Fundamental question: how many times can "hyperlocal" be the new new thing over the span of 15 years?

"But in some ways, an even more eye-opening market test is for a much smaller amount. Microsoft shelled out $115 million to buy Farecast.com, a company that crunches numbers to tell you whether you should buy an airline ticket now or wait until closer to when your flight leaves. I’ve long been a fan of the Farecast predictions (which wonderfully include estimates of their own precision."

Rep. Foxx (NC-5) is not planning on having a town hall meeting, but is planning a teleconference. The reasoning for doing the "town teleconference" (I just made that up) is that it allows more people to be involved in her "sprawling" district. I think the inference of the piece is that Foxx may be trying to avoid the histrionics of other congresscritters' town hall meetings of late, but I can't see anything she'd have to be afraid of. The noise at those things has come mostly from conservatives fighting against "socialist medicine" and the like, and since she's as conservative as they get in one of the most conservative districts you'll ever find I don't think there'd be much action at one of her meetings. I'm thinking I might call in, put the phone on mute and play Solitaire.

Dave Ribar links to a CNN story about a former health insurance exec who's airing some of the industry's dirty laundry. All I can say is this: when all the shouting and histrionics are over we better have at least fixed the insurance part of the equation.

Mark Cuban makes some interesting points about how business models need to change for companies to be profitable online.

And I thought sectarian prayers at the beginning of county meetings was bad. "Republican mayoral candidate Anna Falling said Tuesday that putting a Christian creationism display in the Tulsa Zoo is No. 1 in importance among city issues that also include violent crime, budget woes and bumpy streets."