Wired News excerpts:

Job Woes Plague High Tech (Business Tuesday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/business/0,1367,64955,00.html/wn_ascii
Researchers say the industry bled 403,000 jobs between March 2001 andApril 2004, and the high-tech market continues to shrink.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don't Mess With Librarians (Security Blanket 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64945,00.html/wn_ascii
The timid media won't do it, so 'radical' librarians are standing up against the government to protect free speech and fight censorship.
Commentary by Adam L. Penenberg.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Study: Recycling Cost Overstated (Technology 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,64900,00.html/wn_ascii
Nova Scotia makes a name for itself as a rigorous enforcer of recycling. Now a study finds that while the province may be spending millions on its garbage program, it's actually saving far more. ByStephen Leahy.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Idaho Hot Potato: Tech Companies (Business Sunday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/business/0,1367,64927,00.html/wn_ascii
A sparsely populated western state best known for potatoes is becoming a magnet for tech entrepreneurs. The slow pace, absence of traffic and low-rise landscape has helped lure 800 tech companies to the state.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clean Air Tech Has Ancient Roots (Technology 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,64871,00.html/wn_ascii
A Georgia entrepreneur is working with a team of government scientists who believe that the solution to fossil-fuel pollution may be found in a nutrient-rich charcoal fertilizer discovered by South American natives centuries before Columbus set sail. By John Gartner.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bill Seeks Civil Liberties Board (Security Blanket 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64886,00.html/wn_ascii
Legislation introduced in the Senate to implement 9/11 Commission recommendations would create an executive-level board to investigate and advise on civil liberties and privacy issues. President Bush recently created a similar board with fewer powers.
By Ryan Singel.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Congress Wants Rights Board (Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/politics/0,1283,64660,00.html/wn_ascii
Key members of Congress and the 9/11 commission make it clear that a federal board to protect civil liberties in the age of terrorism is not optional. But they're struggling to figure out how to establish it.
ByRyan Singel.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



- posted by AquarianM @ 11:34 AM

 
UW-Madison News Release--Potato program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9/16/2004

CONTACT: Andrew Cohn, (608) 263-2821, cohn@warf.org

NEW PROGRAM SIMPLIFIES GROWERS' ACCESS TO UW-MADISON POTATO VARIETIES

MADISON - Call it a license to till.

With guidance from Wisconsin's potato growers, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) has launched a streamlined licensing program for seed potato farmers who wish to cultivate and sell varieties developed by the potato-breeding program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Since introducing the licensing program to members of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) via a letter in mid-July, WARF, which is UW-Madison's patenting and licensing organization, has completed five agreements with growers and has another pending.

Growers appear to like the new contract, says Brad Ricker, WARF's agricultural licensing manager, because it simplifies paperwork, offers the same, reasonable licensing terms to all growers, and has the WPVGA's stamp of approval.

"This licensing program has been developed to make licensing and growing Wisconsin potatoes a simple and fair transaction," he says. "We want to get new potato varieties into the marketplace as quickly as possible, without overburdening growers with paperwork or expense."

In creating the program, Ricker met regularly during the past two years with UW-Madison potato breeders, seed and commercial potato growers, WVPGA staff members and other representatives of the state's potato industry.

The licensing program specifically targets Wisconsin's roughly 25 seed potato growers - farmers who produce certified disease-free potato tubers that commercial growers eventually use to sow their crops. The contract requires these WPVGA members to pay a one-time, base fee of $1,000 and a per-acre royalty rate to be set when the agreement is signed. In exchange, farmers receive the right to grow, harvest and sell one of the eight UW-Madison potato varieties currently available for licensing, and can add other varieties for $100 each.

The $1,000 fee is also fully creditable toward future royalty payments, and the agreement remains in effect as long as it continues to include at least one variety, greatly reducing paperwork.

