“We just wanted to have a big party,” said Leah Hollett, 28, who helped organize the rally. Hollett is one of the Jackson County coordinators for the campaign. “We wanted to ignite the existing support base and bring in people who didn’t know much about Ron Paul.”

(State coordinator for the Ron Paul presidential campaign Bill Greene tells attendants of the rally why they should support Ron Paul. Allison Love/Photo)

Paul, R-Texas, was previously a Republican presidential candidate in 2008, and a Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1988. According to The New York Times, Paul has 23 delegates, the lowest of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates. Still, his supporters remain optimistic of the congressman’s campaign.

“I think a lot of people have a problem with Ron Paul and some of his ideas. For decades, Americans have been fed information that isn’t accurate. It’s not what the founders had in mind when they wrote the constitution,” Hollet said. “I like that he stands for limited federal government, liberty and personal responsibility,”

The rally included live performances from Radiolucent and Nathan Sheppard. Several guest speakers also spoke to the crowd, including Carter Kessler, a Paul supporter who ran for Georgia’s GOP chair, and Bill Greene, the district county coordinator for the Paul campaign. A question and answer session was also held with Greene, in which attendees called out their questions from the floor.

“When Ron Paul starts talking, it’s not about the man, it’s about the message he delivers,” Greene said in his address to the audience. “People come in and they realize that Paul has been consistent for decades and has predicted what has come to pass. And he’s still offering the same common sense solutions.”

According to Hollett, the floor space was provided free of charge and donations were collected to help Radiolucent — a band formed by Ron Paul supporters from Jackson County.

Some University students were also in attendance. Lindsey Sapp, a senior psychology major from Gainesville GA, said that she came to the event because of Paul’s differences from other candidates.

“I think that Ron Paul is a refreshing departure from the standard politician. I believe he would be a great thing for America,” Sapp said.
Hollet said the group was “realistically optimistic” about Paul’s chances of winning Georgia delegates.

Ron Paul Website

The iPad, Apple’s flat-panel computer not much bigger than its 9.5 x 7.3-inch screen, is designed to be portable and versatile, weighing only 1.3 lbs. Released in 2010, the iPad was an immediate global phenomenon, with 300,000 units sold the first day and more than a half-million by the end of the first week.

This immediate phenomenon has left many with raised eyebrows, wondering why.

Part of the reason for its popularity is the iPad’s intuitive control scheme.

“The iPad allows people to do their daily tasks faster and with a more enjoyable experience,” said Greg Ellis, manager of Expercom, a licensed Apple distributer in North Logan, Utah.  “For instance, to transfer money between accounts takes three taps. On a PC, it could take up to 15 clicks.”

To make something happen, touch the screen. That’s the entire learning curve. For kindergarteners or retirees, the concept is quickly and universally understood.

IPad’s impact was so large that that companies like Dell, Motorola and Barnes & Noble jumped on board with their own tablet computers, but nothing is yet approaching the iPad in market share.

ABI Research, a company specializing in emerging technology, reported that all other tablets combined have taken a mere 20 percent of the market share in the last year, with no serious challenger to the iPad.

Local sales have echoed worldwide sales. Expercom does not release sales figures, but Ellis said, “The iPad is by far the best-selling product for the first half of the year. It will most likely be the best seller for the second half also.”

With its mass success, Apple continues to push forward. Apple released the iPad2 in April, with a faster processor and two separate cameras to allow for video chat between iPad users.

Even in today’s economy, Apple is seeing monumental earnings, thanks to the iPad. In June, Apple announced the largest quarterly earnings in the company’s history.

“We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent,” said Apple founder Steve Jobs in June. Jobs has since stepped down as CEO due to medical concerns, but remains on the board of directors.

Another reason for the iPad’s success is the vast amount of Apps  that can be downloaded directly. There are 20 categories available, including social media, business, games and lifestyle.

Apple announced in June that more than 15 billion apps have been downloaded through Apple’s iStore to customers in 90 countries. With constant growth and success, the question that seems to prevail is: where will Apple will go from here?

• Tuesday an estimated 2,000 people rallied against tuition hikes, police brutality & the privatization of the UC system
• Many occupied the university administrative building well into the night
• Some students joined to be part of the larger Occupy Movement
• No arrests were made

  

  Photo Credit: Evan Davis

  Tuesday an estimated 2,000 people gathered on the UC-Davis quad at noon to strike against tuition increases, police brutality and the privatization of the UC system. The protest was the largest strike at UC Davis in recent years and continued with a Day of Action on the quad Thursday, Nov. 17.

