It's the End of the Month Blogathon!

But before we get to all those awesome links and pictures I've been saving up over the past month, I just want to say that I had the best yoga class today, and the most awesome facial with John's Aunt Mary.  If anyone is in the Orange, CA area and looking for a good facial, check out The Skin Spa & Wellness Center.

And now...on with the show!

Is America Facing A Beer Crisis? -- This article has so much information stored within it that I'd urge anyone interested in beers to take a look.  In short, beer is losing out on market share to other kinds of alcohols.  However, craft beers have been helping to bolster those sales.  It seems more people are health conscious, growing older, and drink less beer.

Remember that chemical spill we were all talking about a little while ago?  Here are some things you might not have known--and this is worth reading.  It puts into perspective how very under-protected we really are.  And after reading this article, it makes me really want to look at our government and find out why we have so few laws regarding chemicals, and why so little is being done with regard to this.

Here are 17 tiny things that have changed the world as we know it.  I'd give you some hints about what they are, but I think it's entirely much more interesting to take a look for yourself.  Some of them I all ready knew, but a few of them I did not.

We can still lose ships in the ocean, and this story is about one of those--which apparently still has a crew of rats on board.  I sure hope we find the Lyubov Orlova....

This story caught my eye one day; it's about a man who has spent almost his entire life building a cathedral in Madrid--from donated materials and garbage.  It is amazingly beautiful from what I've seen of the pictures shown here, and I urge you to have a look for yourself.  Hopefully, Aunt Mary, John, and I will be going to have a look at this place on our vacation!

There is a blue glowing beach!  Maybe you didn't hear me...  A BLUE GLOWING BEACH!  Take a look at some of the lovely pictures.  It does make me wonder what's causing this to occur, though.

It's interesting to consider that our desire for products may be causing pollution across the world--pollution that may, in fact, be coming right back to us.  I urge you to take a look at this article and to consider the consequences of your choices.

Okay...now if you're like me, when you were a kid, you read your fair share of Choose Your Own Adventure books.  If you weren't that interested in them, you can skip this next announcement.  Apparently FOX named some people to work on a Choose Your Own Adventure movie!  I'm not sure what it all means, but it certainly seems pretty cool.  And I think I'll be watching to see how this turns out!

If you've ever wondered about corporations--from their lowly beginnings to their lofty present, you might want to take a look at this Wikipedia page.  It's where I started reading the other day when I was wondering how corporations got to be the way they are.  This one will be staying in my "further research" pile...

Plastic bags in California beware!  Apparently California lawmakers may have reached a deal to ban plastic bags in California by 2016.  Personally, I think this is probably a good idea.  It does, however, leave me feeling a little worried about the plastic bag industry as a whole.  That said, I won't mind doing a little bit more to help keep the environment clean.

So as many of you know, I've been keeping up with farmer-related issues, and this one caught my attention--namely because we have actual people who are being charged for their food causing deaths and disease.  This article is important to me because of how it treats individuals--as opposed to how it treats corporations.  As some of you might be aware, I'm not a big fan of the people responsible for wrong-doings within corporations getting away with murder.  In my opinion, if you stop holding individual people accountable for their actions, they're going to more readily agree to put off their responsibilities.

A few weeks ago, I read an article that talked about how our government is making a lot of incorrect payments to people.  What they don't talk about in this article is whether or not the people doing the work are sufficient for the amount of work that needs doing.  And while it does point out that we have room for improvement, it also fails to mention that for most businesses, operating under these small cost percentages is actually not all that bad.  Still, I'm pretty sure that any business when faced with the loss of this kind of money might be looking into the reasons why this is happening--and fix them.

In keeping up with my interest in all things tech related, I found this little gem.  Apparently a lot of our appliances that have electronic or wi-fi components can be hacked--and then used to send spam.  It amused me enough to keep it around, and while it is definitely disturbing, they say that knowing the problem is the beginning to the solution.  So, I have hope that we'll get to work on this.

We've all been keeping an eye on the NSA lately, especially news relating to it.  While some of this may be old news, I think it's worth your time to take a look at it.  This article represents ideas and ideologies that are important to understand, and it's important not only for the preservation of our freedoms, but also for the moral and ethical fabric of our nation.

Is there life on Ceres?  What's Ceres?  And why is this even important?  Well, if you're curious, I urge you to take a look at this article I found a while ago.  In short, Ceres is one of the largest asteroids in our solar system, and also considered a dwarf planet.  It seems to be spewing water from its surface, and if that's the case, this could change how we view future exploration of our solar system and beyond.  Next year, NASA's Dawn spacecraft is due to go into orbit around this little guy, and hopefully we'll be able to find out more then!

Apparently our president cares about "net neutrality".  If you haven't heard of this lately, then you haven't been keeping up with tech news.  Essentially there was a ruling recently made with regard to the FCC's rules that calls into question just what information providers can and can't do.  There's a LOT of information that goes along with all of this--but the short version is simply that their decision means that your internet providers can block access or give less priority to information they don't want you to access, or that they want you to use their premium services to get to.  A money grab by internet providers?  Definitely.  But the real problem is how the FCC defines them; whereas our phones were the primary means of communication 25 years ago, the internet has arisen to take its place.  Unfortunately, our telecommunication laws really haven't kept pace, and that's where the problem rests.  So let's hope that our government will act on this one, or you could see the end of the internet as we know it.

Remember hearing about how honey bees were dying off and scientists were busy trying to figure out why?  Well, they did find a link to pesticides, but more recently, they found a virus which seems to be part of the issue, as well.

And just when you thought those scientists couldn't get any crazier, some of them went and created an anti-atom beam.  So what does that mean?  It means that we could be closer to understanding more of our own universe-how it was created, and why we see more matter than anti-matter in it.  The article is definitely heavy on the science, but if you're curious to know more, you should definitely have a look.

Our genes might be going crazy if we sleep during the day!  Still, that leaves a lot to be explained, such as: why is this the case?  What about places that have longer times of sunlight and less night?  While this is only a preliminary study, I did find the article interesting to read, and it begins to help us better understand our bodies.  In fact, this study may help us understand our optimum "time in the sun" and help us to develop better products to keep out the sun.  It may even help with space exploration, letting us know what we need to do in order to simulate "sun exposure" that our bodies need in order to function properly.

