Your link in the US says "404 - Page not found". The fat cat story linked up just fine, naturally.

I'm not seeing any earthquake news, which is very disappointing -- I was hoping for pictures of toppled high rise apartment blocks and distraught peasants looking at their collapsed hovels. Nothing! Fake news.

Fake news. — Bitter Crank

Ah, yes, it was. Sorry. It was one of those generic example things... :fire:

June 5, 2018: Medicare Fund to Fall Short in 2026, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-05/medicare-fund-to-fall-short-in-2026-sooner-than-last-forecast

The projected depletion of Medicare is coming sooner than expected. The underlying reason for the depletion is that the Baby Boomer generation was followed by a bust. There are just more enrollees than workers paying into the fund. Since Medicare pays for so much of American healthcare, the depletion of the fund will make cost cutting a higher priority going forward.

A sane approach would be to look at why American healthcare is out of step with that of other countries. Wiki provides an interesting perspective:

Stanford economist Victor Fuchs wrote in 2014: "If we turn the question around and ask why healthcare costs so much less in other high-income countries, the answer nearly always points to a larger, stronger role for government. Governments usually eliminate much of the high administrative costs of insurance, obtain lower prices for inputs, and influence the mix of healthcare outputs by arranging for large supplies of primary-care physicians and hospital beds while keeping tight control on the number of specialist physicians and expensive technology. In the United States, the political system creates many "choke points" for diverse interest groups to block or modify government's role in these areas." — Wiki

With this in mind, it would appear that undermining Obamacare was a bad idea. Do you agree?

July 31 2018
A woman that you do not want to mess around with.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/concealed-carry-mom-training-her-083134826.html

Let's not talk about gun control, I want to know who thinks her reasoning is reasonable.

And before any brings it up yes I know it is not exactly current affairs for most of you, but safety for some is always current. And yes I also know that she is trying to sell stuff.

July 31 2018
Crazies in the street.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shocking-paris-video-harasser-slaps-033055885.html

After you have finished with the post above, check out this one. Do you still think the same?

What was the guy holding the chair going to do with it-- Yell "Get back in your cage!"? I noticed that nobody rushed to the aid and comfort of the allegedly abused woman. Did she have it coming? perhaps that is why none of the women rushed over to commiserate with her. We didn't hear what the guy told the citoyens concernés de Paris. Perhaps Monsieur's explanation was éminemment satisfaisant, Oui?

Of course it was a bad idea!

July 31, 2018

MH370 OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT: USELESS PIECE OF DOCUMENTATION.

While reading the 495 page Malaysia FINAL REPORT, AD researchers believe they have found their SMOKING GUN or Achilles Heel. On pages 94 and 95 in section 1.6.10 the truth is contradicted:

“1.6.10 Boeing Patent on Remote Control Take-over of Aircraft

There have been speculations that MH370 could have been taken over control remotely in order to foil a hijack attempt. Some of these speculations have mentioned a US patent that Boeing filed for in February 2003 and received (US 7,142,971 B2) in November 2006 for a system that, once activated, would remove all controls from pilots and automatically fly and land the aircraft at a predetermined location. According to the patent, existing preventative measures such as bullet-proof doors and the carriage of air marshals on board may have vulnerabilities. The flight crew could decide to open a lockable bullet-proof cockpit door [refer to Section 1.6.8, para. 4)] and air marshals, if used, might be over-powered. In light of the potential that unauthorised persons might be able to access the flight controls of an aircraft, the inventors conceived of a technique to avoid this risk by removing any form of human decision process that may be influenced by the circumstances of the situation, including threats or violence on-board. The ‘uninterruptible’ autopilot envisioned by the patent could be activated, either by pilots, on-board sensors or remotely via radio or satellite links by the airline or government agencies if there were attempts to forcibly gain control of the cockpit. This system once activated would disallow pilot inputs and prevent anyone on-board from interrupting the automatic take-over. Thus, the personnel on-board could not be forced into carrying out the demands of any unauthorised person(s).”


AND YET:

Saturday 3 March 2007

“Boeing insiders say the new anti-hijack kit could be fitted to airliners all over the world, including those in the UK, within the next three years.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/new-autopilot-will-make-another-911-impossible-7239651.html

A possible treatment for Autism....

