MP3/AUDIO NEWS DOWNLOADS
JANUARY 2014

RATINGS... for each clip are out of a possible 5.

TOPIC INDEX FOR JANUARY 2014   (Or just keep scrolling down!)

• Financial, Empire & Elites
• Media, Internet & Privacy
• Energy, Peak Oil, Sustainability & Resilience
• Nuclear
• Environment
• Health
• Food, Nutrition, Organics & GMOs
• Agriculture & Gardening
• Biodiversity, Species & Animal Welfare
• Cool & Cosmic
• History & Learning
• Music & Fun

FINANCIAL, EMPIRE & ELITES

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 31.JAN.2014

9-11 Wake-Up Call

Active Suppression of 9/11 Discussions in the Academic Community — Adnan Zuberi, producer and director of the film 9/11 in the Academic Community, talks about the consequences for those academics who raise inconvenient questions about the overwhelming body of research that contradicts the official 9/11 narrative. The topic is taboo on university campuses, and those who break the taboo find themselves set upon by collegues and students who prefer obedience to oration.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:35

GP comment:  It is indeed sad (and scary) that so many Americans are afraid of questions, let alone the correct answers to them.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, MEDIA — 28.JAN.2014

Making Contact

Jeremy Scahill on Obama's Dirty Wars — Jeremy Scahill points out that the maxim "you break it, you own it" apparently does not apply to Iraq, which the US has made inestimably worse than it was under Saddam Hussein. He says Obama supporters let the president get away with things that if done by a Republican would have them screaming for impeachment. He offers examples of US raids in Iraq and Yemen gone horribly wrong (and then were covered up) that suggest the special ops apparatus is broken at all levels. Regarding media coverage of these issues, he poses a troubling question: If there were such a thing as state-run media, would it look any different than what we see on the mainstream cable news stations?
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:56

GP comment:  The horrifying answer is that our media situation is far worse than it would be with state-run media. With the latter, everyone would know it's propaganda. As it is now, most people still believe the corporate media are independent and reasonably accurate, which of course is laughable.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 28.JAN.2014

Against the Grain

2013 Civil Liberties Roundup — Natasha Minsker of the ACLU discusses what's happened on privacy and civil liberties issues over the past twelve months. Comments include... The NSA spying program is unconstitutional because it gathers evidence without any reasonable suspicion. Similarly, many aspects of the PATRIOT Act are also inconsistent with constitutional liberties. The bar for the police entering your home without you inviting them is much lower than it used to be. Rules on vehicular searches are also now much more permissive, mostly due to the ratcheting up of the War on Drugs. Other topics include marriage equality, immigration rules, personal-use drug laws, and the death penalty.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   55:24

GP comment:  Just remember that The Powers That Be rarely make abrupt changes. They know that making many small changes over long periods of time get them to where they want to be—in this case a total-control state—without much fuss from the hoi polloi.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL — 27.JAN.2014

The Real World of Money

China and Money—Wise and Foolish at the Same Time — Andrew Gause's comments include.... Though China has been smart enough to control their own central currency—as opposed to the private Federal Reserve doing so in the US—they have been much less wise in how they invest their money, and there will be a wave of defaults in China. ~~ Why it is appropriate to put tariffs on imported goods that are produced in countries with lax environmental and labor standards. ~~ Does the NY Fed really have ANY of the 8,000 tons of gold they claim to have? ~~ Is rental real estate as good an investment as gold?
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:07:50

GP comment:  Your first best investment is in the means of production for your own shelter, energy, food, and water.

Original Show Pub Date: 22.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, HISTORY — 27.JAN.2014

CounterSpin

The NSA and History of Political Surveillance — An independent review board has concluded that the National Security Agency's surveillance program poses threats to citizens' civil liberties, isn't really working to catch terrorists, and should be ended. But while much debate centers on the data collected being misused, what about what happens if it's used as intended? History professor Alfred McCoy discusses the history of spying by the US government and the political dirty tricks (and worse) it has fostered.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:00

GP comment:  Spying on internal adversaries has been going on throughout history. But given the old axiom about power corrupting, we should not be granting our appointed leaders such power. It inevitably goes off the rails.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 26.JAN.2014

On The Media

Do the Motivations of Leakers Matter? — A recent Pew poll found that although 45% of Americans believe Snowden's leak helped the public, 56% wanted criminal charges brought against him. Did he act to protect the rights of Americans, or to expose what he considers an problematic surveillance state? Does it matter why he acted? New Republic contributing editor Sean Wilentz discusses.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   12:05

GP comment:  Soooo many problems with the comments made in this story. (1) The fact that Snowden once thought leakers were scum—as his annual security-clearance training would have drummed into him—and then went on to leak information himself, only proves his belief
that leaking was the only way to expose the unacceptable, inappropriate, illegal government activities. (2) Why did he end up in Russia? Not because he's a Russian spy, but because Russia is the only strong nation that is not at some level under US hegemony. (3) Wilentz is an idiot. Motivation makes ALL the difference. Had Snowden SOLD the secrets—as many in the past have done—one could question the sincerity of his stated purpose of alerting the country to the depth of the surveillance state. But he did not profit here; in fact, he gave up everything he had to do it. (4) Shame on the majority of Americans who, instead of beating down Congress' doors over NSA improprieties, think criminal charges should be pursued against Snowden. We are so screwed.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 25.JAN.2014

NPR

Palestinian Herders Pick Up The Pieces After Homes Destroyed — A community of Palestinian herders—a handful of families, including more than a dozen children and over 700 sheep and goats—recently had their camp demolished by the Israeli military because it was deemed to be in a closed Israeli military zone. When the Red Cross helped the herders erect a second camp in a new location, that too was destroyed by the Israelis.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   2:56

GP comment:  Well, gosh, if the Israeli high court finds an unconscionable act to be proper, then all is well, right?

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 24.JAN.2014

Time Monk Radio Network

CAF:  TPTB are Still Working the 'Slow Burn' Path to Total Central Control — Catherine Austin Fitts talks about how the world really works—the politicians are essentially employees of the military-banking power axis, which is in turn the main operations tool of the super-wealthy elites. Though she admits there are wildcards like Fukushima or a surprise collapse of an important nation like China, TPTB generally have things well under control and are continuing with their "slow burn" approach to harvesting the remaining public wealth of nations (and of the non-elite citizens in those nations). Though the elites are very powerful, they are not fully in control, as is evidenced by the recent failure of their left flank to get gun control passed. She acknowledges that Putin's Russia does cooperate on many issues with the US-based elites, but says it's noteworthy that Russia has resisted falling into the whirlpool that is centralizing global power, and keeping the world from total central control is a good thing for all of us.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:34:58

GP comment:  Fitts continues to impress me as the person whose worldview feels like the closest to the actual truth of how things really are.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, CORPORATIONS — 23.JAN.2014

Making Contact

Dollarocracy—Corporate Cash in Politics — America's democracy is the most expensive in the world, with billions spent on the 2012 political campaigns. But there’s a growing consensus that big business and wealthy individuals are buying power. John Nichols and Robert McChesney have a name for the state we're in: Dollarocracy.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   30:00

GP comment:  Good speeches, though these two are mostly inside-the-envelope thinkers. The governance system itself must be remade; the power of money must be broken.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 22.JAN.2014

Common Sense with Dan Carlin

NSA Surveillance, Obama's Promises, and the Credibility Gap — As President Obama floats some reform ideas for the gathering of data by the NSA, Dan Carlin explains why Obama has no more credibility on the subject than the next-level minions who have already been shown to routinely lie to the public about these matters. Also discussed is net neutrality.
Download/Listen   48:48

GP comment:  This was going really well, lots of great thinking about the NSA issue. Then, as Carlin is rightly saying that he doesn't trust current, past, or future leaders to play the surveillance stuff straight with us, he adds "your liberty is a lot less important to these people than protecting you from terrorism." Oh, Dan, Dan, Dan. Haven't you figured out, it's all about maintenance of power against the restless governed masses? Terrorism is just the phony reason they give us because the real reason would get them thrown out of office, or worse.

