony at legislative hearings across the country, including New York, Massachusetts, California and Oregon. CFS closely monitors both the state level and global landscape on GE labeling. There are currently 64 countries with labeling laws and more than 60 state bills were introduced over the past year.
Just today, it was announced by the Oregon Supreme Court that it has certified a proposed 2014 ballot initiative on GE labeling, allowing the signature gathering process to begin in advance of November elections.
With the success of Vermont, eyes now turn back to Washington, DC, where Center for Food Safety has been a vocal proponent of the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act (H.R. 1699/S. 809) introduced last year by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). This common sense bill directs FDA to use its authority to enact a federal, mandatory GE labeling policy that would guarantee all Americans the right to know.
Standing in the way of that right is a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), with the backing of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which has been dubbed "Denying Americans the Right-to-Know" (DARK) Act and would block any federal or state action to require the labeling of GE foods. Center for Food Safety is working with allies in Washington to ensure this bill does not allow the interests of Big Food and the chemical industry to trump the rights of Vermonters or Americans nationwide.
Maine Governor Signs GMO Food Labeling Bill
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The officialPokmon Go twitter account has announced that Zapdos, the legendary (and Legendary) birdPokmon has been released into the wild. This means trainers can defeat it, capture it, or just gawk and take pictures, if you want.
After the diasastrous launch of LegendaryPokmon atPokmon Go Fest last month, Niantic has been putting out fires left and right with the game, so here's hoping Zapdos is not the cause of any such fires. You can read about the festival's trials and tribulations here.
Sound off in the comments when you're able to see one. Heck, also sound off in the comments for how old you were when you realized the Uno, Dos, Tres naming scheme of the three Legendary birds.


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The HAWK arrives to you in a quality black leather pouch to always keep protected when resting.
Time to take your Volume Lashing to the next level and try the amazing HAWK!


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Aitheasc an Uachtaráin Ruairí Ó Brádaigh don 85ú Ard-Fheis de Shinn Féin in Óstlann an Spa , Leamhcán , Co. Atha Cliath , 21ú agus 22ú Deireadh Fómhair , 1989 /
Presidential Address of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh to the 85th Ard-Fheis of Sinn Féin in the Spa Hotel , Lucan , County Dublin , 21st and 22nd October 1989…..
" We are not afraid of the facts. Nor are we afraid of open debate about these facts – the full story of what Sinn Féin Poblachtach stands for and stood for over the years. The very reluctance of our opponents to engage in such debate , the ongoing mis-representation and black propaganda is proof , if proof were needed , that the attempt to cloud the real issues , the core values of Irish Republicanism , is not exactly an accident. Cuirimís chuige más ea.
In the Six Counties our organisation , in line with policy decided at last year's Ard-Fheis , geared itself up early this year to contest the local elections in May . What the political test oath for candidates in that election meant was spelled out clearly by us in our Easter statement – we had no intention of disowning publicly the Irish Republican Army , Cumann na mBan and Na Fianna Éireann , neither were we going to deny the right common to all people to use armed struggle as a last resort in striving to free their country from foreign invasion , occupation , oppression and exploitation.
Our candidates pledged to expose Mrs Thatcher's restrictions on free elections and deny the British an opportunity to tell the world that 100% of candidates swallowed her politically restrictive oath. With the election slogan 'For the Voice of True Republicanism , Vote Sinn Féin Poblachtach' , our manifesto promised to work for the restoration of Irish democracy and an end to British interference….."
(* '1169…' Comment – their word, not ours.)
From 'MAGILL' magazine, December 1997. By Ursula Halligan.
Seán O' Callaghan said John Corcoran was used by the IRA for low-level activity , such as driving IRA members around Cork. He described him as a weak man who crumbled when he was interrogated by the IRA and that , within three minutes of first meeting him he knew instinctively that Corcoran was working for the gardaí –
" He was in danger for a long time. He was always looking for information. He was under pressure to come up with stuff." O'Callaghan said that, in the last weeks of his life, Corcoran had been "….monitoring his movements …" and was trying to contact him with a "…story.." . O'Callaghan said a 'belfast guy' from the IRA , the head of internal security, was sent to Cork to carry out an investigation into a number of matters.