I must admit that this next article was both inspiring and also saddening.  It deals with Ukrainians who are angry with their government for choosing to remain with Russian help instead of joining the European Union.  There are some graphic videos included, and I confess that it was hard to watch some of this without crying.  War is never an easy thing to watch, and while the use of fireworks is inventive, I must say that I think it's terrible that people hurt one another in order to foster change.  I wish there were a better way, and I wish leaders would do what is best for their people instead of just themselves.

If you're looking for the five most useless pieces of advice that most people give to one another, check out this article by David Wong.  It's worth reading even if you're not the sort of person who thinks they give advice to others.  And if you're the sort of person that likes to give advice, this will definitely help.  I think it's worth reading if you have to work with other people a lot, as well, as it showcases some good advice on how to deal with various advisory situations.

If you're curious about the origins of that quote, "The best laid plans...", check out this page.  It's a quick read, and you'll have a little tidbit of information you didn't have before.

I read this next article a while ago, and it talks about the death of expertise.  I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that after reading this article, I was definitely more thoughtful about my own advice and about the way that I choose to portray the information I write here.  While I've always been something of a skeptic when I see or read something, looking at credentials, going to find a person's bio page, and doing even a modest bit of looking around to see what a person has done is worthwhile.  It can also put something into perspective and give you a pretty good idea of who is spouting BS and who is actually trying to give you the best information on the subject that they can.

So this next page is a must-see if you're interested in interesting monuments.  There are quite a few here that I would love to go and check out, and I think we're going to try and find El Angel Caido featured here while we're in Madrid!

There is a map of the internets!  No.  Really.  There is.  Go and take a look at it!

Twitter as a classroom tool?  You bet!  While there are some concerns about privacy issues, many schools are all ready working to address this through the use of careful policies and working with the parents of students to ensure that their worries are addressed.  This is definitely worth reading if you're a teacher or a parent, as defining your idea of how technology should and shouldn't be used in the classroom is important as we move forward into a more digital age.

There is a video game art museum--online.  And right now, there is an exhibit going on of 8-bit in-game art.  I ran across this article that talks all about it, and I urge you all to go and have a look.  It's pretty amazing.

Ever since I saw War Games when I was a kid, I had this crazy idea of how our nuclear arsenal was being protected.  While a super computer probably isn't in charge of our bombs, it turns out that real people are--and recently the way they were doing things was called into question.  So much so that there are likely to be some changes happening in the near future--or at least these things are going to be better regulated....we hope.

So if you're curious about what was going on up in Davos, take a look at the World Economic Forum's web page.  I haven't had a chance to really dig into this too much, yet, but it will remain in my "things to research" pile....

And last, but not least, here is an infographic all about World of Warcraft, this really awesome game that John and I play.  I think I'll just let the picture speak for itself.

A "Feel Good" Thursday

The past few days, I've been collecting images and videos, stories and articles about all sorts of stuff--from art to politics.  But today, as I was going through my mail, I found a few stories that made me both happy and sad--that lovely "happysad" feeling.  And although I may have cried, there was something inside of me that still felt happy to be a part of what I'd seen--that maybe even being a small part of these moments, life was somehow that much better.

So, today, I want to share with you some happysad that will hopefully leave you with a feel-good Thursday.

The Fault in Our Stars

Until today, I had never heard of this, but TheMarySue, in their usual way, brought to light a new movie trailer.  The movie is called The Fault in Our Stars and is based on a novel by John Green.  The story, from what I've gathered so far, is about two teens dealing with cancer--about the ephemeral and the infinite.  And today it touched my heart, as I hope it will touch yours.


When I was looking for that Peter Gabriel song mentioned in the opening monologue of the trailer, I stumbled across, not a Peter Gabriel song, but a song by a young man named, Troye Sivan.  The song he wrote, and the video he made--the beauty of the people in that video, and the warmth and wonder of the words he sings left me smiling and in tears.  And since he can say it so much better than I can, here's the video he made.



Take a Chance on Me

All I can say is: if you haven't seen this video, you're missing out.  I have to give credit to people who love animals as much as these people at the Wake County SPCA seem to, and even if you don't want a pet, please consider donating to area shelters near you.  The love of a pet is to be treasured, and these adorable people and pets left a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart--not to mention...ABBA!


Special thanks to this post which was Facebooked and made it to my attention via Ginger Gish.


Good Day Sunshine

In keeping with my The Beatles post yesterday, I thought I'd share one more song that always leaves me smiling and swaying a little.  As a fun aside, this song has been used to wake up astronauts on the space shuttle missions.  And while today it is gray and gloomy outside, I figured a little song-born sunshine is in order.


And with that, I leave you with a message from Garfield, left in a forum topic by Becke Davis at Barnes & Noble.  Thanks, Becke!

 

Addendum:

For anyone reading this from Atlanta, or anyone just curious about all the snow issues going on there, I found a Facebook page that is bringing those people together to help one another out.  Thanks to this Leadercast blog--here is that Facebook page!

SnowedOutAtlanta Facebook Page
Be safe, Atlantans!  (Is that the proper way of addressing people of Atlanta?)

Song Memories

Sometimes a song leaves an impression on you from the first moment you hear it, and it stays with you.  Sometimes, the song steals up on you after a while, and you find it looking back at you with a bit of a smirk--as if to say, "So that's how it is now, eh?"  A few nights ago, I was reminded of a band that changed my world with its songs, and from all that I've seen and heard, they changed a lot of peoples' lives, too.  That band?  The Beatles.

You see, at the Grammy's it was announced that they were going to be doing a special--fifty years to the day and time when The Beatles first performed on the Ed Sullivan show.  So, on February 9, 2014 at 8 pm. ET, CBS will be hosting a two hour special called "The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles."  And, of course, that got me to thinking; over the years, I've listened and loved quite a few songs by The Beatles, but there are two of them that have stuck with me over the years--two songs that continue to give me comfort when I need it, or remind me of the beauty of poetry when combined with music.  That beauty and poetry has changed me in many ways, and that comfort has kept me strong through many days and nights when I needed it most.

