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Occam's Grazer: All Things Being Equal, A Holistic Approach is Best
There is a small but growing group of farmers, ranchers and land managers who are challenging both environmentalists and traditional ranchers to change the debate on overgrazing and land degradation. This trailer highlights four individuals that have embarked on a new, more holistic strategy to save their farms, heal the land and improve their overall quality of life. They make a compelling case that cattle and other grazers can and do have a positive impact on the environment and provide a sustainable income for farmers and their communities.
The completed video (coming February 2009) will be a practical guide specifically for the rancher but will also provide food for thought for policy makers, environmentalists, scientists or anyone who is interested in the environmental health of grazing lands and the communities and livelihood that it supports. There is a small but growing group of farmers, ranchers and land managers who are challenging both environmentalists and traditional r... more -
Mitchell Creek Memoirs (High Quality): An Interview with James Mitchell
This film gives a brief glimpse into the life of James Mitchell, grandson of a Washington State pioneer, who continues to live on the original land homesteaded by his forefather. It is an emotional tribute to a fading past and a rare testament to the deep connection between personal identity, family and land. This film gives a brief glimpse into the life of James Mitchell, grandson of a Washington State pioneer, who continues to live on the ... more
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Mitchell Creek Memoirs: An Interview with James Mitchell
This film gives a brief glimpse into the life of James Mitchell, grandson of a Washington State pioneer, who continues to live on the original land homesteaded by his forefather. It is an emotional tribute to a fading past and a rare testament to the deep connection between personal identity, family and land. This film gives a brief glimpse into the life of James Mitchell, grandson of a Washington State pioneer, who continues to live on the ... more
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Skookumchuck-Rain, Water and Power: An Interview with Terry Meyer
Terry Meyer and his group at Convivium Renewable Energy are convinced that Whatcom County in northern Washington State has the natural resources to provide ALL its energy needs. He makes a convincing argument. Terry Meyer and his group at Convivium Renewable Energy are convinced that Whatcom County in northern Washington State has the natural... more
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Mariners Beat Yankees in Two-Hitter Led by Brandon Morrow
Brandon Morrow's bid to become only the second pitcher in modern history to throw a no-hitter in his first major league start ended when pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit doubled with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 3-1 Friday night. Brandon Morrow's bid to become only the second pitcher in modern history to throw a no-hitter in his first major league start end... more
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Reservation raid nets 24,000 pot plants
It's been a record-breaking summer for Washington's marijuana eradication task force which has confiscated more plants this year than ever before. However the drug trade remains a major problem across the state. It's been a record-breaking summer for Washington's marijuana eradication task force which has confiscated more plants this ... more
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Drug dealers turn Wash. vineyards into pot farms
Across central Washington's fruit bowl, farmers are buying vineyards, hoping to establish roots in the area and capitalize on the booming wine industry.
Authorities believe some of the buyers are living in Mexico and their vineyards are producing tens of thousands of illegal marijuana plants _ a crop that could easily surpass grapes in value this year.
Law enforcement officials in the Yakima Valley already have converged on seven vineyards that had been converted to marijuana operations this summer. At least five had been recently purchased _ the buyers are still being tracked _ and one had been leased to pot growers by an unknowing owner.
Pot growers aren't just hiding their crops in national forests and random cornfields any more, said Washington State Patrol Sgt. Richard A. Beghtol.
"They are able to amass a huge amount of money and using that money to go out and buy land to do their marijuana cultivation," Beghtol said. "It's their big moneymaker."
The valley, home to acres of fruit orchards and hop fields, has long been recognized as an important pipeline in the drug trade with easy interstate access to Seattle, Portland and points east. Across central Washington's fruit bowl, farmers are buying vineyards, hoping to establish roots in the area and capitalize on the... more -
Rabidlemur rocking his new Current tee, I heart you guys!
My tee rocks! Current FTW!
