Altered States

AlterNet, from various indicated sources.

• Least happy and healthy Americans live in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of Virginia. (Originally at Appalachian Voices, Melanie Foley)
• North Dakota as a state close to libertarian ideals. (From Salon, Alex Pareene)

  But there is a reason that fewer people live in all of North Dakota than in Detroit, and there is a reason why the population of North Dakota slowly declined from the 1920s through the end of the 20th century: Not that many people want to live there. People are moving there now because of a natural resources boom (and those always last forever and always create permanent, stable communities, right?) not because North Dakota suddenly became a much nicer place to live, on account of freedom.
  
  New York and California, though, are both super-nice, even though we confiscate more money than North Dakota, and spend it on things like mass transportation (freedom from having to own cars!) and helping people without means get food and healthcare (freedom from dying!). Koch industries co-owner David Koch, for the record, lives in New York City. Though I imagine he and his brother will soon pack up and relocate to sunny, free Grand Forks.

• Conservative "morality." (From Robert Reich's blog)

  Conservative moralists don't want women to have control over their bodies or same-sex couples to marry, but they don't give a hoot about billionaires taking over our democracy for personal gain or big bankers taking over our economy.
  
  Yet these violations of public morality are far more dangerous to our society because they undermine the public trust that's essential to both our democracy and economy.

• Long-term fandoms as manifested through the Spinners and the Mets.  (Having just realized that next year will be my twentieth one as an Athletics fan and recalling that there were still substantial remnants of the '89 championship team wearing the green and gold.)