Original Show Pub Date: 20.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 21.JAN.2014

TUC Radio

The Prospects for War in 2014 — Constitutional law professor Francis Boyle discusses the prospects for (or avoidance of) war in 2014. Flashpoint 1 is Iran—will Senate efforts to renew sanctions trump Obama's march to war at the side of Israel? Other Middle East flashpoints are Syria, Libya, and Lebanon. In Asia, the controversy between Japan and China over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands is a hot issue.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   29:00

GP comment:  Most of this has been fairly well covered before, though this is a good summary of where things stand.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL — 20.JAN.2014

The Keiser Report

Shrinkflation and Bad (Financial) Neighborhoods — Max and Stacy compare the problems of people living in a bad neighborhood, where pushers get people hooked on drugs and harvest their cash, to investors living in a corrupt market, where fund managers and regulators work in concert to get the average person hooked on cheap debt and then pillage their wealth. ~~ Then Pippa Malmgren explains how a new type of inflation is caused not by rising prices but by shrinking products—shrinkflation. The net effect is still that the average worker is losing purchasing power as the financial elites continue to inflate currencies.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   25:45

GP comment:  Anyone who shops for food knows that the government proclamation of low or no inflation is an outright lie.

Original Show Pub Date: 14.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL, EMPIRE, ELITES — 18.JAN.2014

C-Realm Podcast

We're the House — KMO and David J. Blacker talk about the sham of capitalism. Points include... In today's neoliberal capitalism, only the workers compete because the capitalist elites have positioned themselves in a complex of cooperative exploitation—of everyone beneath them. To the extent that they do compete, take risks, and fail, we the people are forced to bail them out. That is, the house covers the bet, and WE are the house. Worse still, working people begin their careers with LESS than nothing; that is, they must operate from a position of high (student) debt. The children of elites, because of their family wealth, do not suffer this fate.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  Starts off a little dense and difficult, but hang in there—this is getting at some core truths of our (unfair) economic system. I like that they bothered to define oft-used terms like capitalism, neoliberalism, and rent seeking.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL, EMPIRE — 17.JAN.2014

This Week in Money

Celente and Rubino on Geopolitics, Money Systems, and Crashes — Gerald Celente notes that a former Fed official has called the quantitative easing program the biggest Wall Street bailout of all time. He explains China's power in the context of GDP: In the 1950s, the US GDP was almost 10x that of China; now it is less than 2x. He says today's geopolitics look a lot like those of pre-WWI—a century ago. ~~ John Rubino explains his concept that all paper currencies are being inflated, creating a large "money bubble," and when it pops, it will cause major perturbations. He advises being in useful assets like farmland and other "real things," not cash.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   46:43

GP comment:  Yes—turn your paper investments into the means of production for food, water, energy, shelter. For the individual, that looks like owning your own home, putting solar panels on it, and having serious garden and water-catchment infrastructure.

Original Show Pub Date: 11.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL, ELITES — 14.JAN.2014

The Daily Show

Slumdogs vs. Millionaires—Moral Hazard — John Stewart reviews the concerted effort by conservative politicians and the right-wing spin machine to slash unemployment insurance and other benefits to low income people as a response to instances of fraud. He contrasts that position with their defense of the Wall Street system, which spawned now-legendary levels of fraud.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   4:52

GP comment:  The truly ludicrous thing about the attempt to slash welfare spending is that it cannot fix the government debt problem, which is structural—it's built into the current (Federal Reserve) design of the money system. Overall spending must continue to grow or the Ponzi scheme collapses.

Original Show Pub Date: 09.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE — 14.JAN.2014

Democracy Now

Ariel Sharon—The Perfect Icon for Israel's Barbaric Hegemony — Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on January 11 at the age of 85. Sharon was one of the most dominant political figures in Israel's history, involved in each of Israel's major wars dating back to its founding in 1948. Among Palestinians, Sharon was one of the most reviled political figures in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Discussing the Sharon legacy are Rashid Khalidi, professor of Arab studies; Avi Shlaim, professor of international relations and widely regarded as one of the world's leading scholars on the Israeli-Arab conflict; and Noam Chomsky, world-renowned political commentator.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   24:18

GP comment:  Particularly good here is the initial precis by Avi Shlaim—in just a few minutes, he aptly reviews 6 decades of horrors visited upon the region by Israeli hegemons, including Sharon.

Original Show Pub Date: 13.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL — 13.JAN.2014

One Radio Network / Real World of Money

They're Printing More and More and More — Andrew Gause says that despite Fed announcements, the money printing continues. Other topics include... China's continuing purchases of precious metals; and it is now beyond dispute that the price of gold is manipulated—it's a rigged game for investors.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:20:00

GP comment:  Investment in anything other than the actual means of production of energy, water, food, and other essentials is gambling, and history says the house always wins. You are not the house.

Original Show Pub Date: 07.Jan.2014

CATEGORIES:  EMPIRE, HISTORY — 11.JAN.2014

Democracy Now

Activists Finally Go Public on 1971 Burglary That Exposed FBI's COINTELPRO — On March 8, 1971, a group of activists—including a cabdriver, a day care director, and two professors—broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. They stole every document they found and then leaked many to the press, including details about FBI abuses and the then-secret counter-intelligence program to infiltrate, monitor, and disrupt social and political movements, nicknamed COINTELPRO. No one in the group was ever caught, despite an enormous FBI search. The burglars' identities remained a secret until this week, when they finally came forward to take credit for the caper that changed history. This clip explores this successful case of audacious activism.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   47:50

GP comment:  This is what real activism looks like.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL — 09.JAN.2014

ExtraEnvironmentalist

Supply Shock—Real Estate Speculation and Steady-State Economics — Because economics considers capital and land to be equivalent and interchangeable, real estate speculation has long been a problem. Further, wealth has been sheltered from taxation as tax policies focused on paycheck taxes and mostly ignored unearned income and land. Brian Czech discusses steady-state economics, explaining how the approach reduces speculation, improves the wealth gap, and properly includes environmental impacts in the cost of goods. Then, Karl Fitzgerald adds to the discussion of land bubbles and real estate speculation.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:59:23

GP comment:  Very good overall, though it's hard to believe Czech is so naive as to think a dark player like Hank Paulson would champion steady-state economics "if only he understood them."

Original Show Pub Date: 30.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, HISTORY — 08.JAN.2014

Unwelcome Guests

The New Pearl Harbor — This is a radio adaptation of the first two hours of a new 9/11 analysis video. Massimo Mazzucco's The New Pearl Harbor focuses on the shortcomings of the official conspiracy narrative in the areas of the US air defense, the flying skills of the 19 supposed hijackers, the limits of cell phone technology, and the limits of the airplanes themselves.
Ref page:  Go to page
Part A:  Download/Listen   59:30
Part B:  Download/Listen   59:30

GP comment:  Some of this was very interesting. This is the first time I've heard it explained that the type of airplanes supposedly flown into things on 9/11 were not physically capable of some of the maneuvers achieved.

Original Show Pub Date: 28.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL, EMPIRE, ELITES — 06.JAN.2014

Global Research News Hour

Chris Hedges:  Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt — Chris Hedges talks about the stranglehold the elite-capitalist-corporate axis has on what's left of the middle-class in the US. Don't look for change from the Democrats—Obama's abuses of civil liberties have easily exceeded George W. Bush's; and the Democrats in general, first led by Bill Clinton, have become pawns of Wall Street. The true political left has not been seen since it was crushed in the 1950s. He sees Occupy and the recent failure of the elites' Syria plan as reasons for hope.
Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  This is excellent, except for Hedges' silly notion that defense of gun rights in the US would cease if racism ceased.

Original Show Pub Date: 30.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  FINANCIAL, EMPIRE, ELITES — 03.JAN.2014

Common Sense with Dan Carlin

The NSA and Magic Lamp Loopholes — Dan Carlin discusses the opposing viewpoints on the government surveillance issue.
Download/Listen   55:53

GP comment:  Carlin offers an excellent framework for thinking through the issues, laying bare the flaws the "why it's necessary" arguments.

