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The political heat is ramping up all over the nation's…preschools? This satirical take on political commercials really brings home the juvenile idiocy of so many political campaigns these days, and I could not resist showing it to you guys.
The above "commercial" is actually a response to this initial "attack ad," which also cracked me up. "Give your gold star to Jimmy Jones. He colors inside the lines." Mwahahahahahahahahaha. Hilarious.
I thought we could all use a giggle this morning — and a bit of a discussion on what we would rather see in terms of political discussion in this nation of ours. And what we can all do to make that happen.
NOTE: I will be on Air America talking with Thom Hartmann today around 1:40-ish 2:00-ish pm ET. (For Jacqrat's sake, I'm repeating this. Now go get your cuppa coffee, hon, and turn on the radio…we'll wait for you.)
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Zed? Christy!!
Can “we” spot the pattern here :
wapo link
Oh dang… this time I read first!
I loved this commercial! We definitely need more preschoolers to run! At least they’re up front about their tantrums!
Cute commercial. But if it were TRULY accurate, someone would need to be pantsed on camera, neh?
Tnx for the new fund drive thermometer on the right! Just shipped you some PayPalBux!
Love
/S.O.S. from MA
Sorry for the bum link :
link
Hey COLORADO BOB all caps, ain’t seen you ’round these parts before. Welcome!
OT, re: Roots Project beta site
If you set up your account and start posting some of your own content to your own blog there, Matt Browner Hamlin and I will be looking daily for original material generated by the community to promote to the front page. You’ll also WIN FREE STUFF.
Well, maybe not, but anyway, it’s next generation Internets that we’re building, and you can be a a part of it. Check it out.
Please also make note of our new fundraising thermometer on the right sidebar of any FDL page.
Thanks for the laugh Christy.
For those close to DC, the Cherry Blossoms are blooming, so come on by. I took an hour off from work yesterday to take a bike ride through the trees. It was awesome. Better get here before the crowds…
Yes, Christy, thanks for the belly laugh! It snowed all over my daffodils yesterday, and I turned on the tv this morning and got an eyeful of Specter makin’ excuses to the Republican Laywers Association. Jeez.
COLORADO BOB @2
My father is a retired Wildlife Biologist who worked 25 plus years working for different state Game & Fish and US Forest Service. He retired early due to his frustration with the increasing sell off of our forests for money which overrode the need to preserve our wilderness areas.
Can’t talk to this wonderful 83 yr old solid gold Democrat about what this administration has done to the very agencies he used to work for without him coming to tears.
Pachacutec @ 8
Just kicked-in $50.75. Great work Pach!!
Those were really cute videos!
“He colors inside the lines!”
LOL
Just wanted to get the news onto this thread:
Today, Waxman wrote a letter to Condi Rice requesting that she testify before the Oversight Committee on April 18th regarding the Administration’s claims that Iraq sought uranium from Niger, White House treatment of classified information, the appointment of Ambassador Jones as “special coordinator” for Iraq, and other subjects.
You can read it here:
house PDF
At least with global warming we in south central Texas don’t have to wait ten or twenty years to get out of drought. I think two weeks ago we were still considered in severe drought. This week the lakes are up to normal, and now with the unexpected and unending T-storms of today and now tomorrow, we are edging over to serious flooding. We had a 500 year flood in ‘98 and one again in ‘02, so we are overdue. ;-)
Sort of an Al-Franken-meets-Pee-Wee-Herman type of ad.
I missed it maybe but is Jimmy’s party the one with Dumbo or Eeyore ?
My question is-who do political ads actually influence? Certainly no one on this site. So what we would like to see is probably the opposite to what will benefit the politicians. They’re trying to reach the masses and didn’t PT Barnum say something about how you do that?
Ah, brilliant. Years ago the Daily show did a skit where one of the correspondents auditioned 5 year olds as potential candidates for president in 2036, and had them do attack ads.
I particularly like the announcer, who has nailed the art of making every word sound like the vilest accusation…
Palast on Meirs’ past practices for the Bush Regime.
eCAHNomics @ 18
I always thought that the point of negative ads was to depress turnout for the opponent more than they piss people off at the person running them. I seem to remember that cynical explanation, at least…
Those are great! But, I must admit I still do have the urge to eat my ballot.
Christy – looking forward to hearing you on Thom’s show. Have a lot of fun. What’s the topic?
EPU – what was the Freudian slip in Rove’s rap?
And noe for somehting almost completely different… Here’s a good Freudian slip for your entertainment: “Sometimes a p*nis is just a p*nis.”
eCAHNomics @ 18
In his recent speech at Troy U, Karl Rove stated loudly and clearly that the American people cannot be mislead or manipulated.
*sigh*
I would like to see an intelligence debate and reasoned action on:
Iraq
Global warming
Energy
Healthcare
Globalization
Tax policy (It’s not just for the very rich.)
The social safety net: Social Security, retirement, fairness, DCFS, etc.
WH briefing with Perino on CSPAN 1
Perino up on cspan now— Hugh’s already on it!Also cspan3 @ 147– 3/26/07 hearing was held on the obligation of the United States to assist Iraqi refugees and those under threat from insurgents because they assisted the United States
c-span
landofthefree @ 22
I hope you slathered it with paste first! :)
Freudian reading – Neil @ 23
I saw “sometimes a punaise is just a punaise.” I think I visit the Lake a bit too much. . .
Key Rove aide fingered in US Attorney investigation to step down; Could face subpoena
I just posted one of those funny political ad satire clips on my blog.
That one sums it up.
.
Gnome de Plume @ 29
I saw “sometimes a punaise is just a punaise.” I think I visit the Lake a bit too much. . .
that’s soooo tacky… :~)
Hugh:
You forgot Iran.
Did anyone ever see one of Michael Moore’s TV shows “The Awful Truth” where he ran a ficus for congress? Moore was annoyed that there was a NJ congressman running unopposed for re-election in 2000, so he literally ran a ficus tree and created ads for it. The “attack ads” and “isn’t ficus wonderful!” ads were terrific. From that, he began the “Ficus for Congress” movement. link
There has been no evidence of wrongdoing…
What a ridiculous claim to make, the investigation has just begun.
Jim Axelrod will not let Dana Perrino characterize this investigation as a show trial.
Perino again going through the laundry list of “how helpful” the WH has been on the attorney firings. Keeps talking about “show trials” before the Congress.
Shorter version: Oversight is a bitch.
