While Washington Fiddles, Health Ins. Co.s Gouge Public:

Health insurance premiums are being pushed up at a record pace as the insurance companies strive to make as much money as possible before congress acts to reform the industry. (See The New York Times story.) Small businesses and individuals are being especially hurt by the companies' headlong rush to make as much money off the misery and fears of others in the next quarter as possible.

Never fear, greed is alive and well in the U. S.


On Pigs and People:

Pigs have a lot in common with people. They eat the same food, they get the same diseases, they live close by. And we eat lots of them. The meat is cheap and easy to produce. You can bring a pig to market in six months, and you can raise him in a barn where he never sees the light of day or comes in contact with most of nature. And they're ugly, smelly, and noisy, so most people don't care.

So what does this all add up to? A breeding ground for one of humanities most common fellow travelers—the flu. (See The Washington Post story.)