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PBS’s FRONTLINE program, which always achieves an incredible level of journalism, recently ran a program on healthcare systems around the world. The premise of the program is whether the U.S. could learn anything from other modern, post-industrial, capitalist societies. The answer, of course, is “yes, the U.S. has a lot to learn.”

[From FRONTLINE:sick around the world | PBS]

Hillary Clinton today stated that “When it comes to finishing a fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit.”

I would like to point out that in the movie Rocky, he lost.

[From BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Clinton will fight 'like Rocky']

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut the federal funds rate by 75 basis points today, on continuing concerns that the US economy is going down the tubes fast. With inflation on the rise, the dollar on the slide, and more and more jobs simply ceasing to exist, it’s hard to argue.

According to the BBC, the Bank of New York is quoted as saying that “By cutting 75 points rather than 100 points, the Fed sought to restore leadership over the market and indicate that its actions would not be entirely dictated by market expectations.”

How exactly is this not giving in to “market expectations” entirely? Its as if the Fed said to the (stock) market: “Okay. We’ll bake you a cake. We’ll ice the cake for you. We’ll even put candles on the cake. But you better believe we’re not going to light the candles for you. You can’t tell us what to do.”

From [BBC NEWS | Business | Federal Reserve slashes US rates]

After a week, I’ve finally been able to put two words together without wondering if someone is trying to trick me. It’s finally time to talk about the bar exam.

First, it is an absolutely miserable experience. The morning of the exam, I likened the bar to a fraternity hazing ritual à la “Animal House”. Second, the exam does not require any depth of knowledge. As Brandon puts it, the bar exam is “a test of minimal competency”; incidentally, if you look up the phrase “minimal competency” in the dictionary, my picture is there.

Okay, to the exam itself:

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft has been fined (again) by the European Union. This time, the Commission brought down the hammer, fining Microsoft € 899 million ($1.35 billion) for failing to comply with a previous decision on patent licensing fees.

While the fine may only be a fraction of the company’s revenue, the fine represents about 10% of the company’s 2007 revenues, putting it towards the maximum end of the fine allowed. Under EC competition rules, a company may only be fined a maximum of 10% of its previous year’s turnover.

[From European Commission Competition Authority ]

I will be in Baltimore for the next few days taking the Maryland state bar examination. The exam is two days long with the first day consisting of essays. After that, it’s pretty much downhill.

If you need to reach me, you won’t be able. I will be tuning out the outside world until Thursday morning.

For those who really hate themselves, you can simulate my pain by going to the state board of law examiners‘ website and downloading old exam questions. If you’re thinking about becoming a lawyer, this is a good way to dissuade you.

I will be in Baltimore for the next few days taking the Maryland state bar examination. The exam is two days long with the first day consisting of essays. After that, it’s pretty much downhill.

If you need to reach me, you won’t be able. I will be tuning out the outside world until Thursday morning.

For those who really hate themselves, you can simulate my pain by going to the state board of law examiners‘ website and downloading old exam questions. If you’re thinking about becoming a lawyer, this is a good way to dissuade you.

The BBC is reporting that UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw is suggesting that Britain join the 21st 18th Century by creating a formal, written constitution. Such a quaint idea has been a long time coming.

While the Brits have had a collection of rights for centuries, there is no single document a barrister or judge can point to that spells out exactly what an individual’s rights are.

Britain is also a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, although it does not have the force of “primary legislation” in the UK. Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 3.

Codification of a constitution is perhaps the most essential legal base that can exist in the modern world. In the 19th Century, the United States began the process of codifying her laws, mirroring — albeit quite poorly — the continental model.

According to M. Straw, such a process “could take 20 years or more.”

[From BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Straw's written constitution hint]