In an interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer today at The White House, President Obama said a U.S. military strike would "absolutely" be put on hold if Assad gives up control of Syria’s chemical weapon arsenal.

It’s been a big year for Australian millionaire Clive Palmer. He decided to build a replica of the Titanic. He also announced the addition of an animatronic dinosaur park to his Coolum resort, complete with a T-Rex named “Jeff.” And, if polls are any indication, he might see his political party—the Palmer United Party—secure a Senate seat in Queensland in Australia’s upcoming elections.

In move that seems to cater the gossip set interested in international relations and possible nuclear war, North Korean officials told Russian officials to consider evacuating the Russian embassy in Pyongyang and also warned the UK, that the safety of their diplomats "cannot be guaranteed." German officials called a meeting with the North Korean ambassador to express their "serious concern."

David Brooks, a clumsy amateur sociologist who has improbably turned a talent for adjusting his glasses in a wise-looking manner into a gig as a nationally respected opinion columnist, is a busy man. He's teaching a class at Yale, okay? He can't be expected to come up with his own ideas every single week. Today, he hit on a novel solution to his quandary: just have one of his students write his column! You can hardly tell the difference.

Well it started romantically: Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen not only met in the city of love, but they met on the set of a movie about love taking place in the city of love. Sigh, l'amour.

In the wake of Frank Ocean's announcement that he once loved a man, there has been a renewed discourse about what it means for the supposedly homophobic crew Odd Future to have a male member that is queer or queerish or whatever Frank Ocean is. This makes him the second known member that isn't entirely straight — Odd Future producer Syd tha Kyd is an out lesbian who hates the word "lesbian."

What the ongoing debate about bullying has been missing, really, is the voice of Less Than Zero author Bret Easton Ellis. He's reticent to share his opinions publicly, and hates being written about—but the issue cries out for a man of compassion, a man of care, a man of thoughtfulness and grace. A man like Ellis.