Harold Ford Jr. doesn't take a good idea far enough

Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. has a good idea, to let younger citizens know that they will not get Social Security. But it obviously must go further. A politically and financially digestible solution would be to first create different levels of payouts depending on age. The first step would be to take the benefit of a 65 year old and divide it by the average amount of years worked. Say around 45 years. Recipients that are 65 and above would keep their benefits at the current level and they would adjust for inflation. Those that are 64 would get most of their benefits minus about one years worth. As the age drops the benefits get lower and lower until you hit about age 20 when the benefits stop entirely. If done in this fashion the older folks that are heavily dependant on Social Security would not vote against this because it doesn't hurt them. Those that are older but not yet retried should be able to accept this because they are only hurt a little bit and they have more time to save.Let's not forget Medicare. Benefits must also be frozen dollar wise and reduced in the same fashion.

Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter in Mishap on a Texas Ranch - New York Times

Dick Cheney bypasses congress and takes on tort reform...one lawyer at a time.

The Onion | Nancy Grace Reports Own Mind Now Missing For 83 Days

I know that this is a big thing to say, considering the sheer vastness of bad television that has spanned the last 50 years, but Nancy Grace, or whatever the name of her show is, is the worst TV show ever.

Wired News: DV Studio Can't Make a Buck

While filmmaking has changed film distribution has not. Distribution remains a big risk, big reward business. A new avenue for watching films needs to be created if independent filmmaking whishes to thrive. The most obvious would be to move these films to cable television or the web, already crowded venues. If independent film wants the traditional "show up at a movie house" venue then it must ask why people go to movies in the first place. If people just wanted to watch a movie it is far easier and cheaper to go rent a movie, that is a couple of months old, and stay home. If they want to compete with other big screen movies they will need to pass their savings on to the consumer. Maybe charge $4 instead of $9. If the dollar per seat profit was the same as the big movies the cineplexes might just be able to have a smaller theater dedicated to independent films.