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José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 2, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 42
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State secret
excuse suffers setback
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A lawmaker says that he will present a bill that will define the county's state secrets. The announcement comes from Rolando González Ulloa of the Partido Liberación Nacional. The impetus is the repeated use by the Luis Guillermo Solís administration of the term to hide information. The administration suffered a setback Friday when the Poder Judicial announced that the Sala IV constitutional court once again told Cristina Ramírez, to give a reporter the statistic on the number of inmates in the nation's prisons. She had claimed the information was a state secret. The Sala IV already had ordered her to give the information to a La Nación reporter, but her Ministerio de Justicia y Paz that runs the prisons appealed for clarification. The court said it did not see how providing this information would damage the state security. Casa Presidencial used the same excuse last week for failing to provide a reporter the list of visitors at the executive offices. Such information usually is public. González Ulloa said he would like to know who was visiting, too. Casa Presidencial said that the list might contain the names of confidential informants who visited the Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad del Estado that has offices in the same building in Zapote. Lawmakers said then that the excuse was not plausible. Robbers victimize priests, food workers By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Robbers invaded a Roman Catholic rectory Friday night and others knocked over a fast food restaurant early Saturday, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. The rectory was in El Coyol de Alajuela. Two priests, 34 and 50 were there when two masked men forced their way in. They tied up the priests, threatened them and tried to learn the location of a safe. There was no safe, judicial police said. The crooks did take a computer, a cell phone and the wallets of the priests, investigators said. The restaurant was in a commercial center in San Antonio de Coronado. Three employees opening the restaurant abut 7 a.m. Saturday were confronted by gunmen. There was a safe in the store, and the manager was obligated to open it by the gunmen. The crooks got away with nearly 2 million colons, about $3,700. Officers injured breaking up blockade By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Residents of Pitahaya de Puntarenas, upset over the condition of a local road, blocked the Interamericana Norte from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. When police tried to break up the blockade, they were met with a shower of rocks and others objects. Three police officers sustained injuries, said the Fuerza Pública. Two residents were detained, officers said. One officers who was hit square in the mouth required treatment at a hospital, officers said. New driving manual goes on sale By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Expats unlucky enough to have to take the written test for vehicle licensing have a new manual. The ninth edition of the driving text goes on sale today at book stores authorized the Universidad Estatal a Distancia. The book has grown from 117 to 221 pages. The cost is 5,000 colons, a bit less than $10. Expats who do not have a valid license from one of the countries that have an agreement with Costa Rica have to take a lecture course, pass a written exam and a road test. March 13 will be the last test that contains material from the eighth edition, said the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. The libraries that are carrying the book are less-well known firms associated with the university. Eventually sales will be more widespread. Our readers' opinions
He is convinced humans are the causeDear A.M. Costa Rica: You ask, in your editorial, why Costa Rica should attempt to become carbon neutral, while we live amidst volcanos venting all manner of gases into our atmosphere. There is nothing we can do about volcanos yet, but that does not give the government, or any of us, an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for factors we can influence. In response to Mr. Bill Pitts and Mr. Albert Lusk, there may be some in the consensus - and it is indeed a consensus - who hate fossil fuel energy, some "anti-capitalists" (whatever that means), and a few ambitious and unprincipled scientists trying to get ahead (or sponsorship), but not many. I am a capitalist, love fossil fuel energy and have no wish to be published in any scientific journal! And I am firmly convinced that man's activities are harming our environment and compromising our future enjoyment of reasonably clean air and water. However I do believe that all this argument is a waste of time, especially in the hyper-polarized environment gripping North America. But I must commend you, sir, for your common sense exhortation to simply get on with cleaning the planet up. Mark Rhys
Santa Barbara, Heredia No one wants to make a sacrifice Dear A.M. Costa Rica: It seems to me that the Wednesday editorial by Jay Brodell is based on cherry picking the information we (the general population) are receiving from the science community. We easily accept 99.9 percent of the science including hard to understand issues like quantum mechanics because we know that the science is behind a lot of goodies we like to have around (plus the atomic bombs). It is harder to accept something that requires some sacrifices and a lifestyle change, but we all have to do it otherwise our descendants will think of us as monsters. Victor Nicolescu
Ramsey, New Jersey Dress on the Internet causes a sensation By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A new dress by British retailer Roman Originals attracted the world's attention when an international survey showed that people looking at it on the Internet could not agree on what color it is. Some say it's blue and black. Others go with white and gold. Still others offer slight variations on those pairings. So what are the true colors? Images uploaded on various social media Web
"It is not white and gold at all. But we are happy to put into production the white and gold if the demand comes along." Optometry experts say the photo is a perfect example of how people's brains perceive color and process contrast in dramatically different ways. "The visual system is very complex between males and females, or just between individuals," Ramin Rabbani, a California ophthalmologist, told ABC. "So context has to do with, lighting has to do with how we see things, and ultimately our brain is what interprets." Managers at Roman Originals said they had no idea that the dress, shot in a particular light, might be perceived in different color schemes — not until Friday, anyway, when they were flooded by phone calls and emails. The retailer said there were a million hits on its sales site in the first 18 hours following the photo's distribution.
