Here's an example of competition EU-style. As the 'Union' continues to debate structural changes to its system ahead of the arrival of new members from Eastern Europe, tax is coming onto the agenda. France and Germany want to harmonize value-added and corporation taxes across the EU to (as the London Independent puts it) "improve the working of the EU's single market".

Well, there's euphemism for you. The real reason for the agreement between these two corporatist states over the need for tax harmonization is that they both resent the way in which those EU countries with lower tax rates (notably the UK and Ireland) have been able to attract investment from abroad at their expense. In Brussels-speak that's 'unfair tax competition' and, clearly, quite unacceptable.

Any such move would be bad news too for the EU's prospective new recruits from the East. These poorer countries need the investment that lower tax rates would bring (free market Estonia, for example, has no corporation tax at all), but it seems that their rich uncles in Paris and Berlin want to deny them that chance.

Why, Kathryn, what a kind thought. But, as I write this, you should know that I am happily listening to that fine compilation CD, Golden Throats. Shatner is 'singing' Mr. Tambourine Man in enjoyably melodramatic style and there's more, much more, to look forward to...

Since you have boldly taken the Corner into territory where it is not normally permitted to go, I'll just mention that I went to see the new Trek film late last night. Like most franchise movies, it is lazily made, to say the least. Nemesis is, however, far, far better than the last effort, which was truly dreadful. Good bad guys, hokey philosophizing, cultish in-jokes and cool spaceships. Who could ask for more?

When I said many of the emails I get are "terrible" I misspoke. What I meant -- which I think many people understood -- is that many of the emails are entirely unhelpful and were intended to be that way. Sometimes, when I ask a question, people tell me "you could always look it up." Cute, funny. Hah ha. But when you get it seventy five times, it's pretty annoying. Still, I suppose they aren't strictly speaking, "terrible." My apologies to anyone I might have offended.

It took a week for the home warranty folks to follow-through. But I now have a new furnace. And heat. Ahhhh.

So sayeth this reader:

Mr. Goldberg,

After so many days of discussing Trent Lott's unthinking arrogance, I would have expected you to have a less condescending view of your own readers. You may find this hard to believe, but most of us don't set out to write "terrible" replies. It's just the best we can do. I'm sure that book editors fervently wish that prospective authors wouldn't trouble them with so many "terrible" manuscripts.

Perhaps you could get advice from your fellow superstars (Leo DiCaprio comes to mind) on how to handle the annoyances of the great unwashed. Until then, I'll make a deal with you. I won't trouble you with my writings and I can certainly see to it that am not troubled with yours.

I hope the rest of you don't feel this way.

From a university psychologist:

One reasonable approach to a flood of responses would be to use what Herbert Simon called 'satisficing.' Simon (who died in Feb. 2001) was a
cognitive psychologist at Carnegie Mellon, and a Nobel Prize winner in
Economics for his work on decision making (you may recall that another
cognitive psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, was co-winner of the Economics
Nobel this year). Satisficing is a combination of satisfying and
sufficing. Simon argued that humans have evolved to make decisions
quickly, because our ancestors lived in a tough neighbourhood. Instead
of considering all possible options before acting, those ancestors
considered something like a random subset of options, and chose the best
option from that subset. Statistically, the best option in that subset
should be close to the best option in the whole set of options.

So what you could do is just randomly sample n emails from the set of
N responses you get to a question. The more time you have, the closer n
is to N and the more likely you are to get the full benefit of all your
readers' wisdom. But even when you have less time, this satisficing
strategy should help. It's been tested for thousands of years.

Ms. Lopez' has to be the worst person in the Corner at making pop-culture references....With all of the great cold-based characters from comic books (e.g. - Mr. Freeze for DC, the Iceman for Marvel), Star Wars (Luke and Han Solo when they hollowed out their steed on the ice planet), television (how about the dozens of MASH episodes where it was really cold), or even other cartoons (Bugs Bunny taking a wrong turn at Alburquerque and ending up in the Antarctic), she throws out the Care Bears???? I'm boycotting her postings for an hour in protest.

