March 2009

Hunting is a replacement for industrial meat

by Mandy Zickefoose

The

classes

en and pork is a business, and often profit

injected with chemicals.

showed me that

takes priority while health and nutrition

All of this is summed up when on our

Many people would be surprised by my

environmentalism is

become secondary.

way home from work we pop into the gro-

decision to hunt. I was a vegetarian and am

a genuine concern

Obtaining locally grown vegetables was

cery market, often without a thought for the

an active environmentalist and a supporter

and each person can

easy for me, but finding locally raised meat

animal that will provide us with energy to

of sustainable living. As it turns out, these

make a difference.

was a problem. Much of our meat is raised

power through the 8am staff meeting.

were all reasons that influenced me to hunt.

This gave me a

hundreds or thousands of miles away. Life

I could not participate in this disassociat-

My grandfather is 91 years old. The sto-

strong feeling of

for these animals on big commercial farms

ed, assembly line production of my food.

ries he tells me about his life really put

responsibility

is anything but acceptable.

Five years ago, my neighbor gave me the

things into perspective for me.

take care of our

There are many documentaries detailing

opportunity to gain a new understanding of

He and my grandmother were very self-

earth.

the appalling situation in our livestock

meat consumption. He offered me a bowl

sufficient. They farmed 261 acres of land,

For me hunting is not about killing, it is

industry. Due to overfeeding to yield

brimming with hot rabbit stew, knowing full

raised livestock, cultivated three gardens,

not about trophies and it is not about the

plumper chickens, chickens’ legs snap

well of my vegetarian diet. I laughed at first,

maintained an orchard, worked full-time

season’s opening day. Hunting is about

under their unnatural weight. Cattle are

thinking he was just teasing me.

jobs and, oh yeah, raised two children.

appreciating nature and being thankful for

injected with growth hormones to alter their

Then, taking a serious tone, he asked me

I grew up not too far away from this rare

what it provides.

genetics and produce more meat.

why I didn’t eat meat. I gave him the afore-

masterpiece, but things did not click for me

There are many steps for the final product

The techniques for slaughtering the ani-

mentioned reasons, in what was probably a

until a few years ago.

to arrive on our dinner tables and unfortu-

mals are also disturbing. One method for

self-righteous manner. He listened very

I took a couple of classes during my col-

nately, many of us have either forgotten or

slaughtering chickens is throwing them into

patiently, nodded his head a few times and

lege career that taught me about environ-

do not have the time to consider this.

boiling water. This way it is more conven-

waited until he was sure I had climbed

mental pollution and degradation—not that

I was a vegetarian for some time. My rea-

ient to remove their feathers.

down from my high horse.

I needed a course to open my eyes to the lit-

sons for choosing such a lifestyle were

Then the animals are packaged and trucks

He began stirring his stew and then he

ter cluttering our highways, exhaust fumes

based on the procedural system of meat pro-

drive them long distances to arrive in our

clogging our cities and mercury poisoning

duction. What I mean is the food industry

grocery markets. The animals spend their

our tuna fish market.

faces many problems. Raising beef, chick-

entire lives cramped into small quarters and

see Hunting , pg. 25

Siting of wind plants is dangerous to forests

by Stan Kotala

statement by the Pennsylvania Biological

completion between

degrade the forest by creating unfavorable

Survey described the impact of industrial

I-80

and

the

habitat for many species of migratory birds

Central Pennsylvania’s forested ridges

wind plants in ridgetop forested settings as

Maryland border.

because of high rates of nest predation by

are the last strongholds of unfragmented

severe.

