Daily Archives: September 6, 2011

6 posts

QOTD: What should get more funding?

Here’s a hypothetical from fantasyland:  the government of {your country} suddenly has a billion US dollars or local equivalent to spend, and it can only spend it on ONE giant program.  Pretend it’s a bequest from a rich billionaire who just died.  You can pretend the dead billionaire is Rupert Murdoch if you want to feel especially happy about it. Continue reading

Today in Movie Poster Art Done Right: Young Adult

Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman, who wrote and directed (respectively) Juno, have paired up their talents once again for Young Adult, which stars Charlize Theron as a newly divorced YA writer who returns to her small hometown. It’s not a film I would automatically be interested in seeing. Cody seems like a fun person (Have you watched her interview web series, Red Band Trailer? You should, it’s great.), but I find her screenwriting talent debatable. Similarly, I don’t see that Reitman has a noteworthy point-of-view as a director. I think Charlize Theron is talented, but I’m more apt to see a film because of the writer or director than I am to see it for the star. Today the poster for Young Adult hit the web, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it makes me just a little more interested in seeing the film. Click through to take a look and give your reaction. Continue reading

Massachusetts Tackles Health Care Payments

In Massachusetts, home of RomneyCare, legislators are taking a new look at health care costs and are proposing new ways to bring those costs down.

Since instituting the universal, individual mandate healthcare coverage the Commonwealth has been forced to address the question of skyrocketing healthcare costs. More people on insurance and more government funded health plans has brought the inequities of commercial insurance payouts to light. Continue reading

Of Money, Mystery and…Murder?


In a 27-room historic mansion on the exclusive island of Coronado, a tragedy filled with mystery emerged this summer. You reach Coronado via a bridge from San Diego. The bridge is a road to paradise for some. Many Arizonans travel to southern California for the summer to escape the relentless heat, buying or renting homes in the San Diego area. Such is the case with Jonah Shacknai and his family. Except that their family vacation ended with two people dead, and many questions left unanswered. Continue reading