"Blackbird"

The song was inspired by J.S. Bach's Bourrée in E minor--a lute piece that is often played on classical guitar, and which Paul McCartney tried to learn as a "show off" piece.  It was also inspired by the Civil Rights Movement here in the United States, and once you hear the lyrics, you'll understand why.


I first remember hearing the song in Across the Universe--a movie which I would highly recommend if you love The Beatles' songs and are interested in all the upheavals and transitions of the 1960's.  While the song has a melancholy, almost aching longing in its melody and harmonies, the words create a spark of hope--and send it flying off into the dark, black night.



"Eleanor Rigby"

I don't know when I first heard this song--might have been while traveling from Texas to Florida with my Mom to visit relatives there.  What I do remember of the song, however, is that it has given me a sense of belonging when I've felt alone in the world.  Its beautiful lyric, "Ah, look at all the lonely people!" reminds me that in our lives, loneliness isn't uncommon--and that even if I am alone, there are many other people in the world like me, if only I took the time to see them.

The song came about through the work of several people, and while there are many stories surrounding how the names of the people were chosen, it's clear that this song was important in The Beatles' career--appearing even in some books of musical history today.

It tells the story of a tragedy; and yet, in telling the story, it immortalizes it within our minds and our hearts so that Eleanor and the good Father are not forgotten--his sermon, though unheard, still remarked, and her life's passage remembered in spite of the fact that no one came to her funeral.  And maybe it reminds us to look for those "lonely" people in our own lives--prompting us to be there for them so that they and what they loved are not forgotten.



Some things to consider:

The first performance of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show happened 77 days after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

After they touched down at Kennedy airport, reporters interviewed the band, and when asked “How do you find America?” Ringo Starr jokingly replied, “Turn left at Greenland.”

The first set of songs played by The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show were:

• "All My Loving"
• "Till There Was You"
• "She Loves You" (end of first set)
• "I Saw Her Standing There"
• "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

Apparently Newsweek, when reviewing this performance, believed that The Beatles were just another fad that would fade with time.

Many people have found that "Eleanor Rigby" reminds them of a poem by W. H. Auden--"Miss Gee".  The poem tells the story of a woman named Miss Gee--how she lived a proper life while having strange dreams that became nightmares.  It tells how she longed to be good, wore her clothes buttoned up to her neck, and one day after going to the doctor found out that she had cancer.  The poem is satirical in that it ends with Miss Gee's body being given over for scientific study, though all her life she strove to be proper and kept her clothes and her life all buttoned up; now she hangs naked without all of that.  It hearkens to Robert Herrick's own "To the Virgins, to make much of time"  (Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,...) for which J. W. Waterhouse created a painting titled from that memorable first line.

The Best Laid Plans

I can't tell you how many times today's topic changed, but suffice to say, it was a lot.

The problem with trying to condense topics down to a blog-post level is that most things in life are complicated; they don't have simple, bite-sized, news clip entries.  They require a lot of thought and a lot of research, and by the time they become a blog post, I will likely have read twenty times more on the subject than I could possibly ever need.

That said, some of today's failed topics were:

The World Economic Forum in Davos 
The 2014 Song of the Year Oscar Nominations
How Corporations Came to Be What They Are Today

The first requires me to read a ton of information--most of it about economics--a great deal of which I am unfamiliar with.  The second required me to talk about songs that, to me, didn't seem to have a larger message or redeeming factor, and rather than offend a lot of other peoples' sensibilities, I decided that I'd all ready talked about the song that I cared the most about in this year's nominees.  The last, again required that I read a great deal of information that dates from Roman times to the present.  And the moment I started looking at it, I realized that in order to understand how corporations have become what they are today, I needed to know a lot more history, law, and economic theory than I do right now.

I even considered continuing on with the cold trend theme this week, considering ideas such as offering a synopsis of the fairy tale story of the Ice Queen, but that, too, is a winding path of information that would take more time than I would have liked to take today in writing this.

Which left me at this moment--where I realize that I have again wasted away a whole day trying to come up with something cogent to say and finding myself lacking in a lot of ways.

So let me just say a few things here about what I realized today:

1. Having a plan is only good if you have the means of accomplishing it.
2. Sometimes the internet is amazing at giving us information, and not so good at finding us the expertise to understand it all.
3. Becoming an expert at something is pretty amazing--and having people you can turn to who are is really important.
4. Most things in this world are complicated.  If you're looking for a simple answer, be prepared to work very hard to find it, and don't believe everything you see and hear.  People like to interpret meanings for just about everything, and their agenda may not be in your best interests.

All that to leave you with the one thing that sums up my search for what I wanted to share with you in my blog today:

Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

That said, ...I have a million articles to read, and probably many more after that.  But one day, there is going to be something amazing that comes from it all; so, I hope you'll stick around and share the journey with me.

Let It Go

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen is: transformation.  And I have to admit, I'm not sure why, but there's something so primal and beautiful in the song that it brings tears to my eyes.  It's a song about letting go of fear--about forging a new path, and learning how to be who you are without other people telling you who you need, or ought, to be.

The first time I heard the song, it reminded me of another song I fell in love with: "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.  This song, too, is about finding the courage to change--to transform and, as the lyrics say, to try defying gravity--the age old law that binds us.  I confess that this song, too, makes me cry.


But then, change is never easy, and letting go of who you were to become who you want to be is as important to us today as it was to those who imagined the phoenix, or to the people who first glimpsed the transition of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  It is a promise--that no matter how dark or how painful the world can be, we can change it.  We can change ourselves, and we can be stronger.  We can let go of fear and embrace the unknown.

That is why "Let It Go" is so powerful--why it has captivated audiences worldwide, won several awards, and even made a few of us cry.  We understand that struggle--to create our own truths and to leave behind those who, perhaps because of their love for us, are just as afraid of letting us go.  But there comes a time in our lives when we must break free of our cocoon--throw off our old cloak, defy the past, and embrace the transformation that comes from letting all of that go.


Let It Go
from Frozen

The snow glows white on the mount tonight--
Not a footprint to be seen;
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like
I'm the queen.

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside;
Couldn't keep it in--
Heaven knows I tried.

Don't let them in--don't let them see;
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Conceal; don't feel.
Don't let them know.

Well, now they know!

Let it go. Let it go--
Can't hold it back any more.
Let it go. Let it go--
Turn away and slam the door!
I don't care
What they're going to say;
Let the storm rage on--
The cold never bothered me anyway.

