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Channel Kennedy While I Sleep

Just arrived in Lisbon and enjoying the comforts of staying uptown with one of my dearest family members. The cold and soggy Portugal winter is making it even harder to stay awake. Therefore before I change location tomorrow, I leave you with a great edition of Radio Open Source, featuring James Blight.. who I honestly had never heard of but have now come to recognize as one of the minds behind the film “The Fog of War”.

In this particular interview he does a great job of explaining how Kennedy thought about things and made decisions, and how Obama might also do similar.? The main thing he says Kennedy would do, and I must say- what I would call one of the most lacking and necessary characteristics of ANY reprepresentative or world leader, Kennedy was very interested in considering how others thought and how others might think he thinks.? Might seem like a simple thing, but as Blight explains, if we understood or at least tried more to consider how and why other world leaders think, and how they think we think, we’d be much better at communicating with them.

Listen for yourself.

Weekend Break and A New Bike

Its the weekend and I’m busy with non-citizenreporter life. However staying true to my roots as a blogger and a bicycle rider, I wanted to share this video my buddy Marc over at Amsterdamize shot today.? It captures the first ride with my new Secret Service bike from Workcycles.com.? I’ve never had a more pleasant bike buying experience, so much so I had to say something here on the blog because Henry and the crew deserve credit beyond just my purchase*.

*(thanks to the Dutch government for this odd small business-tax-credit for bicycles thing which I can’t explain properly, but helped make this possible)

The Guatemala Banana Coup

In order to understand how it is that the world’s banana industry got to this volatile point, let’s look at various historical events that involve the big banana companies and the way they have conducted their businesses.

One of the bigger moments you’ll hear the term banana and coup intersect is the Guatemala coup of 1954.

It was the second ever democratic election in that country, and a man by the name of Arbenz was elected in 1950 with 65% of the vote.? His campaign was focused on economic independence from the United States and reforming a nation that had been ruled by a dictator for so long.? Once elected he took action to re-distribute land that during the time of the dictatorship was bought up by United Fruit (known today as Chiquita).? The company was in fact Guatemala’s largest land Continue reading “The Guatemala Banana Coup”

Dangerous Bananas

My buddy Lucas was telling me that he digs the site, but that I move from topic to topic too quickly for him.? Usually I listen to comments like that, say thanks, and then go back to doing my own thing, my way. But Lucas is a good man, who may be on to something.? Perhaps another step in my evolution as a citizen reporter will be to keep the focus on one topic, or at least a small amount of topics for an extended period.? Examples for this year, GMO agriculture, environmental crimes in Europe and North America, and perhaps the one I will start rolling out this week: Bananas.? (although I still maintain that its my site and a big world and I do what I want!)

You heard right on that last part: Bananas. Naners. Beloved fruit of millions if not billions of people, but lesser known for being one of the leading causes of suffering and political chaos in the 20th century.? And of course they’re not finished yet.

Lets set the stage for this issue, because its far bigger than our friend the banana. Its aboutContinue reading “Dangerous Bananas”

Grandparents and I Got Yelled At

Lots of non podcast related action getting in my way this week.? But its just as well I know lots of people want to bask in the light of positive feelings and relief after Obama’s swearing in. And as many of you know, I have a tendency to try and poo-poo the popular sentiments of the day. So again, its good that I’m busy and you can enjoy this very big happening.? As I was reminded.. or rather.. yelled at by an American several years my senior: You don’t realize how it used to be, you didn’t live it. Of course I argued back that one needn’t live every part of history to undertstand it… but still.. maybe I deserved to be yelled at. Some choose to do it in the comments of this site, some as I sit watching an innaugeration, either way is valid.

Now one thing I can recommend, that I initially didn’t think would be any good, is a recent edition of On Point that talks about the role of today’s grandparents in our households. They start off with the Obama mother-in-law in the white houseContinue reading “Grandparents and I Got Yelled At”

Take Your Eye Off NOLA

Among the issues and research I intend to do this season is New Orleans. In the shadow of the invasion of Gaza, my focus on GMO soy, and the mainstream press dedicating most of their vital resources to what they call an innaugeration celebration, it is easy to look away from a place that needs the critical public eye.

What issues concern me for NOLA in 2009? Quality of life. Specifically when it comes to affordable housing, public safety, and justice regardless of income or geographic location.? I wonder how the legal situation has or has not changed for those that I met going into the legal clinic back in 2007? Or what happens if they build this huge Veterans Hospital in an area where many people live in historical homes? Is there money for such a project or will it be downsized or remain incomplete? Of course the list goes on and on: corruption, public health, the environment… oh the environment.? All of these will get my attention and with the help of some of the finest and most critical bloggers (NOLA bloggers!) on the internets, we can help give the nation and people around a the world a reality check, saving many from the star-struck haze the CNN would like us to live in.

Swear in Obama, sing a song, read a poem, take a photo… then could we please get to work? People are dying out there, and together we could have stopped lots of it.