I’m going to be busy for the next week or so. Posting might be a little light. I will try to keep up on my reading though. But I’d hate to leave you empty handed so I’ll leave some interesting links to sites and headlines.

Leading Edge International Research Group. - This one could keep you busy for months. I have a feeling a few people will like this site.

IFI Watchnet

Bayer on Defensive in Bee Deaths

Militarism and a Uni-polar World

The Free Gaza Movement carrying aid to Palestinians in Gaza arrived safe and sound! 

Check out some pictures here.

An article from ABC news by Ibrahim Barzak here.

I’m a little worried about how this will go over though. They are vowing to return to Cyprus with 10 Palestinian students who were accepted to study abroad but were prevented from leaving Gaza. Imagine not being allowed to leave? Good luck to them and a brighter future.

…these freedoms?

Detention Camp Set Up For DNC Protestors and Mass Arrests:

I am supposed to pass this award:

to eight other bloggers that I think are Brillante.

I do not have the time to read all the blogs I’d like to, or comment on them them as often as I would like. Sometimes I just take in what they have written but don’t know enough to offer any input. And I feel silly just running around going, I liked your post, every time I read something.

Here are some of those blogs:

In no particular order:

1. Even though I just started reading The 59 Second Minute by Leapsecond, I know I’ll be back for more.

2. Dissfunktional another blog that I enjoy.

3. Stonehead from “Musings From a Stonehead”

4. Beyond the Blog by Anthony North

5. The Invisible Opportunity

6. I Choose Happiness

7. Dichotomous Mediocrity

8. Gary William Murning Online

To be honest. I got this award:
from Sulz on August 12th and had no idea how to post it. I’ll find out if it works when I publish this post.

Thank you ((((Sulz)))) I can always use a strong cup of coffee!

And another award from MusEditions.

You can see it there until I figure out how to post it. I’m supposed to pass it on and will be back to do so later.

Thank you, ((((Muse))))

If you don’t already know about the Free Gaza Movement. You can find their website here.

I was happy to see that the BBC is covering this. Thank you BBC, you rock!

Protest Boats Sail for Gaza Strip

At Yahoo, Michele Kambas (you both rock too!) writes this:

Activists Sail to Bust Israeli Sea Blockade on Gaza

Of couse Uruknet.info (hugs) was there all along:

A Statement to the Press From the Free Gaza Movement.

More Headlines:

‘Free Gaza’ Boats Set Sail From Cyprus to Gaza

Israel Trying to Dissuade Anti-Siege Boats From Reaching Gaza

Activists Determined to Break Gaza Blockade Despite Threats

Israel to Treat Gaza Peace Boats ‘Like Pirates’

Threats and Intimidation

The world is watching this one. Finally. They need our support. They need our voices.

Another sad day for for Palestinians:

Source of Gaza’s Contaminated Water Confirmed.

How Do You Not Write a Book?

Have you ever thought one thing, felt so firm in your belief, and then you read something that makes you ask:
What if? What if I am wrong? What if we both are? What if they really think they are doing the right thing? Or it IS the right thing? That happens to me all the time.

The thing is there are so many topics, inter twined. So many things happening. So many what ifs, that it would take a book to cover it all. And I have one post. A post that people might want to read. And if it is too long, my efforts might be wasted. If you wanted a book, you’d pick one up.

I don’t know where to begin. What one topic should I pick out of the multitudes?

Let’s take for example: our food.

That’s a real thorn in my side. I’d like to scream from the top of my lungs to leave our food alone. Stop playing God. (I shouldn’t say God, because it has nothing to do with that. It is control and money) It was all good, back when animals ate what they were supposed to. When they weren’t given injections. When they weren’t factory farmed. And yes, I GET it. There are so many people that someone had to step in because they have to raise more animals…quicker, bigger, cheaper.

That’s when science steps in to save the day and what happens? Mad Cow. Disease. Dairy products affected too. Eggs. Animals were fed other animal parts, and foods that they weren’t meant to eat.

Now they have banned that type of feed. Yet. somehow, we still have mad cow after all these years.

They are given injections to speed growth, to fight infection. In walks the  C - diff problem, which DUH even I knew was caused by over use of anti-biotics but they had to pay all these people to test and yes, it was the cause. It’s not like they didn’t know it does the same thing to people, so why not an animal?
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/18/7121/
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061003/difficile_meat_061003/20061003?hub=Health

Our crops. Let’s see. They grew fine before. But again we needed more. Fast. Where did it get us? Science came up with another great one. GM crops. disease resistant! We’re going to save the world! Yipee. That means no more hunger, right?

Right?