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small,
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!

It's time to see what I can do--
To test the limits and break through;
No right.  No wrong.  No rules for me;
I'm free!

Let it go!  Let it go!
I'm one with the wind and sky!
Let it go!  Let it go!
You'll never see me cry!
Here I stand!
And here I stay!
Let the storm rage on....

My power flurries through the air into the ground!
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around!
And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast--
I'm never going back!
The past is in the past!

Let it go!  Let it go,
When I'll rise like the break of dawn!
Let it go!  Let it go--
That perfect girl is gone!
Here I stand
In the light of day!

Let the storm rage on!

The cold never bothered me anyway.


Further reading:

"Let It Go": the wiki page -- here you can find all the awards, who wrote it, and who sings it
"Defying Gravity": the wiki page -- same as above, you can find awards, who wrote it, who sings it...

A Day of Rest

I called and talked with my Mom earlier this evening, and she suggested that I ought to take a day off from writing.  While John and I were watching TV a short while ago, he suggested that doing so might not be so bad.  The strange thing is, ...if I did take a day off, I would feel restless--as if I had left something important undone.

You see, writing this blog for me isn't about landing a job or trying to find new things to talk about every day; it's about diving into writing with both feet first and immersing myself in the creative endeavor--finding a voice, a cause, a thought--finding something that matters to me, and conveying that to anyone who is willing to take a moment out of their day to listen--or in this case, read.

Maybe it's only one person.  Or maybe only two.  But each day, I have a chance to put into words -something-.  And if I weren't doing that, something important would be missing in my life.

So, Mom, John: while I appreciate the sentiment, this is one thing--for now--that I want to do.  And maybe when I've proved to myself that I can do this for a year, I'll have found all the things I was looking for when I began this journey.

And maybe then...I can rest.

For now, though--it's a blog post a day.  It keeps the restlessness away.

See you tomorrow, everyone!

All the Little Things

I used to have a character in Dark Age of Camelot named Alayne who had a motto that went something like this:

It is because of the little things that great things come to be. 

While this might seem self-evident, I think that we often forget this bit of wisdom.  We rush around in our lives worrying about this, or unhappy about that.  We grow anxious about things we cannot control, and forget steps in little everyday things because we're looking at the big picture and forgetting to focus on the moment.

Plants are not just created fully and completely formed; they start as a seed.  They require rain and sunshine--care and attention.  And our lives should be the same.  If we fail to give ourselves time and attention--the things that matter to us our time and our attention, then how can we expect anything great to come of our efforts?

I want to leave you with just one example of how something very small today changed my perception of something much bigger.

John and I went out to lunch today at a local restaurant.  When we arrived, we were greeted, asked if we had their rewards card, and after told to step to the side and we'd be seated.  We weren't welcomed to the establishment, and the questions were asked as part of some rote pattern that was required.  Then, the hostess that sat us at our table was devoid of enthusiasm; it was as though she'd rather have been anywhere else other than having to seat people at tables.  So this set the tone for our experience at this restaurant, but it also told me two things; first, the management of this establishment was very likely more concerned about turnaround than actually creating a dining experience.  Second, it informed me that my experience there was likely to be missing some key elements.  And I got that all from just a few small observations when I arrived.

Our experience was, as I predicted, not stellar; there was a hair in our appetizer.  Our waitress did not ask nor serve us water when we ordered our drinks, and she even forgot that John has ordered one type of fries with his food--having to return after leaving us with our food to give him the fries he had requested to begin with.   All that said, I doubt that John and I will be returning there.

I should mention, however, that the silverware and glasses were clean--something that at another restaurant we went to a while back was not the case.  That said, the waitstaff there were apologetic, corrected the error, and were enthusiastic and engaged when dealing with us--something that made that experience in my mind ten times better.

So, as you can see, the smallest details can be some of the most important--from creating an impression, to creating an experience, and even to creating a country.  And if we fail to recognize that, then the great things in life that we all long and hope for may never come to pass.

So please--remember the little things--the smile, the please and thank you, the fact that what you do and present to others is a reflection of yourself--and everyone who associates themselves with you.  And perhaps by focusing on the little things, something great will come to be.

Fairy Tales

I love fairy tales.  I have always loved fairy tales.  Maybe I love them because there is this sense that no matter how dark the situation seems, in the end, things will turn out right.  Or, maybe it's just all the lovely pictures that came with the books I used to read when I was a kid.  Then again, it could be that I always wanted to be a princess.  But I'd like to think that the reason people like fairy tales long after they've grown up has something more to do with the way they embody the idea of hope, the sense of adventure, and the enduring capacity of the human imagination to invent.

People have been trying to define what a fairy tale is for as long as the term has come into common usage.  Are they fairy stories?  Legends?  Myths?  Do they have talking animals, or is it just princes, princesses, and knights?  Are fairy tales simply magical reality, or are they stories we've passed down generation to generation--embodying aspects of culture, history, and life that we believe are important somehow?  Can fairy tales be found in religions, and are they still relevant in the world today?

To all of those questions, I think I have to answer: yes.

Most of all, though, I think fairy tales help us to make sense of the world around us; they give us a way to look at life while immersing us a story that may be as alien or as real as our own lives.  And they remind us of important lessons which shouldn't be forgotten.

Here are a few sites you may want to visit if you, too, love fairy tales.

http://www.storynory.com/  -- Storynory -- a place where you can find audio versions of some of your favorite fairy tales (good for children who like to listen to stories, too!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tale -- The Wikipedia page of fairy tale stuff!

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/index.html -- this is just an amazing site for adult lovers of fairy tales

As for my favorite fairy tale--there are far, far too many to list.  However, one of my favorites, I think, is the story of Sleeping Beauty.  Or maybe it's Cinderella.  Or the Twelve Dancing Princesses....

The Joy of Discovery

Sometimes you don't even realize it--that the article, or the road, or the song, or the show--whatever that moment of choice led you to--is really a new discovery.  And the moment you start denying yourself certain choices is the moment when discovery is lost.  That said, not all discoveries are good ones, and some have far-reaching consequences; Pandora's box opened, after all, has let the atom bomb into the world.  And that certainly can't be put back in the box again.

