This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we take a look at large soda manufacturers and the politics behind their industry.

REFERENCES:

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/do-soda-taxes-work/

https://www.ecowatch.com/soda-companies-turn-attention-to-developing-countries-as-sales-fall-fl-1882173309.html

https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(18)31639-8/fulltext

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqnUohxXV0I

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/

https://smartlabel.pepsico.info/012000387807-0001-en-US/index.html

https://pepsicosmartlabel.com/Lipton

https://www.pepsico.com/brands/product-information

https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-alleges-honest-teas-just-a-tad-sweet-claim-is-misleading

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/brands

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/27/451950106/in-soda-politics-big-soda-at-crossroads-of-profit-and-public-health

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we discuss the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, their structure, content and implications for the modern day.

REFERENCES:

https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Memoirs-Ulysses-Grant-Annotated/dp/0674976290

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we start 2022 with a cautionary tale on historical revisionism, extremism and radicalization.

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/11/01/psychology-how-someone-becomes-radicalized/

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RBA1071-1.html

https://news.gsu.edu/research-magazine/rewriting-history-civil-war-textbooks

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/united-daughters-of-the-confederacy/

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/lost-cause-the/

https://sites.uw.edu/magastudy/

https://theweek.com/us/1001987/men-losing-close-friends

https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/STARTPIRUSUseOfSocialMediaByUSExtremistsResearchBriefJuly2018.pdf

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we look at the politics and history of Jesus Christ, Santa Claus and Christmas itself.

REFERENCES:

https://theconversation.com/christmas-is-political-and-always-has-been-148629

https://theconversation.com/a-christmas-story-the-arrival-of-a-sweet-baby-boy-or-a-political-power-to-change-the-world-108508

https://www.history.com/news/what-did-jesus-look-likehttps://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/2018/12/15/how-old-santa-claus-history-santa-claus/2221082002/

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, I take a look at private as well as public sector actors and how your Amazon Echo is tied to both.

REFERENCES:

https://www.amazon.com/b/?node=23608571011

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/02/police-think-amazons-alexa-may-have-information-fatal-stabbing-case/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/08/28/doorbell-camera-firm-ring-has-partnered-with-police-forces-extending-surveillance-reach/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/cute-videos-little-evidence-police-say-amazon-ring-isn-t-n1136026

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/your-google-home-or-fit-bit-could-be-used-against-you-in-court/9510368

https://www.expertinstitute.com/resources/insights/amazon-echo-expert-witness-murder-trial/

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-home-recordings-listen-privacy-amazon-alexa-hack-a9002096.html

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/tech/amazon-alexa-listening/index.html

Huzzah! This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we discuss Hulu's The Great, a comedic show about Catherine the Great of Russia and her rise to power and prominence.

REFERENCES:

https://time.com/5836794/the-great-true-story-catherine-the-great/

https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/the-great-hulu-tony-mcnamara-russian-history.html

https://slate.com/culture/2020/05/the-great-hulu-series-review-historical-accuracy-nope.html

This time we discuss the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

REFERENCES:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/fauci-omicron-variant-almost-certainly-not-more-severe-than-delta-2021-12%3famp

https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-omicron-variant

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/world/europe/uk-covid-johnson.amp.html

https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/02/where-did-omicron-covid-variant-come-from-and-where-is-it-circulating.html

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we discuss the Democratic Party and what they need to do to protect democracy in the United States.

REFERENCES:

https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/constitution-courts-and-democracy-issues/freedom-to-vote-act/

https://www.wisdc.org/news/press-releases/132-press-release-2021/6992-support-for-banning-gerrymandering-in-wisconsin-rises-to-87

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/11/9/22765982/north-carolina-redistricting-gerrymandering-2021-2022

https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-senate-approves-gop-backed-redistricting-plan

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/12/politics/senate-race-rankings-november/index.html

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we look at some common sense gun regulations that work to respect the 2nd amendment as well as our safety.

REFERENCES:

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-ii

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/554/570/

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-78672-001

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm

https://morelle.house.gov/issues/common-sense-gun-reform-0

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1454?s=1&r=9

https://www.pnas.org/content/114/46/12162

https://efsgv.org/learn/type-of-gun-violence/domestic-violence-and-firearms/

This time on Tony's Political Ramblings, we discuss recycling and my pitch for a new recycling industry to boost the United States' economy.

REFERENCES:

https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/cost.pdf

https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/increasing-soil-biodiversity-in-botanical-gardens/

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

https://www.ecocycle.org/zerowaste/jobs

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics