Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Some interesting facts about hemp...
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| Image via Wikipedia |
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| Image via Wikipedia |
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| Image via Wikipedia |
| Here is an interesting and enlightening assortment of hemp facts: 1) Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. 2) Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. The federal government subsidized hemp during the Second World War and U.S. farmers grew about a million acres of hemp as part of that program. 3) Hemp seed is nutritious and contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is a good source of dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug (learn more at TestPledge.com). 4) The bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers, which are among the Earth's longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose. The cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. Hemp stalk is not psychoactive. Hemp fiber is longer, stronger, more absorbent and more insulative than cotton fiber. 5) According to the Department of Energy, hemp as a biomass fuel producer requires the least specialized growing and processing procedures of all hemp products. The hydrocarbons in hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to liquid fuels and gas. Development of bio-fuels could significantly reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and nuclear power. 6) Hemp can be grown organically. Only eight, out of about one hundred known pests, cause problems, and hemp is most often grown without herbicides, fungicides or pesticides. Hemp is also a natural weed suppressor due to fast growth of the canopy. 7) Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally-friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical by-products. 8) Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found. Hemp paper can also be recycled more times than wood-based paper. 9) Hemp fiberboard produced by Washington State University was found to be twice as strong as wood-based fiberboard. No additional resins are required due to naturally-occurring lignins. 10) Eco-friendly hemp can replace most toxic petrochemical products. Research is being done to use hemp in manufacturing biodegradable plastic products: plant-based cellophane, recycled plastic mixed with hemp for injection-molded products, and resins made from the oil, to name a very few examples. Over two million cars on the road today have hemp composite parts for door panels, dashboards, luggage racks, etc. |
| Countries Growing Industrial Hemp Today |
| The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not recognize the value of industrial hemp and permit its production. Below is a list of other countries that are more rational when it comes to hemp policy. |
| AUSTRALIA began research trials in Tasmania in 1995. Victoria commercial production since1998. New South Wales has research. In 2002, Queensland began production. Western Australia licensed crops in 2004. AUSTRIA has a hemp industry including production of hemp seed oil, medicinals and Hanf magazine. CANADA started to license research crops in 1994. In addition to crops for fiber, one seed crop was licensed in 1995. Many acres were planted in 1997. Licenses for commercial agriculture saw thousands of acres planted in 1998. 30,000 acres were planted in 1999. In 2000, due to speculative investing, 12,250 acres were sown. In 2001, 92 farmers grew 3,250 acres. A number of Canadian farmers are now growing organically-certified hemp crops (6,000 acres in 2003 and 8,500 acres in 2004, yielding almost four million pounds of seed). CHILE has grown hemp in the recent past for seed oil production. CHINA is the largest exporter of hemp textiles. The fabrics are of excellent quality. Medium density fiber board is also now available. The Chinese word for hemp is "ma." DENMARK planted its first modern hemp trial crops in 1997. The country is committed to utilizing organic methods. FINLAND had a resurgence of hemp in 1995 with several small test plots. A seed variety for northern climates was developed called Finola, previously know by the breeder code "FIN-314." In 2003, Finola was accepted to the EU list of subsidized hemp cultivars. Hemp has never been prohibited in Finland. The Finnish word for hemp is "hamppu." FRANCE has never prohibited hemp and harvested 10,000 tons of fiber in 1994. France is a source of low-THC-producing hemp seed for other countries. France exports high quality hemp oil to the U.S. The French word for hemp is "chanvre." GERMANY banned hemp in 1982, but research began again in 1992, and many technologies and products are now being developed, as the ban was lifted on growing hemp in November, 1995. Food, clothes and paper are also being made from imported raw materials. Mercedes and BMW use hemp fiber for composites in door panels, dashboards, etc. The German word for hemp is "hanf." GREAT BRITAIN lifted hemp prohibition in 1993. Animal bedding, paper and textiles markets have been developed. A government grant was given to develop new markets for natural fibers. 