This isn't an ideal solution that covers everybody, but it's a good start. Instead of the current system where real health care coverage is only available as part of a group plan, a state wishing to promote business could become the defacto group provider. Anybody in the state, from the self employed to the giant factory owners to retirees, can buy in to the plan. People on public assistance are automatically enrolled and the premiums are part of their public assistance payment.

I ran into this while surfing at CNN today: http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1326 Now, as a Christian, I'm obviously not in agreement with what Cathy Griffin is supposed to have said. But it seems to me that about the last thing that Christianity needs is the kind of militant cheerleader we have in Bill Donohue. Last I checked, Christians were a majority group in this country.

Some of you may have noticed that this site has been up and down like Tommy Smothers' yoyo. Hold tight, I'm currently working on changing that. This site is currently up on a jury rig, but hopefully in the next week or two I'll be moving it to a new, more reliable home.

Just started seeing the new TV ads for Meerkat Manor. I think they're absolutely hillarious. Check them out at http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html. Animal Planet has always pitched this as a soap opera, and they aren't wrong. These little guys lead busy and complicated lives. And nothing in those ads are exaggerations or distortions of the truth. The neighbors really are trying to evict them. Flower's daughters sleep around. Carlos probably does have fleas.

Let me be the first to send electronic congratulations (at least via this site) to Michele and Dale Lingar, and hope that they're took busy enjoying their honeymoon to be reading this until it's been up for a week or two. I wish the two of you a long lifetime of happiness together.

From http://greyorm.livejournal.com/89681.html, find ten quotes that reflect my mind. To that end:

Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?
Kelvin Throop III

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.
Robert Orben

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.

After reading Raven's discussion about "300" at http://greyorm.livejournal.com/86401.html I decided to rent the movie when it came out on DVD yesterday. The first notable thing is that I didn't find the visual style as offensive as it seemed in the trailers. At first glance the movie looks like it's been rendered by a video game engine. The reality is more that of high-contrast lighting with a lot of color filters, and I quickly adapted to it.

I read this: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/07/24/left.to.die.ap/index.html and couldn't help but think that some people are expecting the government to do way too much for them. I mean yes, it's terrible that children have died because they were left in hot cars. But I'm not sure that an alarm is going to help them.

When I first thought of the idea to make t-shirts, the Nature Lover shirts were designed with my daughter firmly in mind. And I have to tell you it's been a success. I bought this: http://www.printfection.com/dowlingshirts/Nature-Lover-Nadia-Hooded-Swea... for her, and it arrived this week. That night, I woke up to let the cat out around 3:30 and found my daughter had fallen asleep on the couch, clutching the sweatshirt like a comforter. I think that's a sure sign of a successful design.