Dana– the dems are out of touch, they don’t want to fund the troops, work on energy, etc. They are just interested in show trials.
Dana: the republicans have legitimate questions that they want to ask AG and he will answer them on April 17th.
there ya go.
here’s one for Gnome de Plume
This is sort of cool! I was working a long day yesterday, so didn’t comment after the morning. But I was able to comment at the end of Siun’s thread and at late-late-night fdl, on how important Siun’s coverage of the ambiguity of the Iran-Iraq maritime border is in the north Gulf was.
It turns out that, on this important issue, Siun and fdl beat Justin Raimondo to the punch. Justin’s essay is good and his links go to the sources many fdl commenters also linked to here yesterday. Good job, Siun!
From Alia Malek in Salon today:
Perino on Walter Reed photo op “that’s an unfortunate characterization”
not inaccurate I suppose just unfortunate. Perino talks fast but it’s the same old blah, blah, blah.
*groan* de plume
angie @ 37
I liked the part about how the Ds haven’t done anything.
The President immediately took action on Walter Reed. Of course, the problem had been festering for years right under his nose.
Rove Aide Linked To Abramoff Resigns
Scandal Claims Its First West Wing Job
By Peter Baker and James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, October 7, 2006; Page A01
A top aide to White House strategist Karl Rove resigned yesterday after disclosures that she accepted gifts from and passed information to now-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, becoming the first official in the West Wing to lose a job in the influence-peddling scandal.
Susan B. Ralston submitted her resignation to avoid causing political damage to President Bush a month before the midterm elections, officials said. “She did not want to be a distraction to the White House at this important time,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino… more
Rove aide resigns
Speaking of Lakes, I am about to put on my wellies and head out to inspect the yard. My fish are probably swimming around the neighborhood.
Neil from epuland
That would make zigging a non-issue
Yes, that would be the main reason for implementing such a feature. It was only today that I realized a side benefit is shorter, more relevant quotes from the post referred to.
FDL techs–please don’t regard Neil’s or my comments on this score as complaints or anything other than very gentle suggestions intended to be entirely constructive. This interface hits the sweet spot of providing both ease of use and essential features–best on the web in my view. Moreover, the current quote implementation is excellent.
Dana Perrino shows more signs of stress today than I ever remember seeing.
Perrino claims the WH is accomodating, as in going further than rquired, as opposed to cooperating which means respecting Congress’ authority to investigate the politicization (corruption) of the DOJ.
Oh Dana just said that there are others who understand the Constitution much better than she does.
Um– that is a problem and was kind of freudian to admit.
yeah, eCAHNomics @ 43– that was quite the zinger.
Pelosi going to Syria. Perino we discourage such trips. Syria is a terrorist state, etc. I don’t know what she is thinking to do there.
Take a step back and think what kind of message it sends. As in diplomacy what’s that?
AZ Matt: THANK YOU!
Who’s going to Syria–I missed the ID.
Hugh @ 50
She’s gonna mess with the Bush agenda of pissing off all the Sunni governments, so that the entire Muslim world will be against the US.
Perino (Is it one r or two?): Pelosi going to Syria rather than working to fund our troops.
Perino: over the top: charges of wrong doing, falsehoods
Waiting for Perino to say W will bomb Iran while stamping his feet if Brits aren’t returned soon.
Raw Story:
check out the picture at the link– pretty young for such a big job– jeepers.
rawstory
Hugh– that was breathtaking wrt Pelosi/Syria.
This is the real front in the War on Terror, not Iraq. If BushCo hadn’t distracted the US from Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda wouldn’t be regrouping there now. From AP:
OT, sort of, but folks, Josh at TPM just caught an LATimes piece that may wellbe a DOJ “voter-fraud fraud” smoking gun…
Here’s the link to the article
link
707! I can’t wait to show these ads to my kindergartener, who in the last week has started asking us to play CDs of the Capitol Steps in the car… hey, it beats the gazillionth repetition of kiddie CDs.
angie @ 56
check out the picture at the link– pretty young.
rawstory
Hugh– that was breathtaking wrt Pelosi/Syria.
Yeah–Stepford wives minus 15 years these appointees.
Perino described the following as a case where Democrats have definetly been “over the top”, which justifies her use of the term “show trials”:
Claims there has been interference in US Attorney public corruption cases where there is no evidence.
Moderated Q&A with David Broder at the WaPo website: link
More on Sara Taylor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Taylor
Hey punaise–did you do last Sunday’s NYT crossword? The title was Oooh! You can guess the theme.
Hugh @ 54
Pelosi 07
Neil @
48
I thought it was a new definition of “accomodating” as in “trying to make disappear down a toilet”. Maybe I need to get the television fixed…
katymine @ 11
I recently talked to a parent of a friend of mine from the neighborhood where I grew up. He spent most of his working career at the National Science Foundation.
You can guess what he said about the NSF under Bush.
As it happens, I got an NSF grant back when I was a junior in High School, to take six weeks of math and computer science classes with other high school kids from around the country (in my case, at SMU…somehow, I thought New Orleans, my other choice, would be too hot in the summer…ha ha ha). It was a terrific experience, and didn’t even cost the government that much.
Merit based grants for high school kids to take six weeks of science and math at universities around the country in the summer of their junior year? Bushies don’t like that.
AG Gonzales has Bush’s full confidence.
Someone asking questions about Saudi support for terrorism. Perino dodges it like crazy.
Perino doing the definition of ‘is’ wrt Gonzo & yesterday’s testimony.
JEP @ 58
JEP’s right. The article details how DOJ’s focus on voter suppression rather than investigating voter rights abuse against minorities
borders onIS criminal.Hugh @ 68
I hope her big girl panties don’t fall off
The “show trials” meme is just weird. Is there anything in this country that has been widely referred to as “show trials” other than the McCarthy hearings? (And the wingnuts think McCarthy was great, so it doesn’t seem like that’s a precedent they would be leaning on to condemn these investigations.) Well, that and Guantanamo.
When I hear “show trials,” I think Stalin. And while I know that one of Rove’s prime techniques is accusing your opponent of secretly doing what you yourself are openly doing, I still can’t see the advantage of bringing such authoritarian into everyday rhetoric.
If you want to evoke the idea of innocent administration officials being targeted because they’re the opposition party (same Rove technique), “witch hunt” seems far more suitable.
I just don’t get it. Any ideas?
jayackroyd @ 47
Absolutely jayackroyd. This site is feature rich and user oriented when it comes to comments. I love it. My suggestions are suggestions that would solve problems raised here by firepups and the mods.
