Yearly Archives: 2012

On “Sluts” and Limbaugh

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Why ‘Slut’ Stings: Etymology of a Limbaugh Controversy

Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 06 March 2012 Time: 01:59 PM ET
SlutWalk London march with a banner.
Reclaiming ‘slut’? Women march in London in 2011, protesting the idea that women invite assault and harassment by dressing ‘slutty.’
CREDIT: Padmayogini / Shutterstock.com

 

(NOTE:   I do believe that Al Franken’s description of Rush Limbaugh as “A Big Fat Idiot” is correct, and Limbaugh’s most recent gaffe seems finally to have brought that realization to others, including radio stations and sponsors.  Hopefully it can shake up some of those right wing, self-satisfied, do-(not so)gooders who left their brains where they could be scooped up and collected and controlled.)

The media stir and public outrage over conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh’s “slut statement” may have the conservative radio host eating his words — ancient words, that is. According to linguists, the word “slut” has quite a history.

Last week, Limbaugh triggered widespread outrage by calling a Georgetown law student who spoke out for contraceptive coverage in insurance a “slut” and a “prostitute.”

Limbaugh has since apologized for his “choice of words,” but his critics, including Fluke, do not see that apology as sincere. Meanwhile, at least a dozen advertisers have yanked their ads from Limbaugh’s show, and a Hawaii-based radio station has announced it will no longer air his show.

Limbaugh’s brand of intentionally inflammatory radio rhetoric has won him decades on air and millions of listeners. He’s said that Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, exaggerated his symptoms in a 2006 commercial, and he once joked that then-13-year-old Chelsea Clinton was the “White House dog.” But with his “slut” comments, Limbaugh seems to have stepped into a controversy with a long linguistic history.

The origins of the word slut are lost to time, but English poet Geoffrey Chaucer gets credit for being one of the first to put it in print, calling a sloppy male character “sluttish” in the late 1300s.

But if slut ever widely referred to men, it didn’t last long. By the 1400s, the word was being used to described kitchen maids and sloppy, dirty women. The sexual connotations followed not long behind.

The Oxford English dictionary serves up a variety of cringe-inducing examples, from the 1621 work “The Anatomy of Melancholy,” which refers to “a peevish drunken flurt, a waspish cholerick slut,” to a character in Charles Dickens’ “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” calling another a “slut, a hussy, an impudent artful hussy!”

The word’s associations with dirt and filth continue in phrases like “slut’s wool,” more genially known as “dust bunnies,” and “slut’s-hole,” a word once used to refer to garbage receptacles.

Beyond the sting of slut, Limbaugh’s comments have also drawn controversy because of the message behind the words. Limbaugh’s target, Fluke, was speaking on the hot-button topic of businesses run by religious institutions providing contraception coverage.

This issue came bundled with other big news about reproductive health, including a bill in Virginia mandating ultrasounds for women seeking abortions and  the failed Blunt Amendment, an attempt in the U.S. Senate to ensure that employers can opt out of covering health care, especially birth control, that goes against their religious or moral beliefs. With these efforts at the forefront, Limbaugh’s remarks provided a spark for outrage.

But the word slut has also had its day in the sun. Last year, Canadian women started a protest called “SlutWalk,” in response to a policeman saying that women should “avoid dressing like sluts” in order to avoid sexual assault.

“Historically, the term ‘slut’ has carried a predominantly negative connotation. Aimed at those who are sexually promiscuous, be it for work or pleasure, it has primarily been women who have suffered under the burden of this label,” protest organizers wrote on their website, SlutWalk Toronto. “And whether dished out as a serious indictment of one’s character or merely as a flippant insult, the intent behind the word is always to wound, so we’re taking it back. ‘Slut’ is being re-appropriated.”

The protests, which quickly went international, sparked a conversation about whether the word is beyond redemption. But if Limbaugh’s continued hemorrhage of advertisers, even after an apology, is any indication, the word slut is far from redeemed.

http://www.livescience.com/18864-slut-limbaugh-controversy.html

This Weird Winter Weather

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Why Much of North America Skipped Winter

Wynne Parry, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 06 March 2012 Time: 05:14 PM ET
Cherry blossoms on March 4, a sign of early spring in Brooklyn.
Cherry blossoms on March 4, a sign of early spring in Brooklyn.
CREDIT: Wynne Parry

For parts of North America, this winter was the winter that nearly wasn’t.

