Passend zur nun doch noch beschlossenen Gesundheitsreform weiß Mark Evanier Erschreckendes über den Zustand des amerikanischen Gesundheitssystems zu berichten. Also mir macht das Angst. Hier in Europa sind wir noch lange nicht so weit, aber da ich weiß, daß man auch bei uns schon mal ein paar Stunden warten kann, bevor man im Krankenhaus aufgenommen wird, bleibt die Sorge, daß die Entwicklung auch hierzulande in diese Richtung geht. Beängstigender Gedanke.
.......
Steven Grant hat ein paar sehr interessante Gedanken zum Thema DRM zu bieten:
Here's something interesting: apparently there was recently a meeting of record company executives where the future of Digital Rights Management (i.e., making it as difficult as possible for consumers to copy music) was placed in doubt. Seems consumers just prefer music they can play on any device, which has slowed DRM-protected digital music sales to a crawl, and those were expected to be the salvation of the music business, since CD sales are similarly crawling. Anyway, they're now apparently discussing if it might be appropriate to abandon DRM altogether. It may, as music distribution swings increasingly away from hard copies, CD players, etc, and toward portable electronic memory devices like iPods and Zens, to abandon record companies. (Certainly their constant pressure to expose the greatest number of people to the blandest, narrowest assortment of pap - encapsulated in AMERICAN IDOL, and how appropriate was it that last year's "shocking" winner, the doughy Taylor Hicks, turned out a debut album of almost stunning banality) - and their insistence that the people will think what they want them to think are not arguments in favor of their continued existence.) The biggest problem of abandoning digital rights management is figuring out how to get musicians paid for their creations, and that's a fair question, but with very rare exceptions, it's not the musicians who get paid anyway, and record companies have made it a practice for decades of loading acts down with debt most of them can never pay off. Musicians are one thing, but does anyone really care some record company magnate somewhere doesn't get his tithe off somebody else's music?
.......
xkcd translated Washington’s Farewell Address into Everyday Speech
I’ve often heard that Washington’s ‘Farewell Address’ — the speech he sent out (in written form) to a bunch of papers at the end of his second term — is important. Apparently he lays down a lot of good ideas for America. But the common style of writing and vocabulary has changed since then. Maybe people have gotten dumber, too. Either way, the result is that it’s kind of a pain to read sometimes. Particularly tricky are the odd compound sentence structures, where it’s hard to keep track of what the subject is.
Having never read the whole thing, I thought it would be interesting to go through and try to transcribe it into some sort of casual modern speech.
I have never read this speech either and I have to say that Washington had some pretty interesting ideas there. And he wasn't afraid to tell them to the people. Some quotes to whet your appetite
Sup.
Elections are coming up, and it’s time to figure out who we wanna give the keys to. I figure it might clear things up if I take a sec to explain why I’m not running.
[...]
Parties are probably gonna look like they’re helping with one popular issue or another, so you’re gonna want support them, but I bet the guys in charge of them will just turn out to be power-hungry assholes who want to run everything.
To keep things going nicely, quit fighting with the government and be careful with letting folk amend the Constitution to weaken it. Just, in general, give it all time and see how it works out before being quick to judge. It’s a big country and we can’t keep everyone safe without a little centralization.
I just said that parties are no good, particularly regional ones. But lemme go a step further and say ALL parties are a bad idea.
[...]
Now, there’s the idea that the parties are important to defend freedom and put the government in its place. That might even be true sometimes; when you’ve got a real Nazi in charge, you can afford to rally behind a party, but you shouldn’t like it, and you should dump it ASAP.
[...]
Also, make very sure that you keep all your politicians in their place. There’s this tendency to let all the power shift into one office, which inevitably creates tyranny (just look at human nature and how much we love power). If you just divide up the power, and get everyone to watch everyone else, we’ve seen both in the past and right here at home that things will work out pretty well.
.......
Dieser Artikel in der Welt enthält so viele rechtspopulistische Ideologie (obwohl überraschenderweise die EU-Erweiterung positiv gesehen wird - wie paßt das zusammen?) und streut diese so leichtfertig und selbstverständlich ein, daß ich schwer an mich halten mußte, um nicht einen banneresken Wutanfall zu bekommen. Ein wenig grün geworden bin ich vermutlich trotzdem. Da ist man fast geneigt sich auf die Seite des hier angegriffenen Jürgen "Zettelkasten" Rüttgers zu schlagen - wenn man nicht genau wüßte, daß der den Linken nur spielt, um seine Kanzlerin zu ärgern. Was bezweckt er eigentlich damit? Ich muß da irgendwie an den Spruch "Was sich liebt, das neckt sich" denken. Vielleicht möchte er die Position als Kanzlergatte neu besetzen.
