Brian Gongol
China wants its money back
(Video) "Saturday Night Live" shows a rare moment of comic genius meeting economic comprehension, as an imposter President Hu Jintao shows what he really thinks about American borrowing. America is borrowing far too much, and the government is compounding the problem by putting heavier burdens on the backs of manufacturers and other companies. It's going to reduce American economic competitiveness in the future, at just the time when we'll need more productive capacity than ever in order to pay down our debts. Stupid programs like Cash for Clunkers have only increased our indebtedness while doing little good for the nation as a whole. The average car on the US roads became a little more efficient as the clunkers left the streets, but that's hardly worth the spending and the debt that was incurred.
Trouble at Wikipedia
The Wall Street Journal reports that Wikipedia is having trouble attracting new contributors and retaining editors. As with many volunteer organizations, people have traded pay compensation for prestige, and that's making it difficult for people to continue cooperating effectively. Wikipedia has achieved a remarkable degree of dominance online -- many searches for general topics will deliver a Wikipedia page as one of the first results -- but it also uses a complicated interface for updates and new pages, which discourages neophytes from trying to participate. And then there are the interminable arguments that discuss the pages themselves.
Lance Armstrong Foundation rejects new guidelines for reduced screening for breast cancer
Just because our methods of treatment are still imperfect doesn't mean we should reduce screening. More vigilance and more early detection are necessary, not less. Improving treatment is a separate issue which also needs work, but its shortcomings shouldn't be used to obstruct better detection.
Former major investor says Russia isn't a safe place for business anymore
Podcast: Remember paying taxes for the first time?
Podcast: Using Google News to keep an eye on your good name
EPA fines Iowa feedlot $25,000 for water pollution
