Meet ACTA: PIPA and SOPA's Big Brother

I just signed this urgent petition from Access calling on the European Parliament to vote NO on a dangerous international treaty, ACTA. I'm forwarding this to you because of how important it is that we stop it, so please join me and the thousands from around the world and sign below. Continue reading below the link for what Access has to say about ACTA:

Heres the link: https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta

"All of the things that you and I enjoy about using the Internet, like the ability to speak freely and widespread access to information, is under threat with a dangerous new international treaty, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. This intellectual property agreement, which has already been signed by several countries, will force ISPs and websites to track our every move, turn over our personal information, and report our activity to the government, all in the name of copyright protection.

The European Parliament still has to approve ACTA for it to go into effect around the world. If they vote NO, then ACTA will be effectively dismantled -- even in countries that have already signed it. We helped bring down SOPA and PIPA in the US, now let's turn the fight to ACTA. Now matter where you live, call on the EU Parliament to take a stand and vote “NO” on ACTA!"

For more information on ACTA, go here: https://www.accessnow.org/what-is-acta

No-give, No-take in Israel

An excellent idea (fully in line with Libertarian theory) to increase the rate of organ donation.
Of course there is also the selfish side that I've had my organ donor status as yes on my drivers license for 14 years :D

No-give, No-take in Israel:

In Entrepreneurial Economics I argued for a “no give, no take” system for organ donation–people who signed their organ donor cards would be given priority over non-signers should they one day need an organ. The idea has an element of justice to it but the primary goal is to increase the incentive to sign one’s organ donor card.

Israel recently adopted this policy by giving extra points on the allocation system to people who previously signed the organ donor card. In the case of kidneys, for example, two points (on a 0-18 point scale) are given if the candidate had three or more years previous to being listed signed their organ card.  One point is given if a first-degree relative had signed and 3.5 points if a first-degree relative had previously donated.

It’s early but so far the policy appears to be very successful:

Due to the population’s surge of interest in obtaining an organ donor card, the Adi-National Israel Transplant Center has extended through March 31 the deadline to register as a donor and receive special benefits.

…During the past few weeks, Adi’s phone system has collapsed several times due to the high demand.

Since Adi decided to give preferential treatment to those registering as a potential organ donor, tens of thousands of people have registered, raising the number of potential donors to over 600,000. Until last year, the rate of registration was among the lowest in the Western world.

Hat tip to David Undis whose excellent group Lifesharers (I am an adviser) is implementing a private version of no-give, no take in the United States.

Here is my piece on Life Saving Incentives and here are previous MR posts on organ donation.

The Problem With Patents (Infographic)

What is amazing through this is that even though the patent system often seems to grant patents for absurdly obvious things (and ignoring prior art / visualisations) - is how complex the process is when there is a genuine breakthrough that deserves protection.

So it would seem to be failing on that front as well.

Source: http://frugaldad.com

The next charter school

With the newly announced ability to setup charter schools - how upset would anyone in New Zealand be to have one of these replace their local?

A great way to give

Why not give a little bit of time for your favorite charity (which of course would be Kiwi Flora & Fauna Savings Trust...)

Join Buzz the People and they will donate to your selected charity in reward for answering occasional email surveys. You get quizzed all the time so why not use this to expand the community?

"Buzz.ThePeople is a group of New Zealanders who tell us what they think by doing the occasional survey.

In doing so our members go into draws to win prizes, donate their points to charity, raise money for their schools or redeem their reward points for vouchers."

Just remember to select Kiwi Flora & Fauna Savings Trust!

Make your submissions now

Good on the BNZ for showing why capitalism ultimately does work when the consumers aren't greedy;

Get your submissions in now and lets use this to get some trees in the ground!

Promoting a good cause

I'm sure more charities should take this view of their causes being more persistent than the current group of funders!

Not often I agree with Labour

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10620043

But I'm behind this one 100%!!

"We are generally dumber, sicker, poorer, more pissed, drugged and pregnant than any other group of people in New Zealand. We know the problem, but what's the solution? Well let's repeal the Foreshore and Seabed and put the F&S into Maori title. We can be dumber, sicker, poorer, more pissed, drugged and pregnant at the beach. That'll make all the difference." (Labour MP Kelvin Davis)