Last summer I wrote about the definition of development after having a conversation with an incredible Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana who was really making the most of his time and abilities. The conversation that we had really made me think about the term 'development' and what it really means.

The Bailout legislation that passed the Senate last week had one good surprise for the country and its citizens,  it had attached to it the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

How can John McCain say he will stay in Iraq but doesn't have the patience to see it plays out in Michigan?

According to Chuck Todd, MSNBC Political Director, Obama is leading the Electoral College 264 to McCain’s 174, 270 being the winning number.

Joe Biden was declared the winner of the Vice Presidential debate, and Obama maintains an eight point lead over john McCain, 50% to 42%

When CNN viewers were asked, “Who did the best job in the debate?”  51% said Joe Biden and 36% said Sarah Palin.

Although these actions with O.J.

Apparently they do in Ecuador.

In a national referendum, the Ecuadoran people approved a new constitution - the first in human history to confer legal rights to natural resources.

This is really not that radical, when you think about it.

In a world where corporations and other inanimate entities (considered "artificial persons") enjoy some form of constitutional protection, conferring the same legal protections to natural habitats or plants or animal species seems to be the next logical step.

This extension of rights makes environmental protection much more streamlined and enforceable. Rather than struggling in vain to prove economic or personal harm to human beings, Ecuadoran naturalists now only need to prove imminent harm to nature itself.

Exporting this fantastic legal development to our own country may prove problematic, however, since the American judiciary is extremely hesitant to acknowledge collective rights, let alone rights attributed to non-humans.

Regardless, this is fantastic news all the same. The "Third World" isn't so helpless if you pay attention to the right things.

Last night, I participated in the People For the American Way live blog of the Biden-Palin debate.  It was a lot of fun and affirming too.  Seeing other people react the same way I did to Palin's supeficiality, being moved by Joe Biden's talking about what it means to be a single father worried about whether his sons will survive their serious injuries, hearin

Aaron Moreno, the October featured fellow, is an accomplished chess player and wanted to bring his love of chess to the kids at public schools in Tucson, Arizona.

"When did you say you mailed in your voter registration form?"

"About two months ago," I said, ear pressed to the phone.

"That's not what I like to hear," she sighed.

Armed with underwear and ramen noodles the youth of America are set to overthrow the failed system! They will wait no longer, they will sit no more and they will apathetically listen to no one but Barack Obama anymore. Young people are fed up, that is for certain, but to what extent and will their record numbers in the polls really revolutionize American political life?