Magic Mushrooms

I LOVE this guy's photos of mushrooms. He takes wonderful photos of other things, but the mushroom photos really are magical. Check it out:

Start with this gallery and go from there: http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/151440721nAWqqy

International Agreements

This is what happens when a country tries do serve two masters - its own consitution and legislature and a treaty with other countries which doesn't take into account possible future developments. It will happen to Costa Rica if the people vote to accept CAFTA.

The "SI" for CAFTA campaign has already spent millions in all out advertising. The "no" for CAFTA people have to resort to grafiti and guerilla advertising. The poles show "si" is ahead by a very small margin. This could be a time of testing the country's sovereignty.

clipped from adsfree01.mail.com The Tocqueville Connection Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:33 AM PDT PARIS, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - France is planning a freeze on commercial genetically modified crops, which cover less than one percent of farmland in Europe's top agricultural producer, Le Monde newspaper reported on Thursday. The Tocqueville Connection Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:36 AM PDT BRUSSELS, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - A total freeze on commercial genetically modified crops, such as France may be considering, is not allowed under EU rules, the European Commission said Friday.

Army Tests Brains of Men Going into Combat

The press has done a mediocre job at reporting the numbers of soldiers kiled, but has somehow not been able to pick up on the terrible tragedy of the numbers of Brain Damaged men returning from combat. Some of this brain damage takes the shape of a personality disorder and the men and women are being misdiagnosed. But brain damage at any level can produce personality changes which make these people dangerous to society.

clipped from news.yahoo.com By KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer Wed Sep 19, 9:16 PM ET It's all part of a fledgling Army program that records how soldiers' brains work when healthy, giving doctors baseline data to help diagnose and treat the soldiers if they suffer a traumatic brain injury — the signature injury of the Iraq war. The mandatory brain-function tests are starting with the 101st at Fort Campbell and are expected to spread to other military bases in the next couple of months One veterans group wants to ensure the Army doesn't use the results to deny treatment by claiming that soldiers' problems came from pre-existing conditions. Brain injuries caused by explosions have become some of the most common combat wounds suffered in Iraq. Thirty percent of soldiers taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center since 2003 suffered traumatic brain injuries, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center

Our Good Friends the Saudis

Lest we forget, Bin Laden is not Iraqui. He is Saudi and related to the ruling family. He is known to be in Afghanistan - not Iraq.

Saudi Arabia has refused to cut interest rates in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve for the first time, signalling that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom is preparing to break the dollar currency peg in a move that risks setting off a stampede out of the dollar across the Middle East

Hans Redeker, currency chief at BNP Paribas

"Saudi Arabia has $800bn (£400bn) in their future generation fund, and the entire region has $3,500bn under management. They face an inflationary threat and do not want to import an interest rate policy set for the recessionary conditions in the United States,"

The Saudi central bank said today that it would take "appropriate measures" to halt huge capital inflows into the country, but analysts say this policy is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to the collapse of the dollar peg

global investors will start to shun the US bond markets

The danger is that this could now accelerate

leaving America starved of

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Fears of dollar collapse as Saudis take fright By

Ben Bernanke

September 15 March on Washington

I have been hearing from so many organizations about this March, that it would appear they are all pinning hopes for a better, more peaceful, and more intelligent government on huge public demonstrations.

I've attended my share of demonstrations in my time. They are valuable in uniting people and reinforcing their commitments to change. The Bush government has been so paranoid that I worry quite a bit about how peacefully they will allow demonstrators to legally exercize their constitutional rights. Will they attempt to stop the marchers or will they infiltrate and try starting riots and other violent acts to all them to bring in the military for "control"? Or will they simply blind-side the public as they have been doing for years now with false information, fraudulent news coverage, and claims that the "terrorists" are very happy to see this kind of public outcry or that they are even responsible for it.

I'm old enough to remember Viet Nam. I remember that no matter what was going on, the government didn't actually take bold action to extricate itself from Viet Nam (and Cambodia) until the mass marches and demonstrations began. These were news stories that couldn't be covered up. Let's hope this Sept. 15 public march for peace and justice with honor brings the desired results. Will you be there?

For more information contact http://www.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=S15_homepage and http://www.impeachbush.org

GM Crops produce more trouble than food.

