So we have this really cool flower in our front garden. It grows on a vine and is really cool looking. I’ve never seen this type of flower before, and didn’t know what it was. Finally, a close friend of ours told us exactly what it was: A Passiflora. It is by far my favorite flower. Now, all I need to do is count its petals to find out if it fits in the Fibonacci sequence!

From Wikipedia (I can’t really say it any better):

Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), also known as Purple passionflower, is a fast growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the Maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is a common wildflower in the southern United States.

The stems can be smooth or pubescent; they are long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. Leaves are alternate and palmately 3-lobed, measuring from 6-15 cm. They have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole. Flowers have five bluish-white petals. They exhibit a white and purple corona, a structure of fine appendages between the petals and corolla. The large flower is typically arranged in a ring above the petals and sepals. They are pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, and are self-sterile.

The fleshy fruit, also in itself called a Maypop, is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green at first, but then becomes orange as it matures. In this species, the yellow mucilage around the seeds of the fruit is sweet and edible, however it is quite seedy and mostly benefits wildlife. As with other passifloras, it is the larval food of a number of butterfly species.

Traditionally, the fresh or dried whole plant has been used as a herbal medicine to treat nervous anxiety and insomnia. The dried, ground herb is frequently used in Europe by drinking a teaspoon of it in tea. A sedative chewing gum has even been produced.
The Maypop occurs in thickets, disturbed areas, unmowed pastures, roadsides, and railroads. It thrives in areas with lots of available sunlight. It is not found in areas of growing forest, however, as the sun is blotted out by growing trees.

Other common names include Wild apricot and May apple.

I’m not sure what to make of this exactly. Ehud Olmert’s latest “peace” plan is seen as insufficient and does not provide for a Palestinian state that is both contiguous and governed from Jerusalem. Up until now, I didn’t think Abbas really cared about these things.

Actually, Olmert (and his plan) is a joke. In it, he is proposes that he keeps some Palestinian lands in exchange for some inhabitable desert land. I suppose Olmert never learned to play fair as a kid. Abbas is clear: “The Palestinian side will only accept a Palestinian state with territorial continuity, with holy Jerusalem as its capital, without settlements, and on the June 4, 1967 boundaries.” And his demand is a just one.

When did Abbas get a spine?

Yikes. These things happen in threes. 

Isaac Hayes — a legendary soul singer, songwriter, musician and producer whose career spanned four decades and who achieved unexpected fame later in life as the voice of “South Park” character Chef — died Sunday afternoon (August 10), a spokesperson for the Shelby County, Tennesee, sheriff’s department told WMC-TV in Memphis.

As reported by VOA News:

Georgian military forces have fought their way into the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday he had ordered an all-out offensive to regain control of the breakaway area.

Georgian tanks and troops, backed by artillery, have moved into the region and surrounded the capital Tskhinvali, where they are battling Russian-backed separatists for control of the city’s center. South Ossetian officials say 15 people were killed in the fighting.

I have to ask: Why has The White House, NATO and the EU not stepped in to help the people of South Ossetian? All they want is liberty and freedom, right?

Well sure there is a link between the Republican party and foreign oil deals. While McCain wants to continue to drill and buy, Obama seems more intent on conservation and alternatives. It seems option two is smart and in everyone’s best interests. But the Republicans and McCain have a different take.

The New York Times has this to say, after McCain was caught with oil donations:

Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign said Thursday that it would return all the contributions solicited for it by the Jordanian business partner of a prominent Florida fund-raiser for Mr. McCain.

For the McCain camp, the decision caps a queasy two days in which news accounts scrutinized a cluster of more than $50,000 in unusual contributions from a single extended family of Californians, the Abdullahs, and several of their friends.

Of course he’ll give it back. But that won’t change anything. McCain’s energy policy will continue the failed policy currently in place.

As Obama stated, and ridiculed by the Republicans, conservation methods would yield better results than offshore drilling would. From Political Punch:

proper tire inflation will save millions of barrels of oil per year, but that it will save more energy than new off shore drilling would yield.
…
But the salient point is that such measures are serious. Why the Republicans are mocking them at a time of energy crisis seems bizarre.

