This weekend's reading assignment(s)

Every once in a while, I make you go to work. Just as a little carrot, I'll give you two gimmes to induce you to read up.

First, here's a terrific website that aggregates online shopping discount and coupon codes for a few hundred significant merchants. As in, your junk mail nailed the email, but you still get to save the bucks. Check it out.

Second, another handy little online tool that allows you to zip through and just print the store coupons you're actually needing. Mommy saves big!

Okay, down to business. Get out your little Walgreen's reading glasses, and your big glass of water, and dig in.

First, I'm going to have you read a terrific article in Rolling Stone about how the United States Senate should be fired. All of 'em. They're only interested in giving away the dough to those who give the biggest checks.

Don't believe a word they tell you. And, don't write your Senator, unless you're writing a check.

Mother Jones has been raising hell again, and describing for you how a former Economics professor from Texas A&M wrecked out financial system nearly single handedly, and then is now advising John McCain on how to make it even BETTER. Forget Punxsutawney Phil, this is Phorclosure Phil!

Okay, you'll need some musical support for this next one - cue up the old favorite "Proud to be an American" while you read this one. A Brit, who spent years in Africa providing charity medical services to dirt poor Africans now does more than 60% of his work here in the USofA. Where we have the "best medical system in the world."

Uh-huh. E recently traveled from YVR to SFO, London and Paris. He bought supplemental insurance to cover his medical risk during his trip. They asked him if he was spending more than 48 hours in the US, because if he was, they'd have to charge him more than double.

That's more than double the amount for medical care risk than he'd have had to pay to visit, say, one of the former Soviet stans over near the Black Sea. Yeah.

Is that song over yet?

Finally, a bit of hope that's very cool. A researcher has concluded that a single, universal vaccine for the influenza virus is possible. This could lead to a wide range of viral vaccines, and a reduction of influenza death. Whoo hoo!

Other stuff you'll have to contend with - I'm reading "The Disappearance of the Universe," and it's hot stuff. Also, I'm reading this article from Scientific American that investigates whether time moves forward and/or backward in other realms. My brain blew up earlier when I started it, so I'll report more later.

Trying to drag you kicking and screaming into integrated knowledge...