Original Show Pub Date: 31.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, FINANCIAL, ELITES — 31 DEC 2013

Gary Null Show

Gerald Celente:  2013 Review and 2014 Trends — Gary Null frames discussion topics with Gerald Celente by reading passages from recent commentaries by thinkers like Ellen Brown, Lori Wallach, and "The Wolf of Wall Street." Topics include surveillance in the US; the obeisance of the mainstream media, including the final capitulation of 60 Minutes; the rise of the fascistic multinational governing entity that serves only the interests of corporations and capital; military spending and foreign entanglements; the faux Republican-Democrat divide.
Download/Listen   57:27

GP comment:  Very good overall. One point Null misses during his anti-bureaucracy tirade: All federal agencies are run by political appointees, thereby giving the elites control of them. "The bureaucracy is not some amorphous juggernaut; it is just another tool of TPTB.

Original Show Pub Date: 27 Dec 2013

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, FINANCIAL, ELITES — 29 DEC 2013

C-Realm Podcast

Dmitry Orlov:  2013 Wrap-up — Dmitry Orlov offers his thoughts on the trends and events of 2013. He says Russian intervention into the Syria takedown was a key factor in the US empire's war machine losing momentum. He calls BitCoin a curio, adding, "Money is a scam, and by that standard, BitCoin is a good one." He explains why climate change will eventually hurt the rich the most. In the meantime, Peak Oil has made it more cost-effective to have lots of people sit at home on government assistance that to have them burn up precious oil commuting to work.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   54:45

GP comment:  The first half (the Orlov segment) is quite good. The second half is less trenchant—the conversation between Seth Mozer-Katz and KMO is decent but a bit meandering.

Original Show Pub Date: 25 Dec 2013

MEDIA, INTERNET & PRIVACY

CATEGORY:  INTERNET, PRIVACY, VEHICLES — 29.JAN.2014

NPR

Putting The Brake On Who Can See Your Car's Data Trail — Many car owners WANT their vehicles to be tracked; for instance, with OnStar, LoJack, or Garmin. But in newer vehicles, onboard computers monitor many operating characteristics, such as speed, direction, and safety belt use. Additionally, companies like Google are gearing up offer in-vehicle services. Who owns—and controls—the use of all this vehicle-based data?
Go to page  |  Download/listen   3:57

GP comment:  And now Big Brother is a backseat driver?

Original Show Pub Date: 22.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, MEDIA — 28.JAN.2014

Making Contact

Jeremy Scahill on Obama's Dirty Wars — Jeremy Scahill points out that the maxim "you break it, you own it" apparently does not apply to Iraq, which the US has made inestimably worse than it was under Saddam Hussein. He says Obama supporters let the president get away with things that if done by a Republican would have them screaming for impeachment. He offers examples of US raids in Iraq and Yemen gone horribly wrong (and then were covered up) that suggest the special ops apparatus is broken at all levels. Regarding media coverage of these issues, he poses a troubling question: If there were such a thing as state-run media, would it look any different than what we see on the mainstream cable news stations?
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:56

GP comment:  The horrifying answer is that our media situation is far worse than it would be with state-run media. With the latter, everyone would know it's propaganda. As it is now, most people still believe the corporate media are independent and reasonably accurate, which of course is laughable.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  INTERNET, EMPIRE — 24.JAN.2014

Democracy Now

Aaron Swartz—The Internet's Own Boy — One year ago this month, the young internet freedom activist and groundbreaking programmer Aaron Swartz took his own life, shortly before he was set to go to trial for downloading millions of academic articles from servers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had done so not for profit but to make a political point that knowledge should be freely available. We hear excerpts from The Internet's Own Boy, a new documentary about Swartz and the issues he championed. Also in this clip are interviews with Swartz's father and brother, his lawyer, and the filmmaker.
Watch  |  Download/listen   45:08

GP comment:  Swartz walked the talk on internet freedom issues—he played a notable role in stopping SOPA—and when he became too effective, the machine stomped him.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA, INTERNET — 23.JAN.2014

On The Media

Net Neutrality, We Hardly Knew Ye — In mid-January, a D.C. circuit court of appeals released a decision that many are calling a death blow to net neutrality, the principle that all content providers should be treated equally. But media-studies professor Siva Vaidhyanathan says maybe we shouldn't be so worried about net neutrality and its impact on the future on the internet.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   10:40

GP comment:  Oh, we should worry, alright. As went mainstream media into the propagandasphere, so will the internet follow, with powerful forces quietly and cleverly shaping our perception of reality.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA, FINANCIAL, ENERGY — 18.JAN.2014

Sea Change Radio

Correcting the Record on the Cleantech Crash — If you watched the recent 60 Minutes piece on the so called "Cleantech Crash," you might have taken a moment to check the channel and make sure you weren't watching Fox News. The story focuses almost exclusively on failed companies that have received government support, giving no coverage to clean technology successes, no information on the success/failure ratio of other venture capital investments, and no mention of all the taxpayer money that goes to support traditional, polluting energy technologies. Joe Romm of Climate Progress and Katie Fehrenbacher, a senior writer at GigaOM, respond to the 60 Minutes hatchet job.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   29:45

GP comment:  At this point, you can count 60 Minutes as just another mainstream media disinformation vehicle. The days of Lowell Bergman and actual investigative journalism are long gone.

Original Show Pub Date: 07.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS, INTERNET — 17.JAN.2014

Corbett Report / Boiling Frogs Post

Roundtable Discussion of the "Alternative" Media — The phrase "alternative media" covers a broad swath, from truly independent, subscriber-funded journalists to foundation-funded, establishment outfits like Democracy Now. Sibel Edmonds, Peter B. Collins, Guillermo Jimenez, and James Corbett discuss the fight against the mainstream media paradigm and how the establishment is using the pseudo-alternative media to continue pressing their agenda. Topics include nullification as a strategy, false left-right paradigm, and real solutions to the media problem.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   56:48

GP comment:  Democracy Now does offer some good stories, and we feature them regularly on Grinning Planet. But DN assiduously avoids the very topics that keep us trapped in the long game of TPTB, including the infinite-growth paradigm, control of the public money system by private interests; peak energy and the relationship of energy to money; the true level of domination of the elite controllers above the political layer.

Original Show Pub Date: 12.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COMMUNICATIONS — 11.JAN.2014

On The Media

Is She Real or Is She Memorex? — When Michael Scherer, the Washington bureau chief for Time, got a call from a telemarketer named Samantha West, he knew the voice on the other end of the line wasn't quite right somehow. Yet Samantha West kept insisting she was, in fact, human. So, who/what is Samantha West?
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   8:18

GP comment:  Gotta love telemarketers—some don't even have the decency to annoy us with real humans.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA — 05.JAN.2014

On The Media

Biggest Media Screw-Ups of 2013 — Craig Silverman of "Regret the Error" blog reviews the mainstream media's biggest mistakes of the past 12 months.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   8:27

GP comment:  Propaganda and ineptitude in media are so thick these days, we are left only with Against The Grain's motto: Never stop questioning.

Original Show Pub Date: 03.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS, INTERNET — 12.DEC.2013

On the Media

UK Government Supports US in Attacking Press Freedom — The editor of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, talks about pressure on his newspaper related to its participation in the Snowden leaks. He says the staff at the Guardian are determined not to bow to the UK government's suppressive tactics.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   5:56

Original Show Pub Date: 06.Dec.2013

ENERGY, PEAK OIL, SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE

CATEGORY:  ENERGY — 30.JAN.2014

Resistance Radio Hour

Charles Hall on Net Energy — Charles Hall is a systems ecologist with strong interests in biophysical economics and the relation of energy to the structure and functioning of society. Hall explains how energy return on investment (EROI) is a key limiting factor for all living things, from bacteria up to humans. Any living being or living society can survive only so long as they get more net energy from their activities than they expend during the performance of those activities. Hall discusses natural gas reserves and fracking, Marion King Hubbard's work, and a variety of other energy issues.
Download/listen   46:58

GP comment:  The net energy of oil exploration and production has steadily fallen over the last few decades. That's one reason the price of oil is so much higher than it was 20 years ago.

