But a closer look reveals something else - a vast semi-circular single terraced paddy field, which is locally known as Girgirla aring or field in the shape of a circle. A single aring measures more than five langdos (a langdo is the land area ploughed by a pair of bulls in a day) makes up more than half the paddy fields of Dangdung. The vastness of this single aring makes farmers feel tired even though they have worked on it for years. The water dried and people started cultivating in it,...

My, how things have changed! Several hundred people who attended last week's two-day conference in Ann Arbor on "The Role of Engaged Universities in Economic Transformation" were showered with the new reality of how central our research institutions are to the economic future of our troubled state. Sure, the University of Michigan was a darned good school, a nice place to go visit on sunny Saturdays for a football game. But it was way off there to the west, an ivy-clad touch of the ivy...

The ethanol from corn is a solution that is really effective if crude rises above $250 a barrel. The little improvement in trade balance due to rise in export is counterbalanced and then some by the rising imported crude bills. In the short run dollar can fall badly as Federal Reserve signals massive rate cuts to try and avoid a recession in 2008. As mortgage meltdown moves from subprime sector to prime, Bernanke sets out jumbo mortgage plan can it help in stopping the slow but steady...

The concept of the tapa has recently made its way into restaurants and cafes across the country, leaving Spanish food lovers with a WTF look on their faces. Other experts describe the origin of the tapa as relating to King Alfonso, known in history books as The Wise, who saw to it that food must be served with alcohol so that bar patrons would not get too drunk or sick. The food used to protect the precious libation from pests was called a tapa, literally translating to cover in Spanish....

The governor appoints eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state, to serve as a liaison between the department and public. Zone 1 includes the portion of North Dakota west of ND Highway 8 from the South Dakota border to the south shore of Lake Sakakawea, and south and west of ND Highway 1804 from the Montana border to a point where ND Highway 1804 lies directly across Lake Sakakawea from ND Highway 8. These public meetings, held each...

Some of the development is due to market participants' growing confidence that OPEC is now ready to help send prices down to a lower level. Saudi Arabia which has a strong influence in the organisation, being as the world's biggest oil supplier, announced at the week-end that OPEC will again consider an increase in production. However, the past few hours have knocked the price almost back to square one - oil has lost more than one per cent this morning. For corn the picture was moderately...