After meeting Corcoran , claimed O'Callaghan, the 'belfast guy' was immediately suspicious and asked O'Callaghan what was going on ? O'Callaghan said Corcoran's luck ran out shortly afterwards , when he dropped a colleague of the 'Belfast guy' at a house that was subsequently raided by the gardaí. O'Callaghan said that raid directly triggered Corcoran's abduction by the IRA , and that it was senior figures in the IRA who ordered Corcoran's execution : " I was the person given the instruction to kill him by the Chief of Staff," O'Callaghan claimed…….
PAT CANNON COMMEMORATION , DUBLIN – SATURDAY 17th JULY 2010.
Pat Cannon (left) and Peter McElchar.
On Saturday 17th July 1976, two IRA Volunteers on active service – Patrick Cannon from Dublin and Peter McElchar from Donegal – set out in a car in which they were transporting an explosive device. They crossed the border from Donegal into Tyrone and were approaching the town of Castlederg when the device exploded prematurely. It was about 2.15pm.
Peter McElchar was killed instantly. Patrick Cannon was gravely injured and was taken to Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh. He was being transferred to hospital in Belfast when he died….
The Patrick Cannon Commemoration will be held on Saturday , 17th July 2010 , at 11.30am ; the assembly point is at the old Cemetery gates. Bus number 42 from Dublin City Centre will get you there!
POW PICKET , DUBLIN , SATURDAY 17th JULY 2010.
POLITICAL STATUS PICKET , GPO , DUBLIN , SATURDAY 17th JULY 2010, 12.45pm to 1.45pm. All Welcome!


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Thank you for viewing our profile
If you would like to learn more about us, please call 1-800-ADOPTION (2367846), fill out the form at the bottom of our on-line profile page, or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
To revisit our on-line profile page and view our profile video at American Adoptions, simply use your mobile phone to scan the QR code on the right. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Ryan & Stephanie
We have wanted to adopt a child since before we got married. We both have a strong desire to share our love with a child and give him or her the best life possible. To choose us would be the greatest gift you could give to us and the child. We are eagerly waiting to start the next chapter in our lives by adding to our growing family.
How We Met
We are lucky enough to be high school sweethearts and met in science class when we were paired together for a project. As shy teenagers we started off as friends making jokes and walking in the halls together. We learned that we had so much in common including our sense of humor. Our young love grew as we went through high school, college, and into our adulthood. During that time life threw us some curve balls, but we grew together and learned how to be a better partner with each experience.
Stephanie's favorite qualities that Ryan possess is his compassion and kind nature. He is always there for others in their time of need. He is always making life an adventure and his devotion to things he cares about in life is admirable.
Ryan's favorite qualities about Stephanie is that she is understanding and loving. She has the biggest heart and shows it to all of her friends and family. Putting others first is something that comes second nature to her. These are just some of the qualities that Ryan believe will make Stephanie an excellent mother.
Our Leisure Time
In our leisure time we love to do new activities. We are always going to new festivals, comedy clubs, restaurants, and parks. We always try to do something new on the weekends when we're free.
Ryan's favorite hobby is collecting and selling dinosaur fossils. He has been interested in dinosaur fossils since he was young and continues to learn and explore that world. Another one of his main passions is working out. He has competed in two bodybuilding competitions is proud to come in second place both times!
Stephanie enjoys spending time with friends and family. She is a people person and enjoys meeting others to go on walks or meet up for lunch. Another interest she has is going to the gym and watching hockey. She played ice hockey growing up and is in the process of finding a local woman's team to play for.