4,000 acres were grown in 1994. Subsidies of 230 British pounds per acre are given by the government to farmers for growing hemp. HUNGARY is rebuilding their hemp industry, and is one of the biggest exporters of hemp cordage, rugs and fabric to the U.S. They also export hemp seed, paper and fiberboard. The Hungarian word for hemp is "kender." INDIA has stands of naturalized Cannabis and uses it for cordage, textiles and seed. ITALY has invested in the resurgence of hemp, especially for textile production. 1,000 acres were planted for fiber in 2002. Giorgio Armani grows its own hemp for specialized textiles. JAPAN has a rich religious tradition involving hemp, and custom requires that the Emperor and Shinto priests wear hemp garments in certain ceremonies, so there are small plots maintained for these purposes. Traditional spice mixes also include hemp seed. Japan supports a thriving retail market for a variety of hemp products. The Japanese word for hemp is "asa." NETHERLANDS is conducting a four-year study to evaluate and test hemp for paper, and is developing specialized processing equipment. Seed breeders are developing new strains of low-THC varieties. The Dutch word for hemp is "hennep." NEW ZEALAND started hemp trials in 2001. Various cultivars are being planted in the north and south islands. POLAND currently grows hemp for fabric and cordage and manufactures hemp particle board. They have demonstrated the benefits of using hemp to cleanse soils contaminated by heavy metals. The Polish word for hemp is "konopij." ROMANIA is the largest commercial producer of hemp in Europe. 1993 acreage was 40,000 acres. Some of it is exported to Hungary for processing. They also export hemp to Western Europe and the U.S. The Romanian word for hemp is "cinepa." RUSSIA maintains the largest hemp germplasm collection in the world at the N.I. Vavilov Scientific Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) in St. Petersburg. They are in need of funding to maintain and support the collection. The Russian word for hemp is "konoplya." SLOVENIA grows hemp and manufactures currency paper. SPAIN has never prohibited hemp, produces rope and textiles, and exports hemp pulp for paper. The Spanish word for hemp is "cañamo." SWITZERLAND is a producer of hemp and hosts one of the largest hemp trade events, Cannatrade. TURKEY has grown hemp for 2,800 years for rope, caulking, birdseed, paper and fuel. The Turkish word for hemp is "kendir." UKRAINE, EGYPT, KOREA, PORTUGAL and THAILAND also produce hemp. UNITED STATES granted the first hemp permit in over 40 years to Hawaii for an experimental quarter-acre plot in 1999. The license was renewed, but the project has since been closed due to DEA stalling tactics and related funding problems. Importers and manufacturers have thrived using imported raw materials. 22 states have introduced legislation, including VT, HI, ND, MT, MN, IL, VA, NM, CA, AR, KY, MD, WV and ME, addressing support, research or cultivation with bills or resolutions. The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) has endorsed industrial hemp for years. |
| Bibliography |
| Chris Conrad, "Hemp: Lifeline to the Future" Jack Frazier, "The Great American Hemp Industry" Hemptech, "Industrial Hemp" and "Hemp Horizons" Acknowledgements: Hemp Industries Association |
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The disputed sexual orientation of T.E. Lawrence - aka as Lawrence of Arabia...
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| Lawrence of Arabia (Image via RottenTomatoes.com) |
In recent years the life and achievements of Thomas Edward Lawrence have been somewhat overshadowed by controversial claims published in posthumous biographies concerning his sexual orientation, accusations that he had been a closet or self repressed homosexual.The claim was first made by author Richard Aldington 20 years after his death, controversial at the time because none of Lawrence's friends or family supported it. In the wake of his being immortalized in the 1962 David Lean classic Lawrence of Arabia a host of other biographers rode Aldington's coat tails, making the titillating claim that he had been both homosexual and sadomasochistic.
Claims seemingly given credence by newspaper interviews with privates of the Tank Corps who confessed to having had flogged Lawrence at his solicitation between 1925 to 1934, combined they set the seal on the alleged secret life of Lawrence of Arabia.
However those making these claims only told half the story, deliberately neglecting or downplaying the effect his having been raped had on his thoughts and actions. The base details of Lawrence's life are already well covered on this site so I won't go into superfluous detail, suffice to recap he was captured by Ottoman Turk's in Deraa in 1916 and subjected to humiliating beatings and sexual assault at the instigation of Governor, or Bey.
