Jul
9
Open Post
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Matthew Yglesias thinks that the Soviet Union provides a good model for healthcare. I do hope he wasn’t being too serious when he says:
would be that the dread U.S.S.R. actually did a perfectly decent job of providing the sort of goods—health care, basic education, subways, nuclear missiles, vast prison camps, satellite launch vehicles
If serious, a really bizarre statement.
In other news, a new trutherism for Andrew Sullivan and other crackpots to investigate:
FEMALE CALLER (31:50): He (Michael Jackson) is truly the soundtrack of my life. I also have a theory about Sarah Palin as well and I’m going to put it out there on radio, hopefully someone can investigate.
But, I think maybe she did something to Michael Jackson. Maybe there’s a scandal there. Maybe she’s stepping down because something’s about to come out. I don’t know, but I’m gonna just put it out there on your show so we’ll see.
SHARPTON: All right, thank you for your call, Ashley. That’s interesting. I’ll put it out, we’ll see. I don’t know.
Hmmmm.
And finally, one of the stupidest statements ever. As 60 black children are barred from a private swimming pool, the president of the swim club says:
There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club,
Okay, over to you guys. If you haven’t yet, please read Shockwavers piece on science and religion – brilliant!
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Ronnie – Welcome back, we’ve missed you
Thanks THX. I started to get bloggers’ twitch when I was away.
Nasty!
Ronnie I go holiday for 3 weeks, I’ll probably have to blog a bit from my new toy my iphone
THX, you’ll have to get by as best you can. Its not easy, with or without a new toy.
I found myself having to speak to people!!!
Jon Stewart has some “Wacko ” theories too>
“God killed Micheal Jackson to save your arse”
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=232258&title=Shut-Up,-Mark-Sanford
Mark Sanford makes me laugh
Ronnie speaking to people, how did it go?
Welcome back to my favorite enigma…we missed you.
I’m reading a charming book by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows called ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’, which is about post war life in Britain and the island of Guernsey. It contains only letters going back and forth between a writer, her editor and people from Guernsey…I’ve just started it, and it reminds me of C. Cabbie’s little group of bloggers.
THX, I have to say that it wasn’t a great success. People kept interrupting and many actually walked away before I had finished speaking.
I know you are an old movies buff…what movie are you referring to?
Were you working in Russia or just on vacation…C. Cabbie and I were concerned when we didn’t hear anything from you over the past weeks.
Hey, at least she didn’t blame Michael Jackson’s death on Bush.
Michael Jackson’s memorial service…if you can call it that…reminded of my trip to Africa last year. There was this dead elephant being consumed by a lioness and her grown cubs and nearby in all these stark trees were hundreds of vultures…waiting…enough said.
I’ve been to Russia several times and the last thing I wanted was to have a health emergency…You should have seen the medicine supply I took with me. Russian’s eye bulged when I opened my case.
At one time, the Russians couldn’t even get aspirin. A Russian college professor told me that his young daughter had to have eye surgery and he had to stay at the hospital with the medicine…that he personally purchased, to keep it from being stolen. The main gift I took was aspirin…I gave out hands-full of it to our hosts and they were thrilled to get it.
Ronnie, even I have missed you!
What amazes me about Russia is that they have produced some of the best brains in the world on $10-a-month salaries.
If true capitalism could take hold of their hearts they would outstrip most countries on Earth.
An Maerican, I was thinking of the movie Key West, I think. Humphry Bogart et al.
I was just on a break in the UK, not trapped in deepest Russia.
OT, I doubt that Russia will ever be able to develop a political economy that will allow a sensible distribution of resources to allow the people to benefit, either through a popular capitalist system or something else.
The country has changed little since the serfs were freed in the 1860s. A very small group control everything through the state which they own.
As for the point about health care, I am afraid that An American is absolutely correct. Even the best institutions in Moscow are chaotic and under resourced. Some of their practices are astonishing, no more than superstition in some cases.
Ronnie,
I can’t remember that movie…but if it had Bogart in it…I’m sure it wasn’t a musical.
Off the topic a bit…Hayward…the book with fossils in it is called ‘Atlas of Creation’ Published by Global Publishing in Turkey. The author is Harun Yahya. I could not find an ISBN number despite looking at nearly every part of the book.
It is a must read for anyone who still thinks that evolution happened. The photographs, hundreds of them, are simply stunning; portraying extremely old fossils next to the skeletons of the same animals living today.
It is interesting that this man is a Muslim and he gave it to my pastor to read. I am confused by that as Muslims know Christians are creationists so why give us this book debunking Darwin’s theory? He knew he could not convert us either!
Try the author’s website@ http://www.harunyahya.com
An American, God no! I hate musicals. Except for High Society, a masterpiece.
THX, please do not tell Mrs THX I said that.
Something else not to tell Mrs THX about. The Corner had this to say about Billy Elliot.
