News About Syria: Information or Propaganda?

<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">  <b style="color: blue;">Illusions</b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3RUesZhNy7E?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This video was published the 19 Feb 2012. In it, PAUL Jay's question asked Sharmine Narwani, writer and Middle Eastern political analyst if indeed a humanitarian  crisis was about to unfold in Syria to which she responded that  she asked the International Committee of the Red Cross, how many requests for emergency medical assistance did they receive in 2011 from various towns and cities across Syria? And the answer absolutely shocked her. <b><u>The answer was one</u></b>. One day later, as if on command, BBC published a report citing ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross requesting a humanitarian truce in order to deliver aid packages and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">  <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17095888">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17095888</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2000084697"><br /></a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/assad-dilemma.html%20">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/assad-dilemma.html </a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/nato-rules-out-military-intervention-in.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/nato-rules-out-military-intervention-in.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-for-thought.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-for-thought.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/syria-international-war-mongering-or.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/syria-international-war-mongering-or.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/food-for-thought.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/food-for-thought.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</a></div>

News About Syria: Information or Propaganda?

  Illusions This video was published the 19 Feb 2012. In it, PAUL Jay's question asked Sharmine Narwani, writer and Middle Eastern pol...

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Checking In

Happy Monday everyone! I have to say I'm *slightly* jealous of those of you who have the day off for President's Day! I wasn't ready to wake up this morning...Adelyn wasn't either, so we all piled in Mommy & Daddy's bed & snuggled! Ok...back to the point of my post...<br /><br />One of my monthly goals was to go to my Weight Watchers weigh in, no matter what. Well I couldn't go on my normal Thursday meeting because of being short staffed in my office. But I stayed true to my goal and weighed in on Thursday.<br /><br />Oh you wanted to know the results of the weigh in? Well thank you for asking...down 1.2lbs!!! I was pretty happy to see that! Only 1.8lbs and I'll meet my Feburary weight goal of 174lbs by 2.29.12. Totally doable!<br /><br />And I will leave you with some sweetness...but don't worry this sweetness doesn't have any calories and won't be added to your hips! Love her!! (this is her favorite toy these days, she could sit in front of the fridge & play for hours)<br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711279884990478450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhC-m0LkFRwUy06QUoOhI8wqq05UquEPqNb6FtX1iU8KmpeIbA4YFyogRUbB2gK7k0eF4i_fqodNpwPF_ChvADwFPcheUZcGdKjME7jmCdmO8XH4DaF2ahXcqVghtz0JP5rGZA-YHdvePN/s400/IMG_10957.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" />

Checking In

Happy Monday everyone! I have to say I'm *slightly* jealous of those of you who have the day off for President's Day! I wasn't r...

