Lots of white Americans weigh in on the enormous impact Nelson Mandela had on their lives, South Africa and the world. Also, Oprah and Barack Obama make appearances.

The obscure Senate procedural rule called the filibuster has been almost imperceptibly tweaked. Naturally, it's being hailed as a major victory for democracy and likened to nuclear war.

A somewhat bi-polar look at the Affordable Care Act. Is it better than the previous status quo? Yes, obviously. Is it a stepping stone toward single-payer or is it further entrenching the for-profit health insurance companies making it less like there will be further reform? That's harder to predict.

Discussing transgendered issues as the next frontier of the equality movement. What is gender anyways and how is it different from the sex of a person? What are those opposing equality saying and are they making even a little bit of sense?

A look at what we need to remember to appreciate about the labor movement. Is the American Dream possible anymore as we seem to be racing to the bottom? What changes can we make to fight back?