Category Archives: Observations

Goodbye Pass Space

A few weeks I got an email that Penn State Pass Space would be leaving next year and they noticed that I was still using it. Then I got a message from my local IT staff. So the old web … Continue reading

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Looking for a Book Now Means Choosing the Right Medium

What is a book? I have lately seen publicity for the new movie, Far From the Madding Crowd, based, of course, on the book by Thomas Hardy. I thought it would be fun to read it. I tried several different … Continue reading

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When Technology is Ordinary

I still get excited about using a GPS in the field. Whether to record a waypoint or navigate to a point, I am still amazed that we can do this. I grew up using paper maps and a compass to… Continue reading

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The Invasive Onslaught

Last week’s Schatz Tree Genetics Symposium at Penn State Mont Alto concentrated on the issues of black walnut and butternut in today’s forests. Both species are threatened by invasive species. First insects, such as bark beetles, attack the trees, and… Continue reading

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Clickers?

A few days ago the Penn State classroom and lab computing group announced that they had chosen a standard clicker to us at the University Park campus. At the Commonwealth campuses, such as Mont Alto, we may or may not… Continue reading

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Poet Coming to Mont Alto

We don’t have many poets come to visit at Penn State Mont Alto. We are very fortunate to have Tony Vallone visiting on Thursday, March 31. Tony is a professor of english from Penn State Mont Alto. I found some… Continue reading

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Pennsylania SFI

I attended the Keystone SAF chapter meeting last night (3/10) in Grantville at the Holiday Inn. We were in the midst of a huge rainstorm, which I am sure kept attendance down.Nate Fice, the new director of the SFI training… Continue reading

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My Experiences with Meat in Africa

At the Franklin County Extension annual meeting last Friday the keynote speaker was Dr. Chris Raines. According to his website: Chris is the Extension Meats Specialist and is an Assistant Professor at Penn State University in the Department of Dairy… Continue reading

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Watchung Reservation

Over Thanksgiving break I was visiting family near Summit New Jersey. After braving the Black Friday mobs for a few hours I took the opportunity to visit Watchung Reservation, a two-thousand acre park managed by Union County. Part of the… Continue reading

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Cut the Adverbs

I’ve been reading Stephen King’s On Writing. One of his writing tips is to cut back on adverbs. He says that they weaken writing with unnecessary description. He says it’s better to find the right verb or to leave it… Continue reading

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