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Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War? – The Atlantic

For realists, the true story of the Civil War illuminates the problem of ostensibly sober-minded compromise with powerful, and intractable, evil. For radicals, the wave of white terrorism that followed the war offers lessons on the price of revolutionary change. White Americans finding easy comfort in nonviolence and the radical love of the civil-rights movement must reckon with the unsettling fact that black people in this country achieved the rudi­ments of their freedom through the killing of whites.

And for black people, there is this—the burden of taking ownership of the Civil War as Our War. During my trips to battlefields, the near-total absence of African American visitors has been striking. Confronted with the realization that the Civil War is the genesis of modern America, in general, and of modern black America, in particular, we cannot just implore the Park Service and the custodians of history to do more outreach—we have to become custodians ourselves.

Source: Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War? – The Atlantic

Debt By Degrees – The New Yorker

In the past decade, Americans took out close to five hundred billion dollars in student loans, and now collectively owe close to a trillion dollars in …

Source: Debt By Degrees – The New Yorker

 

I would add that the rising cost of college combined with the rising wage premium of that education/piece of paper is probably helping to decrease American’s wage and class mobility, as well as seriously hampering the finances of those still under the burden of tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

The Bomb Buried In Obamacare Explodes Today-Hallelujah! – Forbes

I have long argued that the impact of the Affordable Care Act is not nearly as big of a deal as opponents would have you believe. At the end of the day, the law is – in the main – little more than a successful effort to put an end to some of the more egregious health insurer abuses while creating an environment that should bring more Americans into programs that will give them at least some of the health care coverage they need.

Source: The Bomb Buried In Obamacare Explodes Today-Hallelujah! – Forbes

 

What kind of industry is incapable of spending less than 20% of its revenue receipts on *administration*?

Social Proof Is The New Marketing | TechCrunch

If you’re looking to grow your user base, is there a best way to cost-effectively attract valuable users?  I’m increasingly convinced the best way is by harnessing a concept called social proof, a relatively untapped gold mine in the age of the social web.

What is social proof?  Put simply, it’s the positive influence created when someone finds out that others are doing something.  It’s also known as informational social influence.

Source: Social Proof Is The New Marketing | TechCrunch

Dentist charges patient for negative Yelp reviews, suit says – CNET

A New York dentist is accused of making patients sign away their copyright to negative reviews and then billing a patient $100 a day for posting unhappy reviews on Yelp. The dentist is now being taken to court.

Source: Dentist charges patient for negative Yelp reviews, suit says – CNET

 

This brings up some interesting questions about what it is okay to post online, where you may post it, and what other people (especially companies) may be allowed to do about it.