By referring to this, I of course in no way support that view – I don’t want the wrath of Mrs THX visited on me. I have no doubt that it’s a great musical as the 10 Tony’s testify.
Ronnie
One Sunday when I had nothing else to do, I found one of those “Best 100 ever….” programs that we get a lot of on British telly. This one was the best 100 musicals. I absolutely loved it, I was riveted from start to finish. I think I was just in the right mood for it.
You hate Mary Poppins. The Sound of Music? Philistine!!!
THX,
Sorry, our daughter and son-in-law are visiting soon…she can’t wait to get to our mountain retreat and away from Houston’s heat. But, if you’re ever in the area, we would love to host you…we live off of the old Turquoise trail.
We are having a heat wave right now…so be ready for it. One time when we lived in the Las Vegas area…when I got into my car after shopping…it was 117 degrees inside…yikes.
An American Oh well It would have been great to have dinner.
My Brother lives in Tulsa and has been moaning about the heat I understand the Houston has the worst climate in the world- is that right?
I can’t wait for that 40C Arizona heat I love it.
Cabbie You see the Right are Philistines
Useless fact of the day The BBc are going to play The Sound of the Music at the end of the world while we wait for nuclear armageddon- It’s true.
Ronnie Cabbie as for Billy Elliot you should check out the WSJ review.
Karl Marx in a Tutu – Very Funny and I’m a big fan of Terry Teachout and check out his About Last Night blog all the time.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122661564681526123.html
Did anyone catch the story of the viciously anti Gay wingnut House Rep’s who raffled Elton John Tickets for a fund raiser.
http://blog.politicalpartytime.org/2009/07/06/anti-gay-rights-reps-use-elton-john-to-raise-cash/
Must be another case of don’t ask don’t tell:)
Did anyone catch this rather thoughtful thread on assisted suicide on the Coffee House
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3753613/a-welcome-rejection-of-assisted-suicide.thtml
THX,
Houston’s weather in the summer is the worst…but, their winters are wonderful as is their springs.
They just moved from 8,000ft Evergreen in Colorado…so its going to take a while for them to get use to the heat, if ever…but they sure liked not having to shovel snow and drive on icy roads all winter…it’s a trade-off and you got where the job is if you have two boys in college.
I know the rigours of Corporate America can be tough on famillies my youngest had a friend at school from Chicago and her dad has just called home for work, third move in five years.
Something us Brits don’t really understand, although I wold love Mrs THX to get transfered to the LA office.
Cabbie
If I must watch a musical I only watch the bits in between the musical numbers. I love music, theatre and cinema but I think musicals are just silly. ‘We’ve run out of sensible dialogue so I’ll sing you a song instead.’
I feel the same about opera. Complete nonesense (said the grumpy old man).
Ronnie:
There are, in my opinion, only five good musicals (in no particular order:
Jesus Christ Superstar
Godspell
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
Guys and Dolls
and the best christmas film of all times
Scrooge.
My dislike for all other musicals (Disney films and Hairspray do not count EXPECIALLY if you have seen the John Waters original with Divine and Ricky Lake) stems back to West Side Story. Not only does it have this incredibly stupid scene where they all pull out knives AND START DANCING, but then the main star runs down the street at night in Spanish Harlem (let me repeat that, SPANISH HARLEM), he then shouts out the name Maria, AND ONLY ONE WOMAN STICKS HER HEAD OUT OF THE WINDOW?!?!?!?!?
THIS WAS THE 1950′S PEOPLE!!!!
From the pages of Jesus’ General:
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2009/07/keepin-rich-white-christian-man-down.html
Hmmmmm……………………..
On health care this person is not a fan of the commentator:
http://www.rumproast.com/index.php/site/comments/the_stupidest_argument_against_health_care_reform_ever/
OT,
Thanks for the info and the link. An interesting, well presented, organised and functioning site, apart from its non functioning Islamic Search Engine. Which is a pity as I would have been interested to see what could be pulled up. The books look very lavish and well produced, there is obviously be a lot of money behind all this, as they are not trying to recover costs through any sort of merchandising. It appears that all the books can be downloaded.
So I wondered if he is a Wahabbi Salafi Sunni with backing from that land of democracy and freedom run by the House of Saud. I say this because his take on Buddhism, Hinduism, Karma as well as communism, freemasonry echoes that of the Wahabbi Salafi out of Saudi Arabia. I had hoped to find out more by what could be pulled up using the Islamic Search Engine. He is at least an out and out Islamist and proselytizer for the Islamic version of Creationism/ID
He does not have a very good grasp of history, I looked at a few of the titles, and read the blurbs, His take on the Knights Templar makes no reference to the true facts of the reason for their suppression, persecution and the abstraction of all their wealth and property. That Phillip IV of France was hugely in debt to them. And the fact that there was no proof for any of the charges other than that extracted by torture.
The site appears to be an Islamic version of Creationism/ID. It just pushes The Q’ran, Allah, and Muhammad as his Prophet.