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Food Inc
Robert Keener’s documentary on corporate farming in the United States is both thought provoking and scary. It is obvious that the less is more ideology does not apply to the corporate food industry in the US.
The documentary looks at the intense production of pork, chicken and beef in contemporary America. Pigs being raised in areas so small they can hardly move and the cute image of baby chicks going down a silver shute to an inevitable beheading. Cows being reared in intense farm lots being fed on corn without a green paddock in sight. It also looks at some of the big producers in America and their practices in range of areas including their treatment of the illegal workforce they courted in the Mexican media.
Whilst the film does look at contemporary ‘big’ farming in America, there is also a small time organic farmer. His cows are fed of grass in paddocks (who’d of thought); his chickens are in open cages and his pigs are rolling in the mud.
It also looks at how corn has become the dominant crop in the USA and illuminates how many items actually have corn in them. I thought corn was just corn on the cob or corn kernels. It touches on how this is unsustainable and how Mexico now has very few corn crops because the USA has taken the market.
The legal and economic power of the major food companies in the US is also looked at. It focuses on a couple of small time farmers and their battles with major food companies.
There’s a family that eats the cheap takeaway food instead of fresh vegetables because for the price of a a bunch of broccoli, you can get a chicken burger and fries.
There's also a mum who's son died from eating contaminated meat products.
Major companies in the food industry – Monsanto, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and Perdue Farms were all invited for comment on claims made in the film, but they declined.
Food Inc will make you think about where your food comes from – grow your own, buy in season and support the small, local guy selling his own or local meat I say…grassroots buying at its best. Food Inc will at least make you question how your food came to be…an absolute must see…
Australia has its first female Prime Minister – unelected by the voters might I add. The television was all over it this morning – as an historic occasion and a moment when you would remember where you were type rhetoric. I was nonplussed about the the female angle – I just want the best person in the job be they male or female but like most of the media in this country, we get caught up in the history and occasion.
I was no Kevin Rudd supporter by any measure but he was elected by the people in 2007 and as such, despite wavering polling, he should have stayed. The Labor Party – which I have supported at many elections- have shown themselves to be a factionalized bunch of hacks ready to stab anyone in the back. Images of the ‘powerbrokers’ working the phones, getting the numbers to mount a challenge have made many of us think we have no control over what actually goes on when there is a bit of a shitstorm.
As a female, I will play devil’s advocate here – Julia Gillard may be female but she has not made traditional decisions – she is not married and is childless. I doubt that a male in Australian politics would rise to the top job if in the same situation without rumblings about their sexuality. Also, had Julia Gillard has the traditional family and marriage, it would have made it more difficult for her to get the top job with the competing demands –she would have had to sacrifice one or the other maybe...
Whilst she is a polished political performer and speaks ‘normally’, she is still a politician and will no doubt have the odd back flip and blip along the way – whether her tenure is long or short. It might have been swift and relatively clean but the rumblings would have been there when she was denying any such thing. So, yes, she is a politician in that sense.
It’s too early for judgment of her performance- there will be a honeymoon no doubt for a few weeks but no doubt the bloodletting and self destruction of the modern Labor Party may continue.
My next vote for Julia’s hair in all of its incarnations - go the ranga!
England have made it through to the final 16 of the World Cup but what would any sporting contest involving England be without the gaggle of negative headlines in the Fleet Street Press. I have not had a chance to see the latest – which I assume would be praising Capello’s masterstroke of putting in a couple of speedy little attackers but rewind a couple of days ago…
Crap Capello was one – well he is getting paid 6 million quid a year, so they are entitled to want to get value for money – standing around chewing some gum with a perma tan has never been so lucrative. Or my favourite above Boering Boering England – good use of old Afrikaans language there and there was On the Wayne- well, Rooney certainly seems to be going downhill in the looks department – he’s 24!!!!
In Australia, the media is much more supportive – words like brave have been mentioned when talking about the Socceroos. But bravery does not get you to last 16 in the World Cup (oh, and getting thrashed by Germany 4-0 does not help).
