Two days in a row--another front page story in the NYTimes, this time on the plans for Slow Food Nation to hold a party for 50,000 people in San Francisco at the end of summer. The idea is for them to break into the mainstream, even partnering with Whole Foods.
The article itself seems fairly even-handed, mixing criticisms of the movement as dilettantish lefty Euro-stuff and descriptions of its efforts. Read it yourself. (I did read the book and wasn't particularly impressed.)
(Personally, for some reason I am reminded of the people who promised to levitate the Pentagon back in 1969, I think it was.)
In a related story, the New Jersey Ramapo tomato is discussed. It's not organic nor heirloom, but it is local to New Yorkers so it's tasty.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Gardening Imperialism
On leaving our community garden plot this morning I saw the gardener who has the plot just inside the gate on the left, was now also handling the plot on the right.
Humans are interesting. The saying is that X only wants his land and the land next to it. That may have been true of American farmers through the years, as well as the U.S. in the 19th century and various dictators and tyrants throughout history. But it also seems to work on a smaller scale. I started with a "quarter-plot", supposedly 10' by 10' some 30 years ago. Gradually I've worked up to a full plot, a nominal 20' x 20' and a quarter plot. That's the limit within the rules. But a neighboring gardener has two full plots and a quarter--because the second plot is nominally in her neighbor's name, not hers. And now I know of a second instance (don't know for sure, but I think he got friendly with the original renters of the second plot, so I suspect his deal is similar--I'll do the work, spend the money, and maybe give you some surplus vegetables.
A persistent reader would see that I see my community garden as a microcosm of the larger agricultural world.
Humans are interesting. The saying is that X only wants his land and the land next to it. That may have been true of American farmers through the years, as well as the U.S. in the 19th century and various dictators and tyrants throughout history. But it also seems to work on a smaller scale. I started with a "quarter-plot", supposedly 10' by 10' some 30 years ago. Gradually I've worked up to a full plot, a nominal 20' x 20' and a quarter plot. That's the limit within the rules. But a neighboring gardener has two full plots and a quarter--because the second plot is nominally in her neighbor's name, not hers. And now I know of a second instance (don't know for sure, but I think he got friendly with the original renters of the second plot, so I suspect his deal is similar--I'll do the work, spend the money, and maybe give you some surplus vegetables.
A persistent reader would see that I see my community garden as a microcosm of the larger agricultural world.
The Problems of Vertical Integration
One way farmers handle risk is by contracting. Poultry producers and seed corn farmers get contracts from the Tysons and Pioneers of the world, reducing their risk. The new phenomena is the Community-Supported Agriculture contract--consumers contract with the grower to take a share of what's produced in return for dollars up front. Truck farming, growing vegetables and fruit, often is less risky than crop farming. Because the dollars per acre are much higher and the number of acres is smaller, you can justify the cost of installing irrigation equipment.
But, as always in farming, there's risk. And this post in Gristmill outlines the effects of floods on a CSA operation. (Remember, a well-established operation may have built up enough loyalty and experience that this wouldn't be a disaster.)
But, as always in farming, there's risk. And this post in Gristmill outlines the effects of floods on a CSA operation. (Remember, a well-established operation may have built up enough loyalty and experience that this wouldn't be a disaster.)
Jan and Tim have had to ask their CSA members to make good on their willingness to share the risk inherent in farming. They suspended their CSA deliveries for one week so that they could focus on weeding and replanting the crops that were damaged. This is not a decision they made lightly; months of planning, numerous calculations, and multiple Excel spreadsheets go into making sure that they produce enough to supply all of their demand consistently throughout the season, without the help of extension agents. There is also the risk that first-time members, experiencing a total bust year right away, will opt-out next year and miss out on the boom years. Jan and Tim plan to compensate their members later on in the season for the current delay, but like the many Midwestern farmers, they expect the impact of the floods to be felt throughout the entire season.
Reality Always Trips Up IT
At the very end of a Politico article recounting the Census Bureau's problems with their IT contractor, comes this concrete example, which strikes me funny:
But others suggest that the real clash may be cultural, and Harris’ success in the defense field has been harder to repeat given the often unique demands of the Census.I guarantee some Census people understood the requirements, but they obviously didn't get communicated to Harris (the IT contractor). Another example of how hard it is to pass information across organizational boundaries.
For example, there are about 7 million blocks of addresses in the United States, of which about 2,400 have more than 700 addresses per block. This became a problem for the Census when handheld computers used in the address canvassing had trouble processing more than 750 addresses per block, one official said.
Harris said that its equipment can overcome any such hurdle in a “timely, secure and accurate manner.”
“They didn’t [work] in the dress rehearsal,” the official said. “Do we have to specify that it has to work in Manhattan?”
Sign of Status--Locavore on Front Page of Times
I'm showing my age but for me the sign you've made it is when you're on the front page of the NYTimes, which is the case for locally grown food today. (Not personally grown food--those pillars of society who have to work 24/7 can now hire people to tend their backyard garden.)