Redshift @ 72
Luntzian
From the same AP link:
Once through the anagram generator, lightly:
DANA PERINO
A DRONE. I NAP.
Perino: Members have a responsibility to the troops to do their jobs. But where is Bush’s responsibility? Poor social and medical services when they come home wounded. Multiple tours, not enough equipment and training, less time between tours, and of course the really big one sticking them in a war that should never have been started and keeping them there for more than 4 years despite a worsening situation and one failed policy after another.
Re: Perino.
Background from wiki. Environmentalists: watch out.
Perino attended the University of Southern Colorado from 1990 to 1994 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in both political science and Spanish. While attending the university, Perino was very active on the forensics team and with KTSC. From there, Perino attended graduate school at the University of Illinois, Springfield where she also worked as a daily reporter covering the Illinois Capitol for WCIA-TV, a CBS affiliate. She then went on to work in Washington, D.C. for Representative Scott McInnis of Colorado as a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-Retired), who then chaired the House Energy subcommittee.
After Representative Schaefer announced his retirement, Perino moved to England to marry Peter McMahon. After a year in England, Perino and McMahon moved back to the United States and resided in San Diego, California for three years. During that time, Perino worked in the field of high-tech public affairs.
Two months after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Perino returned to Washington, D.C. to serve as a spokesperson for the Department of Justice. Several months later, she was asked to join the White House where she now serves as the Director of Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). By statute, the CEQ oversees the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act, where all federal agencies must complete environmental assessments on their activities before they take action.
angie @ 49
Yeah, too bad those people Perino refers to don’t work in GWB’s administration.
JEP @ 58
sorry, that was Paul Keil on Josh Marshall’s TPM site who caught that article and posted it… credit where credit is due…
Hugh @ 50
Maybe she can send a “message” like the Bushies did during the 2000 Camp David peace negotiations. Y’know, just keep a lid on things for a couple of years, and things will get a lot better.
Of course, unlike them, she has actual principles, so she won’t do that. But I suspect they already know that without being told.
FYI folks — The Thom Hartmann interview time has been bumped back a little bit to 2:00-ish pm ET. I updated above, but I didn’t want anyone to be hanging on the radio without knowing what was up. Thanks!
One more and I’ll stop:
DANA PERINO
DO INANE RAP
It is official, Rove’s aide (Sarah Taylor)has resigned.
link
OT: pet owners, and even for all of us who like to eat, check out this frigtening dKos diary about how dry pet food, and perhaps even human food, may be poisonous. The canned food recall apparently didn’t get all of the poisonous cat and dogfood.
JEP at 58 — Hey, that’s the op-ed that I linked up in my first piece today showing the pattern of behavior on that issue. :)
*xyz @ 14
Oh boy, this is brewing to be a showdown.
I hope Big Hank has the video clip of Condi smoking gun is musroom cloud appearance on Pumpkinhead
*xyz @ 84
House Committee requests deposition of former Rove assistant in connection with Abramoff
Elliott at 71 — Funniest comment all day. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
eCAHNomics @ 18
In his recent speech at Troy U, Karl Rove stated loudly and clearly that the American people cannot be mislead or manipulated.
*sigh*
Rove was just misquoted. What he meant was, “the American people cannot be mislead or manipulated as much as he would really like”
[Modnote: If you use bold, please be careful to close it, thanks]
linkMr. Specter: You’re no longer the chairman of this committee:
Elliott @ 71
I hope her big girl panties don’t fall off
I hope they do.
*xyz @ 84
So Rove tosses another body under the bus to insulate himself. Good. He’s getting scared. I like.
*xyz @
84
Well, then, I say, “Sarah Taylor, come on down!“
JEP @ 58
It’s coming out! It’s all starting to dribble out! Finally, it’s coming out.
More drip, drip, drip to come (I hope)
*xyz @ 84
“Barry Jackson, a longtime aide to Karl Rove, also is thought to be leaving soon…. All the departures appear to be more-or-less routine turnover,” reports the Washington Wire.
Ha! Routine
Today’s Danziger cartoon is very appropriate for this thread:
Rove, Rove your boat!
Wonder if she’ll respond this time. What can Waxman do if she just shines him on?
jayackroyd @ 53
She’s gonna mess with the Bush agenda of pissing off all the Sunni governments, so that the entire Muslim world will be against the US.
As if that damage has not all ready been done by our blind support of Israel and an illegal invasion of Iraq!
Great Letter Neil! For us to have any faith in our justice system it seems reaonable for Libby to get as much time as possible for outing a NOC who was protecting our country and putting her own life on the line. Let’s hope that Reggie has enough conscience and integrity to sentence Libby to more time than the people who are doing time for robbing the local gas station. Time that he will not do anyway. What faith we have in our justice system….not much
Niger Documents…Phase II of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence! Please Senator Rockerfeller
Yeah, it’s routine for Karl to toss a body out when the heat gets too close…
OT– for pups concerned with the declining honeybees– house hearing on cspan3.
OT: Cspan3 has a hearing on Bee mortality. This is a raging problem effecting our food chain here in the USA and around the world. Very important!!!. I was shocked, SHOCKED, to even find this on our blessed Cspan. VERY IMPORTANT. lolo
angie @ 101
I haven’t seen one in fifteen years.
angie @ 101
Hahahahahahaha Great minds!!
Elliott at 103 — We still have them in WV, but fewer and fewer each year. But we still have some folks near-ish us who have hives, so that may be why I still see them.
Well played.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 105
How does this relate to the Africanized bees? We’ve had some serious incidents with them out west, and I was wondering if anybody has done a study of how this is interrelated, or are the Africanized bees included in the ones that are dying off. This whole issue has me alarmed!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 105
It’s a crime.
I see bumble bees but no more honeybees.
EPU’d from earlier thread on fear — Here is my favorite piece on that subject:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mindkiller.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its’ path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear from Dune by Frank Herbert
Terry Olson @ 98
Subpeona
Pretty honeybee:
severinghaus JPG
lolo @ 104– it’s pretty amazing that so much information is exchanged here all the time; nothing gets by the folks here. :0
New York Times page A6 “HEADS OF ARAB STATES PROD ISRAEL TO EMBRACE PEACE OFFER” “the initiative offers Israel recognition and permanent peace with the Arab States in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Middle east war and the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem”
Imagine that asking Israel to abide by Un resolution 242 and 338!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 82
I’m heading to my XM radio right now! Can’t wait to HEAR you!
