What Caught My Eye Today - Barack Obama's plan for healthcare

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context. To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content is from the candidates themselves.


Fourth in our series, Barack Obama's plan for health care. Due to the fact that most of Obama's plan for health care has already been enacted as part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, we start first with a listing of specific provisions contained within the legislation followed Obama's stance on health care.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. health care system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. PPACA includes numerous provisions to take effect over several years beginning in 2010.

• Guaranteed issue will require policies to be issued regardless of any medical condition, and partial community rating will require insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants of the same age and geographical location without regard to gender or most pre-existing conditions.
• A shared responsibility requirement, commonly called an individual mandate, requires that all individuals not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other public insurance programs, purchase and comply with an approved private insurance policy or pay a penalty, unless the applicable individual is a member of a recognized religious sect exempted by the Internal Revenue Service, or waived in cases of financial hardship.
• Health insurance exchanges will commence operation in each state, offering a marketplace where individuals and small businesses can compare policies and premiums, and buy insurance.
• Low income individuals and families above 100% and up to 400% of the federal poverty level will receive federal subsidies on a sliding scale if they choose to purchase insurance via an exchange.
• The text of the law expands Medicaid eligibility to include all individuals and families with incomes up to 133% of the poverty level, and simplifies the CHIP enrollment process. In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, the Supreme Court effectively allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion, and some states have stated their intention to do so.
• Minimum standards for health insurance policies are to be established and annual and lifetime coverage caps will be banned.
• Firms employing 50 or more people but not offering health insurance will also pay a shared responsibility requirement if the government has had to subsidize an employee's health care.
• Very small businesses will be able to get subsidies if they purchase insurance through an exchange.
• Co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles are to be eliminated for select health care insurance benefits considered to be part of an "essential benefits package" for Level A or Level B preventive care.
• Changes are enacted that allow a restructuring of Medicare reimbursement from "fee-for-service" to "bundled payments."

And now, the President's take on arguably his greatest legislative accomplishment of his first term in office.

President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act to restore health care as a basic cornerstone of middle-class security in America. The Affordable Care Act will make health care more affordable for families and small businesses and brings much-needed transparency to the insurance industry. When fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act will keep insurance companies from taking advantage of consumers—including denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and cancelling coverage when someone gets sick. The key phrase is "when fully implemented". A bunch of big ticket items aren't scheduled to take effect until 2014 and some won't see the light of day until 2020, four years after Obama leaves office (assuming he wins a second term in November). Among the benefits of the Affordable Care Act:

• 34 million more Americans will gain coverage—many who will be able to afford insurance for the first time. The irony here is that will the law suffers from a lack of popularity (56% of Americans don't like it), everyone likes the fact that more citizens will have health care...due entirely to the law that they don't like.
• About 95% of Americans under age 65 will have insurance. I guess the thing Obama didn't consider was whether or not Americans actually wanted to have health insurance. As it turns out, most healthy people (those that have no immediate need of health care) don't like the fact that the government is forcing health insurance on them, while those in need of health care really like the fact that they have health insurance to help them manage costs.
• The law will slow health care premium growth rates, adding another $2,000 to family savings by 2019. According to analysis the Congressional Budget Office conducted in 2009, close to 80 percent of the population should see a reduction in premiums ranging from 0% up to 40% (in extreme cases), which the remaining 20% will see an increase in premiums up to 13%. So I guess, this statement is mostly accurate (at least 80% of it).
• As many as 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance.
• Nearly 3.6 million seniors who fell into the Medicare “doughnut hole” last year saved an average of $604 on prescription drugs. This is that extreme case I mentioned earlier.
• The law is expected to reduce the deficit by $127 billion from 2012 to 2021. Truth be told, actual savings is anyone's guess. Prior to the Supreme Court ruling allowing states to opt out of Medicare, the CBO pegged savings at close to $210 billion; after the ruling the new savings estimate came in at $87 billion.  And given the fact that the federal debt stands at roughly $16 trillion, I'm not sure a few billion dollars here or there is gong to matter much.

