Agent Orange dismissed yet again

Monsanto's dirty-hands caught my eye again today.
A civil lawsuit against Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto Company, and 30 other U.S. chemical companies was dismissed today in a Federal Appeals Court in New York. The ruling was that the plantiffs could not continue their claims against these Chemical companies, that the use of Agent Orange by the U.S. Military in Vietnam failed to be proven as a violation on the ban of using poisonous weapons in a war, AND that the lawsuit did not prove the link between the plaintiffs' health problems and this chemical.

"Although the herbicide campaign may have been controversial, the record before us supports the conclusion that agent orange was used as a defoliant and not as a poison designed for or targeting human populations," Judge Roger Miner wrote for the three-judge appeals court panel

Regardless of what the chemical was used for, it landed on HUMAN POPULATIONS.
A few years back, people here in our country were suing coffee cup makers and Starbucks because of being spilled upon and burned by the contents of hot coffee. If something that ludicrous can happen in our court system, how is that people with a justifiable suit get dismissed based on the reasons this judge brought up?
The lawsuit claims that Agent Orange caused major health concerns such as birth defects and cancer. Anyone care to read the label on one of these chemical companies basic "plant killers", one such as RoundUp? Imagine such a chemical created into Agent Orange and spread from above by planes on your own hometown. Imagine now suffering years later and being told "no proof" on the linkage between the chemical and your health issues. The Vietnam people did not just get a light "dusting" such as you spray on your lawn, garden, or civic fields. They had 18 MILLION GALLONS of dioxin dumped on them. Not only are those effected in Vietnam being shunned from help, our own U.S. Military Veterans are still trying to receive the promised medical care from the effects of Agent Orange. The few are finally receiving the promised health care, but for all to be helped the long-term ill effects must be acknowledged. It's not just a few families continuing to try to seek help in their ailments, 3 million people in Vietnam are claiming dioxin poisoning. What do they want? Millions in restitution to create McMansions and Hummers to drive? No, they want money to help with the health damages from this toxic exposure and the environmental cleanup. Should we not have offered years ago the action of environmental cleanup out-right and with no qualms?
Way back in 1984 the court stated that chemical companies should be shielded from liability based on the fact that they were government contractors. The U.S. government was not sued because they claimed sovereign immunity. Seems our government does that well, wipe our hands after our invasions and destructions on other lands, ignore the plight we caused to it's people, and move on to the next war.

I could make a warning that this video does contain many disturbing images regarding the chemical effects created by Agent Orange....but when does a war, when does a chemical used during a war ever produce NON-disturbing images?

Earth Hour 2008

At 8pm on March 29th millions around the world will unite together to send the message that action on global warming is needed by turning the lights off for one hour.

Visit the offical site, take action by adding your name and see what you can do to take part in Earth Hour!

Oh McCain let me count the ways....

Or not.
It came out in the League of Conservation Voters national environmental scorecard, that Senator McCain of Arizona did not show up to vote for any of the 15 environmental issues for 2007. ZERO out of 15 votes.
By the way, McCain also scored lower on the LCV scorecard than members of Congress that died during the 2007 Session or have terminal illnesses.
Why is he in Congress if he can not do the simple thing of showing up and saying 'Yea' or 'Nay'. Regardless of his stance on environmental issues, isn't this part of his job as a Congressman?
Ironically, he also missed a vote that would have repealed billions of $$$$ in tax breaks for the BIG OIL Companies. Let me also insert that this measure failed by one vote....leads me to believe he didn't show up for that one on purpose.
Why? Perhaps so he could continue to tout his supposed sponsorship in combatting climate change. According to his website--


McCain has sponsored legislation to combat climate change, and is described on his campaign Web site, www.johnmccain.com, as having a "record of common sense stewardship" of the environment.

Common Sense huh? Common sense to not show up to vote on 15 measures? Nice Mr. Congressman. Don't give me the crap that you were too busy campaigning for your run on the Presidency. Shouldn't you be showing the general voting public that you do uphold all parts of your status/job as a Congressman? You should be showing us voters your stance on such measures, ohhhh wait but are you scared voters will see exactly how you do stand IF you showed up to vote on those measures? Scared that the American voters will see that you do not in fact hold combatting climate change in such a reguard as your own website claims you to do.