January ranked as the fourth-warmest for the 48 U.S. states on record since 1895. December, too, was above average, although not as significantly. The final analysis for February is not yet in, but weather watchers expect last month to rank above average temperature-wise as well.

Of course, this year hasn’t brought early beach weather for everyone; just ask residents of Alaska and Europe, where a frigid cold snap is blamed for hundreds of deaths. And the warmth has been blamed for contributing to the slew of devastating tornadoes that hit the Midwest and southern U.S. on Friday (March 2).

While scientists have said that global warming willcause an uptick in extreme weather, they are hesitant to link any one event or even an unusual season to climate change. Even so, they say, global warming may play a role in the weird winter weather.

The jet stream

The key to understanding the unusually warm winter lies in the jet stream. It is made up of high-altitude, westerly winds. Its polar branch, the one important for determining winter weather, travels over the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere in winter, according to Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at the weather service and news site Weather Underground.

The polar jet stream divides cold Arctic air to the north from warmer air to the south. This year, meteorologists say, the jet stream has kept the cold air bottled up farther north than usual.

As a result, warmer-than-usual temperatures this year have graced much of the United States, particularly in New England, the Great Lakes and the Upper Plains, according to Mark Paquette, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com. Southern Canada, too, has gotten its share of mild winter weather

The polar jet stream is influenced by natural patterns, the most prominent being fluctuations in the Northern Annular Mode, also called the Arctic Oscillation. When the mode is in its so-called positive phase, air pressure over the far north remains low, leading to a stronger jet stream. This keeps the cold Arctic air bottled up to the north. The negative phase, meanwhile, is associated with a weaker, meandering jet that allows cold air to spill south.

Reversals

Until late January, the mode was in its positive phase, resulting in warmer temperatures farther north.

But a reversal of phase allowed the jet stream to meander some, and let Arctic cold air move down into Eastern Europe. The result was a cold snap that is blamed for killing hundreds.

The mode has shifted again since then. In fact, a strong jet stream contributed to the tornados that hit the south and the Midwest last week, as did the arrival of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, according to Masters, who discusses the tornados on his blog.

La Niña and the future

Another large-scale atmospheric pattern, one related to temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is also at play. This winter La Niña, associated with cooler water temperatures in the Pacific, has been in effect. La Niña is typically associated with drier-than-normal conditions for the southern and eastern U.S. — largely consistent with precipitation this winter, according to Deke Arndt, chief of the climate monitoring branch at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Boulder, Colo.

“The dryness looks like what we would expect with La Niña, the warmth we saw is consistent with the positive Arctic Oscillation,” Arndt said. “The two of them tougher, all else being equal, would tend to produce a warmer and drier winter, especially east of the Rockies.”

Paquette predicts an end to this trend. “Mother Nature or weather patterns have a way of evening themselves out. I think it only matter of time before this mild dry pattern flips and we get into a much different weather pattern.”

from:    http://www.livescience.com/18877-mild-winter-weather.html

X5 Class Solar Eruption

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MAJOR SOLAR FLARE: Big sunspot AR1429 has unleashed another major flare. This one is the strongest yet, an X5-class eruption on March 7th at 00:28 UT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme UV flash:

This eruption hurled a bright CME into space, shown here in a movie from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Although the CME is not squarely Earth-directed, it appears direct enough to deliver a glancing blow to our planet’s magnetic field on March 8-9. This would add to the magnetic unrest already underway at high latitudes.

The flare also accelerated energetic protons toward Earth, triggering an S3-class solar radiation storm, in progress. Such a storm is mainly a nuisance to satellites, causing occasional reboots of onboard computers and adding noise to imaging systems.

fr/spaceweather.com

On Alchemical Symbols

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Ancient Alchemy Symbols and
Universal Meanings

Ancient Alchemy Symbols and their oft times cryptic meanings began out of necessity as alchemists disguised their practices from the hugely powerful European church. At the height of its practice, alchemy was considered heretical craft by the church, punishable by death (or worse, torture). The church body at the time viewed alchemy as a way for the practitioner to ascend to salvation outside of the “traditional” church methodology.

Although ancient alchemy symbols were born out of this necessity, the foundation of alchemical practice is based on inner transformation and the achievement of that transformation. As a means for this transmutation, the alchemist utilized the changing properties of matter in addition to the philosophical meanings of the symbols themselves.

