Today is a great guest post that I thought was apt after the many great reviews I’ve been reading online about the Yearly Kos. Both Feministe and Pandagon blogged about the happenings at this sold out convention. Though I’m not a fan of Markos, the man behind it all, I would still love to have the chance to go to the next Yearly Kos and watch it unfold. Being still fairly new, this was only it’s second year, many people still aren’t aware fo what exactly Yearly Kos is. But as it builds up steam and a reputation it will certainly get bigger and more noticed.

An annual convention gathering people from all walks of life who belong to the Netroots community, the US-based (but globally focused and inclusive) non-partisan grassroots political action community that uses the Internet and blogs as primary tools for: expressing viewpoints, building consensus, acting to change the status quo, mobilizing huge numbers of people and informing each other and the world about current events, grassroots actions, networks, meetings, policy and more.

Now, onto the guest post for those who aren’t quite familiar with how politics are lined up in America here is a short piece to help.

The last week I’ve been helping a friend set up her shop, so I really haven’t had much time for blogging. I’ve tried to get a post in each day, but it’s obvious that I just wasn’t fully available to do any of the topics justice. There are quite a few things I want to talk about, but time has been scarse. Though the shop is all set up now so I can get back to blogging away those few free moments I find. But to make up for my lack of writing here are a few of the things I wanted to talk about, and wasn’t able to.

1. What’s up with the anti-feminist stuff filling up my mailbox? I’ve gotten several emails linking me to some pretty nasty anti-feminist writings going on. Stuff like “the world was better when women knew their place and stayed in the kitchen” and that feminism is responsible for the stress of modern life and those poor men are left to clean up after us. Seriously, WTF?

2. There’s a great post here on why Bush needs to be impeached. Really, the man has nothing left to lose. It’s not like he can run again this coming election, so why should he care how the people feel about him.

3. This article, After College Ends, So Does Activism really hit home with me. Here I am, out of college, in the real world, and struggling to combine my passion with paying the bills. It’s enough to make anyone feel like a sell out.

4. Against the war? Georgie boy can take all your stuff, block anyone from giving you anything (including legal aide to fight it), then laugh into the night. OK, so may I exagerated on the laughing.

OK, now I’m out the door to run to the farmer’s market then to the park with my kids. I’ve got a great post on composting that I want to get up. And on Monday I have a guest post about a great organization that I hope everyone comes back to read.

I think at one point in time or another we all have experienced that fear that someone was saying horrible things about us when we weren’t around. It seems that some of us aren’t just paranoid. One brave reporter climbed upon a cruise ship full of conservatives, where he learned all the secret little comments they say when we aren’t around to hear them. Like that the Muslims are taking over, that liberals should be executed, and we’re “doing an excellent job killing them” in the war. The whole article made me shudder and wince a couple times I had to walk away from the computer and argue with myself over whether they really said the things they said. I’d like to believe that they didn’t. I’d like to belive that it was exagerated. I’d like to believe that Santa is real and I’ll be getting a truck load of toys from all the missed years. But believing doesn’t make it so.

The central theme seems to be “The Muslims are coming! The Muslims are coming! Quick get your bombs!” I wonder if any of those on the ship have ever actually met someone of any other faith than their own. And if they ever did how did they control themselves from not breaking out the scrubber pads and bleach and cleaning themselves of impurity on the spot. I remember once getting into a heat arguement with a hardcore conservative over bombing the Middle East. Her point seemed to be bomb them all and let God decide. I, trying to find some spot of humanity inside her, asked if she would feel the same if I were to blow up a building and Bush decided to bomb out entire town for it. Would she sacrifice her own young children to pay for my crime. She shrugged and gave the typical comments about protecting the country and patriotism. Though, I have a feeling the kind of people on this cruise wouldn’t get this kind of arguement. First of all they would never live somewhere with such low property value. And if such a choice were to be made they’d just pack up on the next cruise ship and hang out until the bombings were finished.

Farm Dreams has a great list of some Good Books. Three of them are must reads fo the organic,healthy, natural food lovers. There is also a great autobiography on a small farm sitting in the middle of an urban sprawl.

The Portland Tribune’s Sustainable Life section features a great book that extols modest living, self-sufficiency as path to happiness. The book is described as an “exuberant celebration of one man’s attempt to live modestly”.

The BeHeard blog has six powerful books listed written by Enlightening female authors. These are six deeply important books for all women to read.