Together we both love taking our dog, Kona, for walks. She is so friendly that it's easy to take her on hiking paths or even to a nearby restaurant.
Our Strengths
In our life taking care of ourselves comes first. We truly believe that working on ourselves, both physically and mentally, allows us to be better partners for each other. We put our relationship before everything else because we are determined to keep our love and bond strong. Life has its ups and downs and leaning on each other is very important to us.
Since we started dating so young, we believe it was our individual strengths that have allowed us to grow together rather than apart. Ryan has always brought laughter and a carefree attitude to the relationship. Not sweating the small stuff or taking life too seriously is something that he brings to the relationship. He is a loyal individual and when he wants to do something, he makes it happen. His drive is something that inspires others.
One of Stephanie's strengths has always been her positive and loving demeanor. When life isn't perfect, she will always be there to lift your spirits up. She is very thoughtful and always thinking of others and how she can brighten their day. These are just some of the positive attributes as individuals that has continued the growth of our relationship.
Our House and Neighborhood
We live in a wonderful community right next to a beautiful park where we regularly fish, bike, walk our dog, and kayak. We are so lucky to be able to walk out our front door to a trail that goes right to the park. We also have access to a beautiful pool that we take advantage of because Texas gets pretty hot!
There are a number of children in our community and many of our neighbors host parties at the community center/pool to hang out, swim, and barbecue together.
Our townhome is 2,600 square feet, which includes three bedrooms. Our favorite space is the upstairs bonus room where we have a oversize couch, a beautiful television for watching movies together, and space for our future child to play.
We both have cousins that live close by with children that our child can grow up with. That is very important to us because some of our fondest memories were created with extended family.
Our Extended Families
We live in Texas where we both have family who live by us. We're surrounded by cousins, their children, and Ryan's dad and wife live up the road. We regularly get together where we like to do lots of outdoor activities since it's warm most of the year. Texas is known for barbecue and Ryan's dad loves to have everyone over so he can show off is amazing barbecue skills. We all swim, play games, and just enjoy each other's company out on the deck until it's time to enjoy a meal together.
We also have family in Michigan who we get together with multiple times a year. We go to Michigan to visit and we have people come stay with us throughout the year as well. We love having a house filled with family. We created wonderful memories as children when aunts, uncles, and cousins would visit and we're going to do the same with our child.
Stephanie's family is very large and there's never a dull moment with them around. We're always laughing, playing cards, board games, and cooking up delicious authentic Armenian food. Ryan's family often joins the fun where we all come together as one. Both of our families are very excited for a child to join us and create new wonderful memories together. They always are asking for updates on our adoption process to see when they can officially welcome the child with open and loving arms.
From Us to You
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about our family. We truly appreciate you considering us as you make this courageous and difficult decision. We hope that by learning more about us you'll be able to see the love we have for each other, our families, and our future child.
Our journey started 15 years ago in our High School physical science class when we were paired for a group project. Little did we know we were being partnered up with our future spouse and best friend. What started off as a friendship grew to become something more. On Halloween that year we decided to start dating, which is one of our favorite times of the year. We love to do all fall related activities: watch scary movies, carve pumpkins, go on hay rides, and of course eat all things pumpkin flavored. After high school we both attended Michigan State University (Go Green!) where we obtained our bachelor's degrees. After 10 years of dating we decided to get married on a hot summer day in August. Our friends and family from all over the U.S. came to our hometown and celebrated the joining of our lives together.
In our house the one thing you'll notice is there is a lot of laughter. Many times, we'll have an inside joke that makes us laugh until we cry. Having gone through the ups and downs of life together we've learned not to sweat the small stuff. We both have an appreciation for the outdoors and enjoy spending time fishing, hiking, and going for walks with our dog. On weekends, one of our favorite things is to try different restaurants. With so much diversity in Houston we're lucky to eat all kinds of authentic Ethiopian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Cuban cuisine (to name a few). Another thing we love is going to the ocean to enjoy the beach, fish, and have of course eat some fresh seafood.
