Another snapshot of two Americas

In the current (June 27) issue of PC Magazine, John Dvorak writes that Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen has three mega-yachts. Allen's 301-foot-long "Tatoosh" is the 15th largest in the world. His 198-foot "Meduse" carries a helicopter. But his top toy is the 416-foot "Octopus." This one is worth $200 million, carries a ten-man submarine, two helicopters and a crew of 60. Dvorak further reports that the "Octopus" was "only recently beaten for size by Larry Ellison's 452-foot 'Rising Sun,' deliberately built to be longer than Allen's."

In the meantime, the Republican majority in the Senate yesterday shot down attempts to raise the minimum wage from the current $5.15 an hour, where it has been stuck for nine years.

Once again the sickness in the land metastasizes.