John Stossel's State of the Union

I watched a replay of Stossel's program of last night while riding my exercyle this afternoon--after the State of the Union. The blueprint idea really resonated--I've got a little experience with that. I know what goes into it before the stamp, and that it can't be changed or products substituted without the architect's approval. An economy can't run by a blueprint (no one uses blue these days, either). . . that called "central planning" in socialist countries.

Has Barack Obama learned nothing in three years? During his State of the Union address, he promised "a blueprint for an economy." But economies are crushed by blueprints. An economy is really nothing more than people participating in an unfathomably complex spontaneous network of exchanges aimed at improving their material circumstances. It can't even be diagrammed, much less planned. And any attempt at it will come to grief.

Politicians like Obama believe they are the best judges of how we should conduct our lives. Of course a word like "blueprint" would occur to the president. He, like most who want his job, aspires to be the architect of a new society.

But we who love our lives and our freedom say: No, thanks. We need no social architect. We need liberty under law. That's it.

The rest of it here, The real state of the union by John Stossel

How the left sees the EPA economy killing regulations--it's really Bush's fault

Not only is it Bush's fault, but also Gingrich's--just in case he's the candidate Obama needs to run against.

What’s happened under Obama is that green drift has become a green sprint; his [Environmental Protection Agency] EPA’s schedule is, comparatively speaking, incredibly aggressive. This isn’t because Obama is a government-loving socialist; it’s because of two factors that played out before he even took office.

First, the Bush administration spent eight years slowwalking scientific review and cranking out rules too weak or ill-formed to withstand judicial scrutiny. In cases where the Bush EPA’s rules were challenged in federal court, the agency’s decisions were rejected in whole or in part eighteen out of twenty-seven times. That left an enormous backlog of court-mandated work for the EPA under Obama—more than any sane president would want, given the choice.

Second, there was a turning point in 2007: the Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide, as long as it can be shown to “endanger public health or welfare,” qualifies as a pollutant within the EPA’s purview. The agency then conducted an “endangerment finding,” consulting the latest science, and determined that, yes, climate change is a threat. It e-mailed the results to the Bush administration’s Office of Management and Budget, which promptly … refused to open the e-mail. (Really.) That left the task of developing the first-ever regulations on CO2 to Obama’s EPA chief, Lisa Jackson.

The pace of rule making combined with the extension of the rules to greenhouse gases has given conservatives the “regulatory overreach” story they need to declare war, not only on the individual rules coming out of the EPA, but on the agency’s ability to implement rules at all.

This is not the first time a Congress full of hotheaded freshmen has gone after the EPA. When Newt Gingrich rode to power in the Republican Revolution of 1994, he made the agency one of his first targets. However, as National Journal’s Ron Brownstein recounted in a recent column, Gingrich’s efforts quickly died out as more and more moderate Republicans turned against him. Back then, it was seen as politically dangerous to be pro-pollution.

Washington Monthly

Obama is lying to you about GM

The Obama administration, and its media backers, have seized upon news that General Motors made a $3.2 billion profit in the first quarter of 2011 as proof positive that its auto bailout is a success. President Obama is so buoyed that he is reportedly planning to make the bailout a major part of his reelection campaign. . .

For starters, included in the $3.2 billion figure is the net $1.5 billion that the company generated from the one-time sale of Delphi, its auto parts supplier, and Ally Financial, its financial arm. Subtract that, and its performance looks much less impressive, especially compared to its rival Ford that really didn’t receive a dime from taxpayers yet made $2.6 billion last quarter—or nearly a billion more than GM. . .

GM got Uncle Sam’s special bankruptcy package that allows it write off up to $45 billion of old losses going forward. That puts its total bailout at up to $75 billion. Even that’s not all. The Treasury gave GM $10 billion of the $60 billion as a loan; the rest was through the purchase of equity.

