I'm haunted by a passage in Ron Suskind's Confidence Men in which Paul Volcker questions whether Obama and his economic team are really serious about the financial crisis and is reminded of a phrase that he knew Lawrence Summers sometimes used: "the important thing is just to be caught trying." "Be caught trying." Is there a better description of the mindset of so many of our political leaders at this troubled moment in our nation's history? The fact that there's a crisis, and that people are hurting -- or at least that the people are angry -- has finally sunk in around official Washington. And everyone there wants to be caught trying to do something about it. But what the country, and especially the millions who are suffering, needs are leaders who will do more -- much more -- than just be caught trying. This isn't just about helping those in need; this is about helping keep our society strong.
Herman Cain can blame Rick Perry for leaking past sexual harassment charges. And he might be right. But it doesn't really matter who did it. The information was there and he ought to have planned his messaging for when it went public. And he didn't.
Recent studies are revealing that genes, environment, brain structure, and hormones all seem to have a mixed role in sexual orientation and preferences.
Was there some sort of nationwide epidemic of people no longer trusting in God that I somehow missed?
Why has Robert Rubin, the onetime treasury secretary who went on to become Citigroup chairman during the time of the corporation's financial shenanigans, never been held accountable for this and other deep damage done to the U.S. economy on his watch?
If nothing else, the reality TV stars' whirlwind courtship and marriage has an important message for anyone who ever hopes to live happily-ever-after: Better to put a lot more thought into planning your life together than your "big day."
Stress weakens the immune system making us susceptible to infection. Don't let stress get the better of you; try meditation or yoga, both proven to reduce stress and anxiety. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes out of your morning to sit in quiet contemplation.
Ironically, Exxon's significant increase in profits of late comes after its Chairman and CEO virtually pleaded in May with the pooh-bahs of the Senate Finance Committee to rein in the excessive speculation, if not manipulation, of oil on the commodity exchanges.
It has been a pretty cool experience to go to a Canadian school and see the comparisons between the countries. I still haven't picked up Canadian talk, but I have grown to like Tim Hortons.
Did U.S. employment growth slow in the 2000s due to an acceleration in Chinese imports after their entry into the WTO in 2001?
Despite some good suggestions on benefit reform, Perry's proposal on the revenue side would hasten the day when Social Security becomes insolvent. We need to fix Social Security, not to bankrupt it.
During its recent quarterly earnings report, Netflix admitted that it had lost 800,000 customers since it announced a price increase in June, but I'm not one of them.
The greatest contribution the occupy movement has made thus far has been to inspire us to imagine solutions at the scale of our problems. This is a revolutionary concept.
Keeping a relationship vibrant and healthy when you live in the same house is challenging enough. But when couples are separated by geographical distance, it puts extra strain on the partnership.
As China is transitioning to become a full member of the world community from which it was entirely separated just forty years ago, we have perhaps seen the end of Chinese rather than American exceptionalism.
With a clown car full of Republican candidates heading toward the primary in hopes of becoming the party's nominee for the 2012 Presidential election, is it any wonder that the following videos have gone viral?
This time of year doesn't have to mean getting weighed down by high-cal cravings -- you can save hundreds of calories with a few makeover maneuvers. Here are my five seasonal slim-down versions of fall favorites.
It's that time of year again. Upper lips all over the country are being gradually obscured from view as Movember fever takes hold. As it is a good cause, I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of the 10 greatest movie 'taches of all time...
If we look back on the Fall of 2011 a few years from now, I suspect we may trace the beginnings of real reform from two events that occurred last week with little fanfare.
Experts know, with great certainty, the best way for children to learn. And the trend, nationwide, is away from doing those things.
Two weeks ago, a friend communicated some shocking news: our sorority sister Amy Friedlander was dead. Amy was part of a murder-suicide in which her two young children, and husband, with whom she was days away from finalizing a divorce, were also found dead.
There is no inherent contradiction between "Occupy" encampments and official health and safety codes. Not according to the fire marshall of Des Moines, Iowa, who looks forward to keeping the protestors safe and warm throughout the winter.
I have a plan to put every single unemployed person to work tomorrow: pay them all a dime a day to cut down every tree they see. There. That wasn't so hard, was it?
If we assume that prosperity is responsible for declining religiosity in the world, and that prosperity will continue to increase, it is possible to estimate the date at which the world will switch over from being a majority believing in God to majority atheist.
The Charia Hebdo number did everything to scorn the Arab Spring abroad and nothing to contest French clichés and institutional racism against Muslims.
Social media success isn't just about followers: it's about the influence and engagement an account holds on a given network. In general, amplification and engagement, measured in retweets, @mentions and @replies, and influence offer better metrics to analyze campaigns.