Wisconsin currently produces the nation's third-largest potato crop behind Idaho and Washington, with an annual value of $150 million. UW-Madison's potato-breeding program focuses on developing new varieties that specifically serve the needs of the state's potato industry and grow well under Midwest climate and soil conditions.

Among the most successful potatoes to emerge from the program since it began in the 1940s, are Superior, a variety released for commercial production in 1965, and Snowden, from 1989, one of the most popular chipping potatoes ever. More recent UW-Madison varieties showing particular promise include "Villetta Rose," a red potato for fresh market and canning; "Mega-chip," a chipping potato; and "Millennium Russet," a French fry variety.

Paying a royalty to UW-Madison and WARF in exchange for the right to grow and sell Wisconsin potatoes is a relatively new concept for the state's potato growers, says Mike Carter, executive director of WPVGA, which represents the interests of nearly 150 grower members across the state.

Still, Wisconsin potato growers believe the licensing program is fair, he reports. They especially appreciate that WARF, as a nonprofit entity, returns the proceeds from the licensing of potatoes to UW-Madison to support research.

"We see this program as an investment," says Carter. "In the event that the next big potato variety, like Snowden, comes along and is broadly adopted, the money from licensing will go back to the UW-Madison breeding program and will ultimately benefit the growers."

###

****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:

releases@news.wisc.edu


For more UW-Madison news, please visit:

http://www.news.wisc.edu/


University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331

- posted by AquarianM @ 11:32 AM

 
Big Increase in Farm Bill Clean Energy Project Grant Applications to USDA

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant Program (Section 9006) of the 2002 Federal Farm Bill's Energy Title is proving to be a popular funding source for farmers and rural small business owners who want to invest in renewable energy or energy efficiency systems. Section 9006 provides $23 million per year for clean energy development in rural communities.

ELPC was instrumental in the creation and passage of Section 9006, and we are the national leaders in promoting and implementing this innovative new program. In 2003, its first year of implementation, $21 million in grants were awarded to 112 farmers and small business owners; the Midwest/Great Plains states were the biggest winners, obtaining $13 million of the total funds. In 2004, 237 farmers and small business owners have applied for funding through the program, which has proven to have broad appeal across agricultural sectors and state lines.

Awards will be announced in early September. ELPC has worked closely with USDA to improve the program rules and with Congress to restore funding that was cut by the Bush Administration. This past year, we also stepped up our outreach efforts to increase the number of applicants, which has clearly paid off.

To read more about Section 9006, visit FarmEnergy.org.

- posted by AquarianM @ 6:38 PM

 

Illinois PIRG : Stop the Attack on State Consumer Protection Banking Laws

Dear Illinois PIRG supporter,

Recently, the nation's chief banking regulator, the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), announced two new rules that eliminate the right of state governments to enact or enforce consumer laws against any national bank. These rules will increase predatory mortgage lending, allow credit card companies to intensify their unfair practices, and cause bank fees to rise even more astronomically.

Please take a moment to ask Congress to issue a legislative veto, giving the states back their right to protect their citizens from unfair banking practices. Then, ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them.

To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your web browser:

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=821&id4=ES

Background:

In January 2004, the previously obscure and little-noticed Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), part of the U.S. Treasury Department, asserted itself with two new regulatory rules. The rules give it and it alone sole legal authority to enact and enforce all consumer protection regulations applicable to both national banks (any bank with national or N.A. in its name) and even their state-licensed operating subsidiaries such as mortgage companies. The OCC's newly self-imposed authority even negates state banking laws where no federal law exists.

This decision eliminates longstanding state legislative authority to enact laws and prevents state attorneys general and financial regulators from enforcing violations of virtually any state law.
The OCC took these actions without Congressional approval, but the courts have unfortunately sided with recent efforts by the OCC and national banks to override, or preempt, state consumer laws, such as PIRG-backed ordinances banning ATM surcharges in San Francisco and Santa Monica, PIRG-backed anti-predatory lending laws in several states and a PIRG-backed credit card disclosure law in California. So, the best solution is to pass a "Congressional Motion of Disapproval," also known as a legislative veto.

