> The Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago this week. I visited Germany a year and a half after the Berlin Wall was dismantled. When I visited Berlin, there were people selling small pieces of what they claimed to be part of the Wall. Of course, I had to buy a chunk of it.
Even then there was a contrast between East and West Berlin. West Berlin had colorful parks and streets, and there were beautiful modern buildings and stores. East Berlin looked gray. It looked like something caught in a time warp or like a movie set from World War II. It was just plain drab. Hopefully, things have brightened up on the former East Berlin side of the Wall.
> A few days ago, CrooksandLiars noted the disastrous health care system in Texas after Newt Gingrich and Gov. Perry suggested that it should be a model for other states.
NPR has a map up that shows the percentage of Americans without health insurance in each state. Here are some statistics to think about from NPR---
"People Without Health Insurance":
TEXAS--- 25.1%
CALIFORNIA---18.4%
FLORIDA---20.1%
OHIO---11.6%
MISSISSIPPI---18.3%
Obviously, the Republicans just don't care if you are living without health insurance.