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very first birthday

Party people in the house! We had a birthday celebration this weekend to celebrate Eve's very first birthday. We've been getting a little stir crazy from the long winter, so we were in the mood for a party. And who wouldn't want to party with this girl?!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rNCJQQI_mE19t8qcO0egt-bRgvjuennnBifDIv1UefbtYmmrcuNX7RKNrqeC6EXT6TveavqYVeTerfn1uGk_Efz9WsQfz9DIWGwc6x0P6-Z0e2cY4mjXFvZInyhX72L_pL7J5EAtsH0z/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rNCJQQI_mE19t8qcO0egt-bRgvjuennnBifDIv1UefbtYmmrcuNX7RKNrqeC6EXT6TveavqYVeTerfn1uGk_Efz9WsQfz9DIWGwc6x0P6-Z0e2cY4mjXFvZInyhX72L_pL7J5EAtsH0z/s640/-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />First up, alert the public. I went the <strike>lazy</strike> green route and used digital invites from <a href="http://www.paperlesspost.com/" target="_blank">Paperless Post</a>. This is one great site. We're talking well designed stuff people, not some crappy evite. Their selection is awesome and they manage your responses to boot. Two thumbs up to Paperless Post.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M9PdwKMiOVUC6MBq16oJZMMQuawOUTXGt_45VjsO8TdeLZJl2PoLCRzTlfW-MRJtZuOw4m4nsEL2bv3SkDdWt9YIpbtFCCAxN6MIrnL0LjI623plhj8aW_DekOZGhEfO1E5lpz5zFstk/s1600/PaperlessPostInvite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M9PdwKMiOVUC6MBq16oJZMMQuawOUTXGt_45VjsO8TdeLZJl2PoLCRzTlfW-MRJtZuOw4m4nsEL2bv3SkDdWt9YIpbtFCCAxN6MIrnL0LjI623plhj8aW_DekOZGhEfO1E5lpz5zFstk/s200/PaperlessPostInvite.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br />Now let's raise the roof and get crafty. It was time to pull out all of those things I've pinned and thought "I'll try that someday."  First up, a DIY Yarn Wreath I saw on <a href="http://blog.effortless-style.com/2010/11/diy-yarn-wreath/" target="_blank">Effortless Style</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVVj96rA7-4TAHBm3QBFholZKgkI2t7kIhMEo2j8DstzbCdQX_HfQ1VxWXfaV0q46UzzIu_D9q16eqASw_2MnwY_AzpI9rYFc9zAneHbqOxHpyT7Byv6nR3Ox-T6sMtV9pbYz4z8LAWIk/s1600/P2184108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVVj96rA7-4TAHBm3QBFholZKgkI2t7kIhMEo2j8DstzbCdQX_HfQ1VxWXfaV0q46UzzIu_D9q16eqASw_2MnwY_AzpI9rYFc9zAneHbqOxHpyT7Byv6nR3Ox-T6sMtV9pbYz4z8LAWIk/s640/P2184108.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was really very simple - just a Styrofoam wreath form and some yarn. Wrap yarn until covered. Two things to note though - this does take a wicked amount of yarn. Being yarn ignorant I had no idea how much to get so I ended up having to go back for more. One super large yarn roll should suffice. Also, this is a 2 1/2 Top Chef episode project (for you non Top Chef fans, that's about 2 1/2 hours). So make sure to give yourself the time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdq6_vyFBsXyd1XV4HcegTMmORj0SIiZz2Jd_boTbrY_QgYBIZpgbZ-6UrsA-7NJQOm4rmQKSGlTDjMNNlycUKHD2GwHQ8bmrtOfbyez5OIOYHYWMMv8gvbLr-me_2q9Hjc2fxnFslHx/s1600/P2194474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdq6_vyFBsXyd1XV4HcegTMmORj0SIiZz2Jd_boTbrY_QgYBIZpgbZ-6UrsA-7NJQOm4rmQKSGlTDjMNNlycUKHD2GwHQ8bmrtOfbyez5OIOYHYWMMv8gvbLr-me_2q9Hjc2fxnFslHx/s640/P2194474.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /> Instead of several small flowers, I went with one big Carrie Bradshaw flower. Very season 3.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqv1uFRwIWEhK9Rjde8sMoR6A1y037nlkhbgzKvwoZxLBySLmm_dPJhxImN9VOSZCOUnf7Mm0nOO4Sl6J8-3ASNQKijK7liyo3Nqb7nfZOz4yz0dVvBxHeMxA64UW2_Mn3FCzH9Nye24K/s1600/P2184110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqv1uFRwIWEhK9Rjde8sMoR6A1y037nlkhbgzKvwoZxLBySLmm_dPJhxImN9VOSZCOUnf7Mm0nOO4Sl6J8-3ASNQKijK7liyo3Nqb7nfZOz4yz0dVvBxHeMxA64UW2_Mn3FCzH9Nye24K/s640/P2184110.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />You may remember my Dollar Store obsession paying off with my <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-enough-to-eat.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Wreath</a>. Well that place rocked it again by supplying me with lots and lots of gum balls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv4ULq4Ezy2xrRIX_YkH7KHy41nM1IY-SSWBd5S3tJN0hrEyMBfHFSYyAmfMz89DZK7vWvo8Ou3dGvXXnzXGl6JobHl-OOlowWbrkHL4hGMS-wZDX1w6Fgv8eDKXCxGQAI1Ah8__-_JGs/s1600/P2184126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv4ULq4Ezy2xrRIX_YkH7KHy41nM1IY-SSWBd5S3tJN0hrEyMBfHFSYyAmfMz89DZK7vWvo8Ou3dGvXXnzXGl6JobHl-OOlowWbrkHL4hGMS-wZDX1w6Fgv8eDKXCxGQAI1Ah8__-_JGs/s640/P2184126.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I'm not much of a 'theme' person, but I did find myself using polka-dot (surprise surprise) type things over and over again. So for those party people in need of a theme - let's go with polka dots. Colorful gum balls = polka dots.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g9apFK8LrOS0IJLhA1mHfOs38KFp0MNVxauI2jILgs6vVUa5OuVTK9bGmZjXYwF1791z5r1bLdgeIhS6s-LB82gWoOraHOAP4O8y5Kw_0yr4DvhFdwO1n-SSHH6qXTnbRFSo2zWkteRv/s1600/P2184127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g9apFK8LrOS0IJLhA1mHfOs38KFp0MNVxauI2jILgs6vVUa5OuVTK9bGmZjXYwF1791z5r1bLdgeIhS6s-LB82gWoOraHOAP4O8y5Kw_0yr4DvhFdwO1n-SSHH6qXTnbRFSo2zWkteRv/s640/P2184127.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />I found the wooden letters for $.99 and the wooden circle thingys (what would you call those) in the dollar bin at Michael's. They were originally naked wood, so I dressed them in white and attached them with some pink grosgrain ribbon and my trusty glue gun.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM_-ZOALCNiqnDy1EEOowvRYeogI25krkdoA31R_ugVFjZrAhXX41oOFwpS5Xj86Xo7fq4bpJwehuq1RWrhxAm9pJE64mzfqZ6n7U4JasREMOPsxEF91cDORYeDcih4XfQGhT1OX_aGyE/s1600/P2194462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM_-ZOALCNiqnDy1EEOowvRYeogI25krkdoA31R_ugVFjZrAhXX41oOFwpS5Xj86Xo7fq4bpJwehuq1RWrhxAm9pJE64mzfqZ6n7U4JasREMOPsxEF91cDORYeDcih4XfQGhT1OX_aGyE/s640/P2194462.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The design fairy was on my side as Eve works perfectly with the rule of threes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFld5pWegKY77qzY9T828uUKDt2YYl9Qiv8j5evPKeK3qEAUdXg9_AwHugPqWTvCEm_gj7tUzPKS3wW-VRcup9ZZWM1A__jAqv75w98CMtlglI2UYXBSEQcFNscRZu7KUiEiVMHUFcBppH/s1600/P2184146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFld5pWegKY77qzY9T828uUKDt2YYl9Qiv8j5evPKeK3qEAUdXg9_AwHugPqWTvCEm_gj7tUzPKS3wW-VRcup9ZZWM1A__jAqv75w98CMtlglI2UYXBSEQcFNscRZu7KUiEiVMHUFcBppH/s640/P2184146.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.target.com/p/FAVOR-4PK-ICE-CREAM-BUBBLES/-/A-13582851" target="_blank">ice cream cone bubbles</a> from Target worked perfectly for favors, trimmed with polka dot ribbon. Hey, those hydrangeas could act as big huge polka-dots too. Oh this is getting fun. Kind of like Where's Waldo.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaAzKeqxvaTkOWuwsBdw2LEG5OmcheQ4Q4pUfPnKRTth71y4jtyZ7NFPPd22Ubr46a3FwfaF4QmE72usWpOznvuGEmbmvkSWURtZoXL6gZ2qanDNqSqK1_sBX6EEwSLyQrpeYSnGYeEJ/s1600/P2184147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaAzKeqxvaTkOWuwsBdw2LEG5OmcheQ4Q4pUfPnKRTth71y4jtyZ7NFPPd22Ubr46a3FwfaF4QmE72usWpOznvuGEmbmvkSWURtZoXL6gZ2qanDNqSqK1_sBX6EEwSLyQrpeYSnGYeEJ/s640/P2184147.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />Martha Stewart provided me with a paper pom kit that was easy enough for a craft challenged person like myself to follow with no problem. Thank you Martha.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_iFW-VMi1JvLjIi7OgzHb9GuaFI2b8RTqltYQPTgOpZbpJwDbkP-z8x3bnL_Tua9SfLLE9osD2JTtNVs4E_-m2fpYUuLxEAheC9BGO8ocHY2Ddrfs05j_ieNWy9puO-Kp4HfL-sBXdG6/s1600/P2194460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_iFW-VMi1JvLjIi7OgzHb9GuaFI2b8RTqltYQPTgOpZbpJwDbkP-z8x3bnL_Tua9SfLLE9osD2JTtNVs4E_-m2fpYUuLxEAheC9BGO8ocHY2Ddrfs05j_ieNWy9puO-Kp4HfL-sBXdG6/s640/P2194460.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />More polka-dot ribbon to keep with the non-theme theme.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dRgTYbGuW640wwGgjDNtuJ-hI52VCC1OkCEoUGpuYaLRAQt1OUT5ThDOsfBNz3pfPmDFLnJtzTaQVFaQ5cldOYkxuATRBowUDtFtC3-2KVXSzjE2ZEBNV3iXNTR8C3LUjrel1cV6BxGW/s1600/P2194461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dRgTYbGuW640wwGgjDNtuJ-hI52VCC1OkCEoUGpuYaLRAQt1OUT5ThDOsfBNz3pfPmDFLnJtzTaQVFaQ5cldOYkxuATRBowUDtFtC3-2KVXSzjE2ZEBNV3iXNTR8C3LUjrel1cV6BxGW/s640/P2194461.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />Eve is a hard core meat lover (we are so proud) so I made meatball sandwiches (polka-dots get it?) along with fruit kabobs and tomato, basil and mozzarella sticks. OK, so maybe I am getting into this polka-dot theme.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIkOrlDUp3EPVnFkzNMhL29DIXjuZGGoNHdWoKBEeiheGE4ZRGKbCaky7dg3dmXI8Ppmc_eEOwUbCn7-MUuogGzv3Ft-G6zPkkjQ89LWwj_fMLkFQIsG0TvLtxODtqnGlzUytdNxF_YdG/s1600/P2194498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIkOrlDUp3EPVnFkzNMhL29DIXjuZGGoNHdWoKBEeiheGE4ZRGKbCaky7dg3dmXI8Ppmc_eEOwUbCn7-MUuogGzv3Ft-G6zPkkjQ89LWwj_fMLkFQIsG0TvLtxODtqnGlzUytdNxF_YdG/s640/P2194498.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were vegetables on this spread, I promise. Mental note- make sure everything is on the table <i>before</i> taking pictures.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />And of course, what is a birthday party without a cake.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoJof-lTodYaGDPHGGgIlexfvY9CPA0lhI83GjNMkTmbpJztjRs2ipvcp0cAmIbijEQItPuBbTt0WbWxyQXSYUi56YbDkwgb33zQ8QMZRbPjiu57lVPXWaRJ_IUxO01uZu2xG9IZ4rn6N/s1600/P2184138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoJof-lTodYaGDPHGGgIlexfvY9CPA0lhI83GjNMkTmbpJztjRs2ipvcp0cAmIbijEQItPuBbTt0WbWxyQXSYUi56YbDkwgb33zQ8QMZRbPjiu57lVPXWaRJ_IUxO01uZu2xG9IZ4rn6N/s640/P2184138.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Most importantly the birthday girl approved.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn6zutdqTqUgCuGQmboHI3NZQ7597jDF7B51AYMpKb8orEgZEwvYSu8MPXXOvs3chiiZQwEfQSNefafJb4YDrJyatgc-vdXkjKy9wcQl1Qmq3l17b6zrAmGkpuJhXPkFGbzx_7iZBsqtP/s1600/P2184401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn6zutdqTqUgCuGQmboHI3NZQ7597jDF7B51AYMpKb8orEgZEwvYSu8MPXXOvs3chiiZQwEfQSNefafJb4YDrJyatgc-vdXkjKy9wcQl1Qmq3l17b6zrAmGkpuJhXPkFGbzx_7iZBsqtP/s640/P2184401.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAKetjH5ikkXm8Z7YY0Z97KA9aAo-W2UJ_w7avvdPeaVj-IACgn4TpNZa39SoEsIa3IyMo6qYWBnWR6Q5SR4Sp4uRhb4Wd5OlPY7ahXoxm00HE_wlBmMYe9ijs-6OCLPkuLbrrWWSKAVX/s1600/P2184141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAKetjH5ikkXm8Z7YY0Z97KA9aAo-W2UJ_w7avvdPeaVj-IACgn4TpNZa39SoEsIa3IyMo6qYWBnWR6Q5SR4Sp4uRhb4Wd5OlPY7ahXoxm00HE_wlBmMYe9ijs-6OCLPkuLbrrWWSKAVX/s640/P2184141.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nWwSTTwTezyKpRlIo-gqftrvTPQ1YsU0nGQo2qknTkLqQWOudcuUsItdKayHmmTUPNqVH3paFVFRvsaNpqIuePwNTKcd2zD9An0H93aascMJ-E9Lq4HvGJNlS9Xrtd4_MGfpjUk5JNF/s1600/P2184240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nWwSTTwTezyKpRlIo-gqftrvTPQ1YsU0nGQo2qknTkLqQWOudcuUsItdKayHmmTUPNqVH3paFVFRvsaNpqIuePwNTKcd2zD9An0H93aascMJ-E9Lq4HvGJNlS9Xrtd4_MGfpjUk5JNF/s640/P2184240.JPG" width="515" /></a></div>A good time was had by all but I have to say I'm glad its over.  I am pooped out! Thanks to everyone who joined in the celebration. My how quickly a year flies!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />

very first birthday

Party people in the house! We had a birthday celebration this weekend to celebrate Eve's very first birthday. We've been getting a l...

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DIETS: A WASTE OF YOUR BODY'S INTELLIGENCE

Control is what you pay for when you sign up for a diet or fitness program. You feel insecure about your body in some shape or form. You pay someone who says they have the secret recipe through either food intake or exercise, or both, that will change your body-- thus fixing your insecurity. <br />They give you a list of rules: don't eat this, eat that, burn calories this way, eat at this time, only eat this much, exercise this way, for that long, etc. You succumb to whatever rules they give-- in desperate hope you're body can be transformed into what you think will make you a happier person. Or at least to what will make you feel better about that certain body part you don't like. <br /><br />If the diet plan works, you're left to believe you can't stop, because now you're dependent on it to keep your body secure from regressing back to the way it was. For example, you've lost all of your excess fat with the hCG protocol, yet you still think you need to follow some sort of diet plan to keep you from gaining it all back. You're still dieting and have a diet control mentality, even though your body doesn't need to be under a contstant fueling restriction. <br /><br />You're now controlling even more out of fear you're body is on the verge of regaining. You think you still have leptin resistance, you still believe your body is all messed up, and you still believe you have to diet to keep your fat off, even though you may have less than 30 pounds of fat on your body (which is very lean for a female). The choice to control your body not only perpetuates your feelings of insecurity, but it makes your need for more control even worse. This is like losing weight running half-marathons and such. Then you feel compelled to continue to enlist in races out of fear you'll gain fat back without that type of training. You are now dependent, or at least think you are.<br /><br /><br />Have you ever considered your body's innate subconscious intelligence? That every cell in your body has the capacity to control (of which your conscious mind can't even begin to conceptualize) and maintain homeostasis without your help? Think of it this way, you have a body that your mother's body created perfectly. Did your mother have to meddle in the business of your body to make sure you were created in a way that would survive the climate of our ever changing environment? I have three children and my intelligence can't even start to comprehend how I am (and they are) still alive under the circumstance of labor and delivery!!! What would make us believe that we have even the slightest idea about the capacity of the human body to control itself? How does it maintain life under polar opposite stress, which is under polar opposite stress, in a 4-dimentionsal plane, infinity, and so forth?<br /><br />The idea that we can control the human body stems from insecurity. It is an idea that there is something wrong based on our idea of what is right. But if what is right is based on our limited level of understanding, and our intellectual understanding isn't even a sliver of the body's capacity, aren't we dumbing down the human body to our limited view? The more we know of the human body, the more we recognize our understanding is far less then what we thought. But even with that awareness, food is one thing we do control. We control what it is, when we eat it, how much, and we justify eating for whatever bias we have. But what is the controls by which the body dictates it's need for food? Hunger.<br /><br />If you're not hungry your body isn't communicating the need for food. This concept is similar to urination. If you don't have the sensations to urinate, then you don't have an emmint reason to go to the bathroom. Would you sit on the pot if you didn't have the sense to urinate? Would you go to the bathroom and sit on the toilette for fun? To distract from sad? To celebrate? NO! Then why would you eat without hunger too?<br /><br />Hunger is the foudational signal that it is time for you to prioritize eating. It is the body's own way of controlling your behavior and it is highly reliable as a means to eat less without the need to control your food intake from a diet. Why? Because your body knows more than any business person who created a diet in order increase their profit margins. The human body knows when and how much food you need. Once you've masted listening to hunger and doing as it says, it is then your job to make wise choices with what you eat. <br /><br />Without this trust and teamwork with the body, you'll always seek control, you'll always have to count calories, you'll always need to measure whats coming in and whats going out, and you'll always feel as if your body is messed up. Until you are willing to trust that your body knows much more about what it needs and when, you're at the mercy of someone else'se intellingence. Is their motive to control your food intake for the health of your body or the health of their wallet? Before you enlist in a diet of any type, start by learning your hunger and using it as a guide. Then make the intelligent choice of what to eat.