Original Show Pub Date: 19.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT — 29.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Explosive Oil Trains — The past year has seen a marked increase in oil train derailments and explosions, including the deadly accident in Lac-Megantic in Quebec that killed 47 people. These events have raised questions about oil transport in North America. Canadian journalist Jacquie McNish discusses.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   15:06

GP comment:  You gotta love the desperation of industry when they use "it was a once-in-a-lifetime accident" because "there was a hill and the brakes failed." And, as with the ocean-based oil tanker industry, the oil-by-rail industry has mightily resisted the push to use shielded double-wall rail cars. And P.S. Also mentioned in passing is that the US is headed for "energy independence." That is a myth.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  RESILIENCE — 27.JAN.2014

11:11 with Simran Singh

Common Sense in Disaster Preparedness — Brian and Pamela Crissey discuss preparedness prioritization, water storage, food storage, medical supplies, having a safe/supplied area in your house, safe places in collapsing buildings, bug-out bags, cash on hand, prearranged rendezvous points, gas in car, carrying proof of identity, and involving your children in the process.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   55:04

GP comment:  This is mostly oriented to natural disasters, and it's useful from that perspective, but don't expect anything on preparing for the Long Emergency.

Original Show Pub Date: 16.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  ENERGY — 25.JAN.2014

Quirks & Quarks

Organic Flow Battery Avoids Pricey Materials — Flow batteries feature a design that is well suited for backing up intermittent renewable energy generators like solar and wind. They allow storage of electricity in liquids that can be stored separately from the power-conversion part of the battery, allowing larger amounts of energy to be stored than in a conventional solid battery. Flow batteries, however, have been handicapped by the fact that the energy storage system uses expensive metals. Michael Aziz explains how a new flow-battery chemistry based on inexpensive quinones shows great promise.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   9:16

GP comment:  Inexpensive and scalable—the two keys to success in energy.

Original Show Pub Date: 18.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MEDIA, FINANCIAL, ENERGY — 18.JAN.2014

Sea Change Radio

Correcting the Record on the Cleantech Crash — If you watched the recent 60 Minutes piece on the so called "Cleantech Crash," you might have taken a moment to check the channel and make sure you weren't watching Fox News. The story focuses almost exclusively on failed companies that have received government support, giving no coverage to clean technology successes, no information on the success/failure ratio of other venture capital investments, and no mention of all the taxpayer money that goes to support traditional, polluting energy technologies. Joe Romm of Climate Progress and Katie Fehrenbacher, a senior writer at GigaOM, respond to the 60 Minutes hatchet job.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   29:45

GP comment:  At this point, you can count 60 Minutes as just another mainstream media disinformation vehicle. The days of Lowell Bergman and actual investigative journalism are long gone.

Original Show Pub Date: 07.Jan.2014

NUCLEAR

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 29.JAN.2014

Fairewinds Energy Education

The Four Myths of Nuclear Power — In order to further their interests, the nuclear-power industry need you to believe that (1) their product is safe, (2) that no one has ever died or become ill from nuclear power accidents, (3) that nuclear power is the only feasible way to counteract global warming, and (4) that nuclear energy is the cheapest form of power. Arnie Gundersen busts these myths.
Watch  |  Download/listen to MP3   6:38

GP comment:  Excellent series of bitch slaps to the nuclear propaganda machine. The only flaw here is Gundersen's assertion that we can keep powering the (infinite-growth) world by simply switching to alternative sources. As peak-everything mavens like Heinberg, Ruppert, and many others have clearly explained, that is very unlikely to happen, and much of today's global conflict is about countries quietly but desperately fighting over what's left. One way or the other, lifestyle change is coming.

Original Show Pub Date: 16.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 24.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Life in Chernobyl and Fukushima — Chernobyl in Ukraine and Fukushima in Japan were the sites of the world's two worst nuclear disasters. Years later, some residents choose to stay in the affected communities instead of moving. Michael Forster Rothbart talks about his new photo documentary showing the lives of ordinary citizens that remained behind.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   9:28

GP comment:  Fine for what it is—a qualitative assessment of the lives of people, most of whom have little choice economically and/or socially.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 17.JAN.2014

Fairewinds Energy Education

Has Fukushima Contaminated the US West Coast? — Arnie Gundersen says the risk of direct radiation exposure is currently low for the US West Coast population, despite what some sensational stories on the internet would have you believe. Conversely, he thinks eating Pacific seafood is risky because of the potential for bioaccumulation—and the fact that the US government is not releasing seafood test data.
Download/Listen   6:33

GP comment:  Definitely agree on the seafood. I would also like to see a broader analysis of readings from hundreds of West Coast sites, not just a few.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 14.JAN.2014

Voice of Russia

Millions at Risk as Fukushima Radiation Poisons Pacific — TEPCO has attributed rising radiation levels near the crippled Fukushima reactors to a rise in radiation emitted from tanks storing contaminated water. Nuclear expert Chris Busby says his calculations suggest this is a phony explanation, that it's more likely the increase comes from leaked contaminated water that is already outside the tanks. More broadly, he says the enormous load of radiation being dumped into the Pacific is crashing its ecosystems. Worse still, he suspects the Fukushima situation is out of control, that humans do not have the technical wherewithal to solve the issues.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   7:33

GP comment:  Why is it we have to rely on a Russian news outlet for decent reporting on Fukushima?

Original Show Pub Date: 12.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 09.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Nuclear Waste Scandals — As we found out from Fukushima, when a nuclear reactor blows up or leaks, it's everybody's problem. The same applies to nuclear waste. It will be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years, threatening cancers and genetic mutations for all conceivable human time. In this show we hear about scandals in the American and British nuclear industries. Even the temporary stop-gap solutions for storing waste turn out to be untested, ludicrous, or known-to-be dangerous. And ALL nuclear waste storage solutions require that future generations pay and pay and pay.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   59:59

GP comment:  One of the speakers offers an angry speech against the nuclear industry and the NRC. Such speeches sometimes make people a little uncomfortable. But with nuclear waste, it's about time we all got out of our comfort zones and got angry.

Original Show Pub Date: 01.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  NUCLEAR — 03.JAN.2014

Lifeboat Hour

Keeping a Planetary Eye on Fukushima — Mimi German of RadCast.org explains how her site is helping to monitor the ever-growing global radiation threat from Fukushima. her comments include: The jet stream is distributing Fukushima radiation to every part of the planet. Similarly designed nuclear plants could easily suffer similar, uncontainable accidents.
Download/Listen   58:18

GP comment:  In his preamble, Ruppert lays on the doom, suggesting that near-term human extinction is all but guaranteed by three converging, inescapable civilization killers: (1) climate chaos (2) Fukushima radiation (3) exponential growth of human population and its rapacious exploitation of planetary resources.

Original Show Pub Date: 29.Dec.2013

ENVIRONMENT

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT, RESILIENCE, FINANCIAL — 31.JAN.2014

ExtraEnvironmentalist

Green Wizards, Get Off Your Butt! — Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve and maintain their expectations for jobs, housing, and other basic aspects of life. With the limits to growth putting basic lifestyle assumptions under assault, can people use intermediate technologies to reduce their ecological footprint, be more resilient, and find satisfaction? John Michael Greer talks about the concept of Green Wizardry, which advises development of hands-on skills as a way for a person to change their life and their culture. Then Jessica Kellner explains how people are building their own homes out of salvaged materials using lots of sweat but very little money.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:45:36

GP comment:  Indeed, being green is not about better shopping or hybrid cars. It's about investing yourself in reengineering your life.

Original Show Pub Date: 27.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT — 29.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Explosive Oil Trains — The past year has seen a marked increase in oil train derailments and explosions, including the deadly accident in Lac-Megantic in Quebec that killed 47 people. These events have raised questions about oil transport in North America. Canadian journalist Jacquie McNish discusses.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   15:06

GP comment:  You gotta love the desperation of industry when they use "it was a once-in-a-lifetime accident" because "there was a hill and the brakes failed." And, as with the ocean-based oil tanker industry, the oil-by-rail industry has mightily resisted the push to use shielded double-wall rail cars. And P.S. Also mentioned in passing is that the US is headed for "energy independence." That is a myth.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT (POLLUTION) — 28.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

New Research Probes BP Oil Disaster — Five million barrels of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico when BP's Macondo well exploded in 2010, and some oil remained suspended in the water. New research is examining why the oil behaved in such an unexpected way.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   8:09

GP comment:  I rarely bother featuring a clip that I rate a "1". But OMG—how does a story about how the oil dispersed after the Gulf accident not mention the massive use of Corexit, which was DESIGNED TO DISPERSE THE OIL.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT (POLLUTION, CHEMICALS) — 26.JAN.2014

