PLANET B 612

Monday, I heard Steven Hill, author of Europe's Promise, speak about the book and what the United States could learn from the way European nations conduct social policy. Personally, I believe that we can learn a great but will apply little. The average conservative would have listened to Hill's reasoned presentation and then told him to move to Europe if he thought it was so great. But the presentation was thought-provoking, especially when he demolished some of the myths and preconceptions that obscure American understanding of Europe. Here are a few of them:

France and Germany have single-payer, government owned and operated health care systems.
Not so. Both countries, along with Belgium and Luxembourg, provide universal health care access through payroll deductions and a pool of private, not-for-profit insurance companies. 

Europe's economies are socialistic and moribund.
Actually, Europe is a powerful, thriving capitalist entity with more Fortune 500 companies than the United States and China combined, and the World Economic Forum says that it has some of the most competitive economies in the world. Small businesses? They provide about two-thirds of European jobs compared to one-half of American jobs. 

A rare and wonderful moment this. Yap, Paddy O' Dylan from Duluth in the lovely County of Kerry on the west coast of Ireland, does a fine cover of the classic "One Irish Rover" by his longtime pal, and fellow mad Irishman Van de Man

A document dated 8 April 1969, marking a key stage in the break-up of The Beatles, sold a few years back for £48,000 at a London auction.

Copyright 2010 SA LA NACION | Todos los derechos reservados.

En un brillante acto organizado el pasado 4 de marzo en el Palacio de la Música de la capital griega, la Prefectura de Atenas nombró a los nuevos Embajadores del Helenismo. Este importante título, ostentado por personalidades como Melina Mercuri o Jacqueline de Romilly, ha sido otorgado este año, entre otros, al escritor y helenista español Pedro Olalla, asturiano y afincado en Grecia desde hace dieciséis años. Olalla obtuvo el mayor número de votos entre una lista de 24 candidatos de todo el mundo. Su candidatura al título de Embajador del Helenismo ha sido presentada por la prestigiosa Fundación A.S. Onassis, que, de este modo, desea "respaldar la larga y valiosa labor de un español que, a través de la investigación, la creación literaria y audiovisual, la traducción, la docencia, la acción pública y la labor social, cultiva y promueve desde la propia Grecia los conocimientos, valores y actitudes vinculados de manera diacrónica y universal a la cultura helena."

Over the past few months I've been working on an ear training application for the iPhone. I finally finished the application last week and I'm pleased to report that it's now available for download from the iTunes App Store! My iPhone ear training application is called "Play By Ear" and like my other ear training applications, it's free! If you've got an iPhone I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think. This is my first iPhone application and I think it's pretty cool. Hopefully you'll agree!

Confieso que creo.

Esto en nuestros días, y más viniendo de un bolchevique, puede parecer una provocación o un delirio, pero lo cierto es que no es ni lo uno ni lo otro. Simplemente, como decía Rubén, yo creo.

Así que lo de la Cuaresma procuro tomármelo en serio. Pero ya saben: el hombre propone, Dios dispone y el Demonio descompone... ¡Ay, el Demonio!

On this Paddy O'Day - Hic! Hic! Hic! ... all that f*cking green beer is killing me! - a very apposite and interesting piece from the excellent secretsun.blogspot.com

Why's she wearing a tepee on her head?