From the mouth of Reuters--Obama, Clinton top McCain on environment votes: report

Bush Hears Voices

This could just be today's laugh--
yet it parallels many answers to the mind-set that he must be in!




(Thanks to Keith/Enemy Combatant for Peace and Impeachment for posting)

Lost - Episode 4 - Eggtown

OH baby, baby, baby!

So, some questions were answered for us, but holy cow, what a WOW! So, somehow, Kate ends up taking Claire’s Aaron home as a consolation prize from her time on the island. Does something happen to Claire? Or better yet, does Kate do something to Claire?

We have seen numerous times that Kate can be a maniacally evil woman. She blew her father up! Now, as we left this episode, we see that Kate, Sawyer and Claire (Ronna says, “don’t forget about ‘flushing the toilet’ Hurley) are bunking up together in one of the homes abandoned by the Others. Will events unfold where we learn more about Claire and Kate? We’ll see!

Locke is heading off the deep end faster than Britney! How do you keep someone from talking? Stuff a live grenade in their mouth! Maybe it will turn out to be a fake grenade and Locke did it to simply emphasize his point, but he obviously only has the good of the Island in mind and is going to do whatever, and sacrifice whoever, to make sure the Island is safe. At the beginning of the episode, he did say one interesting thing to Ben as he handed him a book Ben confessed he had already read.

“You might catch something you missed the second time around.” Is that a hint to fans?

So much for telling the truth in a court of law. Jack tells the jury, under oath, that there were only eight survivors from the plane crash and Kate saved them all. Really? So, as he says that he no longer loves Kate, was that all a lie, as well? Yes, Jack does admit once they are alone after Kate is freed that he meant nothing in the courtroom. But, after lying in front of jury, how much faith can be put in what Jack says. I am beginning to see how he can begin to crack and fall into his drinking, beard growing future self we saw at the end of last season.

So, in the future, it is evident there are still people on the island who did not want to leave. Jack screams WE HAVE TO GO BACK KATE! Mystery man who organizes the Freighter Four asks Hurley, “Are they still alive?” Considering that, does Kate make some deal with Claire. In return for keeping the secret of the remaining people on the Island, Kate gets to take Aaron home as HER son. Then, bearing child, she will have leverage to stay a free woman against the charges that are waiting for her back home. How can you lock up a single mom who saved the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815?

***We may be on to something with this angle, but we may be totally wrong…we’ll see***

So, here are some final thoughts on Aaron. In Jack’s flash forward, Kate has to get back home, HE is waiting for her. Is anyone else noticing that HE is probably becoming the most important person on the Island. Go back a little further, the psychic who met with Claire before she got on the plane for Los Angeles told her that she must be the only person to raise Aaron. This was, assumingly, because she was considering putting him up for adoption. That was why Claire was going to Los Angeles in the first place. Soooooo, what dangers will come about once Aaron loses mommy?

Life Imitating Art

Life imitated art early Thursday morning in the Puget Sound area. First, a little about one of my favorite movies, The Edukators. A German movie set in Berlin, the Edukators is about a non-violent duo that work to remind the rich that their place is not to rule over the majority working class in decadence. The Edukators break into the homes of the rich, rearrange furniture, hide stereos in refrigerators, and throw sofas into swimming pools. They never steal, just bring an uneasy feeling to those they visit and a written reminder that their days of decadence are numbered.

Now, to Bremerton. The news was all over a band of vandals who threw bricks through the windows of four local banks. Tied around the bricks was the following note….

Here is your brick back.

Recognize it? You should.

It is part of the wall that you, as one of the elite upper class, have helped build between the minority ruling class, and the majority working class throughout history. By flaunting your decadence, you have made yourself a target.

GET USED TO IT!

While their method, minor vandalism, is not the preferred method of all those who want to tear down the wall they reference between the ruling and working class, the message is very similar to that of the Edukators. The people do have a right to remind the rich that, if they get too comfortable in their decadence at the cost of prosperity for the working class, the people will take them down a few pegs to balance things out. Democracy can never thrive if that small group of elitists with the most money dictates policy over the majority.

Louvre Exhibit at SAM

Roman Art from the Louvre will be on exhibit at SAM (Seattle Art Museum) starting today thru May 11!

