Goodbye Jon Stewart

It’s been a tough week in the news and the most difficult part of it is that we don’t have Jon Stewart to help us make sense of it all. Like all the people who have already spoken or written about Stewart and his legacy, I will miss him.

I watched his last show and was struck with his parting advice and call to action. He said to us “If you smell something, say something!” And in this first week without him there are quite few things that don’t pass the smell test.

One that really caught my eye was a story on Fortune.com that reported that the Coca-Cola Company is funding something called the Global Energy Balance Network. This “network” consists of paid researchers whose sole purpose is to counteract the current push to reduce the amount of sugar-loaded drinks that most nutritionists say contribute to our obesity epidemic. Needless to say, the campaign has threatened the revenue stream to Coca-Cola and other big producers.

The folks at this new organization want us to believe that drinks like Coke can be a “healthy treat” and we should all be more focused on exercise, not food/beverage intake. Sounds like these "experts" are taking a page from the folks who want you to be confused about climate change, who are direct descendants from the folks who kept the truth about nicotine hidden from view for decades.

So I smell something and I’m saying something! Thanks, Jon. Wishing you the best and I hope we see you again soon!