Hello.

Hello. My name is Don Elder. I smoke. I drink. I do not sleep.

During the past nine months, or so, people have been asking for my views on matters of national politics. I have come to understand this as an indication that they have no knowledge of their own, and cannot operate the internet tubes with enough dexterity to overcome this sorry condition(not you, of course, you’re great).

Now, as a number of 100+ comment Facebook battles demonstrate, I LIKED teaching people about healthcare reform. However, I came to a point where I resented having to explain the same basic concepts over and over.

For the time being, the battle over Health Care Reform is over. Unfortunately the culture of misinformation and mendacity, escalating trends towards political cynicism and nihilism, the ineptitude of so much journalism, and the irresponsibility of egomaniacal punditry on both sides has not relinquished, has not receded.

I have final exams to avoid acknowledging. Now is the perfect time to start a blog.

The purpose of this blog is to do the legwork for you, to cut through the noise of Google and cable TV news, and to try to pull out a thoughtful summary of both the facts and character of some of today’s most controversial arguments, to edit it all for clarity before you post your next status update and get my Irish up again.

My name is Don Elder. Do you see what I’m pointing at? It’s the goddamn TRUTH!