The exhibit of about 180 pieces of ancient art is from the Musée du Louvre and portrays the vastness of Roman life and it's history.

Much of this collection has never been here in the United States.

The collection consists of sculptures, paintings, reliefs, mosaics, statuettes, and jewelry.

We look forward to seeing the exhibit numerous times while it is here in the city!

Lunar Eclipse

The Lunar Eclipse at 2 degrees of Virgo-Pisces.

Even here in the city, we were able to view the stars tonight.

What an amazing sight!

Orion's Belt was most prominent,

hmmm might have to put that into some consideration in days ahead.

The midpoint of the total eclipse tonight happened at 7:26 pm PST
It was a very blood red moon!

It seemed fitting to do a tarot reading during the lunar eclipse tonight.

Either my fingers were drawn to pull out the Moon and the Star cards....or fate.

Smiles & wanders away....

to spend the rest of this enchanted night with my husband.

Tap Water vs. Bottled Water

Did you know that it takes almost 47 MILLION gallons of oil a year to produce the plastic water bottles in the US?
Tap water is SAFER and cleaner, and more regulated. Issues with your tap water? Just add a filter or use a filtered water pitcher.
9 Years ago the NRDC sent the FDA a petition and a report regarding their study on bottled water. What did they find?
Arsenic, bacteria, and chemical contaminates to get you started.

Here are the facts

Just because it's so easy to grab a bottle of bottled water, it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.
It's easy to start to reduce your buying of bottled water--refill your bottle, reuse them, and then recycle them. Get yourself a refillable water bottle to replace the plastic ones. Fill it up from your tap!

Climate Change Taught in CA Schools?!!!

Under a bill approved by the California State Senate, and now heading to the California Assembly, the Science books approved for Ca. Public Schools would cover climate change. It also requires that Science Teachers put climate warming into their teaching curriculum.

"This is a phenomenon of global importance and our kids ought to understand the science behind that phenomenon." Sen. Joe Simitian (who introduced the bill)

Ignoring his word use of phenomenon, but....this is a HUGE step.
The next generations need to be aware, need to be taught, and then perhaps they will be armed with the knowledge to take the needed steps to stop the process of global warming. I do have to laugh at the critics to this bill....
"climate science is uncertain, children shouldn't be indoctrinated with environmental propaganda", and so on. Perhaps these 'critics' should take a trip to the Artic and see first-hand the glaciers melting at rapid speeds, the sea life dying unexpectedly along the polluted reefs....I could go on, but then again these are critics and strong in their stances to not see the troubled changes happending globally.

Our President...."thinks"....?

President Bush on NBC's Today Show claiming that the war in Iraq has "nothing to do with the economy."


Transcript:
Some Americans believe that they feel they’re carrying the burden because of this economy.
G. BUSH: Yeah, well…
CURRY: They say we’re suffering because of this.
G. BUSH: … I don’t agree with that.
CURRY: You don’t agree with that? It has nothing do with the economy, the war — spending on the war?
G. BUSH: I don’t think so.
I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs.
CURRY: Oh, yeah?
G. BUSH: Yeah, because we’re buying equipment, and people are working.
I think this economy is down because we built too many houses and the economy’s adjusting.

Wise Words to Ponder

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." -- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations." --David Friedman

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." --Abraham Lincoln

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." --John F. Kennedy

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

"What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world." --Robert E. Lee

"War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace." --Thomas Mann

A great war leaves the country with three armies - an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves. --German Proverb

"Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?" --Holly Near

Lack of Bees

Tonight we caught the news blurb--
"Lack of Bee's & how it will affect your Ice Cream"

Is this really the biggest concern we should have regarding the lack of bees????

Shouldn't the focus be on how the lack of bees will affect pollinating our crops and flowers?

But noooooo, let's freak out about our Ice Cream!

Just another reminder to us at how the "evening news" is more concerned about

Britney, our Ice Cream, and other sensationalist stories.

Sunny Sunday

We spent this beautiful Sunny Sunday

with a visit to the Ballard Locks.

Offically they are the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.

They connect Puget Sound to Lake Union and Lake Washington.

It was interesting watching how they raise the water level,

it's certainly not a fast process.

Definitely worth a visit on any trip to the Seattle area.