The demonstration Tuesday began with speeches by faculty, followed by graduate students and undergraduates. Around 2:30 p.m. the remaining group marched around the Silo and into Mrak Hall, the university administrative building, to begin an occupation.

Police allowed protesters to remain in the building throughout the night, provided they remained non-violent.

The longest of the speeches was written by English professor Nathan Brown but spoken by professor Joshua Clover, also from the English department. The speech focused on what he called five theses. These included: tuition increases are a problem, not a solution, police brutality is an administrative tool to enforce said increases, and the fight is against the upper administration of UC, not the state legislature.

“We are winning” was the fifth and final thesis.

In his speech, Brown said that UC is seeking to raise funds through tuition, which provides unrestricted funds that can be spent on investment in capital projects.

Speeches by undergraduate students came toward the end of the protest, with a large group of students standing together on stage while several took turns speaking.

“The issue is, money is always a f***ing issue –– it’s the f***ing truth of who we are,” said Yadira de la Cruz, a senior transfer student and the first of the undergraduate speakers. “The fact that we are here is very much a political statement.”

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Several speakers at the protest also related the growing problems on UC campuses to greater issues facing the world today, making references to situations in Chile, Greece and Spain.

“By changing the university, we are also changing the world. And we have to change the world to change the university,” said Clover, speaking for Brown.

Even more prevalent, however, was the both implicit and explicit references to the Occupy Movement and anti-capitalist sentiments throughout the day.

In his own comments, Clover spoke of the “regime of capital and cops” and said that he was “ashamed to work on a campus with a bank.”

The connection to the Occupy Movement was made even clearer by the use of Occupy consensus techniques at Mrak Hall to discuss and deliberate, using thumbs up, down or sideways to arrive at decisions, and repeating the words of each speaker.

After arriving at the building, protesters, including some faculty, entered the stairway and filled the bottom floor. They repeated the chant “no cuts, no fees, education must be free” to the tune of a drum and a small group of dancing students.

As the speakers in Mrak emphasized the symbol of making their own decisions in the building in which decisions are made, administration employees could be seen talking and laughing through the window of a door on the first floor.

Occupiers remained in the hall past the 5 p.m. closing time, while a few police, ranging at times between three and over 15, stood by the doors. Students freely entered and exited the building.

Police were present upstairs throughout the occupation, for the most part going unnoticed.

Occupiers inside held a general assembly, making decisions through consensus on whether to allow the media into the building. After deliberation, they voted to allow media to remain inside the building.

Several news crews were there throughout the night and students streamed live footage of the strike online.

Protester Elli Pearson, a sophomore sustainable agriculture and food systems major, said that her main motivation in protesting was to act in solidarity with the Occupy Movement against corporate greed.

“I’m really glad the strike moved from the Quad to this occupation, and now it will be part of Davis’ history. I’m proud to be part of it,”  Pearson said.

In regard to students not protesting, she said everyone should get involved.

“I can’t see how anyone can not be enraged and can’t somehow find a part of how they can fit into the movement.”

Another protester, Maria Vega, a junior transfer student and anthropology and psychology double major, said her biggest concern was tuition hikes.

“I am most worried about student loans,” she said. “Especially since I want to go to graduate school. It’s a terrifying prospect.”

Although Vega is not a part of the Occupy Movement and it was her first time at a protest, she said that she felt it was time to get involved.

In addition to students and police, campus official Bob Loessberg-Zahl said he was there on behalf of the vice chancellor of student affairs to answer any questions that may come up for students.

This protest was set apart from others in the past by the faculty involvement and the fact that students were allowed to remain inside the building. This is compared to the Nov. 2009 occupation of Mrak, during which 52 people were arrested.

The UC Davis Faculty Association was one of only four UC faculty associations to endorse Tuesday’s strike. Post-doctoral lecturer Sarah Lauro said that this action was necessary for the faculty involvement that followed.

“Once it had that support, there was a momentum and it was up to the various departments to weigh in on how much support their faculty would have on striking,” she said.

Lauro, however, said she is not sure if faculty involvement should play as big a role in the future.

“It is not fair for students to have to fight on their own, but I also don’t think faculty should be in the leadership positions. We should be listening to them as much as talking to them,” she said.

