One More Time I’m finding myself hugely aggravated by the Obamacare rollout. Not because of the technological incompetence (see "Sibelius"), not because I think it's ill-intended, let alone evil (see “Cruz”), but because it doesn't address the economic reality of healthcare, which means that it can't and won't solve the problem it's supposed to solve. … Continue reading One More Time – And Other Stuff
Category: Business
Perverse Incentives
Another item checked off the bucket list. . .I’ve used the word perverse - not just in a blog post, but in a title. We take victories, small or large, where we can get them. We’re coming off a week in which North Korea cut hotlines, restarted reactors and made a credible threat that affects … Continue reading Perverse Incentives
Three Great Links and a Snack Cake
This week, I ache for the nation, as I’m sure many of you do. I am contemplating a future in which my beloved country is not only feckless, but Twinkie-less. How have we come to this? Yet another good reason to use “feck” in a sentence. Ah, well. In the past few days, I’ve seen … Continue reading Three Great Links and a Snack Cake
Healthcare Solved – Really!
I’ll get to healthcare in a minute, but before that, a couple of digressions, which by now you should expect from me: First, my daughter Julia, who graduated from high school in May (a year early, no less) is now on Day 5 of her Latin American adventure. She will be in San Pedro Sula, … Continue reading Healthcare Solved – Really!
Sleeping Our Way to Lower Healthcare Costs
When I say sleeping, I actually mean sleeping. But first, a story: A few years ago, I spent some time working with a company that had attempted, with less success than they would have liked, to turn around and operate failing public schools on a for-profit basis. Leaving aside basic business model issues, neither they … Continue reading Sleeping Our Way to Lower Healthcare Costs
Little White Libor
The big problem with the Libor rate fixing scandal is that no one seems to be able to figure out who the victims were. Barclay’s has been fined $450 million and had to fire its top three executives. Four other big European Banks are now in the spotlight, and it won’t be long before Citi, … Continue reading Little White Libor
Goat, Where Art Thou?
I had the good fortune to attend a Cubs game last night, courtesy of a friend who has season tickets. It’s been five years or so since I went to a Cubs game, and it was a perfect night for baseball (or for just about anything else) – temperature in the mid-70s, low humidity, clear … Continue reading Goat, Where Art Thou?
Gravity – Addendum
In the few days since I published my post about the inevitability of a single-payer healthcare system, I’ve gotten a few caustic comments from some of my more conservative friends, and the hairy eyeball from some others, all of whom seem to think that I’ve fallen off the liberal deep end. I haven’t, at least … Continue reading Gravity – Addendum
Blame Canada!
I’m on a road trip with the family that included a very pleasant three days driving across Canada from the Michigan border to Montreal. Here are a couple of observations from the road: Observation 1: In Toronto (my first time there), I was struck by the sight of construction cranes, something I haven’t seen in … Continue reading Blame Canada!
Toyota: There They Go Again
When I was 17, I helped my mother buy her first post-divorce car. We settled on the first Civic that Honda brought into the US. It was a great little car, and I’ve been pretty loyal to Honda ever since. These days, I’m glad about that because the big boys at Toyota are back with … Continue reading Toyota: There They Go Again