In addition, the

middle level predators

(ecotonal meso-

wooded habitat left in our region. Such

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

extensive road net-

predators) of the transitional zones at the

forests are critical to the survival of the

describes three broad impacts of industrial

work associated

edges of forests, such as such as foxes,

wood thrush, the ovenbird, the scarlet tan-

wind plants: direct mortality of birds and

with industrial wind

skunks and raccoons, and nest parasitism by

ager, the cerulean warbler and many other

bats, the inducement of avoidance behavior

plants has substan-

brown-headed cowbirds.

forest interior species.

and forest fragmentation.

tial ecological costs,

Furthermore, the effects of such openings

These same forested ridges are the targets

The Pennsylvania Game Commission

including increased

extend 300 feet into the forest from the

of industrial wind plant developers.

classifies many of central Pennsylvania’s

erosion, chemical

edge. Interior forest, therefore, is defined as

A hundred years ago, people who

ridges, including the Allegheny Front and

and thermal water pollution, spread of inva-

forest occurring more than 300 feet from an

opposed the damming of the Hetch Hetchy

Tussey Mountain, as “high risk sites” for

sive exotics and forest fragmentation.

edge. Interior forest is required for success-

were denounced by Gifford Pinchot, Teddy

industrial wind plant development.

Roads cause many problems when they

ful breeding by species such as the black-

Roosevelt and other nature-lovers as unreal-

Dr. Keith Bildstein, director of conserva-

break up continuous areas of forest in

throated blue warbler, the black-throated

istic preservationists who failed to see the

tion at world-famous Hawk Mountain,

Pennsylvania, and it is getting worse by the

green warbler, the wood thrush, the oven-

benefits to nature of sacrificing a few areas

writes that these high risk sites should be

day as more roads are built in contiguous

bird and the scarlet tanager.

in order to save many others from the

off-limits to industrial wind plant develop-

forests.

In addition to decimating interior forest

impacts of coal mining and burning.

ment.

These adverse effects of forest fragmen-

habitat, roads produce edge effects con-

A century later, with the benefit of better

Dr. Todd Katzner of the National Aviary

tation include reduced habitat area, habitat

ducive to the spread of alien invasive plants

science and more knowledge about aquatic

has demonstrated through radio telemetry

isolation and loss of species from an area,

such as multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass,

ecosystems, we now know in detail just how

that the Allegheny Front is on the major

disruption of dispersal, increased edge

Russian olive, Japanese barberry, tree-of-

devastating large hydroelectric dams can

eastern golden eagle migratory route, and

effects, loss of core habitat and the facilita-

heaven and Japanese knotweed. Once estab-

be. A similar scenario is unfolding with

he states that the golden eagle is the species

tion of alien invasive species. Due to their

lished on roadsides, these alien invaders

industrial wind farms.

most at risk from industrial wind plant

linearity, roads and transmission lines have

infiltrate adjacent habitats, further degrad-

There is growing consensus among the

development.

particularly pronounced fragmentation

ing our forests.

scientific community that ridgetop industri-

The Allegheny Front already has more

effects.

al wind plants pose significant threats to

than 400 industrial-scale wind turbines in

Even narrow open corridors through

see Wind power pg. 25

Pennsylvania’s natural heritage. A recent

various stages of planning, construction and

forests, such as roads and rights-of-way,

March 2009

Why all should favor single-payer health care

by Chris Byrne

or pays for the expensive cost for untreated

care.

The current system of pri-

illness later. Refusing to pay claims would

The incentive for the doctors is to pre-

not be an option, and mandating unlimited

scribe the treatments in which they believe.

Myths abound when it comes to discus-

vate insurance creates incen-

coverage is key to placing incentives on

The incentive for not over-prescribing

sion of virtually any public policy issue, and

tives ...that run counter to

health rather than profit.

comes from the fact that it would constitute

single payer universal health care is no

the health of the population,

There is also an incentive to keep admin-

fraud, and they would risk losing their

exception.

interfere with consumer free-

istrative costs as low as possible by stream-

licenses.

We all need to look at the real effects of

dom of choice, inflate costs

lining paperwork. Additional administrative

In summary, the current system of private

both our status quo system of private insur-

savings would come from doing away with

insurance creates incentives for insurers,

ance and the proposed system currently

and raise ethical questions...

the profit-driven incentives for lobbyists,

providers and consumers of health care that

before our Pennsylvania legislature: the

public relations and advertising costs and

run counter to the health of the population,

Family and Business Health Security Act

the army of staff to argue rejected claims.

interfere with consumer freedom of choice,

(House resolution HR 1660 and Senate bill

Medicare is a reasonable estimate of

inflate costs and raise ethical questions

SB 300).

incentive for individuals to abstain from

administrative costs, which run about 3 per-

about conflict of interest and profiteering

As a game theorist with a doctorate in

treatment until they are in crises because the

cent compared to an average of 30 percent

off of people’s risk of misfortune.