The other major change, the absence of arrests, was pleasing to junior mechanical engineering major, Dominic Gutierrez. Gutierrez spent the night in Mrak doing homework, amid others who were hanging out or sleeping.

“There was never an issue with the police,” Gutierrez said. “They were upstairs and downstairs, there was a student affairs guy there the whole time and I think the lawyers guild was there, which was nice. It was really nice there was no violent reaction and they let us stay and speak.”

The next step, Gutierrez said, was to increase student involvement in the UC protest movement.

“It affects all students equally, but if you look for the most part there’s not a lot of science majors,” he said. “There are a few math or engineering, but we need to get more students in greek life and other student clubs engaged, since these issues affect everyone.”

Bob Ostertag, a professor of technocultural studies, said during his mid-day speech that this was an opportunity for students to participate in a movement to change the world.

“What an amazing time to be a student,” he said. “You all have lucked out in a lottery of life.”

MELISSA FREEMAN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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• Massuchusetts surpasses California as the most energy-efficient state in the U.S.
• California has been a leader in energy conservation for decades
• The Publics Good Charge, a small fee levied on residents’ utility bills, will expire at the end of 2011
• Some view the rating as a chance for California to get up-to-date with technologies and policies
  

  Consumers can achieve energy conservation and efficiency at home by turning off lights and replacing them with LEDs.

The most recent report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) states that California is no longer the most energy-efficient state in the United States. According to the report from the private research group, Massachusetts is now the country’s most efficient state followed by California, New York, Oregon and Washington, respectively.

California held the top spot for the last four years, so what does this decrease in rank say about the state’s energy efficiency?

“Personally, I prefer us [California] being number two. It’s a wake-up call, it makes us try harder,” said Benjamin Finkelor, executive director at the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center.

Finkelor said that California has a reputation for being a leader when it comes to energy efficiency and outspends many other states.

According to Finkelor, there are three contributing factors to California’s high status in energy efficiency: codes and standards, energy efficiency programs — such as rebate programs — and nice weather.

“The codes and standards California has are the most aggressive in the country,” Finkelor said. “The energy efficiency bill started in California, some will even say it started in Davis.”

Finkelor said that the state’s combination of prescriptive and performance-based rebate programs encourages manufacturers and retailers to be energy efficient. When it comes to the aggressive codes and standards California has, he said it started decades ago.

“It started in the 1970s when refrigeration was required to become more efficient,” Finkelor said.

He pointed out that appliance standards are crucial because they force the manufacturer to care about the ultimate price the consumer pays, which is especially important, since in the end consumers are the ones paying the bills.

Finkelor said that a great help to California’s energy efficiency has come through the Public Goods Charge (PGC) — the small fee that California residents see in their monthly utility bills.

“Eighty percent of money collected from the PGC is spent on rebates and programs that help energy efficiency,” Finkelor said.

Unfortunately, California legislature did not renew the PGC earlier this year, meaning it will expire at the end of 2011.

“Not continuing that [PGC] or some form of continued investment in both research and development, [or] incentive rebates arguably puts us at a disadvantage,” Finkelor said.

Finkelor said that there is no reason to suggest that the state could not implement a similar program through regulation instead of law, and Gov. Jerry Brown has even asked that some sort of PGC be instituted in any way possible.

Alan Meier, associate director and senior scientist at the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center, believes that too much emphasis should not be placed in the report from the ACEEE.

“The choice of programs taken into account, and the weighting assigned to each of them, is to some extent subjective,” Meier said.

Even though the report has California ranked lower than it previously was, Meier views it optimistically.

“The good news is that many more states have ratcheted up their energy efficiency programs and are reducing consumers’ energy bills,” Meier said.

He said that it is difficult to ascertain the reason for the change in ranking for California, but that California cannot be stagnant.

“The ACEEE scorecard is a signal to California — from the governor to the legislature to the utilities to the regulators — that they cannot be complacent,” Meier said. “Saving energy requires constant updates to policies, technical innovations and information to consumers.”

According to the report from ACEEE, total national budgets for electricity efficiency increased from $3.4 billion dollars in 2009 to $4.5 billion in 2010, showing that energy efficiency is taking an ever greater importance.

ERIC C. LIPSKY can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

• Tom and Elaine Edwards, a University of Tennessee alumni couple, donated $50,000 to the university’s Pride of the Southland Marching Band for new trumpets.

• The Edwards made the donation in response to a request by Gary Sousa, the university’s band director.

• Tom Edwards is a former trumpet player in the UT band.

