Scott Brown

Whistleblower Edward Snowden showed up at the TED conference a couple of days ago. Of course, he didn’t show up in person. He showed up via the Internet. I’ve stopped trying to figure out whether Edward Snowden is a good guy or a bad guy. He is simply a guy. Instead, I’ve tried to focus on the Internet, privacy, cyber security and terrorism. When all is said and done, is he making the Internet a better place for you and me? I don’t know.

Let’s be honest. Over the last two weeks, we’ve learned almost nothing about this Malaysian airliner. Yes, I understand that the media is focused like a laser on this airliner, but we really learned nothing over the last couple weeks. We’ve seen a satellite image of something in the water, which has caused another media frenzy. It could be nothing, it could be Gilligan or it could be a piece of this missing airliner. The one thing that this whole story has told us is that the United States a different place. We’ve spent money on infrastructure so that it is nearly impossible to lose a plane without any radar contact for hours. Let me say this again. The United States is a different place. We spent money… on infrastructure!

EU and Ukraine have penned a deal.

The best 100 apps for your Android phone.

Nice story on the healthcare law and Scott Brown who has moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, which is a little bit more conservative. He lost his Massachusetts Senate reelection bid to the fabulous Elizabeth Warren, as you’ll recall. From Joan –

Scott Brown is as hapless a Senate candidate in New Hampshire as he was in Massachusetts. Even in a crowd of friendly fellow Republicans, he can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth, particularly when it comes to Obamacare.

Brown found that out on Saturday, when he stopped by the home of Herb Richardson, a Republican state representative. Sitting in Richardson’s home, Brown called Obamacare a “monstrosity” that members of Congress didn’t even bother to read before they passed. At that point, according to the Coos County Democrat, Richardson chimed in to explain that the law had been a “financial lifesaver” for him and his wife. From the piece (page 14 [pdf]):

Richardson was injured on the job and was forced to live on his workers’ comp payments for an extended period of time, which ultimately cost the couple their house on Williams Street. The couple had to pay $1,100 a month if they wanted to maintain their health insurance coverage under the federal COBRA law.Richardson said he only received some $2,000 a month in workers’ comp. payments, however, leaving little for them to live on.

“Thank God for Obamacare!” his wife exclaimed.

Now, thanks to the subsidy for which they qualify, the Richardsons only pay $136 a month for health insurance that covers them both.

Who knew Obamacare helped Republicans, too? Certainly not Scott Brown. The reporter told Huffington Post that Brown didn’t respond to the revelation that Obamacare might not actually be a monstrosity, even for a Republican, and the conversation moved on.