Een "leuk" weetje :
"Het Vaticaan is een van de veiligste staten ter wereld. Toch vonden er het voorbije jaar meer rechtszaken plaats dan dat er inwoners zijn. ‘L’Osservatore Romano’ schrijft dat in 2008 472 strafzaken behandeld werden. Daarnaast waren er ook nog eens 582 rechtszaken voor een burgerlijke rechtbank. Binnen de muren van het Vaticaan wonen 492 inwoners."
Zie : http://www.kerknet.be/actua/nieuws_detail.php?nieuwsID=83647.
Spoor
De minister van binnenlandse zaken wil dat het personeel van de spoorwegmaatschappij NMBS zelf administratieve boetes kan uitschrijven. Op die manier moeten misdrijven op treinen of in stations op snellere en meer kordate manier aangepakt worden en moet het veiligheidsgevoel bij pendelaars verbeteren.
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=NI24TBJ4&ref=front.
Wie gelooft nu echt dat een herrieschopper zich zal laten afschrikken door een brave, vriendelijke begeleider met een notaboekje ?
Van verwarring en vervuiling gesproken : waartoe dient de spoorwegpolitie dan nog ? Om in de stations de paraderen ?
Waarom niet direct een "citizen's arrest" invoeren ? Binnenkort kan iedereen boetes uitschrijven en kan mijn buur mij verbaliseren omdat er een tak over de afsluiting hangt en kan ik hem verbaliseren omdat zijn auto een paar cm voor mijn oprit staat ? Neen, dank je.
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=NI24TBJ4&ref=front.
Wie gelooft nu echt dat een herrieschopper zich zal laten afschrikken door een brave, vriendelijke begeleider met een notaboekje ?
Van verwarring en vervuiling gesproken : waartoe dient de spoorwegpolitie dan nog ? Om in de stations de paraderen ?
Waarom niet direct een "citizen's arrest" invoeren ? Binnenkort kan iedereen boetes uitschrijven en kan mijn buur mij verbaliseren omdat er een tak over de afsluiting hangt en kan ik hem verbaliseren omdat zijn auto een paar cm voor mijn oprit staat ? Neen, dank je.
Journalistieke (on)zorgvuldigheid
Nog maar eens een paar voorbeelden uit een krant van vandaag. Indien de heren journalisten deze kleine details al niet aankunnen, wat vertellen ze ons dan wel over ingewikkelde staatszaken ?
-- "Het hoogtepunt van de recessie moet Europa nog treffen, aldus Strauss-Kahn". Zou de topman van het IMF dat inderdaad zo gezegd hebben ? Ik dacht dat recessies dieptepunten kenden. Misschien zal de journalist binnen enkele jaren spreken over het dieptepunt van de hoogconjunctuur ?
-- "De jongen werd uit het water gehaald, maar verkeert in levensgevaar. ... De jongen reed samen met een vriendin op het jaagpad naast de bevroren rivier. Hij zakte door het ijs aan de oever." Een jaagpad op de rivier ?
Zoals ik zei, een paar voorbeelden. Je moet er echt niet naar zoeken. Spijkers op laag water ? Whatever.
-- "Het hoogtepunt van de recessie moet Europa nog treffen, aldus Strauss-Kahn". Zou de topman van het IMF dat inderdaad zo gezegd hebben ? Ik dacht dat recessies dieptepunten kenden. Misschien zal de journalist binnen enkele jaren spreken over het dieptepunt van de hoogconjunctuur ?
-- "De jongen werd uit het water gehaald, maar verkeert in levensgevaar. ... De jongen reed samen met een vriendin op het jaagpad naast de bevroren rivier. Hij zakte door het ijs aan de oever." Een jaagpad op de rivier ?
Zoals ik zei, een paar voorbeelden. Je moet er echt niet naar zoeken. Spijkers op laag water ? Whatever.
TV moment van 2008
OP een website : "Wat vond U hét tv-moment van 2008 ?".
Geen twijfel mogelijk : de stroomonderbrekingen.