Mathematics and 20 years applied experi-

insurance companies might not pay the full

in the insurance industry, including profits.

The universal heath care plan awaiting

ence for the U.S. military, I look at any sys-

cost, and if they do, they may mark illness-

The incentive created for the individual is

vote in our Pennsylvania legislature pro-

tem of rules as incentives that ultimately

es as pre-existing conditions that will hurt

to seek out all the care one thinks one needs,

vides a set of incentives that put the focus of

shape people’s behavior, at least on average.

individuals if they ever have to change

including preventative care, without fear of

health care back on health instead of profits,

The implicit rules of the status quo sys-

insurance.

discrimination because of a future pre-exist-

along with massive cost savings in the

tem of private insurance are that insurers are

The incentives for doctors and other

ing condition.

process. Call or email your senators and

not obligated to insure anybody. They are

health care providers are to only perform or

Some fear that full coverage with zero co-

representatives, and urge them to support

free to charge individualized rates to make

prescribe treatment that the insurers will

pay gives an incentive for over-consump-

the bills.

customers with a high expected payout

pay for, which too often results in lower

profitable and/or deter them from buying

quality care.

tion, but the behavior of those who current-

ly have excellent insurance providing virtu-

Chris Byrne is a research associate at the

insurance, and they can restrict coverage to

Insurers reimburse poorly for primary

ally unlimited coverage indicates that most

Applied Research Laboratory and an assis-

their choice of doctors, hospitals or other

and preventive care, so it is not offered or

people do not seek out unnecessary health

tant professor of mathematics at Penn State.

health providers.

encouraged. Instead, like patients, doctors

If an insurance company refuses to pay

put off treatment until a more serious treat-

for treatment or preventative care of any

ment is required that may cost more but for

kind, the patient’s only recourse is expen-

which the doctors are more fully reim-

sive civil action.

bursed.

The incentives created for the insurance

All in all, the current system gives insur-

companies are to pay for as little treatment

ers, heath care providers and the public at

as possible, relative to any level of cover-

large incentives to compromise care in favor

age, and to be concerned with customer rep-

of cost considerations and to subvert the

utation only when dealing with major

main purpose of insurance, which is pool-

employers of at least a hundred employees.

ing risk.

There is little incentive to worry about indi-

In the system proposed by the Family and

viduals or small businesses.

Business Health Security Act, everyone has

Insurers have responded to this incentive

unlimited coverage for all treatment and

by raising deductibles and co-pays and hir-

preventative care deemed medically neces-

ing an army of staff to argue with customers

sary, and everyone is free to choose his or

over rejected claims rather than paying

her own health care provider.

more claims, which would reduce the need

It is paid for by replacing private health

for such a volume of arguments.

insurance premiums with a 3 percent tax on

Allowing individualized rates creates a

individual income and a 10 percent tax on

particularly ironic incentive to avoid pool-

payroll for businesses. The status quo is that

ing risk, which is the whole point of insur-

most individuals insured through their

ance in the first place.

employer pay about 20 percent of income

The incentive created by the current sys-

for combined insurance and co-pay, and

tem for the common person is to keep one’s

those privately insured pay about 35 percent

current job, no matter how bad the pay or

of income.

treatment, as long it provides insurance.

The incentive created for the state by the

Entrepreneurship is stifled because, while

proposed legislation is to maximize the

going without income is a predictable hard-

health of all individuals through preventa-

ship, going without insurance is gambling

tive care, education and public health pro-

with bankruptcy and even death. Fifty per-

grams such as smoking cessation and early

cent of bankruptcies in the U.S. are caused

childhood nutrition.

by unaffordable healthcare costs.

