IRN
<p>@Sunny: now there are no layers...I live MY life. I help people I can help....or I shut up about it. Wha tis happening is #Kosovo or #Iraq or #Iran is empty frippery that makes me look smart but accomplishes nothing. I am sooooo tired of TALKING around a table about who is right</p>
.
MisterJonez has studied this shtick wayyyy more than I have. His expertise on the subject dwarfs mine.
Though he's on the other side of it, he's also got a wonderfully objective, and friendly, and nuanced tone. So we'll cheerfully transfer ownership of this discussion to him. If he's so inclined, naturally.
...
Jonez remarked that the Great Silence doesn't bother him much because radio silence is to be expected. Dr. D replied that radio waves wouldn't be the end of the discussion. Mr. Jonez, setting the hook firmly in the corner of Dr. D's maw, sat up brightly, cracked his knuckles, and started typing ...
My own initial 30-second summary of the Great Silence issue was:
Here there be political commentary. Skip on by, if that ain't cher thang :- )
.............
Dr. Grumpy, who runs a medical center, sez,
.
People ask me all the time why EU countries appear to do better on some particular measure of medical performance. Or why they can afford to insure more of their population etc. I point out that the EU style medical systems simply could not exist in their current forms without the US. EU governments are able to spend so much on social programs because:
1. As Matt point out, the US taxpayer heavily subsidizes the security of the EU, something I think the EU has long taken for granted until recently when "stuff got real" with the Ukrainian crisis. The US tax payer essentially foots the bill for world stability, and the EU countries have been happy to allow us to do so (I don't blame them, they are only acting rationally). Sure, the US benefits from world stability also, but we pay for it.
While I wait the long year-and-a-half until the upcoming Batman vs. Superman flick hits the big screen, I decided to do my Ben Affleck homework and see exactly what he’s capable of besides just being a two-dimensional and sometimes funny actor that has taken to directing as of late. The first target on my list was Argo. And while I didn’t see Affleck doing much in the way of outstanding acting, he has certainly impressed me as a very solid director. I can certainly see why this movie was nominated for and won so many damn awards during its year.
If recent events are any indicator, conflict in
Every since our descent from the trees, man has been trying to figure out ways to get around those things in nature that try to impede our progress. One big enemy has been the almighty body of water, whether it be river, lake or castle moat. In the beginning we just had to grin and bare it and get soaked if we wanted to travel past these obstacles. Over time, however, we developed engineering skills. One of the more amazing manifestations of this particular skill set has been the ability to construct bridges.
I grew up watching television commercials asking me to pick up litter and recycle in order to save the environment. Mother Earth was crying out in pain because of the decades of abuse by factories, corporations and even people.
