So good.

http://www.keeperofthehome.org

A new law proposed by the European Commission would make it illegal to “grow, reproduce or trade” any vegetable seeds that have not been “tested, approved and accepted” by a new EU bureaucracy named the “EU Plant Variety Agency.”

It’s called the Plant Reproductive Material Law, and it attempts to put the government in charge of virtually all plants and seeds. Home gardeners who grow their own plants from non-regulated seeds would be considered criminals under this law.

The draft text of the law, which has already been amended several times due to a huge backlash from gardeners, is viewable here.

“This law will immediately stop the professional development of vegetable varieties for home gardeners, organic growers, and small-scale market farmers,” said Ben Gabel, vegetable breeder and director of The Real Seed Catalogue. “Home gardeners have really different needs – for example they grow by hand, not machine, and can’t or don’t want to use such powerful chemical sprays. There’s no way to register the varieties suitable for home use as they don’t meet the strict criteria of the Plant Variety Agency, which is only concerned about approving the sort of seed used by industrial farmers.”

READ THE REST HERE.

GREAT BOOK HERE.

http://bigodfw.com

This shit has been going on for decades.

It’s not every day that we learn about a victory for Mother Earth. But thanks to a 47-year old farmer and a French court there has been a victory against U.S. biotechnology giant Monsanto. And, I’d say that’s a triumph for Mother Earth as well. The company lost a court battle earlier this year and was charged as guilty of chemical poisoning. This judgment could lend credence to other health claims against Monsanto and pesticides in general.

Paul Francois, a French farmer sued Monsanto after he suffered neurological problems including memory loss, headaches, and stammering after inhaling the company’s Lasso weedkiller in 2004. He cited insufficient product label warnings as part of the problem.

“It is a historic decision in so far as it is the first time that a (pesticide) maker is found guilty of such a poisoning,” François Lafforgue, Paul Francois’s lawyer said in an interview with Reuters. In the same interview, Monsanto’s lawyer Jean-Philippe Delsart states: “Monsanto always considered that there were not sufficient elements to establish a causal relationship between Paul Francois’s symptoms and a potential poisoning.”

But the court in Lyon, in southeast France disagreed. It clearly saw the cause of Francois’ health problems as linked to Monsanto’s pesticide use and subsequently ordered an expert assessment to determine Francois’ financial losses and awarded him accordingly.

According to the Reuters news report, the agricultural branch of the French social security system says that it has gathered about 200 reports of sickness linked to pesticides a year since 1996. Prior to this landmark case, farmers have had difficulty proving causal effect or have simply not tried to sue the corporate giant known for its bullying tactics on farmers worldwide.

READ THE REST HERE.

Am loving it.

Nice.

facebook.com

Coolest Caterpillar EVER – Phyllodes Imperialis

Fun.

www.presstv.i

“I believe it is necessary to sacrifice myself to break with the lethargy that is overwhelming us. I am killing myself to awaken slumbering consciences.” – French anti-gay marriage activist Dominique Venner, from the suicide note found near his body at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Venner’s suicide remains headline news across France today and the ruling Socialist Party has issued a denouncement of his action. Party head Harlem Desir: “The bill has been approved and opponents of marriage for everyone need to understand that it is now the law of the republic.”

RELATED: The BBC has more on Venner: “Venner was once imprisoned for activities with the Secret Army Organization (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s and tried to assassinate President Charles De Gaulle.”

Algeria….will always haunt France.

READ THE REST HERE.

If you follow Rutherford on twitter you know he is as funny as a fit. So attend if you are in town.

Tues MAY 28th til Sat JUN 1st – BASEMENT THEATRE – AUCK

BOOK HERE.
Splitter of atom and face of money, famed New Zealand scientist Ernest Rutherford invites you to attend a lecture!

Our country’s most noted physicist appears live for the first time in over 70 years to dish out spoonfuls of knowledge into the hungry brains of eager young academics like yourself! Lord Ernest Rutherford of Nelson will hold your hand like an absolute gentleman and walk you through some of his favourite science experiments, regale you with tales of scientific interest, sing some of his favourite Cambridge school-songs, and argue with his wife Mary.

Nic Sampson (Mega Christmas, Black Confetti, Bombs Away: A Musical!) brings the character of Ernest Rutherford to very accurate life with acting, clothes, and a real mustache he grew himself. Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired by a true kiwi hero!

https://www.audiencerewards.com

Clint Eastwood is going Broadway. Kind of.

According to an Equity casting notice, the actor/director has signed on to helm the film version of the Broadway show Jersey Boys, originally written by John Logan.

Jersey Boys is the musical about how a group of middle-class boys become one of the biggest American pop music groups: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

The musical won the 2006 Best Musical Tony Award, the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album as well as the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The show was directed by two-time Tony Winner Des McAnuff and written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman

Makes zero sense, but musicals are hot again.

READ THE REST HERE.