JustGetThere

By Harold Gray

Just Get There | Similar to the rise of crack, the use of high fructose corn syrup in food products increased dramatically in the early 80's. Derived from corn, that is predominately Genetically Modified, HFCS is dramatically cheaper to make and 75 percent sweeter than sugar.

Food manufacturers of breads, cereals, condiments and soft drinks, began using the sweetener to save money and increase profits. The U.S. import tariffs on sugar, significantly increased the domestic U.S. price substantially. This increase, as well as other factors, causes Americans to pay more than double what other regions around the world pay. Thus, making HFCS an attractive substitute for US manufacturers.

For instance, soft drink makers like Coca-Cola use sugar in Mexico, but use high-fructose corn syrup in their U.S. and Canadian products. In contrast, the price of corn is artificially low due to government subsidies, high level of farmers annual production, the use of genetically modified crops created by corporations like Monsanto, and tariffs placed on Sugar imports. According to Monsanto's glossary of terms, the GMO giant specifically makes products that enhance HFCS production. Monsanto GMO corn treated with pesticides, internally and topically, is then used to create HFCS. The potential dangerous effects of ingesting this level of GMO HFCS yearly, has not been studied.

Processor Preferred® High Extractable Starch (HES) Hybrids can deliver higher levels of extractable starch, which allows corn wet millers to produce higher starch yields that they can turn into products that include high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, specialty starch products, commodity starches and ethanol.

Processor Preferred® High Fermentable Corn (HFC) Hybrids can deliver higher levels of fermentable starch, which allows dry mill ethanol plants to obtain higher ethanol yields for greater profit potential.

The Roundup Ready® trait Provides farmers the ability to use Roundup agricultural herbicides over the top of their crops, simplifying production and offering the broadest spectrum weed control on the market. The Roundup Ready trait is available in corn, cotton, soybeans, canola and alfalfa.

Transorb® II technology A patented technology in Roundup WeatherMAX and other Monsanto herbicides that provides faster herbicide absorption. This gives farmers greater flexibility and better weed control.

The YieldGard® Corn Borer trait Provides farmers with in-the-seed protection against European and southwestern corn borer, reducing the amount of pesticide applications farmers must use to control pest pressure.

The YieldGard® Rootworm trait Provides farmers with in-the-seed insect protection against western, northern and Mexican corn rootworms. Like the other traits in the YieldGard family, YieldGard Rootworm corn reduces the amount of pesticide applications farmers must use to control pest pressure.

YieldGard® Plus Provides farmers with the combined insect protection of YieldGard Rootworm and YieldGard Corn Borer.

How is HFCS made?

The process of creating HFCS is very complicated process, so here is a simplified explanation found on Wikipedia:

High-fructose corn syrup is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing that corn starch to yield corn syrup which is almost entirely glucose, and then adding enzymes which change the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup (after enzyme conversion) contains approximately 90% fructose and is HFCS 90. To make the other common forms of HFCS (HFCS 55 and HFCS 42) the HFCS 90 is mixed with 100% glucose corn syrup in the appropriate ratios to form the desired HFCS.

The Old Switcheroo

Excerpt from the case study by The Cato Institute:

The Archer Daniels Midland Corporation (ADM) has been the most prominent recipient of corporate welfare in recent U.S. history. ADM and its chairman Dwayne Andreas, have lavishly fertilized both political parties with millions of dollars in handouts, and in return have reaped billion-dollar windfalls from taxpayers and consumers. Thanks to federal protection of the domestic sugar industry, ethanol subsidies, subsidized grain exports, and various other programs, ADM has cost the American economy billions of dollars since 1980 and has indirectly cost Americans tens of billions of dollars in higher prices and higher taxes over that same period. At least 43 percent of ADM's annual profits are from products heavily subsidized or protected by the American government. Moreover, every $1 of profits earned by ADM's corn sweetener operation costs consumers $10, and every $1 of profits earned by its ethanol operation costs taxpayers $30

The catalyst of the current dominance of HFCS began in 1982, when the Government and Sugar Cartel created a situation of tariffs, price fixing and government subsidies on sugar cane. Archer Daniels Midland benefited the most from these subsidies and took this opportunity to market HFCS heavily to industry leader Coke.