The very act of turning base metals to gold is a symbol of (wo)mans ascension and achievement of enlightenment. All things, no matter how banal, hold deeper spiritual symbolic meaning to the alchemist in all of us.

Below are some ancient alchemy symbols and their meanings.

Alchemical Abracadabra Symbol Abracadabra:
This is a Cabalistic charm with origins from Hebrew initials of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is an ancient alchemy symbol used for an antidote for illness and used to augment healing. This phrase was written on parchment and suspended from then neck by a thread in the triangular form seen here.
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Alchemy Aleph Symbol Aleph:
This ancient alchemy symbol is derived from the “Secret Tradition” or the Cabala. The Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and is the spiritual root of all harmony.
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Alchemy Caduceus Sign Caduceus:
Also symbolic of Mercury, the Caduceus is a figure of two serpents wrapped around a center rod. The rod is a symbol of transforming alchemical power. The two serpents represent polarity or duality. Together with the sprouted wings depict the caduceus having an alchemical meaning of balance, duality and following the alchemical process leading to unity. The caduceus is also seen in medical circles. This is a logical match as the caduceus calls for unity and balance on an internal level and is hailed as a symbol for healing.
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Alchemy Cube Symbol Cube:
The cube represents the earth in Pythagorean, Indian, and Platonic traditions. In Egypt, the Pharaoh is often depicted sitting on a cubic throne. In India, many statues of deities are shown standing on a cube – one under each foot. It is understood as a building block of all simple matter – and it is also understood that within it supernatural possibilities abound. Therefore cube represents the earth from which the spiritual king comes forth. The symbolic meaning of number four may also help you understand this symbol further.
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Alchemical Ergon Symbol Ergon:
This is the spiritual ancient alchemy symbol for the right eye of the soul, by which it looks to the eternal. This symbol allows focus on higher, finer spiritual vibrations. It also ascertains the infinite nature of our soul, and our capability to tap into the infinite universe.
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Alchemical Fire Fire:
“That which the fire operates is alchemy, whether in the kitchen or in the universe” as stated by the alchemical forefather Paracelsus 1493-1541. More specifically this ancient alchemy symbol represents divine energy, purification, revelation, and transformation. As such, fire was (and still is) an important sign in the alchemist’s arsenal of emblems. .
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Alchemicy Symbol for Moon Moon:
Alchemically speaking, the moon represents Silver, the Lesser Work, or Mercury. It conjoins with the sun, or Gold in the Greater Work. In more practical terms, the moon represents fertility, resurrection, occult power, immortality and intuition. The moon is a feminine property and alchemists would incorporate it with the sun (gold) to assure balance. 
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Alchemy Symbol for Peacock Tail Peacock Tail:
Near the end of the alchemical Operation this symbol would appear. Its many-colored surface on molten metals heralded the nearness of the final stage of transformation. Further, when the alchemical Operation came to this point, the volatile parts of the residue were transcended, and the peacock, as all winged creatures, symbolized changeability. Thus the peacock’s spiritual representation is that of smooth transition.
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Alchemy Pentacle Symbol Pentacle:
Quite the opposite of its unfortunate reputation, the pentacle is a symbol of harmony, health and mystic powers. The Pythagoreans adopted it as a sign of health and the marriage of heaven and earth. As a sign of heaven, earth, as well as human body and mind, the pentacle holds great power. So much so, that it was used as a protective emblem among alchemists and magicians alike. Specifically, alchemists would press this symbol on hermetic books to emphasize the knowledge within as being protected and sacred.
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Alchemy Quincunx Symbol Quincunx:
An arrangement of five figures within a square. Historically, it has infused the worlds of nature, man and the stars. As an ancient alchemy symbol, it represents the whole being more than the sum of its parts. In the alchemical mineral world, the quincunx occurs in the formation of metals, in atomic structures. Additionally the quincunx represents (wo)man’s ability to cross from four to five his/her nature. Meaning we all possess the four levels of physical matter (stone, plant, animal, man) and we are able to ascend from these four elements to the final fifth – which is godlike or enlightened stature.
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Alchemy Symbol of the Rosey Window Rose Windows:
Gothic circular windows, shaped like a rose – mostly seen in stained glass in cathedrals. Designed by Chartres, a master craftsman, this stained glass was made from a secret recipe using antimony. The windows have a transformational effect on the contemplator. Essentially a dodecahedron, this symbol is connected with the ether, or the fifth element. By viewing it as a mandala, the rose window brings about an altered state of perception, allowing the observer to tap into the ethereal planes.
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Alchemy Sun Symbol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sun:
The ancient alchemy symbol of gold. Worshipped in many cultures, specifically Egypt where Amon-Ra was personified by the evening sun setting at the end of the creative process. Alchemists understood the process of creation, and utilized the symbol of the sun to focus on creating desired effects in their practice – both physically and philosophically

