Thursday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Thursday, August 14, 2025
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18 comments
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About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
Follow Steven on
Twitter and/or
BlueSky.
The Fake news headline of the day- Hurricane warning after wild electric storms continue to batter Florida
The main lesson of Windows 8* is: Don’t radically change the desktop interface to what seems trendy.
Back then it was touchscreens, now it’s voice.
So many comments come to mind:
I sense a disturbance in the Force.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
I have a bad feeling about this.
How could it possibly get any worse?
Warp core breach imminent.
New Coke.
Ford Edsel.
Texla Xybertruck.
Colgate lasagna
*I called it WINDOS: Windows 8 Is Not a Desktop Operating System.
Don’t make me recycle it for Windows 12.
4 out of 5 US troops surveyed understand the duty to disobey illegal orders
There is a lot more in the article. And I have my doubts. The military relies on its lawyers to correctly interpret law. And to convey that law clearly and unequivocally. It also relies on lawyers being honest. I have my doubt about that in the age of Trump.
Welp, it’s official. My health insurer sent out a notice yesterday that they are pulling out of the Wyoming health insurance market. That leaves Blue Cross Blue Shield, and God only knows how high their premiums will be.
@Scott: Here’s an example of the complexity.
National Guard rehearsed show of force against immigration raid protesters, general testifies
On one side:
On the other hand:
What are the troops supposed to do? Debate it? This system all depends on the honesty of leaders. Honesty is in short supply in this country of late.
As the economy turns:
Inflation shock: Core producer prices hit 3-year high in July in ‘head-scratching’ inflation surge
Producer prices in July rose faster than forecast across the board, giving investors and the Federal Reserve an inflation surprise just over a week out from Fed Chair Jay Powell’s crucial Jackson Hole speech.
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for July showed inflation for businesses rose 0.9% over the prior month in July, well ahead of the 0.2% increase that was forecast data from the BLS showed Thursday. On an annual basis, prices rose 3.3%, the most since February
Neo-confederates are on the move in Texas.
Christian nationalist school in Kendall County may be the site of the Lone Star State’s newest city
Midland school board votes to restore school name honoring Confederate general
@Scott:
Honesty and courage, doubly scarce.
@Scott:
What a curriculum. Maybe they’ll actually read the 2nd Amendment.
@Eusebio:
When do they cram in the Bible studies?
@Michael Reynolds: Today’s xkcd made me think of you…
About six weeks ago I saw my primary care doctor for my physical. She ordered some lab tests, and I got a bill for ten dollars for my copay after my insurance. She then wanted some more testing. I got a bill for a huge amount because my medicare and secondary insurance was not available this second time. I have been on the phone and was told that I would get an updated bill in 30-45 days. I was very interested that LabCorp was charging me $306.60 for a vitamin D, 25 hydroxy level. This is a huge amount. I googled lab costs, and Google thinks that the price is $69. The LabCorp’s price on Google is “between $47 and $1389.” Is this crazy? The price is greater than a year’s worth of vitamin D tablets. Why didn’t I get informed about the cost prior to the service? Every store has prices displayed. When I engage services like car repair or house repair, I get a price before I engage them. Medical services are the exception, no price transparency, and I didn’t engage LabCorp myself; my doctor chose them. If we are going to pretend to have a market economy medical system, we should insist on the pricing mechanism of the free market that means the customer knows the price before engaging the service.
@Scott:
Also, the stated excuse for tariffs – out of balance trade deficits – are getting worse, not better.
@Slugger: I had a D-3 lab test done in July. Quest charged Medicare $276.99. Medicare paid $29.60. If you order the test yourself, Quest charges $70.00.
@Jax: Been an ongoing problem in rural Colorado counties. Short of a public option, I don’t know of any way to deal with insurers simply don’t want to take on the hassles of dealing with rural providers.
@Scott:
If that push comes to shove, IMO the deciding factor for enlisted will be whether or not they want to do it.
According to The Guardian, Trump called Jens Stoltenberg today to badger him about getting the Nobel Peace Prize
Remember when Spirit couldn’t get acquired by JetBlue?
They should have taken the first offer Frontier made, because things look bleak for Spirit’s continued existence.
I find it hard to feel any sympathy for the airline. For the employees, yes. But overall I’ve this feeling ultra-low cost outfits have dragged down the service and quality of air travel for years. On the other hand, they’ve made air travel cheaper, thus affording more people the opportunity to travel.
Maybe there’s a shakeup coming. Other low and ultra-low cost airlines in the US are having issues. That’s why Frontier and JetBlue both attempted to merge with Spirit. On the other hand, in Europe they’re doing better.
We’ll see.