Stephanie's family has always been close and enjoys spending time together. She has one brother and they grew up together in a house their parents still live in today. With acres of land many memories were made outside from bonfires, late night swims, and golfing in the backyard. In the Winter Stephanie's father would make a full-size ice hockey rink. This was a dream come true for two kids who grew up playing hockey.
Ryan grew up with lots of great family memories from visiting their condo in Florida to going out west with his mom to dig dinosaur fossils. Florida is where Ryan's love of fishing came from and to this day, he collects fossils. Science and working out is one of his biggest passions. All around the house you'll find fossils that he can explain where it was found, how old it is, and where it comes from.
Starting our own family has always been important to us and we have always wanted to adopt a child. We have a lot of love to offer your child and feel it is a privilege if we are chosen as the adoptive parents. We understand that this would be a great sacrifice and want our child to know that your decision was made with the child's well-being as the most important priority. From a young age adoption will be part of our life and will be presented in a positive light as it should be. In anticipation of starting a family, Stephanie chose a career that allows her to work from home.
In summary, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering us in the adoption of your child. More than anything we want you to understand how much unconditional love and we have to give. We will devote our lives to provide all of the support, security, joy, and laughter we have to offer. We'd love update you as your child grows, including stories and pictures of their life adventures. We are open to contact as much as you would like as your child grows.
Thank you!
Ryan & Stephanie
Contact Us
Thank you for reading our profile. If you have any comments or questions for us, please leave a message below to find out more about us!


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The journal, Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, has published a series of papers on the relationship between Harry Harlow and John Bowlby. The are well worth reading. Five of these papers are published online as open access articles.
Introduction to the special issue:"When Strangers Meet": John Bowlby and Harry Harlow on Attachment Behavior
Frank C. P. van der Horst, Helen A. LeRoy and René van der Veer
Loneliness in Infancy: Harry Harlow, John Bowlby and Issues of Separation
Frank C. P. van der Horst & René van der Veer
Rigorous Experiments on Monkey Love: An Account of Harry F. Harlow's Role in the History of Attachment Theory
Stephen J. Suomi & Frank C. P. van der Horst & René van der Veer
The Monkey as a Psychological Subject
Harry F. Harlow
Harry Harlow: From the Other Side of the Desk
Helen A. LeRoy
I've commented on this topic previously and will again at some length.


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GEOTRACES are seeking a postdoctoral researcher who will work on a recently funded ANR project entitled "BIIM" (Biogeochemical Impact of Iron released by Marine particles of sedimentary and hydrothermal origin) which aims to 1) assess the processes leading to the net dissolution of abiotic particulate iron from sedimentary and hydrothermal origin, and 2) evaluate its impact on marine biogeochemistry.
In particular, the postdoctoral researcher will be in charge of setting up the numerical simulation of this newly considered iron compartment. The modelisation will have more specifically to take into account the impact of external parameters (e.g. T°, light, bacteria abundance) on the dissolution of these iron particles. The selected candidate will have to write the equations describing the time evolution of the dissolved iron originating from the iron particles. A 0D model derived from these equations will then have to be coded in Fortran (in order to be easily incorporated in the full 3D biogeochemical model, later in the project) and used to numerically simulate the role of the various in-situ environmental parameters (e.g. T°, light, sediment types) on the dissolved iron concentration. Results of the 0D simulations will be confronted to the comparable experimental data to refine the parameterization. In some cases, this confrontation between the 0D simulations and the experimental data may lead us to modify the experimental design, which has been thought to be flexible. Then, the processes modelled in 0D will be embedded in a 3D ocean biogeochemical model (PISCES) by adding the code corresponding to the influence of the iron particles on the dissolved iron to the PISCES iron module. The end goal of this work is to produce an assessment of the global biogeochemical impact of iron particles on the dissolved iron distribution and variability that, in turn, will impact global biological production patterns. He/She is expected to publish the results in high-impact journals and participate to international conferences. Previous experience with biogeochemical modelling (Unix/Linux environment, Fortran) and knowledge in trace metal biogeochemical cycles are required. Excellent oral and written English and ability to work within a multidisciplinary team are compulsory.