The equity means two things: 1) GM has zero interest payments. Ford, by contrast, had to pay $251 million in debt-service costs. Despite this, GM’s real per vehicle margin was over $1,000 less than Ford’s, thanks to the heavy incentives it was forced to give buyers. 2) Taxpayers have no guaranteed return as they would have with a loan. Therefore, market valuation of GM’s stock will determine what they will recover. They got back $20 billion when the Treasury sold half of its equity when GM floated its first post-bankruptcy IPO in December. But that still leaves a $30 billion shortfall (excluding the $45 billion tax break). . . GM’s labor costs are still too high . . . But United Auto Workers President Bob King has declared that workers have already sacrificed enough to keep GM solvent and now expect givebacks.

General Motors will never repay taxpayers

Today's new word--Retrocommission

If the Congress is going to find out about "retro-commissioning" we'd better know what it is because that means it will cost us money, right?

“In a climate of escalating utility costs and increasing operating budget pressures, building owners are seeking ways for energy and operational savings to be realized. It is through the process of retro-commissioning that untapped savings potential is achieved while creating a high return-on-investment, and improving building performance.”
Briefing for House of Representatives, March 15, 2011, ASHRAE

I'd never heard of retro-commissioning, so here's what I found on the internet, but it sure sounds like building maintenance to me.

Commissioning of existing buildings or “retrocommissioning,” is a systematic process applied to existing buildings for identifying and implementing operational and maintenance improvements and for ensuring their continued performance over time. Retrocommissioning assures system functionality. It is an inclusive and systematic process that intends not only to optimize how equipment and systems operate, but also to optimize how the systems function together. Although retrocommissioning may include recommendations for capital improvements, the primary focus is on using O&M tune-up activities and diagnostic testing to optimize the building systems. Retrocommissioning is not a substitute for major repair work. Repairing major problems is a must before retrocommissioning can be fully completed.

Hayek on Keynes (1978)

The author of "Road to Serfdom" F. A. Hayek talking about Keynes.



I got the book "Road to Serfdom" for Christmas, but haven't read it yet.

March for Life--January 23, 2012

This morning I listened to an inspiring Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine in DC on EWTV radio, locally on 820 a.m. where it's packed with Marchers for Life, after an all night prayer vigil. Beautiful music and homily, scripture and liturgy. The reporters said at least half of the marchers they've seen are under 35, with bus loads of junior and senior high school students. Weather was mild in the morning; estimate about 400,000. ABC covered at length a few days ago some Occupiers being evicted from a Presbyterian church in New York because a few were stealing, urinating and trashing the place. Wonder if they'll talk to a Marcher for Life or just a protester standing around?

Mid-morning on the way home from exercise class, I heard the cheering and yelling at Verizon Center where the young people are meeting. A bittersweet moment--commemorating and memorializing their lost peers, but supporting each other in the movement with typical youthful enthusiasm. One girl said she'd been on the bus for 33 hours.

This afternoon I watched a steady stream of Republican Congressmen and women (my husband says he did see at least one Democrat) stand before thousands in the rain in Washington and declare their support for life, each had about 30 seconds and boy did they make it count. No notes or teleprompter. Rep. West of Florida was inspiring--they all were. He read from the Bible, and quoted Reagan. Frankly, I'd never heard a group of politicians speak so inspiringly about God, country and life. If you missed it, I hope it shows up somewhere on YouTube, because it sure won't be on the news. I was in tears when Terry Schaivo's brothers came forward to speak for the dying and disabled.

There was a firey black pastor from Maryland who closed with comments (a sermon, really) and prayer with members of his family and congregation beside him. He got so emotional, I thought he'd have a heart attack. He called for defeating Obama in November, detailed the geneocide of blacks, said the President has spent more time with/on Planned Parenthood than any issue of importance to blacks. "They are lying and we are dying." "They have stolen our children, stolen our future," he screamed using aliteration. He quoted MLK, the Bible, called the present administration "hirelings for murder." I doubt a white man could have gotten away with it. He called out Obama, Jesse Jackson, the Black Caucus, and the entire Democratic party--held them responsible for the deaths of so many children, particularly black children, and the destruction of our country.