State legislatures, attorneys general and governors have joined consumer, community and civil rights groups to fight back. If the OCC action is not overturned by Congress, predatory mortgage lending will increase, more banks will get involved in shabby payday loan-like "bounce protection" scams, credit card companies will intensify their unfair practices and bank fees will rise even more astronomically.

You can find out more about the OCC at PIRG's special OCC Watch website

http://www.pirg.org/occwatch

In 1932, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously called the states "laboratories of democracy." Increasingly, however, strong state consumer and environmental protections are under assault by the Congress and federal regulators at the request of powerful special interests that prefer one weak federal regulatory system. You can find out more about the threats to all of our protections at the "PIRG Preemption Reports" page at

http://www.stopatmfees.com/occpirg.htm

To email your representative, click on the link below or paste it into your web browser:

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=821&id4=ES

Then, ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them.

Sincerely,

Rebecca D. Stanfield
Illinois PIRG Environmental Attorney
RebeccaS@illinoispirg.org
http://www.IllinoisPIRG.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.

- posted by AquarianM @ 3:26 PM

 
On this day, September 11th, of all days:

Turn Away Cold Voices...

Close your ears,
Listen to the heartbeat of Earth,
Close your ears,
Feel the touch of love and all it's dear worth,
Close your ears and see clear and clean,
Close your heart,
To the siren of the war machine,
Turn away cold voices,
Leave heartache far away in the dark,
Turn away cold voices,
Forget to fan the spark,
Let not the liars tell you,
That death becomes them,
For no heart that beats,
Should by any man's hand end,
Turn away cold voices,
Cause not any river of tears,
Turn away cold voices,
Full of hatred, lies, and unjust fears,
Hold out your hand in kindness,
Together love this Earth,
Turn away cold voices,
And remember the measure of your worth.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 04/24/2002


The Thorn Of Crowns:

One doesn't need to be crucified to die on the inside,
Heavy responsibility is not always easy to bear,
Temptation can blind you at times,
And losing you objectivity can be worse than being blind.

The sepia tones of old photographs can't hold you at night.

Never forget those times you cried,
And how they came about,
Remember the times you smiled,
And what gave those smiles birth.

Everyone has those moments in greater or lesser degree.

Even if you are King of the World,
You can't eat diamonds and emeralds,
And fast cars and jets can carry away,
Just as easily as to.

You could be haunted even on yacht at sea under forever stars.

Think about it,
Will the world truly have been better for you having walked it,
Even just one little bit,
The sum answers of that question alone are set in stone.

The true bits of gold carried by men.

When power comes upon you,
And you've walked the the halls of rulers,
Lying with a rattle in your throat,
As the angels gather round you,

Was the life you wore torn useless by the Thorn of Crowns?

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 03/15/2004

Author's Comments:
I think most people will understand.


Return My Colors:

I saw them waving in the breeze,
Those threads and dyes of freedom,
Pursuit of life, of liberty, of happiness,
Red of courage,
White of purity,
Blue of truth,
They stand for freedom,
They do not belong,
Upon the collars of intolerance,
Upon the poles where heads hang,
In the circle of a lake of tears,
In the halls where our lives are pried open,
Like a clamshell overfed on statute pages.

I want my colors back.

I want those colors to bring tears,
Because they mean a home where one is soveriegn,
Upon the lands we've worked to earn,
Where spies are some dark shadows across oceans,
Or figments in story books,
And no one is disappeared without a trace,
Just upon the say-so of fear's hounds.

I want my colors back,
To wear with pride,
Because they represent a place of good hearts,
And live as you are.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 08/28/2003

Author's Comments:
Our rights and liberties are critical to the character and identity of this country. There is no place on Earth like this place was just two and a half years ago. I want that place back, and the colors that go with it.



