Health Care - Part 1

According to conservative David Frum, former official in the Bush administration, the Bush administration ended up with the worst performance on record when it comes to the rise of family wages over his 8-year run. Even though employers during that time actually spent 25% MORE on their workers on average.

So why did incomes not rise by 25% - because during that same period, health care premiums doubled. The additional 25% that employers were spending per worker was absorbed all or in part by rising health care costs.

Last week, this American Life did their first in a two part series on the Health Care debate. In this first episode they ask the question: "Who is to blame for the rising costs? Is it doctors? Patients? or Insurance Companies. The answer may surprise you.

I am looking forward to episode 2!

Pod Shuffle

I came across this article in College Crunch listing "15 Podcasts that will make you smarter"> and it occurred to me that I haven't updated my podcasts in a while.

Since it doesn't look like I will have the time to run anytime soon, I dumped the running podcasts and signed up for a few more. Here is what I have on my subscription list:

- Common Sense with Dan Carlin (Newly Added)
- The Writers' Block (Newly Added)
- Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!
- Keith and the Girl (Newly Added)
- BBC NewsPod (Newly Added)
- All In The Mind (Newly Added)
- TED Talks (Newly Added)
- This American Life
- Grammer Girl
- Nancy Pearl Book Reviews
- Car Talk
- Whadda' Know?
- Stuff You Should Know
- The Moth (Newly Added)

I haven't yet listened to any of the "Newly Added" podcasts so I can't vouch for them. What about you? What's on your podcast list?

The Watchmen

This American Life and the guys at Planet Money have teemed up once again to cast the most recent economic downturn into simple everyday language. This week they try to answer the question - who is to blame?

Teaser:

Since Congress hasn't held 1930's-style hearings into the causes of the financial crisis, we stage one of our own. The subject? The regulators and watchdogs who were supposed to be overseeing the banks and the finance industry—to make sure things wouldn't blow up like they have. Clearly something went wrong. Today we pound a gavel and ask: where were the watchmen?

Worth a listen.

A Little Help?

So I have sworn off news and politics for one year.

It has been a lot easier than I thought since I recently discovered podcasts. Lately, I have just been downloading my favorite NPR shows to my Ipod and playing them while I run or in the car while I am driving.

Sadly, one of my favorite shows, Weekend America is going off the air at the end of January - the partial ramifications of which were really brought home yesterday when I finished a podcast of Car Talk only to discover that I had listened to all the podcasts from this week. Already. And it was only Wednesday. This cannot go on.

I got in the car after my run, I wasn't really in the mood for more music so I tuned in to NPR hoping to get some fluff piece about some guy obsessed with making the world's most expensive tamale or something. What did I get? "Israel . . . . Gaza . . . . . Clinton . . . . . Bush . . . . . Prime Minister of Britain has advice for new President . . . ." blah blah blah . . . ugggh . . . for all I know they were just recycling news from January 2001 . . . .

As news addict, far be it from me to say these issues aren't important and don't deserve their fair attention by someone that can do something about it - but that someone is not me. Not this year anyway . . .

So . . . . I need a little help . . . .

I am looking for additional podcasts that I can add to my weekly download. It can be anything so long as it isn't news or politics or vulgar. It doesn't even have to from the radio as these days some shows go directly to podcast (like movies going directly to DVD).

My current lineup is Weekend America, This American Life, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk and Whaddya Know.

Please send suggestions to: mattlinden@msn.com . Oh - and I have an old and busted Ipod from years ago (no video) so we are strictly looking for audio here . . .

Thank you for your help!

Redemption

I found this story on Weekend America to be quite interesting.

It is about a woman returning to her childhood church after being in prison for 17 years.

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me

Wait, Wait, is one of my favorite radio shows and this past week they did a rebroadcast of some of their favorite "Not my job" segments. The segment features famous guests who come on the show to answer questions about something they know nothing about.

For instance, they interviewed Leonard Nemoy (Spock on Star Trek) about child-rearing according to the actual Dr. Spock. The segment is worth a listen.

Also on this show, they interviewed former Yankee great Moose Skowron who will give you a surprising view on how the sport of professional baseball has changed over the years as well as Jimmy Carter - one of the members of the Blind Boys of Alabama, answering questions about the other Jimmy Carter (former president). Also worth a listen . . .