On April 23, 1985, New Coke was introduced with a brand new recipe containing high fructose corn syrup. Less than 3 months later, negative public sentiment about the taste change of New Coke, caused the soda giant to bring Coke back renamed Coca-Cola Classic. Labeling the return of Coke, "Classic" would make one think that the original recipe had returned. However, Coke reemerged on the market with HFCS as the sweetener used in all it's soft drinks. The public welcomed Coke back with increased sales, although others were not happy and noticed a changed in the taste. A Fortune magazine analyst estimated that by switching to high-fructose corn syrup, Coca-Cola gained a cost advantage over Pepsi and its bottlers of $70 million a year. This cost advantage, amplified the already growing use of HFCS in other soft drink bottlers.

The cost savings allowed soft-drink companies to create larger sizes that were only marginally more expensive, thus propelling people to drink more soda. Due to the low cost of the new sweetener, companies like 7-Eleven and McDonalds, began super-sizing their drinks. This caused soft-drink consumption to soar, and from 1980 to 2000, per-person consumption of sweetened soda rose by 40 percent, to 440 12-ounce cans a year, according to the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service.

Not all bottlers went along with the change, the owner of the Dublin, Texas-based Dr Pepper bottling plant refused to switch sweeteners, and it remains one of few bottlers in the United States to continue using cane sugar. There are theories suggesting the whole New Coke introduction was a ruse, in order to introduce the much less expensive sweetener without public backlash. Several soft drinks now specialize in providing pure cane sugar such as Jones, Blue Sky and Whole Foods 365 brand. Although it might be hard to find, drinks with organic pure cane sugar are carried in several heath food stores.

Deceptive Labeling

Many brands label their product "All Natural" or "100% Natural", despite containing HFCS. Cadbury Schweppes 7 Up was labeled "100% Natural" and Kraft Foods Capri Sun was labeled "All Natural". In 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) threatened to file lawsuits for the deceptive labeling. CSPI claimed that HFCS is not a "natural" ingredient due to the high level processing and the use of at least one genetically modified (GMO) enzyme required to produce it. In 2007, Cadbury Schweppes and Kraft, both agreed to change their labels and drop the word natural. Even bread produced by Nature's Own Bread is labeled as having "no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors", though some varieties contain HFCS.

On April 3, 2008 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally released a statement saying "products containing high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered 'natural' and should not be labeled as such." Below is the official response from the FDA:

"HFCS (Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 184.1866) is prepared from a high dextrose equivalent corn starch hydrolysate by partial enzymatic conversion of glucose (dextrose) to fructose using an insoluble glucose isomerase enzyme preparation listed at 21 CFR 184.1372."

"Per 184.1372, the glucose isomerase enzyme preparation is fixed (rendered insoluble) using safe and suitable immobilization/fixing agents, including those listed in 21 CFR 173.357."

"The use of synthetic fixing agents in the enzyme preparation, which is then used to produce HFCS, would not be consistent with our above-stated policy regarding the use of the term 'natural'. Consequently, we would object to the use of the term "natural" on a product containing HFCS."

"Moreover, the corn starch hydrolysate, which is the substrate used in the production of HFCS, may be obtained through the use of safe and suitable acids or enzymes. Depending on the type of acid(s) used to obtain the corn starch hydrolysate, this substrate itself may not fit within the description of "natural" and, therefore, HCFS produced from such corn starch hydrolysate would not qualify for a "natural" labeling term."

A new ingredient, crystalline fructose, has hit the back of bottles in the past few years. Appearing in flavored water drinks considered "healthy", this new sweetener “is produced by allowing the fructose to crystallize from a fructose-enriched corn syrup.” Patent for Crystalline Fructose here. In fact, this version has a higher percentage of fructose than even high fructose corn syrup. Even more disturbing is the fact that it also contains arsenic, heavy metals, lead, and chloride. Information can be downloaded here pdf.