 

from:    http://www.whats-your-sign.com/ancient-alchemy-symbols.html

Incoming CME 3/6

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STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY: Solar activity is now high. Big sunspot AR1429, which emerged on March 2nd, is crackling with strong flares. This morning brought the strongest so far–an X1-class eruption on March 5th at 0413 UT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

Update: The explosion also hurled a bright CME into space. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME will probably miss Earth, although it will hit Mercury and Venus. An animated forecast track shows the likely progression of the cloud.

Even if this CME misses, high-latitude sky watchers should still be alert for auroras in the nights ahead. An M2-class eruption from the same sunspot on March 4th produced another, wider CME that might yet intersect Earth. The cloud is expected to deliver a glancing blow to our planet’s magnetic field on March 6th at 04:30 UT (+/- 7 hr).

fr/spaceweather.com

Mars Approaches

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CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS: Today, Mars is at its closest to Earth for 2012. The Red Planet is only 101 million km away and shines about six times brighter than a 1st magnitude star. Look for it in the eastern sky at sunset. The burnt-orange color of Mars is very distinctive, especially when seen from rural areas with clear skies.

fr/spaceweather.com

Earthquake — San Francisco

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Moderate earthquake in the San Fransisco Bay Area (epicenter at East Richmond Heights)

Last update: March 5, 2012 at 3:47 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.0
UTC Time : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 13:33:12 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 05:33:12 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 8.8 km  (5.5 miles)
Geo-location(s) :
2 km (1 miles) N (1°) from El Cerrito, CA
2 km (1 miles) SE (137°) from East Richmond Heights, CA
4 km (2 miles) E (96°) from Richmond, CA
7 km (4 miles) NNW (341°) from Berkeley, CA   


 

Update 14:55 UTC
– El Cerrito police reported not having received any damage or injury reports.
– An aftershock was reported near the epicenter about 30 minutes later.
– Luckily, still NO reports of damage or injuries

Update 14:41 UTC
BART trains were halted temporarily and service soon resumed.

Update 14:40 UTC
Coordinates released by the U.S. Geological Survey place the epicenter at the Mira Vista Golf and Country Club along the Hayward Fault, which runs through the East Bay hills. The Hayward Fault is considered by many seismologists to be a prime candidate for a major earthquake. The 2010 update of the report, “On Shaky Ground,” by the Association of Bay Area Governments, reported that there’s an estimated 62 percent probability of a destructive quake of magnitude 6.7 or greater in the Bay Area in the years 2003-2032.

Update 14:32 UTC

Update 14:29 UTC
– Based on the current reported shaking values, earthquake-report.com does not expect to see major damage during this earthquake. We do not exclude cracks in walls, objects falling from shelves etc.

Update 14:24 UTC
– The fault line were today’s earthquake took place is the same as the one which was responsible for a number of other quakes from the preceding months.

Update 14:10 UTC
– 27,000 people will have experienced a strong shaking (East Richmond Heights and El Cerrito)
– 276,000 people a moderate shaking (MMI V) (Kensington, Albany, El Sobrante and Richmond)

– This earthquake will probably not lead to any damage but it surely must have been scary so early in the morning

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/03/05/moderate-earthquake-in-the-san-fransisco-bay-area/

Earthquake New Delhi Area — India

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Moderate earthquake in Northern India (greater New Delhi area)

Last update: March 5, 2012 at 8:41 am by By 

 

Earthquake overview : At 13:11 (1:11 PM), a moderate earthquake struck the greater New Delhi area.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.8 to 5.2
UTC Time : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 07:41:06 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 01:11:06 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 19.1 km
Geo-location(s) :
48 km (30 miles) WNW (296°) from NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
93 km (58 miles) WSW (257°) from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India

Update 08:33 UTC
This is one of the strongest earthquakes in the Delhi region since 2007 and 2011 when a Mb=4.7 earthquake and ML=4.3 earthquakes respectively  struck the region causing minor damage and widespread panic.

