Assigned Further Reading

Some things I recommend you look at. Not an exhaustive list.
Nate visited Brazil, staying in a favela and then attending the World Social Forum. Amazing photos and really interesting reading; start here.
Something cool from Matt: a blog entry sparked by the quote “We are so troubled by how people die and yet untroubled by how they live.” Read it here.
Heather’s blog still makes me laugh more than anything else in the web. Read it all. Featuring: kyoot happy baby pictures!
Making Light’s been covering a sting operation on an exploitative vanity-publisher. Fifteen professional writer-types got together to write the worst book they could, then watched as their baby, Atlanta Nights, went through the “rigorous screening process” and was published! Both the dishonesty of the publisher and the sheer awfulness of the book must be seen to be believed. Start at the overview here.
Finally, a webcomic I can relate to: Alien Loves Predator.
There. Get busy.