Howdy folks,
My intention on posting the info about the nitrate fertilizers was
not intended to start a political discussion. I assume regardless of
your stance vis a vis the current political situation you don't want
to be delayed at the airport by exposure to nitrates in fertilizers.
It also got me thinking about the potential problems with public
buildings that may be installing machines that check for trace
chemicals at their security entrances. I could imagine a device like
that being installed at our courthouse or federal building and then
picking up false positives whenever they fertilize the lawns outside
the buildings. That would be a headache, I for one would not want to
be rushed off for a security check because of fertilizer on my shoes.

In regards to taking the political speeches to austin.general,
there are many on going threads of that sort there, and a great many
others on austin.general complaining they should take their national
political threads to to the strictly politics usenet groups that were
set up for that purpose.
There is a percentage of folks who think that our current
administration and its supporters are idiots and/or evil. There is
also a percentage who think the liberals who oppose Bush are idiots
and/ or evil. The on going discussion in numerous forums rarely
reaches any level of a political debate, that truly informs, or is
challenging, or that we should be proud of as Americans but quickly
reaches the level of half truths, insults, and free floating
agression, that is convincing me that both sides may be correct in
their beliefs.

I would hope that we could avoid that here ( I doubt it, but hope is
good )
There are numerous situations where gardening and politics intersect
and I hope we could at least keep our focus.

For example, the AmeriCorp program which is being defunded by 80% in
Texas, had numerous volunteers working with children in gardening in
Texas. Those will be lost this year, even though the AmeriCorp program
was promised in the State of the Union speech to be expanded as an
example of commitment to education.
A couple of years ago some of the gardeners in this group who
garden at the Sunshine Gardens worked with the AmeriCorp volunteer of
the year who got an award from Colin Powell for her work with kids at
the Blind School. I hate to see that sort of thing lost, both for the
young people earning tuition money for college and for the younger
kids they work with.
I think the mentor program is important and I was glad to see
AmeriCorp incorporate gardening into their program.

take care, hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Steve Coyle
www.austingardencenter.com

By the way I've been trying to remember the young lady's name who got
the award, she was also featured on the Sun Harvest cereal box in
recognition for her work. I helped her with her 'garden bed' project,
where we used an iron bed frame for a planter and then put in fragrant
and textured plants for the blind students but for the life of me I
can't remember her name. It's hell getting old.