This is because under a single payer sys-

Higher co-pays and deductibles create an

tem, one either pays for prevention up front

March 2009

Rebersburg manure runoff threatens waters

by Sarah Berndt

Most of these trout had been growing for two to four years at

Recently,

the hatchery. Here was a huge pile...now reduced to a stinking

attended two local

mass of worthless garbage. Just dealing with the aftermath of

programs regarding

this fish kill was four days of hard work.

the degradation of

the

Chesapeake

Bay. It seems most

yard” of the magnitude of the 20,000 plus

which could not sink into frozen ground,

all of us agree that

fish that were killed at a local fish hatchery

was carried directly through the hatchery

the Bay is a valu-

here in Rebersburg, it makes me mad.

and into Elk Creek.

able asset and wor-

I went to the hatchery and helped net out

I realize that not being able to rely on

times about the situation and his disregard

thy of rescue, as

scoop after scoop after scoop of dead fish

manure spreading machinery is problemat-

for water quality down stream. If permitted

there

much

until my back could take no more. It was

ic. However, there are Amish farmers here

to continue, Elk Creek and all the waters it

money being poured into this effort.

sad and depressing, and I kept thinking of

in the Valley who are not polluting the

flows into, down to the Chesapeake, will

The dynamics of life in the Bay are com-

the loss and that the incident did not have to

streams and are not continuously negatively

suffer.

plex, as are all the practices contributing to

occur. It’s one thing to kill a living organism

impacting their neighbors’ abilities to make

I used to believe that there are govern-

its demise and all the varied work it will

for food, something else entirely just to

a living.

mental agencies, such as the Pennsylvania

take to renew it. However, it is worth men-

waste it.

Indeed, many credit the Amish in these

Department of Environmental Protection,

tioning that the Bay is suffering because of

Most of these trout had been growing for

parts with saving the farmland from devel-

human enterprise, and it is our responsibili-

two to four years at the hatchery. Here was

opment.

ty to change.

a huge pile of what was intended to be good

This runoff is not unusual here, and this

see Manure , pg. 27

Manure runoff from farms in

food for a whole lot of people to eat, or slat-

particular farmer has been confronted many

Pennsylvania and Maryland greatly dimin-

ed for stocking in someone’s private pond,

ishes life in the Bay, which now has dead

now reduced to a stinking mass of worthless

the Mississippi during spring migration.

from Wind power , pg. 23

Other disturbing signs include the targeting

zones with not enough oxygen to support

garbage. Just dealing with the aftermath of

life.

this fish kill was four days of hard work.

of Brush Mountain in Blair County, part of

The construction of forest roads associat-

the Canoe Creek Important Mammal Area,

As central Pennsylvania is a part of the

I believe this unhappy incident was

ed with industrial wind plants constitutes a

which is home to the Commonwealth’s

Chesapeake Bay watershed, we who live

caused by a careless Amish farmer who

relatively permanent change in habitat

largest hibernaculum and summer colony of

here must preserve the water quality of our

spread liquid fertilizer from his manure

structure. Because the construction of such

the federally endangered Indiana bat, and the

streams and creeks that flow into the

lagoon on top of snow on top of frozen

roads involves a major investment, the

targeting of Tuscarora, Jacks, Blacklog,

Susquehanna River and into the Bay.

ground. When the temperature increased

incentive for long-term maintenance to pro-

Shade and Canoe Mountains, which are

When I see a pollution event in my “back-

and the snow melted, the toxic manure,

vide future access is high. The longer these

homes to colonies of the Pennsylvania

work. I spent hours sweating, tilling, weed-

roads are in place, the greater the chance

Threatened Allegheny woodrat.

ing and watering. I wanted the same associ-

that forest degradation will occur.

Conservationists should seek a balanced

from Hunting , pg. 23

ation with my meat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s

approach to energy production. Industrial-

said,

“Mandy, this rabbit was not raised

The chair of the wildlife conservation

guidance document regarding wind farm

scale

wind complexes on the

specifically for us to eat. That is not why it

group introduced me to Quality Deer

location states:

Commonwealth’s forested ridgetops offer

was born.