WHFoods: 5-Minute Kale

I can't imagine why you'd need a recipe for steamed kale, but here it is. I just put a little olive oil in a skillet, chop up some onions, and peppers red or yellow if I have them, and drop in washed and chopped or torn kale.

WHFoods: 5-Minute Kale

Kale is increasingly gaining notoriety as a superfood — and for good reason. It's packed with pro-vitamin A & C, is also rich in potassium, calcium, and phytonutrients, and is bursting with antioxidant properties . . . A one cup serving of cooked kale contains a whopping 192% of the daily value (DV) for provitamin A, 89% DV for vitamin C and 27% DV for manganese — and all of this for only 34 calories!

Who will employ these college graduates?

These numbers don't look good. Apparently a lot of students go to college just to keep the professors employed, because they aren't finding jobs in their fields. According to Alexander Tabbarok we are graduating too many in the humanities and not enough in the sciences to maintain a sound economy. Hmm. Maybe this is an area where "free markets" and "choice" aren't working?

In 2009 the U.S. graduated 37,994 students with bachelor’s degrees in computer and information science, less than 25 years ago; 2,480 students with bachelor’s degrees in microbiology—about the same number as 25 years ago; 5,036 chemical engineers in 2009, no more than we did 25 years ago. In mathematics and statistics there were 15,496 graduates in 2009, slightly more than the 15,009 graduates of 1985.

In 2009 the U.S. graduated 89,140 students in the visual and performing arts, more than in computer science, math and chemical engineering combined and more than double the number of visual and performing arts graduates in 1985, and 95,000 students a year in psychology, more than double the number of 25 years ago and far in excess of the number of available jobs. And everyone knows what is happening with the print media, but journalism and communications graduates have doubled since 1985!

Debbie Wasserman Schultz blames the Tea Party, but denies it

What do you think? She mentions incivility, Gabby Gifford, and the Tea Party all in one statement. And this is what she calls "toning down" the rhetoric? Yes, Misinformation, you did it very cleverly. She doesn't blame the Occupiers for being uncivil in hundreds of cities even though they confiscated private property, assaulted people, burned neighborhoods and screamed at the press. When did this happen with the Tea Party, Misinformation? The Tea Party is grass roots, and in fact, it isn't even a party in the sense of the Republicans or Democrats. They are, however, a threat to the power structure of both parties, so her method of incivility is to demean their behavior and patriotism. Everyone knows the political climate had nothing to do with the Gifford shooting, but Obama did use the memorial/funeral event for the other victims to launch his 2012 campaign.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: The American people are losing faith in Congress. [inaudible] because of the lack of civility. What do you think can be done to bring that faith back and then we can start thinking that they're doing their job instead of just fighting with each other?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, as someone who spent 19 years as a member of a legislative body, I really agree with you, that we need to make sure that we tone things down, particularly in light of the Tucson tragedy from a year ago where my very good friend, Gabby Giffords, who is doing really well by the way, and I know everybody is so thrilled, as I am, to hear that, making tremendous progress.

But the discourse in America, the discourse in Congress in particular, to answer your question, very specifically, has really changed.

And I'll tell you, I hesitate to place blame, but I have noticed it take a very precipitous turn towards edginess and a lack of civility with the growth of the Tea Party movement.

After the 2010 elections, when you had the Tea Party elect a whole lot of their supporters to the United States House of Representatives and you had town hall meetings that they tried to take over and you saw some of their conduct at those town hall meetings, you know, in the time that I've been in my state legislature and in Congress, I've never seen a time that was more divisive or where discourse was less civil.