NPR

Water Companies Can't Monitor All Chemicals; There Are Too Many — The fact that a second contaminant in West Virginia's drinking water eluded detection for nearly two weeks—despite intense testing of the water—reveals an important truth about how companies test drinking water: In most cases, they only find the contaminants they're looking for.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   3:26

GP comment:  Well, the truth it really reveals is that Americans are totally ignorant of—or at best completely complacent about—about the dangers posed by the 80,000+ different chemicals used in products, many of which are present in waste streams and water supplies, as well as elsewhere in the environment. Hell, they're even in the products and food we buy, as contaminants or by design. It's long past time we stopped believing in "better living through chemistry" and started demanding that the precautionary principle be applied to all chemicals. They are guilty of toxicity until proven safe by independent long-term testing.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH, CHEMICALS — 23.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Getting Toxics Out of Our Bodies — Are you accumulating harmful chemicals and metals in your body? If so, what about all those magic pills and therapies to detox? Do they work? Bruce Lourie talks about how we are exposed to chemicals in food, products, and our everyday environment; what they can do to us; and how we can get rid of them. His book on the topic is Toxin, Toxout, Getting Harmful Chemicals Out of Our Bodies and Our World.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   18:15

GP comment:  Sadly, the average person dismisses the idea that the sea of chemicals in which we live is a problem—until a health issue forces them to deal with the effects.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT, WATER, HABITAT — 22.JAN.2014

NPR

Night of the Living Streams — It once made sense to urban planners to put streams in pipes underground. Now, pipe decay and chronic flooding problems are causing some cities to revive above-ground portions of some waterways.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   3:17

GP comment:  Good for them. But the fact that such projects are based solely on economic, with environmental and human-nature interactions considered mere side benefits, tells you we have a long way to go in achieving a level of consciousness that is compatible with true sustainability.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION, MINING — 21.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Fracking With Recycled Mine Water — Thousands of abandoned mines in Pennsylvania are full of polluted water. Some think the fracking boom is a way to pay for cleaning up that water—by reusing it.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   5:35

GP comment:  Even fracking done with distilled water will eventually cause contamination of fresh groundwater—the pressure pushes already-present underground contaminants into groundwater reservoirs. Even if it were made mandatory that fracking companies use only cleaned-up mine water, it's still a net loser.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  CLIMATE CHANGE — 20.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Clouds and Climate — A key unknown has been the behavior of clouds in a hotter world. If the future is cloudier, more sun will be blocked, helping cool the earth. But fewer clouds mean more solar energy will be soaked up by land and sea. Dr. Steve Sherwood explains new research that clears up some of the cloud-cover uncertainty. He is concerned that we are going to blow past 2 degrees of warming to a level of warming that may make life very uncomfortable.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   11:25

GP comment:  A bit wonky, but useful.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION, HEALTH — 18.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Air Pollution and Diabetes — We've long known that air pollution is bad for our lungs and can even cause cardiovascular disease, but as Doctor Sanjay Rajagopalan tells us here, recent research suggests that breathing dirty air in combination with a fatty diet can promote diabetes.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   7:10

GP comment:  Type 2 diabetes may correlate with air pollution, but it's a general disease of modern lifestyles. And just avoid the bad fats like trans fats and other artificial nonsense; healthy fats are good for you!

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION — 17.JAN.2014

Colbert Report

Stephen Colbert on WV Water Contamination — Roughly 300,000 people in West Virginia were advised not to drink or touch their tap water because its source, the Elk River, had been contaminated by a chemical spill from a Freedom Industries' coal-cleaning operation. Stephen Colbert mines this unfortunate situation for laughs.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   4:01

GP comment:  The callous attitudes of the corporate CEO and front men are reminiscent of the initial brush-off tried by BP after the Gulf disaster in 2010.

Original Show Pub Date: 13.Jan.2014

CATEGORIES:  ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, ENERGY — 15.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

The Awful Truth About Fracking — As peak energy hits, fracking is the salvation plan for countries like the US, UK, Canada, and many more. Politicians take huge campaign donations from industry, slash regulations, squash local protests, and foster a new wave of water pollution and climate-killing emissions. This show examines the real cost of fracking for gas. Professor and journalist Walter Brasch reports from Pennsylvania, a hotbed of dirty fracking. Then UK energy activist Helen Rimmer explains the government's rabid push for fracking. Finally, scientist Sandra Steingraber offers a damning assessment of the true nature of fracking and its impacts.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  The Steingraber clip at the end is must-listening.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Jan.2013

CATEGORY:  CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENT — 14.JAN.2014

Lifeboat Hour

Is It Too Late for Climate Action? Is Geoengineering is All We Have Left? — Paul Beckwith discusses some of the feedback mechanisms that are accelerating the impact of global warming, including Arctic thawing. He discusses the recent "polar vortex" in the context of overall global warming. More broadly, he says the sum of all the feedback loops is now too strong—there is no plausible way for humanity to reduce its greenhouse gases sufficiently to restore climate balance. He reluctantly sees geoengineering as the last best hope.
Download/Listen   59:03

GP comment:  Some useful data is discussed here. But the idea that geoengineering is what we should do is as misplaced as the idea that we should do more nuclear energy. Geoengineering and nuclear (and nanotech and GMOs) are akin to children playing with God's toys.

Original Show Pub Date: 12.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION, HEALTH — 08.JAN.2014

NPR

California County Pushes Drugmakers To Pay For Pill Waste — The leftover prescription drugs you have around your house are at the center of a battle between small government and big pharmaceutical companies.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   4:15

GP comment:  It's about time. Few water treatment plants remove pharmaceutical chemicals. So it all just goes into the environment, back through the water cycle, and into any creature that drinks water, including us.

Original Show Pub Date: 03.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION, TRASH, SPECIES — 07.JAN.2014

Food Chain Radio

Can the Oceans Survive Our Plastic Waste? — Charles Moore talks about plastic waste in the ocean and the health problems it's causing for marine life. There are so many microscopic bits of plastic in the ocean now it's estimated that they outnumber plankton by more than 100 to 1. Topics include the sources of plastic trash in the ocean, how plastic molecules are finding their way into our food chain, and what, if anything, can be done to reduce the damage.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   42:39

GP comment:  If you can put up with the unpolished interviewer, the interviewee offers a lot of excellent insights into the ocean plastic problem.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Dec.2013

CATEGORIES:  ENVIRONMENT, MUSIC — 06.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Best Environmental Songs of 2013 — Talk, talk, talk ... about environmental stuff. Here, instead of more jabbering, Alex Smith turns to DJ'ing for an hour, with his picks for the best environmental songs of the last year. Top tracks are the hilarious "Denial Tango" by the group Men With Day Jobs and Kris Kitco's excellent "Frack That Oil."
Page for full song list  |  Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  All by relatively unknown artists; mostly pretty good, with a couple standouts.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Dec.2013

CATEGORIES:  ENVIRONMENT, MINING, RECYCLING — 04.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Ugly Times for Ugly Mines — Giant mines are operating or being developed all over the world to provide the metals that make the products that feed our consumer desires. But even in areas with environmental regulations, mines spew pollution, carve into wilderness, and leave behind heavy metals that leach into rivers and lakes for hundreds of years. Environmental lawyer Paula Maccabee discusses the fight against a proposed copper mine in Minnesota.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  Mining pollution is almost a given with any mining operation. As discussed here, increased recycling of metals is the best way to eliminate the need for new mines. That said, consumers who think they need a new phone (or whatever) every year are a large part of the problem.

Original Show Pub Date: 11.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT — 29.DEC.2013

NPR

Gulf Spill Cleanup Grinds On — Though the mainstream press has long-since forgotten about the 2010 Gulf oil disaster, the environment and people of the Gulf have not. Though oil on the beach is less of an obvious problem, the black gunk still lurks below the surface, and the aftermath is still affecting ecosystems, seafood, and livelihoods in the Gulf region.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   5:00

GP comment:  The tragedy of the mainstream press mostly acting like the Gulf disaster is "all good" now is surpassed only by the outrageousness of it doing the same thing with Fukushima.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Dec.2013

HEALTH

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 31.JAN.2014

One Radio Network

Your Health Depends on the Bacteria in Your Gut — Microbiologist Norman Robillard explains why the "fermentation potential" (FP) of a food is a critical consideration in how well that food will do in your gut. Topics covered include... how the FP is calculated; low-FP vs. low-carb vs. low-GI; typical conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Celiac disease, diverticulitis, and chronic constipation; why some probiotics can cause more problems than they solve; different types of sugars and fibers.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:34:45

GP comment:  This is very good. He takes on the vast complexity of digestive troubles—many of which are related to how our particular complement of gut bugs are interacting with our (and their!) food—without losing sight of the basic info needed by the average person to understand the material.

