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Opinion

Why Fanaticism Can Be a Good ThingWhy Fanaticism Can Be a Good Thing

By Rebecca Solnit, Comment Is Free. December 1, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: It's popular to think the world gets changed by delightful people, but agents of change are often obsessive, intransigent, unreasonable, and demanding.

Former Member of Afghan Parliament: Obama, We Don't Want a Troop Surge in Our CountryFormer Member of Afghan Parliament: Obama, We Don't Want a Troop Surge in Our Country

By Malalai Joya, Comment Is Free. December 1, 2009.
World: If Barack Obama heralds an escalation of the war, he will betray his own message of hope and deepen my people's pain.

6 Tricks to Sex After a Divorce6 Tricks to Sex After a Divorce

By Julie Bogart, Sirens Magazine. December 1, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Whether you're looking for a new relationship or are simply looking to get laid, here's what to expect the first time you have sex after a break-up.

Christian Cowards: Why Don't Evangelical Leaders Condemn the Hate Spouted by Right-Wingers?Christian Cowards: Why Don't Evangelical Leaders Condemn the Hate Spouted by Right-Wingers?

By Frank Schaeffer, AlterNet. December 1, 2009.
Since when does loving Jesus mean you have to hate our President? Prominent Christians should denounce the violently aggressive language right-wingers use to tear down Obama.

My Baby Would Have Died Under the Stupak AmendmentMy Baby Would Have Died Under the Stupak Amendment

By Tiffany Campbell, RH Reality Check. November 30, 2009.
Reproductive Justice and Gender: The selective termination that saved my baby's life would not be covered under the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Politicians' Symbolic Opposition to Afghan Escalation is Pointless As Long As Congress Keeps Writing ChecksPoliticians' Symbolic Opposition to Afghan Escalation is Pointless As Long As Congress Keeps Writing Checks

By Norman Solomon, AlterNet. November 30, 2009.
Politics: It doesn't much matter whether people "support" the escalation. What matters is whether they openly oppose it -- and, if so, how vocally and emphatically.

Are You Brave Enough to Say No to a High-Stress Holiday?Are You Brave Enough to Say No to a High-Stress Holiday?

By Bill McKibben, Grist.org. November 30, 2009.
Environment: The problem with Christmas is that no one much likes it anymore.

The Feds Are Addicted to Pot -- Even If You Aren'tThe Feds Are Addicted to Pot -- Even If You Aren't

By Paul Armentano, AlterNet. November 30, 2009.
DrugReporter: The government keeps pushing the BS that pot is addictive and has serious health consequences. And no wonder -- lying about pot is a lucrative business.

10 Signs Vegetarianism Is Catching On10 Signs Vegetarianism Is Catching On

By Kathy Freston, AlterNet. November 30, 2009.
Health and Wellness: Martha Stewart promotes a vegetarian Thanksgiving? Recently, much attention has been lavished on the horrors of factory farming and the advantages of a meatless diet.

Cult of Conservative Christian GOPers Backs Death Penalty for Gays With HIVCult of Conservative Christian GOPers Backs Death Penalty for Gays With HIV

By Stephen Webster, Raw Story. November 30, 2009.
Uganda is pushing a bill that would impose the death penalty on HIV positive gay men. And a secretive group of American politicians appears to be a driving force behind the law.

This Is George Bush's Recession: Why Doesn't Anybody Talk About That?This Is George Bush's Recession: Why Doesn't Anybody Talk About That?

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 30, 2009.
Politics: If the partisan tables were turned, the GOP would waste no time laying the blame on Democrats. We need to do the same to build political capital for key fights ahead.

A Smart Way to Battle Drug Addiction and Save Lives: Harm ReductionA Smart Way to Battle Drug Addiction and Save Lives: Harm Reduction

By Melinda Tuhus, In These Times. November 30, 2009.
DrugReporter: Harm reduction is a public health approach that stresses pragmatic solutions to social ills like substance abuse.

Rabid Right-Wing Media Mogul Building a News EmpireRabid Right-Wing Media Mogul Building a News Empire

By Jamison Foser, Media Matters for America. November 28, 2009.
Media and Technology: If you like what Rupert Murdoch has done for the national discourse, you'll love what Philip Anschutz is trying to do in your hometown.

