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Short Takes — Why Now?
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Short Takes

While I’m not a fan of Hillary Clinton, her statement, reported on the BBC, is a breath of reality: ‘The Earth is round, the sky is blue and vaccines work’.

It’s a shame that no asked Kaci Hickox about Chris Christie’s commitment to personal liberty when it comes to medical issues.

I had the measles as a child, and it wasn’t anything I want to do again. If there had been a vaccination and my parents had withheld it, I wouldn’t have been a happy camper. You can die from the measles as well as many childhood diseases for which there are now vaccinations.

Reality is setting in for Australian conservatives as they are losing at the polls and attacking their leadership, rather than their policies.

The most widely reported story is the publication of Harper Lee’s first novel which is being called a sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird. The manuscript was only recently discovered, having been thought to be lost for half a century.

ISIS followed up on their beheading of two Japanese journalists by burning to death a captured Jordanian pilot. These are classic terror techniques introduced by the Mongol Horde in the 13th century.

6 comments

1 Badtux { 02.04.15 at 12:22 am }

That’s the manuscript that the publisher called “uneven and not worth publishing, but if you focus on the young Scout and get rid of the later Scout stuff, maybe we can do something.” I doubt it has gotten better in the intervening decades, but still I guess “uneven” in the 1950’s is still better than most of the fireplace kindling publishers put out today. I would buy Harper Lee’s grocery list, so …

2 hipparchia { 02.04.15 at 6:10 pm }

“It’s a shame that no asked Kaci Hickox about Chris Christie’s commitment to personal liberty when it comes to medical issues.”

😆 that made my day!

my brother and I had measles. mumps and chicken pox, pretty much one right after the other and at the same time. it was miserable. we missed out on whooping cough, but only by luck. same for polio, the vaccine didn’t make it to our neck of the woods until I was, I dunno, 5 or 6 or thereabouts, and our parents worried like the dickens, because unlike the vaccine, the disease DID make it to our neck of the woods. fortunately, we all missed catching it.

3 hipparchia { 02.04.15 at 6:11 pm }

“I would buy Harper Lee’s grocery list, so …”

I was thinking similar thoughts….

4 Bryan { 02.04.15 at 9:00 pm }

I don’t expect it to be as finely crafted as ‘Mockingbird’, but it was a first novel and good enough that she was encouraged to write her masterpiece. If it was dross, the publisher would have simply sent a rejection letter, but it was taken seriously. It was also submitted by Miss Lee, so there really is no question that she wanted it published. The people who suggest she was ‘tricked’ into having it published don’t know many women in their 80s. The majority of those I know are of the ‘I’m an old lady, and can do or say whatever I want’ variety, not Blanche DuBois clones.

Oh, yes, Hipparchia, I remember polio and iron lungs, as well as FDR and his braces. The Salk vaccine was a miracle, and I have three smallpox scars because of my travels. People have no idea what the world with vaccines was like, or they wouldn’t be this stupid.

5 Kryten42 { 02.04.15 at 11:17 pm }

Hi all. 😀 Just a quick note that I’m getting settled and sorting things out. My gas was disconnected due (it was finally admitted) an account error by my previous gas supplier that hasn’t been my supplier for a couple weeks. I changed from them to a better supplier. I did thank the guy who called to apologize and promise it would be restored within 24 hours for making my point! I hate Corp’s!

Anyway, for a good laugh at Abbott (we are all laughing, as well as simply being amazed), check this:

Liberal MPs rally behind Credlin

Here’s a summary from an eMail I received:

Paul,

This has been the week from hell for Tony Abbott and his Government.

Monday
It all started on Monday when Tony Abbott made his ‘Captain’s Pick’ and awarded Prince Philip a Knight of the Order of Australia. Most of us thought he was joking, but once the laughter subsided, we realised he was serious.

By night time, Tony Abbott’s Knightmare was just beginning. Worse still, Tony Abbott’s personal fascination with the British Monarchy overshadowed Australia Day and the remarkable achievements of people like Australian of the Year Rosie Batty.

Tuesday
The sun rose on Tuesday but the Knightmare continued for Tony Abbott and his Ministers, with the country in open ridicule. The Prime Minister bunkered down while Minister after Minister refused to support his decision.

Wednesday
They call Wednesday ‘Hump Day’, and I’m sure by then Tony was wishing the week was over. Rupert Murdoch unfairly made Peta Credlin the scapegoat for her boss’s woeful priorities. Government Ministers were quick to back Ms Credlin but not so quick to back her boss’s judgement.

Thursday
You know you’re in trouble as a conservative Prime Minister when even Andrew Bolt thinks you’re a dud. By Thursday, no one was backing in Tony Abbott, not even old mate Andrew. His colleagues were in open mutiny, a new leader was being discussed. But we know no matter who they choose, they’re all from the same Liberal family.

Friday
Tony Abbott was happier than Rebecca Black to see the Friday of this week from hell. He visited Colac in Victoria – approx. 1,926 kilometres from Brisbane – to declare his team is performing well because of their ‘captain’, not that he’s a skite of course. He even visited a pub, where the locals were happy* to see him.

*not so much.

This week would be funny if it wasn’t so serious. While the Prime Minister is the laughing stock of the country, families are suffering from his increases to cost of living, GP tax, cuts to pensions and plans for $100,000 degrees.

I removed the links.
Note: Andrew Bolt is an extremely conservative reporter for the Herald Sun (his god is Murdock, no surprise).

No internet yet, phone line won’t be activated until next week, then a couple weeks or so to get Internet. I’m at the Library, which has very limited access. 🙂

Hope everyone is well. Catch you when I can. 🙂

6 Bryan { 02.05.15 at 9:27 pm }

Brush fires, floods, Tony Abbott, and the phone company – Australia needs a break.

Yeah, the library computer access is even worse in the US, when they even have it. You really need a wireless device and cast iron stomach so you can go to a national chain like Starbucks or McDonalds for WiFi access because the library really restricts your time and access.