Management. It is a set of guidelines and

1. Avoid placing turbines in areas where

no real response to the threat of global

“This rabbit experienced life. It saw the

practices that ensure well-nourished deer, a

there are endangered species.

warming and only token gestures for

wonders of northern Pennsylvania, played

healthier deer population and, of course, an

2. Avoid placing turbines in bird migra-

improving air quality.

in the summer meadows and huddled

active role played by the hunter. The active

tion pathways.

In Pennsylvania, it would require sacri-

against the winter snow.

role is the association I wanted.

3. Avoid placing turbines near known bat

ficing 800 miles of ridgetop to place the

“This rabbit was not fenced in, packaged

I spent hours sweating, plowing, working

hibernation, breeding, and maternity

4,000 wind turbines that would be needed

and shipped by truck. There were not genet-

and seeding the land with greens. These

colonies.

to provide the Keystone State with just 10

ically altering chemicals racing through its

greens provide nutritious food for the deer

4. Avoid fragmenting large, contiguous

percent of its electricity.

body, only good green flora from the forest

to grow stronger and aid them in winter sur-

tracts of wildlife habitat.

A much more meaningful action would

floor and fresh spring water. This can be

vival.

As you can see, siting industrial wind

redirect the substantial tax subsides avail-

passed to you.”

This past fall I took a beautiful, healthy

plants on central Pennsylvania’s forested

able for wind energy to fund conservation

I was, to say the least, inspired. He made

deer. Rather than taking it to a processor, I

ridges is inconsistent with the criteria for

and efficiency incentives, for these would

enough sense for me to re-examine my rea-

learned to field dress, skin, prepare, can and

acceptable wind farm locations according

have a far greater impact in reducing the

sons for vegetarianism.

freeze the meat. I know the deer lived a nat-

to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

effects of fossil fuel combustion and toxic

A year ago, I joined a wildlife conserva-

ural life, and it was a gift to me.

It is especially troubling that wind power

emissions responsible for endangering the

tion group. I learned that my responsibility

Anytime I take from the earth, I am

developers have targeted ridges such as

world.

to our planet and my desire to become more

thankful, and I actively do my part to give

Tussey Mountain, which has been designat-

associated with what I put into my body can

back.

ed as an Important Bird Area by the

Stan Kotala is the Conservation Chair for

build upon each other.

Pennsylvania Biological Survey because of

Juniata Valley Audubon www.jvas.org, on

This past summer I started my own gar-

Mandy Zickefoose is a PhD student of

its importance to migrating raptors, espe-

the Executive Committee of the Moshannon

den with the expertise of my grandfather

anthropology, an organic gardner, huntress

cially the golden eagle.

Group

the

Sierra

Club

guiding me along the way. I know exactly

and steward of the earth who believes the

As a matter of fact, Tussey Mountain has

(www.sierramsh.org) and practices medi-

where my vegetables come from—my hard

individual can make a difference.

the highest number of golden eagles east of

cine in Blair County.

March 2009

Letters to the editor

Penn State threatens Spring Creek water

U.S. Truth and Reconciliation Commission?

According to the College of Agricultural

to the uplands happens to the creek.

There has been some talk in Congress of

nerve to bring George W. Bush, Richard

Sciences in a news release Friday, Jan. 23,

If the College of Agriculture becomes

investigations, possibly leading to criminal

Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld to the bar of

2009 titled “Study Suggests Link Between

owner, chances are the uplands will be clear

prosecutions, of members of the previous

justice. I doubt that even secondary figures

Agricultural Chemicals and Frog Decline”:

cut and crop farmed using conventional

administration.

like Alberto Gonzalez will be prosecuted.

“Around the world, amphibian populations

farming methods, thus applying the named

Obviously, crimes were committed—

As a result, several years of criminal

are in decline, and scientists have not been

chemicals to the land. These will seep into

crimes of the gravest nature. There was tor-

prosecutions could lead to nothing but rein-

able to figure out why. Now a study of leop-

the groundwater, down the canyon and into

ture, and that was the worst, but there were

forcement of the Bush lie that these crimes

ard frogs in Pennsylvania has identified a

the creek.

also warrantless wiretapping, politicization

were all the fault of a few bad apples on the

possible culprit, and the ramifications are

Immune suppressants?

of the Justice Department and so on.

receiving end of the orders.

troubling, according to a Penn State ecolo-

Frogs and amphibians are not the only

A large part of America’s leadership was

Those in government and the media who

gist.”

sentient beings affected by agricultural

culpable in this. Congressional Democrats

signed no orders and carried out none, but

The study looked at atrazine and phos-

chemicals. There is an epidemic of breast

and the media looked the other way.

merely looked the other way, would, of

phate.

cancer as well as other cancers occurring

The greatest danger now, I think, is that

course, get off scot-free.

