Maureen Ryan, 12/04/12

TV critic, The Huffington Post

If the goal of Sunday's "Homeland" was to turn a substantial portion of the audience into characters from the show, mission accomplished. Welcome to my insane-person corkboard.

Leo W. Gerard, 12/03/12

International President, United Steelworkers

The Simpson-Bowles personal profit tour reveals that for them, for their creation -- the speciously labeled Campaign to Fix the Debt -- and for the CEOs, right-wing groups and Republicans rallying round them, the effort has nothing to do with deficits or fixing anything.

Seamus McKiernan, 12/01/12

Associate Blog Editor, The Huffington Post

Bradley Manning's long denial of a right to speak in public reminded me of "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas." It's a fictional tale about villagers who enjoy total happiness and bliss as long as they keep quiet about a boy who's locked up in a dark, underground cellar.

Patricia McGuire, 12/03/12

President, Trinity Washington University

Deliberately debilitating the nation's habits of the heart will not contribute to better fiscal health for future generations. Our national commitment to charity must prevail as the best possible witness of this nation's moral commitment to ensure justice for all.

Danielle Ariano, 12/03/12

Freelance writer

So, if you voted for Romney or even against Question 6, I don't want you to "defriend" me, I want you to talk to me. I want you to get to know me -- my character, my sense of humor, my morals.

Paul Yeager, 12/02/12

Meteorologist and Author of 'Weather Whys: Facts, Myths, and Oddities'

From Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, it's not that we tolerate snow and cold; we actually enjoy it and look forward to it. But for the remainder of the winter, we go back to our snow-hating ways.

Julian Assange, 11/29/12

Editor-in-Chief and Founder, WikiLeaks

The information WikiLeaks has disclosed frustrates the controlled political discourse that is trumpeted by establishment media and Western governments to shape public perception. We will continue our fight against the financial blockade, and we will continue to publish.

Jordan Schultz, 12/03/12

The Huffington Post's sports columnist, The Schultz Report

The life of an NFL backup is neither glamorous nor always rewarding. While staying ready is one thing, you never know when that opportunity will come, or if it ever will. Batch, after his abysmal performance last week, faced the very real possibility that he would never see the field again.

Jamie Davis Smith, 12/03/12

D.C. Mother

By shopping locally I am not only helping my sanity by staying away from overcrowded malls and avoiding getting sucked into reviewing an endless cycle of very similar toys, I am also helping to ensure that my community remains vibrant.

Johnny Nevin, 12/04/12

Music and Dance writer at aotpr.com

The uniquely exciting world of tap dancing has still never been presented as a full-evening program at any of the national cultural center's principle venues, but that's about to change.

Lawrence Stallworth, II and Angel Brown, 12/01/12

Secrecy and fear shouldn't go hand in hand with being young, black and gay. And a sense of self-worth and positive vision for the future are keys in motivating and enabling people to protect themselves.

David Callahan, 11/30/12

Senior Fellow, Demos

Promising the middle class -- and a good swath of the upper middle class -- that their taxes will never go up is politically cowardly, economically irresponsible, and a betrayal of the progressive belief in government.

Erin Ruberry, 11/30/12

Managing blog editor, The Huffington Post

Nearly two years ago, The Mayflower's Town & Country Lounge closed its doors, ending an era that began when President Truman lived six blocks away in the White House. Next month it will open Edgar Bar & Kitchen, named for J. Edgar Hoover, who ate at the hotel every day for 25 years.

Preeti Vissa, 11/30/12

Community Reinvestment Director, The Greenlining Institute

Rather than the ideological gridlock that has become the beltway standard, we need our leaders to use this post-election moment to hit the ground running with real reforms that connect to people.