More and more countries and individuals are questioning the wisdom of testing GM crops in open field trials which would inevitably cause these modified crops to spread beyond the test fields. Only a very few would benefit to the detriment of the majority of humanity. No long-term, unbiased testing on the health and safety of these crops on human and animal life and on the environment have been undertaken.

clipped from etna.mcot.net BANGKOK, Aug 27 (TNA) – Nine tonnes of papaya were dumped at the gates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on the capital's stately Rajdamnoen Avenue Monday in protest of the ministry's plan to promote fruit allegedly grown as genetically modified organisms (GMO). Ms. Nutthawipa charged the ministry's promotion of GMO papaya was merely aimed to help a few firms at the cost of the country's fruit exports, because world markets will not accept GMO products. Rice Exporters Association chief Chukiat Ophatwong urged the government to call off all research and development projects on any GMO product because it would impact rice and other farm commodities bound for world export markets. (TNA)-E008

Ecological Paradise Being Destroyed Greed

Hotel and resort owners have been dumping sewage into the ocean for years despite warning from environmentalists. These businesses claim it is too expensive to install septic tanks and waste water treatment facilities despite obvious record profits. No environmental impact statements have been required nor has the government taken an interest in enforcing the laws dealing with all new construction projects. We need to inform our representatives in the assemblea that this kind of lawlessness will not be tolerated and will destroy Costa Rica's tourism industry if action is not taken promptly!

clipped from www.iol.co.za By John McPhaul San Jose, Costa Rica - A tropical algae thriving on fertilisers from hotel golf courses and badly treated sewage is killing one of Costa Rica's most important coastal reefs, scientists say. A tourism and construction boom along the palm tree-lined beaches is creating nitrogen- and phosphate-rich waste that feeds the algae, known as Caulerpa sertularioides, and Costa Rica is only just becoming aware of the problem. The algae is the latest challenge facing Costa Rican authorities as the Central American country struggles with conserving its unique tropical biodiversity while attracting tourists and marketing itself as an ecotourism paradise.

Rove and Cheney Flee Sinking Administration

SEPT. 15: In Central America this date marks Independence Day. In the United States the day will bring together the people who want to impeach Bush, end the war in Iraq, restore civil rights and the constitution, and abolish torture. Looks like a busy date to mark on your calendars!

clipped from www.impeachbush.org Thousands of Americans from around the country will join together to demand the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and insist on the immediate end to the war in Iraq. September 15th is the date General David Petraeus is mandated to make a report to Congress on the progress of the so-called surge. The eyes of the national and international media will be focused on Washington DC at that time. In the coming weeks we will be taking out newspaper ads, producing 500,000 leaflets, flyers, and stickers, and setting up outreach committees for the September 15th March in Washington all over the country. Click here for more information.

Does the Indian government really believe this stuff?

Sounds good at first reading, but then note the 200 meter isolation. This is nothing considering that both wind caried pollen and insect carried pollen will inevitably cross over a small area such as 200 meters. Contamination of nearby natural crops cannot be assured!

clipped from www.thehindu.com The field trials of Bt brinjal developed by Mahyco will be carried out under the direct supervision of the Director IIVR and would have to comply with the Supreme Court directions stating that all trials should have a lead scientist’s name who would be responsible for all aspects of the trial including regulatory requirements, an isolation of 200 metres would be maintained during field trials and before bringing the GM material from the green house for conduct of open field trial, the company should confirm that there has been no contamination. The two year trial will also include a flavour analysis of the product as it is a food crop.

GM Crops - Panacea or Pandora's Box

Aside from the unknown health and safety risks, one must ask, "Who owns the patents on these crops?. The patent holder will gain the power of life and death over any area in which people have become dependent on the GM crops. Cross fertilization with natural crops will prevent the survival of natural crops.

clipped from allafrica.com he debate on agricultural biotechnology in many African countries pit proponents who see it as a panacea to low yields against critics expressing attendant human health and environmental concerns.

How The USA Media Distorts the News!

Chavez is a super liberal. Maybe Chavez, the president of Venezuela, is even a Socialist. But he has apparently maintained a democratic government in Venezuela where his approval rating is very high. Venezuela has more freedom of speech and of the press than does the United States at this point in time. So why all these warped stories about the loss of civil rights in that country? Who is contolling the US media? Latin America a not concerned about Chavez' government, so why is the United States getting so bellicose about it? Who's in charge?

clipped from adsfree01.mail.com     Granier's most recent international organizing effort this year was also very successful. The international press glossed over RCTV's various attempts to help overthrow the government, reporting the dispute as an issue of "press freedom," and seemed unaware that such a TV station would not get a broadcast license in the U.S. or any other democratic country.

Dick Cheney speaks with forked tongue?

Dick Cheney interview after Dubya's daddy's Gulf War. Check out Moveon.org to see what you can do to help prevent doublespeak from becoming the new language of the United States.

clipped from pol.moveon.org

Another Conspiracy Theory?

It would be interesting if some actual facts about the poisoning could be sited. Who? How? When?

clipped from www.haaretz.com Arafat's doctor: His blood had HIV, but poison killed him Late Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat's blood contained the deadly HIV virus, Arafat's personal physician told Jordanian media over the weekend. Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi stressed, however, that Arafat did not die of AIDS Jordanian news site Amman quoted al-Kurdi - a former Jordanian health ministry official - as saying that the virus had been injected into Arafat's bloodstream close to his death, and that the real cause of the chairman's death was poison. Arab journalists and opinion-shapers have repeatedly accused Israel under former prime minister Ariel Sharon of poisoning Arafat.

July 4, 2007

Flying the Flag - a visual pun! Photo copyright Mary B. Thorman, 2007