Google Apps AuthSub = missing $_GET element

I am completely baffled by this. I have a PHP script that is using Cameron Hinkle's LightweightPicasaAPIv3 to authenticate with the Google Picasa service using the AuthSub method. Basically, if we're not authenticated, redirect to the google authsub URL: (https://www.google.com/accounts/AuthSubRequest?next=http%3A%2F%2Ftwozerowest.com%2Fsnowdog%2520gallery%2Fadmin.php&scope=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi&session=1) This page requests that the user either grant access or deny access. Grant access takes us to the URL specified (my authentication script) with a ?token=xxxxx added to the end of the URL. This all works. We get back to my URL with ?token=xxxxx appended to the URL. That's when it starts getting weirder than anything I've seen in PHP: My debugging output confirms that: 1. $_SERVER['request_method'] = GET 2. strlen($_GET['token']) = 0 3. $_GET - array()...but it's empty! 4. $_REQUEST[] contains no 'token' element 5. echo($_GET['token']) prints the value of ?token= from the URL So WTF? My code: Note the comments inside/around the try/catch statement inside the if block. WTF? This evaluates to false...or seems to anyway. Code that is inside it's if{} statement does not execute. if(strlen($_GET['token']) > 0) But then, other code that IS in it's if{} statement DOES execute...and the $_GET['token'] that has a 0 strlen in the if() statement now echos as a 16 character string! WTF!!??? if(strlen($_GET['token']) > 0) { // evaluates ???...

        $firephp->info('got a token: ' . $_GET['token']); #this doesn't happen
        echo ('echo $_GET[\'token\'] output: ' . $_GET['token']); #this doesn't happen
        // try to authenticate with it

# this try/catch block DOES NOT happen! try{

            $token = $pic->authorizeWithAuthSub($_GET['token']);
            $firephp->info('running authorizeWithAuthSub() with token: ' . $_GET['token']);
            if($pic->isAuthenticated()){
                $firephp->info('there we go...authenticated!');
                $firephp->info('token :' . $pic->getAuthToken());
                echo 'inside try/catch :' . $_GET['token']; #this echo statement inside the try/catch DOES happen...WTF!?
            }
        } catch (Picasa_Exception_FailedAuthorizationException $e){
            $firephp->log($e, 'error');
        }
    } else {
        $pic->redirectToLoginPage('http://twozerowest.com/snowdog%20gallery/admin.php', 1);
    }

Anyone have ANY idea what's going on? John Corry email: jcorry@gmail.com