(Read the rest of the cartoon here.)
There have been several funny events this week, and I suppose I should get them posted before April First, since they're all true.
First is Doc Thompson, guest hosting The Glenn Beck Program, claiming that the new tax on tanning beds is racist because dark-skinned people don't visit tanning salons! Yeah, we white people suffer so much discrimination, don't we? And in this case, apparently none of us more than John Boehner, House Minority Leader.
And where was Glenn Beck? Well, giving a talk at the University of Central Florida, where 53 cars were towed away after his fans parked in a fraternity parking lot. Apparently, pranksters put up signs indicating the private lot was "Event Parking."
OK, that's kind of a dirty trick, wasn't it? Then again, they were fans of Glenn Beck, so it's hard to feel too sympathetic. And maybe this will teach them not to be so gullible (not about falling for fake parking signs, but falling for complete lunatics like Beck).
Meanwhile, Fox News proudly ran a story the liberal media missed, the ironic death of a global warming activist who froze to death at the South Pole. Only maybe they should have checked the facts with Snopes.com first. As Snopes says, the source for this parody was a satirical website, the ecoEnquirer. Nice fact-checking, Fox! Next time, stick to reliable sources like The Onion.
And here's J. D. Shapiro, apologizing for writing the worst movie ever. Admittedly, he's got a good excuse, because he was trying to meet girls. And his apology is pretty funny, too:
Now, looking back at the movie with fresh eyes, I can't help but be strangely proud of it. Because out of all the sucky movies, mine is the suckiest.
In the end, did Scientology get me laid? What do you think? No way do you get any action by boldly going up to a woman and proclaiming, "I wrote Battlefield Earth!" If anything, I'm trying to figure out a way to bottle it and use it as birth control. I'll make a mint!
The furious controversy over the health care issue seems rather strange from here in the UK. However, I think it's best expressed by a US citizen living in the UK - this letter appeared in the national press:
ReplyDeleteHaving just survived a life-threatening medical experience, I can only express my thanks to the NHS: from the National NHS helpline, which determined that an ambulance was required; to the paramedics, who were knocking on the door within five minutes; to the multitude of medical staff who struggled to find the cause of my condition. The last used a variety of examination procedures including ECG, X-ray and full-body scan to identify the problem and start the treatment which saved my life.
With nine stitches in my head and eight units of blood in my body, I spent the next five days as an in-patient under observation. This gave me a chance to observe the everyday provision of services in the hospital.
I was impressed by the war on the MRSA super-bug, the attention to general cleaning, and the nurses and doctors who were cheerful and polite. The food would win no stars, but it was more than sufficient and I left hospital a kilo heavier. Having supervised the provision of hospital cleaning on various USAF bases in the UK, I feel qualified to make the above comments.
The American critics of the NHS know nothing of which they speak. Being an American living in Britain, I prefer the money-losing socialist NHS, which provides an adequate health service for 100% of the population using 8% of the GDP, to the American for-profit system which provides a more-than-adequate service for 80% of the population costing 16% of GDP.
The Obama healthcare reforms currently being attempted do not address all of the problems, but would be a start. If the opposition, who are a minority of Americans, fail to respect the wishes of the majority and succeed in stopping the reforms, it will be a tragedy.
George D Lewis, Northamptonshire
Published in The Independent, mid-March 2010
All the hysteria seems strange on this side of the Atlantic, too, Tony! Especially considering how conservative the health care reform bill really is.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've seen many comments like that letter, from Americans and Britons alike. But you know that opponents of health care reform will be able to find SOME people with horror stories, or who are just unhappy with something or other. That's inevitable.
Therefore, people will just cherry-pick whatever story agrees with their political views. And in America right now, the far-right has a huge advantage in Fox News, a major network that spews propaganda while pretending to be a "fair and balanced" news station.
Unfortunately, since they're making money hand over fist, even in this economy, other media have been trying to imitate them. It's a sad time for journalism in the United States.
Thanks for the comment, Tony. I wish I could stick up for my countrymen, but it's hard to do. How about this? "We're not ALL complete lunatics." :)