dose, presidential, mediocre, roadblocks

 

Fans of high-speed rail may criticise Amtrak, America's government-backed passenger railway, for announcing that the top speed of the new trains it is seeking for the north-east corridor will be just 160 mph (257.5 kph). The previous aim was 60 mph faster. But this reassessment of its priorities represents a welcome dose of realism http://econ.st/1glZnef

 

 

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"The roadblocks may prove to be too great, but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested."

PRESIDENT OBAMA, referring to Iran in a speech at the United Nations.


Sanford Case a New Dose of Bad News for Republicans
By JIM RUTENBERG
The confession of an affair by Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, the second in little more than a week from a potential Republican presidential contender, raised concerns about efforts to rebuild the party.

So in the end, informal rules observed by a small clique of insiders cannot really substitute for a formal rule of law. As we can see today, modern liberal democracies constrained by law and elections often produce mediocre or weak leaders. Sometimes democracies elect monsters, such as Adolf Hitler. But at least the formal procedures constraining power through law and elections put big roadblocks in the path of a really bad emperor. Despite having beaten back Mr Bo’s challenge in the short run, the Chinese system has not solved this institutional problem yet. It now has a real opportunity to do so, which I hope the new leadership coming into power will take up.
 所以，一小群內部人遵循的非正式規則，最終不能真正取代正式的法治。如我們今日所見，受到法律和選舉約束的現代自由民主制度常常產生平庸或懦弱的領導人。有時候民主制度會讓惡魔當選，比如阿道夫•希特勒(Adolf Hitler)。但至少正式的程序通過法律和選舉制度對權力構成了約束，在真正的壞皇帝登基之路上放了一塊大大的攔路石。儘管在短期內消除了薄熙來的威脅，但中國的現行體系還未解決這個制度性問題。中國現在有現實的機會來解決這個問題，我希望即將上台的新領導層抓住機會。


dose
n.

1. 1. A specified quantity of a therapeutic agent, such as a drug or medicine, prescribed to be taken at one time or at stated intervals.
   2. The amount of radiation administered as therapy to a given site.
2. An ingredient added, especially to wine, to impart flavor or strength.
3. An amount, especially of something unpleasant, to which one is subjected: a dose of hard luck.
4. Slang. A venereal infection.

tr.v., dosed, dos·ing, dos·es.

1. To give (someone) a dose, as of medicine.
2. To give or prescribe (medicine) in specified amounts.

[French, from Late Latin dosis, from Greek, something given, from didonai, to give.]

doser dos'er n.
The Weekly Address of the President of the United States (also known as the Weekly Radio Address or Your Weekly Address) is the weekly discussion of current events in the United States by the President. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to deliver such radio addresses. Ronald Reagan revived the practice of delivering a weekly Saturday radio broadcast in 1982,^[1] and his successors have all continued the practice.
As the Internet became mainstream, the weekly address was made available on other media. George W. Bush introduced an audio podcast feed and Barack Obama introduced a weekly video address during the his presidential transition period.

noun

• a barrier or barricade on a road, especially one set up by the authorities to stop and examine traffic.
• US any hindrance:the biggest roadblock to solar power is its price tag