SerPolUS_IDES

From Bush v. Gore thru permission to strip-search any arrestee....

Med resource overuse

Medical debts of elderly despite Medicare

Online support systems for family member's complex medical needs

Murray ignores economic/government reasons for "collapse of middle class" and focuses only on "social structure"

comic strip on Newt Gingrich's space & political interests

Religious people tithe more (& Obama > Romney > Gingrich, in %).

[Since 1929], there was never a period when as much as 9 percent of American gross domestic product went to companies in the form of after-tax profits. Now the figure is over 10 percent. [And] there never was a quarter when wage and salary income amounted to less than 45 percent of the economy. Now the figure is below 44 percent.... Effective tax rates, both corporate and personal, are well below where they were during most of the post-World War II era.

History of book-length presentations of the written word.

The researchers found that in areas where end-of-life care costs were normally high, having an advance directive significantly lowered the cost of care. On average, end-of-life care spending was $5,585 less per person in the high-spending regions when someone had an advance directive. > Having an advance directive didn't necessarily limit the initiation of aggressive treatments, but seemed to lead to their earlier withdrawal. Author said this finding was particularly important because some people make the argument that having an advance directive might limit all of the care you receive at the end of your life. But, this finding shows that while treatments are often started, for "patients with an advance directive, there's an earlier recognition of when treatments aren't working and when it's time to go to hospice."

Startup cost & shortage of palliative MDs.

USA Today - some ca's are indolent & won't harm us

. . . by U.Rochester

"Evangelical Christianity need not be defined by the simplistic theology, cultural isolationism and stubborn anti-intellectualism that most of the Republican candidates have embraced. >Like other evangelicals, we accept the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ and look to the Bible as our sacred book, though we find it hard to recognize our religious tradition in the mainstream evangelical conversation. Evangelicalism at its best seeks a biblically grounded expression of Christianity that is intellectually engaged, humble and forward-looking. In contrast, fundamentalism is literalistic, overconfident and reactionary."

But thousands of microbloggers in China have used the juxtaposition of callousness and heroism to fuel a wrenching debate over whether people in their country lack compassion and, if so, why.... Said one commentator about the Hangzhou rescue: "Yesterday Obama had a beer with out-of-work construction workers. Today, I see a story about an American tourist jumping into the water to save someone. I finally realized why America is such a strong country and will continue to be one."

Concern re elim'n of DS comm'ty (at time of progress, & self-stated happiness)

Non-Jewish Mom (p/ PNT X 2 for TSD) raises baby with Tay-Sachs elegiacally.

Women surpassing men in education may be leading more women to remain single.

Fallows gives advice to avoid his wife's experience

Case for absolutes (vs. Stanley Fisher)