Update 08:28 UTC
The strongest known earthquakes in the Delhi region include the M6.0 Khurja-Bulandshahr earthquake on 10 October 1956..
The M6.0 Gurgaon earthquake on 27 August 1960
The Mb=5.6 Moradabad earthquake on 15 August 1966.
Historically, the 15 July 1720  earthquake in the Delhi region caused the greatest damage in the city causing many deaths and widespread damage including knocking down large parts of the Shaharepanah (city wall) in Old Delhi from Kabuli Gate to Lal Darwaza and the battlements of the Fatehpuri Masjid according to ASC.
Delhi can also be subjected to shaking from large Himalayan Quakes.

Update 08:23 UTC
Reported shaking in our own site and in relevant other sites are showing a maximum light shaking near the epicenter and a weak to very weak shaking until several hundred km distance from the epicenter.

Epicenter location and area

Update 08:18 UTC
Closest city to the epicenter is Sampla. The epicenter location calculation has always an error margin, but eventual damage (cracks in walls are possible) has to be searched in the direct vicinity of this location

Update 08:12 UTC
Earthquake-Report.com is calling this earthquake MODERATELY dangerous as minor damage and injuries cannot be excluded.

Update 08:00 UTC
Based on the data we are currently evaluating, the magnitude can be called moderate

– Preliminary reports are talking of a Magnitude of 4.8 to 5.2 at a depth of 10 km. This report has to be confirmed though

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/03/05/moderate-earthquake-in-northern-india-greater-new-delhi-area/

 

Huge UK Fireball 3/03

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Massive Fireball Witnessed Over The UK By Countless Observers

by ADRIAN WEST on MARCH 4, 2012

A large meteor seen in the sky over the UK, near a rainbow light display. Credit: Mike Ridley. mikeridleyphotography.com

On the evening of March 3rd 2012 at approximately 21:40 GMT, an incredibly bright fireball/bollide was seen over the United kingdom.

Many people were outside enjoying a clear evening under the stars, or going about their ordinary business when they spotted the amazingly bright object shooting across the sky. Nearly all of the observations from the public from across much of the country described the object as a very bright fireball traveling from north to south and disappearing low in the sky.

The image above is from Mike Ridley, who said, “I was out tonight photographing the global rainbow display at Whitly Bay and saw this bright light hurtling across the sky. I quickly turned the camera to capture it as it flew overhead. With the naked eye I could see it white hot with an orange tail & really low in the sky. I thought it was a massive firework rocket.”

See two videos of the fireball, below.

Most accounts give a duration of around 10 to 15 seconds and the fireball showed a bright orange nucleus with a bright green tail. There was some fragmentation as the fireball ploughed through the atmosphere.

At present, it is unknown whether any pieces of the object survived and hit Earth’s surface, but there is a high possibility that if it did, it landed in the ocean.

from:    http://www.universetoday.com/93964/massive-fireball-witnessed-over-the-uk-by-countless-observers/

Bill Gates Do-Goodnik or Just Another Agenda?

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Bill Gates: One of the World’s Most Destructive Do-Gooders?

Posted By Dr. Mercola | March 04 2012 | 92,532 views

Story at-a-glance

  • Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, aims to end world hunger by growing more genetically engineered food crops—a philanthropic plan that may be gullible at best, and destructive at worst, both to the environment and humanity
  • Monsanto and other biotech companies have collaborated with the Gates Foundation via the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to promote the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in Africa
  • Gates supports the use of Golden Rice, which has been genetically modified to produce beta-carotene that your body can convert to vitamin A. It’s promoted as a way to alleviate vitamin A deficiency, which is common in developing countries. However, beta carotene is fat soluble, and many third-world inhabitants eat a very low-fat diet, which would seriously impede or block the conversion.
  • According to one study, a woman would have to consume 16 pounds of Golden Rice per day to get the recommended amount of vitamin A; a child would have to eat 12 pounds, raising serious doubts about the usefulness of this invention

 

By Dr. Mercola

Above, ABC’s “Nightline,” Bill Weir talks with Microsoft founder Bill Gates about his charitable endeavors.

Gates’ latest plan is to try to end world hunger by growing more genetically modified (GM) crops.

