Tuesday link-dump

Man, I have a lot of interesting tabs open, and just no time, what with all the summery comings and goings and novel baby traveling. Anyway, here are a smattering from the last week or two -- maybe they'll create order all on their own! Apologies that I can't remember where I first heard of any of these...

• Taunter unscrambles the misleading statistics given by insurers to make it seem like they don't just drop people for having the temerity to get sick. That's about exactly what they do!

  If, as I suspect, rescission is targeted toward the truly bankrupting cases – the top 1%, the folks with over $35,000 of annual claims who could never be profitable for the carrier – then the probability of having your policy torn up given a massively expensive condition is pushing 50%. One in two. You have three times better odds playing Russian Roulette.

  (emphasis in original) This might remind you of this story that I blogged a month or so ago. Touching stuff.
  
  
• Robert Reich explains the deal with the Devil that the Obama administration has made to get the pharmaceutical companies to support his health reform agenda -- basically promising never to negotiate lower drug prices for public insurance customers. Because why should the populace benefit? Sigh.
  
  
• What could make the average citizen more chipper about this year's bank bailout than to learn that numerous banks paid out more in bonuses than their entire net income

  Why did this happen? Because, according to Cuomo, when times were good the bankers rewarded themselves based on performance. When the economy started to sour — they decoupled the bonus structure from reality and kept rewarding themselves.

  That's right, folks! from your pocket to some failure-steeped executive! wheeee!
  
  
• The Democratic establishment wants me to support Arlen Specter in next year's primary because he's an old warhorse and likes us now. But it's rather telling that his voting record shifted blue only when he had a threatening primary opponent. Let's just let the process play out, ok?
  
  
• Another reminder that abduction is a distant threat for children, especially when compared with everyday car trips and other risks. Hard to remember that sometimes if you watch a lot of police procedurals...
  
  
• Finally, to end on a bit of an up note, I offer this story of a ducked fight that saved a marriage -- really, it was a bit of a heroic effort to leave ego aside and see the bigger picture over a stretch of time, allowing the troubled party to find his way back. Still, a rare story of when determination can overcome hurt and alienation.