The emphasis in the article is on the better taste of home-grown stuff, which is true enough, but there's a strong smell of fad hanging in the air around this particular branch of the local food moment.
The emphasis in the article is on the better taste of home-grown stuff, which is true enough, but there's a strong smell of fad hanging in the air around this particular branch of the local food moment.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Kudos to DOD
Someone in the military is actually using the Internet to get feedback. See this site, which allows medical people to comment on DOD's medical records software. Bob Brewin at Government Executive provided the link and commentary.
(Looking at the first few pages of comments, I remember similar problems with FSA. One thing that struck me was the idea that doctors should have "scribes" to document their interactions with patients. It seems that modern technology is undermining hierarchies of work. Where are the secretaries of yore? Which reminds me, the Post had an article on the Madmen TV series, set the in the 1960's Madison Avenue, which recalled the idea that women were limited to secretarial roles.)
(Looking at the first few pages of comments, I remember similar problems with FSA. One thing that struck me was the idea that doctors should have "scribes" to document their interactions with patients. It seems that modern technology is undermining hierarchies of work. Where are the secretaries of yore? Which reminds me, the Post had an article on the Madmen TV series, set the in the 1960's Madison Avenue, which recalled the idea that women were limited to secretarial roles.)
Over Optimism
I can't resist a political note. When I saw the Liberal Bloggers Brace for Victory,I remembered 1976, when Ford seemed a goner in the summer and Carter just eked out a victory in the fall.
Ben Hur, or the Learning Curve
My better half is a fan of Ben Hur (particularly the galley scene with all its beefcake). There's a DVD set released containing a new and improved version of the film (I mean better and sharper color, with all the bits and pieces, a musical "Overture", and a DVD of special features, which we watched last night.
One feature was probably created especially for the DVD set, consisting of prominent current day filmmakers (George Luca, Ridley Scott, tech people who worked on Gladiator, Ray, etc.) commenting on aspects of the 1958 movie. In many cases they emphasized how innovative director William Wyler and his crew were, how they raised the standard for historical epics.
The next feature on the DVD focused on the history of the story, starting with the novel by Gen. Lew Wallace (perhaps with a plot stolen from The Count of Monte Cristo), then a stage play (the chariot race being done on a treadmill with up to 19 horses), an early movie of highlights, then a 1925 epic costing $4 million. They possibly only showed pieces of the 1925 flick that closely matched the 1958 version, but there were many of them.
My point? The people of today were mostly ignorant of the past history; Wyler stood on the shoulders of giants as the phrase goes. That's the way it is, the way history works, both in the movies and in the real life of you and me.
One feature was probably created especially for the DVD set, consisting of prominent current day filmmakers (George Luca, Ridley Scott, tech people who worked on Gladiator, Ray, etc.) commenting on aspects of the 1958 movie. In many cases they emphasized how innovative director William Wyler and his crew were, how they raised the standard for historical epics.
The next feature on the DVD focused on the history of the story, starting with the novel by Gen. Lew Wallace (perhaps with a plot stolen from The Count of Monte Cristo), then a stage play (the chariot race being done on a treadmill with up to 19 horses), an early movie of highlights, then a 1925 epic costing $4 million. They possibly only showed pieces of the 1925 flick that closely matched the 1958 version, but there were many of them.
My point? The people of today were mostly ignorant of the past history; Wyler stood on the shoulders of giants as the phrase goes. That's the way it is, the way history works, both in the movies and in the real life of you and me.
Truth Telling--How Do You Do It
Howard Kurtz has a long piece on David Carr, the NYTimes writer who published an excerpt from his new book in the NYTimes Magazine yesterday: This is the way he starts:
I recommend both the Kurtz piece and the Carr article.
The issue is both, what limits, if any, do you place on telling the truth about yourself and, do you know the truth? Carr's answers are "none" and "no".
David Carr's latest subject is a pathetic human being, a thug, a manipulative jerk who uses people and puts his own kids in danger.
The New York Times media columnist is writing about himself.
I recommend both the Kurtz piece and the Carr article.
The issue is both, what limits, if any, do you place on telling the truth about yourself and, do you know the truth? Carr's answers are "none" and "no".
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Orin Kerr on the Exclusionary Rule
A blast from the past--Orin Kerr revisits the exclusionary rule (evidence illegally obtained is not admissible in court), based on one of the landmark cases of the Warren Court:
As a matter of history, I think that explains why we have an exclusionary rule: judges needed a way to enforce judge-created rules even when they were unpopular and didn't have buy-in from other branches. The exclusionary rule provided a way — and perhaps the only way — to do that.Why does the post strike me--because it explains a uniquely American trait as a bureaucratic phenomena. Also, it recalls the very hot issues of the 1960's. And maybe explains why I disdain the efforts of the wingnut left to impeach Bush or whoever--I remember so well the calls to impeach Earl Warren from the right.
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