Food has been a particularly hot topic this year, helped in large part by the release of the eye-opening Food, Inc., the planting of a White House garden, and heightened concern over food safety and nutritional content of school lunches. To help us gain some perspective on this year in food, the blog Endless Simmer invites us to vote on who we think should be 2009's Eater of the Year. I have to say that I am inclined to vote for Michelle Obama, given her admirable commitment to getting kids excited about gardening and healthy eating, but I'm also intrigued by the suggestion of Rachel Maddow, the "foodiestnewslady ever", as a possible candidate.
There are several other people and organizations that have contributed to creating a more sustainable food system and should be included on that list, and so I've made my own list below of the top five sustainable food advocates for 2009: More
The vaccine for the H1N1 virus has received quite a bit of attention lately, however, important questions remain unattended about the origins of the vicious strain and the likely possibility that it spread from unsanitary conditions on factory pig farms. Jonathan Safran Foer, on the other hand, is not shying away from examining the connection between what was originally known as swine flu and large-scale concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
I'm glad that Foer is attempting to bring the health risks posed by CAFOs to the attention of the mainstream media, as he did during his recent appearance on Ellen, and hopefully we will begin to see a more thorough investigation of origins of H1N1. Earlier this year I discussed the concerns that H1N1 may have spread from a hog farm in Mexico, and a lawsuit that was filed against the pork producer Smithfield Foods, but Foer has his sights set on a pig farm in North Carolina as the original source of the virus. More
Glenn Beck is almost always frustrating to watch. And while I try not to post about too often because it seems like it would just be giving him more of a platform, I was so enraged by his rant on vegetarianism and Meatless Mondays last week that I couldn't help but respond with a post.
Well, I've calmed down a bit since then but I couldn't hide my joy at Jon Stewart's clever and right on Glenn Beck impersonation from last night's Daily Show. In the skit Stewart takes on the subject of Glenn Beck's recent appendicitis and uses it to show how ridiculous Beck is night after night after night.
It might just be the perfect segment to get your weekend started right.
Natalie Portman, who will be on Top Chef tonight (!), has written a little op-ed piece on The Huffington Post about how Jonathan Safran Foer's new book Eating Animals influenced her to become a vegan!
"Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals changed me from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist. I've always been shy about being critical of others' choices because I hate when people do that to me. I'm often interrogated about being vegetarian (e.g., "What if you find out that carrots feel pain, too? Then what'll you eat?")." More
Wherever you fall on the spectrum of meat eating, from ravenous carnivore to strict vegan, I highly recommend reading Jonathan Safran Foer's article in yesterday's New York Times Magazine food issue. A touching, poignant and thought-provoking examination of the decision of whether or not to eat animals, and a preview of his upcoming book "Eating Animals", Foer admirably tackles the cultural, ethical, personal and parental dilemmas we face as omnivores.
As you can guess from my title and his own, Against Meat, Foer ultimately chooses to abstain from eating animals, along with his wife and children, but only after patchwork of vegetarian efforts. As someone who mostly eats a vegetarian diet, strives to eat ethically raised animals when available, but on occasion turns on the blinders and gives into the convenience of our meat-heavy culture, I appreciate Foer's tribute to the deceptively simple question: "What's for dinner?" More
Lately, I've been spending a fair amount of time dreaming about the day when I'll be able to have a dog. When I'll have the type of schedule and the space that allows me to care for one of the four legged creatures I so adore. I miss having a dog more than I miss eating meat (or dairy on my vegan days) and even though the thought of settling down or committing to somewhere to live and work fills me with a huge sense of dread and horror, I am comforted in knowing that when that day of settling comes, it means I get to once again embrace a furry companion.It was with a huge smile then that I found an old op-ed piece by Jonathan Safran Foer about our connection to animals, specifically dogs. In the piece, Foer discusses how children relate to animals, factory farming and a special friend, his great-dane lab mix George (a lady dog FYI).An adorable lab puppy (Credit WENN)In a lot of ways, it all comes down to the quote that you'll find after the jump More
They should definitely fight against their rights and that in such a manner that their appeal has no other option other than giving the positive and the approval for the overall rights as they have to take care of everything and they have the capability to get the things done in a best way.
Natalie Portman, who will be on 