Rape in time of war is age old, most people are aware of the suffering of woman and girls during hostilities; however since ancient times it has been a weapon of war used against men. The word itself is derived from the Latin rapere meaning to steal, seize or carry away. In the military context it was a means of stealing a man's honour, a victorious soldier emasculating a vanquished foe in the belief that by forcibly penetrating him he lost his manhood.
This indignity was more often inflicted on members of the officer class in the belief it robbed them of their authority as a leader of men, sometimes resulting in the victims suicide. Gang rape was also considered a means of punishment in some cultures, the Romans, Persians, Ottomans and other societies practiced it.The Ottoman Turks were infamous for inflicting it throughout the Great War on captured enemy troops, beating and gang raping enemy officers often as a matter of due course. Prisons and garrisons often had personnel who specialized in this abuse, although there was nothing homosexual about it.
The Turkish soldiers perpetrating this war crime certainly never considered themselves gay, like male rapists in prison the act has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the attacker or victim. "It's not about sexual gratification, rather a sexual aggressor using somebody else as a means of expressing their own power and control". [1]
It was a remarkable manifestation of courage, perhaps cathartic release, that Lawrence detailed what happened to him in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom in 1926. Then as now the fear of being labelled homosexual as a result of such disclosure was a legitimate fear, society having the tendency of blaming the victim of sexual assault rather than the perpetrator.
Homosexuality was a taboo subject at that time, same sex rape was even more taboo. The suspicion Lawrence was homosexual is likely to have been a natural by-product of his shocking disclosure, some readers finding a homo-erotic undertone to his retelling of events.
Then as now few understood the incident in its historic context, the consensus being only homosexuals are victims of same sex rape, that a man can protect himself and if he's raped it's because he wanted to be.
If the 28 year old Lawrence was a virgin at the time of his assault, as many biographers believe, the experience would have had a profoundly negative affect on his concept of self and sexuality. Alas in his lifetime there were no counselling services available to men who had suffered sexual assault, they were expected to get on with their lives with a stiff upper lip.
The post traumatic effects of same sex rape often last a lifetime, T.E. Lawrence manifested all the classic symptoms: workaholism, "depression, anger, increased sense of vulnerability, destructive self image, emotional distancing" [2]In the wake of the Great War he had difficulties with intimacy, withdrew from relationships or carried them out via mail, had problems trusting people and a defunct sex drive. Not that he ever had much interest in sex at earlier stages of his life, there is no concrete evidence of him having had an intimate relationship with anyone male or female, and he seems to have willingly chosen celibacy as many academics of his class and generation did. His family and friends attested to his sense of horror with regards to sexual subject matter in the years following the war.
Many heterosexual rape survivors question their sexual orientation, "it's not uncommon for a victim to blame himself for the rape, believing that he in some way gave permission to the rapist [3].
Recollection of involuntary physiological responses, erections or ejaculations, etc, during the event often make them question whether they deserved or wanted to be assaulted. There are certainly aspects of this post traumatic introspection in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which many readers have mistaken as homo-erotic influences.
Contrary to popular belief Lawrence's notorious floggings aren't indicators of homosexuality, the fetish is more common with heterosexuals than homosexuals. According to noted psychologist and rape trauma therapist Dr. Michael Hunter Lawrence's "behaviour was a recreation of the experience which marred his life, a repetition compulsion, an attempt to take control of an event which had previously been out of his control".
His victimology isn't unique, "people often repeat their prior traumas, literally or symbolically, both conscious and unconscious". [4] Psychologist's also believe Lawrence changed his name twice because he felt emasculated by his experience and wanted to escape the macho, action man image being forced upon him by popular culture increasingly obsessed with "Lawrence of Arabia". By changing his name he took on another persona, left the wounded rape victim behind and became someone else for a period of time.
Over the past few decades pop biographers, historians and gay activists have made an art form of deliberately misinterpreting biographical information on notable people to sell their otherwise repetitious tomes or push an agenda.