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 2, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 42 | |
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| Private power generating being sabotaged, solar
representative says |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A decision on solar power by the nation's regulatory agency has a local firm suggesting that government interests are sabotaging the idea. The regulator is the Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos. According to Paul Furlong of CRSolar, the agency has approved an unfair tariff that only will benefit large commercial companies. His firm sells and installs solar panels. The tariffs involve homeowners and businesses that put solar panels on the roof to generate electricity themselves. The plan has been that the power utility would compensate those who invest in solar panels for any excess that is put into the national grid. Furlong said that regulations approved Thursday actually charge those with solar panels for the electricity they produce. The Autoridad Reguladora issued a press release Friday that is at best ambiguous on this point. The board of directors established unanimously the mechanism to calculate the tariffs for generation with alternative sources, including solar, wind, bio systems and similar, said the release |
Furlong said
the tariffs are what the persons generating the
alternative energy have to pay, not what the power utility has to pay
them. The regulatory agency did not release the text of the decision, but the document soon will be published in the La Gaceta official newspaper. There also are a series of hearings scheduled around the country at 5 p.m. today on the topic, said Furlong. The regulating agency wants to charge solar producers by the kilowatt, said Furlong, adding: "This means they’ll charge you for your savings on electric consumption, about 25 percent of what you’d have paid if you just bought it straight from the power company! Such a deal!" Furlong said that he believes the tariff will be 27 colons for every kilowatt used, no matter if solar panels produce it or if it comes from a power company like the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad. "In other words, they’re charging us for the loss of income they have because we decided to produce our own electricity using solar panels" he said. He said this approach will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. |
A rider tries to stay on a bull despite every effort by the animal to dislodge him in this undated photo used for illustration. The sport is very dangerous, and sometimes bulls attack riders once they fall off. In this case, the rider is not even wearing a helmet, which is required by some arenas. |
 Partido Liberación Nacional photo
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| Lawmakers seek to designate Guanacaste traditions as
national heritage |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Lawmakers from two political parties are sponsoring a bill that would enshrine as national heritage certain traditions from Guanacaste. The proposal addresses bull riding, called montadera de toros al estilo rústico Guanacasteco, and carreras de cintas. The carrera is an ancient competition on horseback that has been imported from Spain. Riders try to snatch dangling material as they ride by a full gallop. The proposal also seeks to designate the 100-year-old Plaza Los Mangos de Santa Cruz as an historic site. |
Also on the
list are the topes de toros or bull parades into the arena. Sponsoring the bills are Johnny Leiva of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana and Marta Arauz Mora and Juan Marín Quirós, both of the Partido Liberación Nacional. The bill is No. 19.487. Bull riding and the carrera de cintas may have originated in Guanacaste, but the sports are all over the country now. No fiesta would be complete without bull riding and that unique Costa Rican bull baiting. |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 2, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 42 | |||||
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| Road
is open Highway officials report that the temporary route on the Interamericana Sur is now open after having been closed for a month due to a massive slide. This is the location at La Cangreja at kilometer 33 of the important highway. Workers finally got asphalt down on a new lane that had been dug into the mountain alongside the road. |
 Consejo Nacional de Vialidad photo
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Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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contents of
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2015 and may
not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
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Netanyahu speech seen straining White House ties By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
