Monthly Archives: March 2010

Should somebody tell Rush that Costa Rica has government-run, “universal health care”?

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From International Living:

..Costa Rica has universal health care, one of the best health systems in Latin America. As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica’s health care is excellent…

..With a government-sponsored network of more than 30 hospitals and more than 250 clinics throughout the country, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has primary responsibility for providing low-cost health care services to the Costa Rican populace. Although sometimes overburdened, this system has worked well for Costa Ricans for the past 60 or so years. Open not just to Costa Rican residents, the CCSS provides affordable medical service to any foreign resident or visitor.

Hmmmm… So why would Rush CHOOSE to go there if Congress passes proposed reforms to the US healthcare system.

Weird.

All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist

Texas gospel

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Texas Textbook MASSACRE: ‘Ultraconservatives’ Approve Radical Changes To State Education Curriculum

A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.

Here’s an example of those changes:

The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum’s world history standards on Enlightenment thinking, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”

Can I now say OMG!!

UPDATE: More on what’s in, and what’s out…

All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle Editorial Cartoonist and Animation Artist.
For Nick’s animations, visit Nick Anderson: Animation Archives.
For Nick’s cartoons, visit Nick Anderson.

The Watering Hole: March 13 – Uranus

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This date is a two-fer. In 1781, Uranus was acknowledged as a planet by Sir William Herschel. Up to that time, it was thought to be a star. Uranus is the only planet in the solar system with an axis of rotation almost exactly on the solar plane.

In 1930, the discovery of Pluto was announced to th World on this same date. Not big news now since its size has reduced its designation as a mere member of the Kepler belt.

Also don’t forget to adjust your clocks tomorrow  at  2 AM (I only post on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so this is an early warning.)

This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.

R.I.P Juanita Goggins

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Juanita Goggins froze to death in her South Carolina Home. Most people around her never knew who she was.

…the residents of her South Carolina community were saddened, if not entirely shocked, to hear that the 75-year-old woman had frozen to death in her own home and that her body went undiscovered for nearly a fortnight.

But in the days before her funeral today, they were surprised to learn that at one time Goggins had been a trailblazing politician and civil rights activist who shook up South Carolina’s exclusive politics as the first black woman elected to the southern state’s legislature.

The Adventures of Science: Theo The Pipe Smoker

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Anthropology along with Archeology were  interesting to me even when I was still very young. I never had a horror of human bones, I grew up next to the cemetery and was watching graves being dug out all the time. Bones were just bones to me.

So, of course, I was intrigued, when I first heard about “Theo the Pipe Smoker”. The Natural History Museum of Basle, Switzerland came up with the project of trying to identify one of the skeletons that were unearthed from the church of St. Theodor’s (hence the name “Theo”) cemetery. One of the skeletons had a very conspicuous, round hole in its teeth, a sign that the deceased was a passionate pipe smoker.

But there was more to be found out. The cemetery was in use from 1779 until 1833,  4’334 people died in that part of Basle and were registered in a church book. Theo was most probably one of them. The skeleton was that of a male person, which can be easily determined examining the pelvis. That finding reduced the number of possible names to 2’200. Next, the age. Theo was fully grown, but still relatively young 28 to 32 years of age. Only 127 names fit the bill. Another 16 names could be taken out because their burial site was known.

In the end 12 names were identified through various processes who could be Theo.

Mitrochondial DNA samples had been isolated and the lucky fact that there is a certain mutation in two places of the genome, which is shared by only about 1% of the general population  in modern Europe, ultimately lead to the point where the public can help fully identify the person. The museum has through genealogical research identified 14 persons who may have been relatives of Theo and now asks the public to provide information on these people. One of the fourteen may have a relative out there, whose DNA will show he is related to Theo and thus, by going back through genealogy, tell us who really was the Pipe Smoker of Basle.

History and Science beat CSI any time IMHO.

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The Watering Hole: March 12 – The Fireside Chat

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In 1933 on this date, FDR initiated the Fireside Chat, a means of informing the Awerican public on a more frequent basis than a State of the Union Address. During FDR’s tenure, he made about 30 addresses that covered everything  from the state of the economy to events during WWII.

Barack Obama has taken a new track on in forming the American public.  Every Saturday, since he took office, he has delivered a statement on how the nation is doing. His medium – the WEB. If only he could use it as effectively as FDR did radio.

This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.

The Watering Hole: March 10 – The Louisiana Purchase

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Today marks the date of the Louisiana Purchase. It did expand the expanse of the nation by a bit, but it lowered the ultimate per capita IQ of the nation by a factor of three.

What is notable about this deal is that the land actually belonged in its entirely to  native Americans.

This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.

The Watering Hole: March 9 – The Amistad

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On March 9th in 1841, the SCOTUS ruled that Africans were right in securing their freedom on a Spanish slave ship in transit to the United States.

One can wonder how Clarence Thomas would have ruled in the same situation. In all probability he would have sent everyone involved in the uprising to the gallows.

This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.