On this day of rest should we pause to recognize the insurance companies? Yes, and our recognition is that those greedy folks need to be brought down! I’m unwilling to give up hope that health care can be about care instead of profits.
Today is a legal holiday in the state of Alaska, marking the anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States on October 18, 1867. Although the territory was sold to the U.S. in March, it was not until the 18th of October that year that the Commissioners arrived in Sitka and the formal transfer was arranged. The original ceremony included 250 uniformed U.S. soldiers, who marched to the Governor’s house in Sitka at “Castle Hill,” where the transfer was made. It was here that the Russian troops lowered the Russian flag and the U.S. flag was raised.
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Mornin’ folks. Another cold day in progress, so stay warm and watch the Chiefs lose.
Found this:
Docking Institute survey: Most Kansans think health care changes needed
KHI NEWS SERVICE
Oct. 15, 2009
HAYS — Most adult Kansans — 56 percent — believe it is the responsibility of government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, according to a new survey released today by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs.
Even more — 83 percent — believe the Kansas health care system needs changing, with 50 percent saying major changes were in order and 33 percent preferring minor changes.
The survey, titled “Kansas Speaks” was the first of its kind by the institute but the plan is to update it yearly, according to the Gary Brinker, the institute’s director.
Rest here: http://www.khi.org/s/index.cfm?aid=2492
I have wondered many times how to respond to any question of what President Obama has done since taking office. Still not sure I know the answer, but did find this article interesting.
Comedy Aside, an Obama Report Card
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/business/economy/18view.html
Robert Reich’s Blog has this today:
Why Obama Has to do What Letterman Did: Refuse to Pay Hush Money
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/
public service announcement,
http://saintlysavers.com/default.aspx
As of 08/14/2009 Voyager was 10,300,000,000 miles from the sun. Voyager 2 was 8,350,000,000 miles. They have been operating for thirty years and are expected to operate into the second decade of this century.
Both Voyagers are headed towards the outer boundary of the solar system in search of the heliopause, the region where the Sun’s influence wanes and the beginning of interstellar space can be sensed. The heliopause has never been reached by any spacecraft; the Voyagers may be the first to pass through this region, which is thought to exist somewhere from 8 to 14 billion miles from the Sun. Sometime in the next 5 years, the two spacecraft should cross an area known as the termination shock. This is where the million-mile-per-hour solar winds slows to about 250,000 miles per hour—the first indication that the wind is nearing the heliopause. The Voyagers should cross the heliopause 10 to 20 years after reaching the termination shock. The Voyagers have enough electrical power and thruster fuel to operate at least until 2020. By that time, Voyager 1 will be 12.4 billion miles (19.9 billion KM) from the Sun and Voyager 2 will be 10.5 billion miles (16.9 billion KM) away. Eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky . The Voyagers are destined—perhaps eternally—to wander the Milky Way.
Tell me we can’t do things right. This is simply an amazing accomplishment. Just think: By the time these craft pass by a star, we may be an extinct species, or we may be joining them.
The Voyager spacecraft mission continues to amaze me, even if we only get dry data back.
They’ve gone further out than anything we’ve ever built. Period. And far beyond even the most optimistic assessments of what would happen.
Granted, I understand that predictions for spacecraft tend to adhere to conservative assumptions (in the scientific, calm sense of the world), and thus the designers didn’t want to overestimate the length of Voyager’s voyage.
But it’s still amazing, because ever mile, indeed every millimeter is breaking new ground, even if the extreme distances make ‘headline’ events more sparse. And, as the article notes, even after the fuel is gone, they will still drift outward.
How many years to the Oort cloud? Hmmm. . . .