hardtack

I'm off to Canada in April and popping over the border to NYC for a few days... will be interesting to see if the mood of the place is any different to the last time I was there about 4 years ago. Canada has now introduced an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization - similar to the US eSTA)... maybe they're trying to control the flow of immigrants from across the border

A brilliant performer... and physically he looks like a cross between Sean Connery and Mel Gibson.

Apparently laws have been in place for some time that prevent a President from ordering a wire tap, so as much as Trump would like to continue playing his "I know you are, but what am I" games on Twitter, he's going to have a lot of trouble getting any traction with these claims. Even the White House is remaining very quiet.

I agree, it was hilarious. I didn't mind Jimmy Kimmel (sp?) as presenter either...the byplay between him and Matt Damon was very funny.

No, the person responsible for handing the presenters the envelope, gave them the wrong envelope (best actress) and because it contained the name of the La La Land actress, the presenters concluded the winner must be La La Land.

DC, I think you'll find that at that time there was no conclusive evidence, and there was certainly no major anti-smoking campaign. In fact, from memory even as recently as the late 70's (when I quit for reasons of cost), there was no solid link established between smoking and cancer.

I only wish both my parents were alive to corroborate that... they must have been the exceptions that proved the rule I suppose.

This transcends political leanings... it's just [censored] funny, plain and simple. The accompanying blurb by the creator: "Trump's press conference is easier to take if you slow it down a bit. Then it's like watching an old drunk ranting at you in a bar at 3:00am—the only circumstance where any of this would seem normal. You're welcome."

That read more as a rhetorical question, which is probably why it got no answer.

When I was in primary school in the late 50's/early 60's kids were beaten up for daring to be different and the teachers turned a blind eye... this continued on into high school as well, with the only difference being that the beatings were far worse. Back then bullying 'didn't exist' and the teachers made a sport out of belittling kids. Yes, we all breathed out carbon dioxide back in the day (much as we do now) and we also thought that smoking was cool and were told that there were no adverse affects or health issues associated with it. I guess those pesky scientists were just conspiring against the tobacco companies in order for the govt to apply a hefty tax on ciggies. I don't recall the scores being any more important back in the 50's and 60's at school as they are at my childrens' school today... the emphasis was (and still is) on getting involved, getting fit and having a good time doing that. As nutbean so eloquently stated, "whether we consider all progress good, bad or otherwise, one thing is certain - you can't halt progress.".

Having lost both parents to smoking, I consider $30 to be too cheap! The thing that I cannot understand is that armed with all of the knowledge that is now available regarding the dangers of smoking, why would anyone even consider taking it up... a seriously dumb decision. My parents and their generation could at least plead ignorance due to that knowledge not being readily available. Booze is probably priced right, but when you consider the amount of damage it can do directly and indirectly, maybe it is priced too low as well. There is talk of a tax on junk food and soft drinks, and I have no issue with that either. All of these things, smoking related cancers, obesity and alchoholism and hospitalisation of people indirectly affected by the consumption of alchohol (car crash victims, violence victims etc), place a lot of pressure on the public health system. The taxes are there to reduce consumption and ease the burden... unless of course you have any better suggestions as to how it can be effectively dealt with.

You're right Biff... and it's probably not beyond him to do that ;-)

Actually, it was Bush Snr and the Gulf War that really started things rolling...some described Dubya's invading Iraq as dealing with unfinished business.

I could practically sense the foam and spittle forming around ProDee's mouth as he spat out that string of invective

His Muslim ban already, and in the worst possible way, showed that inability. He didn't ban countries that he has business dealings with, despite their involvement in the worst terror attacks on US soil.

A couple of things interest me about that article. Firstly, why is it seemingly only Dr Bates who has come out on this issue? Surely once his "revelations" were brought to light, other scientists would be jumping in to support what he is saying...but there is no mention of any others at all (only a possible congressional investigation). The other thing is the last line of the article which seems to be acknowledging that climate change is indeed real...otherwise, why describe getting it right as critical to our future?

I very rarely get to the cinema these days and so the only one of the nominees I've seen is Arrival which I liked (unless Rogue One is also nominated, in which case I've seen two). I usually wait for films to come out on Bluray and then I can watch them at my leisure and as often as I like. One such film recently was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which I liked a lot as it was Tim Burton getting back to what he does best (dark fantasy). Will pick up a copy of Arrival in a week or so.

Do you really believe Trump is going to fix anything? He's just topping the swamp up with a whole new kind of stupid.

Yep, the only difference now will be that Trump will impose a levy on the imports from Mexico and the poor who he has promised to help will be paying more as a result. Way to make America great again...not.

The Daily Mail is not what would be considered an entirely credible publication in the UK, sitting at roughly the same level as The Sun (if it still exists); I think ET gets it right, above. Just as this brings Thomas Karl into question, the veracity of Dr Bates claims and whether someone is in his pocket, could equally be brought into question.

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Thought you might appreciate this Biff ;-)

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/08/jorge-ramos/ramos-40-undocumented-immigrants-come-air/