He’s already invested $27 million into Monsanto Company—leading some countries to reject his charity due to the high risks, such as:

  • New disease vectors
  • Mutated pesticide-resistant insects
  • Resistant “superweeds”
  • Contamination of surrounding non-GM crops

We already know how deeply entrenched the U.S. government has become with Monsanto.

For a visual illustration of their ‘revolving-door-relationship’ with the governmental regulatory agencies, see the graph toward the bottom of this article.

It is this type of government infiltration that allowed genetically engineered alfalfa to be approvedwithout any restrictions at all, despite the protests of the organic community and public comments from a quarter of a million concerned citizens.

In Bill Gates, Monsanto also has one of the wealthiest and most influential “philanthropists” supporting their agenda and spreading misleading propaganda about their products.

In recent years, it has become disappointingly clear that Gates may be leading the pack as one of the most destructive “do-gooders” on the planet… His views on what is required to make a difference in poverty- and disease-stricken third world nations are short-sighted and misinformed at best. A recent article in the Seattle Times1 joins me in arguing that Bill Gates’ support of genetically modified (GM) crops as a solution for world hunger is based on unsound science. A team of 900 scientists funded by the World Bank and United Nations, investigated the matter over the course of three years, and determined that the use of GM crops is simply NOT a meaningful solution to the complex situation of world hunger.

Instead, the scientists suggested that “agro-ecological” methods would provide the most viable means to ensure global food security, including the use of traditional seed varieties and local farming practices already adapted to the local ecology.

“Philanthropy is the Enemy of Justice”

In a recent article with the same headline, “Philanthropy is the Enemy of Justice”, Robert Newman criticizes2 the choice of Bill Gates as the designated “voice” of the world’s poor at the World Economic Forum, held in January.

“Am I saying that philanthropy has never done good? No, it has achieved many wonderful things… But beware the havoc that power without oversight and democratic control can wreak,” Newman writes.

“The biotech agriculture that Lord Sainsbury was unable to push through democratically he can now implement unilaterally, through his Gatsby Foundation. We are told that Gatsby’s biotech project aims to provide food security for the global south. But if you listen to southern groups such as the Karnataka State Farmers of India, food security is precisely the reason they campaign against GM, because biotech crops are monocrops which are more vulnerable to disease and so need lashings of petrochemical pesticides, insecticides and fungicides – none of them cheap – and whose ruinous costs will rise with the price of oil, bankrupting small family farms first. Crop diseases mutate, meanwhile, and all the chemical inputs in the world can’t stop disease wiping out whole harvests of genetically engineered single strands.

Both the Gatsby and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundations are keen to get deeper into agriculture, especially in Africa. But top-down nostrums for the rural poor don’t end well.”

I agree. Donating patented seeds, which takes away the farmers’ sovereignty, is not the way to save the third-world poor. As reported by Netline last year3, Monsanto and other biotech companies have collaborated with the Gates Foundation via the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to promote the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in Africa. The Gates Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to AGRA, and in 2006 Robert Horsch was hired for the AGRA project. Horsch was a Monsanto executive for 25 years. In a nutshell, the project may be sold under the banner of altruism and ‘sustainability’, but in reality it’s anything but. It’s just a multi-billion dollar enterprise to transform Africa into a GM-crop-friendly continent.

Conflicts of Interest Abound

Gates’ philanthropic methods came under scrutiny back in August 2010, when it was discovered that The Gates Foundation had purchased 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock; dramatically increasing its previous holdings—and hence its financial conflicts of interest—in the biotech firm. AGRA-Watch commented on the ties stating4:

“The Foundation’s direct investment in Monsanto is problematic on two primary levels,” said Dr. Phil Bereano, University of Washington Professor Emeritus and recognized expert on genetic engineering.

“First, Monsanto has a history of blatant disregard for the interests and well-being of small farmers around the world, as well as an appalling environmental track record. The strong connections to Monsanto cast serious doubt on the Foundation’s heavy funding of agricultural development in Africa and purported goal of alleviating poverty and hunger among small-scale farmers. Second, this investment represents an enormous conflict of interests.”

It would be naive to think that all these philanthropic collaborations are designed to solve any problem besides how to help Monsanto monopolize the world’s food supply with expensive patented GM seeds, and the herbicides to go with them.

to read more and find out more, go to:   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/04/clueless-fabrication-on-gmo.aspx?e_cid=20120304_SNL_Art_1