farmdoc's blog post number 538

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…
1. the Age published an article about politicians’ musical tastes [1]. Who gives a toss? I don’t. They should shut up and run the country.
2. there were 21 arrests at an anti pulp mill demo at the government school in Beaconsfield. The school’s principal withdrew the right of some people to be on the school grounds [2]. Those arrested were peaceful, and they weren’t breaking the law. The principal acted beyond his authority. He should be dealt with. But he won’t be. For this is Tasmania.
3. Voltaren Gel’s been shown to be effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the finger joints [3]. That’s good news for me because I have this disease (though until now it’s not been very painful).
4. Monsanto announced a fourth-quarter loss of US$233M, due mainly to a fall in the demand for and price of RoundUp [4]. The only way I’d be happier is if the loss was bigger.
5. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel won the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction [5]. Tasmania’s library service has eight copies. I’m number 95 in the queue.
6. Jordan reprimanded Israel following recent riots in Jerusalem’s Old City, which erupted after Israeli police closed the Temple Mount to visitors and Muslim worshippers for fear of violence [6]. Jordan’s hypocrisy’s breathtaking. From 1948 to 1967 when it ruled the Old City, not one Jew was allowed access to the Western Wall.
7. A full 5% of America’s forest-products industry is taken up by toilet paper and tissue paper. Softer tissue requires older trees because their wood fibres are softer [7]. It’s best to use only recycled toilet paper.
8. Darling Jarrah turned six [8]. She’s beautiful and special. And the tooth fairy’s preparing to visit her for the first time.
Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.