You can read up on Barack Obama's position on the healthcare here. Next time, Mitt Romney's energy plan.

Did You Know? #6

What is the highest number of Olympic medals the United States has earned in a single Summer or Winter Games?

The United States won 239 medals (78 gold, 82 silver and 79 bronze) at the 1904 Summer Games that it hosted in St. Louis. The 104 medals won at the 2012 Summer Games in London is the United States sixth largest tally. In addition to the 1904 Summer Olympics The United States earned more medals in 1968 (Mexico City - 107 medals), 1984 (Los Angeles - 173 medals), 1992 (Barcelona - 108 medals), and 2008 (Beijing - 110 medals). The United States has a won 2399 medals in the 26 Summer Olympics it has competed in which ranks first among all nations competing in at least one Summer Olympic Games. The former Soviet Union is second with 1010 medals.

The most medals the United States has ever won at a Winter Olympic Games is 37 (9 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze) at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. The United States has won 253 meals in the 21 Winter Olympics it has competed in which ranks second among all nations competing in at least one Winter Olympic Games. Norway is first with 303 medals.

What Caught My Eye Today - U.S. Presidential Campaign, Taxation, Toplessness

U.S. Presidential Campaign - Every election season we hear reports on just how lousy voter turn out was. Kind of a sad commentary for the bastion of democracy, but we'll dwell on that topic some other day. Is it ever so slightly possible stories like this one might add some credence to the notion that "my vote doesn't really matter."? Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are locked in a close race to amass the requisite 270 Electoral College votes for victory. And the contest is exactly where it was at the start of the long, volatile summer: focused on seven states that are up for grabs. The analysis found that if the election were held today, Obama would have 19 states and the District of Columbia, offering 247 votes, solidly in his column or leaning his way, while Republican Romney would have 24 states with 206 votes. Seeing as I live in one of the 42 states (and District of Columbia) where the result of an election more than tow months away is already a foregone conclusion, I guess I can just skip the whole thing. Obviously, I'm not taking into account the importance of voting on local issues like asking my state to tax me more for services I will probably never use (again, I digress), but you can sort of see where I'm coming from. The Presidential election is like the "main event" and the vast majority of us are basically being told "don't bother". Nevertheless, on the off chance that the polls are wrong, maybe we should stick around and see how things evolve. Here's how the main two contenders stack up as of today (according to the Associated Press):

SOLIDLY DEMOCRATIC (186): California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
LEANING DEMOCRATIC (61): Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
UP FOR GRABS (85): Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia
LEANING REPUBLICAN (47): Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina
SOLIDLY REPUBLICAN (159): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Taxation - I went off on the wealth gap situation in America back in July (click here), but given the emotional response that this topic evokes, its not terribly surprising to see another survey (this time from our friends at the Pew Research Center) confirming the obvious--rich people have too much bloody money! As the income gap between rich and poor widens, a majority of Americans say the growing divide is bad for the country and believe that wealthy people are paying too little in taxes, according to a new survey. The poll found that many Americans believe rich people to be intelligent and hardworking but also greedy and less honest than the average American. Damn straight. There's no way those rat bastards deserve to be making more than me. 58 percent, say the rich don't pay enough in taxes. Even among those who describe themselves as "upper class" or "upper middle class," 52 percent said upper-income Americans don't pay enough in taxes. See? The rat bastards feel guilty that they make more than me...as well they should. The results reinforce a tide of recent economic data showing a widening economic divide. America's middle class has been shrinking in the stagnant economy and poverty is now approaching 1960s highs, while wealth concentrates at the top. Well-off people do shoulder a big share of the tax burden. Though households earning over $1 million annually comprise just 0.3 percent of all taxpayers, they pay 20 percent of all federal taxes the government is projected to collect this year, according to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan group that studies tax policy. In contrast, households earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year accounted for 12 percent of taxpayers and contributed 9 percent of federal taxes, the center's data showed. Some 46 percent of households pay no federal income tax at all, although they do pay payroll, excise and other taxes.

