So much has been written and debated about health care over the last few days that it’s hard to think straight. Here are ten snippets from columnists, doctors, editorial pages, bloggers, politicians, and everyday people that make important points—ones that very well might get overlooked while the political battle rages on.
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Are You Going to Eat That? Probably Not
About 25 percent of the food you bring into your house is never actually eaten, says Wasted Food blogger Jonathan Bloom, via the Star Tribune. Americans throw out $100 billion worth of food annually, according to one conservative estimate. Next time you’re shopping ask yourself honestly, “Are you going to eat that?” If not, put it back, …
It’s a Deal: Half-Price L.L. Bean Bags
Totes, messenger bags, backpacks, and shoulder bags from L.L. Bean sale section, most for half off the original price.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Joe Louis
“I don’t like money actually, but it quiets my nerves.”
Q&A with The Lottery Wars author Matthew Sweeney
It seems odd that any U.S. state would actively encourage its citizens to gamble, especially during hard economic times. But that’s exactly what the vast majority of states do via lotteries. Firms on state payrolls are constantly devising new ways to bring in more players and more money, including high-stakes scratch-off games ($50 to …
The Secret to Getting Out of Debt? Just Ask
Credit card delinquencies are on the rise, climbing 11 percent in the first quarter of 2009. And all signs indicate that the number of delinquencies is expected to grow into 2010, perhaps even 2011. But now, creditors are trying to get whatever they can out of delinquent accounts. Rather than trying to squeeze water out of sand—i.e., …
More Recession Porn, via the Art Auction World
Another sad tale of recession porn, via the Economist: Art collectors just aren’t speculating like they used to, and fine art auction houses in New York, London, and beyond are suffering. One curator’s sale, which fetched $144.5 million last June, is only expected to bring in around $65 million this year. How are people going to survive?
A Summer Tradition: Steep Rise in Gas Prices
Ah, summer. You know what to expect, and most of it is quite wonderful. Barbecues, swimming, baseball, fireworks, no school, and … an explosion of gas prices?
Bulk Buying Power: Teaming Up Online for Deals
There is power in numbers. A number of new websites are helping consumers meet up and combine their purchasing strength when dealing with retailers, who are happy to unload the goods at big discounts—so long as the goods are being unloaded in large quantities.
It’s a Deal: Free Coffee at Borders
Just print out a coupon at the Borders website and bring it in to a store for a free 12 oz. Seattle’s Best coffee. No purchase required, good through June 18.
More Stuff Your Grandparents Would Never Pay For
Another list of things your hard-working, unspoiled ancestors never would have dropped a dime on—and that you therefore can go without. Today, the Grandparents Rule, home edition.
Recession Porn? Guess I’m a Thrifty Larry Flynt
Fishermen have fish porn. Snowmobilers can’t get enough of sled porn. There’s food porn, ski porn, and plain old porn porn (no link provided—get your own, perv). And now that the newspaper of record has used the phrase, we officially have recession porn. So what’s the fascination with how the recession is impacting rich, poor, and …