Actually, Congress isn't showing a lack of civility--the members go out and have a beer together or attend parties together. The Democrats didn't approve Obama's budget buster. Is that uncivil? Republicans wanted the pipeline, and so did the Democrat unions. Are they being uncivil, or are the DOING THEIR JOB?

How we got HITECH folded into the Stimulus Bill

Abstract from New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 15, 2011, "Wiring the Health System--Origins and Provisions of a new federal Program, pt. 1, David Blumental, MD

In February 2009, the U.S. government launched an unprecedented effort to reengineer the way the country collects, stores, and uses health information. This effort was embodied in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was part of a much larger piece of legislation, the so-called stimulus bill. The purpose of the stimulus bill, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), was to stimulate the economy and prevent one of the worst economic recessions in modern history from becoming a full-fledged depression. Congress and the Obama administration took advantage of the crisis to enact programs that might spur short-term economic growth as well as promote scientific and technical advances with potential long-term benefits for the American people. In the health field, one such program involved a commitment to digitizing the U.S. health information system. The HITECH Act set aside up to $29 billion over 10 years to support the adoption and “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHRs) (i.e., use intended to improve health and health care) and other types of health information technology.

According to the article, which goes on for pages and has voluminous footnotes, there were only TWO arguments in favor of this program:

1) the conviction (i.e., no facts, no data, no research) that information technology could improve health and health care
2) a need for the government to remedy the perceived but unproven problems inhibiting the spread of health information technology

Looking further for statistics on why this was needed, I found in Blumenthal's puff piece a number of additional arguments for HITECH based on nothing more than intuition, lack of statistics, and a hunger of government officials for more or more.

3) it was “intuitive.” How’s that for hard evidence?
4) the lack of what they wanted--only 17% of physicians and 12% of hospitals had fully functioning electronic health records. (Wow! what a bonanza for the IT industry and its lobbyists!)
5) We already had the most expensive system without IT, and Europe had health IT, so if we heaped this cost on top of that, we could have a “fundamental technological breakthrough.”
6) It would be a benefit to “policy makers” (that means DC law makers) and
7) the “implied” need could improve care if information were shared, and paper records are difficult to share.
8) There was some empirical evidence from the Veterans Administration System and the Kaiser Permanent Health Plan (a tiny puddle in the overall sea of health records) for treating chronic illnesses.
9) The National Institutes of Health (a government agency) wanted it.

Just as the reasons HITECH was necessary to rush through in the stimulus bill in 2009 (to help the economy) were as fragile as a butterfly's wings and its movement of air, so the reasons not to do it were much more substantial.

1) economic--no reward for improved efficiency in medicine--except to patients and insurers--which in government talk means the markets have failed.
2) logistical and technical--it is so complex, that obviously the government needs to step in to help overcome this barrier.
3) the ability to do this is "underdeveloped," so therefore this huge challenge requires something even more huge--the federal government
4) privacy and security of records--no solution is even offered for this one except noting the health record industry is not currently regulated, so you know where they're going with that one.
Wiring the Health System — Origins and Provisions of a New Federal Program
Clever terms only a doctor on the government payroll (Blumenthal was national coordinator) could use:

• "meaningful use" of electronic health records
  
• meaningful use was a new idea with no precedent in law, policy, or the health care literature
  
• multiple major new regulations with far-reaching impact with a short deadline
  
• new programs had to be created from whole cloth (his exact words, folks!)
  
• targeted public investments
  
• encourage millions of health professionals and institutions to adopt and use
  
• justified intervention
  
• create the need for government remedies
  
• intuitive rationale
  
• experts agreed
  
• policy makers need
  
• bunches of vague statistics about quality, doctors, sharing information
  making available $27 billion
  
• federal government is correcting market failures
  
• EHR can create huge databases for local, national and international research
  
• If left to their own choices/devices providers would "never use them efficiently"
  
• Congress incentivized, with secretary of HHS allowed to define "meaningful use"
  create an opportunity
  
• the gov't dept charged with all the regulations for HITECH had never drafted a regulation or run a technical assistance or training program and had only 35 employees, so obviously the first job creation of ARRA was to add government staff!

