When I first bought my own insurance in '05 it was actually pretty good—my premiums were about $144 per month, low co-pays, a $500 reasonable deductible and coverage for things like massages, chiropractor adjustments and physical therapy. However prices increased sharply every year after that, and by the end, I was paying $244 with a $5,000 deductible.

This morning, the Times has a very good discussion about the proposed tax rates President Obama will be discussing with Congressional Republicans in the coming weeks, which is part of a larger negotiation of talks about the "fiscal cliff" (if you are bored by that term and still don't know what that means, here's a primer).

One of the things people who aren't from New York ask me sometimes is whether or not the rent in New York is really as crazy as they think it is. "Is it really that expensive to live there?"