Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Take 'Thrift Shop' to 'SNL'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px;">Seattle hip-hop duo bounce high with their megahit</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="288" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=qo-i9tuf-aberwwuast-eq&partner=edp&uri=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hulu.com%2fwatch%2f462771" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="512"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0.012em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Macklemore and Ryan Lewis rolled out some snappy threads and hyperkinetic moves for their musical guest appearance on </span><em style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0.012em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Saturday Night Live</em><span style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0.012em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> last night. With vocalist Wanz singing the hook on their YouTube-aided multiplatium hit "Thrift Shop," the Seattle duo (and their horn section) brought a high level of energy to their ode to second-hand treasure. For the second set, they brought on Ray Dalton for vocals on "Can't Hold Us," another track from their 2012 album, </span><em style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0.012em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-heist-20121109" style="color: #003366; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The Heist</a></em><span style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0.012em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></div>

Macklemore Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Take 'Thrift Shop' to 'SNL'

Seattle hip-hop duo bounce high with their megahit Macklemore and Ryan Lewis rolled out some snappy threads and hyperkinetic moves for their...

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The Bible History Channel miniseries by Mark Burnett, Roma Downey debuts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="Bible" src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kgo/cms_exf_2007/news/bizarre/8441831_448x252.jpg" /><br /><br /><div class="storyIntro" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="storyDateline">March 4, 2013 (NEW YORK) -- </span>Mark Burnett was taken aback by the scale of what his wife, actress Roma Downey, had in mind when she suggested over tea one morning four years ago that they make a television miniseries based on the Bible.Mark Burnett was taken aback by the scale of what his wife, actress Roma Downey, had in mind when she suggested over tea one morning four years ago that they make a television miniseries based on the Bible.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Momentarily, I think he thought I'd lost my mind," Downey recalled. "He went out on his bicycle and he prayed on it and he came back and said, 'You know what, I think it's a good idea. I think we should do it together.' We shook hands and haven't looked back."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The series debuted on History Sunday at 8 p.m. EST, the first of five two-hour chunks that will air each weekend. The finale airs on Easter Sunday.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Different stories in the Bible have been Hollywood fodder for years. Burnett, the prolific producer behind "Survivor" and "The Voice," said no one had tried to tie it all together and use modern computer graphics to bring images like Moses parting the Red Sea to life on screen.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Instead of being all-encompassing, they tried to concentrate on stories in depth and on characters who would emotionally engage the audience. The first episode illustrates the wisdom of that approach: it flounders at the start with a discussion about the world's creation but becomes more gripping when the emphasis turns to the lives of Abraham and Moses.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Burnett said he believes there's a growing "Biblical illiteracy" among young people.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"It's like saying you never heard of Macbeth or King Lear," he said. "In school, you have to know a certain amount of Shakespeare, but no Bible. So there's got to be a way to look at it from a pure literature point of view. If it wasn't for the Bible, arguably Shakespeare wouldn't have written those stories."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Downey, the former star of "Touched By an Angel," said she wanted to be part of something that would glorify God.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After pitching their idea to several networks, Burnett and Downey found a fit with Nancy Dubuc, History's president and general manager. She likes the challenge of ideas that seem unwieldy. History made the 2010 miniseries "America the Story of Us," which was a big hit, and 2012's "Mankind the Story of All of Us," which wasn't. Last spring's miniseries on the Hatfields and McCoys was an eye-opening success.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Burnett and Downey have been building anticipation for "The Bible" by previewing it at churches and for religious leaders. Rick Warren, Joel Osteen and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, have all endorsed the work.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The faith community is going to sample it, unquestionably," Dubuc said. "Whether they stay or go remains with the TV gods. Our job has been to present this as an epic tale of adventure."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">History's own campaign is not targeting a religious audience, emphasizing some of the dramatic scenes to suggest that audiences won't be preached to. The screening that Downey and Burnett have sweated the most was when their teenage children showed it to some friends.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"We knew that we could make it heartfelt," Downey said. "We knew we could make it faithful. But we wanted to be sure that we could make it cool."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Downey spent nearly half of 2012 in Morocco supervising filming, beginning in the cold of February and ending in the blistering heat of July. "We wanted it to be gritty and authentic," she said. "We didn't want it to look like somebody had just stepped out of the dry cleaners."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Her husband flew back and forth to the United States, where he would work on his other programs. Downey said she initially had no intention of appearing onscreen, but stepped in when they had trouble casting an actress for an older Mary, mother of Jesus.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Except for Downey, few of the actors involved are well known in the United States. Portuguese TV star Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus Christ, and many of the other lead actors are based in Britain.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The television airing of "The Bible" on History is only the beginning for this project. Lifetime will air a repeat each week after a new episode appears on History. It will air internationally, and a DVD package will go on sale this spring. The series' scripts are bound together into a book. Producers will make a theatrical release movie of a portion of the story, and are looking at showing it in stadiums this fall. Burnett and Downey have also reached a deal to make parts of the film available as part of a religious education curriculum for churches.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"More people will watch this than any of our other series combined over the next three decades," Burnett said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Even better, their marriage survived the grueling process intact - even stronger, Downey said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Nobody has taken on the broad vision from Genesis to Revelation, and I think we probably realized at midpoint why no one had done it before," she said. "It was maddeningly complicated and extraordinarily hard work. We approached it humbly, but we were exhilarated by it."</div></div>

