{"id":19746,"date":"2016-02-08T06:07:07","date_gmt":"2016-02-08T14:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=19746"},"modified":"2016-02-08T06:07:07","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T14:07:07","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-07022016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/02\/08\/squatchs-open-thread-07022016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 07\/02\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, it seems that after a 2 day rest, my DVD player works again.  I had tried quite a few DVDs and all were "bad disc".  Right now, only one of those discs is not coöperating.  Go figure.  I arrived home earlier than normal as they put mum to bed at 18:30, right after dinner.  She was out cold before the aid left the room, but I went and sat by her bed for about an hour anyway.  She looks so at peace, relaxed, and thankfully in no pain when she is sleeping.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Alternet<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — In 2015, Young released his 36th studio album, The Monsanto Years<\/a>, a concept-based criticism of multinational agrochemical and biotechnology giant Monsanto, the world’s biggest seed company. A collaboration with Willie Nelson's sons Lukas and Micah, the album also condemns other industrial agriculture giants like Syngenta, Dow, Dupont and Bayer — corporations that, like Monsanto, have garnered control of global seed production.<\/p>\n

By creating patents for genetically engineered seed, these firms have taken away farmers’ right to save their own seeds.<\/p>\n

“Monsanto wants to sell the farmers the seeds and they want to license the seeds,” said Bob McFarland of the California State Grange. “So the farmers can only use those seeds for one cycle, then they have to go back to Monsanto and buy the seeds again.”<\/p>\n