The Australian media prefers to focus on poor decisions by referees and how Harry and Tim were robbed of helping Australia get through the World Cup. So, while Australia is fully supportive at this moment, it won’t be long until the commentators start questioning the selections and game plan of the dear ‘old (no pun intended) Socceroos.
But for now, England can rejoice a match against Germany. The fans are back on side – I mean they did beat Slovenia 1-0 – a country with the population of Manchester. The British media will be praising their boys today and the flags will be flying on cars around England...let’s just pray that their hopes are dashed yet again – remember Euro 2004 v France England fans – how sweet it was for many Australian watching…stick it up the poms Germany!
Postscript - the Germans did stick it up with Poms with some help from the ref!
In Australia, we have heard only snippets about the oil spill – the grilling of the CEO, the recent suicide of a fisherman and Obama’s delayed reaction to this national catastrophe – he's in a bit of 'deepwater' himself.
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Food Inc…
I am going to see the documentary Food Inc tomorrow and it’s got me thinking about food in general and how it’s farmed.
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I don’t mean to be politically incorrect but it seems Germany’s beloved polar bear, Knut, could be a bit of a nut…no offence intended.
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Love, Lust and Lies is the fifth documentary in Gillian Armstrong’s series about 3 working class Adelaide girls- Diana, Kerry and Josie. The trio – who we first met as 14 year olds at an Adelaide Drop in Centre – are now 47. It is inevitably compared with Michael Apted’s Seven Up series, but while Apted does challenge his subjects with more probing questions, Armstrong adopts a more sisterly approach.
Even if you have not seen any of the other films, there are generous extracts at the beginning of Love, Lust and Lies which sets the context and the past lives of the women at various ages.
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In Australia, last week, a couple of young soldiers or diggers died in Afghanistan- a roadside bomb that also killed the bomb detection dog, Herbie. One, a young father, the other, just 21 years old- killed serving their country. One day here, the next day gone in a senseless way. They join the long list of young men –and women – who have lost their lives to war. Some come home, to greet their families after an extended absence. Small babies are now walking, sometimes talking –precious family time missed. It’s all part of the job but they are the lucky ones – they are still here to fight another battle and live another day.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, in the peaceful Lakes District of England, Derrick Bird went on a killing rampage. Someone walking their dog – shot dead, a man in a field working on his farm – shot dead, a cyclist – shot dead…wrong place, at the wrong time. Seemingly in a quiet and safe country area, going about their daily business – enjoying some early summer sun
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n Australia, in the year 2007, Kevin07 won the day for me and I was swept up in his rhetoric – even if I did think he was a bit of a smarty pants, pasty faced, media managed control freak (if only I had the same channeling for lotto numbers). But hey, I was a true believer (thanks Paul). At last, Labor was back in town and Johnny and his eyebrows excited stage right.
However, the honeymoon was soon over and fast forward to the now, mid 2010 and he’s gotta go –Kev could go and live in Kiev for all I care. He’s fiscally challenged the vertical uplifting of the economy so there’s no reciprocity in the collective rules of engagement of the populous. Don’t worry if you don’t understand it, that’s the idea in Kevin’s world –smack a few ‘big words’ add some acronyms like RSPT into the vernacular and you have Government, Dudd (sic) style
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Personally, I think the best ‘I’ accessory is the little shirts you see babies wearing with ipood on them. Don’t get me wrong, I am not an Apple hater or enthralled with Microsoft, but I am sick and tired of this phenomenon. Or maybe I am just sick of looking at Steve Jobs and his black skivvy every time there is a new product– I mean fair enough if you like skivvies but channel a bit of Bert or Ernie please. For me, technology reached its peak in 2001 and should have stayed there.
I was in Sydney the other week and literally, as soon as they had the chance, they would sit down to scroll through the very important events or messages that they have received in the last say 5 minutes on their iPhone. There’s also those people who simply have to have it in their hand all the time for all to see and for us non iPhone owners to look at in awe. A bit like the scene in Crocodile Dundee (instead of “he’s got a knife,” it’s “he’s got an iPhone
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