Article by Jennifer Brake, writer at the University of Tennessee’s Tennessee Journalist

The Pride of the Southland Marching Band received a $50,000 donation from a University of Tennessee alumni couple to purchase new trumpets for its members.

Tom and Elaine Edwards, UT grads, made the large donation at the beginning of the fall semester after the band’s annual “First Tailgate” after band camp.

Gary Sousa, UT band director and music professor, began asking alumni for donations of individual trumpets, which cost around $1,000 each, at the beginning of the semester in order to have a decent set of trumpets for students to use.

Tennessee Journalist

“Having matching instruments is important for sound,” Sousa explained.

Over the years, the band has acquired matching trombone and French horn instruments. They currently have an agreement with Pearl that provides new matching percussion instruments every three years.

Because of the expense of new trumpets, many students were using the instruments they started learning with in middle school, which are smaller and not of professional quality.

Tom Edwards, a former trumpet player in the UT band, immediately responded to Sousa’s request for new trumpets.

“He came to me and asked, ‘When do you want your trumpets?’” Sousa said. Thinking that Edwards was joking, Sousa replied “tomorrow.”

The next day, Sousa received a check for $50,000 to go toward new trumpets for the band.

Current trumpet player, Grant Story, explained how this generosity shows the type of bonds that are formed when students are in band and how the new instruments will help future band members.

“This is really going to benefit future students,” Story said. He explained that the donation will help students who want to be in band but couldn’t normally afford it.

The players got a chance to meet and thank the Edwards’ when they received their trumpets. They are taking special care of the new instruments to make sure they don’t get dinged or scratched.

“We’re treating them like babies,” Story said.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have made many other donations to the band in previous years.

The band will perform with the donated trumpets for the first time at the MTSU football game on Saturday.

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The State Botanical Garden of Georgia has implemented QR codes on 10-15 signs referring passerbys to more information. Photo/Lilly Workneh

James Gilstrap is the IT specialist at the garden. Photo/Lilly Workneh

“We needed to do something at the garden that’s more outgoing and technology-friendly for our visitors,” says James Gilstrap, the IT specialist at the garden. “The use of smart phones led me to place QR codes on plants where people can learn to grow them or take something useful home.”

This new initiative is one of the ways employees of the garden are attempting to interact with their visitors. Their goal is to allow easier access to more information that can be easily retrieved both by the garden enthusiasts and the inquiring minds that visit the facility.

“People are using smart phones so we started thinking about how we were going to use them here,” Gilstrap says.

Although many codes have been placed around the garden so far, expansion is in the midst. Several other places such as signs, programs and various infrastructures around the garden will eventually have QR codes that direct visitors to websites with more information.

The flower garden alone, which covers 3-5 acres of land, has around 10-15 QR codes implemented throughout the several flowerbeds. The remainder of the codes can be found in the tropical conservatory where many of the tropical plants used in everyday life are harvested, grown and maintained.

Each QR code directs users to a specific web page on the Botanical Garden website. However, the information published varies from plant to plant.

“The differences are that in the flower garden, the codes take you to information on how to grow them,” Gilstrap says. “In the tropical conservatory, not only do I show you how to grow them, or where it came from, but I can give you special interesting tips.”

These interesting tips stem from Gilstrap’s collaboration with several of the garden’s curators. Many aid him by highlighting the important and interesting facts of each plant. From here, Gilstrap then writes and publishes information on the websites that teach curious visitors on background information on the plant along with which fruits to pick while shopping at local markets.

“For example, the Papaya tree – on our sign, I tell you that it’s not just a papaya tree,” says Gilstrap. “Scan the code and it will tell you how to pick the right papaya at the grocery store.”

Vanilla, mango, star fruit, orchids, coffee and chocolate are just some of the tropical plants grown inside of the conservatory.

Although this is a relatively new initiative the Botanical Garden is implementing, they hope to go through each garden and have all the necessary signs and codes placed by the end of December.

“It’s a great use of technology, people who are interested in plants always want to know more,” says Linda Chafin, Research Project Coordinator and a botanist at the garden.

Many anticipate the numbers to increase and the popularity of the QR codes to garner greater interest from visitors of younger demographics.

However, some are skeptical about the success this may bring and if older audiences will be attracted to the new technology.

“At times, we can have an aging population, and we don’t always have a generation that’s as comfortable with technology, so that does concern me,” says Jason Burdette. “I hope that we do have a good response to it.”