An increasingly-strained relationship between the Obama administration and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu will be on display this week as the prime minister visits Washington to address a joint meeting of Congress. Netanyahu will decry a potential accord on Iran’s nuclear program in a speech organized by House Speaker John Boehner without White House consultation, sparking controversy in Washington and Jerusalem. Netanyahu insists he respects President Barack Obama, but adds: “It is my obligation to see to the security of Israel," he said. "Therefore, we strongly oppose the agreement being formulated with Iran and the major powers, which would endanger our very existence.” Vice President Joe Biden and several Democratic lawmakers will not attend Netanyahu’s address Tuesday, and the prime minister’s itinerary does not include a visit to the White House. Even so, Secretary of State John Kerry is downplaying any lasting damage to U.S.-Israeli relations. “The prime minister is welcome in the United States at any time. We have an unparalleled, close security relationship with Israel,” said Kerry. But whatever case the prime minister makes, it will not shake the Obama administration’s belief that negotiations with Iran are worth pursuing. "We have slowed, even set back, Iran’s nuclear program," he said. "And we are going to continue now to the next step to see - I cannot promise you we can - but we are going to test whether or not diplomacy can prevent this weapon from being created, so you do not have to turn to additional measures, including the possibility of a military confrontation.” Speaker Boehner’s invitation to a foreign leader without consulting the White House is an unusual, and some would say inflammatory, move. Boehner has been unapologetic. “I wanted the prime minister to come here," said Boehner. "There is a serious threat facing the world, and radical Islamic terrorists are not going to go away. These are important messages that the Congress needs to hear and the American people need to hear.” “I believe that America is a country that is for freedom of speech, so I think the prime minister has a right to say what he wants to say like everybody else has a right to say what they want to say,” said Anthony Simon who lives in Jerusalem. Another Jerusalem resident, Mati Simantov, said he thought it was not good for Israel's relations with the United States. "We have to be in a good position with the United States. They are friends, probably our only friends in the world, so we have to be very gentle with them," he said. The perception of a U.S.-Israeli rift has not gone unnoticed in Iran, where Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Netanyahu of scare-mongering and standing in the way of peace. Three British teens seen on video en route to Syria By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Three teenage British girls suspected of traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State terrorist group have appeared on surveillance video in Turkey. Turkish media reports said the images show the teens boarding a bus in Istanbul. It is the first reported sighting of the girls since they left London almost two weeks ago. Authorities have said they have no reason to believe the girls are still in Turkey, and believe they have crossed into neighboring Syria, parts of which have been taken over by the Islamist terror group. The three east London classmates, Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, boarded a Turkish Airlines plane from London's Gatwick Airport to Istanbul Feb. 17. The two-minute video purportedly shows the three girls walking in and out of three separate bus operator offices over a period of 17 hours on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 at the terminal in Istanbul's Esenler district. Security officials say at least 500 Britons have traveled to Syria to fight with extremists, often via Turkey. Radical Islamists are prone to destroy, citing the Quran By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
There seems to be no limit to the atrocities committed by radical Islamists in their intent to create a world designed according to their own interpretation of Islam. As Islamic State militants continue on their destructive path, experts say they are ready to destroy anyone or anything that does not fit into their vision. Islamic State released a video on Thursday purportedly showing militants destroying ancient artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul. Some works were more than 2,000 years old and their value was incalculable. One of the men shown in the five-minute video says statues were destroyed because they were, as he said, religious idols of the Assyrians and the Akkadians, the ancient peoples that did not believe in one God. He says the Prophet Muhammad ordered the destruction of all such religious symbols. Islamic State follows a strict version of Sunni Islam and does not tolerate what it sees as deviation from the Quran. The group has destroyed holy sites of Shiite and Sufi Muslims as well as Christian churches in the parts of Iraq and Syria under their control. But it is the destruction of human life that concerns the world more than material destruction. The militants have published grisly videos of their terrorist campaign, including beheadings of captives. David Saperstein, U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, told Alhurra television they are destroying diverse communities in Iraq and Syria that have traditionally lived side by side in peace and mutual respect. "They want a monolithic, extremist view of Islam imposed on everyone and are prepared to drive out those or kill those who do not agree with them," said Saperstein. Muslims who think differently are not spared brutality, and neither are women or children. "Children of minorities have been captured, in many places, in places where the so-called ISIL has its strengths, have been sold in markets with tags, price tags on them, have been sold as slaves," said Renate Winter of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations reports that children captured by Islamic State face a brutal fate. "We have had reports of children, especially children that are mentally challenged, who have been used as suicide bombers, most probably without them even understanding. There was a video placed that showed children of very young age, approximately 8 years of age and younger, to be trained already to become child soldiers," said Winter. Yet, the radical Islamist propaganda seems to appeal to some young Muslims worldwide. As governments work to prevent people from traveling to Syria to join Islamic State, many are calling for greater efforts to combat radicalization. Ancient French graves contained stacks of bodies By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