The GNMParents present some Green Summer Reading that should be on everyone’s list for this summer. From Garage Sale America to The Omnivore’s Dilemma these are definitely books to add to your “must read” lsit.

Comfortably Green shares Why having more no longer makes us happy,  an excerpt from Bill McKibben’s new book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.

I want everyone to know about the upcoming Blogathon on July 28. The basics of the blogathon is that bloggers pledge to stay awake for 24 hours, blogging their way through the insonmia, while those of us who would be fire breathing zombies if we attempted this instead sponsor these brave bloggers. But we’re not just paying them to stay up and blog for 24 hours. If you choose to sponsor a blogger your contribution actually goes in total to a charity of their choice.

You can find a blog to sponsor by searching the blog listings and see what charities they are staying up for and what kind of blog they are. There are people blogging for Planned Parenthood, Amnesty International, Modest Needs, and many more. Any organization that you can think of is being represented somewhere. Of, if you are a brave soul you can sign up and give it a go yourself. You can go sign up and add yourself to the flock. Then go guilt all of your friends into sponsoring you.

This year I’ll be sponsoring Modern Musings as she blogs for RESIST. She has a great list here of 13 reasons why you should sponsor her too. Check it out and see if you get inspired to sponsor her and this great cause.

Everyone has been a buzz about China executing the man in charge of their food and drug safety administration. Food from China has been getting some negative press lately. You know, what with it being toxic and all. Knowing that you could be eating food shipped over from China in who knows what condition is a bit unnerving, but I don’t know that I’d kill the guy for it. Of course, like the Daily Kos points out that doesn’t mean that we can breath a sigh of relief. If anything we may be discovering that the problem is about to get worse.

I can’t help but get a little crosseyed trying to work out the differences between the execution of Zheng Xiaoyu and the release of Scooter Libby here in the US. I mean both applied for leniency, yet one was denied and the other walked free (or close enough). I don’t even want to begin to wrap my head around the politics right now. I’m afriad I might get lost and never found again. But don’t let my fear stop you, if you want to wind yourself up in the polical maze I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Did anyone not get an email about Open Left? Becauase I actually got two. OK OK, so I’ll check them out. Really, if they insist. In case you haven’t heard of the site yet it’s actually geared up to be fairly interesting. Sort of a melting pot of ideas for those leaning to the progressive left side. Which I happen to be.

The site will serve as a meeting place for outsiders in the progressive netroots to interact with insiders like Mike, who have long been a part of the progressive establishment. The website includes news, analysis and video content dedicated toward building a progressive governing majority in America.

See what I mean? Sounds great, right? And here I was all set to fall in love with a new site online. Then I read a few of the posts. Now, in all fairness it is an open forum. So anyone with a keyboard can share their thoughts. And there are some really great posts in there too. Like for instance Why Did Democratic Women Do So Poorly In 2006 House Elections? and this funny yet scary youtube video someone dug up. But there are a few posts that just didn’t sit well with me.

In all fairness though, you should just check it out for yourself. It really is prepped to be a great resource for liberal progressives to come together and share thoughts and ideas.

*Edited to add that I found an interesting post over at Feministe dealing with an abortion topic from Open Left. It is definitely worth the read, not just to bask in the glory that is Feministe but also to see another opinion about those writing on Open Left.

My post yesterday on water bottles lead to a great comemnt and a link to a post of 13 news stories worth checking out. Scroll down to #8, a great piece on Nestle yet again making money at the expense of others.

Many people don’t know that there is a boycott on Nestle and their products going on. One that has been in effect since 1977. The reasons for boycotting Nestle make a pretty long list. Check out What’s Wrong With Nestlé? to see for yourself. Irresponsible marketing, exploiting employees, supporting brutal / repressive regimes , and abusing animals are a few of the ways Nestle gets its kicks. Doing a full boycott of Nestle can be difficult for some, especially since they own everything under the sun. As the company grows and grows one almost has to stop going to the store at all in order to avoid the stretch of Nestle. In the future the world will be owned by Nestle and sold by Wal-Mart. *shudders*

 If you want to know more you can check out the Boycott Nestle blog, which has an interesting post up right now about the Boycott Nestle week and mothers in the Philippines being misled into think that processed formula is better than their own milk. Much in the same way women here in the US were told the same lies. There is a great post here about the according to the World Health Organization, some 16,000 Filipino children die as a result of “inappropriate feeding practices” every year.