The Ten Best Blogs Of The Week: Monsanto Lied

by: Curtis Abbey

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Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 12:56:24 PM CDT

Tonight, we honor four of our fallen who are very different, but alike in that they have gone into eternity together in service of their country. Two were fathers with three children each, another is a father of a young child, and the last is a young woman just starting her adult life.

• Commander Duane G. Wolfe who died May 25th near Fallujah, Iraq

• AM1 (AW) Joseph Wayne Richardson, USN who died May 12th in California

• Lieutenant Colonel Mark E. Stratton II who died May 26 near Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan

• Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Goodman who died May 26 near Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan

IGTNT: Five More Lost To All Who Love Them

Major Jason E. George of Tehachapi, California; First Lieutenant Leevi K. Barnard of Mount Airy, North Carolina; and Sgt. Paul F. Brooks of Joplin, Missouri were killed on May 21 near Baghdad, Iraq, when their units were attacked by enemy forces while they were out on foot patrol.

Chief Warrant Officer III Brent S. Cole of Reedsville, West Virginia, died May 22 when his AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter went down near Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman of New Bremen, Ohio, died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a non-combat related incident.

The third article was entitled He Wanted To Be Where He Could Be The Most Help

Tonight we gather to remember two U.S. soldiers who died in service to their country last week: 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, of Summers, Arkansas, who was killed in Afghanistan, and Spc. Chad A. Edmundson, of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, who was killed in Iraq. Please join noweasels and me, along with the Daily Kos community, to celebrate their lives and to honor their memory.

Thank you to these fine soldiers for their service, the incredible gift that they've given us can never be repaid. May we all try anyway to be as honorable as we can be to honor their lives and service to our country. Rest In Peace.

#3 Jill Richardson's interview on the Voice Of San Diego by Emily Alpert. This was a great article that really shows what the local/sustainable food movement is all about.

One of the big criticisms of slow food or local food or organic is the cost. There's this whole sort of stigma over the movement about it being an elitist thing. Is that a reality? Is it a perception? And how can it be changed?
This is a reality of our society and it's very sad that we think it's okay that people don't all need to have healthcare and a living wage and that that's acceptable. You get to situations where we'll talk about cheap foods that a poor person might be able to eat, like rice and beans, and we don't factor in the transportation, the storage, the cooking, the time, the equipment required -- all those things that they might not have. So I think, yes, in our current system it is crazy to say that, "Oh, well, the solution is that everybody should buy organic and pay extra," when some people can't even -- they're worried that they have enough calories to survive that day, let alone whether or not there were pesticides put in it or it's healthy. But I think the answer is we need to fix the system rather than calling out organic for being the problem.

#4 Boilerman10 wrote a touching GBCW diary. GBCW stands for Goodbye Cruel World, and it's the title of diaries where bloggers let us know that they are leaving the site, the internet or sometimes they are leaving this beautiful world. Boilerman is headed for retirement, and I wish him the best. He's leaving us with some solid advice.

So, as I type down my last paragraphs here at Daily Kos, I suppose the subject that ails me lately are the attempts by the Fawning Commercial Media to rehabilitate General Colin Powell.  I am dead set against this.  When I see the latest round of Republican silliness, I see the Rush/Hannity/Beck loonies and the self-made idiots like Inhoff, King, and Bachmann ranting and raving, I wonder what the other hand is doing, and since Republicans are masterful at playing "Watch The Birdie" I see this effort to rehabilitate Powell as a Pubbie attempt to 'ethnic-ize' the party leadership and thus try and blunt over the crushing criticism that Republicans are, and pander to, racists.  Pubbies lost like 95% of the African-American vote and the Hispanic losses were also severe.  So, when I hear the Tancredos's and the King's and the Bachmann's playing the fool and Rush working up a good head of steam I wonder what the other side of the game is.  To me it looks like Powell rides in for the rescue.  Cripes, you could almost set it to music  While we watch the circus, Powell slides in and takes charge.  I don't think it will help the Pubbies, but you can't say they arn't trying to at least think beyond their noses.    

One Pissed Off Liberal also wrote a GBCW, I just didn't have room for it.

