From the bottom of the pyramid

SUBHEAD: The wealthy may have deliberately chosen to buy themselves out of the need for 'messy' human entanglements and interdependencies.By Nicole M. Foss on 22 February 2011 for the Automatic Earth - (http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-22-2011-view-from-bottom-of.html)Image above: Jane Darwell as Ma Joad in 1940 film "The Grapes pf Wrath". From (http://www.examiner.com/

The Haybox Factor

SUBHEAD: Neanderthals routinely ate cooked vegetables, and cooked meat has been a hominid staple since the days of Homo erectus.By John Michael Greer on 29 December in the Archdruid Report - (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2010/12/haybox-factor.html)Image above: A fireless cooker circa 1890 branded 'The Chatham Jewel' in an oak case. From (http://www.antiquefever.com/

Revolutionary Moment

SUBHEAD: No wonder President Obama and congress are trying to stuff the country full of sugar plums just to get past the horror of Christmas.By James Kunstlers on 13 December 2010 for Kunstler.com - (http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/12/the-revolutionary-moment.html)Image above: A Price Chopper store in the snow. From (http://public.fotki.com/KMRichute01/the_snows_of_decemb/im000011.html).I

Vatican backs worldwide GMOs

SUBHEAD: Papal science advisers support genetically modifies crops to feed the world poor.By Matthew McDermott on 1 December 2010 for TreeHugger - (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/papal-science-advisors-worlds-poor-need-gm-crops.php)Image above: Small scale African farming. Photo by Luigi Gaurino in original article.The Vatican's science advisors have come out in support of genetically

The Pantry is Bare

SUBHEAD: Middle-class families who have lost income are now cutting back on buying food.Image above: Near entry charity pantry shelf. From original article.By Arthur Delaney on 29 November 2010 for Huffington Post - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/food-banks-bracing-for-en_n_789198.html)Food banks across the country are watching for the end of federally-funded extended unemployment

Pre Post Mortem

SUBHEAD: Don't worry folks, that sound of heavy breathing you hear is the exhalations of the big banks reviving on their IV drip lines of financial liquidity.Image above: Story illustration by Juan Wilson of SUV meeting CSX by the light of approaching meteor.By James Kunstler on 8 November 2010 in Kunstler.com - (http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/11/pre-post-mortem.html)The poetry of dynamic