Hunter Carrick, associate professor of

around us.

such crimes as torture and manipulating

Recently, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont

aquatic ecology in Penn State’s College of

We all have cancer cells in our bodies

intelligence will become accepted as part of

has suggested a Truth and Reconciliation

Agricultural Sciences says, “The scientific

every day, and every day our immune sys-

the government’s toolbox. These crimes

Commission whose primary purpose would

findings point to worrisome synergisms

tems using natural killer cells, T cells and

could be repeated by future administrations.

be to find the whole truth about the Bush

between two commonly used agro-chemi-

other immune cells seek and destroy these

I also believe that criminal prosecutions

administration’s crimes. Criminal prosecu-

cals …

renegade cancer cells. What are the effects

of those responsible would be satisfying to

tion would be secondary.

“Like canaries used to gauge the safety of

of immune suppressants in our drinking

us all but might not do the job of eradicat-

Leahy’s idea might not work either, but I

air in coal mines, amphibians are thought to

water?

ing these crimes from the list of tactics per-

think it has a chance.

be the ‘canaries’ in our freshwater environ-

The health of Spring Creek and the health

mitted to the American government.

ments, and reductions in their health can

of the residents of Centre County are in the

I do not believe that those at the top, the

Peter Morris

warn that subsequent species declines

hands of our legislators.

ultimate givers of orders, will ever be pros-

State College

might be in store.”

The College of Agriculture Sciences at

ecuted. There is simply not the will or the

The results of this research were

Penn State has provided the best argument

described in a recently published article in

against their ownership of Spring Creek

Mistreatment at the hands of a newspaper?

the journal Nature.

Canyon and upland.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would

Because of that lack, the original accusa-

This research has implications for Spring

print this. I believe Chris Lee has been

tion continues to have unpleasant ramifica-

Creek Canyon. What happens to the mother

Gernilee Carter

treated poorly by the Centre Daily Times .

tions for his professional work and his pub-

happens to the baby; likewise what happens

State College

According to our society’s laws, a person

lic service.

is innocent until proven otherwise.

A Penn State intern at the Boal Mansion

Swiss banks help wealthy evade taxes

In a recent local case, however, that law

Museum created a social studies curriculum

was ignored by the Centre Daily Times and

unit about Boalsburg’s heritage, but our

If you think the so-called Wall Street

identify the owners and beneficiaries of the

by many in the public and continues to be

local school district will not even speak

bailouts

(particularly to Citigroup) are a

accounts to the Internal Revenue Service.

so.

with Lee about using it, nor will they allow

poke in the Average Joe’s eye, here’s a poke

The “Rubin Loophole” allowed corporate

I refer to Christopher Lee, chief executive

him to recruit high school students as sum-

to the other eye: Approximately 19,000

trusts to be effectively faceless, so USB cre-

officer of the Columbus Chapel and Boal

mer docents, something he has done for

wealthy U.S. citizens were discovered

ated a maze of bogus corporate trusts

Mansion Museum, supervisor of Harris

several decades with good results for all.

evading taxes, hiding at least $20 billion in

designed to shield the true beneficiaries of

Township, chair of the Boalsburg

200th

A fine man is wrongly accused but

the secret vaults of Switzerland’s banking

the accounts. USB marketed this advantage

Anniversary Celebration and president of

cleared completely, never proven anything

giant, UBS.

to U.S. clients, who were eager to discreet-

the Boalsburg Village Conservancy

but innocent, yet the newspaper doesn’t

How they did this is interesting because it

ly park wealth offshore and stealthily evade

In 2005, Lee was accused of sexual mis-

bother to print the positive outcome to

began during the Clinton administration.