Geen twijfel mogelijk : de stroomonderbrekingen.
World news
From : http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1372808,CST-NWS-sweet12.article.
President-elect Barack Obama revealed Sunday he is closing in on selecting the first dog -- either a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.
The world can rest assured : the man is not afraid to address the most important choices !
President-elect Barack Obama revealed Sunday he is closing in on selecting the first dog -- either a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.
The world can rest assured : the man is not afraid to address the most important choices !
Nog eens ... Fortis
OP de website van De Morgen vond ik volgend artikel :
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/3324/Financiele-crisis/article/detail/606775/2009/01/12/Fortis-maakt-lijst-bekend-met-kandidaat-bestuurders.dhtml
over de kandidaat bestuurders van Fortis holding. Het wordt geillustreerd met een foto van Fortis Banque. Bij mijn beste weten heeft de holding niets meer met de bank vandoen.
Onoplettendheid, domheid of nog erger ? Of heb ik er eens te meer niet van begrepen ?
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/3324/Financiele-crisis/article/detail/606775/2009/01/12/Fortis-maakt-lijst-bekend-met-kandidaat-bestuurders.dhtml
over de kandidaat bestuurders van Fortis holding. Het wordt geillustreerd met een foto van Fortis Banque. Bij mijn beste weten heeft de holding niets meer met de bank vandoen.
Onoplettendheid, domheid of nog erger ? Of heb ik er eens te meer niet van begrepen ?
Viagra
... voor hersenen rukt op aan de unief.
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelid=GAB24U2A2.
Snel enige dosissen bestellen voor onze politici, rechters, advocaten en bankiers zeker ? Maar ja, die pillen werken waarschijnlijk alleen op de werklust en niet op intelligentie en wijsheid ...
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelid=GAB24U2A2.
Snel enige dosissen bestellen voor onze politici, rechters, advocaten en bankiers zeker ? Maar ja, die pillen werken waarschijnlijk alleen op de werklust en niet op intelligentie en wijsheid ...
Quo vadis ?
Het zal mijn vaste lezers al langer duidelijk zijn dat ik nooit sympathie of begrip heb kunnen opbrengen voor onze vroegere eerste minister, het koppige West Vlaams stemmenkanon.
Nu lees ik op de website van mijn krant : "Quo vadis, Yves Leterme? Wacht Yves Leterme een toekomst als minister van Buitenlandse Zaken? Of gaat hij naar Europa? Het kan als hij wordt vrijgepleit."
"Het wordt op de politieke nieuwjaarsrecepties van de komende weken ongetwijfeld gespreksonderwerp nummer één: wat gaat Yves Leterme doen? Als hij straks wordt vrijgepleit, dreigt een explosieve situatie te ontstaan."
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=LL24U4ML&ref=front.
Explosieve situatie ? Nee toch ... vuurtje stook van de media zeker !
Of toch ? ... maar dan enkel en alleen wanneer bepaalde personen hun eigendunk en eigenbelang hoger waarderen dan het algemeen belang. Maar spijtig genoeg lijkt dat wel zowat de grondregel van onze politieke klasse geworden te zijn.
Nu lees ik op de website van mijn krant : "Quo vadis, Yves Leterme? Wacht Yves Leterme een toekomst als minister van Buitenlandse Zaken? Of gaat hij naar Europa? Het kan als hij wordt vrijgepleit."
"Het wordt op de politieke nieuwjaarsrecepties van de komende weken ongetwijfeld gespreksonderwerp nummer één: wat gaat Yves Leterme doen? Als hij straks wordt vrijgepleit, dreigt een explosieve situatie te ontstaan."
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=LL24U4ML&ref=front.
Explosieve situatie ? Nee toch ... vuurtje stook van de media zeker !
Of toch ? ... maar dan enkel en alleen wanneer bepaalde personen hun eigendunk en eigenbelang hoger waarderen dan het algemeen belang. Maar spijtig genoeg lijkt dat wel zowat de grondregel van onze politieke klasse geworden te zijn.
