Ever since Monsanto developed, marketed and patented the glyphosate molecule — Roundup (®) herbicide’s active ingredient — beginning in the early 70’s, a substantial and ever-growing portion of the earth’s arable surface has been transformed into an environmental and human health experiment, of unprecedented scale.

Roundup Ready (®) (glyphosate resistant) genetically modified (GM) plants (also created by Monsanto) now constitute 70% of all genetically modified food plants on the market today.2 This has required the use of increasingly larger quantities of glyphosate-based herbicides in the regions where these plants are cultivated, making human exposures inevitable, and now simply a question of to what degree. Despite manufacturers’ claims, pest resistance to GM crops and commonly used herbicides, are becoming a serious problem, and companies like Dow Agrosciences are seizing the opportunity with newly created GM crops that are ‘three herbicide” resistant, requiring the future use of even more toxic combinations and greater quantities of herbicides in America’s farmlands, including 2,4 D, a chemical once used in Agent Orange.

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 Consider the First Source!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word choreographed an assembly of amino acids into an exquisite array of specific proteins. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” In so doing God demonstrated a penchant for genomic writing, preceeded by an amazing series of prebiotic events, in a highly orchestrated presentation of evolutionary overcontrol.

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Because of the insidious way in which it works, it has been sold as a relatively benign replacement for the devastating earlier dioxin-based herbicides. But a barrage of experimental data has now shown glyphosate and the GMO foods incorporating it to pose serious dangers to health.

Compounding the risk is the toxicity of “inert” ingredients used to make glyphosate more potent. Researchers have found, for example, that the surfactant POEA can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells. But these risks have been conveniently ignored.

The widespread use of GMO foods and glyphosate herbicides helps explain the anomaly that the US spends over twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average developed country, yet it is rated far down the scale of the world’s healthiest populations. The World Health Organization has ranked the US LAST out of 17 developed nations for overall health.

Sixty to seventy percent of the foods in US supermarkets are now genetically modified. By contrast, in at least 26 other countries—including Switzerland, Australia, Austria, China, India, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Russia—GMOs are totally or partially banned; and significant restrictions on GMOs exist in about sixty other countries.

Consider the Source

 Consider the First Source!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word choreographed an assembly of amino acids into an exquisite array of specific proteins. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” In so doing God demonstrated a penchant for genomic writing, preceeded by an amazing series of prebiotic events, in a highly orchestrated presentation of evolutionary overcontrol.

More about God’s Handiwork!

When we align our objectives with the Divine will, when we strive for the attainment of a worthy goal, when we begin our work with a well defined plan, and when we have ability to work together with others effectively, we have already achieved the trajectory for success. For we know that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
All service is sacred in the spiritual world. Our celestial associates appreciate our efforts because they know there is no such thing as menial work. One minor change in perspective can turn the necessary but mundane task into an exhilarating, even fascinating, experience. The key is in seeing the parts within the whole or the forest from the trees.
Good management always involves three main processes: The probative, the directive, and the perfective. These become cyclical once any initiative comes to life.
We think of the probative as the assessment phase. It involves questions such as: “Should we be doing this?” “What resources, both human and material, can be brought to bear?” and “How can we best convey our findings to those who will be engaged in planning?”
The directive includes developing and refining plans in light of prior findings. Working even the best of plans usually involves some amount of improvisation the first time through. This is why managers are often selected on the basis of “Who’s best qualified to wing it.” They also possess a core skill set that includes an understanding of team dynamics, attention to an appropriate level of detail, and effective communications.
Perfective phasing is also known as the Virtuous Cycle. This includes a debrief, a post-mortem of sorts. “What went well?” and “What didn’t go so well” are at the top of the list for questions asked. Individual team members are encouraged to share their experiences, to reach a deeper understanding of any lessons learned, in ways that might benefit the whole team as well as those who depend upon them.
The cycle then repeats as the assessors consider the lessons learned in light of any additional and available resources that may be of value.
Whether you jump on a shovel for a living, or manage a multi-national corporation, this assess, direct, and perfect routine can help you. It applies to self-discipline just as it does to corporate governance. Self-mastery is a pre-requisite to the effective management of others.
At the Aevia Institutes of Management, we believe that developing an Appreciation for the Enduring Value of Individual Advancement (AEVIA) also benefits the organization, the nation, and the world. That’s why our management curriculum has an initial focus on such basic skills as managing your time. Your first step in the successful pursuit of a management career begins here:

