Google Apps AuthSub = missing $_GET element

[John Corry <jcorry@xxxxxxxxx>]

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@xxxxxxxxx