Any figure who remained unmarried, had close same sex friendships or acted in a way perceived flamboyant by modern standards is automatically presumed homosexual.Evidence is not required, only innuendo, few figures escape sensational revisionism: Alexander the Great (356BC-323BC), Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), General Kitchener (1850-1916), Howard Carter (1837-1939) who discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and even the fictional Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson have been reclassified as homosexuals; whilst General Gordon (1833-1885) of Khartoum fame is recast a suspected paedophile for having helped homeless boys get off the streets of London; Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809-1898) recast a sexual deviant and Jack the Ripper suspect for having helped save woman from prostitution in 1888.
Few historic figures escape contemporary insinuation, T.E. Lawrence was one of the first casualties of it, the psychological after effects of having been brutally raped portrayed as sexual deviancy to sell books or justify someone else's modern lifestyle.
In the final analysis his sexual orientation shouldn't be an issue, if he was homosexual it wouldn't add or subtract from his legacy, but in the interests of historical scholarship it's important to view facts in their proper context.
References:
1. Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender, Dr. A. Nicholas Groth
2. Silent Victims: Bringing Male Rape Out of the Closet, by Sue Brochman (1991)
3. Adult Male Sexual Assault in the Community: A Literature Review and Group Treatment Model, Paul Isley. (1991)
4. Dr. Jim Hopper Ph.D. Research Associate, Boston University School of Medicine Trauma Center, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.
Sources:
University of Texas Counseling & Mental Health Center
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. USA
Dr. Micael Hunter, Ph.D.
Contributed by John Godl
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Google users: Read this carefully...
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| Image via CrunchBase |
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| Image via CrunchBase |
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| Image via CrunchBase |
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| Image by Getty Images via @daylife |
From March 1, the company will begin to aggregate all the information it acquires about its users who are logged in to Google services into a single, unified pool of data.
This collectable information is what Columbia Law School professor and privacy advocate Eben Moglan refers to as the "data dandruff of life". It comprises the obvious and the obscure. Details you expect to be logged as well as inferred data that is created as a result of joining the dots.
In the past, data collected in the course of a web search would be kept separate from, for instance, your YouTube viewing activity, your Gmail usage or your Map queries.
From Thursday, that will cease being the case.
And unless you specifically scrub your Google Web History, everything that has been collected about your past search activities and the sites you clicked through to, can be scooped up and combined with information gleaned from usage on other Google-owned sites.
The changes will allow Google to better target ads to users and in doing so, enable the company to extract a higher price from advertisers. This is not unusual; all web publishers are attempting to deliver more targeted advertising. But not all publishers can combine as much information as Google can.
In tandem with the impending changes, Google has taken the opportunity to unify some 60 separate privacy policies into one simpler document.
The company has also been up front about the coming changes and for the past few weeks has posted notices on its websites and emailed its users explaining the changes.
However, it's fair to assume that many users have been oblivious to the new policies either because they may be more relaxed about privacy on the internet or because they haven't drilled down into the detail.
Despite the advance warning, not everyone is comfortable about the impending changes. A letter sent to Google's CEO Larry Page by a group of US state attorneys-general earlier this month characterised the move as an invasion of consumer privacy and criticised the company for failing to provide a proper ability to opt out.
The US-based Electronic Frontier Foundation points out that disabling Web History in your Google account will not prevent Google from gathering and storing this information. But it does mean the information will be partially anonymised after 18 months and that Google will abstain from using it for certain purposes.
Many people are comfortable with a lowering of the privacy bar that has come about in recent years as a result of the advent social networking sites such as MySpace and then Facebook.
However, if you're not one of those, here's how you can quarantine your Google Search History from the new data aggregation process.
- Go to the Google History page and sign in.
- If your Web History has been activated, you should see a button which says: "Remove All Web History". Then click "Okay" to confirm.
- When this is done you will see a "Resume" button, which you can click if at any time in the future you change your mind.
If you want even more control, you can also try these additional tools:
- Google Dashboard: A place where you can control the data associated with your Google Account.