How to apply
To apply, a CV, a letter of application (2 pages max) and the names of three referees should be emailed to helene [dot] planquetteuniv-brest [dot] fr


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To master the "Ultimate American Stuffed Burger", look no further than your local South African hardware store:
We discovered this "As Seen on TV" miracle while standing in the queue, waiting to buy torches, globes, and other home essentials. For better or worse, we passed on the Stufz.
After all, we can just walk down the street to this place.


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City agreesMililani resident Donna Stovall thinks a dog park would be an ideal way for her 6-year-old golden Labrador retriever, Kenai, to get more exercise.
to build Mililani
Mauka dog park
After years of lobbying,
residents win approval
for a leash-free area
By Genevieve A. Suzuki
"I have a large dog, and there's no place to allow her to run a little bit. Walking on a leash is kind of sad if she can't run."
Mililani residents have been lobbying the city for a "couple of years" to build a dog park similar to the ones at Diamond Head and the Hawaiian Humane Society in Moiliili. And their efforts have paid off.
The city will build a dog park next to the Mililani Mauka park and ride next year, said Bill Balfour, the director of parks and recreation.
A dog park is an enclosed off-leash area where owners can take their dogs to get exercise. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their dogs and ensuring that their pets are properly trained.
The dog park was originally slated for Kamaio Park by the Safeway store in the older section of Mililani.
Stovall collected 70 signatures in favor of a dog park from Mililani residents in one morning and submitted them to former Councilwoman Rene Mansho.
She said everyone she has spoken to has been supportive but unwilling to show up at public meetings.
"But the signatures worked, hopefully," Stovall said.
Balfour said the city decided against Kamaio Park because of nearby residents' concerns.
"It was controversial because neighbors view it as their own private space," said Dick Poirier, chairman of the Mililani Neighborhood Board.
"On its merits, if you've seen the other parks, it's hard to be against it," Poirier said. "They're not noisy. There are no lights."
Poirier said he and a group of other Mililani residents went to look at the dog parks at Diamond Head and the Humane Society.
"They're basically simple things," Poirier said. "If I were a dog owner -- which I'm not -- it'd be a great thing."
All a dog park really needs is water and fencing, Poirier said.
"The (Parks & Recreation) department will need to grass the area chosen for the dog park, provide water, benches, trees and fencing," said city spokeswoman Carol Costa.
Funding for the dog park will come out of next year's budget for the Parks & Recreation Department, according to Balfour.
Jerry Siegle, a Mililani resident who supports an off-leash area for dogs, said he has seen dog parks in Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada.
"They seem to be doing very well," Siegle said.
"In Mililani Town, I would guess most parks have signs saying, 'No Animals,'" Siegle said.
"The city has recognized that and would like to dedicate park space for off-leash dog use."
The city is also planning to build another dog park, at Moanalua Community Park, by the end of the year, according to Balfour.
Siegle said a dog park should be just as important as a skateboard park and a place for rollerbladers.
"The community needs a spectrum of recreational activities that include a small off-leash dog park area," Siegle said.
Hawaiian Humane Society dog parks page


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Based in Rose Hill, Oxford, Open Stage Arts hosts drama and singing classes for adults that are designed to be fun, friendly and pressure free.
Their instructors are Oxford-based actors, directors, singers and vocal coaches who want you to enjoy their craft as much as they do. They will use their knowledge and enthusiasm to bring out your creativity in a relaxed environment that never asks you to do anything you are uncomfortable with or unsure of.
Open Stage Arts can also deliver drama workshops to your workplace, community group, event or networking meeting.
Opening Times
See website for specific class times