Being Optimistic

This is a good read in the Times today.

Income Inequality

Digby has a post here with a couple of good TED videos (especially the first one) on income inequality.

Racehorse Deaths

Am finally saving a link to this article back in March about the epidemic of racehorses breaking down and being killed. This is due to the overuse of pain medications given to horses to hide their injuries. This eventually results in the horses' legs literally breaking during races.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?smid=pl-share

Best and Worst of Pesticides in Produce

Want to know what produce rates the best or worst in terms of pesticides?  My friend Barbara told me about this handy guide from the Environmental Working Group:

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/foodnews/pdf/2011EWGPesticideGuide.pdf

Think Again About That Nice iPhone

Two reports by the NY Times on Apple manufacturing jobs going to China and the poor working conditions of the Chinese workers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html

This probably applies for other electronics manufacturing companies, but it may be worse in regards to Apple products.

Rachel Maddow on Rick Perry

Good run down by Rachel Maddow on Rick Perry and the myth about how well Texas is doing.

http://youtu.be/DpCPVpfxEcY?t=7m58s

Fighting Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Deregulation

A plea here by Stonyfield Farm CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg to fight the recent decision by the USDA to completely deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa, another item in the list of deregulated foods.