And don’t forget to check out the article from 1990. Seems bizarre to me in general how the Republicans have handled this issue historically and more importantly, how Americans in general have simply ignored the good, sound advice.

Finally, it seems as though Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, has come out with a warning that many doctors have been unwilling to make: That cellphones increase your risk for cancer. His message: “Id rather be safe than sorry”.

Here’s another blogger’s view (LA Times).

Here’s the original story.

Here’s the study.

While nobody knows for sure at this time — the data proves little, it is clear that enough concern exists to start thinking about serious precautions. Tami Dennis of the LA Times offers a few suggestions to minimize risk.

From Wikipedia:

The origins of the doctorate dates back to the ijazat attadris wa ‘l-ifttd (”license to teach and issue legal opinions”) in the medieval Madrasahs from the 9th century, though it was limited to Islamic law at the time, as in a Doctor of Laws degree.[4] … The degree of Doctor of Philosophy was a doctorate, generally granted as honorary degrees to select and well-established scholars

What I find particularly troubling about the US media, reporters, and politicians right now is the latest sensationalism: The evil Madrassas teaching children to hate America! Oh No! I doubt the vast majority of Americans really understand what a Madrassa is.

It is important to note here that there have been negative connotations applied to the word by news reports in Europe and the United States, in which madrasahs are often incorrectly inferred to be Islamic religious schools. Madrasahs are simply schools, and as with schools anywhere in the world, they may have different affiliations and curriculum.

I’m not sure what the psychology is, but this idea that average and non-average Americans alike need to be fearful of a handful of “Islamic” schools in Pakistan is absolutely absurd. The logic is totally fallacious; lazy thinking, lazy reporting, and sensationalism at its best. Meanwhile, inner city schools in the heart of every major city in the US is failing to produce well educated Americans who stay out of crime circles (most of whom would even think about higher education, let alone have it available to them!).

So while it is clear that curriculums around the world vary in extremes, from totally pro-America (perhaps the typical Australian school) to totally anti-American (schools in North Korea), it should also be clear that this will forever be the case as long as our world remains flat. And that the US (reporters and politicians) should not go on scaring the public into believing that the monster really does live under the bed and vacations in the closet.

Yet another example of word associations. For years I have been calling for an end to the association between “Islam” and “Terrorism”. Finally, as I wrote a short time ago, the US Government has called an end to it. One too many pig heads thrown into Mosques, I suppose.

Another not-so-surprising development:

The Sunday Times reports Stephen Payne, a Bush pioneer and a political appointee to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, was caught on tape offering access to key members of the Bush administration inner circle in exchange for “six-figure donations to the private library being set up to commemorate Bush’s presidency.”

Read the story here.

Surprised?

Not me!

Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Friday which would have imposed an arms embargo against Zimbabwe and financial and travel sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and other key leaders of the country’s ruling party.

The resolution was proposed by the United States and backed by eight other countries, including Burkina Faso and European members of the council. South Africa, Libya and Vietnam joined Russia and China in voting against it. Indonesia abstained.

Story

An Open letter to All Airline Customers:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers. Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

From CAIR:

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/3/2008) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today termed “unconstitutional and un-American” a proposed Justice Department policy change that would allow the FBI to investigate Americans without evidence of wrongdoing and could permit religious and ethnic profiling.

Under the new guidelines, which are expected to be implemented later this summer, the FBI would be permitted to consider race and ethnicity when opening an investigation. Agents would also be allowed to ask open-ended questions about the activities of American Muslims and Arab-Americans, and could initiate an investigation if a person’s employment or background is labeled as “suspect” by government analysts looking at public records and other information.

The FBI currently needs specific evidence or allegations of wrongdoing before it can investigate a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

“Bush said that in response to North Korea, the U.S. would erase trade sanctions under the Trading With the Enemy Act and notify Congress that in 45 days it intends to take North Korea off the State Department list of nations that sponsor terrorism.”
Source

So I have one burning question:

Why did the US put North Korea on the terrorism list in the first place? Because they sponsor terrorism or because they had an undocumented nuclear program? Does having nukes automatically qualify you for the list? Surely the problems with North Korea run deeper than this. Right? And, if having a nuke program translates into “sponsoring terrorism”, then I suspect all countries with a nuke program should be candidates for the list.

Oh, then there’s Iran…