Bible History Channel The Bible History Channel miniseries by Mark Burnett, Roma Downey debuts

March 4, 2013 (NEW YORK) --  Mark Burnett was taken aback by the scale of what his wife, actress Roma Downey, had in mind when she suggested...

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color me spring

March is here and soon it will (finally) be spring. Thank god. There is no season that does more for my mental well being than spring. And since I try my best not to dance in the streets anymore, I celebrate this much needed change in little ways. Like on my hands.<br /><br />My hands are in terrible shape right now. Thanks to another weekend spent working on the <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/one-room-challenge.html" target="_blank">One Room Challenge</a> the insides are an umpa lumpa orange from removing stain and my fingers are covered in paint...again. Not to mention their general dryness.<br /><br />But as soon as my projects are complete, the first place I'm going is to get myself a mani/pedi. There is no better reward. Now to decide which spring colors to choose.<br /><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/AVvXsEh1aAU2PtvXBny5PSJvADsa72I07t0GrsextI0NkIcTaWyICP41W980Q_37RIjFSHGdCu0P-ilf65jRot4UIYlFLc3ljVxlmSD-02V211YUokQCGAh8rSBmRrs2hDzWVOQRNI_CpYwcUrjV/s1600/EssieSpringColors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aAU2PtvXBny5PSJvADsa72I07t0GrsextI0NkIcTaWyICP41W980Q_37RIjFSHGdCu0P-ilf65jRot4UIYlFLc3ljVxlmSD-02V211YUokQCGAh8rSBmRrs2hDzWVOQRNI_CpYwcUrjV/s400/EssieSpringColors.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all colors by <a href="http://www.essie.com/nail-colors/" target="_blank">Essie</a></td></tr></tbody></table>How do you celebrate the (almost) arrival of spring? Did this winter last as long for you? Have you seen my flip flops? I can't find them anywhere.

spring color me spring

March is here and soon it will (finally) be spring. Thank god. There is no season that does more for my mental well being than spring. And s...

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What does it mean to flatten your classroom?

<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/skepG0Fkf54?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/skepG0Fkf54?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What does it mean to flatten your classroom?</b></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">You remove the walls. You connect students to others around the world.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Connecting your classroom globally isn't as hard as you might think but is more important than you can imagine.</span></b></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is a short 7 minute segment that I recorded on the Ignite Show, a show about education taped in Atlanta by my friend  <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/110252016675633537553" target="_blank">+Anne Ostholthoff</a>  , where I was also a guest with Georgia Governor <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Deal" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Nathan Deal">Nathan Deal</a>. I highly recommend following <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skepG0Fkf54" target="_blank">the show</a> on YouTube, where I hope you're building a PLN of good shows and channels by real people.</div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It isn't about what you're keeping out but about what you're bringing into your classroom. What are you bringing in?</div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The Ignite Show - Flattened Classroom Segment (by <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skepG0Fkf54" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skepG0Fkf54" style="color: #007bff;">Anne Ostholthoff</a>)</div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=9a8874aa-6b58-43c2-8e9b-b00745fa7a77" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

EDUCATION What does it mean to flatten your classroom?

What does it mean to flatten your classroom? You remove the walls. You connect students to others around the world. Connecting your classroo...

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Prizes are off to the US of A!

<p>I got the prizes in my <a href="http://renovatinglpa.blogspot.ie/2013/02/competition-time.html">giveaway</a> posted off to the winners over the weekend - here is a photo of each one going on it's way in to a green Irish letter box.  I hope they arrive before St. Patrick's Day, Kim & Marissa.</p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8rnCSNr5TocDj7Fi37G17D1wmgh-H00vfv9rwA3yP_6narLVJ_gmWgqFLMx3rtP4kAQAewt_n1i-wRMUVEyCFUn1tkgzxtnQW8fbskmrAZ4GUc_A2fUOwO9k7fUohaSB_ruS-O1vJbZs/s1600/20130304_100650.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8rnCSNr5TocDj7Fi37G17D1wmgh-H00vfv9rwA3yP_6narLVJ_gmWgqFLMx3rtP4kAQAewt_n1i-wRMUVEyCFUn1tkgzxtnQW8fbskmrAZ4GUc_A2fUOwO9k7fUohaSB_ruS-O1vJbZs/s400/20130304_100650.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEcrfZL2lUNgVnjCbYpuXjoW2YYvjU95BeYdkLgvodSsWy7ruQIMtk1VxhU74hIIkcRplWpR-xd6KKarfD6zO_Ya5-wceqqfJHui4aS0zZJoOYWbviDXd6cJj3IteBsUOUrfWgkVEMmWX/s1600/20130304_100702.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEcrfZL2lUNgVnjCbYpuXjoW2YYvjU95BeYdkLgvodSsWy7ruQIMtk1VxhU74hIIkcRplWpR-xd6KKarfD6zO_Ya5-wceqqfJHui4aS0zZJoOYWbviDXd6cJj3IteBsUOUrfWgkVEMmWX/s400/20130304_100702.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Prizes are off to the US of A!

