VIRGINIA POSTREL: First, fix Medicare: “Think about this for a moment. Medicare is a huge, single-payer, government-run program. It ought to provide the perfect environment for experimentation. If more-efficient government management can slash health-care costs by addressing all these problems, why not start with Medicare? Let’s see what ‘better management’ looks like applied to Medicare before we roll it out to the rest of the country.”

ESSENCE OF MAGGOT — to heal your wounds.

“BOYS PULLING KITES were running across a flat expanse of smooth flagstones that plays host to crowds, corpses and executioners.”

SOTOMAYOR AND THE UNMANLY MAN.

DAVID CARRADINE, FOUND DEAD. In Thailand. Here are two video clips of him, as Shane, from 60s television, and as Bill, in the Tarantino movie, talking about Superman. “What Kent wears – the glasses, the business suit – that’s the costume. That’s the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He’s weak… he’s unsure of himself… he’s a coward. Clark Kent is Superman’s critique on the whole human race.”

IN THE MAIL: From Martin Anderson and Annelise Anderson, Reagan’s Secret War: The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World from Nuclear Disaster.

“IT WAS ISLAM… that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation.” Obama in Cairo.

A PANORAMA OF THE BRIDGE from the new Star Trek movie.

20 YEARS TODAY.  Radley Balko has some thoughts on the anniversary of Tiannenmen Square:

George Orwell said, “If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” He’s all too right. Last century, an estimated 262 million people were murdered by their own government . That doesn’t include the hundreds of millions more killed by opposing governments during war.

Today ought to be a day to celebrate and promote human liberty, and to remember the abuses governments have heaped upon their subjects over the centuries.

So go find your own metaphor for the government tank pictured above.

Then put yourself in front of it.

ENJOY THE OHIO COREOPSIS while I relocate — driving 500 miles — to Madison, Wisconsin from my Althouse-alt-house in Cincinnati.

I’ll try to do the bloggerly thing and take an off-ramp to a McDonald’s and get some WiFi along with my cheeseburger. Can’t starve the Instapundit readers. If you’re really hard up for something to read, consider checking out my home blog, Althouse, where the comments are always on, and we’ve got a Michelle Obama/Nancy Reagan photo caption contest, a “café” (AKA open thread) and many other tasty goodies.

KOKO TAYLOR HAS DIED. I used to see her at the late, lamented Ella Guru’s. She was great.

KENNETH ANDERSON ON crony capitalism and the Chrysler bailout.

THE MISSING “A.” Was real, we know for sure, at last.

CAN SOTOMAYOR AVOID answering questions about Ricci?

SONJA SCHMIDT: Michelle Obama, Covergirl.

NORTH KOREA puts two American jouranlists on trial. According to the Washington Post, they face perhaps ten years in a labor camp.

BUTTER!

GAY GROUPS STARTING TO NOTICE that Obama is not about to do anything for them.

“NORTH AMERICAN CONGRESS” AND “MAINLAND CONGRESS,” two terms used by Sonia Sotomayor in her senior thesis at Princeton.

“STUPID CHAIR. Emo kid is throwing slo-mo dove at my face.” Replacing song lyrics with a literal description of what’s happening in the video. “Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl…” If you know the song, before you click the link, I salute you! (Via Metafilter.)

LARD!

OBAMA HASN’T MADE AMERICANS ANY MORE HOPEFUL about Middle East peace. A new Gallup poll shows only 32% think Israelis and Arabs will ever “settle their differences” — negativity that’s about as bad as it’s ever been.

THEY CALLED HER KOKO because, as a girl, she loved chocolate. As a woman, she sang the blues — which she called “a true feeling that comes from the heart, not something that just comes out of my mouth.” Koko Taylor, a heart stilled now, after 80 years.

ALVARO VARGAS LLOSA: How Hugo Chavez ruined my weekend.