CHS. Is there a live link to the show via the web?
Ed*ard Teller @ 39
All props to Siun and her powerful prose!
Her work last night may help stop Bush’s Iran war plans.
And thanks for your props to the fdl community, ET. FDL was on the story by 10:38 Wednesday night.
(h/t to ICH for the heads-up that day…)
Joe Conason in today’s Salon:
It is mostly due to all the freakin frankenfoods that they are growing. Gene splicing and the rush to copyright seeds is going to destroy our natural food source.
Neil at 114 — Yes — in the post above, I linked up the web page for Hartmann’s show which has a “listen live” feature on it.
regarding Sara Taylor’s resignation, TPM says Barry Jackson is retiring too. is something bad about to come out about him, or are they firing him to make it look routine?
Barry [hearts] Safavian
lolo at 117 — There was also an issue of mites that were causing problems in some areas, that were infesting hives and bees. I know I saw a report (perhaps locally?) about beekeepers who were having issues with that.
Ann in AZ @ 107
How does this relate to the Africanized bees? We’ve had some serious incidents with them out west, and I was wondering if anybody has done a study of how this is interrelated, or are the Africanized bees included in the ones that are dying off. This whole issue has me alarmed!
This isn’t directly related to Africanized bees.
Oops.
Sorry for the new post/not new post above. It’s comign later in the day. But I screwed up the darn timestamp.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 119
and couple that with a fungal infestation…
good luck on air!
angie @ 111
That is why I love the lake. We share a unique bond of unconditional love and brain power. Together we can do anything.
Kathleen @ 112
This is great news. Rather than wait for the US to broker a peace between Israel and Palenstine, the six arab countries have spoken with a common voice. Maybe t Israeli citizens, most of whom agree with the request, will be able to convince the minority that holds the reigns of power to comply.
Honey bees are not native to North America. They were brought by the colonists. They were the first harbinger of western expansion for Native Americans. They referred to them as “white man’s flies.” Sorry, no source for that – came from teaching US History to college freshmen years ago.
Where’s Christy?
They’ll never get the Israelis to give up Jerusalem.
Hmmm…wonder if Jerusalem could be set up as its own autonomous country with a governing committee of Christians, Jews and Muslims?
Christy will be on radio shortly. Use the live link in her post above.
Veritas78 @ 127
She’ll be on at 2.
OT — question for FirePups, need feedback…
Does this chart look right to you??
Veritas78 @ 127
Where’s Thom? The Air America link seems to be dead. Maybe that changes at the top of the hour?
Christy will be here in a few minutes.
working ok for me on IE
S 759
To prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran. (Introduced in Senate)
Rayne @ 131
No. Wasn’t there a report on NPR a while back about crime having gone up since 2000?
emptywheel @ 122
It’s always great to read your new posts EW. OK so we have to wait a lttle while longer, no problem.
I’ve been looking for a few days, and no source. Does Israel want the Palestinians to recognize a particular border as being the legitimate border of a legitimate Israel? If so, what is that boundary?
Christy should be up next on Hartmann.
oh, that wasn’t Christy, I was wondering where che got that Chicago accent!
New York – WABC, March 30, 2007) – Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is doing a little damage control this morning “clarifying” remarks he made about what role his wife would play if he’s elected president.
He’s also facing grand jury revelations about his disgraced former police commissioner Bernard Kerik.
In an interview with Barbara Walters to air tonight on “20/20,” Giuliani and his wife, answered questions about the six marriages between them and whether she was the “other woman” who caused the breakup of his second marriage to TV personality Donna Hanover.
link
Where did emptywheel’s main page post go? It just disappeared for me.
LBrowne @ 136
No. Wasn’t there a report on NPR a while back about crime having gone up since 2000?
It sure has around here!
Ann in AZ @ 107
How does this relate to the Africanized bees? We’ve had some serious incidents with them out west, and I was wondering if anybody has done a study of how this is interrelated, or are the Africanized bees included in the ones that are dying off. This whole issue has me alarmed!
At this time, there has been no correlation to the Africanized bees. There is a disease affecting our honeybees which causes the worker bees to not return to the hives, leaving the juveniles, etc, to die. The government has been far too slow to react to the problem (there’s a shock, as all Katrina survivors know) and now the honeybee is nearly extinct in the US. One potential problem that might have a factor is a fairly new and popular insecticide that is being widely used. The big deal about the honeybee is that there are at lest 4-5 major US crops that cannot survive without the honeybee’s pollination.
No, Rayne– the chart looks like something from bushco’s shop.
Kathleen @ 112– good news. Wonder what Khalilzad will have to say if he’s confirmed. We know what Bolton would have said…
Enforcing UN resolutions fairly– what a concept!
Neil @ 137
Thanks. Coming up at 4PM. But I’ve got to go pack my bags now bc mr. emptywheel and I (and our MilleniaLab) are actually going away for the weekend together. What a treat to actually travel with your spouse!!
It’s always great to read your new posts EW. OK so we have to wait a lttle while longer, no problem.
Prof @ 141
Where did emptywheel’s main page post go? It just disappeared for me.
Neil says
March 30th, 2007 at 10:57 am
It’s always great to read your new posts EW. OK so we have to wait a lttle while longer, no problem.
The live audio link for Air America is working for me. They’re doing news at the top of the hour.
The link opened a new webpage with built-in realplayer.
I’ve been on the Air America site before to listen to the live feed. I may have selected RealPlayer as a preference on a previous visit… or the webpage detected it as present on my pc, or they’re feed is a .RM file which on my PC is associated with Real.exe. Is that helpful?
Yay, Christy! I’m listening!
Prof @ 142
I screwed up the timestamp. It’ll be back later.
emptywheel @ 146
Thanks. Coming up at 4PM. But I’ve got to go pack my bags now bc mr. emptywheel and I (and our MilleniaLab) are actually going away for the weekend together. What a treat to actually travel with your spouse!!
It’s always great to read your new posts EW. OK so we have to wait a lttle while longer, no problem.
All the best to you and Mr Emptywheel!
March 30th, 2007 at 11:01 am
Dee at #143 says:
Thanks, that’s great information. But weren’t the Africanized bees interbreeding with honeybees?
OT
MSNBC says Jeb Bush has made Romney’s VP list.
!!!No more Bushes. no how. no way!!!
Christy’s on now, here.
Hey, here she is!!
Der Spiegel has a really good article on the apparent link between GM crops and one form of bee die-off.
