DCap has compiled the data for a piece on the almost total lack of competition in the health insurance industry.

It’s like early Fords – “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”

The way things are going, we are headed back to the years of the Bell System in local telephone service, and Intel and Microsoft are probably more complete monopolies than IBM was in the computer world.

Beginning under Reagan businesses began consolidating into ever larger entities, and competition has disappeared in many industries, including health care.

PZ Myers has a post, Scientology values, that covers the contract people have to sign to get into Scientology. It sounds like a rip off of the M$ End User License Agreement.

The BBC reports on more turmoil in the Iranian government: Iran intelligence minister sacked

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked one of his ministers, a day after he was forced to cancel the appointment of his vice-president.

No reason was given for the sacking of Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.

Meanwhile, the culture minister quit, saying the government was weakened.
…

On Saturday, however, Mr Ahmadinejad appointed Mr Mashaie as his chief of staff, setting up another potential confrontation with conservatives.

Poor Ahmadinejad is probably one of the handful of people in Iran who believe that he actually won the election. He thinks he has a mandate from the people to run the country.

If you missed it, Mr. Mashaie is the father-in-law of Ahmadinejad’s daughter, and he needs a job. What’s the point of being President if you can’t hire friends and relatives?

I’ve mentioned before that I was in law enforcement for a decade, so I look at the Cambridge Police vs Harvard Professor with a different point of view than most people. Cutting to the chase, the sergeant was wrong, he knew he was wrong, and his actions told every officer who stayed awake in the academy that he was wrong.

In his column in the Miami Herald, Leonard Pitts made these observations:

Please take a good look at Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

He is 5’7”, weighs 150 pounds, wears glasses and uses a cane. His legs are of unequal length, his mustache and goatee are gray. He is 58 years old and looks it.
…

The police report says he was “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior in a public place.” That being his own front porch.
…

In the end, he still winds up standing on his front porch with his wrists shackled, just like any drug dealer or carjacker anywhere.

Mr. Pitts caught one of the points, but missed the most telling point for cops, because cops are aware of the significance.

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Mark Cavendish took his sixth stage win, and still ends up without the green jersey, and in 131^st place. Fumiyuki Beppu of Japan won the red numbers for the final stage.

The Final results:

Yellow Jersey: Alberto Contador of Spain
Green Jersey: Thor Hushovd of Norway 280 points
Polka Dot Jersey: Franco Pellizotti of Italy 210 points
White Jersey: Andy Schleck of Luxembourg
Super Combative: Franco Pellizotti of Italy
Team: Astana
Final Rider: Yauheni Hutarovich of Belarus

The Final Standings:

1. Alberto Contador (E/Astana) 85:48:35 [yellow jersey]
2. Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) +04:11 [white jersey]
3. Lance Armstrong (US/Astana) +05:24
4. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin) +06:01
5. Frank Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) +06:04
6. Andréas Klöden (D/Astana) +06:42
7. Vincenzo Nibali (I/Liquigas) +07:35
8. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin) +12:04
9. Roman Kreuziger (CZ/Liquigas) +14:16
10. Christophe Le Mevel (F/Francaise) +14:25

Selected others after the fold.

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