- Visual Thesaurous
- SchellingPoint.com
- Reporter gets shot, keeps reporting
- An alternative to business requirements
- The Pop vs Soda map
- David Friedman on Bob Barr
- An interview with Bob Barr
- An Asian rant about Europe, which had the memorable quote
Heaven is a place where the police are English; the chefs are Italian; the car mechanics are German; the lovers are French and it’s all organized by the Swiss. Hell is a place where the police are German; the chefs are English; the car mechanics are French; the lovers are Swiss and it’s all organized by the Italians
Category Archives: Europe
Recommended reading for Tuesday
- Londonistan Calling – Hitchens goes back to London. Choice quote:
He was a conspicuous figure because, having lost the use of an eye and both hands in an exchange of views in Afghanistan, he sported an opaque eye plus a hook to theatrical effect. Not as nice as he looked..
- The Crime Against Kansas – Why isn’t this sort of thing in more history classes? You might hear about John Brown’s raid, but never about any clashes
European vs American Talents
From Marginal Revolution
Because European government works better, Europeans demand more of it and get more of it. American liberals look at Europe and see (sometimes) better results per dollar spent. They then conclude that America should be more like Europe, whereas in reality America would end up spending more to get more bad American government.
It’s a very nice argument against moving towards European style nationalized health care, to wit, we would not get the same results as they do. Instead we would probably just magnify existing problems.
Tuesday round up
- Popular mechanics and 100 mpg cars
- Couple Fights for Baby ‘Metallica’ Name
In Sweden, parents must get the names of their children approved by the tax authority, which is in charge of the population registry and issues personal identification numbers, similar to Social Security numbers in the United States.
- Billy Joe Shaver seems to have shot someone.
Friday night round up
- Hansellman on graphing – the data “wants” to be presented in a certain way
- Hansellman on a family backup strategy – for all of those of us who give out free tech support to family and friends
- Perceptions of America and Iran in der Spiegel
- Der Spiegel again – Muslim integration into Europe
Those crazy Germans
I read this fawning article on the future of China in der Spiegel. The go on and on about the benefits of state owned industry, and a central strategy for all of China’s economic activity. And not once do they use the term “National Socialism”!
The Germans are German
From a quick read of Der Spiegel
- They actually have a guide to “Scoring a German“
- German Brothel Offers 50-Percent Discount to Senior Citizens
The brothel “Pascha” in Cologne is now offering senior citizens a 50 percent discount on sex services — but only between the hours of 12 and 5 p.m., and only upon proof of age. The offer, which many would argue beats free coffee at McDonalds, is valid for clients aged 66 and over.
Only “many”? Not all? Also from the same article
A brothel in Dresden in economically hard-hit eastern Germany made headlines in 2005 when it introduced a 20-percent discount for the long-term unemployed.
I can’t think of a worse incentive…
Back up
I’m back from being without the internet all day, oh how I missed it. To celebrate, check out the Frank Zappa statue in Vilnius Lithuania. (via Coming Anarchy)
The funniest thing I’ve read all year
French marchers say ‘non’ to 2007
Parodying the French readiness to say “non”, the demonstrators in the western city of Nantes waved banners reading: “No to 2007” and “Now is better!”
The marchers called on governments and the UN to stop time’s “mad race” and declare a moratorium on the future.
The headbutt seen round the world
Here is how it was seen in different nations.