This is only pt. 1, and I think Blumenthal has no idea he has made this sound like the Katzenjammer Kids on Parade. I can hardly wait for pt. 2.

Rabid news reporters

Last night in clicking through the channels I paused long enough to hear a female black (probably Democrat) commentator refer to the “rabid Tea Party.” No bias there. The audience had probably cheered a candidate as they are inclined to do at political events. Were Democrats "rabid" when they cheered Obama for singing 7 words of an Al Green song the other day? It's gone viral.

Tea Party members assemble peacefully, maybe they sing a hymn or patriotic song, listen to an Old Testament scripture or say the Pledge of Allegiance. They pay rent for the space they use (they don't just occupy it illegally) and clean it up. They invite candidates to speak on local and national issues--library, schools, water rights, zoning--they sponsor workshops, book clubs, and discussion groups. They are, in my opinion, the grass roots, town hall example of how to be an informed voter and good citizen. On the other hand, both political parties have arcane, obscure rules for even getting on a committee—no newcomer can hope to break through or have an influence.

So who is being rabid—that woman or the Tea Party?

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Botswana style.

I've mentioned Lutheran Bible Translators before. We've supported them financially for many years. I really enjoy following the activities and accomplishments of the missionaries. Guess I never thought that they might get hungry for pizza, Chicago style. Eshinee is Canadian born, but grew up in Seattle, and got hungry for pizza while serving in Botswana. She created a sauce, dropped dumplings into it, and covered it with cheese. Found it very satisfying!

Her recipe for Botswana/Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

Friday Family Photo--Catie my niece singing the National Anthem

This was made for a contest for a Tampa radio station.

Pot calls the Kettle black

"I think the disruptive, vicious, negative nature of the news media makes it harder to govern this country," Gingrich fumed at the debate moderator, John King of CNN. "I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that." (South Carolina debate in which Newt's smarmy behavior was the first question). Reminds me of Obama blaming Bush for his bad governing. Sorry, Newt, you can't deflect the adultery of your and Callista by criticizing a reporter doing his job.

Faith--in electronic health records

Some people riducule those of us who place our faith in God. How about those who place faith in electronic health records to solve a myriad of problems in the health "system." The faith we the people/patients, the medical community and the federal government put in electronic health records is just amazing. Here's a brief list--you can probably think of more.

• reduce costs
• track physicians' performance
• improve decisions at all levels
• connect patients with caregivers, clinical staff, care coordinators
• 24/7 access to medical help
• special clinic access
• e-mail, wireless, monitoring of patients
• home evaluations
• improved nutrition and exercise compliance
• transportation services

Noticed in an editorial in JAMA, Jan. 4, 2012--not that the author claimed to have faith, but was simply musing about all the wonderful thing EHR would bring. Any chance $27 billion in stimulus funds stimulated this faith? It looks like just another way to kill off the small medical practice by raising their costs beyond which patients can tolerate.

Having practiced medicine in both paper and electronic environments, [Jaan] Sidorov says an EHR for a group practice is, at best, a wash economically-even with federal incentives. "The cost of these systems is eye-popping, and while the price has fallen, the total bill still includes hardware, software and support. Common sense about the flow of patients and economics doesn't make me believe that doctors can recoup these costs on the back of patient billing."

And if the economics at the group practice level are murky, the prospects of lowering overall health care delivery costs is downright farfetched, Sidorov says. "On the macro-economic level, we are moving chairs around on the deck of the Titanic."

Much more here.

Jaan Siderov's blog, Disease Management Care

Today's New Word--Paraenesis

We're doing Beth Moore's James study at UALC this winter. In the fall we did Revelation, so the book of James is almost like dessert. This book uses her daughter Melissa as a co-writer, and she's had seminary training. Her sections are optional. In week two she outlines the scholars' suggestions for the genre of James, and lists five. One is PARAENESIS, a specialized form of advice or exhortation. Contains precepts and imperatives.

