(no subject)
Mar. 2nd, 2004 01:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sauergeekFive questions from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dr_memory.
1. Has going to law school challenged any of your basic preconceptions about the legal or political structure of this country? Which ones?
Not really. I went into law school with a fairly good handle on how the law worked -- I'd been tracking law, politics, and policy since I was in college. The only real difference is that now I have a much better handle on how the law works, in excruciating detail.
2. Obvious one: you get to make three completely arbitrary changes to the US Code and have `em stick. What are they and why?
You mean I only get to pick three?! OK, here goes:
1. EU-level privacy regulations, applicable to both government and private entities. Maybe even stronger regulations: anyone who wants to hand out personally identifiable information about someone should have to ask that person if it is OK to do so before handing it out -- each time. No answer would mean no release. If the information was for whatever reason considered public information (such as domain name contact information or property ownership records), the requestor would have to fill out a form stating who he was and why he wanted the information. If the reason was not within acceptable bounds, the request would be denied. If the requestor used the information for anything other than his stated purpose, he could be sued or prosecuted. A copy of the request card would be sent to the person whose information was released. (Yes, this would largely destroy the direct mail and phone advertising industry, as well as any number of other annoyances. Watch me not care.)
The current patchwork of federal and state privacy laws makes interstate privacy issues in this country hell on anyone trying to do business here. Worse, the patchwork is full of holes, so certain things (video rental records, for example) are heavily protected, while medical records don't get anywhere near the level of protection they should have. The EU regards the US as a privacy backwater, and the EU will not sanction sharing EU resident information with companies in the US unless the company agrees to comply with EU regulations. What we should have here is the same kind of privacy rights that a large number of developed (and undeveloped) countries have, instead of the hash that we've made so far.
2. Terminate all corporate welfare (advertising subsidies, protectionist tariffs, and government creation of competition or supporting failing companies). In a similar vein, prohibit states (counties, cities, etc.) from offering targeted tax reductions as bribes for companies to move to that state (county, city, whatever). (Note: I have no problem with general, and as far as I know temporary, reduced tax zones that cities put in place as economic development districts to help with urban renewal. I do have problems with the same cities offering a specific company that same tax cut.)
Providing these subsidies and bribes subverts the useful side of competition -- if you can't sell without help, then go out of business. To compare, I have no problem with government regulating corporations through antitrust law and various federal and state agencies -- those are to keep the un-useful side of competition (monopolies, ecological destruction, pollution, worker injuries, and the like) from having too much effect. In fact, I think there's currently entirely too little oversight of companies to prevent these problems.
3. Immediate ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
My reasons are the usual eco-head's reasons: the US is the biggest generator of greenhouse gases, both in absolute terms and per capita, in the world. Most of these come from energy production, usually from burning hydrocarbons. We could use energy much more efficiently (smaller cars, fewer always-on or always-warm devices, more efficient heating systems, less use of air conditioning) and install a lot more alternative energy (such as wind and solar power) to cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas production. This would likely have the bonus side effect of reducing our oil imports, which in turn would make us less dependent on the whims of other countries (especially with the current administration doing its best to annoy them), and would also help correct our long-standing trade deficit.
Side note: the current administration's fascination with hydrogen power is ludicrous -- generating the hydrogen takes energy, which would have to be produced from something else. Further, the energy used to make the hydrogen would likely be more efficiently used directly, than to make hydrogen which then would be used for whatever the origina purpose of the energy was. (Remember basic engineering: every transformation of energy is inherently lossy because you lose at least a little in heat, noise, or some other mechanism. Usually you lose a large percentage.)
3. I haven't been to your place in ages -- what's the current bird population?
Four. One lovebird (the one you met), one cockatiel (not the one you met -- that one died a few years ago), and two budgies (of the four you met -- two have since died). Unfortunately, the lovebird likely has proventricular dilatation disease, which is communicable, incurable, and eventually fatal, so there will be no birds added until the entire current group is gone. Fortunately for the lovebird, he's responding to an enzyme treatment, so at least he's not starving to death. He's surprisingly healthy for having a fatal disease.
4. What are your plans post-graduation? Are they the same ones you had when you started law school?
My plans are to find a job with the FCC or one of its non-profit watchdogs and work on Internet policy. This is the same reason I went to law school, so nothing much has changed. I did learn that I have no interest in being a patent lawyer though...
5. When are you going to visit NYC again? :)
I have no immediate plans to do so, but that can be easily remedied. Driving to NYC for a weekend trip is easy! (Parking in NYC, however, is not, though I've had good luck on past trips.)
EDIT: If anyone would like me to interview you, let me know.
EDIT to the edit: I'll take more questions if anyone wants to interview me.
dr_memory.1. Has going to law school challenged any of your basic preconceptions about the legal or political structure of this country? Which ones?
Not really. I went into law school with a fairly good handle on how the law worked -- I'd been tracking law, politics, and policy since I was in college. The only real difference is that now I have a much better handle on how the law works, in excruciating detail.
2. Obvious one: you get to make three completely arbitrary changes to the US Code and have `em stick. What are they and why?
You mean I only get to pick three?! OK, here goes:
1. EU-level privacy regulations, applicable to both government and private entities. Maybe even stronger regulations: anyone who wants to hand out personally identifiable information about someone should have to ask that person if it is OK to do so before handing it out -- each time. No answer would mean no release. If the information was for whatever reason considered public information (such as domain name contact information or property ownership records), the requestor would have to fill out a form stating who he was and why he wanted the information. If the reason was not within acceptable bounds, the request would be denied. If the requestor used the information for anything other than his stated purpose, he could be sued or prosecuted. A copy of the request card would be sent to the person whose information was released. (Yes, this would largely destroy the direct mail and phone advertising industry, as well as any number of other annoyances. Watch me not care.)