Original Show Pub Date: 23.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 30.JAN.2014

YouTube

Burzynski—Cancer Is Serious Business — This clip is the first third of a film about the experimental cancer-treatment methods of Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, who uses antineoplastons to correct peptide deficiencies in his patients. In experiments on adults and children with brain tumors—one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers—his approach has achieved a cure rate of more than twice that of radiation and chemo. It's no surprise though, that the "cancer industry" is not supportive of this promising treatment, since it could undermine the current lucrative business model.
Watch  |  Download/listen to MP3   36:33

GP comment:  A few years old, but the cancer industry is (ironically) alive and well, in all its horrific glory. If you want to watch the whole film, it is currently available for free on Hulu.

Original Show Pub Date: 18.Jan.2011

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 28.JAN.2014

Nutrition Diva

When Doctors Drop the Ball — When a person has a medical condition that is largely driven (or could be mitigated) by diet and nutrition, doctors are nonetheless much more likely to give the patient drugs rather than refer them to a nutritionist.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   8:47

GP comment:  Doctors, even good ones, are notoriously uneducated in the importance of diet, functional foods, food sensitivities, etc. to wellness.

Original Show Pub Date: 21.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH, EMPIRE — 27.JAN.2014

Electric Politics

The Logic Against the Affordable Care Act — Margaret Flowers discusses the many troubling aspects of Obamacare and addresses many of the fallacious "benefits" touted by its supporters. She quickly gets to the nub of the problem: the US political system is utterly corrupt; it says it's interested in what's good for the people, but in practice it's clear that it's only interested in what's good for the corporations. So when it comes to making a law on health care—or anything else—we end up with something that is of, for, and by the corporations. She also points to the income disparity in the US and the predatory nature of capitalism as root problems to be addressed if we are to make true progress on health care and other issues.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   58:08

GP comment:  Rarely do I hear someone who so clearly understands that their pet issue cannot be solved within the current envelope of political reality. It's really up to the general populace to let go of their preconceptions and predetermined affiliations, throw out the current system, and install something that supports their deep, common interests. That means the Dem-GOP duopoly must be broken.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH, CHEMICALS — 23.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Getting Toxics Out of Our Bodies — Are you accumulating harmful chemicals and metals in your body? If so, what about all those magic pills and therapies to detox? Do they work? Bruce Lourie talks about how we are exposed to chemicals in food, products, and our everyday environment; what they can do to us; and how we can get rid of them. His book on the topic is Toxin, Toxout, Getting Harmful Chemicals Out of Our Bodies and Our World.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   18:15

GP comment:  Sadly, the average person dismisses the idea that the sea of chemicals in which we live is a problem—until a health issue forces them to deal with the effects.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 21.JAN.2014

The Natural Nurse and Dr. Z

Flu Shot or Not? — Ellen Kamhi discusses the safety and efficacy—or lack thereof—of "the flu shot." What ingredients may not be safe? What are the politics? Who profits?
Download/Listen   55:04

GP comment:  The flu shot has risks, and its wide acceptance as safe is an exercise in mass delusion, as the next story details.

Original Show Pub Date: 14.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 21.JAN.2014

Natural News

Mainstream Media Shouts Flu Shot Benefits, Stays Silent on Risks — The mainstream media has utterly abandoned science in its zeal to encourage the public to get flu shots without mentioning the associated risks. All medical interventions carry inherent risk, and this is especially true in the case of vaccines, given that they admittedly contain mercury, MSG, formaldehyde and aluminum, all potent neurotoxic chemicals or heavy metals. Mike Adams reviews the facts.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   15:51

Original Show Pub Date: 19.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  POLLUTION, HEALTH — 18.JAN.2014

Living On Earth

Air Pollution and Diabetes — We've long known that air pollution is bad for our lungs and can even cause cardiovascular disease, but as Doctor Sanjay Rajagopalan tells us here, recent research suggests that breathing dirty air in combination with a fatty diet can promote diabetes.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   7:10

GP comment:  Type 2 diabetes may correlate with air pollution, but it's a general disease of modern lifestyles. And just avoid the bad fats like trans fats and other artificial nonsense; healthy fats are good for you!

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 16.JAN.2014

Beyond 50

Becoming a Lifestyle Warrior to Reverse (or Avoid) Type 2 Diabetes — Bruce Huck explains how to modify your lifestyle habits to combat Type 2 diabetes. Huck began his own shift after being diagnosed as "pre-diabetic," and with persistence, has brought his issues under control. Foodwise, he says one need not become an ascetic, but success requires a commitment to becoming a "lifestyle warrior."
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   31:09

GP comment:  Type 2 is definitely controllable through diet and exercise. Start NOW.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 11.JAN.2014

Food Sleuth Radio

Bowel Problems, and How to Prevent Them — Niki Strealy discusses irritable bowel symptoms, the typical triggers, and ways to improve colon health.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   28:15

GP comment:  FOS supplements and functional foods are often touted as part of the solution for restoring gut flora balance. Bravo to Strealy for correctly fingering them as a problem for many people with gut issues.

Original Show Pub Date: 03.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 07.JAN.2014

Nutrition Diva

Maca and Reproductive Health — Maca is a plant native to the high mountainous regions of Peru and has long been cultivated as both a food and medicinal plant. Maca is being promoted as a natural remedy for menopausal symptoms and various other aspects of sexual function as well, including male and female fertility, prostate problems, and, um, low spunkiness. Go to page  |  Download/Listen   9:13

GP comment:  Tried it once. Didn't do anything for me. But your mileage may vary.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Dec.2013

CATEGORIES:  HEALTH, FOOD — 05.JAN.2014

Food Sleuth Radio

Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Neuro-Development, and Mental Health — Joseph Hibbeln, MD talks about his research on omega-3 fatty acids, neuro-development and mental health. Topics include how the modern diet has skewed the balance of essential fatty acids, what studies say about the benefits of fish vs. the risks of fish, and how flax oil fits into the picture.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   28:15

GP comment:  Watch out for fish oils that have not been assayed for mercury and other contaminants.

Original Show Pub Date: 22.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  HEALTH — 05.JAN.2014

One Radio Network

Holistic Hormonal Health and Natural Birth Control — Hannah Ransom explains the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness, which assesses body temperature and cervical fluid as a measure of current fertility. She claims the method is over 99% effective. She also discusses some of the problems with another common method—The Pill.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   1:01:18

GP comment:  A 99.4% success rate means 6 out of 1000 times, it will still fail. However, many commonly used birth control methods have higher failure rates.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Dec.2013

FOOD, NUTRITION, ORGANICS & GMOs

CATEGORY:  FOOD, HEALTH — 25.JAN.2014

Diet Science

Study Shows Chocolate Can Help Reduce Body Fat — Dee McCaffrey talks about a new study that shows eating chocolate can reduce your body fat. Of course, there are some catches.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   6:58

GP comment:  It's good that she recommends dark (minimally sweetened), organic chocolate, but her practice of putting cacao nibs in her smoothie could reduce digestion and uptake of the chocolate's nutrients since the chocolate would bypass salivary interaction.

Original Show Pub Date: 16.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  HEALTH, FOOD, NUTRITION — 13.JAN.2014

Diet Science

The Healing Power of Carrot Juice — Dee McCaffrey talks about the many healing properties of carrot juice. The orange nectar includes live enzymes and antioxidant compounds called carotenes; promotes clean livers; builds bones and blood; and helps your eyesight.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   8:27

GP comment:  Their site recommends the Champion juicer. Had one; didn't like it. Got an Omega—much better because it puts less froth in the juice.

