"Since the active ingredient in RoundUp - glyphosate - is no longer under patent to Monsanto, the point is rather moot." Bad activism never stops some activists. The anti-GMO activist movement is lead by some of the most horrible leaders of any anti-____ movement around. They commonly find things out too late...things that can be learned by anyone reading press releases, regulatory filings, or even trade magazines. Most recently the whole 2,4-D GMO crop development pipeline...which took nearly 2 years for them to find out even existed in the development pipeline. Then...many of them choose to attack the issue with "2,4-D is Agent Orange"...which is akin to calling H2O a horrible ingredient in beverages because it's a huge component in sodas. Tell a farmer (or regulator, or corporation, or government) that 2,4-D = Agent Orange and you've already lost whatever point you're trying to get across. Aside from cut/dry issues like GMO labeling...the entire anti-GMO movement needs real leaders who are feeding their base legit ammo to fight with...rather than mistruths, information based on a fundamental lack of knowledge, fringe studies to latch onto, emotional "logic" that lacks basis, etc. You'd almost swear some of this was a planted corporate strategy to disrupt the movement...but they're doing it to themselves. ...wait until the current movement leaders find out about GMO citrus development to tolerate/fight pests/disease...which is a movement that's already over 3 years old and being developed by 2 major US college programs in Texas and Florida (not counting the modified Hamlin Orange that Cornell has developed and is already in trial fields). Given trends, I give it another year or 2 before they find out it even exists. A leader (or leaders) need to emerge in the anti-GMO movement that actually has their fingers on the pulse of the industry...which really isn't that hard to do given the amount of paper/information trail being left by all those involved. This post was edited by nc-crn on Sun, Jun 16, 13 at 20:07

I always think of the people in third world countries who line up for days and risk being shot in order to vote. Makes our voting seem tame by comparison. Australian voting (which is compulsory) is complicated and few people understand it. It's preferential, so you have to number ALL the candidates in the order you prefer them. Sometimes there are well over 100 candidates. If you miss one, mess up the numbering, double up on a number, whatever, your vote is deemed "informal" and is not counted. So a couple of prime ministers ago the then PM decided that most of the informal votes WOULD have been in favour of his party if his supporters could count right so he made an easier way whereby each party would decide the best order of numbers to support their cause, and if you agreed with their choice you just had to put a "1" against that party. Of course, many of us who can count prefer to make up our OWN minds as to our preferences. It's hard after a point, though, because after the major parties you generally have NO IDEA what the minor candidates are all about, so how can you say you prefer Candidate X to Candidate Z? You should be able to stop numbering when you run out of candidates you actually prefer. Hearty congratulations to Mr Obama.

Thank you all for your feedback. I was really nervous but "bit the bullet" and purchased 4 slabs of the River yesterday. Had 24 to cancel and managed to get DH out to the yard to look at it today. He liked it ( b/c we'd never seen anything like it) but still favors the Typhoon Bordeaux I think. I think the River is gorgeous, but it does really change the tone of the kitchen. With a mass of white cabinets and that granite which is ivory with lots of lighter tone movement, it really does make the kitchen cool rather than warm. Perhaps in hot Florida that's a good thing? Gives it a cool serene fell I hope. On the otherhand, might it seem washed out? DH is now wondering if we should consider a dark stain on the cabinets in stead of painted creamy white as we'd always discussed. Does the granite now dictate? Thanks, in advance for further feedback.

I knew when I read the OP that this could NOT be what was requested. Knowing a number of people here would go off on a tangent rather than answer a simple question. Start a different thread to debate it, a healthy debate on it would be good, but why not respect the OP? So I'll bring this back to the original request: "But I am wondering what reasons may be for someone not voting. Do you have friends that don't vote, and if so, what do they give as a reason? I'm genuinely curious. I won't debate the reasons (and please, other responders, please don't), just want to try to understand." I've worked a number of campaigns and elections in various capacities over the years and after talking to people, door knocking, fundraising, fielding questions and other things I've heard a number of reasons WHY people don't/won't vote. Other than being incapacitated, hospitalized at the last minute or something like that, I can't think of legitimate reasons but that's not the question. Some of the reasons I've been given include: - Some say they feel "it won't do any good" - Some say they feel that voting for a 3rd party or a write in would be a waste so they won't vote for anyone - Some say they feel afraid of jury duty, IRS or other retribution. - Some say they feel it's not a duty to vote. - Some are "too busy" watching TV or things. - Some say they feel they don't have the time to vote and that the law that says they get time off to vote isn't effective or they don't want to utilize it. - Some say they feel it's a protest. - Some want to disavow any responsibility and this affords them the opportunity to say "Don't blame me - I didn't vote for him/her" - Some don't believe that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. - Some don't want to stand in line to vote when they could stand in line to spend money somewhere. - Some don't know that they could vote. (For instance, in MN you can register at the polls) - Some feel exempt from those who feel if you don't vote, don't complain. - Some feel there's fraud and legitimate voters can't offset it. - Some don't know how they feel on an issue or candidate so they don't feel they should vote. Some don't know how to become more informed on it. - Some listen to the churches, emails and other political groups who tell them not to vote - Some get so angry with the political ads and posturing starting years before the election they become so numb they won't vote because of that. - Some say they don't like the "tone" of elections so that's why they won't vote. I know there's more but can't think of them right now. I really think a number of these should be discussed, in another thread. Though I've resisted, I have to ask, Azzalea, do you have any documentation to back up the claim "Absentee ballots aren't even counted unless the election is close."?