TEDTalks

"Ideas Worth Spreading"

What if you could spend your summers swimming with dolphins in turquoise seas? Behavioral biologist Denise Herzing does just that. In this beautiful video, meet some of the dolphins she's befriended along the way.

Richard (RJ) Eskow

Writer; Senior Fellow, Campaign for America's Future

When did older people become the enemy? Last week a judge ruled that Detroit could move forward with its plan to cut pensions for retired city workers. This week Washington is celebrating a budget deal which harms older people economically in several ways.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and Bishop Ian T. Douglas

It is long past time to pass legislation that will expand background checks and other modest measures that will save lives and assuage even a small portion of the grief caused by gun violence that has become a staple of our pastoral duties and our prayers.

Laura W. Murphy

Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Innocent Americans should never have to worry their government's awesome surveillance capabilities are intercepting, filtering, collecting, analyzing, and storing the intimate details of their lives. Appallingly, they do.

Raquel D'Apice

Stand-up comic and writer of 'The Ugly Volvo' blog

I am a 10-month-old baby and I write because my mother has been sending out my "Christmas List" to people, and her list does not in any way represent the things I really want. I could give two s#*ts about receiving stacking cups.

Bill Moyers

Managing Editor, Moyers & Company

Why are record numbers of Americans on food stamps? Because record numbers of Americans are in poverty. Why are people falling through the cracks? Because there are cracks to fall through.

Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff

Director, Jewish Deaf Multimedia

As a Deaf person myself, I was taken aback at the fact that at one of the most significant world events in recent times, a phony interpreter was chosen to represent the Deaf community. It serves as a message to the Deaf community that the world still does not understand us.

Con Slobodchikoff

Author

If we abandon the old paradigm that we are intrinsically different and superior to all other life forms, it's possible to look at animals with greater respect and, like Denise Herzing, start working towards decoding their language.

Jonathon Owen

Copy editor and language writer

My last post, "12 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Who Writes about Grammar Mistakes Makes," drew a lot of comments, some supportive and some critical. But no point drew as much ire as my claim that irregardless is a word.

Dennis J. Kucinich

Fmr. 16-year Member of US Congress; Two-time US Presidential Candidate

In a country where the average monthly minimum wage stands at about $150 USD, it's not hard to understand why Ukrainians are in the streets. But is their plight being exploited to usher in a new military agreement under the guise of economic reform?

Jonathan Kim

Gentleman farmer, film critic for ReThink Reviews and the Uprising Show

It's hard to believe that David O. Russell's first feature film was an incest comedy called Spanking the Monkey. Now, with his track record of critically-acclaimed dramedies, he has his pick of Hollywood's A-list talent, some of whom reached that level because of him.

Jim Wallis

Christian leader for social change; Author, 'On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good'

Congress ends its December session today, and we will break down the tent. But this is not the end of the Fast for Families; it is only the beginning. It's time to take our movement deeper, take this nation deeper, and take our political debate to a much deeper level.

Michael J. Tansey

Chicago psychologist, author, teacher

The American public must remember, not only the horror of the massacre a year ago, but the no-votes from corrupt senators who flagrantly betrayed their constituents.

Ashley B. Carson

Policy & Advocacy Director, Compassion & Choices

The answer is simple: "physician-assisted suicide" is a grossly inaccurate way to describe the medical practice of aid in dying, both from a medical and legal perspective.

Karen Gifford

Co-founder and principal, Broad Ventures Leadership

What will happen when her company hits a rough patch? And how will she ever exercise genuine authority if she thinks she has to hide behind a mask to appear powerful?

Justin Gregg

Research Associate with the Dolphin Communication Project

It might well be that dolphins simply lack the inherent drive to share their inner mental lives with others via symbols.

Jen Simon

NYC mom

12:18 a.m.: Hey. What's up? I am! Hahaha -- good one, me! No, but seriously, husband, can we talk? Or watch some TV? No, no, do NOT try to feed me -- blech! -- I'm not hungry; I just miss you. Can we cuddle?

Ben Folds

Leader of Ben Folds Five

Schools are cutting their music programs in an attempt to save money. But wait. A crazy thing is happening. This next generation of students is filling the musical education void by just doing it themselves.

Marlo Thomas

Award-winning actress, author and activist

The holidays are the perfect time of year to gather with our loved ones, flip through favorite family photo albums and reflect on cherished memories. In my home, it would be nearly impossible to find a photo from the best years of my life without my husband, Phil, right by my side.

Colin Falconer

Author, 'The Beginner's Guide to Fatherhood'

Buy a live octopus and a string bag. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out. Time allowed: 5 minutes.

David Halperin

Attorney, advocate, writer at RepublicReport.org

If you think the for-profit colleges will be inclined to moderate their bad behavior if the new gainful employment rule is somewhat weakened again, consider the propaganda attack the industry has unleashed this week to coincide with the rulemaking session.

Marc Bekoff

Professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado

Years ago, people thought only humans made and used tools, were conscious or self-aware, and had sophisticated ways to communicate with one another, and we now know these speciesist views were wrong.

Patient 5150

Issue advocate

The reasons why I suffered a nervous breakdown are none of your business. What is the business of anyone who cares about mental health is that the most harrowing days of my life were when I recently tried to get help for a mental illness.

Sarah Reinhart

Mom, photographer and freelance writer

There is something I tell myself quite a bit. This something gets me through the rough patches. It sees me through certain moments of sadness or anger or frustration or despair. Speaking these words and letting the realization sink in raises my spirit up and up and up.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Wine and marketing expert

If your "why" is big enough, it's going to be a "why" that requires patience.

Jeff Madrick

Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow; author, 'Age of Greed'

The backlash against Summers was too great to be withstood, so Yellen was nominated instead. But Fischer is surely not the person we need as her number two.

Michael Giltz

Freelance writer

Five final shows to see before the holidays take over. They ranged from a marvelous breathing-to-life of a poem more than 200 years old, a so-so take on the Scottish play, a one-man homage to a master via August Wilson's biographical piece and two new works from talented writers.

Oliver Tearle

Author; Lecturer in English, Loughborough Univ.

Harper Lee's friend gave her a year's wages for Christmas, on the condition that she give up work and write. She then wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. A rather brilliant Christmas present, I think you'll agree.

George Zaidan

Freelance writer, host and producer

Yes, most of the material in your Lulu review is sand and salt, but there are probably a few grains of truth buried in there, too... truths that you've recognized. And knowing that other people recognize them too is a powerful thing.