Toplessness - This last story is why the First Amendment of the U.S. State Constitution (that would be Freedom of Expression) makes me proud to be an American. Some two dozen topless women protested in a New York City park as part of what they called "National Go-Topless Day" to draw attention to inequality in topless rights between men and women. There were topless men in the park, too, but nobody paid them much attention, a disparity, organizers said, that demonstrated the need for the event. I'm a bit biased what with being a guy and all, but I'm not surprised. Think about it. Have you ever seen a set of man breasts and thought to yourself, "Grrr, baby, grrr."? Yeah, I thought not. "We say there is nothing wrong with the female nipple," an organizer of the event, told the crowd that quickly formed around her in Manhattan's Bryant Park. Amen to that. References to "nip slips" and "wardrobe malfunctions" cheapen a beautiful, beautiful thing...two things actually. It is legal for women to go topless in public in New York City but laws vary widely across the United States. Similar protests were scheduled in about 30 U.S. cities and 10 around the world.

What Caught My Eye Today - Cycling, Texas, New Hampshire, Air Travel

Cycling - The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency erased 14 years of Lance Armstrong's career, including his record seven Tour de France titles, and banned him for life from the sport that made him a hero to millions of cancer survivors after concluding he used banned substances. Seeing as Armstrong retired from competition in 2011, I'm not sure this will sting as much as being stripped of all of his titles. USADA said it expected cycling's governing body to take similar action, but the International Cycling Union was measured in its response, saying it first wanted a full explanation on why Armstrong should relinquish Tour titles he won from 1999 through 2005. Armstrong said that he would no longer challenge USADA and declined to exercise his last option by entering arbitration. He denied again that he ever took banned substances in his career, calling USADA's investigation a "witch hunt" without a shred of physical evidence. There was a quote from Armstrong's former manager Johan Brunyeel that said Armstrong never backed away from a fair fight, but one cannot help but wonder if Armstrong had truth on his side, how is it that this became such an unfair fight in the first place. The other aspect of this story that I just cannot wrap my head around is this turf war between the USADA and cycling's governing body (UCI). You would think that the UCI would have a much more evested interest in dealing with Armstrong than the USADA, yet it's investigations concluded with no finding of guilt on Armstrong's part. It's sort of hard to believe that the USADA had a personal vendetta against Armstrong that led to it rigorous pursuit of Armstrong. But knows. One thing that is beyond dispute is the $500 million that the Livestrong Foundation has raised for cancer research and the tremendous support Armstong has given to cancer patients and survivors all the world over.

Texas - As if the negative political ads aren't enough, now a county judge in Lubbock, Texas, predicts possible "civil war" if President Obama is re-elected. How telling is it that stories like this don't even surprise me anymore? The judge was on a local TV news show making his case for a tax increase, when he said hiring extra sheriff's deputies would especially be needed if Obama wins in November. "He's going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N., and what is going to happen when that happens? I'm thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we're not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we're talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy. Now what's going to happen if we do that, if the public decides to do that? He's going to send in U.N. troops. I don't want 'em in Lubbock County. OK. So I'm going to stand in front of their armored personnel carrier and say 'you're not coming in here'." Wow. This dude total live on a different plane of existence than the rest of us. Do us all a favor, will you? Stay there. Later, the judge said his original comments were taken out of context. But as the county's emergency management director, he said he has to keep a "worst case scenario" in mind if Obama returns to the White House and Democrats control the Senate. Yes, yes. By all means. Lock up the women and children. The Democrats are coming! The Democrats are coming! Honestly, is civilized discourse completed dead in this country?

New Hampshire - A Republican candidate for sherriff of Hillsborough County in New Hampshire backed down from a suggestion he would use "deadly force" to stop doctors from performing abortions, saying he "let his imagination get out of control." Do you think? The heated rhetoric came at a time when the Republican Party is already dealing with fallout from comments by Todd Akin, candidate for the U.S. Senate from Missouri, suggesting that women rarely get pregnant from "legitimate" rape. I love this last part. The candidate has made it clear in earlier campaign releases that he "decidedly" does not have law enforcement or legal experience. In the past he owned and operated a limousine service. Who needs actual job experience when you can rely on outrageous hyperbole and have just a good of a chance (perhaps even better) of getting yourself elected to public office. It's almost enough to make one feel ashamed to be part of such an electorate.

