European Union Constitutional Law is way cooler than U.S. ConLaw. At least as far as separation of powers and institutional delineations.
(This thought courtesy of final exams)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Cool car?
On a stop by Wikipedia for other reference work, I happened upon their article about the Maserati MC12, Maserati's supercar (comparable to the Ferrari Enzo). I immediately began daydreaming about the gentle vibration of the 630 horse 6.0 liter v12 right behind the driver seat, the tight cornering, the massive but effortless acceleration...
And then I noticed that it doesn't have a CD player, radio, or any sound system whatsoever, nor any space or hookups for one. Sheesh. If I am going to drop $820 grand on a car, I don't want to also have to bring an iPod just to listen to tunes. Guess I'll be sticking to more run-of-the-mill Maseratis from now on.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
China to battle gaming addiction
From the BBC
China has announced that within the next three months, certain online games in the Chinese market will be required to implement systems for players younger than 18 cutting point-making ability in half after three hours of gaming. After five hours, a warning screen will have to pop up and no further points may be allowed. (The article did not seem to indicate whether this is a per-day limit or just requires a logout.)
The privacy implications, however, are astounding. In order to implement this system, youngsters will be required to log in with their real names and the Chinese equivalent of their social security number. From what I gather, the software provider then checks this information against a central database the government provides access to. Unless the law itself provides differently (media being such informative and accurate sources of the intricacies and technicalities of regulations), this seems like the ideal time to go into the advertising-and-video game industry in China. With all this information about the identity and tastes of the gamers at your disposal (pshaw if they're minors), there is plenty of targeted ads that can be readily delivered. And hey, they're allowed to be at your site for 3-5 hours a day.
China has announced that within the next three months, certain online games in the Chinese market will be required to implement systems for players younger than 18 cutting point-making ability in half after three hours of gaming. After five hours, a warning screen will have to pop up and no further points may be allowed. (The article did not seem to indicate whether this is a per-day limit or just requires a logout.)
The privacy implications, however, are astounding. In order to implement this system, youngsters will be required to log in with their real names and the Chinese equivalent of their social security number. From what I gather, the software provider then checks this information against a central database the government provides access to. Unless the law itself provides differently (media being such informative and accurate sources of the intricacies and technicalities of regulations), this seems like the ideal time to go into the advertising-and-video game industry in China. With all this information about the identity and tastes of the gamers at your disposal (pshaw if they're minors), there is plenty of targeted ads that can be readily delivered. And hey, they're allowed to be at your site for 3-5 hours a day.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
More legal humor
Thanks to The Heart for pointing me to "Say What?!", and to TexasBar (Judge Buchmeyer) for his amusing legal anecdotes, including the following:
In a one-sentence order in a frivilous wrongful termination suit (after the plaintiff had lost a jury trial), U.S. District Judge Barbara K. Hackett (Eastern District of Michigan) denied the motion for reinstatement "for the reasons best stated in defendant's brief in opposition to the motion," which read in full:
Brief in Opposition to Plaintiff's
Motion for Reinstatement
Plaintiff has got to be kidding.
Respectfully submitted,
Simpson & Moran
By Donald A. Van Sullehem
Attorneys for Defendant
Birmingham, Mich.
Original here
In a one-sentence order in a frivilous wrongful termination suit (after the plaintiff had lost a jury trial), U.S. District Judge Barbara K. Hackett (Eastern District of Michigan) denied the motion for reinstatement "for the reasons best stated in defendant's brief in opposition to the motion," which read in full:
Motion for Reinstatement
Plaintiff has got to be kidding.
Respectfully submitted,
Simpson & Moran
By Donald A. Van Sullehem
Attorneys for Defendant
Birmingham, Mich.
Original here
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The New Steel
If you have opened a newspaper, visited a website with advertising, ridden public transit, or turned on the radio recently, you have probably noticed that the steel industry is running a general advertising campaign. One of their advertising slogans involves the steel industry as the "backbone" of America, as shown in the following ads:
As inspiring as these pictures may be, however, they leave me wondering just why they chose to represent their industry as having scoliosis, the condition of a spine which has lateral curvature. (The economy also appears to have lordosis, a forward bending of the spine, but that is not as clear from the pictures.)
Note below where I have added lines indicating more clearly the angles, demonstrating how according to their own advertisements, America's backbone is nearly 40 degrees from straight, thanks to the steel industry!
This will, of course, lead to deforming of the economy's ribs, mobility and strength limitations, abnormal muscle tensions, and eventually, if left to its own course, cause the entire country to become hunchbacked.
(click here for the democratic encyclopedia entry for scoliosis)
As inspiring as these pictures may be, however, they leave me wondering just why they chose to represent their industry as having scoliosis, the condition of a spine which has lateral curvature. (The economy also appears to have lordosis, a forward bending of the spine, but that is not as clear from the pictures.)
Note below where I have added lines indicating more clearly the angles, demonstrating how according to their own advertisements, America's backbone is nearly 40 degrees from straight, thanks to the steel industry!
This will, of course, lead to deforming of the economy's ribs, mobility and strength limitations, abnormal muscle tensions, and eventually, if left to its own course, cause the entire country to become hunchbacked.
(click here for the democratic encyclopedia entry for scoliosis)
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