Top Kill

Each oilspill has its iconic images. Usually birds covered with oil, or aid workers bathing or hosing off seals or other animals. Or a broken oiltanker, stuck on a rocky coast.

The iconic image of the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is delivered to us by BP itself. The image of plumes of oil gushing into the gulf streamed live on the internet from cameras on remotely operated vehicles placed by BP next to the leaking well 5000 ft. under the sea have been shown extensively by al news stations reporting on the disaster.

All of a sudden, this oil disaster looks reminiscent to the spurts of ash and bursts of steam from the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption last month. Which of course has webcams of its own.

Below you can watch the live stream of the leak through PBS NewsHour’s YouTube channel.

Locally Grown

Walmart has become the US' largest grocery store. Their food sales now exceeds non-food. And it's not just the bland mass-produced, heavily processed items from the food industry. Walmart leads the nation in organic and locally grown food. Much to the surprise of Walmart bashers and whole food enthusiasts.

The Great Grocery Smackdown article in the Atlantic, written by Corby Kummer demonstrates that Walmart can stand up against the Whole Foods Store in blind food tests.

In our local Walmart store in McKinney, Texas, there are large "Locally Grown" produce bins. The signs show a friendly family running Wiggins Farms in Hidalgo County. Over 500 miles south of McKinney, Hidalgo County is not exactly local. But hey, Texas is a big state.

But then I notice that the "Locally Grown" bins are filled with papayas and watermelons from Mexico, and blueberries from Georgia. How local is that?