Lott and the CCC Our item on Lott yesterday cited a National Review Online piece by Robert George that inadvertently exaggerated the senator's relationship with the "racialist" Council of Conservative Citizens. Although it's true that a column written by Lott has appeared in the CCC's publication, Citizen Informer, Lott did not write this column specifically for the group; rather, his office "syndicated" it.

I was really very disappointed to see that the NRO writers' Christmas list was what they wanted us to buy, not what they wanted for themselves. I was hoping for a list of what they want. I thought it might go something like this:
Jonah Goldberg: 1. Warmth 2. Warmth 3. Warmth 4. Warmth 5. A living wage with which to fix the furnace
John Derbyshire: 1. A bigger can of marmite than Andrew Stuttaford 2. A better can of marmite than Andrew Stuttaford 3. A specially bound copy of the U.S. Constitution
Michael Ledeen: 1. Command over the U.S. armed forces, at least until Osama's head is on his wall
Victor Davis Hanson 1. History classes for little boys and girls that actually teach history 2. To borrow Osama's head from Mr. Ledeen for parties

Corner contributor and Case Western Reserve law prof, Jonathan Adler is on C-Span right now and he has dismayingly long hair.

I've been thinking about this for a very long time, although parallel computer may not be the right phrase. As most readers must have noticed, many Cornerites post queries of readers. Rich and I ask you folks for info, insights etc on all sorts of subjects every time we have a syndicated column to write. It is consistently astounding how much knowledge and wisdom -- not just data and opinion -- our readers have. If I could I would ask you people questions about everything under the sun. And that's the problem. Asking readers to explain something always has a downside. Often, it's like trying to take a sip from a garden hose. If I ask anything from "Was Star Trek a Cold War morality tale?" to "Did Leo Strauss believe in God?" I will get scores or hundreds of responses. Many of them are terrible or just silly jokes. But quite a few of them will be brilliant beyond all expectations. If I ask a factual question, like "how much wood is in a cord?" I will get the same answer five hundred times or I will get emails from people offering wild guesses. Sometimes Rich or I will say "If you can't answer by noon, please don't bother" because if we don't do that, we'll get emails for weeks after we've filed. That's all fine, this is something of a community and I'm not really complaining about that.

But what I've been trying to figure out is, How can I tap into the collective knowledge of Corner readers without getting so many gratuitous responses? Because in a sense, I have a database of expertise and knowledge not available to kings, presidents or CEOs. Is there a system we could come up with where I might say something like "This is a level 7 question: Does OPEC exist because oil is cheap?" and that would mean that people without specialized knowledge should ignore it?

I don't know if this makes sense, but we've got what amounts to a giant organic computer out there. And, when you think about it, there should be a way to discipline the spontaneous order behind it.

A lawyer-reader agrees with me:

Jonah,

You might add in your response to Mike Potemra that he's not on Scalia's side in this one, if the oral argument is any indication (and I think it was). Scalia repeatedly drew the obvious analogy of cross burning to waving a gun in the air (loaded or not) and screaming, "I hate blacks and will kill any of them that stick around here." Nobody thinks its lawful to run around waving guns in the air and issuing such threats. All acts, at some level, are expressive and convey some idea. The act of cross burning is NOT, however, limited to merely expressing the idea that blacks should die. As several of Justices pointed out, Thomas most passionately, it is an act that is intended to terrorize blacks into leaving a community by making the consequences of staying quite clear. There is no similar "message" conveyed when stupid protesters burn a flag. Justice Scalia understood this as well as any of the Justices. And when the case is decided, perhaps 9-0 in favor of the cross-burning ban, I hope more First Amendment purists will understand it too.

I'm scheduled to be on tomorrow morning from 8-9. Will let ya know if that changes.

He's just very sneaky.

A bunch of geeks have chastized me for my spelling of the Klingon word "Kepla!" As one fellow wrote me -- after charging me "five dork-demerits" -- "If you're trying to wish 'success' in Klingon, it's not 'Kepla,' it's 'Qapla'".