taxes.

conduct. The accusation was ballyhooed in

counter the original negative story. Isn’t it

The enabling loophole was cleverly cre-

Now the IRS is demanding the names of

the newspaper, yet we saw no similar article

long overdue?

ated by then Treasury Secretary Robert

UBS’s U.S. clientele. The Swiss have

about Lee’s vindication when, if fact, all

Rubin. Rubin created a policy enabling

refused to comply, despite a U.S. court

charges were dismissed last year by the

Cynthia M. Shaler

UBS to help America’s most wealthy gener-

order, and are looking to strike a deal with

Centre County Court.

Boalsburg

ate international income.

U.S. prosecutors.

After his years of public service, Rubin

I want the list of these tax cheats pub-

Thanks for the article on green awareness

went to Citigroup, serving as Chairman on

lished. I’m sure we’ll recognize a few of

I am writing to thank you for printing the

tive energy can accomplish great things.

the Board of Directors. He resigned his

these “citizens.”

excellent article, “Group Educates Teachers

I appreciate Voices ’ commitment to rais-

position earlier this month.

to Teach Green,” by Bridget Monaghan.

ing awareness.

Secretary Rubin enabled Swiss banks to

John Walls

Encouraging awareness about local

declare a U.S. client’s tax status and to

Boalsburg

opportunities for environmental activism

Alexandra D’Urso

can be challenging, but when we all come

Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction

send your letters to [email protected]

together as a community to declare that

College of Education

such issues are important to us, our collec-

The Pennsylvania State University

March 2009

Campus and Culture

A S K

from the Canine Perspective

Dear Cosmo,

would be a hermaphrodite. What’s the dif-

by being goofy and humble. Being busted

My brother came home for winter break

ference between a true hermaphrodite and a

as a stoner is just the character trifecta.

and announced to the family that he is

bisexual? About $2,000 per film appear-

That sure beats arrogance…and eight

“bisexual.” I love him, well, like a brother,

ance, and probably top billing.

medals beats seven.

but I still don’t quite get where he’s coming

Pot is obviously not a performance

from. Does being bisexual mean that he

Dear Cosmo,

enhancing drug, unless you’re talking about

HAS both sexes, or just that he likes mem-

If the urgency of your brother’s quest to

I was shocked to see the photo of Michael

cognitive impairment, getting the munchies

bers of both sexes? And is it an even fifty-

play on both teams seems quite pro-

Phelps smoking marijuana at a college

or laughing a stupid stuff. Then it’s a super-

fifty, or does he like one better than the

nounced, and the main motive is to increase

party. Didn’t you find this behavior disap-

steroid. So the Human Outboard Motor is

other? Any insights? Signed, Shopping for

his odds at getting lucky, then I’d probably

pointing for a sports icon who was one of

slummin’ at some frat party, gettin’ all kind

Clues

classify such a bisexual as a

“can’t-get-

our real American heroes? Signed, Down

and what-not, and some bozo with a spy

enough-o-sexual.” But if there’s no real

and Out in State College

cam narks him out to the world. I’m dis-

Dear Buy Curious,

sense of panic, and he seems to comfortably

appointed in the clown who got his thirty

People like labels, presumably to make it

accept whatever way the ball (or breast)

Dear Drowning Us Out with Hate

pieces of silver for a cell phone snap, and

easier to discriminate. This particular dis-

bounces, then such a bisexual is probably a

Knowledge,

probably cost Michael six figures when

crimination has to do with sexual prefer-

“just-about-the-right-amount-o-sexual.” It

An athlete during the off-season smoking

Kellogg’s yanked his Corn Flakes endorse-

ence, and your question is whether prefer-

doesn’t appear that he falls into the “not

pot at a college party? Call Mike Wallace!

ment.