DIETS: A WASTE OF YOUR BODY'S INTELLIGENCE

Control is what you pay for when you sign up for a diet or fitness program. You feel insecure about your body in some shape or form. You pay...

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All Things Google - a collection of tutorial videos embedded on a Slideshare

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="__ss_11657693" style="width: 425px;"><span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px;">I absolutely LOVE this feature of Slideshare where you can embed YouTube videos within Slideshare instead of having a string of them on your blog page. Well, today I got rather ambitious and thought I would gather a collection of the Google tutorials I have been learning from recently...12 videos... to see if adding a large amount of videos would work. It seems that it does work. Well, it was a lengthy affair because I first got all the urls incorrect. You have to use the url that shows under the video after clicking on <i>'Share'</i>. Two of the videos would just not take! So, instead of redoing the whole thing and replacing my Slideshare, I thought that I would post it for now...and return to the problem on another occasion. </span><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><br /></strong><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/all-things-google-a-collection-of-tutorials" target="_blank" title="All things Google - a collection of tutorials">All things Google - a collection of tutorials</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/11657693" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">fionabeal</a> <br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Application for teaching<br /></span></b><br />1. You could have your lesson planned and outlined on Slideshare and as you go through it your video clips and even your Screencasts if it was a technology linked lesson could be right there. If this was placed on your classroom blog the students could access it that evening to review.<br />2. Slideshare has another feature which I am going to try next where you can use a widget and include  a whole lot of lessons you have created using videos and Slideshare presentations; and can link them in a playlist down the side.  Here is an image of this done by Judi Barrett (after which I will give the link to the real thing).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvTdx8P7CEAMka2coi8gPITdbVJd4kiS3CiaIIZHbFzWArglMytvnVYeCVertXVid-_WhgnEwDG2QSK5vzdOtoRz6XhqAepan8zpn3qW-cM3bcTk2q-Du665ZhtOqpUMD1dz7G3zCzTc/s1600/example+of+slideshare+playlist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvTdx8P7CEAMka2coi8gPITdbVJd4kiS3CiaIIZHbFzWArglMytvnVYeCVertXVid-_WhgnEwDG2QSK5vzdOtoRz6XhqAepan8zpn3qW-cM3bcTk2q-Du665ZhtOqpUMD1dz7G3zCzTc/s400/example+of+slideshare+playlist.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />You can see what I mean by viewing the real thing at: <a href="http://web2teachingtools.wikispaces.com/SlideShare">http://web2teachingtools.wikispaces.com/SlideShare</a></div></div></div>

google Technology integration Tutorials videos All Things Google - a collection of tutorial videos embedded on a Slideshare

I absolutely LOVE this feature of Slideshare where you can embed YouTube videos within Slideshare instead of having a string of them on your...

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Classroom Innovation - is your classroom like this?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The prestigious Google Academy for 2012 is coming up in London in April and applications had to be in last week. Applicants were given a choice of two topics for creating a video to accompany their online application form, 'Classroom Innovation' and 'Learning and Motivation'. I came across Martin Burnett's video on Classroom Innovation today - just love it. Don't we all want classrooms like this?  By the way, Martin Burnett was the winner of the Best Educational Wiki for 2011 <a href="http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/">http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/</a>. It is REALLY worth taking a look at his wiki.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kIPnqzZPwBc" width="420"></iframe></div>

Competitions google Technology integration Classroom Innovation - is your classroom like this?

The prestigious Google Academy for 2012 is coming up in London in April and applications had to be in last week. Applicants were given a cho...

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3000 visitors to our SchoolNet blog. Yay!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">3000 visitors to our SchoolNet blog. Yay!<br /><br /><img border="0" height="0" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMjk2NDY4NzQ3NjgmcHQ9MTMyOTY*Njg3ODM2MSZwPTc*MzIxJmQ9Jmc9MSZvPWM4Mjg3Njg1NGNiZjRjNDc5ZmU1/NTE*Mjc1NTQyN2Q3.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /><a href="http://www.sparklee.com/"><img alt="logo maker - http://www.sparklee.com" border="0" src="http://img-s3-01.mytextgraphics.com/sparklee/2012/02/19/8e43162ba6814d4e203bf059b847bd03.gif" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.docloop.com/">doctor reviews</a></div>

Inspiration 3000 visitors to our SchoolNet blog. Yay!