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/like-a-little-tornado-this-arizona-mamma-fights-for-medical-cannabis-for-her-autistic-child-10657212

My battles are not over but we are so much closer to ending this ridiculous war.

Move to the Netherlands and get affordable healthcare.

Move to the Netherlands and get affordable healthcare. — Benkei

I could definitely rock out a houseboat for a while.

The US is a picture of massive fiscal irresponsibility. Odd.

Move to the Netherlands and get affordable healthcare. — Benkei

Benkei, I have known you for over a decade now and you are still baiting Americans into this "Mom, it's Disneyland clean in the Netherlands! 72*f, sunny and 31 days of 'Holiday' off a year." :flower:
Imagine if we all actually listened to you and came over. :love:
What's your real name and contact info? :up:

I've never said sunny. But 26 days is a minimum I have 31. I also have a 36 hour work week on paper. By working 40, I get compensation hours. About 200 a year, which is another 25 days. How's that for wealth?

Nah the kids said the "sunny" part and coming from a pair of native desert rats, to like heat outside of AZ is a rarity.
Deep sighs~ It's wealth on paper and it translates to time off and isn't that what we are ultimately working towards? Unlimited time with our families and friends while getting paid?
Speaking of fantasies, can I reserve one of those Unicorns that @Baden remembered riding from his childhood?
Let me know what kind of deposit you will need as I am sure @Hanover is getting used to putting down deposits as his children enroll in higher education.

What was the guy holding the chair going to do with it-- Yell "Get back in your cage!"? — Bitter Crank

:lol: No idea. Maybe his first instinct was to make sure he did not get hit as well.

I noticed that nobody rushed to the aid and comfort of the allegedly abused woman. Did she have it coming?perhaps that is why none of the women rushed over to commiserate with her. — Bitter Crank

I noticed that as well, but I have no idea how people treat each other in the street in Paris. You see videos all the time of people being beaten up, but no one goes to their aid. Might be that they are too busy filming, or that they do not want to get involved with someone they do not know.
If you look at the beginning of the clip, it appears that they crossed paths randomly, each coming from the opposite direction. They did not appear to know each other and she did not make any attempt to avoid walking past him which she would have done if she had known him and did not want to speak to him.

We didn't hear what the guy told the citoyens concernés de Paris. Perhaps Monsieur's explanation was éminemment satisfaisant, — Bitter Crank

Where I live the conversation would go something like this.
Nice guy "Hey, you can't go around slapping women like that"

Not nice guy "Shut the fuck up or I'm gonna do the same to you"

Nice guy "You can't say that to me, I'm calling the cops!"

Not nice guy "Go ahead and I'll come back for you later"

End of discussion.

But I don't live in Paris.

Un-hackable is not possible. If someone can create a system where remote control can happen from anywhere on the planet someone will find a way to take over control soon enough.
I think the authorities realized this and decided not to install them.

Should you need a tough-guy line, and can't think of anything else, here's a line from an actual tough guy, used as a threat to somebody who was in his way: "Hey you fucking asshole, I can live in prison -- can you live in a wheelchair?" -- not really a question, more of a declarative statement. Another tough guy statement, one I used to good effect on some old guy who lived in my building who was, for some odd reason, strenuously objecting to me locking my bike to a street sign. "If anything happens to my bike, I'm coming for you."

Lines like that coming from me would normally only work on a 5 year old or an 85 year old. But if one were big, filthy, greazy, and hell's angelish enough to look truly threatening, that might work.

Not nice guy "Shut the fuck up or I'm gonna do the same to you" — Sir2u

He probably would have said "Tais-toi ou je vais te faire la même chose". I'm not sure that French speakers are able to use "fuck" with the same grammatical flexibility as we clever English speakers can. In English fuck can be a noun, verb, preposition, adjective, adverb, or article, and more. For some people variations on fuck are an entire sentence: Fuck you miutherfucking fuck; I'm gonna fuck you up, fuck." Or just a verbalization, as when one has nothing else to say, one says "fuck". "Shit" operates similarly. The recipient of the energetic face-slap probably said "Merde" as she turned to be on her merry way.

Fuckity fuck you fucking fuck. I'm almost at a native level of speaking English. It took me a while to realise you actually need a smaller vocabulary. Ugh... I meant "less words".