- Ads Preferences Manager: A place where you can manage Google's advertising cookie.
- Eject button: And if you're still not satisfied and want to opt out altogether, Google provides a one stop shop to opt out of everything and take your "data dandruff" with you.
Source: © Fairfax NZ News
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Apple's new environmentally green data centre...
Apple's Maiden data center already boasts a white cool-roof and is set to add the largest end user-owned, onsite solar array in the U.S.
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The news comes from a newly released report outlining the environmental impact of Apple's worldwide facilities, including its retail stores, R&D facilities, and operations and data centers. Being completed in 2011, the Maiden facility already boasted a green design and received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council - a feat that Apple points out hasn't been achieved by any other comparably sized data center.
Further enhancing the facility's environmental credentials, Apple will build a 100-acre, 20-megawatt facility on land surrounding the data center to supply 42 million kWh of renewable energy to the facility annually.
The Maiden facility's existing energy-efficient design elements include a white cool-roof the maximize solar reflectivity and reduce the building's cooling requirements, and a chilled water storage system that allows 10,400 kWh of electricity consumption to be transferred from peak to off-peak hours each day. It's conceivable that this system could also be employed to store electricity generated by the solar array during the day for use at night.
Apple hasn't announced when the solar array will be constructed, but the report also reveals the company is building a fuel cell installation that is scheduled to go online later this year. The 5-megawatt facility will be located directly adjacent to the data center and will be 100 percent powered by biogas to provide more than 40 million kWh of round-the-clock baseload renewable energy annually. Upon completion, Apple says it will be the largest non-utility fuel cell installation in the U.S.
The report indicates the company is dedicated to becoming a greener Apple, but the environmental impact of its facilities are just a drop in the ocean compared to emissions from other sources. As much as 98 percent of the company's total greenhouse gas emissions come the production, transport, use, and recycling of its products, with the company's corporate facilities accounting for the remaining two percent.
Source: Apple Facilities Report (PDF) via 9to5Mac
Friday, February 17, 2012
MI5 claimed Charlie Chaplin was not a spy...
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| Image via Wikipedia |
MI5 claimed
Charlie Chaplin was not a spy...
Silent British born film star Charlie Chaplin was the target of a spying investigation conducted by British intelligence agency MI5, following a request from America's Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to papers released by Britain's National Archives on Friday.
The FBI asked MI5 for help in getting Chaplin banned from the United States for suspected Communist ties. Specifically, the FBI requested that the British agency look into the mysterious circumstances of Chaplin's birth -- no record was found of his birth in England at the time -- suggesting that his real name was Israel Thornstein and that he "may have been born in France." Ultimately the MI5 found no evidence of either allegation.
The FBI also charged that Chaplin had made a covert donation to the American Communist Party in 1923.
Chaplin's MI5 file, which was opened in 1952, offers numerous newspaper clips, including from the Communist newspaper the Daily Worker, which praised Chaplin, saying, "His films have lampooned the great and the dictators, raised up the common man against the rich."
However, the MI5 remained skeptical of the FBI's claims, and ultimately dismissed them.
"It may be that Chaplin is a communist sympathizer but on the information before us he would appear to be no more than a 'progressive,' or radical," the file, which was closed in 1958, concludes.
Chaplin denied ties to Communism, but was nonetheless banned from the United States in 1953, as McCarthyism raged in America. The "Great Dictator" actor opted not to appeal the decision and instead live in Switzerland, where he died in 1977 at the age of 88.
Acknowledgements: Zorianna Kit)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-17/spies-found-no-record-of-chaplins-birth/3836184 No record of Charlie's birth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRDmeU9XAYg View video.
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/british-spy-group-mi5-reveals-charlie-chaplin-may-have-been-a-frenchman/ Was Charlie French?
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Morals
Guest post:
piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered
up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the
well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then,
to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the
farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something
amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,
he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over
the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone.
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!
Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less
NOW --------
Enough of that cr*p . .
The donkey later came back and bit the sh*t out of
the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the
bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in
agony from septic shock.
MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:
When you do something wrong and try to cover your
ass, it always comes back to bite you.