Walking The Needle:

We all must face a darkness today,
As a world and as a nation,
For the man-made shadow cast yesterday,
And that just a cumulation of many all over the world,
And as our hearts are torn with rage and grief,
We must remember that we are moral beings,
And that wanton retaliation is no such thing as moral,
And we must remember that violence only breeds violence,
And insanity does not bring death to life,
For how many bombs have been thrown in truth by whom?

We all must face a darkness today,
As a person and as a human being,
For the manmade shadow we contemplate casting today,
And that just an addition to those all over the world,
And as our hearts are torn with rage and grief,
We must remember that we are moral beings,
And that much of what races in our minds is not,
For long after we extend our hands in violence,
We will remember that we were amoral beings,
And ultimately the cost is a ticker tape of blood spots,
And shadows upon more souls.

We all must face a darkness today,
And wonder how to bring back the Sun,
And in no way can I poor poet that I am,
Give out the definitive answer,
For I must face a darkness today,
Staring at the fires within my own heart,
And perhaps that is a good place for each of us to start.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/12/2001


By Candle Lit Tears:

You see a soft yellow glow everywhere now,
Millions of points of gentle light at night,
All over this vast land with a common heartbeat,
And the faces may change but not so the tears,
You will know if you look and see,
Down from up above where you are now,
Your gift is remembered well,
The one you didn't know you would give,
As you left for your work and errands on that fateful day,
But you will know it if you look,
Not by the words of angels or historians,
Though those may come your way,
No, you will know it if you look,
By the rivers of candle lit tears.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/17/2001

Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to all the universe.
Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls.
Loving words can work miracles.

There will be no further posts today in remembrance of the people and cherished intangible treasures that were damaged on this day in 2001.

- posted by AquarianM @ 8:19 AM

 
Re: First & Only Public Hearing On Great Lakes Water Diversion

From the GLIN Webmaster:


Dan,

That may be the only opportunity in the Chicago area but there have been dozens of hearings held over the last eight weeks throughout all eight Great Lakes states and Ontario.

See http://www.speakongreatlakes.org/hearings.htm and the links below for further information.

You can also send in comments online (http://www.cglg.org/comments/index.asp) or via mail (send to Annex2001@cglg.org). The public comment period extends until mid-October. There is a 90-day comment period, which began on July 19.

Public input sought on protecting Great Lakes basin waters from bulk water exports, diversions

http://www.speakongreatlakes.org/

This web compendium -- provided by concerned Great Lakes basin environmental protection groups -- includes dates of upcoming public comment opportunities and all state/provincial documentation on Annex 2001.

Draft Implementing Agreements and related background from the Council of Great Lakes Governors: http://www.cglg.org/1projects/water/Annex2001Implementing.asp

I hope this is helpful.

Sincerely,

Christine Manninen
GLIN Webmaster:
www.great-lakes.net


My original comments to GLIN below:

"I was listening to Chicago Public radio on 91.5 FM WBEZ Chicago this morning on the way home from work. They were reporting that the first and only public hearing on a proposed treaty to ban export of great lakes water to commercial bottling operations world-wide or to arid nations was scheduled for today at Chicago's Navy Pier with the Great Lakes Governor's Council and their Canadian counterparts attending. They were imploring people to show up in support of this measure as it is the public's only chance to show the council of governors the depth of public support for it, but I am afraid very few people know about this. I do not know the time or other details - it may be too little reporting too late."

Dan Stafford


- posted by AquarianM @ 4:00 PM

 
Organics at a Crossroads

From the Organic Consumer's Association
listadmin@ORGANICCONSUMERS.ORG


"Regime change" seems to be in the air this fall; whether we are talking about personal lifestyle changes, converting the marketplace, or transforming the political arena. Millions are saying "No!" to junk foods, frankenfoods, pesticides, industrial agriculture, and the general "Wal-Martization" of American life.