"You Like That Baby, You Like That?": Has Porn Made Men Bad at Sex?

By Cord Jefferson, Nerve.com. November 28, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Porn is entertainment, not a how-to manual. If men want to know what really turns women on, hetero porn is the last place they should look.

Shocking: High School Grads Twice As Likely To Be Jobless Than College Grads – and Right-Wingers are Profiting From Their PainShocking: High School Grads Twice As Likely To Be Jobless Than College Grads – and Right-Wingers are Profiting From Their Pain

By Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. November 28, 2009.
Politics: The economic meltdown has hit non-college grads much harder than the educated. And conservatives are very good at exploiting their anger and unease.

Is Obama Following in the Footsteps of Bill Clinton?Is Obama Following in the Footsteps of Bill Clinton?

By Jeff Cohen, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
World: Obama's shown a Clinton-like willingness to roll over progressives to enact corrupt legislation and compromise for the votes of Republicans.

Drink Some Booze, Smoke a Joint and Relax: How to Have a Hedonistic ThanksgivingDrink Some Booze, Smoke a Joint and Relax: How to Have a Hedonistic Thanksgiving

By Ben Reininga, Nerve.com. November 25, 2009.
Thanksgiving is a holiday about three things: eating, drinking, and fun. If you haven't realized that yet, you're doing it wrong. Here's how to do it right.

Why Can't We Look Away From Sarah Palin?Why Can't We Look Away From Sarah Palin?

By Vanessa Richmond, AlterNet. November 24, 2009.
Reproductive Justice and Gender: She's an incompetent has-been. Yet she keeps getting our attention. Is it that she embodies a set of contradictions that many women grapple with?

10 Tips for a Sustainable Thanksgiving10 Tips for a Sustainable Thanksgiving

By Sarah Newman, Takepart. November 24, 2009.
Food: Here's what you need to know, from tips on a meatless meal to options for a humanely raised turkey to having diversity on your actual dinner table.

Why the New Breast Cancer Guidelines Are RacistWhy the New Breast Cancer Guidelines Are Racist

By Devona Walker, The Loop. November 23, 2009.
Reproductive Justice and Gender: Black women get breast cancer at younger ages, but the new breast-cancer guidelines entirely ignore that fact. This is the very definition of institutionalized racism.

Why Is Malcolm Gladwell So Successful?Why Is Malcolm Gladwell So Successful?

By Maureen Tkacik, The Nation. November 23, 2009.
Good writing succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else's head.

Why Do Conservatives Love Sarah Palin? Because She Never Stops WhiningWhy Do Conservatives Love Sarah Palin? Because She Never Stops Whining

By Matt Taibbi, True/Slant. November 23, 2009.
Sarah Palin constantly complains about the imaginary injustices done to her person. And our country loves whiners.

5 Bad Things That Immediately Happen to Your Body When You Eat Sugary Junk5 Bad Things That Immediately Happen to Your Body When You Eat Sugary Junk

By Vicki Santillano, Divine Caroline. November 23, 2009.
Sugary food tastes great going down, but the effects it has on our insides are far less appetizing.

Will There Be Justice for the Victims of El Salvador's Jesuit Massacre?Will There Be Justice for the Victims of El Salvador's Jesuit Massacre?

By Pamela Merchant, AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
World: El Salvador's President Funes has affirmed his commitment to seeking the full truth of the military's role in the massacre.

The War on Weed: Marijuana Is Basically Harmless -- The Monumentally Stupid Drug War Is NotThe War on Weed: Marijuana Is Basically Harmless -- The Monumentally Stupid Drug War Is Not

By Jim Hightower, Hightower Lowdown. November 23, 2009.
DrugReporter: The war on marijuana is insane; our officials keep sacrificing tax dollars, lives, civil liberties, and their own credibility in this misguided and losing effort.

Hot Mormon Muffins and Models for Jesus: What's With All the Sexy Christians?Hot Mormon Muffins and Models for Jesus: What's With All the Sexy Christians?

By Liz Langley, SeXis Magazine. November 22, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: The weaving of assertive sexuality and assertive spirituality is bizarre, untried terrain. Is it hypocritical for Christians to flaunt their assets in a flirtatious way?