That said, I have to admit that over the past few weeks as I work to find new ideas and new thoughts to share with you all here, I find myself inundated with this amazing amount of information.  Still, like Solomon, I worry about what I put here--what is right and what is wrong--good or evil--true or false.  I wonder if the knowledge that I share with you will have far- reaching consequences, and I worry that even my own desire to find something interesting or new may one day serve to lessen my credibility as a truth-seeker.

And yet, ...I still can't stop myself from clicking on that next article, or reading through hundreds of Facebook posts, copying pictures, and saving things to my favorite's bar because I think they might be of some use or importance in the months and years to come.  I'm learning as I go that what might not seem a big deal right now may later prove to have been prescient, and I'll admit that even I want to learn the secrets of how to discover a thing--to search out a method that says: This thing is important to know about now, as it will be relevant in the years to come.

Science fiction writers always seem to have a leg up on this--their imaginations and their own interests and discoveries leading the way for "future tech" and scientific research.  But the truth of the matter is that these people could see problems and then speculate about the kinds of solutions that might be created--ideal and otherwise.  They believed in a better world, and whether they were satirizing the present, theorizing about a utopian or dystopian future based on currently held beliefs of the world, or just trying to push social, moral or cultural agendas, they did so by inviting us to discover something new.

With that in mind, and seeking to emulate some science fictional ideals of discovering the world around me, I have a few articles to share with you today that made me rethink my ideas of cultural myths, historical figures, and how bad I am at making friends.

The first is an article by Gizmodo that talks about the Bermuda Triangle.

Now let me just say that I have always had a love of mysteries.  My dad loves that stuff, and when I was growing up, we watched a lot of TV shows that tried to explain the seemingly unexplainable.  My dad loved discovering things, too, and he passed along that love to me; it is something I cherish to this day.  That said, ...sometimes the love of the mystery can be almost as important as knowing the reality.  But I think that the reality, in all cases, is just as important.

So if you're wanting to know some truths about the Bermuda Triangle, I encourage you to check out the article.  It 's definitely worth the read.

Next on my list is an article about daylight savings time.  It stems from clicking on a link that I found at the bottom of the Bermuda Triangle link, and I just couldn't pass it up: Today I Found Out.

So it turns out that daylight savings time was something of a proposal written by Benjamin Franklin, and it was more or less written in jest.  If you'd like to read more about it, I urge you to, and check out the bonus facts at the bottom of the article.  They're pretty interesting.

And for those of you wondering when daylight savings time is this year, I went ahead and did a search for that for you, too.  Here it is--your calendar warning.

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9, 2014 (in 45 days) and ends on Sunday, November 2, 2014.

Which brings me to my last bit of discovery: making friends isn't easy for me.  Maybe it isn't easy for anyone.  But John Cheese's article at Cracked.com today made me feel a little less weird about it all.  So if, like me, you have some issues making friends and want to discover the secrets to unlocking the friend-verse, I urge you to have a look at the article.  Also, ...you can friend me, or add me to your Google+ circle, or ....  Yeah.  You get the point.

I Love Space

I love space because it offers us a chance to explore--and not just in the obvious ways (you know, like space exploration.)  Outer space offers us a chance to explore the human condition--to tell stories about what "might be"; to explore the possibilities of alien life, and to continue to challenge us scientifically, fantastically, and spiritually.  Outer space reminds us that we are just a small part of an extraordinary whole made up of countless galaxies, billions of stars, and innumerable solar systems.

It inspired great minds like Carl Sagan, Gene Roddenberry, and Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein.  It has spawned many fields of science, given rise to some religions, and been part of our human dialogue since we started forming civilizations.  And all that stuff out there in the cosmos has helped us to better understand who we are and how we came to be, while still giving rise to so many more questions.

So, I suppose with all this love that I have for the subject of space, it will come as no surprise that I want to share some "space stuff" with you all today.

First is an article by Cracked.com about space myths, titled 6 Myths Everyone Believes about Space (Thanks to Movies).  It talks about such space stuff as asteroids, black holes, the color of our sun, and meteors.  So if you think you know everything there is to know about those things, feel free to check yourself by heading over and taking a look at the article.  And if you have some doubts about your space knowledge, go read it!

Gizmodo, yesterday, shared an article about scientists finding water in stardust.  What does that mean?  Well, I'd love to spoil it, but I urge you to take a look at the article and find out.

And if, like me, you are interested in all things space (even some of the weirder stuff), it never hurts to check out the website Space.com.  All sorts of interesting articles there, and even the headlines can give you a brief glimpse into the space news of the day.

Last, but not least, ...today I found The Space Show.  I never knew it existed, but it seems pretty legit.  Just listening to yesterday's podcast is pretty interesting.  (Looking up some information on their guest speaker, I found the Space Science Institute, as well!)

With so much still left to learn--so much writing, research, fantasy, fiction, art, and science devoted to space, it behooves us to realize that this is a conversation that has been occurring for a long, long time.  And it is likely that space will be with us ....forever.  So, neglect it at your peril!

UPDATE!

I just got a tweet from an old friend.  He clued me into another podcast from Astronomy Cast!  Thank you, Eric!  Just listening to their latest episode on Arthur C. Clark, I can tell that these people really love space stuff.  So if you're looking for something to listen to about space, definitely check this out.

Darkness and Light

You will often hear painters discuss colors--the importance of them, and the importance of how they're used. Artists work with a diverse palette of colors, and a good artist knows how to make all of those colors work together seamlessly in order to create a visual experience that inspires us emotionally or mentally--and sometimes even physically.

As I was going through my morning routine today, I found three articles that inspired me to think about the darkness and the light of our own lives--the colors with which we paint our canvases, and I wanted to share them with you. Each of them is a facet of the dark and the light in our world today, and I'm actually really excited to show you why.

The Rosetta Spacecraft

Yesterday, the European Space Agency (ESA) received a signal from the Rosetta spacecraft. It had been dormant since 2011, conserving energy while on its long flight to meet up with a comet named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The Dark Side
The Rosetta has been traveling through space since 2004; scientists and engineers have had to contend with the possibility that all their hard work, hopes, and dreams might not even make it. For nearly three years, they've been having to wait--in the dark--hoping that Rosetta would wake up to begin its mission later this year.