Air Travel - A Frenchwoman endured an 18-hour journey from the Pakistani city of Lahore to Paris and back again after sleeping through her plane's stop in the French capital. Good for her. As for me, I can never get comfortable enough to catch even the shortest of naps on a flight of any length. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are investigating how ground crew failed to notice the woman during the plane's two-hour stopover at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Forget about the ground crew, what about the freaking flight crew on the original flight or the one on the return flight. One has to believe that making sure getting all the passengers off the plane is listed on a checklist somewhere. The woman left Lahore to fly to Paris via Milan, but did not wake up to get off the plane. The woman did not mention her mistake to cabin crew and the matter only came to light when she was stopped by immigration officials on arrival back in Lahore. An airline spokesperson said PIA were investigating the incident and the French subcontractor responsible for passenger handling in Paris. "We have put questions to this French firm also about the incident but it is also the responsibility of the passenger to check about the destination and disembark when the plane arrives at the particular airport." Yeah, yeah. Blame the passenger. Seriously, no one noticed this broad was still on the plane?

What Caught My Eye Today - Mitt Romney's plan for healthcare

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context. To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content is from the candidates themselves.

Third in our series, Mitt Romney's plan for health care.

Health care is more than just one-sixth of the American economy. It is an essential source of well-being for individuals and families.

The United States health care system is blessed with many extraordinary strengths. It produces and attracts the best and the brightest across all fields of medicine, and provides unparalleled innovation, choice, and quality of care. But it also faces significant challenges: high cost, inefficiency, inconsistency, and tens of millions of Americans lacking insurance coverage. On his first day in office, Mitt Romney will issue an executive order that paves the way for the federal government to issue Obamacare waivers to all fifty states. He will then work with Congress to repeal the full legislation as quickly as possible. In place of Obamacare, Mitt will pursue policies that give each state the power to craft a health care reform plan that is best for its own citizens. The federal government’s role will be to help markets work by creating a level playing field for competition.

Mitt will begin by returning states to their proper place in charge of regulating local insurance markets and caring for the poor, uninsured, and chronically ill. Certainly not the most far-fetched proposal to come out of the Romney campaign, but here's the thing, if the states were as efficient as Romney's suggests, why does so much of the health care system reside at the federal level? This has been the case long before Obamacare got enacted. States will have both the incentive and the flexibility to experiment, learn from one another, and craft the approaches best suited to their own citizens. I think it is a bit unrealistic (and a lot unfair) to expect states to get health care right the first time around. However, do we really want to entrust our health care to "trial and error" in hopes that our state governments will eventually figure things out. Admittedly, I'm skeptical, but then again I live in California, the poster child for dysfunctional government. Proposed initiatives include:

• Block grant Medicaid and other payments to states
  To be honest, I don't actually know what this means, so the only comment I can make here is, "Say what?"
• Limit federal standards and requirements on both private insurance and Medicaid coverage
  Here's how I see this playing out. Fewer standards leads to more loopholes. More loopholes leads to more exceptions. More exceptions leads to higher costs and more inefficiencies. So how will this make things better?
• Ensure flexibility to help the uninsured, including public-private partnerships, exchanges, and subsidies
  I hate to be a killjoy, but what makes Romney think that more flexibility will lead to more altruistic behavior on the part of insurance companies and health care providers?
• Ensure flexibility to help the chronically ill, including high-risk pools, reinsurance, and risk adjustment
  I guess my faith in the charitable nature of for-profit corporations (who, by the way, have to answer to shareholders) is not as strong as Romney's is.
• Offer innovation grants to explore non-litigation alternatives to dispute resolution
  Oh yeah, those will work.

