Why does nobody ever talk about our national wealth transfer system wherein large chunks of everybody's incomes are handed over to physicians? Can't talk about guaranteeing minimal health care for citizens--that'd be socialism! Instead anyone with an MD is guaranteed an income that is at least triple (often far more) than any community average.

I live in a college town centered on a university medical center and two-doctor couples are our local gentry. But it is the same in the old rivertown down the road, where all the mansions (and Range Rovers and private planes and hobby farms...) are owned by MDs. Sure, there is one rich lawyer for every 10 docs. (That one lawyer really pisses off all the doctors--sharing the wealth isn't a pill they swallow well.) Much as doctors scream about the evils of micromanaging insurance companies, they have no real incentive to push for change. Our current system of doctors-only socialism keeps their hands in everybody else's pockets.

One of the most striking things about this summer's flooding is how inaccurate predicted flood levels and flood plains turned out to be. Most of the damage in Cedar Rapids occurred in areas that had never flooded or even been at risk of it. If you live outside a settled flood plain, you can't even buy flood insurance. While I agree that some of these little rivertowns should just be allowed to wash away, the damage this year to homes and neighborhoods well away from water was not predicted or imaginable.

As long as farmers and developers upriver are allowed to tile and drain fields and watersheds, the rest of us will be at the mercy of whatever washes our way.

Memo to all of you sick-of-the-sarah-story salonistas: I really don't think you do "get it." Salon is one of the few respected media outlets bothering to actually report on what Ms. Palin did--and didn't do--in her short and not-so-illustrious political career up north. And because they are finding lots of troubling information (and regularly exposing a fair amount of disinformation,) every once in awhile a few Salon-mined facts turn up in the national media and become part of a much wider conversation about her, but also about leadership and politics.

If you are sick of reading about Sarah Palin, stop reading about Sarah Palin. But understand that these kinds of stories extend Salon's voice beyond this self-selected liberal universe. By actually reporting stories instead of continually rewording a few select talking points, Salon is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

There is a You Tube moment from this debate--McCain's clear refusal to shake Obama's hand at the end. The camera doesn't lie on that one and you clearly see Obama reaching out, recognizing the snub, and moving on to Cindy. That nasty little nugget says everything about Mr. McCain and deserves to be at the top of every story about his performance in this debate. Why isn't it?