Hopeful trends, such as the growth of the organic food and holistic health sector, suggest that a critical mass of consumers are beginning to comprehend that our personal and family's health and well-being are directly related to what we eat and drink, what we breathe into our lungs, and what we wear or apply to our skin.

In terms of organic food, demand is growing so fast that most grocery items sold in North American and European supermarkets will likely be labeled "organic" within 20 years. The question is, how "organic" will they be? Genetically engineered crops, namely corn, canola, cotton, and soybeans, are already starting to contaminate the fields and seed stocks of organic and traditional indigenous farmers. Big corporations are lining up to buy out organic companies, monopolize retail outlets, and work with government bureaucrats to lower organic standards. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/save090604.cfm

The biotech and agri-toxics lobby are planting stories in the press, claiming that organic foods are neither safer nor better than industrial foods. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/attack090704.cfm


Congress doles out $25 billion a year to subsidize biotech and industrial agriculture, while family farmers, who desperately need help to convert to organic and sustainable practices, are getting next to nothing.

And finally, global treaties such as NAFTA and the WTO are programmed for disaster, designed to enthrone biotech and industrial agriculture, while driving two billion farmers and rural villagers off the land and into urban slums. http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/slums090604.cfm

• We need to meet up and move together, as a massive organic consumer bloc and body politic, and change course.
• We need to raise significant funds and raise mass consciousness.
• We need to reward the farmers, the organic companies, and the politicians who are doing the "right thing," and put the "Biodevastators" on notice that regime change is coming.

What You Can Do:
Vote with your consumer dollar! By supporting products and businesses that are established on the principles of Fair Trade and sustainable agriculture, you're putting your money where your mouth is. One way you can save money, support positive products, and the OCA, all at the same time, is by purchasing a $10 OCA Organic Coupon book, containing up to $400 worth of savings on nationally distributed products (for a detailed list of coupons, click here).

Please give us your support now, so we can expand our nationwide public education and mobilization activities... both before and after the upcoming November elections.


Save money and help the OCA by buying one or more of the OCA's Organic Coupon Books for $10 (up to $400 in savings). See a detailed list of the coupons here:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/coupons/index.cfm

Host an OCA House Party and show the new highly acclaimed film, "The Future of Food," by Debra Koons Garcia.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/party.htm

Donate: All contributions are tax-deductible.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/donation.htm

Stay tuned to Organic Bytes and our website http://www.organicconsumers.org/ for the latest news and developments.

Bon Appetit,

Ronnie Cummins

ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
6101 Cliff Estate Road
Little Marais, MN 55614
Phone: (218) 226-4164
Fax: (218) 353-7652

- posted by AquarianM @ 7:55 AM

 
From AFL-CIO: Urgent! Take action NOW to help save overtime pay!

Dear Working Families e-Activist: We have another chance to save overtime pay. Congress could vote AS EARLY AS TODAY on an amendment to reverse the Bush administration's massive overtime pay take-away that went into effect Aug. 23.

An amendment sponsored by Democratic Reps. David Obey of Wisconsin and George Miller of California would rescind the new Bush administration wage and hour rules that put some 6 million people at risk of losing their overtime pay.

Please click on the link below to urge your representative to support the Obey-Miller amendment or keep reading for more information.

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/support_Obey/gexxw829kk75m

The Bush administration and its allies in Congress pushed through this massive pay cut for working families. Every working person in America--and every voter--needs to know that President Bush is responsible. Please pass the word to your friends, family and co-workers about this chance to save overtime pay. Urge them to raise their voices with us. If Congress doesn't pass the Obey-Miller amendment blocking the Bush overtime pay cuts, the new rules will stand.

If you're not sure whether you'll be affected by the new rules, click on the link below to find out. http://www.workingamerica.org/issues/ot_quiz.cfm

We'll continue to speak out against this outrageous pay cut--and keep you informed on how you can make a difference for working families. Thanks for all you do.

In solidarity,

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO

- posted by AquarianM @ 5:18 PM