Thursday: Thanks to prkerjake, moen creek and Gil for observations about the microcosm mirroring the macrocosm. Your gentle understanding helped me to forgive myself for my harsh reaction, yet recognize where it came from and deal with the cause in an effective, but gentle way with good result. I am very grateful.
This is why I like this list so much. You all drive me to greater spiritual understanding. Thanks to all who made political posts about the GE Fish and wheat and the 1/2 cup of rice to Bush. I noticed. Steve, I forwarded your post on the Viticulture Conference to my brother who grows grapes and makes wine from western grapes with a wine group. He is just beginning to be interested in organic and has lots of pests in the South. I can't go after him too hard, but keep hoping he'll begin to understand. Herb is ecstatic about a book lent to him by an archeologist friend--1421-The Year China Discovered the World. This morning I got him to explain starting in the beginning with sky hooks about how the Chinese learned how to tell latitude and longitude by the stars long before westerners did without use of water clocks. A retired British submarine captain who had circumnavigated the world through his periscope went to 600 museums around the world to tell about the Chinese circumnavigations by 250 - 450 ft long junks in 1421, which not known because the Mandarins destroyed their information for political reasons, from mss., maps and artifacts they left all around their route. Just the right book for a history&boat junkie! He says its on a par with Darwin's The Origin of the Species. <www.1421.tv> This afternoon I am going to Moscow, Idaho, home of the U. of I for the Western Sustainable Agriculture Conference for the weekend. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship again and this makes it possible for me to attend. They are finally getting some political motivation, I hope. Historically, they have tried to stand on the fence. We will see. Benbrook is giving a talk on GMOs. You may have read the speech I sent the list that he gave in Asilomar. I am driving with Jill Davies and hope to learn a lot on the trip. See you again on Sunday night. Best, Merla