I got the prizes in my giveaway posted off to the winners over the weekend - here is a photo of each one going on it's way in to a gree...

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Our SchoolNet 'ICT in the Classroom' three-day conference is happening in July. Register now!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nV9LsCW2rinUGgaLJDgEGedvWx9iptWRGuyg8_WpglT6MMM353M2h_qBRod1n1B-1oQ8vJO5Ozz36uyS5ZGdKnVInn9IbWtWZ1SYzJ3m4-8TTYR9Lf00Pc3rSZz_vFOWMIRMQMhHCIA/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IU13U9qoqEOcW1H9GCRUs0Ew8NUj2FXnkDNmBOi_Y9Et7H9r4DgTVlTOzdoCKXSYY0UtX6AXaFettc__qYy2SFFG8BBEysSwko_rLLF_pnltH-qwz-B1Fh9kUX1lkM0RghBvYrhokUo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are excited about using technology to enhance teaching and learning - register for this conference or offer to share your knowledge as a speaker. This conference is aimed at teachers, school leaders and ICT coordinators who want to learn more about using technology in engaging ways in and beyond the classroom. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>When:</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday 2 July - Thursday 4 July 2013 </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Where:</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">University of the Free State - Bloemfontein, South Africa </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Conference Themes:</strong> </span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curriculum delivery through digital content </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning with tablets </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning with mobile phones </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Connecting classrooms </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Innovative teaching </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ICT leadership in the school<strong></strong></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Fees:</strong> </span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R750 if you register on or before 30 April 2013 </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R850 if you register after 30 April 2013  </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R375 if you are selected to speak for a half hour session </span></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Free (for you or one person in your group) if you are selected to speak for a one or two hour session </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong></strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Share your knowledge:</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you would like to share your knowledge with other teachers, please submit a speaker proposal by clicking on the link below. If you are submitting a presenter proposal, please <strong>don't </strong>register for the conference yet. We will let you know a month before the conference if your presentation has been accepted and you can register then. Speakers and those who submitted proposals before 30 April are guaranteed a place at the conference and will be eligible for the discounted conference fee. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001rAYLbTxAakBrQ_EVNGpVZgbvOFG5YvMbBdXmKv20WpNZxf-fecuPffLysoRqFyOYx_f5B_H6KlBeCl5J0_L7qdIgm-a_zvv7lMdigCQOsL6eCN5FY9q7wAJEOwBFuiji73c0ofkL-KM=">Get more information</a></strong> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001rAYLbTxAakBolkT_2c8T-z5wQjvBUdKkPUrD8Dttj9wq-kQw1a0EHaQO9_YEsch692ZAnS8L79sx4sZecWN87gT7MYdAvxDtUN7osWJj315fb03Gkd5vOlMA1L62rbKyRIxXX-cpQZu9aQdmMrwMyttXf_izlXPm3Q2U4QpPaPVlmlmyF1RG84k9kiO5YiRKdeo58T8PGD9GNcYergdLmr3ufqKSL_uv">Register Now!</a></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001rAYLbTxAakAsad52M7wBatuGpkoegqOP8zKRLxI2JO_dyrNX4kxTUPOrND973Z1I9ZgRNAObx8GmzctV1JCa8dAGIzBJERNNZ0SRxjdmBiByDZEYxW-Z6uUPynWjb3e2giAGYlOQlrvdsoAgY3okY0OcepeJnmDOpR-bQmtCn8ZKRVVKYfpWHphOw0g3q9njeTTVCa28yKU=">Submit a speaker proposal to share your knowledge</a></strong> </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to see you in Bloemfontein from 2 - 4 July 2013 - ready to learn about exciting new ways to integrate technology into your classroom and perhaps to share some of your own ways of enhancing teaching and learning using ICT.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please also see our SchoolNet website for these details <a href="http://www.schoolnet.org.za/">http://www.schoolnet.org.za/</a> </span></div>

conferences Our SchoolNet 'ICT in the Classroom' three-day conference is happening in July. Register now!

If you are excited about using technology to enhance teaching and learning - register for this conference or offer to share your knowledge a...

