How Verizon Sticks It to Their Cell Customers

If you are a Verizon cell phone customer, you need to read this article by The New York Times tech editor, David Pogue. Verizon has doubled its early contract termination fee to $350, charges $1.99 data download charge every time you accidentally hit the button on your phone that connects you to the Internet (even if you hit "End" within a couple seconds after hitting the connect key), and refuses to shorten its 15-seconds of instructions on how to leave a voice-mail message—time that accumulates against your minutes allocation.

As Pogue concludes, "Why wouldn't it be a hugely profitable move to start pitching yourself as the GOOD cell company, the one that actually LIKES its customers?"

Make Your Own Flu Vaccine

Is Jail in My Future?

I wonder how many Americans realize that the House version of the health care bill (passed by the House on Saturday) criminalizes non-compliance. That is, the penalty for not participating in the government-run health care program, or not paying the penalty for non-participation on your income taxes (2.5 percent of your gross income) is a fine up to $250,000 and/or up to five years in jail.

By choice I don't have health insurance, but I'm about to be forced to or pay a huge penalty on my taxes. If I refuse to pay the penalty I could be fined or go to jail. Time will tell if this provision remains in whatever version of a health care bill is passed. (The Senate took the criminalization clause out of their earlier versions, but the House left it in their bill passed last Saturday.)

Rep. Jeff Sessions (R, Texas) reads the criminalization clause in the House bill in recent debate:

Weekend Pics

No time for commentary—just a few pics from a weekend gathering:

Great News: House Health Bill DOA in the Senate

I hope the news is correct—even though the Pelosi health care bill was passed narrowly by the House on Saturday, it appears not to have the votes needed in the Senate, thanks especially to Independent senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut whose vote the Democrats need. Read here and here.