Where is history anymore. Is what matters most the things that are happening now? Shall the past not inform our current opinions any more? Education really seems to now really be indoctrination, or selective learning influenced by the local community. Can it be any other way, when we have the world of information at our finger tips now? Is knowledge democratized currently? If so, why haven't we expressed our collective power of democracy. Each one representing themselves, instead of voting their responsibility away.

Kudos to NPR! Last month they released updated journalistic guidelines that state "if the balance of evidence in a matter of controversy weighs heavily on one side, we acknowledge it in our reports." It does not serve the public good for the media simply to be enslaved as an amplifier for voices of manipulation. Any kindergartner is capable of repeating someone else's words. And it's time journalists stopped fearing the worst, most hypocritical offender and manipulator of media markets: Fox News Channel. One giant leap for journalist kind... one small step for American political awareness.

We support the position of Steve Lopez, LA Times columnist, re California's race to the bottom for quality public education. Over the past decade state funding for schools has declined by 42% and the effects have been devastating. The remedies are not simple but as Steve puts it: You cannot fix any of this in a state more inclined to build prisons than schools, despite projections of a huge shortage of college-educated workers by 2025. You can’t fix it when you’re the only major oil-producing state with no excise tax, and you refuse to correct the huge property tax advantage Proposition 13 extended to corporations. You can’t fix it without modest concessions from public employees, including teachers, on pensions and benefits. And you certainly can’t fix it with three competing and unimaginative tax-increase proposals — one by Gov. Jerry Brown — that would restore some school funding, but are likely to do each other in come November. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0314-lo...

"U.S. soldier in Afghanistan goes on a shooting rampage." If anything is surprising about this, it's that it took so long to happen. We have a culture that glorifies violence, and praises aggression as the American way to solve problems. Our educational system is completely devoid of tolerance and diversity instruction, has failed to equip students with adequate job skills, and completely down-plays the greatest of American traits, a overriding respect for the content of one's character. And then we fill the frontlines of our military, literally the faces of our nation to those countries who are at greatest ideological odds with us, with the most extreme personifications of these problems. We weren't surprised 10 years ago, and we're not surprised today. It's time we re-learned what it means to be American.

Best new comedy shows: - New Girl - Happy Endings - Suburgatory - StevieTV Oldies but goodies - Modern Family - Parks and Rec - The Office - 30 Rock What are your top shows?

Yesterday President Obama lambasted Republican presidential candidates for their vague, amorphous criticisms of weakness in his handling of Iran. While it's reckless, premature, and dangerous for these candidates to imply the need for war, they force the President into a sticky situation. While we support his desire for a diplomatic resolution, we do feel the President must take care to balance his political desire to point out the flaws in the Republicans' rehetoric, with the nation's strategic need to be extremely assertive with Iran. Specifically, he must craft his statements about Republicans not to signal to Iran that military force is completely out of the question. Otherwise, he can embolden Iran and ironically bring us closer to war. More: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/world/middlee...

Part of the American Dream is what gave way to suburban sprawl. Building outward across land has allowed cities/towns to be developed with ridiculously winding roads and interconnecting highways that make dependency on traveling by vehicles necessary for convenience. Carbon emissions and wasted land space can be limited by educating the importance in a shift of American Dream ideals to building upward rather than out, living in smaller, shared space so that city-wide development facilitates traveling by means of public, mass, rapid transportation (e.g. subway system in NYC, bus system in Curitiba, Brazil). Ultimately, an end to suburban development and migration to existing major cities (without our vehicles) can significantly contribute in doing less harm to the environmentalists.

For the second consecutive year China boosted their defense budget over 10%; now topping $100 billion. Buy "made in China" and we arm a soldier. Buy "made in USA" and we give our neighbor a job.

We should try to use "we" in our voxes and when creating blocs make sure the title used represents a group. So maybe "gossip girl fans" or "environmentalistsal activists". (Note: bloc names do not currently support spaces.)

We need to invest more in renewable energy - not new drilling in the Arctic Ocean! Obama admin has gives all but final go-ahead to Shell for new drilling in the Arctic Chukchi and Beaufort seas. These are the nurseries of the world where thousands of birds feed & nest and the waters nurture food-chain building blocks for whales, walruses, seals & polar bears. New drilling sites scheduled for this year. Shell claims to be prepared for spills but their cleanup equipment cannot work in that kind of weather. Once the ice sets in boats will be unable to sail & a spill in October could not be addressed until spring. More at LATimes.com, Kim Murphy, 3/4/12

I just noticed in the workspace for the vox, it is hinted that I use "we" instead of "I" - as Americans, we need to shed some of our individualism in this iCulture.

What is necessary for the American mindset to lose it's hubris is opening itself to listening to and encouraging the criticism of the rest of the world. But, this also applies to the Western mindset in general no matter where on this Earth it is established systematically. This world may be controlled by money for now, but ideas are the currency of the future. I believe that online we must seek out ways to dialogue with other world citizens in a more organized forum, and I feel like combining news and information items in a more collaborative, open and uncensored environmentalists is necessary. Without fear of reprisal or intervention of law enforcement. It's not about secrecy or privacy, but liability and freedom of expression. I enjoy watching http://stream.aljazeera.com/ for a slightly more global, but less hierarchical discussion of world events. This horizontal form of communication is necessary everywhere online and in the flesh. Work, school and inter-communally. Hopefully bloc vox can become one of those tools!