Original Show Pub Date: 06.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FOOD, GMOs, ORGANIC — 12.JAN.2014

Food Chain Radio

Is "Natural" a Food Con? — Consumers spend an estimated $40 billion a year on foods labeled "natural." What does that even mean? Is it regulated? Can consumers trust the labels? Stephen Gardner of the Center for Science in the Public Interest discusses these topics and his organization's legal actions against food manufacturers that label products "natural" when they contain ingredients that the general public does not consider natural.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   42.32

GP comment:  The "natural" label is always a distant second-best to organic. And as is made clear here, in some cases "natural" on the label is indeed a con. Beware especially when something contains any of the following ingredients and they are not labeled organic or non-GMO: soy; corn or high fructose corn syrup; sugar; cottonseed oil; summer squash and zucchini; milk.

Original Show Pub Date: 07.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  FOOD — 10.JAN.2014

Diet Science

Low-Heat Pasteurization vs. Raw Milk — Dee McCaffrey talks about the various approaches to milk, from raw to low-heat pasteurization to ultra-pasteurized, as well as organic and grass-fed.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   7:54

GP comment:  With Fukushima radiation continuing to be a problem, I'd love to know if anyone has assayed milk products for contamination. Milk was a big problem after Chernobyl.

Original Show Pub Date: 23.De.2013

CATEGORIES:  FOOD, ENVIRONMENT, ANIMAL WELFARE — 06.JAN.2014

Sea Change Radio

Meat—From Livestock to Lab-Stock? — "Cruelty-free" products abound in our 21st Century market place, from cosmetics to fake fur. But can you imagine a cruelty-free filet mignon? Food journalist Tom Levitt discusses recent advances in lab-grown meat.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   30:00

GP comment:  This is good—a balanced, sober assessment of the status and potential of lab-grown meat to eventually reduce the environmental problems and animal suffering associated with livestock operations.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Dec.2013

AGRICULTURE & GARDENING

CATEGORY:  GARDENING — 24.JAN.2014

You Bet Your Garden

Using Perlite to Amend Your Soil — Mike McGrath explains the right soil mix for far-southern climes, how to make the dream of growing your own tea leaves a reality, what plants will spruce up a small pond, how to cultivate currants and gooseberries, and ideas for leveraging large piles of leaves into raised beds. In the question of the week, he explains how to use perlite, which is a natural product based on volcanic rock, to amend your soil.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   52:58

GP comment:  It's not too early to start planning and organizing for your spring plantings!

Original Show Pub Date: 18.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  AGRICULTURE — 10.JAN.2014

NPR

How Mass-Produced Meat Turned Phosphorus Into Pollution — Industrial agriculture is not doing a very good job of balancing manure production from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with the nutrient needs of nearby farm fields. Over-application of manure results in nutrient-rich rainwater runoff—and phosphorous pollution in waterways that causes oxygen-stealing algal blooms. Go to page  |  Download/Listen   4:35

GP comment:  How sad that the relatively easy solutions for this problem continually get trumped by the supposed need for cheap meat.

Original Show Pub Date: 02.Jan.2014

BIODIVERSITY, SPECIES & ANIMAL WELFARE

CATEGORY:  SPECIES — 23.JAN.2014

Resistance Radio

The War on Wolves — John Horning of Wild Earth Guardians discusses the relentless efforts of Western ranchers to exterminate wolves. Also discussed is a similar effort to eradicate the prairie dog. A common factor between wolves and prairie dogs is that they are keystone species—their native ecosystems don't work properly when they are absent.
Download/listen   58:00

GP comment:  (1) The wolf is a tragic case, but other than the few species that can successfully "urbanize" (like squirrels), very few are doing well trying to live alongside humans. (2) The first few minutes are synthesized nature noises—that's the show's theme, not a corrupted MP3. Content starts around 3:30.

Original Show Pub Date: 12.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  FORESTS, SPECIES — 15.JAN.2014

NPR

Natural Gas Boom Adds to Forest Fragmentation — Forest fragmentation is what happens when human development crisscrosses the landscape, carving up large swaths of contiguous forest into smaller pieces. In Pennsylvania, the current natural gas boom is exacerbating the problem. Everything from the noise, traffic, and lighting to pad placements and pipeline construction are inherently incompatible with sustainable forest management and healthy habitats. Go to page  |  Download/Listen   4:11

GP comment:  The onslaught of natural gas sites is just the latest in a long line of insults to our forests and ecosystems.

Original Show Pub Date: 09.Jan.2014

CATEGORIES:  FOOD, ENVIRONMENT, ANIMAL WELFARE — 06.JAN.2014

Sea Change Radio

Meat—From Livestock to Lab-Stock? — "Cruelty-free" products abound in our 21st Century market place, from cosmetics to fake fur. But can you imagine a cruelty-free filet mignon? Food journalist Tom Levitt discusses recent advances in lab-grown meat.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   30:00

GP comment:  This is good—a balanced, sober assessment of the status and potential of lab-grown meat to eventually reduce the environmental problems and animal suffering associated with livestock operations.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Dec.2013

COOL & COSMIC
(AND POSSIBLY CATASTROPHIC!)

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 30.JAN.2014

Time Monk Radio Network

John Hogue:  We're Going to See a 'War on Stupid' — Cosmically connected prognosticator John Hogue says humans are in danger of changing the earth's biosphere to the point where we will degrade its ability to support life. In the coming years, we're going to see a shift away from the religious-capitalist exploitative mentality that has driven the zombified masses in this destructive fervor, with the norm becoming a more aware state that properly values our environmental support systems. Other comments include... If the war on Iran happens, it will likely be in 2016, and it will be a disastrous mistake for the Israelis. US hegemony will significantly wane over the next four years as the Fed continues to debase the dollar. Europe will continue to have problems but will not fall back into nationalism. Though Vladimir Putin is a dictator, he is a very important (and largely positive) force in world affairs.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:50:32

GP comment:  Hogue is sometime woo-woo to the point of being skippable, but his geopolitical analyses and conclusions here are straightforward and quite good (however he arrived at them!).

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 26.JAN.2014

Red Ice Radio

Electric Universe Theory vs. Gravity Universe Theory — David Talbott discusses the "electric universe" and how it explains many celestial phenomena better than the gravitational theory of the universe.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   1:00:40

GP comment:  This is a fine discussion of astrophysics, if you're into that. Personally, I would have preferred they spend some time on the practical implications of the electric universe theory for us humans.

Original Show Pub Date: 13.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 25.JAN.2014

Beyond 50

Find Your Groove, Live in the Now — Nandisvara Ishaya talks about the importance of mind quieting as a way to get your life flowing with optimal efficiency towards your true goals. Topics include "being present"—living in the now—and ways to recognize and combat self-defeating mental constructs.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   47:01

GP comment:  Yep, positive visioning is important. But it only works if you can detach yourself from the outcome.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 22.JAN.2014

Lifeboat Hour

Collapse and Conscious Evolution — Carolyn Baker and Michael Ruppert discuss the need to stay mentally balanced during trying times. Be aware, stay active, get ready, but don't over-stress. It's clear from the momentum of events that there is no longer any need to think we can avoid what's coming, so maintain your perspective and balance, and stay fascinated by what unfolds.
Download/Listen   55:00

GP comment:  Just remember we are temporarily incarnated here to have a particular conscious/corporeal experience, and pre-defining what that is supposed to be will only cause you anxiety. As Bill Hicks said, relax—it's just a ride.

Original Show Pub Date: 19.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 16.JAN.2014

Electric Politics

Evidence of Reincarnation — You don't have to travel to Buddhist- and Hindu-dominated parts of the world to find people with reincarnation experiences. It happens in the Western world, too, with children sometimes remembering extraordinary details about past lives: about how they were a pilot, for example, or a golf pro. Jim B. Tucker, a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences, has been studying the phenomenon for years, and here he discusses a few of the more noteworthy cases that seem to be explainable only as reincarnations.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   43:04

GP comment:  As the Monkees once sang, "Do I have to do this all over again? Didn't I do it right the first time? ... How many times Do I have to make this climb?"

