I have two pet rats right now, one black and one light brown. The black one is more solitary and "pessimistic," while the light brown one is more "optimistic." The black one is also thinner than the light brown one.

They are quite intelligent, though, and strategic for being so small. Sometimes they team up to accomplish the same task. It only takes one run through a house/path and they have it memorized.

Re: The French Connections - newspeak warning

I agreed with everything in the article up until the last which is so off base it makes a joke of the whole article but sheds light on the problem the American left has with the terminology of capitalism.

"But it's interesting to learn that health care isn't the only area in which the French, who can take a pragmatic approach because they aren't prisoners of free-market ideology, simply do things better."

The failures in US to increase broadband penetration as described in the article are not because the US is a prisoner of free-market ideology - it's because there is not enough of a free market ideology.

Damn it. Kleptocratic grasping corporations are not being free market when they restrict competition. That's a closed market. Anti-trust laws and competition laws foster the free market by enforcing access and promoting competition. In Europe they are promoting the free market when they enforce standards, and create level playing fields lowering the barriers to entry so that there are more players to compete.

I hate and loathe it when capitalism and 'free-market ideology' are equated with the kleptocratic, anti-competitive, monopolistic activities of corporations.

True liberalism is highly capitalistic, using market forces to create wealth and opportunities for employment... capitalism is not kleptocratism. A free market ideology is not closed markets - that's Orwell's newspeak talking.

That said - the article was pretty good. In Hong Kong we have one major incumbent telco that is forced to provide wholesale broadband to other companies that compete on price. I get 3 mbs fixed IP all I can eat for USD15 a month. All due to a regulator that created a level playing field so that capitalism can run free.

All power to 'free-market ideology' - the more the better. Krugman's terminology is just wrong... don't fall into the same newspeak trap Krugman has stepped in.

Respectance, a social network for people who have passed away via Burningbird

Anyone could do the same thing for free at Ning or with Google's free web pages service. kind of like the Hallmark-easy way to say I love you.

I have had pet rats for over a decade now. They are intelligent, affectionate, and trainable to a certain extent if you put the time into it.

Males are more laid back and females the explorers so get the one you're sure you can live with, but they are all wonderful animals. If tame.

I'd love to see more articles of the sort.