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The case for pot
If Seattle’s marijuana advocates have their way, people across the nation will stop with the Cheech and Chong jokes and start talking about marijuana decriminalization around their dining-room tables, in front of their legislatures and, for two days each August, at a waterfront celebration in honor of a plant called pot. If Seattle’s marijuana advocates have their way, people across the nation will stop with the Cheech and Chong jokes and start talking ... more
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"Battle in Seattle" film about WTO riots to be released in September
"In 1999, five days rocked the world as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trade Organization. Among them are Django (Andre Benjamin), Sam (Jennifer Carpenter), Lou (Michelle Rodriguez) and Jay (Martin Henderson). United in their desire to be heard and to make a difference, for these protesters, this is very personal and the stakes are higher than mere politics. A peaceful demonstration to stop the WTO talks quickly escalates into a full-scale riot and an eventual State of Emergency results. The streets are mayhem, the WTO is paralyzed. Caught in the crossfire are Seattle residents, including its beleaguered mayor (Ray Liotta), a riot cop on the streets (Woody Harrelson) and his pregnant wife (Charlize Theron). The choices they make will change their lives forever.
With his ensemble cast writer/director Stuart Townsend intertwines different points of view from a cross section of society - from protestors and police to delegates and doctors - who intentionally or accidentally find themselves on the streets of Seattle in those last days of the millennium. Townsend seamlessly merges footage of the real event with his fictional narrative and, ultimately, Battle in Seattle illustrates that, even against incredible odds, ordinary people can change the world."
(End of excerpt from BattleInSeattleMovie.com)
For more information please visit http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/
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Excerpt from C. Robert Cargill's critique from Movie.com:
"[I]t very much was like Crash and Bobby, except much better than I found either of those films. Centered on the infamous 1999 Seattle WTO riots, it follows the point of view of protest ringleaders, the mayor, two police officers, a news crew, two WTO representatives and a pregnant housewife. We watch as these characters are forced into conflict in one way or another. From the rioters engagement with the police to the mayor trying to hold the city together to the WTO members undercut by a riot separating them from achieving their goals, this film shows the many facets of people all trying to save the world amid a very bad situation.
The result is an enthralling explosion of conflicting ideologies each executed by someone who believes they are doing their part to make the world a better place: from the officers trying to keep the peace to the mayor, who feels both parties should have a say, to the protesters trying to send a message while having to fight against the destructive anarchists in their midst. Battle In Seattle presents a series of very complicated issues that all point towards one conclusion –- that maybe having an unelected governing body control the commerce of all the most powerful nations in the world isn’t such a good idea..."
http://www.film.com/movies/story/review-battle-seattle-... "In 1999, five days rocked the world as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle in protest of the World... more -
Fair for farmers to cash in on water?
Ray Colbert wanted out after five decades of growing apples, but his son didn't want the farm in northern Washington. No one else did either.
So, Colbert sold the last big piece of his operation, an 80-acre parcel, to a buyer far downstate who wanted what came with the land: water from the Okanogan River.
State regulators signed off on the buyer's request to transfer the rights to the water and let it flow hundreds of miles down river, figuring the deal was good for fish and wouldn't hurt anyone else's water supply.
Local officials, however, fear such deals will dry out their rural farming community.
"If this were to snowball and keep up, Okanogan County would literally dry up. It would dry up its economy, its agricultural production and everything else," said state Sen. Bob Morton, a Republican whose rural district sprawls across remote northern Washington.
Moving water around the West is nothing new — it's what enabled apples to sprout in this area in the first place. In Northern California, river water is diverted south to irrigate most of the country's winter vegetables and keep faucets flowing in the Los Angeles area.
Officials in northwest Montana are negotiating a water compact with the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that would allow the tribe to sell water from the headwaters of the Missouri River to any place in the vast swath of the state that lies in the river's basin.
"There's no constraint where they can market that water to — hundreds and hundreds of miles," said John Tubbs, administrator of the Montana Department of Natural Resources water resources division.
Such moves don't come without dispute. Ranchers and conservationists are fighting a plan to pump billions of gallons of water from rural Nevada and send it to Las Vegas.
More fights are likely as farmers find they get a bigger payoff from selling their water than by growing crops, since Western water law allows water rights to be separated from land.
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Does this law need to be repealed in the face of drought in this region? Do farmers have a legal right to own the water in the first place and make a profit from a resource that should be there for the common use of all? Ray Colbert wanted out after five decades of growing apples, but his son didn't want the farm in northern Washington. No one else... more -
"Sea lions weren't killed by gunshots, officials now say"
"In Oregon, federal authorities now say that six sea lions found dead in traps near the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River were not killed by gunshots. Officials initially pointed the finger at salmon fisherman angry that their livelihood was being gobbled up.
After necropsies and x-rays, the weekend deaths of the animals — which included two endangered Steller sea lions and one California sea lion pup — are a mystery. No evidence of recent gunshots was found, although there were indications of previous firearms injuries: metal fragments in soft tissue near the necks of two animals and a metal slug in the blubber of one. Possible bite wounds also were found.
