Fellow artists, and all people who care about fairness and the future of our communities. We want to give you a sneak peak at ARTSTRIKE, an arts and culture effort to expose the so-called “Fiscal Cliff.” We are taking a stand against the kinds of budget cuts that will hurt everyday people and our families.

ARTSTRIKE is coming December 17. If you’re an artist, we ask you to help.

Right now our political leaders are considering drastic cuts to vital programs that could devastate our communities—cuts to education, health services, transportation, food assistance programs, FEMA, school lunches, the arts, Medicare, Social Security, the list goes on and on.

By now you have probably heard about the political game called the “Fiscal Cliff.” This political dance has serious repercussions. This “Fiscal Cliff” is actually a Fiscal Bluff—a made-up crisis that makes us think our government is out of money and out of time. The truth is, our country is not broke. Our country is being robbed. You are being robbed. The worst of the 1 percent—Big Oil, war profiteers like Halliburton, Wall Street, and corporate tax dodgers—have manufactured this crisis to force cuts to key programs our communities need, while refusing to share any of the burden themselves.

As cultural activists and artists, we want to expose this political game and create a critical mass of culture to fight back against this false fiscal cliff and save potential program cuts.

We’re partnering with Van Jones and Rebuild the Dream Innovation Fund for ARTSTRIKE on December 17, a day of action to put amazing art and design in front of millions of people.

Art is a powerful way to inspire hearts and minds, and ultimately to build an energy to change the course of the tired debate played out by politicians. Diverse artists of conscience have already produced some amazing work, but we hope you’ll add your voice, and we need everyone’s help in sharing it with their friends and family.

Here’s a sneak peek of the amazing work we’ve already received in support of the cause:


Aren’t We Burdened Enough, by Lalo Alcaraz

The Fiscal Cliff Is a Hoax, by Art Hazelwood

“People Crying,” a song by Dorothy Bell

Artists, we still need your help. Please bring your creative talent to this fight. Help us highlight the problem and drive energy to the solution and to remind us why we fight.

We are taking your submissions through Monday, December 17. Then, we hope you and everyone check back here on GOOD.is on December 17 (or go to artstrike.tumblr.com) to experience the awesome work—and share it on your social media channels, print out your favorite piece, put it up in your neighborhood, and send it to everyone you know.

Text by Favianna Rodriguez and Mike Molina

This project is a collaboration between CultureStrike, 5D Stories, & Rebuild the Dream Innovation Fund.

CultureStrike (Favianna Rodriguez) aims to cultivate innovative and urgent collaborations between artists, writers, musicians, and other cultural workers and organizers to build public support for immigrant rights and other social issues shaping the country.

5D Stories (Michael Molina) produces, publishes, and distributes multi-media art that increases human understanding and catalyzes human potential.

Rebuild the Dream Innovation Fund is a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovation in the areas of policy, economics, and media. Our 600,000 members live in every community across the country, and are united by a bold promise: to defend, reinvent, and advance the American Dream.

  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


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