OpenSecrets.org is a little scary due to the detail of content freely available. However, it’s always true that in politics, the more you know, the better off we all are. Funded by the nonpartisan and independent Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets.org tracks “the influence of money on U.S. politics.” The site is a clearinghouse of information about the money going into political campaigns.

Looking for information on what independent groups known as 527s have raised and spent on the 2008 election? Or how about who’s giving the most? OpenSecrets.org has the info. Want to know who in your area is contributing to which Presidential candidate? OpenSecrets.org has that, too. Want to how much the biggest fundraisers in Conress have in their war chests and from whom? Or who spends the most on travel? See OpenSecrets.org.

http://OpenSecrets.org

"Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that help you feel healthy and energized.” That is just one of the top ten reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables according to FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org, a site whose name just rolls off the tongue. All kidding aside, Fruits..Matters.org, is a wealth of good information.  The site offers tips on meal planning, shopping, understanding food labels, recipes, and even fun activities for the kids.

There’s also a database of fruits, vegetables, and nuts that has helpful information such as choosing the right produce and storing it once you get it home. For example, avocados are actually fruit and should be stored at room temperature in a paper bag until ripe. They’re sodium free, cholesterol free, and low in saturated fat. Strawberries, on the other hand should be stored in the refrigerator, but shouldn’t be washed until they’re ready to be eaten. Although Strawberries won’t last more than a few days in the refrigerator, almonds can last up to a year, if still in the shell.

I should point out that the site is run by a non-profit organization, PBH, comprised of “growers, shippers, packers, merchandisers, commodity boards, trade associations, food industry organizations, health insurers, health professionals, and retailers,” so its mission is a little self-serving. Not that this is a secret, though. I found this information after only a few clicks on the site. Nor should there be any belief that it matters to me a lick. Quite the opposite. I see this as an example of capatalism working. If society puts a value on something, people will find a way to make a profit. Fortunately, with proper growth and fair practices, each will learn that the best way to make profit is to invest improve and improve the field. In short, if society puts value in healthy living, corporations will setup helpful sites like Fruits..Matters.org.  Likewise, if society puts value in vice, corporations will do likewise. For examples, check out the technology behind an online poker site or any of the web cam sites.

It’s because of this underlying truism of capatalism that I bristle whenever I hear a politician talking about taking the profit out of the health care industry. I don’t disagree that health care has become very expensive and that too many people are left without adequate coverage, but the only thing removing the profit is going to do is cheapen the care. Along with the money our nation spends on health care comes the expectation of excellent, professional care. And in order to obtain this excellent, professional care we need to rely on the best and brightest to provide that care and constantly improve the field. If we were to, in fact, remove profit from this system, how are we to expect the best and brightest to go through the years of schooling, training, non-stop certifications, long hours, and often thankless work necessary if providing health care is tantamount to a philanthropic effort? It seems to me that we’d want to do the exact opposite.

Already we’ve reached a point where children don’t want to be doctors when they grow up - they want to be famous. Because we put such value on fame we’ve created a system where fame is traded like a commodity to be bought and sold. Where millions are made and spent on improving the technologies behind capturing a long-distance photo of a celeb bringing their clothes in to be dry cleaned. Where people are made famous for simply being famous, a la Paris Hilton, and they earn fortunes for it. They certainly earn much more than your General Practitioner who is probably still paying back his student loans.

No, if you want health care to improve, you need to put controlled money into the system. You make infrastructure changes. You streamline. You organize. You invest and improve. You find new ways to provide better care. You further science and improve the technology so that problems can be detected and diagnosed earlier. You attract the best and the brightest and you reward them for their efforts. If you put more value into health care, people will find ways to improve it. It’s in their own self-interest to do so.

"You won’t learn much about capitalism at a university. How could you? Capitalism is a matter of risks and rewards, and a tenured professor doesn’t have much to do with either.”
Jerry Pournelle

Maggie and I have experienced the advantages and the pitfalls of subscribing to magazines over the internet.  A few times I’ve gotten really good deals that included about five or six magazines for cheaper than I’d have paid for one subscription.  It encouraged me to try some that I ended up really liking and some others, well, not so much.  Like Rolling Stone.  I don’t know which offends me more about Rolling Stone magazine, their strong political views or the fact that they have strong political views.

I mean, when I subscribed to Rolling Stone, I expected a magazine about music.  If they had book and movie reviews (which they do), then great, but primarily music.  I definitely didn’t expect it to have so much political content.  During this year’s 40th anniversary celebration, they’ve even dedicated whole issues to politics.  And what a liberal rag it is!  I guess I’m not surprised that a bunch of aging hippies would reminisce about the days of congregating on the Washington Mall, united, chanting slogans like “Make love, not war!” and “Ban the Bomb!” or tripping for days at week-long concerts where they knew they were making a difference, starting a revolution, and were never going to be like their parents.  It’s just not what I paid to read from a music magazine.

Another I also subscribed to, fortunately, did talk about music.  Unfortunately, it went out of print and my subscription had to be transferred to something else.  That’s how I ended up with Entertainment Weekly, fortunately a very good magazine, an easy bathroom read.  That’s also one of the negatives with ordering a bunch of magazine subscriptions at once online.  Some of the offerings don’t last very long and the companies I’ve used don’t have very good customer service.  I could never for certain know what was going on when a subscription would suddenly start or stop.  Worse still, all the mail in our neighborhood gets spread around the block.  It’s a regular occurrence to see the streets filled with people redelivering the mail about twenty minutes after the mail carrier has been through.  I never know if a subscription has ended, been cancelled, or if it’s sitting at a neighbor’s house.  I kid you not, one day two of my magazines were delivered to the fire station!  Joe down the street said he’d drop them by but I never saw them.

It could be worse though.  Maggie subscribed to People and it never even arrived.  The subscriptions start in like 6-8 weeks, so it was months before she realized there was something wrong and called.  It turned out that particular company didn’t offer People any more, so she had to transfer her subscription to another magazine.  All she wanted was People and it was so expensive that she now has like a fourteen year subscription to something she didn’t even want.  I wonder what she’ll get next when that magazine goes under in the next decade.

One magazine, Angels on Earth, came every two months and was a short subscription.  It ended too soon and I would have renewed if I had known but it just stopped showing up without any kind of renewal option.  Angels on Earth details stories from amateur contributors about how they feel blessed or thankful or connected to something bigger.  I’ll have to find it online and subscribe again.

Heroic Stories is a lot like Angels on Earth.  It, too, wants to “make the world a better place” through positive, uplifting stories, but it’s nonsectarian.  Angels on Earth can be a little too religious or literal when it comes to angels.  HeroicStories.com is inspiring in its simplicity.  The stories they share often pertain to our every day lives and offer ways to make a difference without much effort.  A recent story line and related discussion centered around the idea of keeping a few extra, cheap umbrellas in your car to give to a stranger in need.  I know I’ve passed people in the pouring rain and felt like I wanted to help, but stopped short of offering a ride to a stranger in the middle of nowhere.  With a little foresight and thanks to Heroic Stories, I can be ready to at least offer them some comfort.

http://www.HeroicStories.com