Soapbox

I am sick and tired of product introductions dubbed “HD” because they support 720p (yes, I am looking at you, Nikon D90 and Flip Mino HD).

HD starts at 1080p. Deal with it.

In politics, the tripod is the most unstable of all structures.

Frank Herbert, Dune

One day, the manufacturers of dining tables will finally discover that four-legged tables are guaranteed to wobble, and opt for stabler tripod or monopods instead.

It is a paradox of Franco-German relations that German Chancellors of the center-left get on better with French Presidents of the center-right and vice versa. Helmut Schmidt worked hand in hand with Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, but had little rapport with François Mitterrand (then again, Schmidt never suffered fools gladly). Mitterrand in turn had an excellent relationship with Helmut Kohl, who did not get well with Jacques Chirac. Chirac had some differences with Gerhard Schröder, but saw mostly eye to eye with him. Neither Chirac nor Nicolas Sarkozy seem to have much chemistry with Angela Merkel.

Simply because it does not involve running through the gauntlet of the typical corporate purchasing bureaucracy…

If someone richer than you implores you to do something out of patriotism, keep a close eye on your wallet.