The current patchwork of federal and state privacy laws makes interstate privacy issues in this country hell on anyone trying to do business here. Worse, the patchwork is full of holes, so certain things (video rental records, for example) are heavily protected, while medical records don't get anywhere near the level of protection they should have. The EU regards the US as a privacy backwater, and the EU will not sanction sharing EU resident information with companies in the US unless the company agrees to comply with EU regulations. What we should have here is the same kind of privacy rights that a large number of developed (and undeveloped) countries have, instead of the hash that we've made so far.
2. Terminate all corporate welfare (advertising subsidies, protectionist tariffs, and government creation of competition or supporting failing companies). In a similar vein, prohibit states (counties, cities, etc.) from offering targeted tax reductions as bribes for companies to move to that state (county, city, whatever). (Note: I have no problem with general, and as far as I know temporary, reduced tax zones that cities put in place as economic development districts to help with urban renewal. I do have problems with the same cities offering a specific company that same tax cut.)
Providing these subsidies and bribes subverts the useful side of competition -- if you can't sell without help, then go out of business. To compare, I have no problem with government regulating corporations through antitrust law and various federal and state agencies -- those are to keep the un-useful side of competition (monopolies, ecological destruction, pollution, worker injuries, and the like) from having too much effect. In fact, I think there's currently entirely too little oversight of companies to prevent these problems.
3. Immediate ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
My reasons are the usual eco-head's reasons: the US is the biggest generator of greenhouse gases, both in absolute terms and per capita, in the world. Most of these come from energy production, usually from burning hydrocarbons. We could use energy much more efficiently (smaller cars, fewer always-on or always-warm devices, more efficient heating systems, less use of air conditioning) and install a lot more alternative energy (such as wind and solar power) to cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas production. This would likely have the bonus side effect of reducing our oil imports, which in turn would make us less dependent on the whims of other countries (especially with the current administration doing its best to annoy them), and would also help correct our long-standing trade deficit.
Side note: the current administration's fascination with hydrogen power is ludicrous -- generating the hydrogen takes energy, which would have to be produced from something else. Further, the energy used to make the hydrogen would likely be more efficiently used directly, than to make hydrogen which then would be used for whatever the origina purpose of the energy was. (Remember basic engineering: every transformation of energy is inherently lossy because you lose at least a little in heat, noise, or some other mechanism. Usually you lose a large percentage.)
3. I haven't been to your place in ages -- what's the current bird population?
Four. One lovebird (the one you met), one cockatiel (not the one you met -- that one died a few years ago), and two budgies (of the four you met -- two have since died). Unfortunately, the lovebird likely has proventricular dilatation disease, which is communicable, incurable, and eventually fatal, so there will be no birds added until the entire current group is gone. Fortunately for the lovebird, he's responding to an enzyme treatment, so at least he's not starving to death. He's surprisingly healthy for having a fatal disease.
4. What are your plans post-graduation? Are they the same ones you had when you started law school?
My plans are to find a job with the FCC or one of its non-profit watchdogs and work on Internet policy. This is the same reason I went to law school, so nothing much has changed. I did learn that I have no interest in being a patent lawyer though...
5. When are you going to visit NYC again? :)
I have no immediate plans to do so, but that can be easily remedied. Driving to NYC for a weekend trip is easy! (Parking in NYC, however, is not, though I've had good luck on past trips.)
EDIT: If anyone would like me to interview you, let me know.
EDIT to the edit: I'll take more questions if anyone wants to interview me.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 09:20 am (UTC)What happens if you give Cheep the seed food that he eats voluntarily, but ground up so that it's easier to get the nutritive contents out of the seed?
I'll admit to a complete lack of avian experience. Most of my "sick pet" experience comes from coaxing the family dog to eat during chemo.
Ginger's weight loss is less severe, so we can bribe her to eat rather than force feeding. Generally, if I'm concerned that she may be too sick to eat, I'll offer a small quantity of a favorite food (e.g. one piece of pepperoni for a 50 lb. dog), then if she takes it, I'll offer progressively larger servings of progressively more nutritious foods, and coax her to eat them. (Say a homemade dog biscuit, then some conventional dog food.)
You mentioned that your bird shows interest in some foods if he sees you eating them. Have you tried eating any of the foods you want him to eat voluntarily in front of him?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 01:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 12:01 am (UTC)2. If you had your choice of any job in the world, what would it be, and why? Feel free to invent a job.
3. You have the opportunity to make one permanent change to society. What would it be and why?
4. What prompted you to get into the computer industry?
5. You may ask one person, living or dead, a single question. Who do you ask, what do you ask, and why?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 12:02 am (UTC)2. What different things do professional industrial designers do? Which of those things interest you?
3. You have the opportunity to make one permanent change to society. What would it be and why?
4. What do you like about living in central New Hampshire? What don't you like?
5. You have just made a scientific discovery, which you now must name. What have you discovered, what do you name it, and why?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 11:10 pm (UTC)2. What is your most pleasant memory of growing up on Long Island? Your least pleasant?
3. You have the opportunity to make one permanent change to society. What would it be and why?
4. Choose a place to live that you've never lived before. Where would it be, how long would you live there, and why?
5. A random object appears in your clean laundry one laundry day. What is it, what do you do with it, and why?