3000 visitors to our SchoolNet blog. Yay! doctor reviews

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Europe

<br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.activistpost.com/2012/02/nigel-farage-speaks-to-greece-youre.html">Nigel Farage Speaks to Greece: You're Being Destroyed by the "Economic Prison" of the Euro</a></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">English Language Interview starts at 0:58, prior to that they talk Greek</span> </span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8UsiHn9crVM?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">  <span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> </h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Patrick Cockburn: Greece sells its independence to escape the burden of debt</span></b></div><br /> Greeks expect to agree a deal with the Eurozone leaders tomorrow that will cede much of their country’s independence. Greece will become an economic – and to a large extent a political – colony of Germany and its allies. Berlin will have a say in everything from the choice of prime minister to the types of medicines dispensed by pharmacies.<br /><a href="" name="more"><br />In return for €230bn, made up of €130bn in fresh loans and €100bn in write-downs on privately held Greek government bonds, Greece is relieved from its immediate debt burden. But the money does not go to the Greek government, still less to the Greek people. It simply leaves them to live off the money they earn.<br /></a><br />For all the television pictures of rioting protesters, clouds of tear gas and burning buildings in central Athens over the last week, a striking feature of the political landscape is the lack of resistance to the German terms. The Greek political elite sound and look stunned, grudgingly surrendering to the demands of the Troika (EU, IMF and European Central Bank), but bereft of ideas about what else to do.<br /><br /> The two political parties that have dominated Greek politics for 30 years, the centre-left Pasok and the conservative New Democracy, do not come out well from the crisis. Tasos Telloglou, Greece’s top investigative journalist at Skai TV who has exposed many corruption scandals, describes the members of parliament as “fat and lazy [people who] only worry about how to get back to where they were four years ago before the crisis”. He says both ruling parties, which have alternated in power since the fall of the military junta in 1974, have privately agreed to continue their coalition after the next election, which is expected in 10 weeks’ time.<br /><br /> His view of Greek voters is almost equally contemptuous. They too, he says, yearn for a return of the good times when Greece had the same AAA credit rating as Germany. He says: “We wanted to have a European income without having European productivity, so we just borrowed money.” But lenders will avoid Greece for a long time, so there can be no return to the living standards enjoyed before 2008. Mr Telloglou quotes approvingly the Greek saying: “You can turn an aquarium into fish soup, but you cannot turn fish soup into an aquarium.”<br /> The mood of the political leadership is one of fatalism and despair. Simos Kedikoglou, a New Democracy MP, says of the parliamentary vote on the deal a week ago: “We had to choose between the certainty of disaster and the doubt of salvation. You can’t be independent when you have to borrow €20m a day. We’re in an awful shape. We don’t produce anything, not even the meat we eat.”<br /><br /> But there are clearly other motives behind the radical changes now being imposed on Greece. “It is like undiluted Thatcherism forced on the country in a few years,” said one observer in Athens. For instance, the minimum wage is to be reduced by 22 per cent to €522 a month as part of the latest austerity round. The Troika believes this will increase employment, but Greek economists disagree, saying that Chinese or Bulgarian workers will always be paid less. Greeks will not get jobs for the same reason that the Greek merchant navy employs Filipinos below the level of captain and chief engineer. Cutting the pay of poorly paid state employees will also do little for Greece except reduce consumption and increase misery.<br /><br /> Part of the explanation for these measures is probably that German leaders want to prove to German voters that they are giving the Greeks a rough time and not allowing them to guzzle German subsidies. The punitive nature of the Troika’s reforms also reflects a wish to send a message to heavily indebted Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Ireland not to dare take the Greek option of what is effectively a managed default on its debts. Even the rude things said by German and Dutch politicians about Greece last week served the purpose of showing their domestic audience that they were not being taken to the cleaners by the wily but improvident Greeks.<br /><br /> But on the back of the austerity programme rides a neo-liberal vision of how the Greek economy and society should be run. It sounds and looks very much like what was applied in Russia under Boris Yeltsin after 1992. There will be widespread privatisations; cuts in social security, pensions and state health provision; and wholesale deregulation. Many on the right welcome these reforms. Vagelis Agapitos, a financial consultant in Athens, looks forward to the day when houses, hotels, wind farms and fish farms can be built without any troubling regulations or permits. Archaeological surveys would be dropped. “We don’t need another sculpture from [ancient] Greece,” he says. “We need to break the taboo that public employees work for life.”<br /><br /> One reason for the mess Greece is in lies in its recent history. After a ferocious civil war between Communists and their enemies, beginning in 1946, the victorious right was wholly dominant up to the fall of the colonels in 1974. Ship owners and bankers, often products of the Greek diaspora and detached from the home economy, were gently treated. So too were small shops, professionals and businesses, which paid little tax. Greece never enjoyed the sort of post-war social compromise seen in the rest of Europe, where liberal capitalism was balanced by commitments to workers’ rights, social spending and the welfare state.<br /><br /> In the early 1980s, Greece shifted to the left just as Reaganism and Thatcherism were taking hold in the US and UK. Pasok was in power for most of the next 20 years and built up state spending on social welfare and a system of political patronage. Unsackable employees worked in redundant industries.<br /><br />Pasok never reformed the archaic state it had inherited, so professionals and property owners went on paying few taxes. Some 94 per cent of Greeks claimed to earn less than €30,000 a year. It is only over the last year that the Troika forced banks to disclose the real income of their customers, rather than what they were claiming for tax purposes. A list shows a hairdresser who earned €423,000 but declared just €35,000, and a gynaecologist on €1.3m who declared only €877,000.<br /> This welfare state for the rich and the poor could only be sustained by borrowing. It is now being dismantled. But, as one Greek academic said: “In Greece only the weak and the poor get punished.”<br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

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Nigel Farage Speaks to Greece: You're Being Destroyed by the "Economic Prison" of the Euro English Language Interview starts...

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MONSANTO – “GLOBAL MONSTER CORPORATION”?