ence equals identity. On the one hand, there

particularly interested” variety, since he was

Call Morley Safer! Call Ed Bradley! Hell,

It reminds me of a TV news reporter my

is the human need for intimacy, companion-

interested enough to share that info with

call Andy Rooney, so he can quack, “ever

human used to work with. She was going

ship and shared expression, and on the other

you, you found it interesting enough to send

notice your regular phone doesn’t have a

on and on about being at a party with a local

hand are the mechanics by which those

to me, and I found it interesting enough to

camera built into it when someone famous

US Congressman and how he was doing

yearnings may get expressed. If it’s all just

help someone line his or her birdcage with

fires up a bong? What ever happened to

COCAINE (emphasis hers). She was basi-

social intercourse, then you’re just another

it. Voila, mission accomplished.

taking pictures with a tray of flash powder

cally telling all the other assembled print

member of society. But if it includes some

In our household, our new adolescent

on a stick?”

and broadcast reporters about it. Finally,

kind of involvement with one another’s pri-

spaniella Julia Belle tries to hump Eli, the

I’m not disappointed in Michael Phelps

some wisecracker set the scales right by

vate parts, I guess that’s when nature or nur-

ancient male spaniel. She also tries to

whatsoever. He still IS a sports legend and

asking,

“Yeah, April, but was it GOOD

ture takes its own course...and intercourse.

hump the new cat, who also happens to be

national hero. Seems to me he spent a

cocaine?” She, of course, was forced to

I don’t know what the natural progression

female. Julia Belle appears to be bi-curi-

whole lot of time throughout high school

either change the subject or dabble in that

is, from heterosexual to homosexual to

ous. The “bi” part seems to apply to both

and college chuggin’ up and down that pool

journalistic rarity called “accuracy.”

bisexual, trisexual, quadrosexual, pentasex-

gender and species. Whether “curious,” as

instead of tokin’ up. Talk about boring! If

So, with an eye towards accuracy, my

ual, octosexual, dodecasexual, etc. It seems

in “innately inquisitive,” or “odd enough to

anyone earned a little post-Olympics buzz,

question to the Phelps-a-razzi is,

“Was

there are an infinite number of combina-

be a freak show attraction,” remains to be

he did.

Michael passing you the bong next, or did

tions and flavors when you start including

seen. I don’t know about it making the

He didn’t fall off my pedestal for smok-

you just pass it to him immediately before

other species or inanimate objects. I think

grade as a freak show, but the home movies

ing herb. He’s still on it for winning a

you took your shot?” Publishing pictures

basically there are three kinds of sexuals:

of it are totally freakin’ hilarious!

dozen gold medals for this country, and for

from some parties can not only make you

the “can’t-get-enough-o-sexuals,” the “just-

To answer the rest of your question,

setting a new world record for winning

rich, but it can also make you one thing you

about-the-right-amount-o-sexuals,” and the

bisexual does not mean your brother has

eight of them in a single Olympiad. He’s

probably already knew you were: incredi-

“not-particularly-interested-a-sexuals.”

both male and female sex organs. That

already got Mark Spitz beat by a mile just

bly UNCOOL.

UNA-USA

level of frustration on many levels.

from Manure , pg. 25

I also believe there is a lack of communi-

that have the power to control polluters, like

cation between the various environmental

General Membership Meeting

this extended family of eco-unfriendly

agencies and that they would be more effi-

7 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2009

Amish dairy farmers. However, I have seen

cient if they would compare notes once in a

no evidence to support this idea over the

while.

Foxdale Meeting Room

past five years that I have been following

I learned from one of the Chesapeake

500 E. Marylyn Ave.

the problem.

Bay programs I attended that they finally

Our streams would be getting cleaner if

got a few fish to live in the Lancaster area

State College

there was an authority that was willing and

streams again, and that’s a good thing. But

able to see that a change be made to these

where were our publicly funded environ-

Lew Jillings and Arthur Goldschmidt will interview

dirty farming practices.

mental protection agencies when all the fish

4 Foxdale residents about their memories

Although there are some diligent envi-

died in the first place?

of the foundation of the United Nations.

ronmental field workers, it seems increas-

ingly difficult to even get anyone’s attention

Sarah Berndt is a watercolor artist and

to address the issues, and I sense a high

gardener. She lives in Rebersburg.

Refreshments will be served.