Two redlines that run close coupled with the International Building Code are open for public consultation until September 14 and October 15, respectively:
Our engagement with ASCE standards dates to the founding of Standards Michigan, when we challenged legacy live-load requirements for university armories whose contemporary use no longer resembled the military occupancy from which the requirements arose.
The Oxford Union Debating Society, founded in 1823, is one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies, affiliated with the University of Oxford. It has hosted numerous influential speakers and debates, including historical figures like Winston Churchill and Malcolm X. Over the years, it has played a vital role in shaping public discourse and fostering critical thinking among students. The society’s iconic debating chamber and rich tradition of lively debates have made it an enduring institution in the world of debate and public speaking.
“In an era of cancellation and defenestration we sometimes forget that we both cannot go on like this and that we have been here before. We know this because our greatest writers and artists have addressed this question in their own times.
When Roger [Scrouton] was going through his own battle with the shallows I often thought of Shakespeare’s rarely performed but great play Timon of Athens. Timon has the whole world before him. He is surrounded by friends and admirers. He is generous to all. Yet he falls on hard times and when he does absolutely everybody deserts him. He is left with nothing and nobody, and risks being filled with despair and rage. It does not help that he is shadowed by the cynical philosopher Apemantus, who has warned him that just such a desertion might occur.”
One characteristic of the “customer experience” of school children, dormitory residents, patients in university-affiliated hospitals and attendees of large athletic events is the quality of food. School districts and large research universities are responsible for hundreds of food service enterprises for communities that are sensitive to various points along the food supply chain.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) is one of the first names in standards setting for the technology and management of the major components of the global food supply chain. It has organized its ANSI-accredited standards setting enterprise into about 200 technical committees developing 260-odd consensus documents*. It throws off a fairly steady stream of public commenting opportunities; many of them relevant to agricultural equipment manufacturers (i.e, the Producer interest where the most money is) but enough of them relevant to consumers (i.e. the User interest where the least money is) and agricultural economics academic programs that we follow the growth of its best practice bibliography.
A few of the ASABE consensus documents that may be of interest to faculty and students in agricultural and environmental science studies are listed below:
Safety for Farmstead Equipment
Safety Color Code for Educational and Training Laboratories
Recommended Methods for Measurement and Testing of LED Products for Plant Growth and Development
Distributed Ledger Technology applications to the global food supply chain
The ASABE bibliography is dominated by product-related standards; a tendency we see in many business models of standards setting organizations because of the influence of global industrial conglomerates who can bury the cost of their participation into a sold product. Our primary interest lies in the movement of interoperability standards — much more difficult — as discussed in our ABOUT.
The home page for the ASABEs standards setting enterprise is linked below:
As of this posting we find no live consultation notices for interoperability standards relevant to educational settlements. Sometimes you can find them ‘more or less concurrently’ posted at the linked below:
We always encourage our colleagues to participate directly in the ASABE standards development process. Students are especially welcomed into the ASABE Community. Jean Walsh (walsh@asabe.org) and Scott Cederquist (cedarq@asabe.org) are listed as contacts.
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben
Meet Raley Kirk from San Saba, TX. Raising hair sheep and Spanish goats in the Texas Hill Country, Raley is proud to play a part in providing the food and fiber our country depends on every day.
For her, National Ag Week is about highlighting that meaningful work and ensuring… pic.twitter.com/9KKC4pzRgC
Introducing the Thriving Planet Institute at Northwestern 🌱
This new institute advances systems‑level, community‑engaged research and education to address the interconnected water, land and air challenges that impact human health. https://t.co/bOtKu3k2Urpic.twitter.com/tq8tUKYCfx
What’s a Father to Do? Send his daughter to college to find a man only to discover that there are no men
A father has a simple, time-honored plan. Pack the minivan, drive the daughter to a respectable college, and wait for the inevitable phone call announcing she has found a solid young man—someone with a firm handshake, a future, and the ability to change a tire without consulting YouTube. He waves goodbye with the quiet confidence of a man who believes the campus still stocks reliable husbands the way it stocks textbooks — someone from a family born in the same weather their family was born in.
Months later the first report arrives. “Dad,” she says, “there are no men here.”
He blinks. “What do you mean, no men? I saw several walking around during orientation.”
“Those were boys,” she explains patiently. “They wear pajama pants to class, call their mothers three times a day, and consider ‘adulting’ a competitive sport they are currently losing. The ones who do shave have somehow managed to make facial hair look like a cry for help.”
He suggests she look harder. She does. She finds young males who communicate exclusively in memes, whose idea of providing is splitting the Uber Eats bill, and who treat commitment the way most people treat expired yogurt—something to be avoided until it becomes a science experiment. One proudly announced he was “working on himself,” which turned out to mean leveling up a video-game character while living on instant ramen in a dorm that smelled faintly of regret.
The father tries the classic advice: “Look for the ones who open doors.” She replies that the only doors being opened are the ones to the campus counseling center after yet another group-chat misunderstanding. He mentions careers and ambition. She counters with stories of seniors still majoring in “figuring it out” and minors in “vibes.”
In the end the father sits on the porch, staring at the empty driveway, wondering whether he should have invested in a time machine instead of tuition. Perhaps the real lesson is that college still produces plenty of degrees—just not the kind that come with a man attached. What’s a father to do? Buy extra tissues, lower his expectations, and hope the next generation invents a major in “basic adulthood.”
Today we update our understanding of best practice catalogs for outdoor and indoor watersport; primarily swimming and rowing. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
USA Swimming and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming are two distinct organizations that oversee different aspects of competitive swimming in the United States. USA Swimming governs competitive swimming in the United States across all age groups and skill levels, while NCAA Swimming specifically focuses on collegiate-level swimming and diving competitions within the NCAA framework. Both organizations play crucial roles in the development and promotion of swimming in the United States.
Governing Body:
USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. It is responsible for overseeing competitive swimming at all levels, from grassroots programs to elite national and international competitions.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs intercollegiate sports in the United States. NCAA Swimming specifically deals with collegiate-level swimming competitions among universities and colleges.
Scope:
USA Swimming is responsible for organizing and regulating competitive swimming for all age groups and skill levels, from youth swimmers to Masters swimmers (adults). It oversees swim clubs, hosts competitions, and develops national teams for international events.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming focuses exclusively on college-level swimming and diving competitions. It sets the rules and guidelines for swimming and diving programs at NCAA member institutions.
Membership:
Individuals, swim clubs, and teams can become members of USA Swimming, allowing them to participate in USA Swimming-sanctioned events, access coaching resources, and benefit from the organization’s development programs.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is composed of collegiate athletes who compete for their respective universities and colleges. Athletes are typically student-athletes who represent their schools in NCAA-sanctioned competitions.
Competition Format:
USA Swimming hosts a wide range of competitions, including local, regional, and national meets, as well as Olympic Trials and international events. Swimmers compete as individuals, representing their swim clubs or teams.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming primarily consists of dual meets, invitational meets, and conference championships at the collegiate level. Swimmers represent their respective universities or colleges, earning points for their teams in dual meets and competing for conference and national titles.
Scholarships:
USA Swimming itself does not offer scholarships. Scholarships for competitive swimmers are typically awarded by colleges and universities based on an athlete’s performance and potential.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA member institutions offer scholarships to talented student-athletes in various sports, including swimming. These scholarships can cover tuition, room, board, and other expenses, making NCAA swimming an avenue for athletes to receive financial support for their education.
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New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