It seems as if the food industry has come up with a new fancy name for HFCS, while raising the level of fructose. The deceptive use of words by companies is becoming a normal practice. Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, a trade group in Washington, launched a website HFCSfacts.com, to counter the growing criticism of the sweetener. Ms. Erickson says her arguments that high-fructose corn syrup is a safe ingredient have gained little traction, and her trade group recently entertained the idea of changing the sweetener's name. "It really does have this negative connotation," she stated in a New York Times interview. With this knowledge, examining the ingredient list and searching online for additional information, is the only way to stay educated on the products you use in your daily lives.

 

Health concerns of HFCS

HFCS has become a staple in the average American pantry, contained in soft drinks, fruit juice, breakfast cereal, peanut butter, jelly, mayonnaise, salad dressings, ketchup, pasta sauce, mustard, hot dogs, cookies, candy, potato chips, canned soup, crackers, cake, yogurt, pudding, pancake syrup, bacon, beer, macaroni and cheese, even some bread.

Since it exists in many of the products we consume daily, yearly consumption of HFCS has skyrocketed to over 70 pounds per person. Even food labeled “healthy”, such as fruit-flavored yogurt and whole-grain cereal has HFCS. As for a 16 oz. bottle of cola, you are ingesting the equivalent of 45 teaspoons of sugar in the form of HFCS. Coincidentally, graphs show obesity rates rising shortly after the substance was introduced into our food supply. Reports show that Americans’ white refined sugar consumption has dropped over the past 20 years. However, according to the USDA, our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has increased 250 percent over the past 15 years. This means we consume about 9 percent of our daily calories in the form of HFCS.

Glucose is burned as a source of immediate energy, our body stores it in our muscles and our livers for later use. Glucose also causes the body to release insulin, a naturally occurring hormone that aids metabolism. Instead of insulin, HFCS releases another hormone, leptin. This hormone also helps regulate our storage of fat and increases our metabolism when needed. Some scientific studies show that obese people build up resistance to leptin. This is similar to diabetics becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. Some evidence suggests it is linked to type II diabetes. Studies also show that the human body metabolizes fructose in a way that may promote weight gain. Specifically, fructose does not prompt the production of certain hormones that help regulate appetite and fat storage, and it produces elevated levels of triglycerides that researchers have linked to an increased risk of heart disease. This means you continue to eat and drink more because your appetite isn't satisfied.

The level of HFCS products marketed to kids in TV and print ads is troubling considering the potential future health risks. Eliminating your intake of HFCS will protect you from the possible health complications that could arise. High-fructose corn syrup is not the only thing making us unhealthy and obese. But it is a significant factor, and by choosing alternatives, we can enjoy food and drinks without this ingredient.

Click here to watch our Featured Video about Monsanto - The World According to Monsanto

Learn more by checking out our JGT Media Club picks for April

Please click here to visit our Media Club page for more info and to order products.

ALL JACKED UP: Hungry for the Truth? (DVD)
How jacked up do our kids have to get before they notice what we’re doing to them?

“ALL JACKED UP” is an angst-driven portrait of four teenagers who discover the truth about their obsessive, addictive, and emotion-fueled eating habits. All this brought on by their parents, schools, and our abusive food system that profits from them with no regard to their well-being.

SEEDS OF DECEPTION: Author Jeffrey Smith (Book)
Exposing Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating

Without knowing it, Americans eat genetically modified (GM) food everyday. While the food and chemical industries claim that GMO food is safe, a considerable amount of evidence shows otherwise. In Seeds of Deception, Jeffrey Smith, a former executive with the leading independent laboratory testing for GM presence in foods, documents these serious health dangers and explains how corporate influence and government collusion have been used to cover them up.

This column is not meant to offend hard-working activists who are devoting much of their time and energy to social and environmental issues. It is meant as a critique of those qualities that may keep us from building an actual Movement. I know of many activists that are guilty of the things listed below, including myself. So please don't feel offended (which brings us to our first point)...

By Errol Schweitzer

Peace and Environment News

1. Have a sense of humor.
The world is not going to change overnight, no matter how hard you work. Take time out to laugh at how messed up things really are. Take time out to laugh at yourself and the incremental changes that you and others are striving so hard for.