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTaQf3nihBU?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Monsanto El Veneno Del Diablo Soja Argentina</span></b></span><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Monsanto Company is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation which is particularly famous for its genetically modified products and herbicides. It is also notable for its involvement in high profile lawsuits, where fines and damages have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of them were related to health damage caused by Monsanto’s products.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Monsanto is one of the most powerful and controversial Agricultural and Biotechnology Corporation on the globe. Monsanto allegedly controls 90% of the world wide food market and is a key promoter of genetic modified food products as well as lead producer of pesticides.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto#Soybean_in_Argentina"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto#Soybean_in_Argentina</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Given the fact that Argentina is a major agricultural producer and exporter, the strong presence of Monsanto in Argentina must raise concerns, for the corporation is known for its lack of moral and controversial use of Biotechnology especially in genetic manipulated food products and chemicals used for pesticides. Most of the lawsuits are related to health problems connected to genetically manipulated food products and side effects of pesticides.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Currently Monsanto is engaged in countless legal battles and controversies around the globe, a frightening fact, given the power and political influence the corporation has. Some of the current controversies and lawsuits involving Monsanto are: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MONSANTO GUILTY OF CHEMICAL POISONING</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Via Reuters</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A French court ruled that a controversial US biotech company Monsanto is guilty of unintentional chemical poisoning of a French farmer. The verdict sets a French precedent for pesticide-poisoning and more cases are expected to follow.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">­Grain farmer Paul Francois, says he suffered a number of neurological problems, including memory loss, stammering and headaches, after inhaling Monsanto's Lasso weed killer in 2004. He blamed the company for failing to provide adequate warning labels on its products.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The present case is not the first of its kind. All previous health claims have reportedly failed because of the difficulties with proving the links between health issues and exposure to pesticides and other chemicals. Francois’s claims appeared to be easier to substantiate because he could describe a particular incident – the inhaling of a particular pesticide while cleaning the tank of his crop sprayer. The man was only able to obtain his work invalidity status after a court appeal.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">300K FARMERS HOPE FOR LAWSUIT AGAINST MONSANTO </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Via RT</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Around 300,000 organic farmers think that Monsanto, the biotech giant known for genetically modifying Mother Nature’s handwork for profit and pushing over the little guys all the while, is pretty seedy. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Now a judge in New York is debating if Monsanto’s questionable methods will go before a jury.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FOGGY PATENT CLAIM ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEED</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Last year, 270,000 organic farmers from around 60 family farms tried to take Monsanto to court over issues pertaining to a genetically-modified seed masterminded by the corporation. Not only were the smaller farms concerned over how the manufactured seeds had been carried by wind and creature alike onto their own plantations, but the biggest problem perhaps was that Monsanto was filing lawsuits themselves against farmers. Monsanto went after hundreds of farmers for infringing on their patented seed after audits revealed that their farms had contained their product as a result of routine pollination by animals and acts of nature. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SMALL FARM GRABBING TACTICS BY MONSANTO</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unable to afford a proper defense, competing small farms have been bought out by the company in droves</b>. As a result, Monsanto saw their profits increase by the hundreds of millions over the last few years as a result. Between 1997 and 2010, <b>Monsanto tackled 144 organic farms with lawsuits and investigated roughly 500 plantations annually during that span with a so-called “seed police.”</b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp_lmr7pf68_tcjIj-POQw1Rl_tPc7aB3aa7cf7xhaEz7VNb_tT2a7u12cTUn1KVgdd8ac726TgG1ehBlSw0fS44G06koqj6f1b7nvz8ZyhVHYpDt5fQD4c4PjfHeidiba60gedHDGTel/s1600/monsanto_450_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp_lmr7pf68_tcjIj-POQw1Rl_tPc7aB3aa7cf7xhaEz7VNb_tT2a7u12cTUn1KVgdd8ac726TgG1ehBlSw0fS44G06koqj6f1b7nvz8ZyhVHYpDt5fQD4c4PjfHeidiba60gedHDGTel/s400/monsanto_450_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MONSANTO’S INCREASING REIGN OVER THE WORLD’S AGRICULTURE WILL SURPASS ANYTHING IMAGINABLE</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Farmers have been concerned that unless Monsanto is stopped, their reign over the world’s agriculture will surpass anything imaginable</b>. They are seeking pre-emptive protection from those questionable lawsuits and next month Judge Buchwald will weigh in on if the matter should go to trial. Her honor recently listened to oral arguments on Monsanto’s Motion to Dismiss, which the corporation hopes to win to cease the charges being brought by a total of 83 plaintiffs representing now over 300,000 organic farm-affiliated businesses. The legal team for the small-time farmers also offered their arguments. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN">ARGENTINA SAYS MONSANTO CONTRACTOR ABUSES WORKERS</span></b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="strap"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Associated Press</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span class="date">January 16, 2012</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina's tax agency has raided a Monsanto Co. contractor and found what it calls slave-like conditions among workers in its cornfields.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The AFIP tax agency says Rural Power SA hired all its farmhands illegally, prevented them from leaving the fields and withheld their salaries. They had to de-tassel corn 14 hours a day and buy their food at inflated prices from the company store. AFIP says it will hold the American agro-giant responsible for its contractor's slave-like labor conditions.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Monsanto didn't immediately respond to calls Monday to its headquarters in Buenos Aires and in St. Louis, which was closed for the Martin Luther King holiday. Argentina's congress last month gave farmhands an 8-hour day and other benefits long denied under a dictatorship-era law.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Thursday,July 8^th 2010 </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">EU COURT RULING FAVOURS ARGENTINA IN DISPUTE WITH MONSANTO OVER SOY-SEED PATENT</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">United States Monsanto Co., the world’s biggest seed company, can’t use a European patent on its Roundup Ready soybeans to block Argentinean soy meal imports, the European Union’s highest court said Wednesday. MercoPress</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">MONSANTO’S HARVEST OF FEAR</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805">http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805</a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MONSANTO VS. CANADA</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">After an 8 year review, Canada rejected Monsanto's request for the approval of their genetically modified milk hormone, rBGH. This drug has been shown to make dairy cows produce 10% more milk than normal. This rejection was a major setback for the GE Giant because it was Monsanto's first GE product, and Monsanto had hoped that it's international exceptance would help lead the way to the approval of their other genetically engineered products, most notably crops like cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, rice, corn , and soybeans.<span lang="EN"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Canada dissaproved of the rBGH drug because, as the product label acknowledges, it can cause udder infections, very painful, debilitating foot disorders, and reduced life span in treated cows. There is no doubt that bigger issues of genetic engineering in general also played a big role in the final decision.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/25365/monsanto.html">http://library.thinkquest.org/25365/monsanto.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/">http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">ARGENTINA BE WARY OF MONSANTO </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="titrearticle"><b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">ROUNDUP READY SOYA IN ARGENTINA</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The GM soya, Round Up Ready (“RR”), which is resistant to spraying of Monsanto’s weed killer Round Up, took only a few years to become established in Argentina. This crop swept onto the market as financial crisis hit Argentina in 2001. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While soya cultivation represented only 3700 hectares in 1971, it had risen to 8.3 million hectares in 2000, 9.3m by 2001, 11.6m by 2002 and by 2007 had reached 16 million hectares or 60% of the land in cultivation, giving rise to the phrase “SOYISATION OF THE COUNTRY”. Of the total, 14 million hectares were sown with GM soya, representing a 37 million tone harvest, of which 90% was exported, mainly to Europe and China.