PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Even as enrollment in traditional agriculture degree programs waned, John Reganold kept getting questions about organic farming.

So the Washington State University soils professor put together a proposal to create the nation’s first organic farming degree, and the state approved the program last month.

“We have as much experience as any university in the country in organic agriculture,'’ said Reganold, a major figure in the rise of organic farming.

Once considered a niche market with questionable economic benefits, organic farming is the fastest-growing and most profitable field in agriculture, and demand for food produced without hormones, pesticides or other chemicals is exploding. (more…)

Seth MacFarlane who writes, directs, produces, draws and provides the voices for several characters on the “Family Guy” spoke to Harvard’s senior class on June 7th 2006. The Connecticut native admitted he has always had a hidden desire to be a Harvard student. He joked that he has “secretly been living amongst you”—in dining halls, in classes, and “sleeping with your women.”

“And in a tragic case of miscommunication, sleeping with Lawrence Summers. Although God bless him, the man has the hands of a prison doctor.”

Other quotes: “Some would call you elitist, overprivileged, and preening with a snotty sense of entitlement,” MacFarlane, as Stewie, said. “I call you my base.”

“I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment being here, because I’ve banged chicks in every school in the Ivy League except Harvard,” said MacFarlane-turned-Quagmire. “You are by far the toughest to get into.”

You Tube Video of MacFarlane’s Speech

Two-thirds of college educated adults ages 25 to 34 first decide where to live and then where to work, a study by the group CEOs for Cities found. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego scored highest among young workers.

Key findings included:

• Two-thirds of college-educated 25 to 34 year-olds choose place before job, and this preference was true across all life stages and genders (male, female, single, married, with children, without children).
• Women place greater emphasis on the location decision than do men, although a majority of men also say they choose place before job.
• Basic quality of life issues (clean and attractive, can live the life I want to lead, safe streets and neighborhoods, can afford to buy a home, lots of parks and green space) ranked highest among attributes that young people looked for in a city.
• A place that feels welcoming, offers professional opportunities, has reasonable commute times, access to excellent schools, is a great place to raise children and is a place people are proud to say they live in were among attributes young adults looked for in a city.
• Lifestyle attributes are also important to this demographic. They prefer places where they can connect with others and have meaningful social interactions, that are interesting and diverse and are environmentally responsible.
• Young adults have a strong inclination to live downtown or close to downtown.
• Knowledge of city attributes is limited. When asked where they would like to live, respondents were quick to answer. But when asked why, their reasons were vague.
• Young adults rely most heavily on personal stories from friends and family to form their perceptions about a place. They also use the Internet and personal visits to shape their opinions.

JUNE 9, 2006. Jen Michalski from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

Thank y’all for coming to see me tonight. How are you doing? Let’s get this party started, yeah! (Assistant whispers to Whitney.) Oh, oh right. What college is this? East Southern University. Well, hello, ESU. ESU, ESU, ESUUUUU (dances). Let me start by saying, I believe that children are our future … (hums) … lead the way … show them all the beauty they possess inside … shit it’s hot. (Wipes brow and drops fur coat to the ground.) Why you having this shit outside, anyway? You never heard of air conditioning? Where’s Bobby? Bobby? You know, I got to tell you a little secret. Just between you and me. (Leans over the podium.) The demons are after Bobby. I try to protect him now, ’cause he’s my man, and you ain’t mess with my lair, my family. ‘Cause family is the most important thing in your life. You need to find a man that has your back, that will do anything for you, deal with your shit, literally, your black love. But what can I say? (Shakes head repeatedly.) Demons after him … But, Bobby, baby, I just want you to know IIIIIIIIIIIIIII will always love yooooooooooouuuuu. (Assistant whispers to Whitney, points to note cards on podium.) All right, right now, don’t you be bossing Whitney around. (Rummages through note cards.) Who got my glasses? Shit. (Tosses cards into air.) No one needs to tell me how to live life. I am Whitney Houston, baby. I can tell you all you need to know about being a success in life, ’cause I’m a diva. You know, they say everybody searching for a hero … people need someone to look up to … Well, let me tell you—I never found anyone to fulfill my needs … so I learned to depend on me. You can’t depend on nobody but yourself. Everybody is out to get you. The tabloids, the demons, the bitch ass at the Chinese place that always messes up my order.

(more…)

Just thought I’d post this classic commencement address, it sets a high standard:
“I’d like to thank the Class Marshals for inviting me here today. The last time I was invited to Harvard it cost me $110,000, so you’ll forgive me if I’m a bit suspicious. I’d like to announce up front that I have one goal this afternoon: to be half as funny as tomorrow’s Commencement Speaker, Moral Philosopher and Economist, Amartya Sen. Must get more laughs than seminal wage/price theoretician.

Students of the Harvard Class of 2000, 15 years ago I sat where you sit now and I thought exactly what you are now thinking: What’s going to happen to me? Will I find my place in the world? Am I really graduating a virgin? I still have 24 hours and my roommate’s Mom is hot. I swear she was checking me out.

