Eating Animals

Sue Coe, "My Mother and I Watched a Pig Escape From a Slaughterhouse"

 The New Yorker's November 9 edition was a good issue. Lawrence Wright has an extensive article on Gaza, and Elizabeth Kolbert reviews Jonathan Safran Foer's book "Eating Animals". I like the issue of eating animals (and the alternative, vegetarianism/veganism) receiving more national media and serious prominence. The review is good up until the Kolbert gets a bit silly by asking whether veganism is enough in solving all our environmental problems. Of course not, but it would certainly have desirable effects in that area.

The Warning

Frontline had a very good program on a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, one can still watch it online which I just did. The program is about the unregulated market in derivatives and how a woman named Brooksley Born (above) back in the 90's tried to warn the government that there needed to be regulation of this dark market. Unfortunately, the economic powers that were, Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, held sway, and nothing was done, despite events at the time! And today, we've seen how derivatives brought Wall Street to its knees and how the government has had to step in and bailout a number of firms. Hopefully, there will finally be some regulation enacted, but it is slow going, particularly with Obambi in the White House.

Toothless Paper Tiger

Here is a very good interview by Kathy Freston at huffingtonpost.com of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. Dr. Esselstyn explains how the western diet is the great contributor to heart disease.

Held by the Taliban

Tomas Munita, The New York Times

The New York Times has had an engrossing 5-part story in its pages this week about David Rohde's seven months in captivity by the Taliban. David Rohde is a Times reporter who along with a couple of Afghan colleagues was kidnapped by the Taliban last November. They were held and moved about Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan until he and one of the Afghans escaped in June. Rohde tells the story of their captivity, and the story gives some insight into the motives and behavior of the Taliban.

Australia's Dry Run

Amy Toensing, National Geographic

An interesting article about the drought in Australia and its affects on farmers; from a few months back in National Geographic.

Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering

Damon Winter, New York Times

Wow, time really flies. It's been three weeks since I read this very good Sunday feature article in the Times.

graphic: Clean Water Act violations: the enforcement record

video: Toxic Waters: Coal in the Water

interactive: Find water polluters near you

E. coli contamination in ground beef

Ben Garvin, New York Times

A good feature article in the Times today regarding E. coli contamination in ground beef. Makes one think more carefully when buying the stuff.

With video and Graphic: Anatomy of a Burger

Two weeks in a row on Sundays for good feature articles. Last week's article to come.