COLLAPSING COLONIES
Are GM Crops Killing Bees?
By Gunther Latsch
A mysterious decimation of bee populations has German beekeepers worried, while a similar phenomenon in the United States is gradually assuming catastrophic proportions. The consequences for agriculture and the economy could be enormous.
Is the mysterous decimation of bee populations in the US and Germany a result of GM crops?
Walter Haefeker is a man who is used to painting grim scenarios. He sits on the board of directors of the German Beekeepers Association (DBIB) and is vice president of the European Professional Beekeepers Association. And because griping is part of a lobbyist’s trade, it is practically his professional duty to warn that “the very existence of beekeeping is at stake.”
As far back as 2005, Haefeker ended an article he contributed to the journal Der Kritischer Agrarbericht (Critical Agricultural Report) with an Albert Einstein quote: “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”
Mysterious events in recent months have suddenly made Einstein’s apocalyptic vision seem all the more topical. For unknown reasons, bee populations throughout Germany are disappearing — something that is so far only harming beekeepers. But the situation is different in the United States, where bees are dying in such dramatic numbers that the economic consequences could soon be dire. No one knows what is causing the bees to perish, but some experts believe that the large-scale use of genetically modified plants in the US could be a factor.
Felix Kriechbaum, an official with a regional beekeepers’ association in Bavaria, recently reported a decline of almost 12 percent in local bee populations. When “bee populations disappear without a trace,” says Kriechbaum, it is difficult to investigate the causes, because “most bees don’t die in the beehive.” There are many diseases that can cause bees to lose their sense of orientation so they can no longer find their way back to their hives.
Manfred Hederer, the president of the German Beekeepers Association, almost simultaneously reported a 25 percent drop in bee populations throughout Germany. [snip] He speculates that “a particular toxin, some agent with which we are not familiar,” is killing the bees.
[snip]
Since last November, the US has seen a decline in bee populations so dramatic that it eclipses all previous incidences of mass mortality. Beekeepers on the east coast of the United States complain that they have lost more than 70 percent of their stock since late last year, while the west coast has seen a decline of up to 60 percent.
[snip]
Scientists call the mysterious phenomenon “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD), and it is fast turning into a national catastrophe of sorts. [snip] But, like Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an apiarist with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, they are already referring to the problem as a potential “AIDS for the bee industry.”
One thing is certain: Millions of bees have simply vanished. In most cases, all that’s left in the hives are the doomed offspring. But dead bees are nowhere to be found — neither in nor anywhere close to the hives.[snip]
It is particularly worrisome, she said, that the bees’ death is accompanied by a set of symptoms “which does not seem to match anything in the literature.”
In many cases, scientists have found evidence of almost all known bee viruses in the few surviving bees found in the hives after most have disappeared. Some had five or six infections at the same time and were infested with fungi — a sign, experts say, that the insects’ immune system may have collapsed.
The scientists are also surprised that bees and other insects usually leave the abandoned hives untouched. Nearby bee populations or parasites would normally raid the honey and pollen stores of colonies that have died for other reasons, such as excessive winter cold. “This suggests that there is something toxic in the colony itself which is repelling them,” says Cox-Foster.
Walter Haefeker, the German beekeeping official, speculates that “besides a number of other factors,” the fact that genetically modified, insect-resistant plants are now used in 40 percent of cornfields in the United States could be playing a role. The figure is much lower in Germany — only 0.06 percent — and most of that occurs in the eastern states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg.
[snip]
The study in question is a small research project conducted at the University of Jena from 2001 to 2004. The researchers examined the effects of pollen from a genetically modified maize variant called “Bt corn” on bees. A gene from a soil bacterium had been inserted into the corn that enabled the plant to produce an agent that is toxic to insect pests. The study concluded that there was no evidence of a “toxic effect of Bt corn on healthy honeybee populations.” But when, by sheer chance, the bees used in the experiments were infested with a parasite, something eerie happened. According to the Jena study, a “significantly stronger decline in the number of bees” occurred among the insects that had been fed a highly concentrated Bt poison feed.
According to Hans-Hinrich Kaatz, a professor at the University of Halle in eastern Germany and the director of the study, the bacterial toxin in the genetically modified corn may have “altered the surface of the bee’s intestines, sufficiently weakening the bees to allow the parasites to gain entry — or perhaps it was the other way around. We don’t know.”
Of course, the concentration of the toxin was ten times higher in the experiments than in normal Bt corn pollen. In addition, the bee feed was administered over a relatively lengthy six-week period.
[snip]
Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan
[kjm - link for Der Spiegel article may be different from link cited for article in prior comment threads - old link sems 404ish today. Sorry for error.]
lolo @ 117
Ann in AZ @ 107
Christy Hardin Smith @ 105
Elliott at 103 — We still have them in WV, but fewer and fewer each year. But we still have some folks near-ish us who have hives, so that may be why I still see them.
How does this relate to the Africanized bees? We’ve had some serious incidents with them out west, and I was wondering if anybody has done a study of how this is interrelated, or are the Africanized bees included in the ones that are dying off. This whole issue has me alarmed!
Hartman is on now… and introducing CHS.
Christy on now.
CHS up on Air/Thom Hartman!
Can anybody hear The Peanut in the background? I’d like that.
I’m recording it.
Christy is on!
ReddHedd:
Quoting commenter on the site about “fealty.”
So Christy is off on medieval history.
Cool.
Christy explaining feudal society.
We are vassels of King George!
The comment wrt fealty is referenced by Christy!
(I do believe that was Pectopah– props!)
She is so gracious to speak about our “conversations” here @ the lake.
CHS is explaing the concept of fealty in feudal times and how it applies to what’s going on in the DOJ, with everyone working toward to the benefit of one person’s interests rather than for the good of the nation.
The damn Air America player won’t load! AARRRGH!
Talking about voter suppression in FL. and OH.
Distinction between voter fraud and election fraud.
And then she remembers that we fought a Revolution in 1776 for a reason — not to have a system based on feudal fealty.
Cites the LA Times Op-Ed by the former head of Civil Rights Division in DOJ.
Voter suppression.
Speaks well, smoothly, just like the kinda prosecutor I wouldn’t want talkin’ to the jury if I were on the hot seat.
Dee @ 144
In a story I heard a couple of weeks ago, they also pointed to factors like orange growers having netting over their groves and refusing to allow local honeybees to feed, because they’re trying to tightly control the genetics of their crops, and avoid any cross-pollination.
