A photo from a cat fashion show: [link]

What a lovely outfit!

Elections with their non-specific slogans always make me think about what real solutions might look like.

Social Security - fix with raising cap on payroll tax coupled with small reduction in benefits.

Medicare - This will suck, but more HMO-like managed care. Allow government to negotiate drug prices. Make sure that people who don't want extraordinary end of life measures don't get it them. Reinsurance for medical malpractice insurers to help mitigate costs. This really would require more research it's a tough, tough issue.

Medicaid - Similar measures to Medicare. Again, very tough.

I think single payer would help too since everyone would be in one pool. Good for small businesses as well since it would take employers out of the health insurance racket.

Defense spending - start winding down spending to perhaps 70% of current (in adjusted dollars). It's not super high right now compared to GDP, but gotta find places to cut.

Education - reduce federal role in education to reduce spending. Sucks.

Taxes - Target deductions to eliminate. Increase top bracket a little, add new top bracket with even higher rate at 1 million (good psychological place to do it).

Infrastructure - reclassify internet service as communications instead of content provider to enhance competition and let the private sector create better electronic communication. Spend some money on energy infrastructure to allow better transmission of electricity so renewable-rich areas can provide power to larger regions. Invest in nuclear or perhaps clean coal (I'm dubious of that) for baseline power. Prepare for a post-fossil fuel world.

Science - Fund a few big projects to place the U.S. back in a leadership role. Some of these projects are expensive (not so much relative to federal budget though), but bringing those brains here is a good thing. Having the LHC and ITER in Europe is a travesty for U.S. science.

Not sure this would do it in terms of the deficit and a lot of it sucks. But I like to think about these things after hearing so many platitudes (we'll cut taxes and balance the budget, Washington needs to stop spending, Washington needs to get back in touch, etc...)

Well, this should be fun:

The GOP plans to hold high profile hearings examining the alleged "scientific fraud" behind global warming, a sleeper issue in this election that motivated the base quite a bit.

What Now? An Epic Election Meets the Future

I've pretty given up on the idea that anything will be done about climate change. It's just nuts here. I think there are 4 climate scientists with peer-reviewed articles who dispute human-caused climate change, not 4%, 4. They are assuming that the essentially every climate scientist and many governments are all in on a world-wide conspiracy. Crazy. Nonetheless, there's nothing that can be done to stop it, the fight is over.

I'm pleased I'm now close personal friends with a governor! I should call him today!

I was in a grocery store that caught fire, dropped my stuff on the conveyor belt, and went straight to the pub across the street to camp out on the patio and watch it burn.

We had a tsunami alert once while dining on the beach in Malibu. We decided there wouldn't be enough time to get out of the danger area, so we just kept eating, knowing we'd have the best wave view ever.

Also, one of the most final.

If he invites you for a cocktail party, I would politely decline.

I've pretty given up on the idea that anything will be done about climate change.

Yeah, ITA.

Still, how much you wanna bet that when global warming becomes completely obvious to everyone, Limbaugh, Palin et al will blame global warming on Obama and Clinton. And maybe Carter and Johnson.

I'm pleased I'm now close personal friends with a governor! I should call him today!

The important thing is that you're the prettiest person in that picture.

Luckily, the internets haz the cure for post-election blahs....

17 photos that prove cats and tech don't mix