Of course, others have written me to say it's Q'pla! or Qplah and so on. Now, let's be clear. 1. Klingon is not a real language (though it is fast becoming one). 2. All of these words are phonetic transliterations, so whatever english spelling I use for making the sound of another language are ok. 3. Shhhhhhhhh. Arguing with people about how to spell things in Klingon can get you wedgied by the football team.

But this does raise, albeit tangentially, a pet peeve of mine. Why do we have to spell or pronounce the names of other countries the way they want us to? Why can't we still call Peking, Peking? That's just our word for Beijing. After all, it's not like we say "Roma" for Rome, even though that's the way the Italians say it. Chinese restaurants now call it "Beijing Duck" on the menu. Come on!

I definitely think it was missing something without ya. No sarcasm, I swear.

An reader responds:

"My only question is, how come Christians don't get more vocally upset about cross-burning? I don't necessarily mean in terms of the racist aspect. I mean, when someone burns the American flag, we're outraged. Isn't burning the enduring symbol of christianity bad too?"

Wrong context. The burning cross is an ancient Scottish symbol for summoning
the strength of the clan in time of danger.
http://thecapitalscot.com/pastfeatures/crossfire.html

Since many Southerners, especially in Appalachia, were of Scots/Irish descent,
they developed the KKK out of what they knew, which the use of "Klan" makes
pretty obvious. For a more innocuous analog, think of the Shriners.

Many Scottish clan chiefs have, as a crest, an arm holding a cross, an obvious
allusion. http://www.clan-donald-usa.org/ See for a good example.

I recommend to you the historical novel THE FIERY CROSS by Diana Gabaldon, in
which she describes very nicely this custom as practiced by Scottish immigrants
to North Carolina around the time of the American Revolution. (It's a damned
good story, too.)

Yesterday the Washington Post ran an endless profile of an immigrant from Mali working two jobs in Atlanta. The author makes it sound like this guy cleaning the men's room at the Atlanta airport should be ashamed of his job. And if he wasn't before the Post piece came out, I'm sure he will after reading it.

The author makes a huge deal over the fact that this guy is black:

One day he's scouring the men's bathroom across from Gate A-19 when a black American walks up. The stranger looks at him and asks, as if to shake Adama awake, "Man, why do you work in here? This is nasty."

It took Adama a while to figure out what the man meant, why he was so bothered.
Displayed under glass at the Atlanta airport is Martin Luther King Jr.'s preacher robe, his watch and his handwritten letters with words scratched out, the words begging for a new day to dawn.

Here it is almost 40 years later and a young black man is scrubbing toilets in the gateway to the South.....

He didn't realize that his job emptying garbage cans was full of symbolism. It wouldn't occur to him to be angry. He has no antenna for racial slights.

Oh no! A newly arrived, hardworking immigrant hasn't bought into America's racial baggage. What a tragedy. Perhaps we'd all be better off if African immigrants were handed a chip to put on their shoulder the moment they arrive. Look: Cleaning toilets is no great job, I think we can all agree. But, um, could the Post concede that someone does in fact need to clean toilets? If they have a better way to fill the jobs than with people eager for a new start in America, I'm all ears.

A reader clarifies:

"Perhaps you're hearing this for the 4923028th time, but Klansmen like to stipulate that they *light* crosses, not *burn* them.

It seems to me that since the burning bush is the only biblically sanctioned wood that does not burn, this is a distinction without a difference.

I think cross burning is a wonderfully rich topic. Opponents of hate crimes legislation, like myself, must recognize that some forms of "speech" really are beyond the pale. Free speech absolutists -- not like myself -- need to recognize that simply "adding more perspectives" doesn't make democracy richer or better. And, because rightwing racists love to tout "state rights" have to deal with the fact that a state can ban certain speech. I agree with the Klan that cross-burning is speech. I just disagree that it should be protected. My only question is, how come Christians don't get more vocally upset about cross-burning? I don't necessarily mean in terms of the racist aspect. I mean, when someone burns the American flag, we're outraged. Isn't burning the enduring symbol of christianity bad too?