Merriam Webster: LL paraenesis, fr. Gk parainesis, fr. parainein to advise (fr. para- 1para- + ainein to speak of, praise, advise, fr. ainos speech, fable) + -sis

"Paraenetic documents"

"paraenesis is defined as the dissemination of advice, exhortation and/or recommendation. The paraenetic style of communicating is that which exudes Paraenesis, i.e., advising one to pursue or avoid something. Paraenesis is divided into two parts, i.e., persuasion and dissuasion." Link

Originally meant advice or counsel (Greek parainein, to advise). As a form of biblical composition, it is popular preaching or exhortation, of which the epistle of St. James is a classic example. It is exemplified in the moralizing parts of the Old Testament and is found in such Apostolic Fathers as Clement I and the Shepherd of Hermas. Besides James, it is frequently used by St. Paul, e.g., in his letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Link

James is a gold mine for the modern, mainline church and scholars which discover something new with every dig. Link

Paralells with the Gospels Link

ask and you will receive (James 1:5 = Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9)

the kingdom belongs to the poor (James 2:5 = Luke 6:20b, Matthew 5:3)

ask and you will receive (James 4:2c-3 = Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9)

those who laugh will mourn (James 4:9 = Luke 6:21, 25b)

the humble are exalted (James 4:10 = Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14b)

woe to the rich (James 5:1 = Luke 6:24)

do not store up wealth (James 5:2-3a = Matthew 6:19-20, Luke 12:33b)

on oaths and truth-telling (James 5:12 = Matthew 5:33-37)

How government health insurance compares with private

We don’t even need to wait for Obamacare to see how ineffective government health care insurance is. Let’s look at the plans we already know, using National Center for Health Statistics as reported in JAMA Jan. 11, 2012, p. 141. The chart shows that road blocks and law suits are needed at every turn to stop this Obamacare madness. The British National Health service is the 3rd largest employer in the world—but they don’t have good health care.

Patient visits to physicians’ offices (2009) and hospital outpatient departments covered by insurance.

Private insurance 54% and 37%

Medicare 25% and 19%

Medicaid and CHIP (children) 12% and 26%

When has a government program in any area been able to exceed what the private sector can offer? Those now using private health insurance will need to be reduced to the government insurance level so that the liberals’ concept of “fair” can be imposed on everyone.

Two types of government health plans were not included in this chart: That for federal employees, which is better than any of us could afford (I think it’s cafeteria style with choices from about 7 or 8 private Cadillac plans, and BIA’s plan for American Indians, which is cradle to the grave health care with no cost to the patient, and the worst in the nation.

Glenn Beck TV

Yes, we're subscribers. When he is good, he's very good, and when he is terrible, he's just awful. Tonight he was awful. Terrible. Alcoholics can't take pain meds, and I think he did--suffering from back problems that took him off the program last week. I sympathize, but maybe the archives would have been better tonight. Eating popcorn while talking about beheadings--doesn't work for me.

I also don't like his whining about CNN and Fox--his former employers. I watched a few of his shows when he was on CNN, and he was just learning how to be on camera instead of being a radio clown, how to speak to a camera, how to interview guests. He was not good--CNN gave him a chance, and when he got better, he switched to Fox. At Fox he developed a huge following, he wrote books, did live theater, and promoted huge events like 9/12 which started a nation wide movement and many book clubs, and he did a huge event in Israel. Now is not the time to cut down former employers. It's unseemly for anyone. He's branching out, doing something different, perhaps it's the media of the future, but he needs to be more grateful to those who helped his career.