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">ARGENTINE LAND GRABBING - MONSANTO STYLE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Due to the economic crisis in 2001, land prices had shot up in value, encouraging small landowners to sell up and concentrating land ownership. In the course of a decade the average landholding in the Pampas grew from 250 to 538 hectares while the number of farms fell by 30%. What’s more <b><span style="color: red;">16 million hectares of cultivable land were owned by foreign agribusinesses</span></b>. This caused a profound reorganisation from what had been a diverse and self-sufficient agriculture, to a <b>model of virtual monoculture</b>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina’s leaders preferred to substitute an intensive industrial model of agriculture, open to exploitative practices, for traditional family farms. As Argentina’s Secretary of Agriculture remarked, soya was seen at the time as a lifebelt for an Argentine economy in danger of drowning. The State was raising taxes of 20% on oils and 23% on grains, representing 10 billion dollars a year, or 30% of the national revenue. <b>Another boost to the growing of GM soya was that Argentina had refused to grant Monsanto a patent for the GM seeds, so the small farmers were able to replant RR seeds without having to pay the firm from St Louis to use them</b>. To make sure they grabbed the whole market, Monsanto didn’t hesitate to sell its seed three times cheaper than in the US. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The new seed was seen as a “miracle” by many Argentine farmers allowing them to save on weed killers but also to spare the soil from too frequent spraying. <b>After a few years of using RR soya however many of them were disillusioned by the reality.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">THE GREAT LET-DOWN: THE HIDDEN FACE OF GM SOYA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The surge in GM soya, and what experts casually refer to as “<b>the rush for green gold</b>” <b>drove down production of crops that were needed to feed Argentineans</b>. Thus from 1996-7 to 2001-2, the number of dairy holdings dropped by 27% and for the first time in its history <b>Argentina had to import milk from Uruguay</b>. In the same period, Argentina recorded a decline of 44% in rice production, 44% in sunflowers and 36% in pork. <b>This was accompanied by a rise in the price of basic foodstuffs, so that in 2003 flour rose by 162%, lentils by 272% and rice by 130%. The irony of this situation is that Argentinians were being encouraged to substitute soya milk and soya steaks for the traditional milk and meat that had always formed part of the culinary heritage of their country.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">“VOLUNTEER” SOYA: TOWARDS A STERILE SOIL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCCfy8LreUJueMjGSDjMw07nEUWGy9BzeVCam-YYGGhupr84VeqBJanQ7XUr4FvjSClQb4y-iHhTsSw1GyoCyKC1RtTH28aiwNt8N4RogPtxPsbG2DlgxcUiIoAOEvM5hVw5vyYKOS4_U/s1600/GMOx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCCfy8LreUJueMjGSDjMw07nEUWGy9BzeVCam-YYGGhupr84VeqBJanQ7XUr4FvjSClQb4y-iHhTsSw1GyoCyKC1RtTH28aiwNt8N4RogPtxPsbG2DlgxcUiIoAOEvM5hVw5vyYKOS4_U/s400/GMOx.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Before the advent of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready (“RR”) soya, <b><span style="color: red;">Argentine farmers used four or five different herbicides on the same land, including very toxic ones like 2-4D (an ingredient of “Agent Orange”)</span></b>, atrazine or paraquat (all banned in the European Union). But alternation of the different products stopped the weeds from developing resistance to any one of them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now, the exclusive use of Roundup had caused biotypes to appear. At first these were “tolerant” of glyphosate and farmers had to increase the doses of Roundup to get rid of them. But tolerance was followed by resistance and the appearance of “volunteer” soya which became ever more widespread in the Pampas. <b>Before the arrival of RR, Argentina used on average a million litres of glyphosate a year, but by 2005 that had grown to 150 million, with a considerable financial boost in consequence for Monsanto.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Increasing spraying with Roundup was weakening soils because it destroys the microbial flora that it is essential to their fertility. As the soil becomes progressively more sterile, it becomes less productive, farmers are forced to use more fertilizer and so their costs of production rise. <b>The claim that using GMOs will increase profits is therefore somewhat in doubt.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">CONSEQUENCES FOR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rural populations are the first to be affected by the damage to their environment from massive use of Roundup. <b>Twice a year, crop dusters or “mosquitos” spray the herbicide across the whole countryside right up to people’s doorsteps. No precautions are taken in Argentina to reduce the impact of contamination by glyphosate, which affects the environment, the air and the ground water and in turn the population.</b> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">According to Dario Gianfelici, an Argentine doctor working in the countryside, “Along with several other colleagues in the region, we have recorded a significant increase in birth abnormalities, like miscarriages or early fetal death, </span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">thyroid dysfunction</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, respiratory dysfunction - like pulmonary oedema – kidney and endocrine dysfunction, liver and skin diseases and serious sight problems”.1 These are direct observations from the ground and not scientific proof.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Furthermore the increase in land area given over to growing soya has had an associated effect on deforestation which has increased to provide new terrain. The region of SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO has shown one of the <b>highest rates of deforestation in the world</b> with an average of 0.81% of the forest torn away each year, against a global rate of 0.23%. According to Jorge Menendez, Director for Forests with the Environment Ministry, between 1998 and 2002, that represented 800,000 hectares of forest in this region gone up in smoke to make way for soya. In the same period, 118,000 hectares were lost in the CHACO and 170,000 in SALTA. This is a veritable ecological tragedy for the primitive forests which shelter a biodiversity found here and nowhere else on the planet.</span></span></div><div class="spip"><br /></div><div class="spip"><br /></div><div class="spip"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="FR">MONSANTO VERSES ARGENTINA</span></b></span></div><div class="spip"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FxLZvwswr9oTG5AjcwETfFYwjog2qVdunf5kUxGKDY5igfufLbW4hbE9BroWIJjrzalgPvQ9AYwaNKBmynkhynzBkV_BVscyf4L_XINfDbw_hxMCZgW52Z5gIVRTyE-8GJszSMvYESZ6/s1600/genetic7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FxLZvwswr9oTG5AjcwETfFYwjog2qVdunf5kUxGKDY5igfufLbW4hbE9BroWIJjrzalgPvQ9AYwaNKBmynkhynzBkV_BVscyf4L_XINfDbw_hxMCZgW52Z5gIVRTyE-8GJszSMvYESZ6/s400/genetic7.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In order to dominate the market for GM soya, Monsanto hasn’t hesitated to extend a number of privileges in Argentina, like the bargain prices for RR soya seed, the lack of a patent and its undertaking not to sue farmers who replant part of their harvested seed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However <b>Monsanto</b> is in dispute with the Argentine government at the moment because the firm is claiming royalties on the sale and export of its GM soya. The firm <b>is demanding three dollars per tonne of soya grain or flour leaving Argentine ports or 15 dollars on arrival of the cargoes in European ports</b>. That represents a potential <b><span style="color: red;">financial boost of 160 million dollars a year for Monsanto</span></b>simply from Argentine soya exports destined for the EU. Currently no agreement has been reached between Monsanto and the Argentine government. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://monsanto.no/index.php/en/environment/gmo/gmo-news/92-monsantos-herbicide-roundup-linked-to-birth-defects-in-argentinas-agricultural-areas"><span lang="FR">http://monsanto.no/index.php/en/environment/gmo/gmo-news/92-monsantos-herbicide-roundup-linked-to-birth-defects-in-argentinas-agricultural-areas</span></a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">MONSANTO TARGETS LATIN AMERICA FOR SEED BUSINESS GROWTH </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Via Dow Jones Newswires</span></b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">12/22/2011</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Monsanto claims more than 40% of Brazil's GMO seed market and more than half of Argentina's.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The big farms of Brazil and Argentina have become a key <b>battleground for Monsanto Co. (MON) as the agribusiness heavyweight seeks to maintain its market leadership in genetically modified seeds in Latin America.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As growth of Monsanto's GMO seeds outside the U.S. is expected to outpace the domestic market for the first time during the upcoming crop season, <b>Latin America has taken on new importance for Monsanto. </b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The momentum is expected to accelerate in 2012 in Latin America. Furthermore it is expected the ramp-up of the corn opportunity in Brazil and Argentina will be one of the single largest sources of new growth in the next few years according to Monsanto.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While the U.S. has a finite amount of cultivatable crop lands, there are still massive amounts of land available to expand production in Brazil and Argentina</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. (<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/latam-economic-downgrading-tactics-by.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/latam-economic-downgrading-tactics-by.html</a>)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moreover, the benefits of GMO seeds -- including increased resistance to pests and herbicides -- have won them increased usage by farmers in those nations. <b><span style="color: red;">Monsanto claims more than 40% of Brazil's GMO seed market and more than half of Argentina's</span></b>. Last year, the company's sales to Argentina totaled over $600 million out of Monsanto's overall global seed sales of $10.5 billion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Brazil and Argentina are primed to boost Monsanto's</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> top line as farmers adopt biotech seeds and trade up to more advanced and higher-margin seeds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With 120 million acres of soybeans in South America versus 75 million in the U.S. it is a significant growth opportunity for Monsanto and the next blockbuster product, with a big opportunity for investors in South America</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wvjCE_g2tKM?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>

