Image by USDAgov
Conventional sprinkler irrigation at Leafy Greens, operated by farmer Tom Heess, in the Salinas Valley, California on Thursday, June 16, 2011. Leafy Greens grows row crops of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower sweet peas and seed beans. He uses rotational crop plantings to control weeds and plant disease. When a plot of land is at rest, he plants a cover crop of barley and rye grass because the roots hold the topsoil reducing erosion of the soil. He is converting his irrigation system from conventional sprinklers (seen) to micro irrigation. Where one system produces runoff and erosion of the soil; the other has little or no erosion, less maintenance, easy harvest and less water is needed. When seasonal rains produce runoff, the silt that flows with it is caught in sediment ponds (left and right of pathway). The ponds have grass, bushes and trees to hold the structure and allow the silt to settle. Spillways lead to holding ponds and eventually the Salinas River, a tributary of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. So far, because of its design and efficiency, no water has made it to the river. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Question by pickle head: Phelps and his Bong. Isn’t there more important news to cover then that?
Gee, Phelps is a Super Champion who smokes some weed … is that as bad as the situation in California?
Or the Global Economic Crisis?
Or the Droughts in the Western US and now in Virgina that will reduce crops this year?
and what’s going on since Hurricane Ike?
What about the Layoffs and Business Closures? Any personal stories to cover?
Tent Cities springing up across America because people are becoming homeless at an alarming rate?
Naaa … we get to pick on a kid for smoking some pot. Wow. Never mind his achievements … lets hang his reputation from the highest tree, for gosh sake!
Anybody care that Russia and other nations are Bartering for goods instead of Trade with money, lately? Naa … pick on the kid.
Dijjah see the size of that Bong?!!! OMG!
Your thoughts?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
There are plenty of other things that are worth reporting and are being reported about. But one of Americans favorite pasttimes is to put someone on a pedestal and then tear them down. The Phelps story does two things. It distracts people from the other horrific stories in the news today, and it gives anti-drug people a chance to be sanctimonious.
mommanuke
February 20, 2012 at 10:47 am
Leave it to the media to rip apart someone with any fame.
I could see people getting pissed if he had been tampering with steroids to enhance his performance at the Olympics.
Even President Obama admitted to smoking weed through college and look where he’s at.
fainstl
February 20, 2012 at 11:46 am
Yes, I was just thinking about that to myself. But I was thinking about the whole Jessica Simpson and her weight gain. Go figure. The economy is in terrible trouble and the media is focused on someone gaining a little weight.
purplestar
February 20, 2012 at 12:03 pm
The “kid” just vomited away an endorsement contract with Kellogg Co. He has a Visa credit card that will likely be reviewed in the near term. The story is important to a sports manic nation who allows these athlete deadbeats to pickup $ 5 Million a year in endorsement contracts.
thomas p
February 20, 2012 at 1:02 pm
He was at a party after winning the most gold medals ever, your bound to take a toke or two. But too each his own, now him loosing his sponsors, i find that okay because its in his contracts to behave in accordance to such contracts. And he wouldnt be a such a world class athlete if he was dabbling in drugs all the time so you know its an occasional use, at least i would think.
Pacifront87
February 20, 2012 at 2:00 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Serial killers don’t get as much negative publicity as Phelps. I’d like to know if there is anyone of his generation who has not smoked weed at least once. and if we want to condeem and predict anyone one who smoked pot has ruined their career let’s take a look at the President of the United States who seems to have overcome his youthful mistakes. According to his book, when he was young, his drugs were much more serious than Phelps’. The media needs to get over it.
Rusty
February 20, 2012 at 2:21 pm