And there was me thinking price fixing was illegal

Following the big bru-ha-ha immediately after the withdrawal of universal healthcare for the over 70s, The government were told that any deal they made with doctors in relation to a reduction of charges for over 70s would constitute price fixing.

Doctors associations could not negotiate on behalf of doctors, who in essance were self employed.

Move forward a few months to this week and we hear that boozers are to institute a price freeze for the next twelve months.

So, why are doctors not allowed to collectively determine their prices, but publicans are?  Isn’t price fixing supposed to be illegal?

Nazis are stupid

Imagine you are hosting a racist, and unpleasant website and you are hosting it on, say for example, blogger.com

Now imagine that blogger.com decide to delete said website because of it’s general offensiveness and breach and what haveyou.  Would you go back to the same host to continue running your site.  An intelligent person would say no.

But then if you are like the owners of the South Africa Sucks blog, you can’t be all that bright.  After google deleted their blog, they created a new blog, on, guess where, blogger.  Now they can bitch about google blogger deleting their blog, while using google blogger to do it.

Remember kids, boneheads are not very bright.

Randi’s back!

After she was suspended, Randi Rhodes terminated her contract with Air America and moved to another progressive US radio company, Nova M.

With the loss of Mike Malloy and Randi, Air America seems to have gone to pot.

Anyway, the new show can be found here on their live stream

I’m not dead…just havin a break

Wow, it’s been a week since I posted.  oh well, time flies without you even realising it.

The reputation of Limerick has been getting a bit of a hammering in the last week or so, thos keeping me occupied on the Limerick Blogger site tryint to keep up with it all.

Two people were murdered last week.  One was killed in a drive by shooting in Garryowen and the other was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a shallow grave in Caledonian Park in Prospect two days later.  And this week two men jog out of a car on Nicholas Street and battered another motorist landing him in hospital.

The sad fact of the matter is that because they are from Limerick, some people believe it is expected of them to act all hard and nasty.  It is a pity.  Now criminality in Limerick is celebrated by the youth who have probably never been a victim of crime once.

The idea of gun toting mafiosa type characters might be romantic to them but they are not the ones being robbed blind so that some heroin addict can get their next fix.  They will laud the joyriders on their bebo pages now, but whine about high insurance for their cars when they are older..

My Movies: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Borat Sagdiyev is a journalist with Kasachstan Television, who has travelled to the United States to make a movie film.

There really are no sacred cows left untouched in this. Whether it be racism, sexism, homophobia, incest, or whatever, you name it, and it has been “dealt with” here. It shows up many in the American nation to be pretty thick.

While parts of it are funny, some it it is quite crass. It was funny-ish the first time I watched it, having watched it a second time I failed to laugh once.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan on IMDB

My Movies: Blood Diamond

Solomon Vendi is a mere fisherman in the African country of Searra Leonne, But when the RUF rebels attack his hometown dispersing his family and landing him in an illegal diamond mining operation, he is forced to enlist the help of a diamond smuggler in order to find his family.

A truly excelent film, which takes on issues such as the highly lucrative conflict diamond issue, as well as the use of children as soldiers. The film is set in 1999, at the height of the Searra Leonne civil war, which, and there are many, many high action scenes reflecting that. Some of it though is quite brutal, particularly an opening scene where rebels line up villagers to cut off their hands so they cannot vote.

A highly recommended film, although not for the faint hearted.

Blood Diamond on IMDB

My Movies: The Blair Witch Project

In 1994, three film students travel into the woods to investigate the legend that is the Blair Witch.  While the students were never seen again, their video footage turned up a year later.

Sometimes simplicity is king, and in the case of the Blair Witch Project this is definately the case.  With two cameras and no super-duper 5.1 Dolby surround crap, a film was made that could give you the heeby-jeebies the first time you see it.

There is a Blair Witch Project II but it is a load or garbage compared to the original.

The Blair Witch Project on IMDB

My Movies: Billy Elliot

11-year old Billy Elliot wants to take up ballet dancing, but he has in a world where boys are expected to do things like boxing before going down the coalmines, his chances of getting into a top dance school look slim.

Set in 1984, at the height of the British Coal Miners strikes, this is a “nothing is impossible” story that has been nominated for nearly 20 awards, nominations which are well deserved.

It really feels like the film was made around the time it is set. and the acting is excellent.  I would highly recommend it.

Billy Elliot on IMDB

Randi Rhodes suspended from Air America, what a shame

One of Air America’s better hosts, Randi Rhodes has been given an indefinate suspension after saying some naughty things about Hillary Clinton and one of her former campaign staff at a live show earlier this week.

Be warned, there is some very strong language in this video

I’m sure the right wingers will be jumping for joy at the news.

Can’t say I am too fond of the other presenters on the station, some of them sound like student radio presenters.

AAR statement

My Movies: Blade Runner

It’s the year 2019, and four “replicants,” beings created to appear and act human, are at large.  The authorities call in Blade Runner (Replicant bounty hunter) Rick Decard to find and kill them.

Like the Riddley Scott directed Alien, this takes a good while to get going.  It is still worth a watch though, for it’s spectacular, (for it’s time) special effects and action towards the end of the film.

Blade Runner on IMDB