Mr. Rogers went viral this weekend. How’s that for a sentence you never thought you’d read? Fred McFeely Rogers (1928–2003), the world’s bestest neighbor, makes for an unexpected hero of the Web. And yet there he is, tucked in among the bad news and the LiLo’s and the Madonna’s and the political bickering, making a beeline for the heart with just a quick stop to change his shoes.

 

When President Obama said in a speech last night that the U.S. has seen a "constant progression toward including more and more people in the American dream," his opponents were quick to charge him with pandering to the evening's audience. His campaign stop at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel ballroom was, after all, sponsored by deep-pocketed gay and lesbian donors. 

But the results of a CNN poll released just yesterday bear him out: American acceptance of gay lifestyle is on the rise.

 

“Morning-after” pills, taken to prevent pregnancy after sex, may not work like everyone thought they did. That makes a big difference for women who are considering using the pills, and for those who already have.

 

What do you see as the bigger problem in air travel today: lapses in airport security that increase your vulnerability to a terrorist act — or waiting on a long line, tossing out your 8-oz bottle of hair conditioner, and being subject to a full-body scan? Better decide, because you can’t have it both ways.

 

Being a bank robber ain’t what it used to be. What ever happened to sticking up a joint and riding out on horseback to a carefree life on the lam (barring the possibility of being hunted, jailed or shot)? Sorry, Sundance — the glory days are gone. Now banks are being robbed just so the bandits can pay their utility bills.

 

by Larry West

Wall Street and industry insiders have been predicting the demise of newspapers for years—and it doesn’t take a genius to understand why.  

Television is reinforcing the same stereotypes that society has been trying hard to shed since the late 1960’s. In fact, current media is spoonfeeding narrow ideas about gender and race — with negative impact on the self-esteem of women and minorities. But y’know what? It’s working out great for us white guys.

 

UPDATED 5/31/12

As an acknowledgement of the generosity young Brendan Haas has demonstrated, outlined in the story below, the Disney Company awarded Brendan and his family an all-expense paid trip of their own to Walt Disney World. The surprise announcement was made today on Good Morning America (which runs on ABC, whose parent company is Disney). But Brendan politely declined the reward and said he wanted to find another family of a fallen U.S. soldier and pass the trip along to them.

 

Need to restore your faith in humanity? Talk to a kid. Well maybe not this kid. And this kid is a nightmare altogether. Alright, just talk to Brendan Haas. He’s the nine-year-old from Massachusetts who launched a trading project with the goal of sending the family of a fallen U.S. soldier to Disney World. He started with one toy soldier.