Are you trying to tell me after all these years those countries still have hungry people? You mean to tell me
with all that funding people are dying because they have no food? Hmmmm….it wasn’t for the starving people? But it made many people rich. Chemical companies now control most of our food supply and seed companies.
http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=government+funding+GM+food&go=&form=QBRE

I read that it really hasn’t made a difference anywhere. Not in some childs hungry belly. Not with the farmers crops. Not where it counts most. To make things even more confusing, introducing…genetically modified food. Next, the terminator seed. The seed that does not reproduce. WTF? We want to save world hunger by using a seed that will never reproduce.
Am I missing something?

But WE ARE GOING TO SAVE THE WORLD! Huh?
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/index.asp?page_id=583
http://www.muzammal.clara.net/gmhunger.html
http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=gm-47#gm-47

There isn’t enough food in the world, but we are going to take farmland, spray it with loads of chemicals and use way too much water for our fuel.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/410666/ethanol_production_creates_water_health.html

Family farms are squeezed out of the picture with restrictions and costs they can’t absorb. Why?

Our governments do their utmost best to avoid this issue. I can see why. They are allowing corporations to wreak havoc on our food and using us as test animals. Even worse, look at what they have been putting the animals themselves through.

So when you read the headlines this year alone, about the outbreaks of all kinds. Remember to ask your local politician about it. And when they tell you they will ask for more inspections, why not ask if they will instead, try to get to the root of the problem. Why not ask them why whistle-blowers are fired or reprimanded, when they should have been awarded for saving lives, for doing their job?
http://www.healthcoalition.ca/whistle-petition.pdf
http://list.web.net/archives/sludgewatch-l/2007-May/002424.html
http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/634109964/m/2841951028

Ask them why we still have mad cow when the feed was banned. Ask them why chemical companies have more say and control than the people and the farmers. Ask them about Percy.
http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=gm-47#gm-47

And now we have the bees. And this disease. A disease? But what kind of a disease is it? It’s from chemicals? Noooo!
Even when the organic bees remained unaffected by this, they still had to study this. And ponder on what the cause was. Without bees, we are screwed people.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5194.cfm
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=355

Oh, but no worries. Science and our government will step in and save the day. Franken factory grown meat. Food made in a lab. All safe and stuff, because you know, we are looking out for you. Just like we did before we ruined the food supply.

http://invitromeat.org/content/view/15/34/

Yes, I am a wee bit angry when I see where this is headed.

And then I read something that makes me re-think my position.

Because there may come a day when we really do need these lab grown foods to survive. It may not be because they already ruined what was fine in the first place. It may be climate change. It may be nuclear war. They might actually save millions of people who would otherwise starve. So, I won’t say that science is all bad. That we do need to test and prepare for things like this.

But why now? Why not do these tests and save it for when it is needed. Why ruin an already good thing? If all
this science was a good thing, then why are there so many hungry people? Why are there countries without food and people here in the west having trouble keeping food on the table.

This was supposed to be a good thing. I remember the headlines. I just haven’t been able to see the good side yet. I see more food allergies, recalls, diseased crops, low yields.  Diseased people.

Oh…I didn’t check the bank statements of these companies.

OK, I GET IT NOW.

People are being forced to use terminator seeds?
http://www.organicconsumers.org/patent/iraq111704.cfm
And the world leaders say what? I’m still waiting…

More Gems:

http://todayyesterdayandtomorrow.wordpress.com/
http://www.factoryfarm.org/?page_id=19
http://allafrica.com/sustainable/resources/view/00010161.pdf
http://thebeaddenshowto.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/ethanol-is-it-good-for-your-engine/
http://livingliberally.org/eating/
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20021004&slug=seed04
http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25738

I don’t know if it is related or not. But in our are there has been a large spring up of sod farms and farming land that wasn’t used before. Now we have a crap load of dead fish.

We seriously have to re-think the use of chemicals before it is too late.

They can’t blame everything on the small farm cow shit. It has much to to with industry , sludge, run-off and chemicals. We’re not as stupid as they want us to be.

I can’t stop laughing. This guy is great! There are loads more videos of him at youtube. Enjoy!

Yet we ignore one of the commandments: Thou shall not kill?

Oh and thou shall not lie.

Thou shall not steal.

Thou shall not covet.

Can you have it both ways? I guess so. And people aren’t questioning this preaching. Just being led blindly by someone ignoring the most important rules of religion.

And they wonder why so many people are leaving the church….

The other day we watched a Styx concert on television playing with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra from Cleveland. What a concert! I kept looking at their faces and noticing how much fun they were having. They were spectacular and I bet it will be something they will never forget.

This link will take you to a page where you can watch or listen to some of the concert. Just look at the smiles. I would have liked to have been there in person.