Surprisingly, visitor responses so far have indicated that many members of the older generation that own smart phones have become fans of the codes and increasingly use them to scan the QR codes placed directly by the plants.

“It wasn’t the younger ages that were using the phones, it was the older generation,” Gilstrap says. “Because at the garden, our visitorship is of an older generation and they are the ones that WANT to know how to grow the plants.”

Since it’s announcement to the Friends Group last Friday, the garden’s membership non-profit support group, the codes had been scanned close to 60 times over the course of a weekend.

“I love the efficiency, I love the fact that it’s very modern, and for those that have no idea what they are, it’s non intrusive,” says Wilf Nicholls, the Director of the State Botanical Garden. “I’m more than happy to see this new initiative and I’ll be very interested to see how well it’s used.”

• Landlords who rent their spaces to medical marijuana dispensers face criminal charges or seizure of their property
• Dispensaries annually generate roughly $1.5 billion, and nearly $100 million in sales taxes

Medithrive employee, Caroline Emerson, 25, helps 18-year-olds Daniel Short and Spencer Durham pick out medical marijuana Oct. 24, 2011. Photo by Jessica Goss.

The war on medical marijuana took a new turn recently as landlords who rent to medical marijuana dispensaries were threatened with prosecution by the federal government in California.

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors in California ordered dozens of dispensaries to shut down within 45 days. If the owners or landlords do not comply with the warning, they face criminal charges or seizure of their property, according to a press release issued by the Department of Justice.

Federal procedures could have sizable consequences in California, where an estimated $1.5 billion medical marijuana transactions have taken place annually, according to an economic analysis by California’s National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

California receives roughly $100 million in sales taxes from dispensaries yearly. Numerous cities, including Sacramento, have sought to make up for depleted assets by taxing local medical marijuana dispensaries.

“They don’t have the reasonable amount of money to shut down every dispensary in the state,” said Dale Jones, spokeswoman for “Yes on Proposition 19 also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act” and also executive chancellor at cannabis trade school Oaksterdam University in Oakland. “It’s going to be like a tornado – some will get destroyed while others will be left untouched.”

Federal officials are primarily going after medical dispensaries that are close to schools, parks, sports fields and other places that may be near children.

“Marijuana stores operating in proximity to schools, parks and other areas where children are present send the wrong message to those in our society who are the most impressionable,” said Melinda Haag, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, in the DOJ press release. “Although our initial efforts in the Northern District focus on only certain marijuana stores, we will almost certainly be taking action against others. None are immune from action by the federal government.”

Dispensaries in the Bay Area, including San Francisco and Marin counties, were sent letters that warn that California’s medical marijuana law does not protect against property seizure or prosecution under federal law.

Under state law, dispensaries cannot operate within 600 feet of schools. However, under federal law Title 21 USC 860, dispensaries can be subjected to penalization if they participate in the sale or distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school, or a public or private college, junior college or university.

In addition, dispensaries can also be penalized if they are within 100 feet of a public or private youth center, public swimming pool or video arcade facility.

Among the local medical dispensaries that are located close to schools are 208 Valencia Street Caregivers and Medithrive.

A worker at Medithrive, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the landlord has not given them any notice to leave and that, as far as they know, they are not being affected.

Peter Avila, the principal at Marshall Elementary, said that even though the school is located right behind Medithrive, he does not have any issues with the dispensary.

“Alcohol and other illicit drugs are much more of a problem in our neighborhood,” Avila said. “I have not had one complaint about Medithrive, not one.”

The Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana also received a letter asking the landlord to evict the dispensary or risk imprisonment.

Greg Anton, a lawyer who represents MAMM, said that the federal government is going to accomplish the exact opposite of what they are trying to do.

“The federal government is indirectly supplying marijuana to children,” Anton said. “If they close dispensaries down, people will take marijuana to the streets where there won’t be any regulation.”

According to Anton, MAMM is one of the oldest and longest running dispensaries in the state.

“It will probably close down after 15 years of no complaints,” Anton said.

In 2009, the DOJ sent out a memo saying that prosecutors would not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they complied with state laws. However, federal prosecutors and the DEA have continued to arrest and prosecute medical marijuana providers.

Students at SF State have mixed feeling about the consumption of cannabis.

“The traditional ways that people use marijuana, like for getting in touch with the spirits or for medical use, is fine by me,” said Chantal Roberts, 23, consumer and family sciences major. “But right now a lot of people are abusing it and it’s getting harder to regulate.”