Obama is the anti-jobs President, but trying to kiss up to unions

Today, Wall Street Journal, “The Anti-Jobs President”

“Keystone XL has been planned for years and only became a political issue after the well-to-do environmental lobby decided to make it a station of the green cross. TransCanada filed its application in 2008, and State determined in 2010 and then again last year that the project would have "no significant impacts" on the environment, following exhaustive studies. The Environmental Protection Agency chose to intervene anyway, and the political left began to issue ultimatums and demonstrate in front of the White House, so President Obama decided to defer a final decision until after the election.

The missed economic opportunity was spelled out Tuesday by Mr. Obama's own Jobs Council, which released a report that endorsed an "all-in approach" on energy, including the "profound new opportunities in shale gas and unconventional oil." The 27 members handpicked by the President recommended that he support "policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and timely development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects," and they warned that failing to do so "would stall the engine that could become a prime driver of U.S. jobs and growth in the decades ahead." “

And the Washington Post, “Pipeline. . . hard to accept” after first chiding the GOP, then reported the foolishness of the administration choosing politics over the American economy:

“Environmentalists have fought Keystone XL furiously. In November, the State Department tried to put off the politically dangerous issue until after this year’s election, saying that the project, which had undergone several years of vetting, required further study. But Republicans in Congress unwisely upped the political gamesmanship by mandating that State make a decision by Feb. 21. Following Wednesday’s rejection, TransCanada promised to reapply — so the administration has again punted the final decision until after the election.

We almost hope this was a political call because, on the substance, there should be no question. Without the pipeline, Canada would still export its bitumen — with long-term trends in the global market, it’s far too valuable to keep in the ground — but it would go to China. And, as a State Department report found, U.S. refineries would still import low-quality crude — just from the Middle East. Stopping the pipeline, then, wouldn’t do anything to reduce global warming, but it would almost certainly require more oil to be transported across oceans in tankers.”

The Facebook-Politico connection

I don’t know how many of you are on Facebook, but I am, and I’m part of a “closed” political discussion group, not unlike an e-mail list or listserv. Right now because of the debates, the insults are flying fast and furious between Ron Paul supporters and traditional conservatives. Frankly, I don’t like the new Politico-Facebook partnership. In fact, I’m horrified. I wouldn’t like it anymore than the small print notice at the bottom of print magazine subscriptions that says they sell their mailing lists, but the Politico website is an Obama water carrier. It’s good for a conservative to read it, but it’s better to know what a real $100 bill looks like rather than study the counterfeit bill. Just because they say actual human employees won’t be reading this stuff, doesn’t mean that won’t happen—or that rogue employees** working undercover won’t pass it along either out of commitment to the party apparatchiks or for profit. Here’s the gist of it from All things D

“A partnership between Facebook and Politico announced today is one of the more far-reaching efforts. It will consist of sentiment analysis reports and voting-age user surveys, accompanied by stories by Politico reporters.

Most notably, the Facebook-Politico data set will include Facebook users’ private status messages and comments. While that may alarm some people, Facebook and Politico say the entire process is automated and no Facebook employees read the posts.

Rather, every post and comment — both public and private — by a U.S. user that mentions a presidential candidate’s name will be fed through a sentiment analysis tool that spits out anonymized measures of the general U.S. Facebook population.

This is similar to the way Google offers reports on search trends based on its users’ aggregate search activities.”

The solution, of course, is to get off Facebook or only discuss your latest operation, the grandchildren or what’s for dinner (and many do that).

-------

**I was a librarian at Ohio State, which had the grand daddy of all computerized library systems—other major libraries built on our experience/shoulders, then quickly passed us up as commercial efforts (like those on the internet) became available. But back in the “old days” we always had student employees who knew more than their bosses (like me) who could send deans overdue notices for nonsense. Even 15 years later, when we were still using bundles of microfiche to check overdue books and were supposed to look only for a specific ID number, it wasn’t too tough to look at the alphabetic list (also included) and see which high flying, overpaid professor had 200 books checked out to his office using the library as his personal collection.