Many thanks to Mark Baughman for his financial contribution. Please help us.
New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has come under attack for proposing a ban on the sales of "super-size" sweetened soft drinks in restaurants, stadiums, theaters, and the like -- a nightmare for libertarians and anti-government-interference types. Yet, a 32-ounce Coke packs 310 empty calories, which is more than our sedentary bodies can burn off in a single day so it serves no purpose but for packing pounds. It's no wonder, given the criticism over such a rational yet minor proposal, that the Congressional agriculture committees do nothing to set a bold agenda that will deliver healthy food to its constituents, or provide better protections for the environment. Soon after the Senate returns from vacation next week it will begin debate on the 2012 Farm Bill, which, as Jan Baughman notes, is dead silent on the growing shortage of agricultural workers to harvest our crops, in large measure a byproduct of the crackdown on illegal immigration. Perhaps as our food supply dwindles, the obesity rate will too... As for the environment, Glenn Reed's Vermont homecoming was unfamiliar and out of balance due to the dramatic and undeniable effects of climate change. "Change is now," was newly-crowned French president François Hollande's campaign slogan. Whether it's now or never remains to be seen, at least until the June 17 parliamentary elections. Gilles d'Aymery recaps the mostly wordy and symbolic accomplishments of President Hollande's first weeks in office.
There's much to explore on the cultural front, from Michael Barker's review of Jason Colavito's The Cult of Alien Gods: H.P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture, to Peter Byrne's psychoanalysis of Freud and his dogs and Manuel García Jr.'s tale of two kitties. Charles Marowitz reflects on social behavior and considers whether theater imitates life, or life imitates theater, while Raju Peddada looks at the understated philosophical giant Swami Vivekananda, who continues to influence inquiring minds and the literary elite in the 21st century. In the poetry corner, Guido Monte creates a new version of Chekhov's famous tale, and we close with your letters on the economic divide, Zola, and Manuel García's antidote for the indolent summer idle.
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Jan Baughman: Growing Ideology And Dwindling Harvests
How a xenophobic, ideologically-driven agenda is threatening America's food supply. More...
Glenn Reed: Returning Home To An Altered Vermont
Vermont's altered seasonal cycles make the effects of climate change blatantly clear to the observant. More...
Gilles d'Aymery: France: Change Is Now?
France's new president campaigned on Change is Now, but until the June 17 parliamentary elections, we won't know what change, if any, looks like. More...
Michael Barker: H.P. Lovecraft's Alien Legacy
Review of Jason Colavito's The Cult of Alien Gods: H.P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture (Prometheus Books, 2005). More...
Peter Byrne: Freud's Dogs
A fascinating look at the history of psychoanalysis and the evolution of Sigmund Freud's love of dogs. More...
Manuel García, Jr.: Honey And Pepper, A Cat Tale
Stories of the lives and times of two brother cats, and their human household. More...
Charles Marowitz: Acting Out
Charles Marowitz considers whether theater imitates life or life imitates theater. More...
Raju Peddada: A Man Who Influenced The Influencers
A look at the understated philosophical giant Swami Vivekananda who continues to influence inquiring minds and the literary elite in the 21st century. More...
Guido Monte: Ward n.6: A new poetic version of Chekhov's famous tale
Guido Monte writes a new poetic version of Chekhov's famous tale "Ward n.6." More...
On Gilles d'Aymery, the economic divide, and Zola; and Manuel Garcia's antidote for the indolent summer idle: an upcoming Swans change-of-pace edition -- stay tuned for more! More...
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