A good chuckle now and then keeps things in perspective and may actually make you feel better about the work you have accomplished. Making fun of yourself and other activists may be a form of critique, and we all know that.

2. Critique is necessary and vital for activism.
Analyzing what went wrong and what went right about an action or a campaign may help you to not repeat the same mistakes. Listen to what others have to say, especially the opposition, which may be the perfect foil for your cause.

Many great activists and revolutionaries engaged in rigorous self-criticism to realize what they did right or wrong. Luckily, unlike Che or Durruti, we don't have to do it under a hail of bullets (at least not yet).

3. Treat everyone as individuals.
It irks me when activists refer to "the masses" or when anti-corporate activists refer to their peers as "MTV kids." By lumping people into faceless categories we forget that we are dealing with people who have reasons for believing the things they do, whether it is family upbringing, the influence of religion or state propaganda, or just growing up in this damn culture.

When you approach people as individuals, you remember that once upon a time you too may not have had the beliefs you do now and may have been alienated by how some activists can come off. The most important aspect of reaching out to people may not be what you have to say but actually to...

4. Listen to what others have to say and know your audience.
Sometimes people's responses to what you have to say may be the best guide for learning what you shouldn't do next time. When you know who you are speaking to, you can craft your message so it appeals to them. This is something the Christian Right learned long ago in their direct mail campaigns. For example: By knowing your audience you can personalize the issue so that is not some abstract cause that they cannot relate to their everyday experience. If you are talking about immigrants' rights to some middle class white people, you can preface your point by mentioning "Imagine if this had happened to your grandparents when they were trying to escape the (famines, wars, genocide, intolerance) that brought them here."

4a. And oh yeah...ditch the highfalutin lingo!

If you insist on "subsuming the other" and "deconstructing the privileged hegemonies of socioeconomic systems," then don't expect much of a response. If you know your audience then you can talk to them at their level, not Foucault's. Besides, those big words are a privilege of those lucky enough to have been college educated and can set up an uncomfortable power dynamic. What's the use of promoting social change when you convey it in an elitist fashion?

5. And stop screaming all the time!
Yeah, we're pissed off, but if we are always screaming AT people instead of talking to them, then they won't listen. You'd be surprised how people respond when you talk politely to them. There IS a time for anger, and then there is a time for discussion. So think before you scream.

6. Single-issue activism can be problematic.
While we all have certain issues that are closest to our hearts, we shouldn't close our minds to the possible interconnections between these issues or stop from examining how they may have similar historic roots.

Sometimes single-issue activism can be very detrimental, such as how some environmentalists echo right-wing propaganda about immigration or how some anti-racist activists are just as homophobic as the KKK.

7. Having progressive politics does not exempt you from being an idiot.
There are more than a few "progressive" people who are sexist pigs or hold some pretty questionable ideas about race and class. And activists can be just as cliquey and backstabbing as frat-people. The redeeming thing is that at least by getting involved the door is open for talking about these issues, right???

8. You can't save the world via e-mail.
Your computer is a product of the techno-capitalist system and whatever good you do with it does not equal the power it has given Corporate America. No matter how efficient, technology can never replace the power and intimacy of human communication and contact.

The internet itself was designed by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as a way to decentralize communications in the advent of nuclear war. And over 98 percent of the internet's usefulness has been in speeding up commerce for speculative investment by very wealthy people all over the world.

Admittedly, the internet has increased our communications and has helped to make progressive movements more globally linked. The Zapatistas may have been crushed if not for the e-mail updates they sent out during their uprising. But we can't rely on techno-activism all the time. And one other thing: Y2K.

9. Leave the "ism's" at home.
"So that's nice. You are a (insert typical social change label here)." To most people who don't share these beliefs, these labels are loaded with media stereotypes and corporate propaganda that demean the positive aspects that these labels carry for you and me. For example, after saying to someone "I am a multiculturalist," he responded with "So you hate white people?" Instead, I should have said, "I believe in seeing race as a historical construct; it is not real in any physical or biological sense, but people are manipulated into believing that it is and treating it so." And maybe that would have spurred some lively discussion.