The body of a seventh sea lion was found yesterday farther downstream, near Portland. It's not yet known how it died.
(Photo of sea lions in cages on the Columbia River, separating Oregon and Washington, by Don Ryan, AP.)"
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Posted by Michael Winter at 06:17 PM/ET, May 07, 2008
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/05/sea-lions-... "In Oregon, federal authorities now say that six sea lions found dead in traps near the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River were... more -
Hanford ships 1,000 pounds of plutonium to New Mexico
More than 1,000 pounds of plutonium waste from the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state have been shipped to a national repository in New Mexico. It is the 400th shipment of waste, according to a Department of Energy and Fluor Hanford announcement on Wednesday, April 9, 2008.
The waste comes from plutonium production for the nation's nuclear weapons, and includes contaminated building debris and laboratory materials. More waste transfers will continue to leave the Hanford site for storage in New Mexico.
Photo: Wikipedia.com. More than 1,000 pounds of plutonium waste from the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state have been shipped to a national rep... more -
Northwest Navy are stewards of the environment
A longform video by the Navy that shows how they are working to be good friends of the environment
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Department of Energy Hanford Site Tours
Planning a tour of the Hanford nuclear reservation this summer? The Department of Energy's Hanford site tours are full, and while there isn't a wait list, openings could become available. Tours for this season began on April 2, and will resume in July. Check the site for further details. (File photo: Hanford "B" Reactor). Planning a tour of the Hanford nuclear reservation this summer? The Department of Energy's Hanford site tours are full, and while... more
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Giving one for the team
The great Rochestie press keeps on coming w/ lots of AROC quotes and mention of Current.Com
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Taylor Rochestie is an example of Washington State's team-first attitude
Outstanding article by Bud Withers of the Seattle Times w/ lots of HRochestie quotes
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NCAA Tournament: Indispensable Pieces, East Region
Just c&p'ed the picks for NC and WSU... Full article is available with all regions through the above link.
Wayne Ellington (North Carolina)
Likely national player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough is unquestionably the Tar Heel’s premier player. But the play of sophomore Wayne Ellington might be the biggest factor in UNC’s tournament success. Through the first two games against Mount St. Mary’s and Arkansas, Ellington has been stellar; averaging 22 points on an astounding 63% from the floor (14 of 22 in the two games combined). In addition to being remarkably efficient, Ellington is the player most responsible for UNC’s offensive spacing; as he is proficient at producing spotting up, pulling up off the dribble, or finishing in transition. Although, Ellington is brilliant offensively, it is his effort and production at the defensive end that is going to be most critical; as an imminent match-up against Kyle Weaver awaits. If Carolina survives Washington State, it certainly won’t get any easier for Ellington as he will either draw the assignment of defending the Smiths (JaJuan and Tyler for Tennessee or Jerry for Louisville). In each scenario, Ellington is going to face off against players and teams who are capable of making things difficult for him offensively (particularly Weaver) and challenge him defensively with their own ability on the offensive end. If UNC is going to win it all, it will certainly need Ellington to excel the rest of the way.
Taylor Rochestie (Washington State)
In virtual obscurity for much of the country, the Cougar’s junior guard has put up some very solid numbers (10.7ppg 3.2rpg 4.8apg 1stl). What’s even more remarkable about Rochestie’s level of productivity is that he has just 58 turnovers all season (its even more special considering that fourteen of them came in a two game span against Gonzaga and Portland State). It is that kind of steadiness (2.8/1 a/to ratio) that allows both Weaver and Low the luxury of operating in the half-court, and not bringing the ball up against defensive pressure. In addition to being able to handle the ball, Rochestie is arguably Washington State’s best outside shooter (43% from three) and distributor (thus far in the tournament he is averaging 8 assists per game). With an East semi-final match up against Ty Lawson and UNC, and potential match-ups against ball-hawking Louisville or Tennessee (should the Cougars advance); Rochestie’s ball handling prowess is going to be needed more than ever. Rochestie provides Wazzou the perfect third guard compliment to the tremendous Weaver and Low tandem. Just c&p'ed the picks for NC and WSU... Full article is available with all regions through the above link. ... more -
WSU basketball reserves help team improve
The bench of Washington State.
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Cougars show off the "Gun Show"
Funny little local news spot on the WSU cougar basketball team.
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