I kinda feel like a freak. I grew up in Kansas and have always been a city boy. My parents were city folk. My grandparents were city folk. Pretty much no farm heritage at all.

Hey, for the longest time, the only address for the family farm in Minnesota was:

Family name
Ward, South Dakota

I think the USPS eventually got around to using a roadname and number.

Happy birthday Sheryl!

Is it just me, or have mornings been especially vicious this week?

OMG! YES!

Yeah, but I don't think that's what he meant. I think he meant those have become the political issues of interest because they've given up on economic issues rather than that people start going to church or buy guns because of it.

I got this message.

Relatedly, that was the dumbest, most frivolous, shitty-assed debate last night. I only watched a half an hour. Seriously, they ask crap like that and then have the gall to advance the meme that Dems don't have a plan?

I nearly threw the radio across the room this morning to hear Mara Eliason (sp?) say, "the candidates spent most of their time rehashing personal attacks"

Lady, no. ABC did that.

address for the family farm in Minnesota

I'm especially impressed that the address was in a whole different state.

I didn't watch the debate, but the liberal blogs have been all over the suckiness of ABC's debate moderation. "A new low in mainstream media news" and stuff like that....

Getting caught up--a mini-meara is in order!

My mom's boss is on my tv. Huh.

While Mom and I were watching the Philadelphia news last week, one of the many political ads came on. This one was for Obama, and had a bunch of his former IL legislative cohorts endorsing him. A former state senator named Larry Walsh came on, and Mom said, "Wow, I didn't know my cousin was schilling for Obama now." I said, "I didn't know your cousin was a former state senator!!"

Actually, Switzerland was particularly interesting, because they had a system just like ours until 1994, and then voted in a referendum to change it to a mandated-insurance system (IIRC) with no profits for basic services. Of course, it just barely passed--but now it has broad support and even the right-wing types like it.

I saw this Frontline (highly recommend watching it if you missed it--you can see it on the PBS website), and the reporter pointed out that, while Switzerland did have a similar system to ours up to 1994, their insurance companies were mostly nonprofit even before mandated insurance, so they didn't fight it the way ours will if we have a similar vote.

You have independent medical providers competing against each other for your health care dollars providing incentives for both quality of care and reduced costs.

I found this point interesting in the segment. Apparently, even though the providers and insurance companies aren't competing for profits, they are competing for clients/patients anyway, so they continue providing good customer service and benefits to draw more people in.

Also, there are several studies that indicate that as much as 25% of the health-care dollar is spent trying to *not* pay for treatment.

The highest administrative costs of the five countries profiled was, I believe, Switzerland, at 16 percent, compared to the US's 25%.

The highest administrative costs of the five countries profiled was, I believe, Switzerland, at 16 percent, compared to the US's 25%.

Oh, right. And the percentage of GDP was significantly lower everywhere else as well. The US spends 16% of GDP on health care, and I think the second-highest was like 8%? I forget exactly, but it was lower.

I'm especially impressed that the address was in a whole different state.

Nearest post office! Their address is now in Minnesota, on RR 1. (Though I think they can still use the Ward one. Small towns, and all that.)

Sorry for the morning suckfests, Steph and Daisy Jane.

The highest administrative costs of the five countries profiled was, I believe, Switzerland, at 16 percent, compared to the US's 25%.

And yet, conservatives still continue to blather on about the inefficiency of one big government institution administrating health care. Well maybe there are some inefficiencies, but it's still a hell of a lot more efficient than thousands of insurance companies administrating health care....