Not a windmill after all?

Dad was certainly a visionary, and I have inherited that particular gene, or curse, or blessing, depending on your perspective. At times it’s all three. It’s a wonderful thing because visionaries can see a beauty that isn’t yet, and be driven by that beauty, and try to make it real. It’s a horrible thing because there can be few or no others who can see anything similar, and when others pay any attention at all, it’s likely to scoff or worse.

Open Records blog on transparency pros and cons

So nice to come across someone else’s post that’s about one of the things on my list of topics to get to. Open Records is a blog I’ve mentioned before.

Of Gladiators and Children

One of my avocations is archeology. I’ve never been on an archeological dig (yet), but I like reading about them and their discoveries, and the stories they suggest about the people who lived once upon a time.

Bob Schieffer on Church Bureaucracy

To follow up on yesterday’s post, here’s a great commentary by CBS’s Bob Schieffer on Catholic Church bureaucracy and the pedophile priest scandal.

“Sunshine is the best disinfectant.”

President Obama’s appearance yesterday in Baltimore with Republican House members was certainly a stunning event, not least in that it seems to have left some Republicans stunned as to why they allowed it to be televised live.  Obama seized the opportunity to lay out the biggest problem that accompanies demonizing the opposing party—members of opposing [...]

Protect Insurance Companies PSA

MoveOn.org has released a new “insurance company public service announcement” featuring Will Ferrell.  This one competes for top spot along with the Insurance Company Rules video.  Here’s the new one–check it out and then look at the old one for an additional dose of hoot: Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Gang of Six and Battered Woman Syndrome

Why, oh, why, has the Gang of Six–the six Senators working on the Senate Finance Committee’s version of a health insurance reform bill–why on earth, why in heaven’s named, would they do anything (as they have) to accommodate him and his wingnuts?!?

Battered Woman Syndrome.

Another corporate snafu–Tracfone false advertising? Updated

I’m not someone who needs all the latest electronic toys. Only once did I do a 30-day trial of an upper tier cell phone plan. All the little extra charges made me faint, so I ditched that for a Tracfone.

Catamount Health flub up

Vermont’s Catamount health insurance option is truly a wonderful thing for many people who would otherwise have no health coverage. And I haven’t heard any horror stories about them such as one reads about private insurance companies refusing to pay for medical treatment for people who’ve paid in their premiums faithfully.

“There’s a dynamic change in people’s views about transparency”

Tim Geithner has apparently been cutting deals with some of the banks that received bail-out funds and which are now posting significant profits. That level of recovery is great news–their profits are up, which means taxpayers’ investment should be receiving a nice return, yes? Um, not so much.