Competition drives improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, offering consumers higher quality goods and services at lower cost. It can have the same effect in the health care system, if given the chance to work. Proposed initiatives include:

• Cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits
  Given that this is standard boilerplate text in any Republican platform issue, I'd be surprised if this wasn't part of Romney's plan.
• Empower individuals and small businesses to form purchasing pools
  Maybe it's just me, but this sounds rather similar to provisions in Obamacare.
• Prevent discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage
  This one, I absolutely know is part of Obamacare.
• Facilitate IT interoperability
  On one hand, since I work in the IT industry, thanks for the job security, Mr. Romney. On the other, as someone who advocates for smaller government, I find it curious how Romney plans to facilitate IT interoperability without imposing some sort of federal standard.

For markets to work, consumers must have the information and the power to make decisions about their own care. Placing the patient at the center of the process will drive quality up and cost down while ensuring that services are designed to provide what Americans actually want. Proposed initiatives include:

• End tax discrimination against the individual purchase of insurance
  Odd. I didn't know there was any tax discrimination.
• Allow consumers to purchase insurance across state lines
  How is this different from Obamacare?
• Unshackle HSAs by allowing funds to be used for insurance premiums
  Isn't this sort of akin to robbing Peter to pay Paul. The whole idea behind Health Savings Accounts is that individuals covered by high-deductible health plans can receive tax-preferred treatment of money saved for medical expenses. How does diverting money from for actual expenses to insurance premiums do anything to reduce health care costs?
• Promote "co-insurance" products
  I hate to be repetitive, but "Say what?"
• Promote alternatives to "fee for service"
  Whenever I read an grandiose statement like this without and substance to back it up with even a single example, I tend to believe, that the person making the statement doesn't really have a plan and is just playing off a nice sounding sound bite.
• Encourage "Consumer Reports"-type ratings of alternative insurance plans
  And this is going to help in what way? I've read plenty of "Consumer Reports"-type ratings on banks, airlines, you name it. If I took those ratings at face value, I'd never have another credit card or get on another airplane.

So there you have it. But don't take my word for it, form your own opinion's on the Romney health care plan. Here's where you need to go (click here). Next time we'll see how Barack Obama's health care plan measures up.

What Caught My Eye Today - Olympics, Air Travel, Congress, Town Names

Olympics - Some unfinished business from the recently completed Summer Games in London. Who got the most booty? Approximately 10,500 athletes participated in 302 events in 26 sports. Of the 204 nations (or to be precise, National Olympic Committees) participating, 85 received at least one medal; 54 won at least one gold medal. Bahrain, Botswana, Cyprus, Gabon, Grenada (a gold medal), Guatemala, and Montenegro won their first Olympic medals. Yup, goose eggs again for Bangladesh. The top five nations in medal count were:

1. United States - 104 (G: 46; S: 29; B: 29)
2. China - 88 (G: 38; S: 27; B: 23
3. Russia - 82 (G: 24; S: 26; B: 32)
4. Great Britain - 65 (G: 29; S: 17; B: 19)
   That be what you call home field advantage. This is Great Britain's second highest medal tally ever, trailing only the 146 medals it won at the 1908 Games, which coincidentally was the first time London hosted the games.
5. Germany - 44 (G: 11; S: 19; B: 14)

See you all in Sochi, Russia in February 2014.

Air Travel - Another slightly dated story, but way too amusing to pass up. An emergency layover in Syria's capital was bad enough. Then passengers on the Air France flight were asked to open their wallets to check if they had enough cash to pay for more fuel. Seriously, who could make this up? The plane, heading from Paris to Lebanon's capital, diverted amid tensions near the Beirut airport . Low on fuel, it instead landed in Damascus, the capital of neighboring Syria, where a civil war is raging. Last time I checked, Israel was in the same neighborhood, but maybe the French pissed those guys off too. An Air France spokesperson explained that the crew inquired about passenger cash only as a "precautionary measure" because of the "very unusual circumstances." I read in a separate story, that the flight attendants got enough donations from the fine folks in first class. Good thing too. I'm not sure the poor bastards in steerage would have reacted very well to yet another hidden fee. Sanctions against Syria complicated payment for extra fuel. The spokesperson went on to say Air France found a way to pay for the fill-up without tapping customer pockets — and apologized for the inconvenience. Let me guess, free upgrade coupons for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family next time he goes on vacation (subject to blackout dates and UN travel sanctions).