#5 Continuing this topic from last week, JayinPortland has an exceptional article about the dangers of BPA and the PR efforts of the producers of that dangerous plastic.

BPA Trade Association: Bringing Poison To Americans

Bisphenol A is a known endocrine disruptor commonly used in the production of many household items, from baby bottles to plastic food containers to soup cans to dental fillings; and exposure via tap water and house dust is now also thought possible.  Many studies have linked long term, low-level BPA exposure to everything from increased risks for obesity by triggering fat-cell activity, to diabetes, heart disease and an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life from fetal exposure.

#6 What The War On Sotomayor Means to A Young Latina Lawyer

I am 26 years old, and have been a member of the bar for just a matter of months.  I always knew Latinas were a scarcity in the legal profession, but I guess I had always kept myself in "safe places" like joining the Latino Law Students Association in law school and working in public interest for summer internships where you'll find the few of us there are working for tragically low salaries fighting to give more people like us opportunities like we had.  Once I made the necessary choice to start my career in the private sector (because $35,000 doesn't get you very far when you're nearly $200,000 in debt from law school) I faced the reality that we are really one in one hundred of the profession.

#7 Washunate brings an interesting perspective to this fight about whether or not to release photos of detainee abuse.

What The Courts Have To Say On Detainee Photos

You can feel the momentum building for transparency and accountability. Even mainstream corporate media outlets are talking about 'the photos'. While we may find their portrayals overly simplistic, and we may find it unfortunate that the headlines try to make everything about Obama (as if he personally is responsible for years of litigation about the public's right to know what the government does), the corporate media's most potent weapon is that of omission, of ignoring stories. Once CNN and the Washington Post start running headlines with titles like Justice Department prepared to fight detainee photo release and Obama Shifts on Abuse Photos, the issue of photographs is so far into the mainstream consciousness that there's no putting it back in the bag.

One interesting voice gets left out a lot, though, and that's what the courts have actually said about these matters. Fundamentally, these are legal questions, not political ones. The political level is whether or not FOIA should exist, not whether courts should follow the laws that do exist.

#8 The hate mail to the DailyKos was exceptionally scary this week. The hate and homophobia was cranked up to all time highs. Kos shared it with us in his usual saturday hate mail series. The funniest one included this gem!

You are a moron, I have seen what you look like, typical liberal, like you should have a lolly pop stuck in your mouth and rammmed down your throat.

#9 JedLewison put together a disgusting video of Bill O'Reilly's fearmongering about abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. This is truly disturbing and O'Reilly certainly has blood on his hands. Jed's article

I understand abortion is a sensitive issue, but they need to calm down this crazy rhetoric so more people do not get killed. On the left we absolutely hate the Republican wars of choice that have resulted in the deaths of more than 4000 soldiers (and many more Iraqis). But, we don't go around attacking supporters of that war.
Rest in Peace Dr. George Tiller.

#10 He was a good man, The George Tiller I Knew Loree920 has an inside connection to the murdered doctor.

In 1975 my Mom noticed an indention in her left breast. She called and made an appointment with her OB/GYN, Dr. George Tiller. After his initial examination, he ordered a biopsy. While performing the biopsy he immediately knew that the lump was cancerous. Instead of just closing and scheduling surgery, he "grabbed a handful", his words not mine. Her cancer Dr. credited this quick thinking by Dr. Tiller with saving her life, and due to this she didn't even have to undergo chemotherapy.

Several years later my Mother and I were driving by his clinic in Wichita. Mom started complaining of chest pains, so I drove into his parking lot and ran in to get help. Dr. Tiller was by Mom's side immediately, and stabilized her, before the heart attack could cause severe damage.

In 1980 I was pregnant with my first child. I had no insurance and couldn't afford a doctors appointment until I was approved for a medical card.. Mom told Dr. Tiller and he brought me into his office where he examined me, free of charge. I can credit him with the very first picture taken of my son.

The last story I have to share is about my friends who could not have children. Dr. Tiller's office worked with several attorneys in the Wichita area to provide adoption services for his patients who wanted this option. My friends have a 10 yr. old boy now, who is loved and adored.  

May he Rest in Peace. This was a tough week. I hope next week is better.