The Off Topic Topic

[Sheilbh]

So the insurance company/care home presumably chased the estate and, once there was nothing less, went after the son?

[MadImmortalMan]

If I inherit my parents' debts, I'm fucked. 

[Ideologue]

The father required care and died years ago in an institution. The insurance tried to get the cost of unpaid bills from the son. The Federal Court has now ruled that the son has to pay, even though his father has basically broken off all ties.

  Since when are debts the responsibility of heirs?  Christ, I agree with Ide on this.

The ruling is not about the estate of the father, but about costs he incurred while still alive. Basically the German social state always expects the family to pay first before it becomes a matter of state. That makes children liable for their parents old-age care. My grandmother had to pay a senior citizens home for her father that she hadn't seen for decades too.

I think there may be a couple of U.S. states that either have this, or tried to implement this, too.  But perhaps I'm imagining it.

[MadImmortalMan]

[The Brain]

How the hell is Sweden considered better than America? We have a lot more restrictions on what we can print.

[Ideologue]

Yes, but there's less to say.

[The Brain]

And why is black bad? Out of all the colors of the rainbow they had to pick that one.

[Barrister]

I can think of no appreciable difference between Canada and the US in terms of press freedom.

[Caliga]

These kinds of things always claim America is almost, but not completely free and always show Scandinavia as being completely free.

[MadImmortalMan]

According to Prudential's retirement locator, I should live in Prescott Arizona when I retire.

The second, third and fourth choices were:

Fairbanks
Kodiak
Juneau


WTF. 

[Ideologue]

According to Prudential's retirement locator, I should live in Prescott Arizona when I retire.

The second, third and fourth choices were:

Fairbanks
Kodiak
Juneau


WTF. 

Fifth choice: Ice Station Zebra.

[Barrister]

According to Prudential's retirement locator, I should live in Prescott Arizona when I retire.

The second, third and fourth choices were:

Fairbanks
Kodiak
Juneau


WTF. 

Followed your links, got:

Prescott
Sierra Vista, AZ
Fairbanks
Juneau

What a really stupid survey.

[garbon]

Tampa
Orlando
Fort Myers
Honolulu

Okay, thank you, Prudential, for nothing.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I can think of no appreciable difference between Canada and the US in terms of press freedom.

From their full report (which will no doubt result in much eye-rolling here):

This has been the case in the United States (46th), which fell 13 places, one of the most significant declines, amid increased efforts to track down whistleblowers and the sources of leaks. The trial and conviction of Private Bradley Manning and the pursuit of NSA analyst Edward Snowden were warnings to all those thinking of assisting in the disclosure of sensitive information that would clearly be in the public interest.

US journalists were stunned by the Department of Justice's seizure of Associated Press phone records without warning in order to identify the source of a CIA leak. It served as a reminder of the urgent need for a "shield law" to protect the confidentiality of journalists' sources at the federal level. The revival of the legislative process is little consolation for James Risen of The New York Times, who is subject to a court order to testify against a former CIA employee accused of leaking classified information. And less still for Barrett Brown, a young freelance journalist facing 105 years in prison in connection with the posting of information that hackers obtained from Statfor, a private intelligence company with close ties to the federal government.

[derspiess]

I can think of no appreciable difference between Canada and the US in terms of press freedom.

IIRC it can be punishable in Canada to publish "hate facts", so you guys have that one against you.

Also, Argentina should be red given the current government's actions against press coverage it doesn't like.