Congress - As much as it pains me to say this, it appears the dumb ass comment of the year will not be awarded to Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachman thanks to the distinguished gentleman from the great state of Missouri, Republican Representative Todd Akin. It seems the Congressman knows more about the female anatomy than the rest of us. In an effort to explain his stance on abortion, Representative Todd Akin, the Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, provoked ire across the political spectrum on Sunday by saying that in instances of what he called "legitimate rape," women’s bodies somehow blocked an unwanted pregnancy. "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare," Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. "If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child." Let's take this from the beginning shall we? First, can we get a clarification on the difference between "legitimate rape" and the illegitimate kind. Sorry, but I'm unfamiliar with the distinction between the two. Second, dude what doctors have you been talking to? You should really, really look into getting yourself a new physician. Third, and I mean this sincerely, you know that when you say stuff like this out loud there is the possibility that someone will hear you, right? In related news, there were reports out of Washington that the entire Democratic leadership was heard breathing a huge sign of relief that incumbent Democrat, Claire McCaskill might actually be able to hold onto her Senate seat, especially if Akin does not bow out of the Senate race.

Town Names - No redeeming quality whatsoever in this last item except perhaps that most of you can thank your lucky stars that you don't reside in one of these places. A recent poll of respondents in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa has crowned Toad Suck, Arkansas, as having the "most unfortunate" town name in the United States. Toad Suck reportedly takes its name from a once popular drinking location for boaters on the Arkansas River. The town's website explains, "While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: 'They suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads.' Hence, the name Toad Suck." I don't want to get off on a tangent here, but maybe the townsfolk of Toad Suck might want to consider getting their drinking water tested. The top 10 "unfortunate" town names are: 1. Toad Suck, AR; 2. Climax, GA, 3. Boring, OR, 4. Hooker, OK, 5. Assawoman, MD, 6. Belchertown, MA, 7. Roachtown, IL, 8. Loveladies, NJ, 9. Squabbletown, CA, 10. Monkey's Eyebrow, KY. For my money, Assawoman is #1.

Did You Know? #5

Which city has been rejected the most times by the International Olympic Committee to host an Olympic games?

Detroit, Michigan has been had its bid rejected 7 times (1944, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972).

Other cities that have been rejected multiple times include: Budapest, Hungary (5 times: 1916, 1920, 1936, 1944, 1960); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5 times: 1920, 1948, 1952, 1956, 2016); Istanbul, Turkey (4 times: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012); Madrid, Spain (3 times: 1972, 2012, 2016); Buenos Aires, Argentina (3 times: 1956, 1968, 2004); Brussels, Belgium (3 times: 1916, 1960, 1964); Havana, Cuba (3 times: 1920, 2008, 2012); Lausanne, Switzerland (3 times: 1944, 1948, 1960); Minneapolis, Minnesota (3 times: 1948, 1952, 1956). Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo,

Japan are finalists for the 2020 Summer Games to be awarded in September 2013. Tokyo has previously hosted the 1964 Summer Games.

What Caught My Eye Today - Syria, India, Antarctica, Olympics

Syria - President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government. Is it just me, or does this secret order not seem so secret. The fact that I read this in Featured Headlines on Yahoo News suggests otherwise. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding," broadly permits the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad. Precisely when Obama signed the secret intelligence authorization, an action not previously reported, could not be determined. Maybe that's the secret part! A White House spokesman declined comment. Sure, now they are tight-lipped. A little late for that, don't you think, Sparky?