More than 200 ancient skeletons have been discovered under a supermarket in central Paris, French media reported Saturday. The skeletons are remains of people who were buried centuries ago in communal graves, in what was once a cemetery adjacent to a 12th-century hospital that was destroyed during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. The findings in eight communal graves unearthed so far indicate that a large number of people had to be buried at the same time, said anthropologist Isabelle Abadie. "The skeletons, the bodies, were deposited in three parallel rows, tight, well-organized," she said. "The graves aren't haphazardly done. Quite the contrary, the burial was clearly organized." Anthropologists said the orderly burial indicated that the people were victims of an affliction or hunger, not conflict. "The clues we have on the size of the pit, the number of individuals, all that, it leads us to think that this was due to a crisis," Ms. Abadie said. "It could have been caused by different things like an epidemic, or a famine. It could also be fever. There may be many possible explanations." The French National Institute of Archeological Research has been overseeing the excavation under the supermarket since January. The institute has begun research to determine what caused the deaths and is planning DNA tests to look for possible genetic links among victims. "We intervened because we suspected the presence of archaeological remains of a funerary nature, that is to say, a cemetery, which was known about thanks to written documentation and old maps," said Pierre Vallat, regional deputy director of the institute. "We knew there was a medieval and modern cemetery, from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, late 18th century." When the old hospital and the cemetery were removed from the location, most of the bodies were transferred to the Paris Catacombs. But apparently the job was not done properly, Vallat said. Supermarket employees were stunned to learn that they were working above an ancient cemetery. The supermarket is temporarily closed so archeologists can complete the work on the site. Bosnians face deportation for war crimes allegations By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. immigration officials are preparing to deport 150 Bosnians for possible involvement in war crimes in the 1990s, The New York Times reported Saturday. The newspaper said officials had identified 300 Bosnians who hid their wartime past when they came to the U.S. The officials said that number could be as high as 600. The Times said those who faced possible deportation included a soccer coach in Virginia, a metalworker in Ohio and four casino employees in Las Vegas. It said as many as half of the 300 Bosnians identified so far might have taken part in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim males — Europe's worst act of genocide since World War II. A war crimes investigator for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Michael McQueen, told the newspaper that "the idea that the people who did all this damage in Bosnia should have a free pass and a new shot at life is just obscene to me." The United States has reached out to Bosnians around the world to come forward with any information they may have about war crimes suspects. Kathleen O'Connor, a human rights prosecutor at the U.S. Justice Department, said that Bosnians can be confident that "justice can be served in the United States, despite the fact that many years have gone by and that the conduct occurred overseas, far away." Obama said Americans deserve secure retirement By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama says he is committed to middle-class economics and to ensuring that all hardworking Americans get the secure and dignified retirement they deserve. In his weekly address Saturday, Obama said most financial advisers are good at prioritizing their clients' futures, but there are some who direct their clients toward bad investments in return for backdoor payments and hidden fees. He said that is why earlier in the week he urged the U.S. Labor Department to update rules and require that retirement advisers put their clients' best interests above their own financial interests. The president noted that middle-class families cannot afford to lose their hard-earned savings after a lifetime of work. The Philippines now hosts largest number of call centers By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
