Meeting Minutes

At today's casual meeting of the Mikes in the department hallway, membership for Dan, whose confirmation name is Mike, was voted and accepted by unanimous voice vote.

In other business, discussion of the 30 articles in the recent U.S. News magazine issue resulted in pointed comments on the amazing ways that other countries have bested the U.S.A.

Mike pointed out that the Japanese have an amazing toilet with specifically individualized features for cleanliness sold for thousands of dollars and yet remained popular on the market.

In Europe, Mike added, an experiment in removing all traffic signs, signals and street lines resulted "counter-intuitively" in a reduction in traffic accidents and problems.

Mike also noted that Finland has the highest marks when it comes to education, with specially noteworthy record of the smallest differential between the highest and lowest students.

Here's more:

How They Do It Better
By U.S. News Staff
Special Report: 30 Valuable Lessons That Americans Can Learn From the Rest of the World
Europe: Giving Drivers the Benefit of the Doubt
Germany, Netherlands: Making the Streets Safer for Cycling
Dominican Republic: Where Ballplayers Are Born and Made
Colombia: All Aboard South America's Upper-Class Bus
Finland: Sticking It to the Scofflaw
Europe: Flying on the Cheap
Japan, South Korea: Want a Drink? Pay With Your Phone
France: Talking Is a World-Class Sport
Japan: Even the Toilet Is High-Tech
Australia: Protection From the Sun
Afghanistan: Honored to Be Your Host
Japan: Skimpy Portions and Satisfied Stomachs
Netherlands: Below Sea Level? No Problem
Finland: The Secret to Smarter Schools
Germany: Novel Aides for the Aged
Sweden: Straight Facts About the Birds and Bees
Italy: Food Not as Fuel but as a Way of Life
Taiwan: The Afternoon Nap Attack
Japan: Communing Through Cleaning
Netherlands: Abuse as a Disease, Not a Crime
Singapore: When You Litter, You Pay
Norway: Getting Paid for Parenting
Europe: Holes That Make for Better Roads
Bhutan: Smoke-Free at the Top of the World
Iceland: Pristine Reputation for Government
United Kingdom: Finding Yourself (and the World) in a Year
Europe: Cities With a Heart
Denmark: Energy Efficiency From the Wind
United Kingdom: Free Health Coverage for All
Japan: More Stressed, but Still Safer

Read and enjoy!