When DO We Talk About This?

Felt that it was important all the same to post this article here, regarding the aftermath of the just-in breaking news of shooting massacre in Newton, Connecticut at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Especially following the shooting in Clackamas County in Oregon, gun control should be an agenda to discuss immediately, no?

San Francisco: Land of Opportunity or Degeneration??

The City by the Bay's always gotten a mixed rap from too many pretentious hipsters to the most beautiful city in America, but this article is almost sealing that notion of San Francisco being progressive and breaking boundaries-- or just going to the dogs, or strippers in this case.

Stephany Ashley has just joined City Hall as an aide to San Francisco supervisor David Campos. To her background credentials, she actually and proudly cites her past job as an exotic dancer in the Lusty Lady as inspiration for tackling social issues, from women's rights to victimization of HIV patients. What do you think?

Homework Banned in France.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/12/17/121217taco_talk_menand

A Good Day Up North

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When Representative Maureen Walsh, a Republican from Washington, gave this speech after same-sex marriage passed in the house, it really touched a lot of people.

Today, with weed and gay marriage becoming legal in Washington by popular vote, the Seattle Times posted another touching video of all the couples who lined up at the court house at midnight.

The Space Needle pulled a photo (left) of a billboard from the archives and NPR posted pictures of people smoking beneath it.

While the world turns on as predicted, it's easy to downplay the victory for the LGBTQ community right along with the limited effect on the daily lives of naysayers. Watching all the happy couples reminded me this law does impact lives, in a big way, and you cannot deny the borderline-propagandist cuteness of the recipients of the very first license, Janne Abbott Lightly and Pete-e Peterson (right), who declared their marriage "a long time coming."

Mitt Romney's New Job

Romney does not seem too phased by his 2012 presidential election loss as he takes on a new career. See what he adds on to his work resume here.

Glut Reactions: The Demographics of American Poetry

“What happens when everyone is a poet?” asked Marjorie Perloff at the start of her controversial essay, “Poetry on the Brink.” Citing a recent lecture by renowned critic Jed Rasula, Perloff argued that “the sheer number of poets now plying their craft inevitably ensures moderation and safety.” In the following exchange, conducted via email between November 2011 and May 2012, Rasula and Mike Chasar, author ofEveryday Reading: Poetry and Popular Culture in Modern America, take a closer look at the notion—so prevalent in discussions of contemporary poetry—that more Americans are writing poetry today than ever before. How true are the rumors of poetry’s newfound popularity? How might this popularity affect, or reflect, the way poetry is conceived of and consumed by the culture at large?

—The Editors

Read the article over at the Boston Review.

Robert Wiedemer Predicts 2013 Stock Market Crash. (Predicts Far worse than the "Recession")

http://www.moneynews.com/Outbrain/interview-exposes-stocks-collapse/2012/09/20/id/456981?PROMO_CODE=109C0-1&utm_source=taboola

"Wiedemer, best known for correctly predicting the collapse of the U.S. housing market, equity markets, and consumer spending that almost sank the United States during the “Great Recession”, provides disturbing evidence in the video interview for 50 percent unemployment, a 90 percent stock market crash, and 100 percent annual inflation . . . starting as soon as 2013."

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.moneynews.com/Outbrain/interview-exposes-stocks-collapse/2012/09/20/id/456981?PROMO_CODE=109C0-1&utm_source=taboola#ixzz2E1jnEL00
Important: Do You Still Support Obamacare? Vote Here Now!

Christmas Cancelled

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50013029/ns/us_news-weird_news/#.ULw_toZ7SSo

Practical Solutions to the Middle East

With new information about the disastrous situation in the Middle East coming to the fore, the United States is now put in a position to address the violence.  It seems one must also consider the context and relationship we have with Israel and Palestine when making political moves.  It was through the UN that the United States hoped to push for a bilateral conversation between the two countries which is certainly very interesting as many have questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/11/palestine_nonmember_observer_state_why_did_so_few_countries_vote_with_the.html

A New Negotiation

In this article, posted by The New York Times, the negotiation style of Obama is presented. Recently, when attempting to agree with the G.O.P., he has given up the typical negotiation style to simply state: "You first." He is currently presenting himself as more "liberal" and this is frustrating the Republican Party as they attempt to agree on a proposal of spending cuts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/us/politics/pushing-gop-to-negotiate-obama-ends-giving-in.html?pagewanted=all

How the Clintonites Launched Obamanomics

http://swampland.time.com/2012/09/05/stimulus-may-be-only-chance-for-quick-action-how-the-clintonites-launched-obamanomics/

Really interesting article about the connections between Clinton and Obama.