Melamed On Knowledge Tag

Chuck Zimmerman June 14, 2005

I’ve never met Leo Melamed but he sounds like an interesting guy. His website describes him as “. . . financial market innovator, writer, lecturer, and international authority on futures markets. Mr. Melamed is recognized as the founder of financial futures and currently serves as Chairman Emeritus and Senior Policy Advisor to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.” I just received a note that “Knowledge Tag,” is the commencement address at DePaul University delivered by Leo Melamed on June 12, 2005 at the Allstate Arena. Here’s how he starts out talking to these new graduates about their graduation.

It’s big! How big? Well, not to get overly metaphysical, it is a moment that more than anything symbolizes the difference between mankind and our counterparts in the animal kingdom. Other animals must learn everything anew from birth; humans have the capacity to record what they have learned and pass it on.

In other words, today’s commencement exercises, in a very real sense, symbolize the moment at which the cumulative knowledge of all preceding human generations has been passed on to you. That’s scary big.

When you think about it in this fashion, graduation is like a giant game of tag. Except now you are it. And you will remain it until you pass it on to the next generation.

I remember my high school and college graduation and that fleeting feeling of freedom until reality crept in.

Agribusiness

Handy Legal Guide For Bloggers

Chuck Zimmerman June 14, 2005

This looks like a very handy guide to have if you’re going to delve into the blogoshpere. Wish I’d had it a while ago since it helps answer questions that are bound to come up if you’re going to be serious about blogging. It’s available from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

For example, one very interesting excerpt concerns a trademark issue:

Can I use a trademark in my blog’s name or in the title of a blog post?

Yes, if it is relevant to the subject of your discussion and does not confuse people into thinking the trademark holder endorses your content. Courts have found that non-misleading use of trademarks in URLs and domain names of critical websites is fair. (Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. v. Faber, URL http://www.compupix.com/ballysucks; Bosley Medical Institute v. Kremer, domain name www.bosleymedical.com). Companies can get particularly annoyed about these uses because they may make your post appear in search results relating to the company, but that doesn’t give them a right to stop you.

Sometimes, you might use a trademark without even knowing someone claims it as a trademark. That is permitted as long as you’re not making commercial use in the same category of goods or services for which the trademark applies. Anyone can sell diesel fuel even though one company has trademarked DIESEL for jeans. Only holders of “famous” trademarks, like CocaCola, can stop use in all categories, but even they can’t block non-commercial uses of their marks.

More information on trademark:http://www.chillingeffects.org/trademark/faq

Thanks to Debbie Weil at Blogwrite For CEO’s for the head’s up on this guide.

Uncategorized

New CBB Budget Subject Of This Week’s MBIC Report

Chuck Zimmerman June 14, 2005

As already posted here on AgWired, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board operating committee has recommended a new budget so that’s what this week’s MBIC Report is all about. In the report, Missouri Beef Industry Council chairman, David Dick, talks about the new budget. David serves on the CBB operating committee that created the recommended budget.

You can listen to this week’s MBIC Report here

The MBIC Report is also available in podcast form by subscribing to the link in our sidebar.

Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts

Date Update For Global PR Blog Week 2.0

Chuck Zimmerman June 14, 2005

I just posted information about Global PR Blog Week 2.0 and noticed that the date has changed from what was written in their original online announcement about it. The event is scheduled September 19-23, 2005.

Public Relations

Beef Board Operating Budget Recommended

Chuck Zimmerman June 14, 2005

The Beef Board has a new operating budget to vote on. The operating committee met last week and came up with a new budget. It looks like the Beefmobile program has been a successful program. So much so, that the committee is recommending a re-allocation of funds to add $25K to the program this year. The recommended budget now needs full Beef Board approval as well as approval from USDA.

OPERATING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS FISCAL 2006 BEEF BOARD BUDGET

KANSAS CITY (June 14, 2005) – The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has recommended a $50 million Cattlemen’s Beef Board budget for fiscal year 2006, reflecting a slight decrease from the $50.5 million budget for fiscal 2005.

The Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, projects revenue of $45.4 million for fiscal 2005, plus $4.6 million to be available from current program budgets as a result of projects costing less than originally estimated.

The breakdown of the budget recommendation, which must be approved by the full Beef Board and USDA before any funds are expended, includes the following budget elements: promotion ($25.5 million); research ($7.3 million); consumer information ($5.8 million); industry information ($1.35 million); foreign marketing ($5.1 million); producer communications ($2.2 million); evaluation ($230,000); program development ($120,000); USDA oversight ($200,000); and administration ($2.25 million). The 2006 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2005.

“We looked carefully at challenges and opportunities in the marketplace to determine what areas we need to emphasize to give cattlemen the best return on their checkoff dollar,” said Al Svajgr, a producer from Cozad, Neb. and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, which met in Kansas City June 8-9, 2005.

For more information contact Diane Henderson.

Ag Groups

Beef – It’s What’s For Father’s Day

Chuck Zimmerman June 13, 2005

Don’t you know that I’ll be grilling this coming Saturday?! Just in time for Father’s Day the Missouri Beef Industry Council has some great tips in their latest Talking News Release.

Beef – It’s What’s For Father’s Day

COLUMBIA, MO (June 13, 2005) – Forget the ties and the coffee mugs this year. Nothing says “Happy Father’s Day” quite like beef. The Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC) has several suggestions for beef-related gift giving this Father’s Day that Dad can really sink his teeth into.

According to MBIC Marketing Director Dawn Thurnau (turn-ower), you could get Dad into the mood for summer grilling with some brand new grilling utensils.

“There are some interesting ones out there now that are actually like a branding iron, so that you can brand a steak with your initials.” (:06) ( mbic-fathers-day-cut1)

The steak branding irons also come in various designs including college team logos and are available by mail order from a number of websites, such as www.steakbrands.com.

You can download the full release here: MBIC Release

For more information contact Dawn Thurnau.

Ag Groups, Audio

Remember Slides (Pictures)?

Chuck Zimmerman June 13, 2005

You can only receive the American Agricultural Editors’ Association electronic newsletter “The ByLine” if you’re a member. It’s one of the benefits. In the latest issue Betsy Freese, who is livestock editor of Successful Farming and immediate past president of AAEA and also a member of the AAEA Strategic Planning Committee, points out how important it is for the organization to make sure it’s meeting the needs of its members. She rightly makes a point about how dull “strategic planning” is for most people (not me, I’m one of the sickos who actually likes planning).

Instead of launching into a boring strategic planning description she uses a neat story to point out how much has changed in agricultural journalism. I was lucky to have a talented young student from Iowa State University, Alicia Clancy, working as my apprentice this past year. Recently we were pulling together visuals for a story, and I mentioned that I had some old slides we could use. “Slides?” Alicia asked. “What would we do with those?” She had never worked with slides. In fact, she had never worked with a story that didn’t involve digital images, e-mail transmission, InDesign software, and information collected on the Web. I started to tell her how I had written my papers on a manual typewriter in journalism classes at Iowa State, but I could see her eyes glazing over.

Betsy, I remember slides only too well as I’m sure many of our readers do. I can’t remember when I took a picture with a “film” camera last though. The story makes a great point that I hope all ag groups of any kind will learn from. Look at who’s going to be taking your place someday soon. They don’t have the same experiences and they’re growing up in a digital world. Are you planning how your organization is going to meet their needs?

If you want to have input in the AAEA strategic planning process, visit their website and contact any of the leaders or committee members.

Uncategorized

IFAJ Contest Deadlines June 15

Chuck Zimmerman June 13, 2005

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists conducts two annual contests, one for writing and one for photography.

The writing contest is called the Star Prize. Here’s some information about how to enter.
Who is eligible to enter?

National agricultural journalist associations that are members in good standing in IFAJ will decide on eligibility to their contests for selecting one entry to enter in the IFAJ Star Prize contest.

To be eligible for entry, the article must:

Be on an on-farm production subject.
Article may be written by an individual or by more than one individual.
Have been published as editorial material between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004, in a publication or online.
Be written in English, German or French. Articles published in a language other than these three should be translated into one of these three languages.

The other IFAJ contest is their annual photo contest called the IFAJ Photo Star Prize. Here’s some information about it.

Who is eligible to enter?

Any journalist who is a member in good standing of a national association or guild that is a member of IFAJ may enter one published photograph. National agricultural journalist associations and guilds that are members of IFAJ may each enter up to three photos each. A national association may enter a photo taken by a journalist who is not a member of their association, however there is a fee for such entries (see Entry Fee). Under no circumstance may one person have more than one photograph entered in the contest.

To be eligible for entry, a photograph must:

Be on an on-farm production subject.
Photographs in this contest should enhance the editorial message of the technical copy. A photograph that was part of a photo story may also be entered, but only one photo from the photo story may be entered.
Have been published as editorial material between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004.
May be either color or black & white.

For more information or to enter visit the IFAJ website.

IFAJ

Senator Jim Talent Talks Energy In This Week’s CornTalk

Chuck Zimmerman June 13, 2005

Energy legislation is sure to be a big topic of discussion in the ag world this week so the Missouri Corn Growers Association CornTalk program features an interview with MO Senator Jim Talent. Senator Talent talks about the debate on the floor of the senate and the renewable fuels standard amendment.

The interview was conducted by Tom Brand, farm director at KFEQ, St. Joseph, MO. You can listen to this week’s CornTalk here

You can also subscribe to CornTalk (podcast) using our sidebar link.

Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts

Nip Neidert – Today’s Farmer Magazine – This Week’s ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman June 12, 2005

This week we learn about a cooperative-owned publication from the man who reps it. I interview Nip Neidert, Neidert Associates, who represents Today’s Farmer magazine, owned by MFA Incorporated.

Nip talks about the differences between a cooperative-owned publication and one owned and operated by a publishing company. He also talks about the industry and the outlook he sees for the magazine.

You can listen to my interview with Nip here

You can also subscribe to the ZimmCast (our version of the podcast) by using the link in our sidebar.

Agribusiness, Audio, Podcasts, Publication, ZimmCast

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