Healthcare | The Henry Ford of Heart Surgery | WSJ

Politicians bicker. Bloggers rant. Talk radio pundits scream. Seniors protest. Uninsured agonize. While we all swirl but do little about getting the cost of healthcare down, here's an article about a success story. It will be a pity if we have to offshore healthcare in order to manage the costs. Everyone here loves their little piece of waste in the healthcare system ... be it insurers, lawyers, doctors, hospitals, pharma or patients.

Time | No Time to Read This? Read This | WSJ

Time management techniques reviewed here. I'm intrigued with David Allen's GTD but not sure I'm willing to invest the time (no pun intended). The Pomodoro Technique is intriguing ... may give that a try. For me, a written to-do list and careful management of e-mail makes a big difference. Also, just get it done, stop over-analyzing it.

Money | Dow Priced in Gold | Kedrosky

Money | Who's Filing for Bankruptcy | Fancystats

not who you might think ... check out this graphic

War | No More Trouble | YouTube

Games | Ball | Dogpaddler

This little challenge will drive you crazy.

Money | Return To The Giant Pool of Money | NPR

A year ago this last September was the big crunch ... no one is sure if we're out of the slump, if we're in a jobless recovery or if we're headed for doom. Whatever the future holds, the past is a heckuva lot clear. Here's a radio show that will help you understand part of how we drove the bus off the cliff.

Money | Smarts Schmartz | NYT

Smart guys ... the downfall of Wall Street? Read on. Hmm, seems to reinforce an earlier article I read in Wired. We gotta get those guys from MIT, Stanford and Caltech back into the labs where they can merely blow-up the world, not crater the markets.

Cities | Most Desirable | Harris Poll

most desirable cities ... would be interesting to understand better the basis on which those polled chose their preference ... i'd guess that cost of living was not high on the list (with nyc and sf being in the top five) and mild climate must not have been a must-have.

Money | Dow Nominal and Inflation Adjusted | www.crossingwallstreet.com

An interesting graphic on nominal and inflation-adjusted Dow trends ...

they're checking their list

Have you bought yours this year?

Telecom | Free 411 Service | Google

This is the best free 411 service I've tried. Avoid those nasty 411 charges from your phone company and use this service instead

Cars | Brand Game | CramerSweeney

Know your cars? Test yourself here.

Work | How's Your Cube | Lifehacker

Find your dream or nightmare workspace here. I'm leaning towards the multiple-monitor workspace with minimal paper clutter ... and appreciate the creative decor of some of the featured shops.

Work | Job Distribution Graphic | Job Voyager

Interesting graphic showing the transition of the workforce in the US

Money | Social Security Strategies | Various

It's your money, you might as well work to optimize it. Here are two discussions on maximizing your Social Security benefits. One from AARP and one from Scott Burns. The AARP article was particularly helpful, in my view.

Weather | Spin vs Zap | NWS

This picture has also been distributed as a photoshopped version adding an oil rig and a caption indicating that it was taken in Texas. Turns-out that the image was from Florida ... lightning capital ... and without the rig. Dramatic enough stuff, I'd say. Would definitely rethink my exit plan after seeing the funnel illuminated by the bolt.

Humor | Ingenuity | TIFI

Ingenious or incomprehensible? Some great use of duct tape and bailing wire here. Not for the code-compliant.

Vacation Planner

Not exactly a staycation brochure ... not sure which one freaks me out more ... the hike to the temple or the shelf bike ride.

Demographics | Boomer Migration | ERS

It's worked pretty well before ... as the boomers go, so goes the money. Interesting research paper on boomer migration to rural areas and small towns ... a potential change in the landscape?

Attitude | Smile & Move (tm) | GiveMore

Politics | Noonan on Palin | WSJ

Love her or hate her ... there's no middle ground with Sarah Palin. Here's Peggy Noonan's (WSJ editorial writer) take on Sarah Palin.

Money | Home Prices | Aspen Daily News

Ready for a dose of unreality? Here's a recent article about home prices in Pitkin County, Colorado ... and of one modest SFR. Comparables? Of a 56K SF home? Oh, yeah!

History | The Fog of War | Google/Sony

KC Thunder, El Gato de Guadalupe

work | where the supply/demand is favorable | wanted

interesting tool to look at supply/demand ratios by location in various occupations ....

music | african thunderstorm + | kim komando

looking for something a bit different ... a well-known tune with a twist?

Health | Healthcare & Ageing Populations | Economist

Another viewpoint on healthcare challenges faced by the US and other developed nations. Do we have the mental toughness to tackle some of the tough decisions that need to be made?

Work | Go West, Young Worker | Slate

The new gold rush ... or maybe I should say the new green rush?

Money | Social Security Strategies | CRR BC

More than one way to finesse social security benefits ... here's the link to a pdf for a summary of some strategies of which you may not be aware. The Boston College Center for Retirement Research has numerous articles, some more academically-oriented than others, available at their home page.