by guest poster David Zetland of Aguanomics Fixing Credit Rating Agencies And now for something completely different… I read yet another story on how the credit rating agencies (Standard and Poors, Moodys, Fitch, et al.) failed at their task of rating credit instruments (bonds, derivatives, etc.) to reflect the risk of those instruments. The credit […]
by cactus Fuel and the Free Market: Why Is Brazil Ahead of the US When it Comes to Cars that Run on Something Other than Gasoline? In the last year or so, before the price of oil dropped, there was a bit of interest in finding ways to reduce our dependence on oil, and on […]
by Tom (STR) Physician Foundation Report 11/18/08The Physicians’ Foundation was founded in 2003 with settlement funds from a major lawsuit against Aetna (long story). Physicians Foundations The PF issued a report this morning after reviewing 12,000 survey responses from practicing physicians. The conclusions about medicine in general and primary care in particular in the U.S. […]
by reader tinman With GM being the bigger of the three bullies vying for our monetary attention what are your guy’s thoughts about what to actually do with GM if it does enter bankruptcy? I’m guessing since it’s even being tossed out there when only 3 months ago (??) Wagoner was insisting bankruptcy was not […]
reader Howard Covitz says: If the U.S. auto industry wants a bailout, let us respond by offering to foot their health care bills. The U.S. auto industry is at a comparative disadvantage to foreign auto companies because they pay for part of employee (including retired employee) health insurance. This dollar figure has grown far faster […]
rdan hat tip vtcodger, who adds “All the focus on cars is on the Big Three whose CEOs will lay out their begging mats in Washington today. But imports aren’t doing so great either.” But these are not ordinary times. (NYT) For now, the port itself is the destination. Unwelcome by dealers and buyers, thousands […]
CNN and many other news services are reporting that: According to the report, Gulf War illness is a “complex of multiple concurrent symptoms” that “typically includes persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems, and other chronic abnormalities.” The illness may also be potentially tied to higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis […]
by rdan Health Care Think Tank points to a note on President-elect Obama’s website concerning electronic record keeping for medical records. The new guy Tom (STR) offers no comment himself. In Boston, the major hospitals came together and mandated an electronic record keeping for the area, and compliance is very broad. It does mean privileges […]
rdan The U.S. Navy says pirates seized a Saudi-owned supertanker loaded with crude hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa. The vessel, which has a 25-member crew, is the largest ever hijacked by bandits. What does one do with such a catch? 1. Hold the crew hostage, similar to a hijacked jet?2. The oil […]
rdan Reader Bear points us to a great essay by Michael Lewis in Condi Naste Portfolio.com: In the two decades since then, I had been waiting for the end of Wall Street. The outrageous bonuses, the slender returns to shareholders, the never-ending scandals, the bursting of the internet bubble, the crisis following the collapse of […]