Ann in AZ @ 152
Thanks, that’s great information. But weren’t the Africanized bees interbreeding with honeybees?
yes, that’s how they were created. That was back in 1957. They’ve been moving North steadily since then.
One thing that hurts the honey bee is that an Africanized queen will hatch out faster than the regular honey bee queen. So the Africanized bee “wins” with that selective advantage.
Killer bees -wikipedia
Neil @ 167
one person = “W” and his interests = permanent majority
Hey, Christy, since you’re on the phone, couldn’t you be reading the comments and let us into the conversation?
(grin)
Two minutes left.
Damn she is intelligent AND articulate!
Go Christy!
Kerpow– she brings up the dirty tricks wrt to Lamont and says clearly there was a lot of Republican interest in keeping Lieberman in the Senate.
“Rovenesia” she credits to one her longtime readers.
ROVENESIA!
Rovenesia. LOL!
Good stuff, Christy!
This might be brief enough that I can transcribe it.
Damn she is intelligent AND articulate!
Renee in Ohio @ 161
Renee I am from Athens. Glad to give up Strickland as our Congressman to become our Governor. Spent a great deal of time knocking on doors in south eastern Ohio and inner city Columbus and Cincinnati collecting registrations and encouraging people to vote during the last three elections. Thousands of people really pissed off with this administration. Many of them working two jobs to keep up plus many of them have children or family members trapped in Iraq as soldiers doing the Bush administrations bidding!
Criminal
Prof @ 175
And liveblogging too?
(Are we bugging you yet?)
Very nice Christy!
She’s off. Thom gives a shoutout to FDL.
“rovenesia” Christy so honorable giving credit to her blogging friends for their ideas!
Oh, well, that wasn’t long enough to live-blog! Good points, though!
Of course she’s articulate.
Kathleen @ 184
Renee I am from Athens. Glad to give up Strickland as our Congressman to become our Governor. Spent a great deal of time knocking on doors in south eastern Ohio and inner city Columbus and Cincinnati collecting registrations and encouraging people to vote during the last three elections. Thousands of people really pissed off with this administration. Many of them working two jobs to keep up plus many of them have children or family members trapped in Iraq as soldiers doing the Bush administrations bidding!
Criminal
Athens. . .Ohio I guess?
Christy you were super!
chimpy live on cnn, he is yapping from walter reed…
Great job Christy. You really made the most of it.
Great job Christy.
You know, I might have an outstanding parking ticket out there somewhere, would you mind speaking to the judge for me?
Lol.
Great job Christy!
twolf1 @ 193
Oh yea, from now on we’re going to take care of you.
twolf1 @ 193
Rove counter-programming against Christy. That bastard!
Not at all. Who put that chart out? Wait Wait
twolf1 @ 193
Those people behind him look like they’d rather not be there
emptywheel @ 146
Thanks. Coming up at 4PM. But I’ve got to go pack my bags now bc mr. emptywheel and I (and our MilleniaLab) are actually going away for the weekend together. What a treat to actually travel with your spouse!!
It’s always great to read your new posts EW. OK so we have to wait a lttle while longer, no problem.
Have a great weekend getaway. You deserve it.
It was great hearing you on Thom’s show, Christy.
Thanks everyone — and yes, it was Pectopah on the “fealty” comment this morning and it was “WB” on the Rovenesia, which I think is freaking hilarious. :)
Great to hear you, Christie!!
twolf1 @ 193
He’s a crook. He always returns to the scenes of his crimes and makes grand proclamations after the great things he’ll do tocorrect the situation, and just how generous the american people are paying for disater cleanup; Katrina and Iraq come to mind. Now it Walter Reed.
He’s the decider. He has decided to take credit for lamely attempting to put back together something he broke.
Neil @ 205
He’s a crook. He always returns to the scenes of his crimes and makes grand proclamations after the great things he’ll do tocorrect the situation, and just how generous the american people are paying for disater cleanup; Katrina and Iraq come to mind. Now it Walter Reed.
Great distinction between voter fraud and key battleground states. Kudos! Crystal clear and consise!ROVENESIA
Iraqi Refugee Crisis being discussed on cspan 3 in a house hearing. Ellen R. Sauerbrey’s (Assistant Secretary, Department of State, Population, Refugees, and Migration) testimony is pretty disgraceful and she is saying that Syria and Jordan should keep their borders open to the refugees.
One minute we want the borders shut, then we want them open.
Blame all the victims, never your employer eh?
honeybees===
kirk murphy posted this a while back about bees and such=====
kirk murphy says:
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am
EPU’d
(last thread touched on the cancer epidemic in the US….)
Industrial ag’s serial poisonings and vicious practices threaten us all….wildlife, pets, bees – all of us.
The results include lakes of pig shit fouling streams and rivers, reproductive difficulties, developmental disorders, cognitive impairment, cancer survivors and those who perish from cancer….
We see an epidemic of cancers now “common” which were vanishingly rare a century ago.
Now, one-third of women and one-quarter of men can expect to have cancer in their lifetime.
Humans have pretty much the same genes we collectively had a century ago.
THE INCREASE IS NOT GENETIC.
The massive increase in (non-tobacco) cancers exactly parallels the introduction of synthetic pesticides and similar industrial toxins in the post-WW II period. Within a generation, US cancer incidence increased.
Best info on this for laypeople is Sandra Steingraber’s lyrical book Living Downstream .
__________________________________________________
Today’s industrial ag victim: honeybees.
So who cares about honey when we have white sugar, right?
Er – uh – anyone who eats.
Those bees aren’t just filling up the little plastic squeezy bears on your breakfast table.
Without bees, we lose one-third of our food supply.
Gone.
Bees aren’t just used to produce honey. They play a vital role in the food chain, helping to pollinate one-third of food crops. In California, more than 50 crops — from almonds to avocados to squash — with a gross value of $6 billion are pollinated by bees, said Eric Mussen, a bee expert at UC Davis.
Mussen said it’s possible recent cold, dry weather that squelched the life out of plants that produce pollen and nectar to keep bees healthy could have left bees even more vulnerable to whatever is killing them.
Press-Enterprise
Oops – turns out industrial ag’s GMO crops with BT (bacillicus thuringiensis toxin) help kill honeybees.
BT is a toxin found in soil microbes – not found in the honeybees’ natural diet.
The honeybees go to the flowers, not the soil.
Industrial ag’s genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) include plants that make BT toxin, ’cause some Frakenstein put soil bacteria genes in our food crops.