India - Busy week for the Asian sub-continent. India plans to launch a mission to Mars next year, putting an orbital probe around the red planet to study its climate and geology. The mission would mark another step in India's ambitious space program, which envisages the Asian giant's first manned mission in 2016. One can only assume that the timing of this auspicious undertaking coming two days after a power outage leaving 700 million citizens without electricity is completely coincidental. The estimated cost of the mission is between 4 and 5 billion rupees ($70 - $90 million dollars). India began its space program in 1963 and has developed its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on overseas agencies. In September, 2009, India's Chandrayaan-1 satellite discovered water on the moon, boosting the country's credibility among established space-faring nations. But the program suffered a major setback in December 2010 when a satellite launch vehicle blew up and fell into the Bay of Bengal after veering from its intended flight path. Yeah, complete system failure does tend to bring that celebratory mood back down to earth.

Antarctica - Not a lot to say here; it's just you don't see the frozen continent making it into the headlines very often. Drilling of the seabed off Antarctica has revealed that a rain forest grew on the frozen continent 52 million years ago. Sediment cores drilled from the ocean floor off Antarctica's east coast revealed fossil pollens that had come from a "near-tropical" forest covering the continent in the Eocene period, 34-56 million years ago. analysis of temperature-sensitive molecules in the cores had showed it was "very warm" 52 million years ago, measuring about 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were thought to be the major driver of the heat and ice-free conditions on Antarctica, with CO2 estimates of anywhere between 990 to "a couple of thousand" parts per million. CO2 is presently estimated at about 395ppm. The ice on east Antarctica is thought to have formed about 34 million years ago. It has been suggested that there would be major impacts to global temperatures were the ice to recede, because it is an integral cooling mechanism for the planet, regulating the temperature by reflecting the sun's energy into space. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I wonder if I should trade my timeshare in Hawaii for some nice beachfront property on the South Pole? You know, before prices start to go up.

Olympics - When Olympic medalists return to the United States, they're in high demand. They'll also draw some unwanted interest from everyone's favorite bureaucrats: the IRS. Medalists will have to pay hefty taxes for standing on the podium in London. It's not the value of the medal itself that will require a separate line on this years tax returns, it's the tax on the prize money that comes with a gold, silver or bronze. See this is why no one likes the tax man. The United States Olympic Committee rewards Olympic medalists with honorariums. A gold medal brings $25,000. Silver medals get you $15,000. And a bronze is worth $10,000 which translate to tax bills of $8,986, $5,385 and $3,500 respectively. Rumor has it that there is bi-partisan support in Congress to pass a tax exemption law for medal winners. Of course, they're going to have to find a way to fund this tax break, so I won't be holding my breath on this one.

Olympics - Six days into competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, medals have been awarded for 89 of 302 events. For the first time, The United States tops the medal table in both total medals and gold with 37, 18 of which are gold. Japan (19), Germany (17) and Russia (17) round out the top 5. Host nation, Great Britain is starting to hit its stride with 15 medals, good enough for 7th on the medal table. In the run for the gold, the United States and China have a sizable lead over South Korea with 7 golds (8th in total medals), France with 6 (6th overall) and Great Britain with 5. Out of the 209 nations compete in the Games, 49 have been awarded at least one medal. Alas, poor Bangladesh is not one of them.

What Caught My Eye Today - Barack Obama, India, Postal Service, Olympics

India - Grids supplying electricity to half of India's 1.2 billion people collapsed on Tuesday, in the second major blackout in as many days. More than a dozen states with a population of 670 million people were without power. Revised estimates put the number at closer to 700 million which, for those of you who like context, is the same as the entire population of the United States, twice; or if you prefer a more global perspective, 10% of the world population. Either way...damn, that's a lot of people. The outage was the worst to hit India in more than a decade and embarrassed the government, which has failed to build up enough power capacity to meet soaring demand. India's Power Minister blamed the system collapse on some states drawing more than their share of electricity from the over-burdened grid. India's electricity distribution and transmission is mostly state run, with private companies operating in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Less than a quarter of generation is private nationwide. Although I don't mention it here, it seems India relies upon the honor system to ensure that there is enough energy to go around. No doubt a noble idea. Then again, so is world peace. More than half the country's electricity is generated by coal, with hydro power and nuclear also contributing. Power shortages and a creaky road and rail network have weighed heavily on the Asia's third-largest economy's efforts to industrialize. Grappling with the slowest economic growth in nine years, the government recently scaled back a target to pump $1 trillion into infrastructure over the next five years. Yeah, these guys can't catch much of a break at the Olympics either. The world's second most populous nation has managed just one medal so far, a bronze in Shooting. Still that one more than our hapless Bangladeshi friends have managed. More on the Olympics in a moment.