10. Lifestyle fascism sucks.
A major problem with many activists is instead of personalizing the political, they politicize the personal. Finding flaws in other people's lifestyles becomes something of a hobby for many progressive types, instead of identifying and deconstructing the institutions that are the source of violence against humans, animals and the environment. It is an easy way out of making real change happen by just attacking this or that consumption pattern.

What we need to remember is that by identifying certain aspects of Western lifestyle, such as meat-eating, smoking, or not boycotting the latest trendy issue, we are forgetting that it is the whole damn system that is wrong. Our power is more than our pocketbooks alone. To make real change we need to organize and find things that more of us have in common, not alienate others because they don't conform to some lifestyle guidelines. Why recapitulate the authoritarian tactics of the Christian Right or corporate America? Let people decide for themselves what they can or cannot boycott and get off the moral soapbox. We need to organize and lead lives that reflect the values we claim to hold, or want institutions to respect.

11. Ha! Ha! Ha! You're gonna burn out!
Few things hurt our causes as much as exhaustion and the implosion of those who have just "had enough." You make bad decisions, you alienate friends and family, your personal hygiene takes a nosedive. You know what? You need a break! Take a nap, paint a picture, do something to relax your mind and body. Let your energy and zeal come back.

Activism is tough and victories can be few and far between, so learn and take it easy. Even Assata Shakur says that the most important thing is to grow personally, to maintain relationships and hobbies. The revolution doesn't need zombies or robots. It needs people.

12. Stop the sectarianism!
Of course, this is like asking for tropical weather in Binghamton, but hey, might as well. From petty internecine squabbles at the local Food Coop to writers of The Nation insisting there are two (or more) "Left's," the movement has fractured and fragmented into so many little cliques and ideologies that you wonder what we have in common anymore other than our dislike for each other.

While some of the bitterness is left over from past counterinsurgency operations, such as the FBI's Cointelpro and the CIA's MH Chaos, a good deal of it is just because of activists who have split due to personal disagreements and arguments over ideology and strategy.

Can we forget our differences and actually work towards some sort of consensus so that we stop shooting ourselves in the feet? If you are new to activism, stay above the pettiness and concentrate on the issues at hand. If you are from the old school, then us young folks need your experience, not your gripes and grudges.

13. Redefine activism.
Activism is an accepted cultural niche in our society. C'mon, we all know the stereotypes: bad dresser, self-righteous about this or that issue, screaming and chanting, holding up signs, getting dragged away by cops, etc. But by becoming part of this "activist" culture we alienate many whose side we are supposedly on. How many people can relate when they see media-bites of these "wackos?" How often do we feed these stereotypes?

But look what is happening. More and more people fighting for social change are just "regular" people: a one-day general strike by New York City cabbies in May virtually shut down the city; thousands gathered to demonstrate against anti-gay violence in New York this October; recent general strikes in Puerto Rico and Colombia had hundreds of thousands of participants; 40,000 construction workers in New York City protesting non-union contracts, etc. And then there are the selfless acts we will never hear about: people forming support groups and discussion groups; people identifying who they are and where they fit into this society; people choosing to boycott some product or lifestyle, when and if they can.

These are just people responding to the basic stimulus that their lives are being messed with and they are not going to sit back and take it. These are activists as well. This is how revolutions come about. People who consider themselves "activists" have to break out of the preconceived molds and listen to what people are really talking about. Anarchism, multiculturalism, feminism, communism, veganism are all just words until our actions give them real meaning and we define for ourselves what our activism really is. Until then, activism is going to be this small, accepted, ineffectual cultural niche that alienates the people who it is supposed to be reaching out to.

Source Peace and Environmental News

Stop the war on Iran before it starts!

* More than Half a Million emails sent to officials
* Over 20,000 signers
* A growing international movement to STOP another illegal war of aggression in the Middle East.

StopWarOnIran.org


It is with grave concern that we observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war--this time against the people of Iran.

The media is filled with reports of an alleged nuclear threat posed by Iran and the assumed need for the U.S. to take military action. These reports recall the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" stories issued in the months leading up to the war on Iraq.