The Light Side
The explorers of our universe--scientists, engineers, and everyone who works for space exploration around the world--will be benefitting from the information gleaned by the Rosetta spacecraft. Its mission is to enter orbit around 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and to study its surface by delivering a lander there named Philae. The information we retrieve from this meteor may bring to light new scientific discoveries, lend credence to hypotheses and theories currently held, and hopefully garner more funding and more interest in future space exploration projects.

To learn more about the Rosetta Spacecraft, its mission, and the people who put it all together, you can visit their webpage here.  I also want to offer a special thanks to MSN and their news team for posting up this article that caught my attention.


Oxfam's Recent Study on Global Wealth Inequality

According to Oxfam's recent study, apparently 85 people have as much wealth as 3.5 billion other people have combined.  To put that in math-like terms:

w of wealthiest 85p = w of poorest 3,500,000,000p
The Dark Side
Eight-five people own as much money as almost half the world's population.  Think about that for a moment.

That means that a very small percentage of people are controlling the lives and livelihoods of almost half the population of the earth.  It is also very likely that the laws being put into place protect that small few and may, in fact, be hurting the chances of anyone else trying to better their situations in the world.

The Light Side
We are not without hope.

The report gives several suggestions on how to end these disparities--suggestions that have worked in the past to ensure that the rights of all people are protected and to give poor people a chance to better their lives and their situations.

Not only that, but people have the ability to help others, and not all rich people care only for themselves.  Donations and volunteer work do help, and I would like to believe that we all would prefer to have happy, educated people in the world--instead of depressed men and women who have to worry about where they're going to get their next meal, or clothes, or shelter.

To find out more about Oxfam and what they do, check out their web page.  And again, a special thanks to MSN and Li Anne Wong for the article they posted today.


Game of Thrones on HBO

While this may seem a flight of fancy, this television show spawned from George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series shares the compelling stories of several characters caught in a web of past political intrigues and feuds.  There are several diverse cultures expressed in the books; and while there is magic, and there are dragons, Game of Thrones shares the struggle of light and darkness within all of us.

The Dark Side
War is a dominant fixture in the series, as well as political and social upheaval.  No character is safe from the inevitable reaping blade of death, and sometimes good people don't always win.  Just as sometimes doing the right thing isn't always rewarded.  Still, the way that the characters grow and develop based on their personal experiences says a great deal about how our own experiences can shape the darkness within us all.

The Light Side
No man is an island....  The interconnectedness of our global world may be more evident because of technology, but Martin's portrayal of a global story gives us a sense that nothing happens in a vacuum.  What happens in the north has consequences for the south, and what happens on one side of the world will come to play in the lives of the people elsewhere.  Not only that, but the story is pretty awesome.

Rather than continue to try and convince you myself, however, I figure I'll let the actors and the people working on the series itself give you their impressions of the upcoming season 4 of Game of Thrones.


You can find out more about the book series, Song of Ice and Fire here, and more about George R. R. Martin by visiting his official website.

And you can find out more about Game of Thrones on HBO by checking out their page!

Last, but not least, a special thank you to The Mary Sue for posting up that wonderful Behind the Scenes video today.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- A Man with a Dream that Changed America

If you've never heard the speech that Martin Luther King Jr. gave on August 28, 1963, I urge you to listen to it.  The words and the work that he did set in motion a change in American history that resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

His last speech is equally illuminating--and while there may be a great deal of controversy regarding the man and his methods, his ideas were integral in creating the spark of change within our country.  And the flames created by that spark burn still.

Some of you may remember Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame, and part of the reason she remained with the show was due in part to a conversation that she had with Dr. King.

During the first year of the series, Nichols was tempted to leave the show, as she wanted to pursue a Broadway career; however, a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., changed her mind. She has said that King personally encouraged her to stay on the show, telling her that he was a big fan of the series. He said she "could not give up" because she was playing a vital role model for black children and young women across the country, as well as for other children who would see blacks appearing as equals. ^{[9][1][2][10]} It is also often reported that Dr. King added that "Once that door is opened by someone, no one else can close it again." (taken from her Wikipedia page)

While this is just one example of a life changed by Dr. King's ideas and encouragement, every one of our lives, in some way,  has been changed because of him.

So today on the day when we celebrate the man--his life's work and his accomplishments, I hope you will take a moment to reflect upon the great change that his ideas have given to us and the legacy of that change in our lives and the lives of others.

Here are some other sites you might want to consider visiting to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Wikipedia Page
Teaching With Documents: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
James Earl Ray's Wikipedia Page


There is one last thing I want to say about everything I listened to and read today: no matter what you may think of the Civil Rights Movement; no matter what you believe about the man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and no matter whether you believe what has happened since then has been a success or a failure--the idea that we should treat people with fairness--that a person's character should matter more than how they look or what they believe, and that there should be equal opportunities given to all people--is important.  No one wants to be excluded, made fun of, left out, or discriminated against.  No on wants to suffer indignities because someone else wants to pretend they don't exist--or they don't matter.  So consider that the next time you're making a decision that will affect other people.  The world will be a better place for it.

The Story Goes On

Today was one of those days when I just wanted to curl up and hide away from the rest of the world.  My body hated me.  My stomach thought about rebelling, and everything this morning felt like it took ten times longer than it normally does.

But I didn't hide away from the world today.

Instead, I went to hang out with "the guys" and my sweetie at our (usually) weekly D&D game.  And I'll admit, I'm pretty addicted to role-playing.  There are all kinds of ways to role-play--from pen and paper gaming to LARPing (Live Action Role-Playing), to role-playing in an MMO (Massively Multi-player Online game), and even RPing in a chat--such as doing so on Steam or Skype.

But what, exactly, is role-playing?

Role playing happens when you take on a role--any role--and imagine what it would be like to be a person in that role.  In many ways, it is a lot like acting, and in other ways, it's like being a story-teller or a writer.  And even that, in my mind, doesn't really encompass the whole idea of role-playing.  It's like feeding someone who has never had chocolate a piece of a Hershey's chocolate bar and telling them that that's what chocolate is like; it doesn't even begin to do it justice.

Suffice to say, however, that I love all the imagining parts of the role-play, and I kind of suck at the rules.  That said, I'm not really sure that the rules and the medium are the important part of role-playing.  The important part is what you learn and take away from the experience, and the story that you share with the other people with whom you play.