June, 2018

Digging holes can slow global warming.

In search of water in Kenya (Dutch article)

I like the simplicity of the idea even though there's quite a bit of (Dutch) agricultural knowledge behind it. Also, it isn't a prohibition for a change.

I'm almost at a native level of speaking English. It took me a while to realise you actually need a smaller vocabulary. Ugh... I meant "less words". — Benkei

Almost. Realize, not realise. Who's been teaching you antiquated (look it up) English?

Realize, not realise. Who's been teaching you antiquated (look it up) English? — Hanover

In fact, -ize is older than -ise.

I'm almost at a native level of speaking English [...] Ugh... I meant "less words" — Benkei

Fewer words.

Un-hackable is not possible. If someone can create a system where remote control can happen from anywhere on the planet someone will find a way to take over control soon enough.
I think the authorities realized this and decided not to install them — Sir2u

I don’t see where your response relates to my post. Would you direct me to where it may relate?

ah, I think I get it. You are speculating that such installations will not have been done and that you speculate as to why. That’s fine. We all speculate.

I just happen to speculate the otherwise. No biggie.

No, no. I definitely meant "less words" considering the joke I was making.

Realize, not realise. Who's been teaching you antiquated (look it up) English? — Hanover
In fact, -ize is older than -ise.

I'm almost at a native level of speaking English [...] Ugh... I meant "less words" — Benkei
Fewer words. — jamalrob

:lol: :rofl: :razz: :rofl: @Benkei :rofl: :razz:

Emotions translate with such ease~ For once my emotionally lead life is paying off :heart:

This thread, by the way, is proof nobody likes good news. :cry:

Here is some news that is so fake even google won't report it.
A letter.

Tariq Ali
11 awr
From: Amanda Sebestyen <amsebatblueyonderdotcodotuk>
Subject: staggering
Date: 31 July 2018 23:30:25 BST
To: newsnightatbbcdotcodotuk
I was staggered tonight to see Louise Ellman MP telling Newsnight how shocked she was by hearing that Jeremy Corbyn had hosted a meeting on Holocaust Memorial Day in 2010 where a speaker compared Israeli and Nazi policies — staggered because she was actually present throughout that meeting!
I was there too, in that House of Commons committee room in 2010.
Nowhere tonight did Emily Maitlis or the Times reporter mention that the speaker, Hajo Meier, was a Holocaust survivor. The other speakers were survivors of Atlantic slavery, Native Americans, Bangladeshis, Roma and others who shared their experiences with the many Jewish survivors of genocide in the audience. (It was my own family’s experiences that drew me to the meeting).
As it happened Jeremy Corbyn had to leave the meeting after introducing it, to attend a debate in the House. Louise Ellman, by contrast, was present throughout the meeting.
She sat calmly by when the room was invaded by five members of the small but fanatical Zionist Federation, who proceeded to shout until no one else could be heard. I particularly recall their shouts of ‘Boring!’ whenever any other survivors were speaking. As an MP Ms Ellman could have called the Hous eof Commons security to evict the disruptors but she did nothing.
Ms Ellman’s attendance is a verifiable fact, and I have written before to Emily Maitlis calling attention to the biased way that this issue is being covered.
The IHRA definition is not ‘internationally recognised’: it was dropped by the EU and has been bitterly criticised by the very lawyer who drafted it.
The ‘examples’ outlaw terms which are commonly used by Israeli critics of their own government, such as comparisions with apartheid. One of the leading anti-apartheid campaigners, who is also Jewish, has said that the Israeli occupation-system is in some ways worse than apartheid. David Steel has also made the comparison with apartheid. Are all these people antisemites?
It is essential that a future Labour government should have an ethical foreign policy.
The shouts of ‘antisemitism’ from self-appointed community leaders are deeply upsetting to many of us of Jewish descent who do not identify with them or Israel. Tonight you claimed to interview ‘the whole spectrum of the left’. Where were our voices?

Here's the conspiracy theory that it exemplifies...

https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/13089/sarah-glynn-labours-anti-semitism-row-blatant-attempt-undermine-corbyns-leadership

This thread, by the way, is proof nobody likes good news. :cry: — Benkei

Less words, please.

Cool letter.