Okay. So here's the thing about the health care industry in the USA, especially the insurance sector. It stinks. Everyone knows it. Everyone feels it.

Actually, I don't know the real reason. But Kyle Sampson, formerly of the Department of Justice does, according to this e-mail he sent [emphasis added]:

While many ordinary gentlemen respect and admire Andrew Sullivan, despite occasional or even regular disagreements, I don't. I despise the man--ironically, I despise him more and more as his views become more and more in accord with my own.

When I was driving taxi in Boston in the mid-1970s I had this neat trick I used to pull. I had a couple of variations, all derived from the same standard procedure.

Here's the Thing The most important thing going on right now in the National Security establishment is the conflict surrounding the Central Intelligence Agency and Congress.

I. Now and Then and Now

There seems to be some controversy about a few comments made by CBS Golf analyst David Feherty. Something about shooting Nancy Pelosi in the head. I was actually outraged about it, being as I have wicked crush on Nancy Pelosi.

R.S.V.P.

Give Geithner a Little Credit, Okay? Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner isn't as bad as he could be. Really. At any rate, that was going to be the hypothesis of an article I started writing this week.

Dear Abby:

The past 366 days were an embarrassment of riches for crossover stories featuring politics and sports. And I do mean embarrassment.

The prospect of Caroline Kennedy's appointment to the Senate to replace Secretary of State Designate Hillary Clinton has created some weak (VERY weak) support and some lame (VERY lame) opposition.

Jimmy Gillis, January 22, 1952-December 6, 2008 I'm going to begin with a poem: Beannacht By John O'Donohue On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble, may the clay dance to balance you.

Lisa Schiffren at the National Review's group blog The Corner says something interesting and true, a rare enough thing at the Corner these days to warrant comment.

~epiphany sorbet: Aesop's original fable told the story of the frivolous grasshopper and the hard working, plan ahead ants. Disney's version of the same fable modified it somewhat according to Wikipedia:

I think one of the consistent, persistent and pernicious problems in the Newsvine meta conflicts and and controversies is this: We think the threads here matter. Newsflash for Newsviners: They don't. Too many times too many of us operate under the illusion-delusion that when we …

In response to the fact that the recent flurry of Newsvine meta articles have dominated our front page and the msnbc.com community page, we are now enacting a new policy:

But. Let's get real.

By the time Prank Saturday rolled around, I was beginning to be concerned that some kind of critical meta mass was approaching. Remember--I'd been through the Refugee meta. The Prank meta was at least five times bigger, five times worse.

My intention a couple of weeks ago when I realized my Vineversary was approaching was not to do a retrospective of all the great articles I'd written (I have my column set articles-only in the main field, if you're interested, go read them).

After I finished my argumentation in Part 1 yesterday, Common Sense and Newsvine: Why Can They Not Live Together in Harmony? (Part 1 of 2) and after I finished the more narrative Part 2, Common Sense and Newsvine: Why Can They Not Live Together in Harmony? (Part 2 of 2), I realiz …