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Brescia House is holding a ‘How I do IT in my classroom’ day on 16 March

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brescia House in Johannesburg is holding a ‘How do I do IT in my classroom’ day on Saturday 16th March 2013 from 8-1pm. The programme shown below looks awesome. If you would like to download the programme for easier viewing here is the link: </span><a href="https://www.box.com/s/xj5uhweu6vnkr6ekujnw" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">How do I do IT in my classroom?</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYcWrk4o_7JyMYWxOvzPhpPCDMHyw_d0mxlftold5xGLvnN_h1YS6sTwZetjTkOonj6Iznl8F4BnHzcQc6MeHbXFi0oyuCQeb6G5p5a_-zg-rTQHEln3CNAOxuf60WM2v5gGn-MzpHxI/s1600/how+i+do+it+v2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYcWrk4o_7JyMYWxOvzPhpPCDMHyw_d0mxlftold5xGLvnN_h1YS6sTwZetjTkOonj6Iznl8F4BnHzcQc6MeHbXFi0oyuCQeb6G5p5a_-zg-rTQHEln3CNAOxuf60WM2v5gGn-MzpHxI/s640/how+i+do+it+v2.png" width="451" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /></div>

teachmeets Brescia House is holding a ‘How I do IT in my classroom’ day on 16 March

Brescia House in Johannesburg is holding a ‘How do I do IT in my classroom’ day on Saturday 16th March 2013 from 8-1pm. The programme shown ...

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Poetry 'n' Such with Paul Piatt

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl29YnGEGwUE99W3dVnfjfrs2Saf0h1CEhhWk1ORuoHutNzpKMoiXPK8ooYxBsYtBrhI-ZBiVCZnrobjauhpRSpC-Ign-DnKP88albliiAIqkLgr7cbFlMHP9efq8YkQHpO7Geb72w6yg/s1600/Paul_Delany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl29YnGEGwUE99W3dVnfjfrs2Saf0h1CEhhWk1ORuoHutNzpKMoiXPK8ooYxBsYtBrhI-ZBiVCZnrobjauhpRSpC-Ign-DnKP88albliiAIqkLgr7cbFlMHP9efq8YkQHpO7Geb72w6yg/s400/Paul_Delany.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>Gentle and heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic coffee of life that is IWS.<br /><br />Renown poet and IWS Literary Editor, Paul Piatt here once again, in order to share with you some of today’s finest in the world of poetry, prose, and people.<br /><br />Today during our continuing journey along the sullied boulevard of words made magical, and life’s pentameters made iambic, I once again artfully attempt to put finger to keyboard, and in one of my more randy moments, “get edgy with it”…as the vapid and unkempt adolescents of today would say.<br /><br />I first met today’s guest poet in Grenoble, France during the 1968 Olympics de la Winter.  We had been seated prominently and serendipitously next to each other during the finals of the pairs ice skating event.<br /><br />It was during our sitting betwixt one and other in Grenoble, that I had the good fortune to meet beat poet icon Jack Kerouac’s, younger lesser known brother, Zach Kerouac.<br /><br />You see, I was in France in the winter of 1968 working on my award winning book of poetry, <i>“Jean Genet Drank Nothing but Cham-pain”</i> and Zach, ostensibly enough, was also in France working on his critically acclaimed, yet far less well-known book of rhyme and introspection, <i>“Sauerkraut Tastes Better in Paris.”</i><br /><br />It was a melodious and fortuitous meeting between he and I, as we watched in stargazement, the matrimonied Russian pair of  Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov skate to their second gold medal in as many Olympics.<br /><br />The duo’s symbiotic fluidity and symmetry begged and taunted Satan to dare question the divine, supernatural, and awe-inspiring power of God.<br /><br />Zach and I sat as we watched the Russian couple exude an abundance of love, grace, and athleticism upon the ice that had never seen before and will never be seen again.  It was during their perfect execution of a parallel spread eagle that Zach turned to me and said…<br /><br /><i>“These two represent a non-sequitur when it comes to the Soviets.  They are in love and their child…that child that they bore together, the greater love of their life, is the ice. And what allegorically represents the Soviet government, Paul?  The blades of their skates.  They are expected to lace up their skates everyday for Mother Russia and cut their ice child in the back.”</i><br /><br />My thoughts moved from the exceptional beauty and excellence efficaciously provided by Belousova and Protopovov to the blunt force trauma of lexicon that Zach had instantaneously uttered.  He could see it all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NFLtnc18XDVGG4jVxElEfqwyy-0TaIsrTkgSBe2gqTRobd9ZN3NcmMecAGCSzTWub3FZVczxMqPIF9FNyPQDZgmMyNxniJNk2aar9lx_52N7sKqzqxcqFhZn2mS37edz7w3zb8nyB8Q/s1600/Jack+Kerouac+Beat+Poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NFLtnc18XDVGG4jVxElEfqwyy-0TaIsrTkgSBe2gqTRobd9ZN3NcmMecAGCSzTWub3FZVczxMqPIF9FNyPQDZgmMyNxniJNk2aar9lx_52N7sKqzqxcqFhZn2mS37edz7w3zb8nyB8Q/s400/Jack+Kerouac+Beat+Poetry.jpg" width="306" /></a>He could see that resting beneath a gold medal is a chest deflated…Beneath athletic success there is struggle…Beneath beauty, lie faults.<br /><br />We kept in touch after that event which helped to shape our lives and provide definition and solidity to our souls, and before it was published in his 1974 book, <i>“Big Brother Is Negating You”</i>, he sent me an excerpt from that book that wondrously describes what he was feeling that day in 1968 in Grenoble…<br /><br /><b>The Sun</b><br /><b><br /></b><i>The Sun is Hot.</i><br /><i>Hot, Hot, Hot.</i><br /><i>The Sun is Yellow.</i><br /><i>Yellow, Yellow, Yellow.</i><br /><i>Well…</i><br /><i>Not Exactly Yellow.</i><br /><i><br /></i>Just as the glorious sun radiates its imperfections through its spots, you and I do as well, as did the beautiful and seemingly perfect pair of ice skaters Belousova and Protopovov...Zach Kerouac is brilliant.<br /><br />And now gentle readers, I bid you adieu, and look forward to once again offering you the best of the written word.<br /><br /><i>But for now, as I travel the road less traveled,</i><br /><br /><i>Paul Piatt</i><br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></div>