When Americans call for customer support there is a good chance the agent on the other end of the telephone line is Filipino. The Philippines has the world’s largest business process outsourcing industry, employing some one-million workers. One of them is Angeline Rodriguez. The 30-year-old trained nurse says she makes more money working the overnight shift at the C3 call center, where she and 2,300 colleagues handle customer service for several foreign companies, answering up to 200 calls per night. Ms. Rodriguez's boss, Andy Sarakinis, has worked in the Philippines’ business process outsourcing sector for 16 years. He said due to the country’s strong ties with the United States, workers here communicate with American customers more easily than agents from other countries like India, the world’s former call center leader. “The ease of doing business here has been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Being able to hire an individual that can step in day one and have the conversational skills to get on the phone with a U.S. consumer, that can be an airline company, a car rental company, a healthcare provider, telecommunication, financial services, to be able to get on the phone and be able to talk intelligently and resolve customers’ concerns has been great with the Filipino workforce.” Outsourcing centers are now among the Philippines’ largest sources of revenue, making the country’s economic growth the fastest in Southeast Asia. But for all of the financial rewards, there are concerns the lack of sleep and odd hours contribute to unhealthy lifestyles. Researcher Victoria Fritz says overnight call center employees the world-over face these risks. “I found that . . . workers who work the night shift develop physical ailments over the years,” she said. “Among the findings is they develop cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesity.” For about $7 a month, employees at the center C3 can sign up for fitness classes at an onsite gym. But some workers say they are more bothered by the toll the overnight shift has taken on their social lives. Customer service agent Angeline Rodriguez says after five years of working in the industry, she has gotten used to it. “Social life, I don’t really have one right now. I’m not really into it, I’d rather work,” she said. She adds that if she wants to make new friends, or a boyfriend, there are plenty of people on her same shift. Tabare Vazquez returns as president in Uruguay By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Uruguay has sworn in Tabare Vazquez as the country's new president, extending the decade-long rule of a leftist coalition. Vazquez took the oath Sunday during a ceremony at the National Assembly. In a speech the new president called for dialogue on issues facing the country such as improvements to public education, health and housing. He also expressed thanks for his election victory. "And for the dear men and women of Uruguay, my most profound gratitude, gratitude for the trust in the political project and gratitude from this person. I will try not to disappoint.'' The 75-year-old oncologist who served as president from 2005 to 2010, takes the reigns from the highly popular Jose Mujica, a former guerilla fighter known for his humble lifestyle. Both Vazquez and Mujica belong to the leftist Broad Front Coalition which has been in power for a decade. Under Mujica, Uruguay legalized marijuana and the right to an abortion. Mujica's lifestyle includes living on a modest farm and driving an aging, weathered Volkswagen Beetle. His three-legged dog is his almost-constant companion. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Vazquez Saturday to offer the president-elect congratulations on his upcoming inauguration. Biden also expressed his regrets at having to cancel his trip to the inauguration, but he told Vazquez that President Barack Obama was sending Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden and U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Michele Sison to attend the ceremony. Maduro claims U.S. pilot was working as a spy By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told a rally Saturday that his government had arrested a U.S. pilot for alleged spying. Maduro said the American was captured in the state of Tachira along with what he described as "all kinds of documentation." He said the pilot was of Latin origin, but he gave no other details, including whether the man was a commercial, military or private pilot. The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment. Also Saturday, Venezuelan authorities freed four U.S. missionaries who were questioned about alleged spying. They left the country. Maduro also announced that U.S. tourists would now need visas to travel to Venezuela. Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, have consistently accused the United States of plotting to topple their socialist governments, but they have never given any evidence. The president ordered the arrest of Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, an opposition leader, last month, accusing him of planning a coup with U.S. backing. The White House called the charges ludicrous and said the president has to stop blaming others for the country's grave situation. Maduro is facing numerous challenges in Venezuela, including a shrinking economy, an unhappy electorate, and shortages of basic foods and household products. Solar plan may take off as early as this Tuesday By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Pilots of the sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 completed two successful test flights Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, in preparation for the first attempt to fly around the world. Officials say the plane performed flawlessly and that, weather permitting, it may start its journey as soon as Tuesday. A test pilot took Solar Impulse 2 on its first flight, which lasted four