Torture
"Chuckie" Taylor, the son of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, has been sentenced by a US court to 97 years in prison for torture.
Read : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7820069.stm.
Well done US !
Now let some Americans stand trial for alleged torture, and the world will see that the USA is not the hypocritical society it is sometimes thought to be.
Read : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7820069.stm.
Well done US !
Now let some Americans stand trial for alleged torture, and the world will see that the USA is not the hypocritical society it is sometimes thought to be.
First miracle
I found the graph in "Calculated Risk" : it illustrates the job impact of president-elect Obama's recovery and reinvestment plan.According to this graph, the plan will have an immediate and significant effect on the unemployment rate. No time lag at all. One must have a strong, unshakeable faith in the new messiah to believe in such an effect !
I sincerely hope the graph will be proven right, but I simply cannot believe it. No profound economic analysis here, just common sense, and a lot of experience with economic time lags ...
Wall Street, or liar's poker
I found the following text almost by accident.
In the 80s, I was so taken with Michael Lewis' analysis of Wall Street and its greedy pirates that I gave a copy of his "Liar's poker" to all my direct collaborators. At one point in his carreer, Lewis was an ambitious and "successful" young Wall Street banker himself, so he perfectly knew what he was writing about.
The man who chronicled Wall Street's excesses in the eighties, now figures out what went wrong in his former haunt.
Read : http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/national-news/portfolio/2008/11/11/The-End-of-Wall-Streets-Boom#page1.
I refer those who are too busy, or too lazy, to read the whole text, to a shorter, related article : See http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/01/wall_street_had_built_a_doomsd.html.
By the way :
In the 80s, I was so taken with Michael Lewis' analysis of Wall Street and its greedy pirates that I gave a copy of his "Liar's poker" to all my direct collaborators. At one point in his carreer, Lewis was an ambitious and "successful" young Wall Street banker himself, so he perfectly knew what he was writing about.
The man who chronicled Wall Street's excesses in the eighties, now figures out what went wrong in his former haunt.
Read : http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/national-news/portfolio/2008/11/11/The-End-of-Wall-Streets-Boom#page1.
I refer those who are too busy, or too lazy, to read the whole text, to a shorter, related article : See http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/01/wall_street_had_built_a_doomsd.html.
By the way :
remains " a shrewd and wickedly funny" book.
Rubicon
I am told that on this day, January 10 in the year 49 before Christ, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon. For those who forgot what that means or never knew it, there's olenty of information on the net. And by the way, it was January 10 according to the Roman calendar.
In our modern days so many Rubicons are crossed : economic, financial, social, cultural, legal, criminal, ethical, moral ... religious. But most people are too busy to care or too stupid to see and understand what is happening.
When you cross a river, you take in some water. By lack of insight in currents and problems and by lack of modern technology we may still drawn.
Very interesting times, indeed.
In our modern days so many Rubicons are crossed : economic, financial, social, cultural, legal, criminal, ethical, moral ... religious. But most people are too busy to care or too stupid to see and understand what is happening.
When you cross a river, you take in some water. By lack of insight in currents and problems and by lack of modern technology we may still drawn.
Very interesting times, indeed.
Gladde wegen
"De afgelopen nacht was het opnieuw erg koud, daardoor is het smeltwater van gisteren opnieuw aangevroren. Dat veroorzaakte een spekglad wegdek. Op de Brusselse ring zijn zaterdagmorgen al enkel ongevallen gebeurd. ... 'Het ging om ongevallen met alleen blikschade', zegt Hajo Beeckman van het Vlaams Verkeerscentrum. Er vielen twee lichtgewonden."
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF10012009_015.
Lees : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF10012009_015.
Un apprenti sorcier
President-elect Obama pieces together his economic plan, and has been issuing strong warnings of what stands to happen if Congress does not follow his lead.
"If nothing is done, economists from across the spectrum tell us that this recession could linger for years and the unemployment rate could reach double digits — and they warn that our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world," he said.
