A different vote: None of the above

When I talk about politics with my husband, he often laments that there are only two parties to choose from in the U.S. On the other hand, I, even before graduate school, have always been skeptical of third parties; perhaps I was traumatized by Ralph Nader’s role in the 2000 election. And graduate school has …

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The Right Thing to Do? The "Ground Zero Mosque"

Given the interest that the topic of the “Ground Zero Mosque” has sparked on the blog, I figured it was time for me to finally write about it, rather than just responding to comments. But it’s harder for me than usual to find the two sides to this debate equally worth discussing. As I note …

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Presidential election outcomes directly influence suicide rates, study finds

Presidential election outcomes directly influence suicide rates, study finds. I ran across this article and found it simply fascinating. And perhaps even more interesting – it is those states who supported the national loser where suicide rates decline the least. The authors of the study attribute this to social cohesion – but is this still …

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Reshaping 2012: Will the election really be different?

Everyone remembers the 2008 election. But although the election of President Barack Obama was undoubtedly a historic moment in U.S. history, the primary campaign may be just as memorable. For the first time in recent memory, the primary campaign, at least for the Democratic nomination, lasted nearly to the conventions. While I found the contest …

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Hot summer without a cause

2010 is looking to overtake 2005 as the hottest year ever recorded on the planet. But the heat isn’t the only thing unusual this summer – for example, the torrential downpour that hit the Midwest last week is also causing dams to collapse, airports to close, and residents to seek alternative housing, as their own …

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