Barack Obama - A study from Ancestry.com has determined that President Obama is related to John Punch, the first black African enslaved for life in America--which would make Punch the 11th great-grandfather of Obama. I'm telling you, this guy's family tree must look more like a tropical forest than a tree. The connection is made through Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunhan. Punch tried to escape indentured servitude in colonial Virginia in 1640 and was punished by becoming enslaved for life. Records show that Punch had children with a white woman, and her status as free was passed on to her offspring. Punch's descendants became successful landowners in the slave-owning state of Virginia. This would mean that the first documented slave and the first African American president have a shared lineage. Anyone want to place bets on whether or not someone (paging Michele Bachmann) tries to draw the conclusion that Obama's root can be traced by to slave owners? Ironic, wouldn't you say? Genealogists seem to be fascinated with the current president's family tree: The site has also traced an Irish branch of Obama's family. And researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society claim he is the distant cousin of movie star Brad Pitt and six past presidents, including George W. Bush. In all fairness, what else do genealogists have to occupy their time? This sort of thing is pretty much what they do.

Postal Service - Here's an amusing followup to an item I mentioned in my lavish praise of Congress' recent accomplishments. In the 18 months, the 112th Congress has been sworn in, the House has introduced 60 bills to rename post offices. 38 have passed the House and 26 have become law. Not a single bill has come to the House floor aimed at reforming a Postal Service, which is bleeding billions of dollars because of Congressional mandates. Naturally. That would require some actual decision making and, I daresay, compromise. The United States Postal Service just defaulted on a Congressional mandate to pay $5.5 billion to "prefund" health benefits for future retirees, and will miss an additional $5.6 billion payment due on September 30. The Postal Service is trying to pull itself out of a $22.5 billion budget shortfall. Still, the USPS could have it worse; it could be facing a the $1.1 trillion deficit facing the U.S. government. Come to think of it, maybe the Postal Service should look elsewhere for solutions to it's budget crisis. I'm not sure Congress is a beacon of fiscal discipline.

Olympics - Five days into competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, medals have been awarded for 71 of 302 events. The People's Republic of China tops the medal table with 30 medals. 17 of which are gold, which apparently is all that really counts unless, of course, you happen to be one of those 142 athletes who received a silver or bronze medal. The United States is second with 29 medals. Japan (17), France (13) and Germany (13) round out the top 5. However, if you gauge success solely on gold medals, then the top five looks like this: China - 17, United States - 12, South Korea - 6, France - 5, North Korea - 4. Host nation, Great Britain is tied for 8th with 9 medals including 2 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze. For an Olympics remarkably short on controversy (despite the media's fervent attempts to create some), we finally have one, sort of. A scoring controversy in Fencing? No. Sour grapes over the performance of a rather gifted young swimmer? Not so much. Racist remarks on Twitter? Nope. All of these happened, but the controversy I'm referring to comes from the world of badminton. I kid you not. In successive games two opposing women's doubles teams lined up against each other and tried to lose. It appeared they were trying to secure a more favorable draw in knockout play or, in the case of a Chinese team, to avoid playing their fellow countrymen until the finals. Badminton World Federation officials were aghast, even though it isn't uncommon in sports for teams to attempt to manipulate results in pool play to set up the best possible route in a playoff. An elaborate disciplinary machine was churned up, and eventually all eight athletes were thrown out of the competition, which inspired frustration, outrage, finger pointing, and one of the most enduring parts of Olympic competition: nationalistic indignation. The Chinese, to their credit, declined to even appeal. Yeah, they did it. Indonesia did at first, but eventually they sheepishly pulled the argument and conceded the point. That left South Korea in the awkward position of saying that while it appeared they were trying to lose on purpose, the truth is their players were just terrible. I'm going stop now. How in the world could I possibly top this?