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Data-Mining Ban Struck Down By US Supreme Court
smitty777 writes "The Supreme Court struck down in Sorrell vs IMS Health a Vermont law banning data mining which has been in place since 2007. The court ruled that the data on medications prescribed by doctors is protected by the First Amendment and can be used for marketing by the pharmaceutical companies. This follows similar declarations in Maine and New Hampshire."
Many years ago, when I was back in high school, a friend of mine and I were on our way to the Bronx from the East Village. We got on the 6 Train at Astor Place and we were planning on taking it two stops to 23rd street where we could catch the express bus to the Bronx. Yes we were being lazy.
Upon entering the subway car we noticed that at the foot of the doors directly across us was a giant pile of shit. It didn't stink, but was there. I have no idea how the shit got there, but it was there and it really didn't look like dog crap. I am pretty sure that it was bum shit.
Being that my buddy and I are good New Yorkers and are used to such things on our public transportation system, we just ignored it as it didn't smell. The rest of the people in the car ignored it as well. With our backs against the door, our train lurched forward to 14th street.
At 14th street our train pulled in and the opposite doors to the ones we were standing at opened to the station. The subway sat there a bit too long as they tend to do. we waited as we were to get off at the stop after 14th street, when we noticed this young, clean cut kid running to catch the train. He was frantically waving to someone as he was trying to make it and not looking where he was going. He just made the train as the doors were closing
As soon as the doors closed he jumped in the subway car, his foot went right in the shit, and he slipped, falling directly into the giant pile of human excrement!
The train was barreling uptown to 23rd street and all eyes were on the kid sitting with his back against the subway door and in a pile of crap. There was a terrifying hush. The kid, stunned, wiped his face. Scooping a handful of brown mess from his face, he realized that he had shit smeared from his head, all the way down to his ass. With this crystal clear realization he began to violently throw up on himself.
As soon as this horror began it ended. Our train pulled into the 23rd street station, the doors opened, my friend and I calmly stepped backwards and everyone else in the car very quietly, but swiftly got out.
The last thing I saw was some poor schmuck smeared with from head to toe, and sitting in bum shit, violently puking on himself as the doors close and the train speeding away.
I was stunned as was everybody else. Then my buddy said "Imagine what they are going to think at 28th street".
I love New York.
Mr. Brooks