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GEOSTRATEGIC DYNAMICS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA

<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcKRAZ7waNXC70LpZEaS3kz-jyxRrQ4P_H7G5R4FaGw2YASN9xD3jUgKAZU2Q_bdJiVLcPDoNPy5EOoyopgMtfVQEblg3pksBsY_Xwg9CU8jpuDBy2C76ojMfCdSWyXR3Et_u2ZkoTIKF/s1600/1-17-2012-8-10-27-AM-3175256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcKRAZ7waNXC70LpZEaS3kz-jyxRrQ4P_H7G5R4FaGw2YASN9xD3jUgKAZU2Q_bdJiVLcPDoNPy5EOoyopgMtfVQEblg3pksBsY_Xwg9CU8jpuDBy2C76ojMfCdSWyXR3Et_u2ZkoTIKF/s400/1-17-2012-8-10-27-AM-3175256.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SABRE RATTLING BETWEEN CYPRUS AND TURKEY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Parallel to current saber rattling in the SOUTHERN ATLANTIC between BRITAIN and ARGENTINA, similar posturing can be observed in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA between CYPRUS and TURKEY regarding recent gas and possible oil findings. Adding fuel to the fire is ISRAEL’S Prime Ministers State visit to CYPRUS. This comes at a time when CYPRUS frequently accused TURKEY of using "bullying behaviour" over the division of the island and recent natural gas finds. (See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/02/british-multiple-offensive.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/02/british-multiple-offensive.html</a>)<br />Gas production is set to climb in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN following the discovery of huge offshore reserves that have sparked competing maritime claims involving TURKEY, CYPRUS, LEBANON and ISRAEL.<br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TURKEYS SHOW OF FORCE IS AN ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE CYPRUS AND ISRAEL </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYUoScBG1VNfpA-dzgOm18Q40hMZsfhpDxmJ2AJ242JrwUy3G4ylaT9I38wPRsH5KBRWmWgk0Pgxmx215_o62mWcqCdHuersw6HEANWB7K6dG6xf9PG6iMCETNoElCJf9CNkwvXwFPmU6/s1600/asadi_s20110908214936433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYUoScBG1VNfpA-dzgOm18Q40hMZsfhpDxmJ2AJ242JrwUy3G4ylaT9I38wPRsH5KBRWmWgk0Pgxmx215_o62mWcqCdHuersw6HEANWB7K6dG6xf9PG6iMCETNoElCJf9CNkwvXwFPmU6/s200/asadi_s20110908214936433.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>CYPRUS politicians told ISRAELI ARMY RADIO in an interview that TURKEY had held numerous and "provocative" military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean over the past few months. The show of force is an attempt to threaten CYPRUS and ISRAEL and try to discourage foreign companies from cooperating with the two countries in gas exploration and production. A totally unacceptable behaviour on the part of TURKEY and something CYPRUS condemns strongly. CYPRUS'S attempts to tap offshore hydrocarbon riches has angered Ankara, which challenges Nicosia's jurisdiction in searching for oil and gas.<br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CYPRUS AND ISRAEL TO BECOME MAJOR GAS EXPORTERS IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE </b></div><br />Texas-based NOBLE ENERGY, which is working with both CYPRUS and ISRAEL, reported an offshore gas prospect of between 5 trillion and 8 trillion cubic feet for CYPRUS, a find which could make it self-sufficient in the commodity for decades. Gas production is also set to soar in Israel and it could become a major exporter from finds that could last for the next 40 years.<br />NOBLE is working with ISRAEL'S DELEK ENERGY to develop the "TAMAR" field, with reserves estimated at 9.1 trillion cubic feet, and "LEVIATHAN" which is nearly twice as big.<br />The TURKISH CYPRIOTS and TURKEY, which invaded north CYPRUS in 1974 after a brief GREECE-inspired coup, plan retaliatory exploration in northern CYPRUS.<br />ISRAEL and CYPRUS have agreed their adjoining areas of maritime jurisdiction. TURKEY, which controls northern CYPRUS, disputes its border with CYPRUS and LEBANON, which is in a state of war with ISRAEL and has also not agreed on a joint border between the two.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CYPRUS: GAS LICENCES BID LAUNCHED</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div>At the eve of the first ever ISRAELI State visit to the Island, CYPRUS announced the second licensing round for offshore exploration of hydrocarbons in its EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE (EEZ), less than two months after the discovery of substantial natural gas deposits south of the island.<br />The notice invites licence applications to search for mineral deposits inside the island's 51,000 square kilometre EEZ. Twelve offshore blocks rimming the island's south are on offer for potential exploration and exploitation of oil and gas. Block 12 is currently under concession to Houston-based NOBLE ENERGY, which back in December said it discovered an estimated 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet there. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Block 12 lies close to where neighbouring ISRAEL has reported significant discoveries.</b><br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE </b></div><br />Meanwhile CYPRUS officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and commerce are currently in the final stages of negotiating a unitization agreement with ISRAEL. This would arrange gas prospects into discrete units, given that some of the CYPRIOT Prospects in the eastern Mediterranean border and/or overlap ISRAELI ones.<br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ISRAEL TO STATION MILITARY JETS IN CYPRUS?</b></div><br />ISRAEL allegedly will use the first ever state visit to CYPRUS to sounding out the government over a request to station military jets at the ANDREAS PAPANDREOU airbase in PAPHOS, CYPRUS.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglB-KTbGwIQDzqBaHKehIfxOYK-iNBJ879McRZMR0oiKZROlOOSJ4CvCMyQWnt0_OSiyxfUKMY1bcD6E2jyG7PCZeoLiYzZ8xBDR7d2rtbGtRuAzTHzhEgH8GGwfgdu8YhZOLwhlwuddbL/s1600/andreas-papandreou-ab-paphos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglB-KTbGwIQDzqBaHKehIfxOYK-iNBJ879McRZMR0oiKZROlOOSJ4CvCMyQWnt0_OSiyxfUKMY1bcD6E2jyG7PCZeoLiYzZ8xBDR7d2rtbGtRuAzTHzhEgH8GGwfgdu8YhZOLwhlwuddbL/s320/andreas-papandreou-ab-paphos.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ANDREAS PAPANDREOU airbase in PAPHOS, CYPRUS</span></td></tr></tbody></table> If these allegations prove accurate, the visit of ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to CYPRUS may coincide with a ground-breaking shake up of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">geostrategic dynamics</b> in the region.  It was not clear though if ISRAEL will request a permanent presence on the island or establishing a base that can provide logistical support to the ISRAELI AIR FORCE (IAF) during operations in the region.<br />As mentioned in previous postings, ISRAEL needs to search for alternative external bases in order to compensate for recent loss of military cooperation and strongholds in TURKEY because of TURKEYS sudden change of attitude towards ISRAEL. (See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html</a> ) <br />Apparently ISRAEL and CYPRUS are seeking to strengthen defence ties as part of efforts to protect offshore oil and gas interests. CYPRUS and ISRAEL already signed two defence agreements in recent past.<br />CYPRUS seems keen to monitor the air space above its gas fields and increase navy patrols in its EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE with the help of ISRAEL and GREECE as it lacks an efficient air force of its own. ISRAEL on the other hand will be looking to find ways to counter potential threats from SYRIA and HEZBOLLAH against its offshore infrastructure.<br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DIPLOMATIC DOORS NOT ENTIRELY CLOSED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY</b></div><br />Interesting to note however is that at the same time diplomatic  relations between TURKEY and ISRAEL at an all times low, ISRAEL remains open to thawing its frosty relations with former military ally TURKEY and thus will likely invite TURKEY to participate in a large-scale international aerial drill to be hosted in ISRAEL in 2013. Economic relations between the two countries seems not have been effected by the dispute, as recent trade figures indicate. See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html</a> <br />Furthermore TURKEY permitted the installation of a NATO anti missile radar on its border with Iran, the information of which will be made also available to the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Thus it will be interesting to see what impact the current geopolitical and strategic shift among key players in the region will have on friends and foes alike.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Parts of above article have been adopted from the Cyprus Mail </i></span>

GEOSTRATEGIC DYNAMICS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SABRE RATTLING BETWEEN CYPRUS AND TURKEY Parallel to current saber rattling in the SOUTHERN ATLANTIC between BRITAIN a...

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