Gary Lamb, 33, psychology major, believes that while the use of medical marijuana is understandable, it’s also understudied in terms of its effects.

“It’s kind of hypocritical because alcohol is just as dangerous,” Lamb said. “But more research needs to be done on the effects that marijuana has on the brain before we try to legalize it.”

Samples of marijuana on display at Medithrive, a medical cannabis dispensary in the Mission District. Photo by Jessica Goss.Daniel Short, Spencer Durham and Triston Davenport (left to right), purchase Underdog Hash from Medithrive, a medical cannabis dispensary in the Mission District, Oct. 24, 2011. Photo by Jessica Goss.

• Woman gives personal account of foreclosure
• Homeowners “upside down” in their mortgage
• Fewer hours at work, poor economy to blame for forclosure

Up in the air. Uncertain. Uprooted. Unsure. What do these phrases and words have in common? These are all feelings and thoughts of one woman forced into foreclosure and bankruptcy.

“I have no idea where I’m going to go…it’s up in the air right now,” says West Cobb homeowner “Julie”.

After nine years of owning her home in an upper middle class neighborhood in West Cobb, Ga., Julie is forced to declare bankruptcy and foreclosure.

“My house is upside down,” says Julie.

When a house is deemed “upside down,” the homeowner owes more on the house than it is actually worth. Julie no longer has any equity left in her home.

When Julie purchased her home in 2002, her home was worth $281,000. A few years later it was appraised at $251,000. Just a couple years ago Julies home was appraised at $232,000. Currently, her home is said to be worth $213,000, nearly $70,000 less than what it was originally appraised for.

“I owe $238,000,” said Julie.

Only working 34-36 hours per week, Julie is no longer able to afford the $1,100 mortgage payment.

“I’m used to working 40 hours a week, and I just can’t do it anymore,” said Julie.

But Julie says she’s already planning for the future.

“I plan to move into my friend’s garage apartment, and save up money to put a down payment on a townhome,” said Julie.

The number of foreclosures in Cobb County has increased dramatically over the past few months. In March of this year, there were 1,100 foreclosures in Cobb County. In April, that number increased to 1,300. It has continued to rise, and currently there are a recorded 1,900 foreclosures in Cobb County.

“In my experience in the past two years I’ve worked with a lot of people that would like to stay in their homes,” said tax attorney Ed McMullen.

McMullen explains that many people in today’s economy are unfortunately losing their jobs, are unable to afford their mortgage, and subsequently unable to stay in their homes.

“They made enough money at one time, they qualified, but now their circumstances have changed and they’re no longer able to stay in the house,” said McMullen.

“I feel like I’ve failed…again. I feel like I’ve let my family down,” said Julie.

This isn’t the first time Julie has had to rebuild her life and start from scratch.

In 2000, a request for a divorce from her husband of nearly 30 years blindsided Julie. She was, again, forced out of her home, but this time along with her 11-year-old daughter.

“We literally had nowhere to go,” said Julie.

Julie remembers having to ask her friends that lived down the road from her if she and her daughter could live in their guesthouse until she “got back on her feet.”

Eventually Julie did get back on her feet. But now, she says she feels she is “right back where I was 11 years ago.”

“It has been hard for her to admit she has to do this all over again,” said Sandy Carman, a close friend of Julie’s for five years.

“This is nothing one should feel is a personal failure,” said McMullen.

Julie admits that she is still emotionally attached to her home. She has spent nearly a decade building memories with her friends and family, but now says she has to “let that all go.”

“I have to think of it as something that’s good for me and try to take the emotions out of it, and think of what’s best for me financially,” said Julie.

Julie says the best financial decision for her right now is to “move on from a bad situation.”

Tax attorney Ed McMullen explains that banks and mortgage companies sometimes make it incredibly difficult for homeowners to complete the necessary steps to refinance their homes.

“We’re talking about lowering an interest rate from, say, seven and a half percent to three percent. If they could do that, the people would be able to stay in their homes,” said McMullen.

After refinancing her home twice in an attempt to lower her interest rate, Julie still was not able to afford her home.

“Sometimes it makes sense if you owe more than it’s worth to just cut your losses,” said, Carmen.

So that is what Julie is doing…cutting her losses and rebuilding her life.

“I know I can do it, I’ve been through worse,” said Julie.