Dobbs' Resignation Was Long OverdueDobbs' Resignation Was Long Overdue

By Janet Murguía, AlterNet. November 21, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: My problems with Dobbs surfaced more than two years ago, during the debate over the last version of immigration reform.

20 Weird, Crazy Ideas for Helping the Earth20 Weird, Crazy Ideas for Helping the Earth

WebEcoist. November 21, 2009.
Environment: Many ideas for stemming environmental catastrophe have turned out to be impossible, dangerous, or just … ridiculous.

What if People Actually Treated Religion as Just a Metaphor (Like Trekkies and Secular Jews)?What if People Actually Treated Religion as Just a Metaphor (Like Trekkies and Secular Jews)?

By Greta Christina, AlterNet. November 20, 2009.
Belief: It's possible to keep the good parts of religion -- like the music, rituals and pageantry -- and get rid of the sex-hating dogma, the belief in god and other troublesome aspects.

Hey Guys, Don't Want Kids? A Vasectomy Is Probably the Way to GoHey Guys, Don't Want Kids? A Vasectomy Is Probably the Way to Go

By Anna Clark, RH Reality Check. November 20, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Historically, the burden of family planning has almost always fallen on women. Isn't it about time for that to change?

Poseidon's Financial Shell Game: Why Is a Private Desalination Plant Asking for Public Money?Poseidon's Financial Shell Game: Why Is a Private Desalination Plant Asking for Public Money?

By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute. November 19, 2009.
Water: After years of claiming that they needed no public support to build this plant, this claim has finally been proven false.

Is House Health Care Bill a Threat to Our Constitution?Is House Health Care Bill a Threat to Our Constitution?

By Barry W. Lynn, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. November 18, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: The House health-care bill isn't just a threat to women's rights; with the Stupak amendment, it's a breach of the Constitution.

Is California's New Water Legislation Better Than Nothing?Is California's New Water Legislation Better Than Nothing?

By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute. November 18, 2009.
Water: Despite the happy face being put on by some of the bill's supporters, including Governor Schwarzenegger, I doubt anyone is truly happy with the end result.

Hightower: Obscenely Rich Bankers Claim to Do God's Work -- They Can Go to HellHightower: Obscenely Rich Bankers Claim to Do God's Work -- They Can Go to Hell

By Jim Hightower, AlterNet. November 18, 2009.
Top executives were initially hurt by the public's moral outrage. But their sense of entitlement quickly kicked in, and now they claim they're the good guys.

Why I'll Never Buy a KindleWhy I'll Never Buy a Kindle

By Benjamin Dangl, AlterNet. November 17, 2009.
Media and Technology: Fancy new book readers save lots of trees, yes, but I'll pass.

The New York Times Embraces 'Douche' as the Television Dirty Word of the MomentThe New York Times Embraces 'Douche' as the Television Dirty Word of the Moment

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. November 16, 2009.
The NY Times has just discovered that "douche" is used as an insult in mainstream media. Why do they seem to see the spread of a term derogatory to women as progress?

America Is One Big Clunker and No Amount of Cash Will Buy Us a New OneAmerica Is One Big Clunker and No Amount of Cash Will Buy Us a New One

By James Howard Kunstler, Kunstler.com. November 16, 2009.
Environment: We continue to be childishly delusional about our dark economic and environmental prospects. Unfortunately, reality isn't amenable to lies and spin.

Obama's Strongest Supporters Suffering the Most in Recession, While Elites ThriveObama's Strongest Supporters Suffering the Most in Recession, While Elites Thrive

By Bob Herbert, The New York Times. November 16, 2009.
The young, the black and the poor are among those who are being hammered unmercifully in this long and cruel economic downturn that the financial elites are telling us is over.

Sarah Palin Rules the GOP -- And She Will Destroy ItSarah Palin Rules the GOP -- And She Will Destroy It

By Max Blumenthal, Tomdispatch.com. November 16, 2009.
Palin's influence on a party largely devoid of leadership is expanding. If she doesn't become the GOP's future queen, she may be its future king-maker -- and its destroyer.

Lou Dobbs Is History at CNN ... Now What?Lou Dobbs Is History at CNN ... Now What?

By Angelo Falcón, New America Media. November 14, 2009.
Immigration: Will we be seeing more Latino executives, anchors, commentators, contributors, and producers at CNN?