Have you ever taken some clients out for golf? Do you periodically send your customers and prospects newsletters that offer tips on safety, ways to save on premiums or information on new products? Well, that's all social networking.

NU readers responding to a recent query concede the value of recruiting a diverse work force, but not as an ethical imperative or an end unto itself, notes NU Editor Sam Friedman, who invites reader comment on his blog at www.NUSamSoapBox.com.

It is unlikely that there has ever been a time on Capitol Hill when so many insurance issues were being considered.