Poetry 'n' Such with Paul Piatt

Gentle and heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic coffee of life that is IWS. Renown poet and IWS Li...

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"World-Wide" Evangelist Shows How to Handle a Talker in the Audience

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_E557HKrQnPDMhdHD7MDf0ofUflDTwTxCjNxUBSyq_neVVtBcbN-tbYA6wyJBdKoSfE3ZGP68raDMma1VCRa_kM5o7WyYFuFTSMOvJxTesPmvnSyCypJpPjOFTTu_RqHMRs3zgLtdkUl/s1600/HorsesPatoot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_E557HKrQnPDMhdHD7MDf0ofUflDTwTxCjNxUBSyq_neVVtBcbN-tbYA6wyJBdKoSfE3ZGP68raDMma1VCRa_kM5o7WyYFuFTSMOvJxTesPmvnSyCypJpPjOFTTu_RqHMRs3zgLtdkUl/s320/HorsesPatoot.png" width="262" /></a>Below is one of my new favorite preacher videos.<br /><br />Readers, I introduce you to Mr. Larry Smith, traveling evangelist, sole proprietor of the "<a href="http://smithministries.net/" target="_blank">Larry Smith World-Wide Ministries</a>".<br /><br />By "world wide", I think Larry means "KJV churches mostly in northwest Indiana, and small churches like those where Ergun Caner now preaches".<br /><br />In the clip below, from Larry's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwNdjckBXAg" target="_blank">January 20th sermon</a> at First Baptist Hammond, Larry yells at, and attempts to humiliate some man who is apparently talking in the audience. Watch this. It is classic. Notice the fake smile, and his inability to ignore the talker. And his sarcastic "Love you"  - and a pronouncement to the talker that "you reap what you sow". I guess in Larry's bible Galatians 6:7 reads, "Do not be deceived. Larry the Evangelist is not mocked. You will reap what you sow." This will make you laugh, then it will make your skin crawl.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sBU6JFjSL3Q" width="420"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>You can't tell it from the brief snippet, but this is from Larry's classic sheep-beating tithing sermon that he regularly preaches, entitled "<a href="http://smithministries.net/sermons.html" target="_blank">Does Your Wallet Have a Hole In It</a>?" [sadly, I've heard a few SBC pastors preach about God poking holes in your purse] posted at his website. Larry tells people point-blank that the tithe is a debt they owe, they need to tithe on all Christmas gifts received to avoid God's curse on their finances, and real Christians will develop a payback plan to pay God for any income or gifts on which they have not tithed in the past. <br /><br />Larry might think he is "world-wide"....I think in this video he shows he is more "world-class" - as in world-class horse's patoot.<br /><br />Although he does tell the young man "I hope to God you're not a Hyles-Anderson student; I hope God not".<br /><br />Amen, Larry, I hope not either. And if he is, I hope your little tantrum caused him to wake up and get out of Dodge.<br /><br />H/T:  <a href="http://www.stufffundieslike.com/2013/02/yelling-down-people-in-the-audience/" target="_blank">Stuff Fundies Like</a>

"World-Wide" Evangelist Shows How to Handle a Talker in the Audience

Below is one of my new favorite preacher videos. Readers, I introduce you to Mr. Larry Smith, traveling evangelist, sole proprietor of the &...

