Marlo Thomas, 04/05/12

Award-winning actress, author, and activist

Michael J. Fox did not permit the ravages of a disease to extinguish his spirit. Instead, he decided to fight back rather than lay back.

Mohamed A. El-Erian, 04/05/12

CEO and co-CIO, PIMCO

The markets' obsession with central bank policies will not go away any time soon. Moreover, it will evolve over time to also include the question that holds the key to sustaining over time the bull market: whether central banks will be able to hand off the policy challenge.

Chris Mooney, 04/05/12

Author, 'The Republican War on Science' and 'The Republican Brain'

Truthiness is the quality of knowing something in your gut or your heart, as opposed to in your head. Colbert didn't just diagnose a deep malady in American political discourse. He also used phrases that anticipated research results on the differences between liberals and conservatives.

Mike Lux, 04/05/12

Partner, Democracy Partners

President Obama's speech this week went after the extremists who control the Republican Party hard, and he nailed it. I was glad to see him explicitly tie Ryan and Romney to their Social Darwinist ancestors.

Kathleen Fordyce Rohan, 04/05/12

Writer

Did I do everything I could to help him? Why do I get to live, blessed so far to be disease free? Why am I the lucky one who gets to enjoy the feel of our son's little arms around my neck?

Noah Michelson, 04/05/12

Editor, HuffPost Gay Voices

It really has been six months -- and an incredible six months at that. But not every reaction to Gay Voices has been positive. We've received our fair share of disgruntled emails, Tweets, comments, and Facebook posts, and I'd like to address the four topics that I've heard about the most.

Bill McKibben, 04/05/12

Author of a dozen books, including 'The End of Nature' and 'Deep Economy'

There's a problem: the very word "subsidies" makes American eyes glaze over. If due attention is to be paid, we have to figure out a language in which to talk about them that will make it clear just how loony our policy is.

Robert Scheer, 04/05/12

Editor, Truthdig.com; Author, 'The Great American Stickup'

The GOP has defined itself indelibly as the party of moneyed greed and unfettered imperialism. The Republicans are a sick joke, and their narrow ideological stupidity has left rational voters no choice in the coming presidential election but Barack Obama.

John Tirman, 04/05/12

Executive Director, MIT Center for International Studies

Americans are not much aware of the destruction our wars cause -- and if we don't know or feel that, why should we be more likely to restrain the politicians and generals when the next war looms? War without consequences is like a freebie. Why not try another?

Lyle Denniston, 04/05/12

Adviser on Constitutional Literacy, National Constitution Center

In today's polarized political environment, commentators can get caught up in the partisanship, and assume that government action not to their liking is necessarily driven by political bias. That borders on the silly and, at a minimum, shows a lapse of historical memory.

Ken Jacobson, 04/05/12

Historically, corporations were understood to be responsible to a complex web of constituencies, including employees, communities, society at large, suppliers, and shareholders. But in the era of deregulation, the interests of shareholders began to trump all the others.

Cara Santa Maria, 04/04/12

Science correspondent, Huffington Post; editor, Talk Nerdy to Me

Synesthesia is a fascinating neurological condition that causes an individual to experience perceptual information through a sense modality that is unlinked to its source.

David Wild, 04/05/12

TV Writer; Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone; Co-Author, 'Diary of a Player"'

Eighteen years ago, I was in Paris, France with the Counting Crows in the lobby of a beautiful little hotel when we all got the ugly big news that Kurt Cobain had died.

Doon Baqi, 04/04/12

Army Officer, Paratrooper, Actor, Writer, Lawyer-in-training

Bringing in Daniel Craig seemed a subtle departure from the other Bonds. But, even in going more gruff, he still drank martinis, the proverbial tonic of refinement. Well, my devoted Bond comrades, it's all about to end. He is ditching the martini for a Heineken.

Sandra Steingraber, 04/05/12

Authority on environmental links to health

Why should cancer patients in the United States and Canada -- and those who love or diagnose them -- care about a report about looming water shortages in distant countries such as South Africa and Argentina?

Katie Goodman, 04/05/12

Award-winning comic, actress, author, creative coach, and social activist; KatieGoodman.com

Douglas Anthony Cooper, 04/05/12

Novelist, Amnesia (See: Blogger Mortis)

How does a saint become a butcher? I am convinced that Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of PETA, was once a good person. What happened?

Matthew L. Skinner, 04/05/12

Jesus suggests that the Passover setting contributes additional significance to his coming death. Is God about to accomplish a new kind of deliverance?

Matthew Dowd, 04/04/12

Political strategist

As we move from the primary contest to the general election and are on the verge of the 200-day war between President Obama and Mitt Romney, let's pause for a minute and reflect on some things we have learned \and offer a little advice on Romney's immediate next steps.

Dr. Michael J. Breus, 04/05/12

Clinical Psychologist; Board Certified Sleep Specialist

Real Age has just published its ranking of the best and worst cities for sleep in the U.S., part of its "2012 Oldest and Youngest Cities" report.

Joan Gelfand, 04/05/12

Author, 'Here & Abroad', 'A Dreamer's Guide to Cities & Streams', and 'Seeking Center'

Rick Santorum took a pot shot, implying that President Obama is an irresponsible parent for allowing his daughter to travel to Mexico.

Amy Lennard Goehner, 04/05/12

Writer

"My name is Amy. And I'm an online dating fibber." When I filled in my application, I wrote my age from four years earlier. It wasn't as bad as one woman I know who, after fibbing about her age, weight, and hair color wrote that what she's looking for in a man is "honesty."

Gretchen Rubin, 04/05/12

Writer, The Happiness Project

We all have a few tricks for beating the blues -- things we do when we're feeling down. It turns out, however, that several popular strategies don't actually work very well in the long term.

Laura Prudom, 04/05/12

Associate Television Editor, The Huffington Post

Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet's duet of "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" was undoubtedly the standout performance of the night, and a vocal masterclass from beginning to end. it was a joy to watch.