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 07.JAN.2014

Awakening to Conscious Co-Creation

The Primacy Of Being — Many of us begin our path to enlightenment fixated on gaining as much knowledge as possible. Neil Kramer says this is a good way to start the journey, but at some point it becomes a hindrance—saturation with information prevents us from seeing the real truth, which requires us to just be. He says true being is the confluence of—and balance between—our animal will, our soul will, and the universal spirit will. Being in nature—quiet and mind-still—is a key activity for increasing psychic awareness. Place authority in yourself for your own growth and discovery.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   57:07

Original Show Pub Date: 04.Dec.2013

CATEGORY:  COOL & COSMIC — 03.JAN.2014

Dot Connecting

David Icke on Holographic Reality, Parasitic Overlords, and the Infinite Now — David Icke says the conspiracy to rule the planet cannot truly be understood within the framing of our five-sense world. We have to discuss ETs, the holographic nature of physical existence, and the ability of some beings to manipulate what we perceive with our five senses and thinking processes. Members of families like the Rockefellers and Rothschilds are operating from a technically more advanced state of existence (though they are clearly not advanced in essential areas like compassion). They manage the world for the real rulers, which are parasitic non-terrestrials that feed off the negative energy that is continually manifested on the planet.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   56:38

GP comment:  Wow. When I see the words I wrote above, I feel a bit silly. Nonetheless, one has to admire a way-out-there theory that is completely consistent with observable facts.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Dec.2013

HISTORY & LEARNING

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, HISTORY — 27.JAN.2014

CounterSpin

The NSA and History of Political Surveillance — An independent review board has concluded that the National Security Agency's surveillance program poses threats to citizens' civil liberties, isn't really working to catch terrorists, and should be ended. But while much debate centers on the data collected being misused, what about what happens if it's used as intended? History professor Alfred McCoy discusses the history of spying by the US government and the political dirty tricks (and worse) it has fostered.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:00

GP comment:  Spying on internal adversaries has been going on throughout history. But given the old axiom about power corrupting, we should not be granting our appointed leaders such power. It inevitably goes off the rails.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HISTORY, EMPIRE — 22.JAN.2014

Unwelcome Guests

The New Pearl Harbor, pt 2 — This begins with an analysis of the anthrax attacks carried out in 2001, just after 9/11, in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the push to pass the Patriot Act. The analysis by Bob Coen and Eric Nadler examines not only the holes in the official story of the anthrax attacks but also the potential links to global bio-weapons interests. ~~ The second hour continues the audio adaptation of the film The New Pearl Harbor, focusing on the events at the Pentagon and Shanksville, and presenting a slew of science-based questions that cannot be answered by the official narrative.
Go to page  |  Download/listen A   59:36
Go to page  |  Download/listen B   59:36

GP comment:  Part 1, if you missed it, is also worthwhile: go there

Original Show Pub Date: 12.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HISTORY, EMPIRE — 16.JAN.2014

Against the Grain

Afghan History + Drones in Central Asia — (1) Justin Podur talks about Afghanistan, past and present. Topics include the origin of the "warlords"; external "intervention" from Britain, USSR, and US; and Taliban strength. ~~ (2) Medea Benjamin discusses the politics and morality of drone warfare, particularly as it applies to the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   54:25

GP comment:  The only way to interpret the imperial preoccupation with Afghanistan is that it is in a geographically strategic area. Oh, and the trillions worth of untapped resources might be a factor too.

Original Show Pub Date: 06.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  HISTORY — 12.JAN.2014

Guns & Butter

The Pivotal Role of LBJ In JFK's Murder — Phillip F. Nelson discusses the evidence that Lyndon Johnson was a bipolar megalomaniac who cared about nothing but his own ambitions, and that his broad network of connections and dark characteristics make him the likely mastermind behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Go to page  |  Download/Listen   59:50

GP comment:  There are many fascinating facts here about LBJ, but I don't think Nelson in any way proves his thesis that LBJ was likely the driving force in the JFK assassination. The CIA-bankster cabal was (and is) more than capable of such a task.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Jan.2014

CATEGORIES:  EMPIRE, HISTORY — 11.JAN.2014

Democracy Now

Activists Finally Go Public on 1971 Burglary That Exposed FBI's COINTELPRO — On March 8, 1971, a group of activists—including a cabdriver, a day care director, and two professors—broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. They stole every document they found and then leaked many to the press, including details about FBI abuses and the then-secret counter-intelligence program to infiltrate, monitor, and disrupt social and political movements, nicknamed COINTELPRO. No one in the group was ever caught, despite an enormous FBI search. The burglars' identities remained a secret until this week, when they finally came forward to take credit for the caper that changed history. This clip explores this successful case of audacious activism.
Watch  |  Download/Listen   47:50

GP comment:  This is what real activism looks like.

Original Show Pub Date: 08.Jan.2014

MUSIC & FUN

CATEGORY:  MUSIC — 30.JAN.2014

The Sunrise Ocean Bender

Standing On The Roots — This is a mixed bag in three phases. Phase 1 is floaty progressive folk-rock—largely "OK," with one standout track: "English Dream" by James McKeown. Phase 2 transitions into mostly trancy ambient prog, with the only particularly listenable track being "Madrigal Meridian" by Tangerine Dream. If you can survive Phase 2, the last 20 minutes offers some nice accessible short-format prog rock, with the two standouts being "Penelope Definitely" by Thomas McConnell and "The View From Gainesborough" by Beaulieu Porch."
Page for full track listing  |  Download/listen   1:57:30

Additional GP comment:  There's always the fast forward button...

Original Show Pub Date: 18.Nov.2013

CATEGORY:  MUSIC — 26.JAN.2014

The Vinyl Experience

Introducing (and Inspiring) The Beatles — Phase 1 here features artists that inspired The Beatles, including The Isley Brothers ("Twist & Shout"), The Shirelles ("Baby It's You" and "Boys"), and The Cookies ("Chains"). Phase 2 plays the Top Ten songs of January, 1964—the month The Fab Four hit the US market. Top tracks are from Jan & Dean ("Drag City"), The Marketts ("Out Of Limits"), Shirley Ellis ("The Nitty Gritty"), The Rip Chords ("Hey Little Cobra"), The Kingsmen ("Louie Louie"), and Bobby Vinton ("There I've Said it Again"). The third and final phase features tracks from the first US Beatles LP, including "Please Please Me," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
Download/listen   1:06:00

GP comment:  Hard to believe it's been 50 years. Cavalconte does a really nice job here.

Original Show Pub Date: 17.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MUSIC — 20.JAN.2014

A Bowl of Soul

Boogie On, Pleasure Principle — A nice set of funk, soul, and dance. Top tracks are ... "Boogie On Reggae Woman" by Stevie Wonder // "Walking Along" by The Solitaires // "Fancy Dancer" by The Commodores // "Real Love" by Jody Watley // "Where Did You Go" by The Four Tops // "Driving Wheel" by Al Green // "Stay With Me (By the Sea)- Al Green (feat. John Legend) // "The Pleasure Principle" by Janet Jackson.
Download/Listen   1:00:00

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORY:  MUSIC — 15.JAN.2014

The Vinyl Experience

For Phil Everly — DJ Paul Cavalconte honors the passing of Phil Everly of the Every Brothers, one of the seminal groups of the late '50s and early '60s. He juxtaposes songs so you can hear the influences on the EB's as well as the wide impact they had on other artists. Top tracks here are ... Everly Brothers - "Bye Bye Love" // Everly Brothers - "Let It Be Me" // Beach Boys - "God Only Knows" // Neil Young - "Harvest Moon" // Everly Brothers - "Walk Right Back" // Paul McCartney & Wings - "Let Em In" // Everly Brothers - "Cathy's Clown" // Beatles - "All I've Got To Do" // Nazareth - "Love Hurts" // Linda Ronstadt - "When Will I Be Loved." And when you hear Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones do "Long Time Gone," you will swear it's the Everly Brothers themselves.
Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  Very solid. Still, there should have been a pick from Rockpile's excellent 4-song EP of Everly Brothers songs.

Original Show Pub Date: 10.Jan.2014

CATEGORIES:  ENVIRONMENT, MUSIC — 06.JAN.2014

Radio EcoShock

Best Environmental Songs of 2013 — Talk, talk, talk ... about environmental stuff. Here, instead of more jabbering, Alex Smith turns to DJ'ing for an hour, with his picks for the best environmental songs of the last year. Top tracks are the hilarious "Denial Tango" by the group Men With Day Jobs and Kris Kitco's excellent "Frack That Oil."
Page for full song list  |  Download/Listen   1:00:00

GP comment:  All by relatively unknown artists; mostly pretty good, with a couple standouts.

Original Show Pub Date: 24.Dec.2013

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