I thought about calling this "Vegetables of Mass Destruction--purloined edition" but figured I wouldn't come close to meeting the high standards set by the author of that brilliant series.  However, I couldn't keep from a little mini-rant about a likely minor threat to our food supply, but an extremely serious threat to our intelligence.  And a request to all Kossacks who may be interested in submitting comments to the FDA, to please please do so.

Orwell is chuckling again.  In fact, he is probably rubbing little bone-dry fingers together with glee and cackling.  Why?  Just a little bit more of inaccuracy, one might almost say lying, in labelling and communicating to the american sheepulace.

The newest disgrace comes to you courtesy of the US FDA, which is giving a day's notice of a proposed rule to deliberately mislabel food.  More below the indigestion....

Every single one.

Blue Cross in California has been routinely cancelling the coverage of women who (horrors!) become pregnant, or people who (heaven forfend!) get sick and need medical care.

Kudos to NCEve and others who have been diarying steadily and conscientiously about the health care scadal that is our current insurance system.  The yo-yo (You're on your own) policies of our government, not limited to republican or democratic leaders, alas, is that if you get sick you are screwed.

More below the appendectomy...

Ken Kesey would be so proud of the cuckoo's nest we seem to have flown into in the war on Iraq.  Inadequate treatment of the mentally ill, the PTSD victims, the soldiers stressed beyond any ability to reason.  The consequences are heart breaking.  More if you can stand it below the fold.

"As you wander throughout life, brother
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the doughnut,
and not upon the hole."    
(On wall mural in old Mayflower Hotel coffee shop in Washington DC)

This is probably good advice, but it really depends on the size of the hole that you, or people you care about, are about to fall into. An estimated 24-38% of enrollees in Medicare Part D are expected to hit the doughnut hole, where they have no coverage for prescription drugs, but do have to keep paying the insurance premiums.  Many will hit this hole much earlier than they expected, because of an apparently little understood provision in the plan.

(More below the fold)

I played a concert today blowing into a full gale coming off the water.  The band was distraught; not just music blowing away, but stands falling over, instruments damaged.  The infinite frustration of not being able to hear oneself, not hearing one's companions...(more)

New AP story:

"DOJ: NSA Could've Monitored Doctors' Calls
By KATHERINE SHRADER
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The National Security Agency could have legally monitored ordinarily confidential communications between doctors and patients or attorneys and their clients, the Justice Department said Friday of its controversial warrantless surveillance program.