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Watch: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis play “Saturday Night Live”

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://reverb.slideshowpro.com/albums/015/371/album-376009/cache/Macklemore_Glenn_Ross_5.sjpg_640_403_0_95_1_37_56.sjpg?1362359637" /><br /><img src="http://reverb.slideshowpro.com/albums/015/371/album-376009/cache/Macklemore_Glenn_Ross_7.sjpg_640_403_0_95_1_50_50.sjpg?1362359637" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The guys were out last night to prove that they’re more than a one trick pony and delivered the goods. Ben Haggerty, aka Macklemore, paraded the stage as an extra in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with a red blazer and gold tassels adorning the shoulder pads in commanding fashion. The real question here is, who’s that guy that flows on “Thrift Shop” that looks like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Clarke_Duncan" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #333333; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Michael Clarke Duncan</a> (RIP) that nobody ever mention that really ties the song together?</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The tag team is headlining the mtvU Woodies Tour at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley this evening,<a href="http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2013/02/14/macklemore-ryan-lewis-colorado/62049/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #333333; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Macklemore">and yes, they also played here on Friday.</a> Then after that, you can obviously see Macklemore & Ryan Lewis next month in our fair state at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction on….wait for it…. 4 – 20. You smell that smell? It’s Amendment 64 in the air that you’re smelling.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #5b6a2d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.8em; margin: 10px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “Thrift Shop”</h2><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=n33498" style="background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="612"></iframe></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><h2 style="border: none; color: #5b6a2d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “Can’t Hold Us”</h2><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=n33506" style="background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="612"></iframe></div><br /></div>

Macklemore Watch: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis play “Saturday Night Live”

The guys were out last night to prove that they’re more than a one trick pony and delivered the goods. Ben Haggerty, aka Macklemore, paraded...