Read : http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6616839.
I would write : whatever he does, the recession may linger etc ...
The president-elect is a nice, intelligent and smart guy, if nothing else. He already is preparing to shift the blame if (and when ?) his plans to revive the US economy fail.
"If nothing is done, economists from across the spectrum tell us that this recession could linger for years and the unemployment rate could reach double digits — and they warn that our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world," he said.
Read : http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6616839.
I would write : whatever he does, the recession may linger etc ...
The president-elect is a nice, intelligent and smart guy, if nothing else. He already is preparing to shift the blame if (and when ?) his plans to revive the US economy fail.
America the beautiful
A loaded gun fell out of the pants of a six-year old kid in a Californian school.
See : http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/994/stand-der-dingen/article/detail/603174/2009/01/09/Geladen-wapen-valt-uit-broek-van-kind-6-op-school.dhtml.
But the freedom to carry arms remains one of the most sacred rights in the American society.
And in many an American movie, arms play a more important role that the lead actors. Do I have to give names ? No I don't. You all know the actors concerned.
See : http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/994/stand-der-dingen/article/detail/603174/2009/01/09/Geladen-wapen-valt-uit-broek-van-kind-6-op-school.dhtml.
But the freedom to carry arms remains one of the most sacred rights in the American society.
And in many an American movie, arms play a more important role that the lead actors. Do I have to give names ? No I don't. You all know the actors concerned.
Katrina in space
Is a 'Katrina-like' space storm brewing?
Scientists worry we aren't prepared for event that "could zap government and cost trillions". U.S. scientists worry we aren't ready for a solar space storm that could knock out our electricity, our cell phones, even our water supply. The chances of that happening are small, but it is a possibility as we move into an active period of solar storms.
"We're not trying to be alarmist," said the lead author of the report, "but we are trying to show how our systems are interconnected."
Read : http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/JustOneThing/story?id=6615005&page=1.
Of course those guys are not trying to be alarmist, they were just trying to get into the media - which they did.
Scientists worry we aren't prepared for event that "could zap government and cost trillions". U.S. scientists worry we aren't ready for a solar space storm that could knock out our electricity, our cell phones, even our water supply. The chances of that happening are small, but it is a possibility as we move into an active period of solar storms.
"We're not trying to be alarmist," said the lead author of the report, "but we are trying to show how our systems are interconnected."
Read : http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/JustOneThing/story?id=6615005&page=1.
Of course those guys are not trying to be alarmist, they were just trying to get into the media - which they did.
Crap
We are truly inundated with and submerged in Australian reality tv series. Pure crap. I used to like the Australian lingo, but I can no longer hear it.
We are truly inundated with and submerged in British reality tv series. Pure crap. I used enjoy the BBC with its queen English : now I hear you get a pink slip when you speak it.
We are truly inundated with and submerged in American crap tv soap series. One must have iron nerves to stand them.
And we are inundated with Flemish clones of all the above in the terrible "verkavelingsvlaams". One thing is more terrible still : political programs.
Hell exists : it is right here and now.
And worst of all is the unending stream of infantile tv publicity on all stations. What a world.
We barely see Dutch tv programs : perhaps that's a good thing. Almost no German tv programs either : I definitely know that's a good thing. When one has seen one carnival program on German tv, one is marked for life.
Our southern neighbour France has much to offer, but clearly their produce is not welcome here ; and Walloon offers are accepted once in a blue moon as if that represented a huge sacrifice ; say one program every year.
We float on a sea of foreign and domestic shit and the very exceptional gold nuggets often just sink in the shit.
And I haven't even commented on the eternal sports programs (cycling, tennis and soccer over here, darts, bowling, skating etc. elsewhere).
From tv shit deliver us Lord. Fortunately, there still is an off switch, but I heard they plan doing away with that.
In France they have a good word for the influence of tv on mankind : c'est abrutissant.
By the way, I apologise for the use of the words shit and crap. A well turned pile is so much more interesting to look at than most tv programs.