I just got this from an angry Muslim fellow. I wonder if someone could help me understand what the heck this sentence means: "They were non-protesting Christians, bloodsucker, a Dahmer. "

The World hates your hateful position. There is no need to compare Joshua or Mohammad both were man. Born to a woman. We know Mohammad's father died early. Muslims revere Joshua. His philosophy is outdated in todays scud ridden world. Billions of Muslims are being insulted by you. You look like a pig in there eyes. Nazi? They were non-protesting Christians, bloodsucker, a Dahmer. Before this century is over your grand son will be polishing a Muslim's shoes. Stop earning by throwing stones on my religion. Robertson corporation is no better than prostitutes, gamblers.

Herewith the answers to yesterday's geek gibberish:

ana:l nathrakh, u:rth va:s bethud, dokhje:l djenve
I had no idea how to spell this, but this was the most "authentic" looking version on the web. I could have just written "anal nathrakh," but I’m not into that sort of thing.
Anyway, this is the Charm of Making from "Excalibur."

Yee plebneesta:
Admittedly this is one of many phonetic interpretations. It is the mutated beginning of the U.S. Constitution from the "Omega Glory" episode of "Star Trek."
Muadib and Shai-Hulud are both from the Dune novels. Muadib was Paul Atreidis messianic Fremen name. It means, I believe, little mouse or some such. Shai-Hulud is what they called the giant worms and what they tended to call God.
Crom is of course Conan’s God. Conan yells his name whenever he’s pissed off. Crom is an uncaring God, unlike Ed Capano, Publisher of National Review, which is why I never yell, "Capano! My furnace is still broken!"
Grabthar’s Hammer, was what the Spockish character swore by in Galaxy Quest.
Kepla, is Klingon. But we all knew that.
Glamdring is, I believe, the name of Gandalf’s sword. But I could have also sworn it meant lots of noise.
And, lastly, there’s "Mar! Whompa! Whompa!," which was definitely the stumper for nearly everyone. "Mar! Whompa! Whompa!" comes from the commercial for Star Wars action figures from when I was a kid. The kid playing with the snow beast from Ice Planet Hoth yells "Mar! Whompa! Whompa!" while holding it in front of Han and Luke.

In short: Thank God I'm already married.

Now the London Times picks up on the increasing worries among Eastern Europeans as to what they might be giving up in joining Brussels. Here's an extract:

"The EU is making a comic theatre out of its decision to take on ten new members this week, but the truth is that it has spent the past two years bullying and bludgeoning Central Europe. Tens of thousands of pages of detailed entry requirements have been foisted on the East. Now, on the eve of the Copenhagen summit which seals the deal, the strain is starting to show.

The over-regulated EU, run by a swollen bureaucracy, has done its level best to neutralise the East as future competitors and stifle the very energy that makes the region historically important and economically significant. For sure, we should celebrate the growing together of East and West. But this long-winded negotiation, staggering this week into its final days, was conducted like a hostile takeover bid. Next year Central Europeans will hold referendums to approve the Copenhagen offer; not surprisingly it looks likely to be a close-run vote in several countries. The EU has behaved disgracefully: the historic fusion of the continent has become a petty exercise, a veritable flea circus.

Competition is being quietly, systematically squashed. Eastern regions with special investment incentives will have to be phased out — the Czech Republic cannot, after all, be allowed to lure investment away from eastern Germany. Just to make certain that Polish milk can never compete with imported German milk, the European Commission has declared that only 38 dairies meet EU standards. “We like our milk this way,” a Polish official recently told a visitor from Planet Brussels. For the commission, this is a very weak argument indeed. "

He's not that Dusty Rhodes. But he's still pretty cool.

Mar, whompa, whompa! -- ana:l nathrakh, u:rth va:s bethud, dokhje:l djenve -- Yee plebneesta -- Muadib! -- Shail-Hulud! -- Crom! -- Grabthar's hammer!

Sorry, I am losing my mind. The pop-culture center of my brain cracked open from the cold and the non-English phrases poured and other Glamdring poured out. I will provide an answer key later. Kepla!