I shouldburberry outlet not attempt it, if it were to be the burberry salemeans of inconvenience to the Highburyburberry scarf people, but if you call to mind ray ban aviatorsexactlyburberry handbags the present line of the path .... The only way ray ban saleof proving it, however, will beray ban sunglasses to turn to our maps. I shall see you at the Abbey to-morrowmorning I hope, and then we will look them over, and you shallcheap ray ban sunglasses give me your opinion.ray ban outlet'Mr. Woodhouse was rather agitated by such harsh reflections on his friend Perry, to whom he had. in fact, though unconsciously, been attributing many of his own feelings and expressions; but the soothing attentions of his daughters gradually removed the present evil, and the immediate alertness of one brother, and better recollections of the other. prevented any renewal of it.CHAPTER XIIi.There could hardly be a happier creature in the world than Mrs. John Knightley, in this short christian louboutin bootsvisit to Hartfield, going about every morning among her old acquaintance with her five children, and talking over what she had done every evening with her father and sister. She had nothing toCheap Christian Louboutin wish otherwise, but that the days did not pass so swiftly. It was a delightful visit;—perfect, in being much too short.In general their evenings were less engaged with friends than theirChristian Louboutin Discount mornings: but one complete dinner engagement, and out of the house too, there was no avoiding,Christian Louboutin Outlet though at Christmas. Mr. VVeston would take no denial: they must all dine at Randalls one day;Louboutin Outlet—even Mr. Woodhouse was persuaded to think it a possible thing in preference to a division of the party.
Posted by: Christian Louboutin Outlet at 20.12.11 02:24Aftermoncler outlet a few minutes of entiremoncler Jackets silence between them,moncler sale John Knightley began with,—'Imoncler coats never in my life sawmoncler jackets outlet online a man more moncler jacketsintent on being agreeablemoncler online shop than Mr. Elton.moncler It is downright labour to him where ladies are concerned. Wkh men he can be rational and unaffected, but when he has ladies shiatsu massager to please every feature works.''foot massagerMr. Elton's manners are not perfect,' replied Emma; 'but where there is a wish to please, one ought to overlook, and one doesportable massager table overlook a great deal. Where a man does his best with only moderate powers, he will have the advantage over negligent superiority.
Posted by: moncler outlet at 21.12.11 04:10Goingburberry outlet in dismal weather, to return probablyburberry sale in worse ;—four horses and four servantsburberry scarf taken out for nothing but to conveyray ban aviators fiveburberry handbags idle, shivering creatures into colder rooms ray ban saleand worse company than they might ray ban sunglasseshave had at home.'cheap ray ban sunglassesEmma did not find herselfray ban outlet equal to give the pleasedchristian louboutin boots assent, which no doubt he was in the habit of receiving, to emulate the 'Very true, my love,' whichCheap Christian Louboutin must have been usually administered by his travelling companion; but she had resolution enough to refrainChristian Louboutin Discount from making any answer at all. She could not be complying; she dreaded being quarrelsome; her heroism reached only to silence. She allowed him to talk, and arrange the glasses, Christian Louboutin Outletand wrapped herself up, without opening her lips!They arrived, the carriage turned, the step was let down, and Mr. Elton, spruce, black, and smiling, was with them instantly. Emma thought Louboutin Outletwith pleasure of some change of subject. Mr. Elton was all obligation and cheerfulness; he was so very cheerful in his civilities indeed, that she began to think he must have received a different account of Harriet from what had reached her. She had sent while dressing, and the answer had been, 'Much the same—not better.''My report from Mrs. Goddard's,' said she, presently, 'was not so pleasant as I had hoped:—" Not better," was my answer
Posted by: Christian Louboutin Outlet at 26.12.11 02:30Iburberry outlet believe you did not hear me telling theburberry sale others in the drawing-room that we areburberry scarf expecting Frank. I had a letter from himburberry handbags this morning, and he will be withray ban aviators us within a fortnightray ban sale.'Emma spoke with a very properray ban sunglasses degree of pleasure, and fully assented to his proposition, of Mr. Frank Churchill and Miss Smith making their party quitecheap ray ban sunglasses complete.'He has been wanting to come to us,' continued Mr. Weston, 'ever since September: every letter has been full of it; but he cannot command his own time. He has those to please who must be pleased and whoray ban outlet (between ourselves) are sometimeschristian louboutin boots to be pleased, only by a good many sacrifices. But now I have no doubt of seeing him here about the second week in January.''What a very great pleasure it will be to you! and Mrs. WestonCheap Christian Louboutin is so anxiousChristian Louboutin Discount to be acquainted with him, that she must be almost as happy as yourself.''Yes, she wouldChristian Louboutin Outlet be,Louboutin Outlet but that she thinks there will be another put-off. She does not depend upon his coming so much as I do; but she does not know the parties so well as I do.
Posted by: Christian Louboutin Outlet at 05.01.12 03:51Guretmoncler jacken of ammonia, forms a black sulphuretmoncler outlet exactly resembling that prepared by trituration; but if hydrogureted sulphuret of ammonia be used, the black foot massagerprecipitate formed, gradually assumes a red colour and the solution contains sulphureted hydrogufet of ammonia. The game phenomena take placemoncler coats with all the mercurial salts.Asmoncler jackets a medicine,portable massage table black sulpuret of quicksilver possesses no very conspicuous effects. It is principally used as an alterative in glandularmoncler online shop affections, and in cutaneous diseases. It has been commonly fiven in doses of from five to ten grains; but even in doses of several rachms, and continued for a considerable length of time, it has scarcely produced any sensible effect.iEthiop's Mineral.—See Dr. Cheyne in his "English Malady," p. 343, 344, for the immensemoncler extent in which he himself took it—viz. daily for four months, and to the amount of one hundred and twenty shiatsu massager ounces."My legs," says he, "broke out all over in scorbutic Ulcers, the ichor of which corroded the very skin, when it laymoncler sale any time, and the fore parts of both legs were one continued sore.
Posted by: moncler outlet at 10.01.12 08:27