Turns out the Frankenfoods with BT help kill off honeybees.
Walter Haefeker, the German beekeeping official, speculates that “besides a number of other factors,” the fact that genetically modified, insect-resistant plants are now used in 40 percent of cornfields in the United States could be playing a role. The figure is much lower in Germany — only 0.06 percent — and most of that occurs in the eastern states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Haefeker recently sent a researcher at the CCD Working Group some data from a bee study that he has long felt shows a possible connection between genetic engineering and diseases in bees.
The study in question is a small research project conducted at the University of Jena from 2001 to 2004. The researchers examined the effects of pollen from a genetically modified maize variant called “Bt corn” on bees. A gene from a soil bacterium had been inserted into the corn that enabled the plant to produce an agent that is toxic to insect pests. The study concluded that there was no evidence of a “toxic effect of Bt corn on healthy honeybee populations.” But when, by sheer chance, the bees used in the experiments were infested with a parasite, something eerie happened. According to the Jena study, a “significantly stronger decline in the number of bees” occurred among the insects that had been fed a highly concentrated Bt poison feed.
According to Hans-Hinrich Kaatz, a professor at the University of Halle in eastern Germany and the director of the study, the bacterial toxin in the genetically modified corn may have “altered the surface of the bee’s intestines, sufficiently weakening the bees to allow the parasites to gain entry — or perhaps it was the other way around. We don’t know.”
Der Spiegel – h/t Raw.
Wonder what BT crops and other Frankenfoods on our dinner plates do to us?
Keep wondering – the FDA never bothered to answer the question.
The FDA scarcely looked.
Bon appetit – while you still can.
Without the bees, we’ll all be hungry.
extra nerd credit –
Unlike typical nerve-poison insecticides, Bt acts by producing proteins (delta-endotoxin, the “toxic crystal”) that reacts with the cells of the gut lining of susceptible insects. These Bt proteins paralyze the digestive system, and the infected insect stops feeding within hours. Bt-affected insects generally die from starvation, which can take several days.
Occasionally, the bacteria enter the insect’s blood and reproduce within the insect. However, in most insects it is the reaction of the protein crystal that is lethal to the insect. Even dead bacteria containing the proteins are effective insecticides.
thanks Colorado State U Ag ext for the mechanism
bomb iran video
ccmask @ 141
She wasn’t, that other woman was the Christine Latagano. She started out as the scheduler in Rudy’s campaign for mayor. Set herself up as the gatekeeper. It got to the point where even people who had known him for years couldn’t get to see him or have a phone call returned.
I became genuinely creepy and weird. After she had Rusy isolated from people he had relied upon for years and who were ued to speaking truth to power to him, Rudy started turning up with these odd people in tow, like Bernie Kerick.
The first time I met Bernie Kerick, I was coming out of a meeting at John Jay College (of criminal jsutice) and Rudy had just delivered a speech inthe auditorium and I was standing in the lobby as Rudy came uot in a throng.
Being a polite person and happy to see him again, i strolled over to say hello. This thug tells me that Rudy is not giving out autographs anymore today. Itried to politely explain that I acually knew Rudy and was just trying to say hello, rather than rudely snub him.
The Thug decides to get physical and actually lays hands on me which casued a man inthe crowd to protest loudly. Rudy looks over, sees me and comes with the hugs and the air kisses and we have a nice little “hawyabin?” chat.
Then I ask what’s with the mugger (who actually left a bruise on my arm, which Rudy was examining with some alarm)? And Rudy appologizes and says “That’s just Bernie Kerick, he a much nicer guy than you would have reason to believe. I’ve toalked him about this before, he just gets carried away trying to protect me.
My parting comment was that Rudy was going to need someone to protect Rudy from the damage a guy like Kerick could do to his reputation.
I had no idea how very right I was.
Everybody I ever knew in the NYC law enforcemnt community hated Bernie Kerick. There are still folks who literally spit after saying his name, to get the bad taste of it out of their mouths.
Gosh knows we don’t need Rudy or Jeb! If it’s not one creep, it’s another.
kirk murphy at 156
didn’t see your post until after i posted your info from other day……kept thinkin, if only kirk was here, he could tell ‘em about the bees!!!!!!
then remembered that i saved your remarks, but i didn’[t have the der speigel link…….and saw that you updated it anyway…….
sorry for the repeat folks, thinks happen too quick for me on dial-up….by the time i update, i’m behind…ha ha.
LHP,
A knee to the nads would have been appropriate.
Fiore cartoon is absolutlty over the top- Bush goes fishing:
Fish
LHP–You were touched by Bernie Kerick.
You have my deepest condolences. (I would have problems containing a gag reflex if that had happened to me)
Re Christine, after her little romance with Rudy was over, she was given a very cushy, well paying job as the head of the NYC tourism agency. Not kosher, ethically.
Badreporter too:BADREPORTER
Gonzales defends his role in firings
BOSTON – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, amid a growing clamor for his resignation, acknowledged Friday confusion about of his role in firing eight U.S. attorneys but said he doesn’t “recall being involved in deliberations” over which prosecutors were to be ousted.
more…
link
lhp @ #211 – what a great sketch!
dmac -
Thank you for re-posting that comment. I was trying to and couldn’t find it.
(I can’t seem* to search the comments effectively).
If anyone on the Lake is really up for nerdy details, linkies/citations are here.
Jeebus – climate change, pollinator collapse, and the megacorps’ endless war upon the Republic and the Constitution.
Some days I can’t believe I got into this trudging along riverbanks fishing for salmon – and asking the guide about those funny bald patches on the mountains.
Some days I just wanna go back to fishing. But time with the Earth First!ers doing forest defense left me unable to kill anymore fish.
Fortunately, the Lake gives us a place to just hang out and listen to our experts kill off Rove’s talking points.
And the only hooks to be seen are just off screen on Pox – ready for the spewing heads.
(*prolly a sign I should comment less)
dmac @ 213
kirk murphy @ 220
Nonsense!
Bustednuckles @ 214
I was tryingto act like a lady, not a rugby player.
Woodhall Hollow @ 216
Yes she was. Although, I did hear that she did a decent jon once she got there.
Ed*ard Teller @ 219
My Zelig moment with Kerick.
Ackerman and Pence are worried only about the Iraqis who have helped us and the “special populations”(Pence just mentioned the Iraqi Christians) Pence says he believes that “if you stand with us, we will stand by you”.
