I was surprised that in the article and in the linked survey article there was no mention of WHY a doc would want to restrict information.

I know there are abuses, but simply agreeing with a lobbyists is nothing wrong. The MEP, it seems to me, has to think about businesses in Europe as well as individuals so there has to be a balance in the regulations. There could and should be lobbyists on both sides of an issue since all a lobbyists does is represent a group and bring their opinion to the decision makers. So here we have a business lobbyist convincing a conservative (pro business) MEP that the lobbyist's position has merit. Not a tough sell. Since US companies have a stake in the decision then their sharing their opinions is natural. If the MEP agrees with the lobbyists position then using their wording is no surprise.

So until someone starts talking about secret payments of some kind, all I see is someone being convinced.

A driver in DC recently challenged a camera speeding ticket because the camera was set to flag drivers at 45 miles an hour when the construction zone speed limit was actually lower. He beat the ticket even though the camera was set to high, and he never denied that he was speeding. Oh, and did I mention that the guy is a cop who had recently been part of the automated traffic enforcement unit?

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-01-02/local/36211549_1_45-mph-limit-camera-program-photo-enforcement

"Alpha children wear grey They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever.
I'm really awfuly glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard."

It isn't that simple. I eat whatever I want and don't workout much and I haven't been able to gain weight ever in my life, and I have tried. I lived off of fast food lunches for several years when I was single but for some reason my body doesn't respond to the calories. I don't have high cholesterol or high BP and the doc says I am healthy - just skinny. I have met several people like me, and others that I know that (if they ate what I ate) would balloon up rather quickly.

I have been a full-time independent Crystal Reports consultant since 1995. I have helped hundreds of customers improve their business with nothing more than a copy of Crystal Reports and (if needed) a third party tool for scheduling or Email delivery or end user viewing. None of my clients would have a use for these 'full stack' BI tools. They may be free but the cost in time to implement them and even to understand what they do is not free. I have found that $450 for a copy of Crystal and maybe a few hundred for some extra tools can make a huge difference to people who are managing small businesses with spreadsheets. I am still waiting for a better combination to come along but haven't found one. Of course, I might be a bit biased.

I wouldn't call these 'my' standards or arbitrary. I think the qualities I listed are pretty universal concepts, if not self evident. Can you suggest any improvements?
Also, maybe it isn't as objective as a tape measure, but I think what I have written allows us to be less subjective and compare works in ways that are somewhat measurable, and beyond our personal preferences.

When I decided that my music degree wasn't going to give me the career I wanted, I decided to get an accounting degree. I used Thomas Edison State College in NJ which is regionally accredited but was all non-resident at that time. I was able to use CLEP, ACT, and other similar tests to test out of 75 accounting and business credits over 2 years. TESC combined those with my liberal arts credits from my music degree to award my accounting degree. When I went to Trenton State for graduate study I was prepared to explain my degree, but I didn't need to. The admissions person said that they had very good luck with Thomas Edison grads because they knew how to study on their own.

And if unions convince a corrupt or incompetent legislature to make impossible promises? A corporation that did that would just go bankrupt and start over and the promise would have to be adjusted. This does happen. I think states have to have a similar option.

Here are what I consider the 5 qualities of great art:

        Powerful – It has an affect on your mind and emotions and is compelling.
        Accessible – The affect it has on you is worth the effort you put into appreciating it.
        Elevating - When it moves you, it moves you toward personal growth.
        Universal – It can move people from different cultures and different time periods.
        Perennial - It has the same power the second and third time you experience it.

This link explains it in more detail:
http://www.kensken.com/archives/52