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ARGENTINA AND MONSANTO

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<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">In 1996 the Argentine government under Ex president Menem (the sunny boy of the IMF) opened the agriculture market to controversial USA Agro giant MONSANTO in order to grow </span>genetically modified soya seeds. Consequently 60% of fertile land was sold to foreign agriculture entities, with devastating consequences for small farm producers and the environment (mono cultures), not to mention the extensive use of MONSANTOS herbicide “Roundup”, which generates cancer.<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRY TO CONTROL ARGENTINA </span></b></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">in order to implement “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CORPORATOCRACY”</span>(<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy</a>) in the wake of the agriculture boom. See: </span><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/10/corporatocracy.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/10/corporatocracy.html<span style="color: #444444;"><b>  </b></span></a><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><b>and</b></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CORN-SEED SALES IN BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND MEXICO HELP MONSANTO WITH RECORD EARNINGS</span></b></span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/02/argentina-agriculture-curse.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/02/argentina-agriculture-curse.html</a></span></div><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/10/corporatocracy.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ANOTHER SETBACK FOR MONSANTO IN SOUTH AMERICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the ARGENTINE province of Córdoba justice system ordered the suspension of the construction of a corn seed-drying facility in the district of Malvinas ARGENTINAS, 14 kilometres outside the capital city of Córdoba.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Judges invoked “environmental risks” in the construction of the 300 million dollars plant </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The decision was made by a labour court in Córdoba City, which placed an injunction to halt the application of Order Number 821/2013, granting the firm permission to advance with its construction project.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The court thus accepted the appeal presented by the ARGENTINE Law Foundation Club and counters the ruling by Civil and Commercial Judge Claudia Zalazar, who on January 25 had authorized the beginning of the construction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseW2NdnPvDpzJrRtIEOqv3BK377s97cvlZkzjabYfPelJhyphenhyphenWXkmO3x-M8LvkYKPqLcPFGEoSTdByY6rIu1FDkrUJ8gttPfxiRfCwDwaAHbL8WjSh6Y-qD8oiyPTyQnY0Otq8lkq2lzhnZ/s1600/IMG-20130208-00777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseW2NdnPvDpzJrRtIEOqv3BK377s97cvlZkzjabYfPelJhyphenhyphenWXkmO3x-M8LvkYKPqLcPFGEoSTdByY6rIu1FDkrUJ8gttPfxiRfCwDwaAHbL8WjSh6Y-qD8oiyPTyQnY0Otq8lkq2lzhnZ/s320/IMG-20130208-00777.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Monsanto out" protest graffiti in front of Monsanto HQ in Buenos Aires</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sources in Monsanto claimed that no prior legal warning had been received from the authorities and insisted that an appeal was more than likely.<br />In the resolution revealed on Monday, Judges Silvia Díaz and Luis Farías highlighted that the precautionary principle which prevailed in the decision was centred on questions of potential “environmental risks.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consequentially, the works will remain suspended until the fundamental issue leading to the appeal by the ARGENTINE Law Foundation Club and Malvinas ARGENTINA’S residents is resolved. The appellants have objected to the constitutional validity of the municipal order granted by Judge Zalazar which allowed for the beginning of a project approved by the provincial Water, Environment and Energy Ministry in September last year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Through a project notice, the ministry revealed that a facility of some 27 hectares, with similar characteristics to another built by Monsanto in Rojas, Buenos Aires province, would be built in Malvinas Argentinas. According to the firm, prior to the injunction, the plant was expected to be inaugurated in December after a 1.6 billion Pesos investment (approx. 300 million dollars).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In BRAZIL Monsanto said it was to file an immediate appeal of a recent ruling by a single judge of the BRAZILIAN Superior Court of Justice, relating to the company's request for term correction of a patent covering its Roundup Ready soybean product. The company will move forward with the next phase of the appeals process to secure its intellectual property rights and ensure its business is not disrupted in the country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Monsanto had previously obtained patent protection in BRAZIL for its first-generation Roundup Ready soybean products. In accordance with BRAZILIAN law, Monsanto has sought to correct the term of its patent rights in BRAZIL to conform to the 2014 patent term granted in the UNITED STATES.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CORN-SEED SALES IN BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND MEXICO HELP MONSANTO WITH RECORD EARNINGS</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">US agricultural giant Monsanto Tuesday posted a large increase in quarterly earnings on strong results in corn seed sales in the US and Latin America and better sales of pesticides. The St Louis-based corporation said net income for the first quarter was 339 million dollars, up from 126 million a year earlier.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The results were boosted by particularly strong sales of its gene manipulated corn seed products in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, the company said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Farmers in Brazil and Argentina have upgraded to new Monsanto genetically modified products, the company said. Sales in this category rose more than 27% compared to the same period last year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The company also said it also had a positive US order book that was better than the same point last year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The other big improvement came in the agricultural productivity category, which includes crop protection products and law-and-garden herbicide products. Sales in this category rose nearly 31% compared with the same period last year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We've achieved a successful start to the year, with contributions from multiple areas that speaks to the strength of our global business and provides confidence in our ability to realize a third consecutive year of significant growth,” said Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Monsanto's earnings came in at 62 cents per share, excluding exceptional items, well above the 37 cents per share projected by analysts. Monsanto shares were up are currently up 3% to 98.86 dollars.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See:  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-global-monster-corporation.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-global-monster-corporation.html</a></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-part-2.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/monsanto-part-2.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h3><span style="color: #444444;">MONSANTO – “GLOBAL MONSTER CORPORATION”? </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/wvjCE_g2tKM?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto#Soybean_in_Argentina">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto#Soybean_in_Argentina</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MONSANTO GUILTY OF CHEMICAL POISONING</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Via Reuters</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">­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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">300K FARMERS HOPE FOR LAWSUIT AGAINST MONSANTO </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Via RT</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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. <br />Now a judge in New York is debating if Monsanto’s questionable methods will go before a jury.<br /><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><b>FOGGY PATENT CLAIM ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEED</b></span><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><b>SMALL FARM GRABBING TACTICS BY MONSANTO</b></span><br /><br /><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></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b>MONSANTO’S INCREASING REIGN OVER THE WORLD’S AGRICULTURE WILL SURPASS ANYTHING IMAGINABLE</b><br /></span><br /><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.