And really, were they ever? They are, and have been, at the root of so many problems. Today, dealers in Zimbabwe began selling rough diamonds mined from a territory where human rights activists say soldiers killed 200 people, raped women and forced children into hard labor.  But even these stark facts barely qualify as news, now that the blood diamond trade has been flourishing for years. In fact, it seems the world forgot about blood ... Read More

Ex-Blondie bassist Greta Brinkman said it best when referring to women in the music scene in the 1980's:"At that time, there was this shining moment in American DIY music when everybody was in their own bands, driving around in the back of a beat-up van and putting on shows in their basement. And every band had at least one woman in, it seemed, it was no big deal. It wasn't until the late 1980s when everything went testosterone-mad that the ... Read More

Today, in a huge win for gay rights, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop. 8, ruling that it was indeed unconstitutional. Like many advocates of gay rights, I have been waiting all morning to learn the outcome of this decision.  This is a great victory for civil rights, and for all people who believe in equality. Supporters of Prop. 8 have claimed that they will work to appeal the ruling. Rachel Maddow says it best: You need to ... Read More

I keep hearing on the news that the reign of cupcakes in the fad-food hierarchy is finally coming to an end. And while I think that the idea of trendy food is kind of dumb, I couldn't help being intrigued by an article which predicts that "Popsicles" and frozen treats will the next big thing.  The "Popsicle" was invented on accident in 1905 when an eleven year old accidentally left water, powdered soda and a stick outside on a cold ... Read More

Today marks the 248th day of Marisa Lynch's eco-friendly fashion project New Dress A Day. The goal: renew 365 articles of used clothing in 365 days, for 365 dollars. Transitively, a new dress for just a dollar a day. When Lynch was laid off last November, she channeled the change positively, inspired by the movie Julie & Julia. “[Julie] was finding something to do every day that made her feel great. I was jealous. I thought, I ... Read More