That said, ...creating an engaging and interesting story with other people isn't always easy.  Everyone has a character they love.  Everyone has put time, effort, and thought into that entity which they play.  And quite often, not everyone's goals match up with everyone else's.

There are other issues, too--of course.  Sometimes what one person believes a character should do is not always what the person playing the character thinks they should do.  Alternatively, the way the world works may not be the way that a player believes it should.  And then there are just people who refuse to compromise--believing that their idea of a character or situation is the only way it could be.

Generally, there is someone who leads these group of savage, crazy people.  He or she is someone I have really come to admire; they focus the stories and help them to flow--challenge the characters and create amazing, and often times troubling, settings--both socially, physically, and mentally.  Quite often, those situations can be just as troubling and exciting for the players, but it is the role of the game master (or dungeon master, or story-teller) to ensure that the rules are followed, that the players understand the situations, and that the story that is told is not only challenging, but also fun.

I tend to think of people that can do this as both insane and amazing, and to anyone who has ever run a game for me, served as my GM, DM, or Storyteller--I thank you.

And to those of you with whom I am play, ...thank you, too.

You have challenged me, angered me, annoyed me, teased me, and befriended me--encouraged me, and set me straight on occasion.  You have been tolerant, forgiving of my mistakes, and understanding of my lack of knowledge on various subjects, and you have helped me to continue to grow and learn about both myself and the world.

But most of all, ..you have shared your stories with me.

And if anything, ...that has been the one thing that endears me most to you.

So, if you're wondering what got me out of bed today--in spite of all the other things that made me want to stay there--now you know.

And for those of you reading this blog with no idea of what I'm talking about, ....thank you for indulging me today.  And for sharing in a little bit of my story.

The World Is a Beautiful Place

I can imagine many of you right now are thinking that my blog title doesn't account for all the bad things that are happening in the world.  But most of those things are caused by us, humans.  I'm not saying the animal kingdom is any less dangerous or terrible, mind you--but for the most part, a lot of bad things happen in this world because we are here.  That said, ...the world is still a beautiful place.

If you've ever watched children play, or gone to see something that you've been waiting years of your life to see--you will know a sense of wonder that is hard to put into words.

Sometimes, however, that wonder comes with a sense of disappointment, like the first time I went to Las Vegas.  It was fake and cheap to me the first time I went there, and from all the movies--I thought the place was going to be ...different.  I thought it was going to be magical--an experience that was going to change my life.

Still, there are beautiful things in Las Vegas, and the more time I spend there, the more I find little things that fill me with wonder.  If you do ever make a trip out to Las Vegas, I urge you to head out for a day to see Hoover Dam.  You don't need to take a tour, or sign up for some fancy helicopter ride.  Just go.  The view is amazing, and what you'll learn while you're there is worth the visit.  Also, if you haven't been to Mon Ami Gabi, I strongly suggest that you do so.  Take a seat out on the balcony there and watch people as they go past, enjoy the fountain show, and order yourself a nice bottle of white wine--especially if it's a hot day.

The point of my story is to illustrate that even in our disappointments, losses, and tragedies, there are still beautiful things that we can find--if we're willing to allow ourselves to be open to them.

Sadhguru has a story to share about this idea, as well.


Last, but not least, I wanted to share with you a really amazing image from an article I read this past week about an Indonesian volcano.

While the article goes on to talk about some of the injustices that are involved in sulfur mining there, I don't think it diminishes in any way the beauty of that place.  Though I do think that if we could use the wonder within us to create a better world in which injustice and pain were no longer created by us, ...that, too, would be a beautiful thing.

Exercise Is Good

The title of the post is something we've all heard before, but the truth of it isn't always something we believe.  A lot of people start exercise plans or make great weight-loss goals for themselves, but then those things fall by the wayside as it becomes harder to schedule time for it, or we lose interest, or we grow disheartened with how little progress we're making.

The point of exercise though, to me, shouldn't be about getting smaller, or more muscular, or less fat.  The point of exercise is to do something good for yourself.  It doesn't matter where you start.  Even if all you do is start with raising your hands over your head every morning in a long stretch--that's still a beginning.

And sure.  It helps to have some motivations, but you shouldn't be discouraged if some days aren't as good as others.  The point is to keep trying--to keep pushing yourself, and to do something that is good for you.

There are a lot of studies that have been done over the past 20 years that indicate that exercise promotes the creation of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that helps produce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure according to the U. S. Department of Energy) and chemicals that are used to create serotonin (which when it is made in the brain is another neurotransmitter that seems to be related to so many different things; most notably, however, it appears to affect our moods about things.  A lowered state seems to give depressed moods--including stress and aggression, while greater levels appear to ease anxiety; lessen negativity; and heighten more favorable responses when it comes to romance and personal interactions).  So, it's pretty obvious why exercising makes us feel good there.

But exercise has a lot of other benefits, from longer life to better health.

Not only that, but if you're fat like me, exercise burns fat!  So that's some good news.  And I'm pretty sure we all want to look better and fit into those size sixes and fours one day.

That said, ...the only thing that can stop all this good stuff from happening in your life is you.

So please don't be afraid.  And please don't give up--even if you start and stop and start again.

Because exercise is good.

P. S.  Just 30 minutes of walking, five times a week is enough to improve your overall health from decreasing the symptoms of diabetes and depression to increasing bone density to preventing cancer.  Take a look at http://everybodywalk.org/ and enjoy this video about walking!

Ketchup

This post has nothing to do with ketchup.  I just liked the play on words, because today has been the day where I've been working to read the forty-plus articles I have found and been interested in since Monday.  What that means is that I have read A LOT today, and it likely means that you will be seeing some posts in the future in which I talk about all the things I have learned this week.

In short, I gleaned a buttload of inspiration over this past week, and more stuff just keeps pouring in.  (Yes.  That was a ketchup reference, for those of you who hadn't caught it.)

That said, there were a few interesting things that happened this week that are of note:

This past Monday was the Coming of Age day in Japan.  It's an interesting custom that emulates the rite of passage in most cultures and signifies for the Japanese the passage from childhood to adulthood.  You can check out this site page which talks all about the day, and then check out the rest of the site for other great information on Japan and its culture.

