Do you think that CORE is the real thing and deserves our support?

Cecil Martin? He was a great fullback for the Wisconsin Badgers. I was bummed the Packers never drafted him. It looked like James had plenty of fun.

CORE is a great organization. Last year they sponsored a 'World Conference on Biotechnology' at the UN. They, like the father of the green revolution, Dr. Norman Borlaug, they're in favor of using biotechnology to encourage economic growth in Africa.

Of course, lots of healthy people in Africa feeding themselves would make many UN NGOs and groups like Greenpeace fairly useless, so they make lots of noises about 'frankenfoods' and question CORE's 'authenticity'. CORE has been putting up with that for awhile.

I definitely think CORE is a great organization worthy of support.

Karol,
What was on the menu?
Mary,
What do Greenpeace do in Africa?
The whole GM foods thing is interesting though. Can a purebred dog be thought of as GM? Hybridisation of Grapes from the US to France in the late 1800's saved the French wine industry. Unfortunately, people vote with their feet and wallets. When GM food was in the press some years ago in the UK, it provided a shot in the arm for organic farming, and sales of GM foods plummeted. As happened when a junior minister mentioned that salmonella was present in about half of the eggs being produced. Ditto BSE.

Mary,
Googled 'Greenpeace' and 'Africa', and found an article about saving forests for the benefit of preserving different creatures and the 12 million forest dwellers who depend on them for food and medicine. So they do have an involvement, but one which IMO fits in well with the CORE policy you have just mentioned.

Who is this Pat Manning guy and why isn't he doing something to create wealth, like play sports, instead of destroying wealth by being in politics. What a waste of such height.

You look lovely, Karol. The photos (with the obvious excpetion of the one where Taranto is crowding you out) do a great job at capturing the vitality that lights up your face and further enhances your beauty. And just to prove this is actually Von Bek writing, neocons suck and Benjamin Harrison is horribly underapreciated.

Bryan:

"Hybridisation of Grapes from the US to France in the late 1800's saved the French wine industry".

That is a very interesting story. It also saved the Italian wine industry. Wineries in Italy still talk about it today if they find out you are an American.

No pictures of Gov. Barbour? No pictures of anything related to Mississippi at all? I thought Mississippi was being honored? There's a picture of Bolton and Usher (such as it is), but nothing for Mississippi? Tisk, tisk, Karol.

Well, Usher amazed me by staying till the very end of the party. The dais was basically empty by that point. And, I caught Bolton and LaPierre as they walked off the stage. And, Manning came by our table to chat with us. I just never got near enough to Barbour to snap a pic.

Yeah, yeah. Not surprising really. I'm used to this anti-Mississippi bias in the media. This reminds me of the recap of 2005 released by the Associated Press. Apparently, the only significant event involving Mississippi in 2005, according to the AP, was the trail of an old Klansman. Also, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans...and only New Orleans, according to the AP. So, I'm not shocked when you go to a dinner where Mississippi is being honored and you come back with pictures of everything and everybody, BUT the delegation from Mississippi. Lord knows there aren't enough pictures of you and James Taranto floating around. Knowing how limited this particular media is in conveying sarcasm, I'll just go ahead and say, "I'm just joking people."

Well, just to piss you off further ;-), I thought Barbour was a contender in '08 before attending this dinner.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't like Barbour. I'd never vote for him for President even if he is from Mississippi. He is absolutely worthless. He's only interested in photo-ops.

What do Greenpeace do in Africa?

According to CORE, this:

The organization that has spent decades attacking the institutions of capitalism wasnt attacked by the oil or chemicals industry, but by the New York based Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In what is increasingly a black and white issue, CORE charges Greenpeace with being racist and keeping Africa poor, sick and underdeveloped.

Recently Greenpeace organised a run in Liberty State Park, New York, to campaign against chemicals that it considers to be a danger to human health. CORE arranged a rival event at the same venue to highlight Greenpeaces policies and their damaging and sometimes deadly effects on Africa. COREs spokesman, Niger Innis lambasted Greenpeace for being a powerful elite of First World activists whose hardcore agenda puts people last. Greenpeace has been at the head of campaigns to ban the use of the insecticide DDT. Green groups were successful in banning DDT use in agriculture in most countries during the 1970s. The insecticide is still permitted for use in public health programs where it saves lives from mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria. Despite the fact that it saves lives every day, Greenpeace still campaigns against its production, trade and use...

...Greenpeace's run in New York was organised by white, wealthy and healthy New Yorkers that were seemingly amazed that anyone would be opposed to their views. Their quizzical looks at the sight of 70 black CORE activists chanting Africa Yes, Greenpeace No! betrayed their ignorance of the policies for which their organization stands.

why's usher gotta be circled in white? racist.

You have me convinced Mary and Karol. I will send them some money.

yes, Mary, your point is well made; the whole DDT ban goes to PR. I think many people are not comfortable buying stuff which they feel may shorten their life, even if there is no basis in fact for this. The eggs thing in the UK is a case in point. We've had a huge debate on the MMR jab (measles/mumps/rubella), and it's link to autism. One study, vigotously and numerously debunked, said it was the case, so now there is a hard core of parents who insist on separate vaccinations at their own expense.
Greenpeace use publicity very cleverly. The Seal cull may be a neccessary thing, but the pictures are never gonna sell a coat...

I was also at the CORE event. I see you did not mention the Marian Anderson String Quartet. They were totally ignored and this is a Quartet has done more the world than Usher. I am disgusted at the way they were treated.