Author: Farron Cousins

I came across this great article from The Nation magazine, and I wanted to share it with everyone. We get a lot of people asking “what can I do to help?” Well, here’s your answer: What’s wrong with this picture? Air America vanishes into the ether, while Glenn Beck indoctrinates 2.7 million daily viewers with his histrionic brand of right-wing lunacy. Independent news agencies must continuously solicit donations from readers to stay afloat, while hate-filled shock jock Rush Limbaugh makes $50 million a year. ..On the other hand, there’s still a lot of great progressive media on the airwaves, including Democracy Now!, which airs on more than 800 TV and radio stations worldwide, along with radio shows by Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller. The Nation and TheNation.com are part of a progressive journalistic community that is challenging the right in every medium. ZP Heller, a writer (HuffPo, OpenLeft, AlterNet) who is working on a novel lampooning corporate media, lists ten steps you can take to help keep progressive journalism alive: ?1 Check it. Media Matters and Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) have been dogged in holding Fox News accountable for spewing gross misinformation on a near daily basis. Get the facts about how Fox’s right-wing agenda still oozes on the air, even when Beck, O’Reilly and Hannity aren’t on-screen. Go to mediamatters.org and fair.org. ?2 Read it. AlterNet...

This week’s Ring of Fire, hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio and David Bender: Saturdays at 3 o’clock Eastern, rebroadcasts Sunday nights at 8 pm Eastern   This week on Ring of Fire, Congressman Alan Grayson will be joining us to talk about his plan to help bring a public option to the American people for health insurance, and we’ll find out how he has personally been targeted by right wing nuts who threatened to kill him if he voted for healthcare reform.   Comedian Hal Sparks will be here to talk about some of the funny but serious stories that developed over the last week.   We’ll discuss two major sex scandals – from the RNC to the Catholic Church – with comedian Matt Filipowicz.   And David Bender will be taking your calls LIVE at 866-389-FIRE (3473)!   You can now SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST by clicking on the “Podcast” tab at the top of the Ring of Fire blog.  Please help support progressive radio by signing up!   And don’t forget to join us on Facebook.  Just click on the Facebook icon on the left side of our blog!   To support Congressman Grayson’s initiatives, visit the following websites:   Congressman With Guts   Save Democracy   Medicare You Can Buy...

This week’s Ring of Fire, hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio and David Bender: Saturdays at 3 o’clock Eastern, rebroadcasts Sunday nights at 8 pm Eastern   This week on Ring of Fire, political advisor Nick Littlefield will be joining us to talk about the historic passage of healthcare reform this week.    Best-selling author David Kirby will be joining us to talk about the dangers of factory farming, and how these farms are killing local communities across the country.   Marcy Winograd will be here to tell us about her campaign against Jane Harman to represent California’s 36th Congressional district in the House, and we’ll talk about how more and more moderate and conservative democrats are facing uphill battles in the midterm elections as they’re being challenged by true progressive candidates.   And author David DeGraw will be joining us once again to talk about the ultra-secret business organization that is working behind the scenes and behind closed doors to control our elected officials.   You can now SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST by clicking on the “Podcast” tab at the top of the Ring of Fire blog.  Please help support progressive radio by signing up!   And don’t forget to join us on Facebook.  Just click on the Facebook icon on the left side of our...

This Saturday, March 27th, Congressman Alan Grayson will be conducting a money bomb fundraising event online to help fund his upcoming re-election bid. Sarah Palin has already personally pledged to make sure that his opponent is well-financed, and we cannot afford to lose his powerful voice in the House. I encourage everyone to visit his website – Congressman With Guts – and donate whatever you can. It can be as little as $1, or as much as you can spare. Please donate. Every little bit helps. The below message is from Grayson’s website Congressman With Guts: It is a real pleasure to stand up for a Congressman with guts. We’ve finally found a Congressman who doesn’t need a spinal transplant like others do in both parties in Washington. Alan Grayson stood up against corporations when other people wouldn’t. When I listen to him, he reminds me of what “Give ‘Em Hell” Harry Truman used to say: “I don’t give ’em hell. I just tell the truth, and they think it’s hell.” The spirit of Harry Truman has been reincarnated in Congressman Alan Grayson. We are putting out the word that corporations will NOT own America. Pledge now. Donate here – Congressman With...

From Mother Jones Magazine: Some fruits’ and vegetables’ thick skins do protect the edible part from chemicals. But not all. The Environmental Working Group recently analyzed samples of 47 common produce items in the state that they’re usually eaten (i.e., avocados were peeled, apples washed with water, etc.) then ranked them according to the amount and variety of pesticides the researchers found. Good news for my guac addiction: As I suspected, peeled avocadoes contain a small amount of pesticides, ranking 46th on the list. But bananas come in at a surprisingly high 27, and cucumbers at 19. “It’s really hard to use your intuition to figure out what’s going to have high pesticide loads,” says EWG spokesperson Amy Rosenthal. “Skin is something to take into account, but it doesn’t always make a huge difference.” More findings: Peaches, apples, and sweet bell peppers were the three most pesticide-laden crops tested, while frozen sweet corn, avocado, and onion were least contaminated. The EWG team estimates you can lower your pesticide intake by as much as 80 percent if you steer clear of the top 12. In descending order, the EWG’s 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables: 1. Peaches 2. Apples 3. Sweet bell peppers 4. Celery 5. Nectarines 6. Strawberries 7. Cherries 8. Kale 9. Lettuce 10. Grapes (imported) 11. Carrots 12. Pears For the full list of all 47 fruits...