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This article was edited and re-packaged by Margaret Grigsby, a member of the ICONN News Stream at the University of Tennessee. Please direct any comments or questions to mgrigsby@utk.edu.

• Buying organic can be costly in tough economy, but benefits can save money in long run
• Pesticides dangerous for human consumption
• Local farmer’s markets growing in popularity

Consuming organic products has proved to be beneficial to both the environment and our health. Today however, consumers continue to buy conventionally grown products due to its significantly lower cost.

In this economy, many households simply cannot afford to go 100 percent organic. However, people today are cautious when buying non-organic produce due to the high levels of pesticides found in many of the fruits and vegetables.

Jessica Nixon, 22, is a new mother who is gradually making the switch toward organic foods. “I’m a mom now,” said Nixon. “I didn’t really care too much about what I ate before, but now that I have Isabella, I want to take care of her as best I can.”

Nixon admits that eating all organic foods is a bit out of her budget, but she says that a good tip to saving money is knowing exactly what foods to buy.

“You have to do a little bit of research in the beginning,” said Nixon. “There are some foods that have a higher degree of pesticides than others, and those are the ones I buy as organic.”

The Environmental Working Group created a list known as the Dirty Dozen to help consumers determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic.

Apples, celery, strawberries, peaches and spinach are found at the top of the list because they are the most contaminated. Onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado and asparagus, however, are the lowest in pesticide residues and are the top five of another list known as the Clean 15.

Another point Nixon emphasizes is on knowing where to shop for groceries. Choosing a local farmers market can be less expensive than the bigger chain markets because you are buying directly from the farmer.

“I prefer going to smaller places like the Dunwoody Green or even Morningside Farmers Market,” said Nixon. “I get to talk to some of the farmers about their products, and I find it cheaper than places like Wholefoods or Harry’s.”

Morningside Farmer’s Market, located in Atlanta, has offered certified organically grown produce since 1995. Eleven certified organic farms get together every Saturday morning to sell fresh, organic produce.

Whippoorwill Hollow Farm is a 74-acre certified organic farm located in Walnut Grove, Georgia. The farm, managed by Andy and Hilda Byrd, grows a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs and raises diverse livestock for eggs.

Bob Smiles, who has volunteered for the farm for over three years, says that unlike other farmers markets, Morningside is the only market in Georgia that requires all its vendors to be certified organic.

“There is a difference between natural, local and certified organic,” said Smiles. “Other farms could also be using sustainable agriculture, but the process of becoming ‘certified organic’ is long and it involves a lot of paperwork and yearly inspections.”

After ten years in the business, Andy Byrd is no rookie to the lengthy process.

“At our farm, we use sustainable methods of agriculture,” said Byrd. “That means we don’t use any of the conventional pesticides and herbicides used by larger non-organic factory farms.”

According to the Organic Trade Association, organic agriculture promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. In essence, by replenishing the soil, it works in harmony with the environment.

Pesticides, however, eliminate and control a variety of agricultural pests that can damage crops and livestock, and reduce farm productivity. The uses of such chemicals leave residues on the fruits and vegetables we eat, and overtime become hazardous to our health.

Although Whippoorwill Hollow farm does use a form of pesticides and herbicides approved by organic standards, Byrd says they also use garlic and red pepper sprays and a method known as crop rotation.

“Each year we rotate the crops so you kind of keep the bugs confused,” said Byrd. “If you have a little bit of a pest problem one year, by rotating (crops) you prevent them from staying and damaging your crops.”

The uses of such methods require a lot time and work, and the productions of crops also vary upon seasons. Due to a longer time of productivity, the demand for organic products continues to outgrow the supply.

The end result is higher prices. With that said, are the health benefits of organic foods really worth the extra dollar or two? Andy Byrd has only one answer to that question.

“We have to think of this food as fuel to our body, as gasoline is to your car,” said Byrd. “If you’re going down the road and you see gasoline pumps on both sides of the road, one says 70 cents a gallon of trash, water, and contaminants and the other says 3 dollars a gallon of the highest quality premium you can use, which one are you going to chose?”

In an economy where people are “pinching pennies,” Byrd says that the long-term benefits of switching to organic foods include “fewer colds” and “less medical visits.” Like a car, the fuel or foods you put into your body determine how long and how well it will run in the future.

ICONN NewsStream

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This article was edited and re-packaged by Margaret Grigsby, a member of the ICONN News Stream at the University of Tennessee. Please direct any comments or questions to mgrigsby@utk.edu.