Today was marked by the announcement of the Oscar nominees, and you can check out all the good stuff on their web site.  That said, I don't tend to follow all things movie, but the Gilmores (my boyfriend's Mom's side of the family) have a lovely tradition of getting together to watch them, eat, and mark ballots with our predictions of the Oscar winners.  I am usually the loser of the evening, as most of my predictions end up being wrong.  BUT, ...we all have a good time, and it's pretty entertaining to see what happens at the Oscars.

And last, but not least, today the Professor passed away.

RIP, Russell Johnson.

GMO's, Supreme Court Decisions, and How I Got Lost in the Debate

So I found an article yesterday about a Supreme Court decision that affects people who patent plants and farmers who end up having those genetically engineered plants end up in their fields via the inevitable--by which I mean that once something is "out there" it's pretty hard to put it back in the bottle (so, wind-carried seeds, bee pollination, etc.)

The article was interesting enough that I dove into a three-hour-long investigation into whether or not the claims by the farmers in the article had any real merit or if these complaints of theirs were simply unfounded fears about what might happen to them "if".

Now, you may be wondering why this is so important to me, and I'll admit that my interest in all things "farm" stems from a lovely tradition started by members of the Gilmore family (my boyfriend's Mom's side of the family) called "Lunch Club".  And during one of our inaugural session it was suggested that everyone should come prepared with a topic.  I jokingly insisted that if this were to be the case, my topic would be farm animals.

Yep.  Farm animals.

So I began to research articles to bring to our lunch clubs regarding farm animals, and ever since then, I've been weirdly interested in farm stuff--mainly because the plights of farms and farmers are part of our American heritage.

I remember back in the 80's when Farm Aid came into being--and how big of a deal it was.  People wanted to contribute money to saving our local farms and farmers, and to a lot of Americans, that is still a big deal.  And yes, there are still Farm Aid concerts going on.

So here we are again, dealing with a large corporation and a lot of small farmers--many of whom like to be able to live and work the way that they have always grown up living and working--off the land.  From what I have read, I can generally say that there are some farmers who resent the government telling it what to do, and by extension, they will resent anyone else who isn't "the law" doing the same.  One of those "not the law" people is Monsanto.

Unfortunately for farmers, and perhaps for us, there are things called patent laws which allow people who possess them to regulate how people can and can't use their stuff to make money.  Where this gets tricky, however, is when you're dealing with factors that really can't be controlled--like wind, random trucks passing by and accidentally dropping things in your ditch, animal droppings, bee pollination, and migration patterns of animals that might carry seeds or pollens in their fur or feathers.

Now, I have read in an NPR article, though I haven't yet researched it, that protecting against such randomness isn't too difficult.  I'm not sure I really believe this, but if I find out later that I was wrong, I will be happy to tell you all about it--you can be sure.  (Check out Myth 3 in the article.  You'll see where I'm getting this idea from.)

So farmers want to be protected from having their crops ruined.  Monsanto wants to be protected from people using their property without proper permission and compensation.  And the courts decided that the farmers were partly right in that contamination by GMOs in their crops was likely inevitable to some degree--that degree being 1% of their crop.  So now Monsanto can't sue them for that, and that's pretty good news--for both parties.  But who determines that 1%?   Probably our nation's courts.

That said, Monsanto has agreed not to prosecute farmers who have contaminated crops due to unwitting contamination (at least when it comes to "trace amounts"--whatever that might mean.  You can check out item X of their commitment statement,) and they even offer to pay for people to come onto your farm and pick the offending crops for you (Check out their Myth-busting page.)  And maybe that leaves you feeling a little uncomfortable, too.  After all, what happens to the money that you lose by not having that 1% of your crop yield?  Does Monsanto agree to pay for that?

Sadly, not that I've seen so far.

I imagine most farmers just agree to pay the fee for using the patented crops.  I imagine it's probably cheaper and less invasive.  But what does that say about us, as a nation, if we're willing to allow these kinds of things to happen?

I've heard a few analogies that Monsanto is kind of like the mafia--they infect your crops with their stuff, and then extort money from people for the "cure"--which could be anything from removing those crops to avoiding huge legal bills.  And I'm not sure I agree with the analogy mostly because they're comparing a (hopefully) law-abiding corporation to a gang that has only its own interests at heart.

Of course, a lot of you out there probably see corporations as greedy, soul-sucking entities that care nothing about the plight of the people and more about their bottom line.

I'd like to believe better of corporations; however, I think it is in everyone's best interests to hold to that old adage on which our legal system is based: innocent until proven guilty.

In reading something that Percy Schmeiser wrote (you can see how he relates to this discussion by reading his Wikipedia entry,) and doing only a little reading on the whole matter, I have come to the conclusion that everyone sees things based on their own idea of how the world should work, and while I can applaud Percy (and OSGATA et al.) for persevering against what they perceive to be a grave injustice (and actually bettering the lives and livelihoods of future farmers), I can also applaud Monsanto for continuing to refine their interactions with the farming community at large in part due to the efforts of those who feel they have been wronged.

That said, this debate isn't over, and it harbors within it larger debates and fears: how can we trust corporations to have our best interests at heart if they're goal is to make money off of their products?  Is the government really working for us, or for big businesses--taking corporate donations for their campaigns and then rewarding them by creating laws that benefit the corporations that got them elected?  Is our judicial system competent and uncorrupt enough to handle these kinds of issues?  Is greed more powerful than the life of a person?  Can we effect change? And if we as people can't really effect change, what recourse do we have in the grand scheme of things?

These are not easy questions to answer, and I am certainly not qualified to even begin to offer an educated opinion on them, but they are important.

So with that said, I'd like to leave you with a few more things I found while trying to come to grips with my own decision about all of this, and I hope they help you to find some clarity on the issues.

OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto -- taken from OSGATA's website, it contains briefs, transcripts, and related news to the court case

Petitioner's Reply Brief -- OSGATA's Supreme Court reply brief

United States Patent and Trademark Office: About Plant Patents -- all the things you ever wanted to know about how to file a plant patent and what it is

Panic-Free GMOs -- A series of articles from Grist which I was directed to by an article written by Dan Charles from NPR

Monsanto's Official Site