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ARGENTINA SAYS MONSANTO CONTRACTOR ABUSES WORKERS</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="strap"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Associated Press</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span class="date">January 16, 2012</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">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 style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">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 style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">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 style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thursday,July 8^th 2010 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EU COURT RULING FAVORS ARGENTINA IN DISPUTE WITH MONSANTO OVER SOY-SEED PATENT</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">MONSANTO’S HARVEST OF FEAR</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">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 style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805">http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><b>MONSANTO VS. CANADA</b></span><br /><br />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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; 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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/25365/monsanto.html">http://library.thinkquest.org/25365/monsanto.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/">http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ARGENTINA BE WARY OF MONSANTO </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><span class="titrearticle"><b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR;">ROUNDUP READY SOYA IN ARGENTINA</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ARGENTINE LAND GRABBING - MONSANTO STYLE</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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 reorganization from what had been a diverse and self-sufficient agriculture, to a <b>model of virtual monoculture</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE GREAT LET-DOWN: THE HIDDEN FACE OF GM SOYA</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“VOLUNTEER” SOYA: TOWARDS A STERILE SOIL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CONSEQUENCES FOR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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, <b><span style="color: red;">thyroid dysfunction</span></b>, 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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR;">MONSANTO VERSES ARGENTINA</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; 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" style="mso-ansi-language: 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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MONSANTO TARGETS LATIN AMERICA FOR SEED BUSINESS GROWTH </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Via Dow Jones Newswires<b> </b>12/22/2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Monsanto claims more than 40% of Brazil's GMO seed market and more than half of Argentina's.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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>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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. (<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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brazil and Argentina are primed to boost Monsanto's</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> top line as farmers adopt biotech seeds and trade up to more advanced and higher-margin seeds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">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"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leaked documents reveal US diplomats actually work for Monsanto</span> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Article by Anthony Gucciardi via Natural News</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(NaturalNews) Biotech giant Monsanto has been genetically modifying the world's food supply and subsequently breeding environmental devastation for years, but leaked documents now reveal that Monsanto has also deeply infiltrated the United States government. With leaked reports revealing how U.S. diplomats are actually working for Monsanto to push their agenda along with other key government officials, Monsanto's grasp on international politics has never been clearer.<br /><br />Amazingly, the information reveals that the massive corporation is also intensely involved in the passing and regulations concerning the very GM ingredients they are responsible for. In fact, the information released by WikiLeaks reveals just how much power Monsanto has thanks to key positions within the United States government and elsewhere. Not only was it exposed that the U.S. is threatening nations who oppose Monsanto with military-style trade wars, but that many U.S. diplomats actually work directly for Monsanto.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What the leaked documents reveal -- Military style trade wars, government corruption</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 2007 it was requested that specific nations inside the European Union be punished for not supporting the expansion of Monsanto's GMO crops. The request for such measures to be taken was made by Craig Stapleton, the United States ambassador to France and partner to George W. Bush. Despite mounting evidence linking Monsanto's GM corn to organ damage and environmental devastation, the ambassador plainly calls for 'target retaliation' against those not supporting the GM crop. In the leaked documents, Stapleton states:<br /><br />"Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits. The list should be measured rather than vicious and must be sustainable over the long term, since we should not expect an early victory. Moving to retaliation will make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices."<br /><br />The undying support of key players within the U.S. towards Monsanto is undeniably made clear not only in this release, but in the legislative decisions taken by organizations such as the FDA and USDA. Legislative decisions such as allowing Monsanto's synthetic hormone Posilac (rBGH) to be injected into U.S. cows despite being banned in 27 countries. How did Monsanto pull this off?<br /><br />The biotech juggernaut managed to infiltrate the FDA positions responsible for the approval of rBGH, going as far as instating the company's own Margaret Miller as Deputy Director of Human Safety and Consultative Services. After assuming this position, Miller reviewed her own report on the safety and effectiveness of rBGH.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Many US diplomats pawns of Monsanto's GM agenda</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While it may be shocking to you if you are not familiar with the corrupt influence of Monsanto, the cables also show that many US diplomats are pushing GMO crops as a strategic government and commercial imperative. Interestingly enough, the U.S. focused their efforts toward advisers to the pope specifically, due to the fact that many Catholic figureheads have openly voiced their opposition to GM foods. With this kind of political influence, is it any wonder that many food staples are now predominantly GM? Nearly 93% of U.S. soybeans are heavily modified conservatively, with many other staple crops coming in at similar numbers.<br /><br />U.S. diplomats have unique opportunities to spread honest and intellectual campagins that can serve to better mankind and end suffering, however they are instead spreading the roots of Monsanto deeper and deeper into international territory. As a substitute for the betterment of mankind, these paid-off diplomats are now spreading environment desecration and health destruction.<br /><br />As if there wasn't already enough information to reveal Monsanto's corruption, the biotech giant also spends enormous amount of money lobbying government each year. Monsanto spent an astonishing $2 million lobbying the federal government in the 3rd quarter of 2011 alone, according to mainstream sources. Why so much cash? The government lobbying focuses on issues like regulations for GM crops and patent reforms. This 'legal' form of persuasion is the reason government agencies like the USDA and FDA let Monsanto roam freely.<br /><br />Satisfying government officials' financial vested interest is all that matters when dealing with corrupt mega-corporations like Monsanto. As long as these financial ties continue to exist, Monsanto will continue to reign over the food supply and continue to wreak devastation to the environment, ecosystem, and humankind.<br /><br /><b>Sources for this article include:</b><br /><a href="http://naturalsociety.com/us-start-trade-wars-with-nations-opposed-to-monsanto-gmo-crops/" target="_blank">http://naturalsociety.com/us-start-trade-wars-with-nations-opposed-to-monsanto-gmo-crops/</a><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/03/wikileaks-us-eu-gm-crops" target="_blank">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/03/wikileaks-us-eu-gm-crops</a><br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9RL51J81.htm" target="_blank">http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9RL51J81.htm</a><br /><a href="http://213.251.145.96/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html" target="_blank">http://213.251.145.96/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html</a><br /><a href="http://www.fastcoexist.com/1677871/fearful-of-genetically-modified-crops-youre-too-late" target="_blank">http://www.fastcoexist.com/1677871/fearful-of-genetically-modified-crops-youre-too-late</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

ARGENTINA AND MONSANTO

"Monsanto out" Protest graffiti in front of Monsanto HQ Buenos Aires, Argentina ENVIRONMENTALISTS IN ARGENTINA MANAGE TO SUSPEND ...

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