We all know, or should know I guess, that this is an election year. A lot of people are excited, and there are plenty of political food stuffs out this year to let you express your opinion without saying a word.

But why let people have all the fun? Don't you think your pets want in on the action? Of course they do! Petlane wants to help you help your pet this election cycle. You can now help your pet let the world know how they really feel with Political Dog Biscuits, which come in either donkey shapes (Democrats) or elephant shapes (Republicans).

Now the only question is what side of the fence your dog sits on. They may not be able to speak your language, but here's how to tell which political party your pooch prefers. Hopefully you won't have two pets with opposite party affiliations. No more political discussions at the dinner bowl!

[Via So Good]

Marion Nestle says that when she talks to people, she hears "this phenomenal sense of despair about their inability to do anything about climate change, or the disparity between rich and poor." A despair that she says is alleviated by a trip to the grocery store where "they can make decisions about what they are buying and send a very clear message." Perhaps people really do express these sentiments to her, but unless specifically directed, it seems unlikely that most people make the connection between relieving their feeling of despair over the "disparity between rich and poor" and shopping for groceries - in this case, probably organic ones.

But it is true that consumers have the power to change the marketplace and that they are doing it every day with the decisions they make at the grocery store, as The Economist mentioned in a recent article. The organic food industry is growing by leaps and bounds and there is an ever-increasing call for higher-quality food, held to higher standards, whether they are organic, local, fair-trade, hormone-free, etc.

It is about the environment, and it is about politics, but I can testify first hand that shade grown coffee is better for you, especially if you get migraine headaches.

Typically coffee was shade grown in South America, Central Mexico, and Hawaii until large multinational companies razed the forests and slapped together nifty plantations at the expense of the land and the locals. Yes, it's been grown all over the world for centuries, but, as a US coffee drinker and someone who aspires to be eco/politically conscious (not necessarily correct) I am only addressing a particular effort in Chiapas, Mexico. It's called Cafe Rebellion. I interviewed the man who started the fair trade, cooperative there and was impressed. I only drink his coffee now. This is not a plug; he's not-for-profit and wishes to remain nameless, though you can check his site.

So, if you are a coffee drinker, consider shade grown, fair trade, organic coffee. Your pancreas will thank you. The vessels in your head will thank you. Careful with the lighter roasts-- as with most coffees they can kick you into overdrive for hours. On the other hand, organic coffee doesn't have the "crash" you get with a stiffy from Starbucks.

A few years ago, Ben & Jerry's ice cream was sold to Unilever and the company dropped some of its social activist policies and programs. The spirit remained, but with the founders out of the game, very little non-ice cream action was undertaken. Recently, at the request of the company's new top executive, the "ageing hippie" founders have returned to work with the ice cream company and are leading a campaign that is spearheaded by their newest flavor, American Pie.

The ice cream is browns sugar and cinnamon flavored, witch chunks of apples and pie crust in it, capturing the spirit of an all-American dessert. On the carton, there are ways to get involved in the American Pie campaign, which is detailed at the Ben& Jerry's website. Their goal is to convince consumers to convince the government to change their spending priorities on issues such as education and insurance coverage.

The flavor sounds like it is one that will appeal to most ice cream (and pie) fans, but the question now is whether a love of ice cream will change anyone's political opinions - or if a difference in political opinion, or simply a desire not to have politics on ice cream packaging, will keep anyone from buying it.

The game is called The McDonald's Videogame and it sounds innocent enough, but it is immediately apparent from the sinister-looking "Ronald" clown that this is not a happy virtual world. The game is essentially anti-McDonalds propaganda, taking cues from books like Beyond Beef, Fast Food Nation and No Logo to an extreme, albeit cartoon, form. There is nothing wrong with that. But there is something wrong with they way that the creators of the game (an Italian group) pretend to represent the McDonald's corporation.

The phrasing on the site is impossible to overlook. Even on the front page, the site states that "you'll discover all the dirty secrets that made us one of the biggest company [sic] of the world." Of course, since they are not affiliated with the company, there is a disclaimer that states that very fact - but their version of an "about us" page continues with the following: Denying all these well founded accusations would be impossible so we decided to create an online game to explain to young people that this is the price to pay in order to preserve our lifestyle. We'll continue on our way, with our well-known determination. Join us and have fun with us!"

So what is the point here? Stand up and support what you believe in. People are being deceived by the site, to one degree or another (just take a look at the forums), and think that it is run by McDonald's. The authors of the books so admired by the video game creator did not pretend to be affiliated with the company that they were condemning. And they did not need to do so to make a convincing argument. If you don't like McDonald's, just say so. The game is more fun with less propaganda.

(*Note: There is some offensive language in the game if you decide to play it. Consider yourself warned.)

[via Supersized Meals)