Brrr.
We are truly inundated with and submerged in British reality tv series. Pure crap. I used enjoy the BBC with its queen English : now I hear you get a pink slip when you speak it.
We are truly inundated with and submerged in American crap tv soap series. One must have iron nerves to stand them.
And we are inundated with Flemish clones of all the above in the terrible "verkavelingsvlaams". One thing is more terrible still : political programs.
Hell exists : it is right here and now.
And worst of all is the unending stream of infantile tv publicity on all stations. What a world.
We barely see Dutch tv programs : perhaps that's a good thing. Almost no German tv programs either : I definitely know that's a good thing. When one has seen one carnival program on German tv, one is marked for life.
Our southern neighbour France has much to offer, but clearly their produce is not welcome here ; and Walloon offers are accepted once in a blue moon as if that represented a huge sacrifice ; say one program every year.
We float on a sea of foreign and domestic shit and the very exceptional gold nuggets often just sink in the shit.
And I haven't even commented on the eternal sports programs (cycling, tennis and soccer over here, darts, bowling, skating etc. elsewhere).
From tv shit deliver us Lord. Fortunately, there still is an off switch, but I heard they plan doing away with that.
In France they have a good word for the influence of tv on mankind : c'est abrutissant.
By the way, I apologise for the use of the words shit and crap. A well turned pile is so much more interesting to look at than most tv programs.
Brrr.
Reasoned like a true economist
"Why Larry Flynt's right
Larry Flynt and Ben Dover want the UK and US governments to bail out the porn industry. Now, I’m no expert on this - of course not. But they have a point.
Porn is a key strategic business. It has been a driving force behind the spread of several technologies: the triumph of VHS over Betamax tapes, cable TV, and broadband. It also creates skilled workers for other industries; countless actors and cameramen have moved from porn to mainstream TV and film work. The porn industry, then, generates knowledge spillovers for other industries. Such positive externalities mean that there's a market failure; porn is under-supplied by the free market. A subsidy would correct this.
The need for a subsidy is especially pressing because the industry is under threat not just from the availability of free porn on the web, but also competition from another source - women giving it away for free. Both of these can be seen as a form of predatory pricing, or dumping. Many policy-makers believe it’s acceptable to protect industries from this. As it’s impractical to put a tariff on slappers - though I write without knowing Harriet Harman's views - this leaves the only alternative being support for the industry.
From :
http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2009/01/why-larry-flynts-right.html#comments.
Larry Flynt and Ben Dover want the UK and US governments to bail out the porn industry. Now, I’m no expert on this - of course not. But they have a point.
Porn is a key strategic business. It has been a driving force behind the spread of several technologies: the triumph of VHS over Betamax tapes, cable TV, and broadband. It also creates skilled workers for other industries; countless actors and cameramen have moved from porn to mainstream TV and film work. The porn industry, then, generates knowledge spillovers for other industries. Such positive externalities mean that there's a market failure; porn is under-supplied by the free market. A subsidy would correct this.
The need for a subsidy is especially pressing because the industry is under threat not just from the availability of free porn on the web, but also competition from another source - women giving it away for free. Both of these can be seen as a form of predatory pricing, or dumping. Many policy-makers believe it’s acceptable to protect industries from this. As it’s impractical to put a tariff on slappers - though I write without knowing Harriet Harman's views - this leaves the only alternative being support for the industry.
In the UK, there’s another case for government support. The strong euro is raising costs. Not only does UK porn have to pay more to its European performers, but also the cost of shooting in foreign locations has soared; filming in the UK is impractical in this weather, isn’t it gentlemen?
We must also remember the cultural importance of the porn business. When we think of the great iconic images of America, what comes to mind? Surely, tits and arse more than cars. After all, no car has ever been elected to high office, but plenty of arses have.
So, surely, isn’t the case for bailing out the porn business at least as strong as that for bailing out the motor industry?"From :
http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2009/01/why-larry-flynts-right.html#comments.
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