"Little House On The Prairie"

Our latest feature article--about Prairie Opportunity and its efforts to reverse population loss in northwest North Dakota, a.k.a. "out-migration"--is a good introduction to what we're all about. Read the story, entitled Little House on the Prairie: Attracting the Modern-Day Ingalls Family and let us know what you think.

Q&A with Congressman Lynn Westmoreland

Late last week Republican Representative Lynn Westmoreland (GA) was interviewed by Steven Colbert on the Colbert Report. Predictably, Colbert asked Westmoreland to recite each of the Ten Commandments. Keep in mind that Westmoreland was responsible for co-sponoring a bill that would have required placing the Ten Commandments in all courthouses and public buildings.

Colbert: What are the Ten Commandments?
Westmoreland: You mean all of them...? Um... Don't murder.... Don't lie.... Don't steal.... Um... I can't name them all.

Westmoreland couldn't even recall, Do not take the Lord's name in vain. Heck, even a heathen could name more than three Commandments.

The rest of the interview was equally embarrassing. I guess this is what happens when a Republican can't rely on the talking points of the day.

Video of the interview can be seen here

Ann Coulter is Representative of America

Today, Ann Coulter was greeted by a throng of cheering supporters at a bookstore in New York—there to sign copies of her latest book-length diatribe. Even if you accept the notion that Coulter makes completely outrageous statements just to get attention and sell books, the fact that she gets a humongous amount of mainstream media exposure (and can attract a crowd of rabid fans at a book signing) says a lot about American society in 2006. Ten or fifteen years ago Coulter would have been considered a part of the lunatic fringe; today she represents the views of a huge percentage of the Republican base.

Of course, her statements regarding the 9-11 widows have attracted the most attention. If you find your opinions aligned with Coulter think about this: Imagine one or more of your family members was killed in the next terrorist attack. How would you feel if a Coulter (or another talking head) garnered fame and fortune by claiming that you were “enjoying” the loss of your loved one(s) a bit too much, and that you had no right to speak your mind. Still feel the same way?

Surgical Vacation? The Rise of Medical Tourism

First it was call centers and software, now medicine. For years, American companies have been outsourcing jobs to places like India and Singapore. Now, thanks to skyrocketing U.S. health care costs, Americans are increasingly traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment - at a fraction of the cost charged by U.S. hospitals. It’s yet another indication of how inefficient the U.S. hospital system is, and how it will soon be forced to adapt to overseas competition.

In the meantime, so-called medical tourism companies like IndUSHealth and Planet Hospital are helping American patients make arrangements to visit hospitals - in countries like India, Thailand, Argentina, Mexico and Belgium - to undergo general and cosmetic surgical procedures. Instead of going on safari one might get a facelift and tummy tuck for $9,995 - airfare, meals and hotel all included. What a deal(!), assuming the operation is a success, of course. In India, for example, medical malpractice laws limit damage awards.

Question: Would you consider undergoing a common surgical procedure in a foreign hospital, say, 8,000 miles from home?

The New York Knicks: How Low Can They Go?

Six weeks ago the New York Knicks’ season came to a merciful end. The 2005-06 team posted a 23-59 record, second-worst in the NBA, in spite of having the league’s highest payroll and $10 million-per-year coach, Larry Brown. Last night the Knicks’ situation got measurably worse when the Chicago Bulls were awarded the second-overall pick in next month’s NBA draft, a pick the Knicks would have owned if general manager Isiah Thomas hadn’t traded it to Chicago to obtain Eddy Curry, who struggled with injuries and conditioning after dealing with an irregular heartbeat. It gets worse. The Bulls also have the option of swapping first-round picks with the Knicks in the 2007 draft, a strong possibility considering that Chicago (41-41 and a playoff team last season) is well-positioned to further improve its roster. Meanwhile, cap-strapped New York will be hard-pressed to maneuver, considering its stable of overpaid, under-performing players.

So far it hasn’t happened, but the Knicks should buy out the last four years on Larry Brown’s contract and force Thomas to coach the mismatched group he has assembled. On the other hand, the Knicks may be hoping that Brown calls it quits on his own, as its unlikely he’ll suffer through a second season with the same group of players he coached last year. Either way, the Knicks will again be a losing team in 2006-07. I guarantee it.

Failing Forward

Welcome to the new blog presence of Failure Magazine. Current events have proven particularly interesting for failuremag.com. Thanks to the Bush Administration virtually every American is talking about failure on a daily basis. Whether it's the war in Iraq, gas prices, Congressional scandals, war profiteering, the health care crisis, or immigration policy (just to name a few), Americans have been living during an unprecedented reign of error. Join the Failure editors and our readers as we comment on the issues of the day. We'll begin posting shortly. In the meantime, feel free to visit failuremag.com to read great stories, our "Failure of the Day," or to send us your comments. Remember, if you're not failing, you're not really trying...