A friend passed around this concise video today, and responses from others who were watching it for the first time reminded me that not everyone has seen everything.  There’s a value in stating clearly what may seem obvious.  At least that’s what I’ve been coaching my high school students to do as they move from the mysterious thicket of their brains on to the linear Siberian tundra of the written page.  Perhaps I should try my own advice.

So, if we haven’t yet had conversations about the military-industrial-agricultural complex–or, alternatively, if we have and you’ve been looking for some bit of marginalia to put in your pocket for a day when you need to communicate a certain way of reading the world, then here are a few bits for just that sort of thing:

• The Story of Stuff (linked above): the golden arrow of consumption gets animated and exploded into its many causes and consequences in the space of 20min.
• The Meatrix: animated Matrix parody featuring barnyard animals in the world of factory farming.  Guest starring, yes– Moopheus.
• Store Wars: stop-action animation of actual vegetables in a Star Wars battle for organic food. The Death Star is a cantaloupe.

These are by no means comprehensive, and I share them at the risk of repeating the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  However, as I once heard the lady say:

‘It’s more complicated than that’ makes a terrible campaign slogan.

Are there some pocket-pieces I’ve overlooked?  Shout ‘em out below.  Please.