Being here today is very special for me. I miss this place. I especially miss Harvard Square - it’s so unique. Nowhere else in the world will you find a man with a turban wearing a Red Sox jacket and working in a lesbian bookstore. Hey, I’m just glad my dad’s working. It’s particularly sweet for me to be here today because when I graduated, I wanted very badly to be a Class Day Speaker. Unfortunately, my speech was rejected. So, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to read a portion of that speech from 15 years ago:

“Fellow students, as we sit here today listening to that classic Ah-ha tune which will definitely stand the test of time, I would like to make several predictions about what the future will hold: “I believe that one day a simple Governor from a small Southern state will rise to the highest office in the land. He will lack political skill, but will lead on the sheer strength of his moral authority.”

“I believe that Justice will prevail and, one day, the Berlin Wall will crumble, uniting East and West Berlin forever under Communist rule.”

“I believe that one day, a high speed network of interconnected computers will spring up world-wide, so enriching people that they will lose their interest in idle chit chat and pornography.” (more…)

As Prepared for Delivery May 20, 2006
Class of 2006 — fellow survivors of November 2, 2004. I’m happy to be here at your beautiful school, which had my admiration long before that night when the country wondered whether I would win — and whether you would vote.

Your Web site has a profile of a very smart math major in the class of 2006. Joe Neilson. He said that once, after a statistics course here, he realized “the probability of any event in our lives is about zero.” “I probably spent a week,” Joe said, “annoying my friends by saying: “What are the odds?” Well Joe, what were the odds that we’d be linked by those long hours – not that I keep track – 560 days ago? Like everyone that night, I admired the tenacity of Kenyon students. But what you did went far beyond tenacity.

My wife, Teresa, is honored by the degree you grant her, today. But she’s also here to honor you because when you grow up in a dictatorship as she did, when you don’t get a chance to vote until you’re 31, when you see your father voting for the first time in his seventies, you know what a privilege it is to cast a ballot.

Through that long night, we in Massachusetts watched you in Gambier. We were honored. We were inspired. We were determined not to concede until our team had checked every possibility. If you could stay up all night to vote, we could certainly stay up that next day to make sure your vote would count. In the end, we couldn’t close the gap. We would have given anything to have fulfilled your hopes.

And I also thank those who cast a ballot for my opponent. I wish all Republicans had been just like you at Kenyon — informed, willing to stand up for your views — and only 10 percent of the vote. Actually, all of you, through your patience, and good humor showed Americans that politics matters to young people. And so I really do thank every student here. (more…)

May 28, 2006

Women and men of the Class of 2006 at Colby College. I do a fair amount of public speaking. And, because of their virtuosity, I have always said that there are two people that I never want to follow on a program: Mario Cuomo and Hillary Rodham Clinton. However today I make a new vow: Francis—I’m never speaking after you again.

Commencement speeches are the toughest speeches I ever give.This is a hugely transformative moment in the life of you graduates and of all of your families. It’s also a day of great celebration, and I’m always keenly aware that I am now all that stands between you and your diplomas and the partying to come. So I’m going to be brief with you. My text is a simple one —you can remember it.

Be not afraid.

It’s an old and honorable directive—you can find it with some variation in both the Old and the New Testament. That’s because it’s really the secret of life. C.S. Lewis once wrote “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” So, Class of 2006, fear not. (more…)

May 22, 2006
Thank you very much. Thank you to Chairman Pat Stokes, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to Jack Connors, the vice chairman and, of course, a special thanks to Father Leahy and to Father Monan who have given the leadership of this great university that has made it a very, very special place.

It’s wonderful to be back here in Boston and to join you for this splendid ceremony today. As an academic, I’m honored to be here at Boston College, a place of learning that is respected today not just in America, but throughout all the world. As a student of a Catholic high school, the Sisters of Loretta taught me, I am pleased to be at an institution of higher education with such strong and celebrated Catholic and Jesuit traditions.

But as a sports fan, I’m feeling a little uneasy standing right here on the 50-yard line of Eagles football. You see, I got my Master’s Degree at Notre Dame. (Boos.) I acquired a passion for the fighting Irish. Now for decades, I have to admit, though, I’ve been on the other side of what has become known as “the holy war” between our Catholic colleges. And for decades I’ve watched in frustration as Boston College has consistently ruined some of Notre Dame’s best seasons. (Applause.) Now I want to assure you I’m not here to wish the Eagles goodwill, but I do want to congratulate you on an impressive debut in the ACC last year and to say I know you’ll do it again. (Applause.) Members of the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, distinguished alumni and guests and especially graduates and students, family and friends, Class of 2006, thank you for welcoming me here. I will always remember my undergraduate commencement at the University of Denver. I remember how proud my parents were. I remember the thrill of achieving an important goal. What I don’t remember is one word that my commencement speaker said. And chances are that you won’t either and I promise not to take it personally. (more…)