Doris keeps going back to those European welfare states for the answer...

I hadn't realized that he said this - again:

``We've also looked at the fact that with the high degree of sophistication and integration of computerization and data these days, do you need to go through that whole process at all?'' he said at a news conference Tuesday.

``Countries like Norway, Denmark, have dispensed with this type of information-gathering years ago,'' he added.

Yes, indeed, wouldn't the closet nazis in Harper's enterprise like to employ integrated computerized data harvesting on absolutely everything you do.

The systems Day is referring to are the National Population Register in Norway and The Civil Registration System in Denmark. Under law, every citizen, from birth, and every resident of those countries is required to submit data which includes considerably more information than is gathered in the census.

In short, the government knows everything about you, at all times and, in the case of Denmark, will release that information to creditors on request. And, of course, residents who don't report things promptly and accurately, (like moving to a new address), can be fined or sent to jail.

Norway has had a few problems securing the information. Ohhh... identity theft!

Really. Is that where "Jet Ski" Day wants to go?