In the lead up to the illegal invasion of Iraq, the Bush Administration asserted that Iraq possessed massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and that it was capable of launching an attack - nuclear, chemical and biological - on the U.S. within 45 minutes.

President Bush said that the U.S. had to attack immediately, and could not "wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." We all know now that this propaganda campaign was a complete fabrication created to justify a war of aggression.

Now we see reports that are all too similar being made to justify military action against the people of Iran. Taking Iran to the UN Security Council is a prelude for unilateral action. Just as in the case of Iraq, none of the claims made by the U.S. government stand up to unbiased scrutiny. Iran has submitted to the most intrusive and humiliating inspections, above and beyond what is required by Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). None of the inspections have found any evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.

There is only one government that has used nuclear weapons against civilian populations, and that same country has the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction on the planet. Most dangerous and incredible it is at this very moment developing a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons that it intends to use, not merely to threaten. That country is, of course, the United States. Shouldn't any real discussion of the dangers of nuclear weapons include the weapons stockpiled by the Pentagon and the history of U.S. aggression and interventions?

Iran has suffered greatly at the hands of the U.S. We recall the U.S. overthrew the democratically elected government of Dr. M. Mossadegh and returned the Shah to the Peacock Throne – ‘the proudest achievement of the CIA’. For 25 years the Shah ruled Iran with an iron fist for the benefit of U.S. oil corporations before the people of Iran, in the millions, overthrew his tyranny at a terrible cost in lives. For the past 27 years U.S. sanctions have impeded Iran’s right to development and brought great suffering to the people.

It is essential that all voices opposed to the devastation of a new war in the Middle East speak out now. We urge an immediate end to Washington's campaign of sanctions, hostility, and falsehood against the people of Iran. We oppose any new U.S. aggression against Iran. We need funds for human needs, not endless war for empire.

Click here to sign Petition

Total signers: 103,145


Sponsor: Grassfire.org


The Issue:
This Spring, the Senate is expected to vote on a Global Warming bill (Lieberman-Warner) that will impose a $1.2 Trillion tax on the American people -- all in the name of Al Gore’s unfounded Climate Alarmist agenda.

President Bush and the three presidential candidates are all pushing the CO2 Climate Crisis thesis -- and Climate Alarmists are pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into this massive effort to create the largest expansion of government power in our nation’s history. All this while a growing body of scientific evidence is showing that man-made global warming is not a crisis at all! Read Grassfire’s backgrounder on Climate AlarmismClimate Alarmism.

Citizen Petition To Stop Al Gore Tax & Climate Alarmism
Grassfire.org is launching this National Petition opposing the Climate Alarmist agenda, the current Lieberman-Warner Carbon Tax bill and other similar measures. We want to rally 100,000 petitions before the expected floor debate on Lieberman-Warner in early June. If you oppose Al Gore’s Climate Alarmism, please sign the petition below.


The Petition States:

By my signature below I hereby join the growing number of scientists and informed citizens deeply concerned by the dire predictions and proposed solutions of Climate Alarmists.

Fears that mankind has created a ‘planetary emergency’ are scientifically unfounded, and as such the doomsday predictions of Climate Alarmists are irresponsible and dangerous. Also, the solutions proposed by Climate Alarmists would have a harmful and possibly devastating impact on our economy, without any detectable climatic impact let alone benefit.

Given that "catastrophic Man-made global warming" is the sole justification, I oppose U.S. participation in the Kyoto treaty or any such successor agreement, mandatory domestic limits on CO2, and any federal or state carbon "tax” or “cap-and-trade” system
-- including the current Lieberman-Warner bill. Finally, any legislation containing mandatory provisions in the name of "climate change" must require demonstration, through cost-benefit or similar analysis, that its provisions would produce quantifiable climate benefit.

It is time to stop promoting dangerous Climate Alarmism and instead engage a free and open debate on environmental issues without the anti-scientific, anti-democratic intimidation tactics that increasingly accompany climate alarmism.

Click here to sign Petition

Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups

Mother Jones | A private security company organized and managed by former Secret Service officers spied on Greenpeace and other environmental organizations from the late 1990s through at least 2000.

