This is really disgusting

But hardly surprising...
Onward Corporate Food Crusaders!
This is the part that really gets me:

The question is, why should the private sector invest in global hunger?
"The Next Billions: Business Strategies to Enhance Food Values Chains and Empower the Poor" financed by (you guessed it) Bill Gates comes right out and says it:

Globally, 3.7 billion people are largely excluded from formal markets. This group, earning US$8 a day or less, comprises the 'base of the pyramid' (BOP) in terms of economic levels. With an annual income of US$2.3 trillion a year that has grown at 8% in recent years, this market spends US$1.3 trillion a year on food. Around 70% of the BOP (2.5 billion people) depends on the food value chain for their incomes, either directly as small scale farmers and farm laborers, or indirectly as small scale entrepreneurs... The BOP represents a fast-growing consumer market.

That's right, folks. We're not concerned about feeding poor people because they're hungry. We want to feed the poor because then they'll buy more of our stuff and become yet another demographic group we can exploit.

Like I said, hardly surprising. This is corporate business mentality at its essence, in all its sickening, appalling rapaciousness. Anyone got a bucket I can throw up in?

Lists and the people who love them, part deux

I couldn't have timed this better if I were actually in control of what comes over the news wires into my little cyber-space. Here's a list from Anthony Tommasini, classical music critic of the New York Times, of his picks for the ten greatest (dead) classical composers.

As might be expected, all the usual suspects are there. As also might be expected, there are no female composers listed or even discussed. Making lists like this is so reductive as to be a pretty pointless exercise, imo. And yet we continue to make these lists, and people continue to read them and talk about them. So they must serve some purpose. Anyone care to discuss?

I am majorly procrastinating making my own list of music for this week's Yiddish Hour, which is going to be an all-classical extravaganza featuring interviews with composer David Schiff and Linda Magee, Executive Director of Chamber Music Northwest; I'll be playing music from Chamber Music Northwest's upcoming Feb. 2 concert and I'll be talking to Schiff about the world premiere of his newest work, Borscht Belt Follies. Tune in here on Sunday 1/23 at 10am PST; just click on the "listen now" button. Or if you're in Portland, you can listen to us on the air at 90.7fm.

But about those lists...talk amongst yourselves (and leave me a comment too; I really wanna know)

The 50 Most Powerful People in Food

Lists and the people who love to make them. What does it mean to be on this list, or not on it? Discuss.

Also, should Steve Jobs (yes, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple) be on it, just because his company is named after a fruit? Actually, he was chosen for other reasons. Check them out here.

Better food is coming to a college campus near you

Check this out.

How to find hope in five minutes

Watch this:

Twoo nub, part deux

Great news. Of course, nothing is decided permanently, and I fear what will happen when this gets to the Supremes, but it's good news nonetheless.

Carrot love

In the words of William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride, "It's twoo nub!"