Strange how somehow these events fall together: I have just been blogging about Starbucks trying to sabotage the funding of the community radio station Leith FM after a broadcast reporting the solidarity protest of Zapatista supporters and IWW members against Starbucks, and swoosh the day after the news of the employees winning their court case against this multinational company comes through. What a telepathic coincidence! Here is the full email received: Union Scores Big Victory Against Starbucks at Labor Board IWW Starbucks Workers Union March 8, 2006 from www.starbucksunion.org Union Scores Big Victory Against Starbucks at Labor Board Coffee Giant Must Rehire Fired Baristas and Rescind National Anti-Union Policies

Yes, I have planted the pumpkin seeds the wrong way round! Actually the round ends are to become the leaves and the pointed tops are where the roots are spreading from. One of the houseplants is an azalea and I have planted it in the wrong compost – they need a sour soil (low pH) and I just used the ordinary lime based one as well as used an ordinary fertiliser. They actually are mini rhododendrons and need shade as well. Arrgh, tomorrow I need to rescue it by getting the right compost for it. At least now i know why these sort of plants have always died in my home so far – as well as the lack of water obviously contributed.

Leith FM is going nastily mental again. Really odd some of the other board members behaved suddenly towards me, since Friday, there is a nasty email exchange going on. And I haven’t even started it, which is very unusual. Suddenly after a year of silence they seem to gang up on me. They behave like they would want to bully me out before having their AGM so there would be no danger of me saying something critical about them in public, with some of the unemployed volunteers doing the dirty work for the mighty man in the background. Who knows what they conspired up to at the last board meeting.

Finally, the ILA Scotland approval has come through. I am unsure which course to select, as I am gardening wild at the moment I am considering the horticulture course by the Royal Horticulture Society held at the Botanic Garden. There is also a one day workshop available on plants, but it seems closed and only available to people who are already taking part in their current regular weekly course. Anyways, after looking around on their websites, I found their full educational programme. Also, they seem to have a plant shop, too, and guided tours. Other possibilities are driving courses such as the extension of the driving license to include passenger transportation – not sure if this is a minibus license.

My parents are here for a week and we have been working in the allotment together. In the shed we found about 12 lawnmowers and 2 other large unidentifyable tools, as well as piles of other rubbish. We have been joking since what one individual would need so many lawnmowers for, and also how and why he collected these. He did not have a lawn even in this allotment where he stored these. The whole entrance was obstructed with nettles and doors and wooden window frames and similar. Also i already dragged away 4 carpets, and several mores are covered up with soil and nettles.