This admin woman is blaming Homeland Security for the lack of personnel to do the security clearances. She says that the contractors and sub contractors have employed many that are working for us and they are trying to get their names.
There are so many more who are living in danger and fear. But she says we have a “higher moral obligation” to the people loyal to us.
This admin is an abject failure– they’ve done NOTHING from the testimony I am hearing.
kirk murphy @ 220
dmac -
Thank you for re-posting that comment. I was trying to and couldn’t find it.
(I can’t seem* to search the comments effectively).
If anyone on the Lake is really up for nerdy details, linkies/citations are here.
Jeebus – climate change, pollinator collapse, and the megacorps’ endless war upon the Republic and the Constitution.
Some days I can’t believe I got into this trudging along riverbanks fishing for salmon – and asking the guide about those funny bald patches on the mountains.
Some days I just wanna go back to fishing. But time with the Earth First!ers doing forest defense left me unable to kill anymore fish.
Fortunately, the Lake gives us a place to just hang out and listen to our experts kill off Rove’s talking points.
And the only hooks to be seen are just off screen on Pox – ready for the spewing heads.
(*prolly a sign I should comment less)
dmac @ 213
It is so important to keep things like this posted far and wide. I am disabled due to exposure to a neurotoxin created by GMO tryptophan. I have EMS. lolo
(((lolo))) @ 226
The administration tool just said that the Iraqis who are in danger should leave and go to Jordan or Syria.
good advice, eh?
looseheadprop @ 223
Yes she was. Although, I did hear that she did a decent jon once she got there.
Who was he?? (-:
angie @
101
Extensive research being done by local beekeepers has concluded tha ‘Gaucho 480 FL’ seems highly suspect in declining bee populations in the West. A product of Bayer this product is dynamite when synthesized with other pesticides. University of Toronto professor has not been able to get Bayer to pony up 50% of their share of environmental impact study as required by law. In the U.S. it would be easier. In Oregon one beekeeper has lost 1000 of 1400 hives. Time for a class-action!
Incredible (but all too credible) story, LHP! Thanks.
The more Rudy stays in the limelight, the more Kerik stays there too. Splendid!
And this was the guy Bush was hellbent on making head of Homeland Security. (With the enthusiastic, nauseating endorsement of Hillary and Chuck.)
ralphbon @ 230
And he did a bang-up job training police in Iraq.
angie @ 208
as the U.S. pendulum swings from the far right (wrong) back to who knows where. I million Iraqi’s are dead, untold injured, 2 million refugeess, 3200 dead Americans, 50,ooo injured. Ill and Criminal.
[RBG Note; Hi Kathleen, something in this comment triggered the spam filters. I’m really not sure why that is happening but it may be the length of the url that was included in your profile. Please try removing it to see if that helps avoid getting trapped by mistake. Sorry.]
Elliott @ 231
Amongst other bang-up jobs (cf his Ground Zero lovenest).
I can just see Waxman Leahy in super hero suits with SM (subpoena man) posted on the front. Such a shame that the Republican controlled congress did not do justice to their party by practicing congressional oversight…… except in the case of calling a President out over lying under oath about a B.J.
Kathleen @
234
Hi Kathleen, something in your last few comments has triggered the spam filters. I’m really not sure why that is happening but it may be the length of the url that was included in your profile. Please try removing it to see if that helps avoid getting trapped by mistake.
Sorry about the inconvenience.
jayackroyd @
64
thanks! I missed it.
looseheadprop @
222
Oh, I don’t know. A knee to the nads would be perfectly appropriate from a lady rugby player.
*ilbo @ 229
*ilbo –
Great catch!
And what a tragic illustration of the precautionary principle – or – more precisely – the lack thereof.
Our current (dys-)regulatory system for new chemicals allows the molecules out of the lab and into the world as though we were patting little collections of atoms on the head and ushering them off into the world.
We citizens – we living beings – have to somehow “prove” the lifeless toxins harmed us before we can get them out of our food and water.
Actually, most new chemicals (those containing carbon) never leave our food and water. Our or bodies. On the rare occasions a new chemical is banned, the chemical persists in the air and water – and in our bodies – for decades, slowly dwindling.
New chemicals containing carbon and chlorine (chlorinated hydrocarbons) last in our bodies a very long time. Very low concentraions of these chemicals act just like our bodies’ own hormones, and control our bodies development and activity in the same way our own hormones can.
This fact appears to be the cause of the ever-ealier start to sexual development in young women in North America.
The precautionary priniciple ends our (and our daughters’) role as test subjects for the petrochemical industries.
The precautionary principle – already adopted as the basis for EU policy – forces new chemicals to be evaluated before they ae ever relased.
No more waiting around for body counts (deaths, cancers, birth defects, reproductive disorders) for decades while we are slowly poisoned and the manufacturers use the same play book to stall change.
No more “unexpected” catastrophes from hasty introduction of toxins into our bodies, children, and wild creatures.
Disclosure:
In 1999 the LA Unified School District adopted the Precautionary Principle as a basis for a new pesticide policy that radically reduced pesticide exposure for 750,000 students, and yet tens of thousands more educators and staff.
Monsanto saw the threat. The new policy came after a well-publicized incident in which a studen was enveloped in acloud of pseticide as his mother watched.
The mother – Robina Suwol – embarrassed the LAUSD into holding small public meetings on the policy. Monsanto showed up – until activists’ publicity drove the Monsanto reps to stop coming.
Robina Suwol reached out to Pesticide Watch, Pesticide Watch reached out to Physicians For Social Responsibility-LA, and PSR-LA sent a board member off to the LAUSD meetings.
The PSR-LA rep introduced the precautionary principle in the LAUSD’s pesticide policy “task force”meetings in August, 1998 and ultimately ensured the pp was included in the policy submitted to the LAUSD Board. The citizens on the “task force” insisted the Precautionary Principle be directly submitted to the LAUSD School Board for inclusion in the final policy.
The LAUSD Board adopted the policy in March, and their example was cited and used by other groups forcing the principle upon public authorities in the US.
Who knew an EarthFirst!er could have such fun on a PSR-LA board?
[Mod Note: Please limit links and avoid delays, thanks.]
hi mods – thaks for tip – how many links should the (non-delay limit) be?
[I am in pre mod but some say 5 max]
kirk murphy @ 238
Oh they do, do they? Lots of great stuff Kirk. Thanks!
((((lolo!))))
too much typing – just saw your comment now.
EMS is such a burden – so wish that weren’t in your life (or anyone else’s).
kirk murphy @ 241
Thank you.