hours. Then, project co-founder Andre Borschberg took off and stayed in the air for a full day. These test flights are crucial because flying a four-engine plane powered only by sunlight, which charges its batteries at a cruising speed between 50 and 100 kilometers an hour, requires a lot of special skills. Solar Impulse 2 is a single-seater so Borschberg and his co-founder and fellow pilot, Bertrand Piccard, will take turns during 25 flying days stretched over five months. But both men are determined to show the world that sustainable energy sources are ready for everyday use. “To fly with a solar airplane you need an airplane which is extremely energy efficient, and we have technologies which you could use in your home, that people could use in ground transportation and that's what we want to show around the world,” said Borschberg. In order to be efficient, the plane must be light so pilots sacrificed not only cockpit space but pressurization. They had to practice yoga and self-hypnosis to endure long periods with little sleep, such as the five-day non-stop flight over the Pacific. Piccard, who also was the first to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, is a clean-energy enthusiast, as well. “We want to show that clean technologies and renewable energies can achieve the impossible, like flying day and night in an airplane with no fuel, and this is the way to encourage governments and societies and corporations to reduce their energy consumption to be more energy efficient like we are,” said Piccard. Solar Impulse 2 will be followed by a team of 80 dedicated technicians making sure that it performs without flaws until it returns to Abu Dhabi by early August. |
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2015 and may
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Evidently there are people who read this column (thank you very much)
Leaf cutters make huge tunnels for specific purposes, but it is the tunnels themselves that aid the soil, aerating it and allowing heavy soils to drain more easily. Ant specialists of some species remove debris and dead ants to a trash heap outside the nest where they decompose and enrich the soil. Then there is that above-ground nest, built grain by grain by worker ants which laboriously dig the tunnels and spread those grains of dirt around the nest opening. That dirt may come from 20 feet (6 meters) below the surface and can be rich in just the minerals your garden needs. Not only that, but it is light fluffy dirt, easy to shovel into a wheelbarrow or cart and haul away. The ants don’t seem to mind, although I have had a couple that objected to being moved (they showed their objection by biting through my glove). Don’t try this with fire ant mounds though. They have serious objections to moving and their mounds are too shallow for those extra minerals. Then there is the science. First, remember that the ants don’t eat the leaves they cut. They dine on a fungus that grows on the leaves. As it turns out, these farmer ants have bacteria on their bodies that make antibiotics that keep the fungus gardens healthy. It’s a strange relationship between ants, bacteria, and fungus, but studying the antibiotics that keep ant gardens healthy might someday help keep people healthy. Scientists are also studying the breakdown of leaves in ant gardens to see if it will help us develop better biofuels. All from those pesky ants. Not convinced? Neither am I. Right now, I am looking out the window at an angel trumpet that has been completely stripped of leaves by leaf cutters. I know it will come back because this has happened before, but it is disheartening. If scientists are so interested in the ants, maybe they can do gardeners a favor and find a way to get them to eat weeds – just weeds. Plant of the Day  A.M. Costa Rica/Victoria
Torley
Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) is a lovely plant of the morning glory family. Blooms are about 1 to 1.5 cm (about ½ inch) and are produced all year. The plant shown here is about 12 cm (7 inches) tall and has a spreading habitat but it can reach 27 cm (18 inches). Native to Brazil, blue daze grows beautifully here and spreads rapidly. Use in full sun on slight slopes or in hanging baskets. Propagation is easy from cuttings. So far, no insect or disease problems; take that leaf cutters! If you would like to suggest a topic for this column, simply send a letter to the editor. And, for more garden tips, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arenal-Gardeners/413220712106845 |
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| From Page 7: U.S. economic growth reported to be slower By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
U.S. economic growth was slower than first thought in the last few months of 2014. Friday's report from the Commerce Department says the gross domestic product expanded at a 2.2 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter. That is a bit slower than a previous estimate and half the rate of the third quarter's expansion. Commerce officials say growth slowed because of less federal government spending and rising imports. For all of 2014 the new analysis puts growth at 2.4 percent, which is a bit faster than the prior year. White House economic advisor Jason Furman said the slower growth rate is due to temporary issues, and that the labor market and energy security continue to improve. Economists from PNC bank say the weaker growth figures are due in part to a strong U.S. dollar and weak overseas demand which hurt U.S. exports. |
