It makes the politics go round...It’s been a while since I did one of my politics is money posts, and just today a headline caught my eye that makes me double-down on that certainty- Reuters is reporting that the senate has just approved more than $600 billion in new military spending. So the message is- if you want more than half a trillion dollars for the military, no problem, we’ll get that through without a problem. If you want something like that for health care, prepare for a drawn out debate and question marks even after that. Frustrating.

The bill also carries provisions to extend jobless aid and sends money to supplement Medicare payments and rates for another 2 months, but the thrust of it is to fund military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a pretty simple jump to say, “Where are our priorities?”

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When I was watching an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit the other day, I was shocked when a suspect was able to pay a scientist to fake a detective’s DNA in order to frame her in a crime she did not commit. Dude, I thought, good thing this is fiction! Then it hit me: Law and Order shows typically base their stories on events that have happened in real life—or at least, real science, stories, or other cases.

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Not everyone truly celebrates “Christmas.” Sure, we can buy presents, sip spiked eggnog and make snow angels, but if you’re not a Christian, or you’re not celebrating the “Christ” part, you’re not really doing “Christmas” in its entirety, right?

Which, by the way, I’m all okay with. I think it’s great to have a feast-making, gift-giving, warm family holiday without it having to be religious in nature. So instead of having the whole country celebrate a religious holiday, I say we instead devote the day to the whole “peace on earth” concept so many already associate with it. (Yes, I know there are other peace holidays—but none are this mainstream or widely celebrated.)

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Obama takes his time deciding what America will do...There are 65,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan and President Obama is taking his time considering whether to send all or part of the 40,000 recommended/ requested by General Stanley McChrystal. Cheney says Obama is dithering (Does what Cheney thinks still matter?) It’s the first real decision that Obama is going to make in his role as Commander In Chief.

It brings up a few questions, all of political significance:

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Church and state were recently caught engaged in every lewd, lascivious act possible together in a Texas courtroom. While church noisily lusted after state’s laws and procedures, state indulged church’s wanton advances with an almost paternal affection. The fruit of their unhinged passions? The death of a man and democracy as we know it, Puritan-style.

On November 5, Khristian Oliver, 32, will be killed the way the Bible deems people should be killed—“an eye for an eye.” Of course, Gandhi always said an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, but we’re not quoting the biggest messenger of peace within the past century; no, we’re going old school, or in this case, Old Testament—because that’s so, you know, relevant and everything.

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During National Domestic Violence Month, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in partnership with Ms. Magazine, sponsors the Remember My Name Project. This project calls for people to remember those lost to domestic violence by providing a list of victim names, including ages and dates of death, for people to see and spend a moment of silence on.

Almost 8,000 names have been added to the project, and sadly, new ones continue to be added daily. To see the list of names, add a name, or to order a memorial poster, click here.

During this month, the Coalition also suggests a number of other activities to partake in. Here are a few of those, plus others, you might want to do to stand in opposition of the violence—and to provide love and hope for the victims.

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When we hear about bullies, we normally think about children in schools. Most of us know it’s wrong (and not “boys will be boys” or something to that effect) and teach our children to not bully each other—or at least try to teach them to respect one another. But what about bullying that happens after you’ve gone through all the pomp and circumstance?

It seems that the same parents who keep the “boys will be boys” mentality—of course, they may not be parents at all, as well—may just be the same adults who bully others in the workplace. These are people who push other people around—normally, experts say, due to their own low self-esteem—and expect to simply get away with it.

Now, I know plenty of people out there—especially the guys!—are reluctant to report workplace abuse (and that’s what bullying is), but if you don’t, what do you think is going to happen? It will magically stop happening?

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Barack Obama Nobel Peace Prize

Avigdor Lieberman Says No Handshaking for Peace in the Near FutureFor my money, there can’t be any more interesting international political situation right now than the one going on between Israel and the Palestinians. Over 60 years ago Israel was re-created around Jerusalem and Jews from around the world were encouraged to move their and enjoy a peaceful homeland. The U.S. has long been a staunch ally of the new nation, offering every kind of military and diplomatic support possible. Aside from a few friends in college and a dedicated group of protestors outside the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, there is little organized support in the news or the greater public consciousness for the Palestinian perspective. If you were to listen to the U.S.

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