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Scientists first discovered viruses in the late 1800s when they were puzzled by a disease that beset tobacco plants. They mashed up wilted tobacco leaves with water and passed the mixture through fine porcelain filters that trapped bacteria and fungi. The clear liquid could still make healthy tobacco leaves sick. The Dutch botanist Martinus Beijerinck dubbed it “a contagious living fluid.”
In the 1930s, the invention of powerful microscopes finally allowed scientists to see viruses. They found that viruses were unlike ordinary cells: they didn’t generate their own fuel; they didn’t grow or divide. Instead, viruses invaded cells, hijacking their biochemistry to make new copies of themselves. Being small and simple seemed like part of the viral way of life, allowing them to replicate fast.
It wasn’t until 2003 that a team of French researchers discovered the first giant virus. They had been puzzling over sphere-shaped objects that were the size of bacteria but contained no bacterial DNA. Eventually they realized that they were looking at a monstrously oversized virus, containing 979 genes.
Those first giant viruses were isolated from amoebae living in the water of a cooling tower. Once scientists realized that viruses could be so large, they changed their search parameters and started finding other species in all manner of places, from swamps to rivers to contact lens fluid.
In a paper published online on July 2 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, French researchers offered evidence that giant viruses dwell in healthy people. They isolated a new giant virus from blood donated by a healthy volunteer, and then found antibodies and other signs of the virus in four other donors.
Giant viruses may lurk harmlessly in our bodies, invading the amoebae we harbor. Whether they can make us sick is an open question.
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Science tells us that every square meter of the earth’s surface, when exposed to direct sunlight, receives about 1000 watts (1 kilowatt) of energy from the sun’s light. Depending on the angle of sunlight, which changes with the time of day, and the geographical location, the power of the sun’s light will be somewhat more or less than 1 kilowatt-hour per hour for every square meter of the earth’s surface exposed to the sun. Of this solar energy, about 523 watts is in the infra-red spectrum and the ultra-violet portion accounts for about 27 watts. The remaining 440 watts is produced by the octave comprising the visible range.
The chart pictured below depicts the current state of the art for Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. PV research focuses on boosting solar cell conversion efficiencies, lowering the cost of solar cells, modules, and systems, and improving the reliability of PV components and systems. Accelerating the integration of PV technology is an essential part of global sustainability. Click on the chart reproduced here for a full size copy.

Omega-3 fatty acids have previously been linked to protective benefits against heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Now one study is showing that eating the fatty acids found in fish oils may increase the risk of prostate cancer for men.

The study showed that men who consume a lot of EPA, DPA and DHA — three anti-inflammatory, metabolically-related fatty acids that come from fatty fish and fish-oil supplements — have a 43 percent increased chance of developing prostate cancer. Men with diets high in fatty acids were also shown to have a 71 percent increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, and a 44 percent higher chance of having low-grade prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer will affect an estimated 238,590 new patients in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 29,720 prostate cancer patients will die from the disease this year.

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A company whose signature product is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic is involved in the credentialing of the professionals who are tasked with educating us about the epidemic.

Coca-Cola isn’t the only corporate giant influencing the conversation on healthful eating habits. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the country’s largest trade association for nutrition professionals, has for years been accepting sponsorships from what many describe as “Big Junk Food”: PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP), Hershey Co. (NYSE:HSY), General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) and Kellogg Co. (NYSE:K) are just some of the companies listed as partners or sponsors in its 2012 annual report. Sponsorships — offered at various levels — help support the Academy’s various events and activities, with top-level sponsors (“partners”) given the opportunity to present educational sessions to Academy members.

Despite its proletariat-sounding name, the Academy is more than a simple trade group. It’s involved, either directly or indirectly, in almost every stage of becoming and remaining a registered dietitian. Both the accreditation council for dieticians’ educational programs and the agency that oversees RD credentialing operate under the Academy’s umbrella, though the organization says they operate independently of the Academy’s governing bodies.

Among the major food companies, it’s Coca-Cola that seems most interested in molding the minds of RDs. Its Beverage Institute features more than two-dozen free nutrition seminars, all accredited and officially sanctioned by the Academy’s Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Weaning the Academy off junk-food money may prove just as challenging as weaning Americans off junk food.

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NASA has successfully tested its first rocket engine component made through 3D printing. On Thursday, NASA subjected its new rocket engine injector to a series of high-pressure fire tests involving liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen, demonstrating that additive manufacturing (its official name) could one day help the agency build the next generation of rockets faster and at lower cost.

Additive manufacturing uses layers of metallic powder traced in specific patterns by lasers. The technique isn’t too far removed from traditional 3D printing, except it uses high-powered laser beams. While an engine injector is normally one of the most expensive components of a rocket engine to produce, additive manufacturing not only reduces development time from over a year to a number of months, it also cuts costs by more than 70 percent. Following the successful test, NASA says it will look to scale-up and establish production requirements for the injector, helping it “demonstrate the feasibility of developing full-size, additively manufactured parts.” However, the agency says has no plans to test its printed components in a live test flight until 2017.

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SunnyBot is about the size of a large desk lamp and is equipped with an on-board mirror that continuously adjusts to reflect the sun’s rays on a chosen area. It is integrated with a dual-axis microcomputer that’s powered by a row of solar cells and comes with an optional feedback system. The device redirects 7,000 lumens (equal to a single 500 watt halogen lamp) with a range at just over 656 feet.

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