The 2008 Global Marijuana March is being held in over 200 cities around the world. The purpose of this demonstration is to protest marijuana prohibition peacefully. The people who organize these events worldwide are mostly volunteers who want to stand up and say that we deserve Equality and Respect in our communities. Together with other cities around the world we are protesting on the same day as a mass protest in different locations.


globalmarijuanamarch.org

More info from the Weed Wiki

It seems that many Republicans are fed up with the front runner McCain. Despite the media coverage, these voters chose to vote their conscious and not the party line.

By JONATHAN MARTIN

Politico | Two candidates not named John McCain got a combined 219,913 votes in the Pennsylvania Republican primary Tuesday, and one of them is still in the race.

Sort of.

“I’m a real candidate, but I try to keep everybody living in the real world,” Ron Paul said in an interview, alluding to the exuberance of his supporters.

Despite posting a video on his website last month conceding that he couldn’t win and indicating that he was winding down his campaign, Paul continues to be a presence in the GOP contest. He aired a radio ad before the Pennsylvania primary, is still traveling the country to appear at campaign events and, as of the end of March, had more than $5 million in the bank.

He got 16 percent of the vote Tuesday, which, combined with Mike Huckabee’s vote share, meant that more than a quarter of the voters in the Keystone State’s closed Republican primary voted for somebody other than their party’s all-but-certain nominee.

The libertarian-leaning obstetrician-turned-congressman's long-shot candidacy continues to take on a life of its own — and he admits he’s in no rush to tamp down the enthusiasm.

“There is no way I could turn it off — I went up to Penn State and had 1,500 people,” Paul observed, still seemingly amazed at his following. “So it’s just sort of going to go on.”

The question now, however, is where those die-hards who still line highway medians with Paul's road signs and flood Internet sites with comments will go with their vote in November.

Many, of course, will be watching Paul for a cue.

“I’ll be very cautious about what I do,” he said, noting his effort to encourage his supporters to get involved with their local Republican committee. “If I just endorse somebody from another party and walk away, that probably wouldn’t go over too well.”

But while keeping to the same mantra — “I have no plan, no intention to do so” — Paul is also not completely slamming the door shut on a third-party run. And, perhaps more worrisome for Republicans should they have a tight race with the eventual Democratic nominee, he’s also not ruling out supporting a third-party candidate.

Asked what he would do if his supporters approached him this fall and asked him whom to support, Paul replied, “I’ll respond when I think I should — when we know where the ducks are lining up.”

“It’s a little bit early for that. Who are the candidates going to be? Not only on top of the two parties, but who will be the bottom four or five?”

As it stands now, Paul said: “If I had to make that decision, I don’t think I’d be very enthusiastic about anybody.”

And anyway, Paul and his much-reduced campaign — it has gone from 150 employees at its peak to about 15 staffers now — have turned their focus from November to September, and namely the Republican National Convention.

“We believe that we’re going to carry about 50 pledged delegates" to the convention in St. Paul, said Paul spokesman Jesse Benton. “A lot of people are technically pledged to other candidates but are going to be there and letting everybody know that they support Ron Paul.”

That’s because even though their candidate has largely returned to his day job on Capitol Hill, his supporters are flocking in droves to county and state conventions, hoping to be elected as delegates to the convention.

Read full article here

With the all the technological advancements and personnel in DC, we are lead to believe that this data cannot be found. What would be our fate if we could not provide the data the government wanted?

By Brian Fonseca

Computerworld | A District Court judge has ordered the Executive Office of the President to tell the court by May 5 whether any e-mail server backup tapes were kept for a period from March to October 2003 to cover controversial issues such as reasons for starting the war in Iraq, the release of a former CIA operative's name and the US Department of Justice's actions.

The White House has been working for months trying to fend off a lawsuit filed last May in federal court in Washington by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. The judge cited what he called an apparent contradiction by White House CIO Theresa Payton as to whether backup tapes had been preserved. He also recommended that White House employees be ordered to turn over any flash drives or other portable media that may contain e-mails. The White House missing email scandal has been developing for some time now.

Read full article here