Hammer Mill Days

Try reversing the cabin pressure. That's right - send it all out into the void of space. Oh, wait... we probably need the oxygen, don't we. Scratch that. I said SCRATCH IT! NOOOOOO....!! Oh, hi. Wow, THIS is embarrassing. Didn't know anyone was listening/reading. I was just having a heated word with our navigator, the man-sized tuber. (Yes, that's right - we have a plant for a navigator.) Got a little technical issue that needs some attention, that's all. Wouldn't want you to think that Big Green is hard on the help - no, sir... we treat them like KINGS. Emperors, really... especially the cruciferous ones like Tubey. He needs a little extra consideration, given his mobility problems. (Though the cart has helped these past few years, I must admit.) Don't want to sound like I'm hyper-critical, but occasionally tempers wear a little thin in the vacuum of space, especially when you have some kind of deadly space virus loose in your vehicle, and the only thi...

I suppose on some level I must be an optimist because I can't seem to dispel the notion that something good might come out of the health care debate, even when confronted with such a hopeless legislative clusterfuck as the Baucus bill. Maybe it's our recent experience with the topic of global warming that nudges me in that direction. Think of it - a few short years ago our leaders were disputing the science of climate change with some confidence. Now that skepticism is the province of the tin hat patrol and the policy debate is over how much (or how little) to do about the problem. Too little, too late? We did lose precious years during the Clinton and Bush administrations (particularly the latter) when fundamental changes might have been set in motion, but were stonewalled. Those changes will come harder now, and perhaps to insufficient effect. Nonetheless, there was a kind of sea change in 2007 and I suppose something like that could happen with health care in America. If we ...