Now I’m certain that you need to read the book because you would find it fascinating. Yes, it’s very specific to Protestantism, particularly Puritan and Calvinist values. For instance, Calvinists believe that God has selected a chosen group of people (the elect) to be saved, and the elect can know their predestination…

Why is this? What is so fundamentally different about the US state of mind that you don’t have a system of general taxation to support your old, young and vulnerable?

Between this and the two planes that were mysteriously forced to land due to unspecified illnesses on board I’m thinking of Station Eleven.

I won tickets on the radio to see the Smashing Pumpkins like 4 or 5 years ago. I had to sing a song to the radio dj’s cat who was listening at home.

“Hands up if you were done with the Pumpkins by the time of Mellon Collie” (too lazy to extract hands from front jeans pockets, gives aging record store clerk head-nod)

My look was ringer shirts, german paratrooper pants, and indoor soccer shoes. Ah...the mid 90's.

1995? So I'm 17 again? Brings it on! Oh, the things I'd do differently.

I am wearing a men’s flannel shirt and docs today. It is 1995.

“Yyyrrrrspose”

Shaun of the dead is also a great movie. And I’m glad to hear he’s great in person too!

I’m trying to think what would have happened in Australia, it’s 50/50 whether the cop would have done the same as this guy, or just started taking his top off :D

Ha! Love that movie.

Friday I posted on Facebook that I was still just so sad about David Bowie. And I still am. This was a hard one.

Also incomprehensible for an insider if it makes you feel any better.

Ah Wiltshire, my home county. This is probably the most exciting thing that will happen there this year.

We expect the elderly to die before they get too expensive or numerous. And we never expect to eventually become old ourselves because we are gods, and will obviously never age or die.

What is so fundamentally different about the US state of mind that you don’t have a system of general taxation to support your old, young and vulnerable?

Social Security, but the amount paid out is often barely enough to live on, and that’s when combined with a host of other benefits like food stamps and medicaid.

No, we spent it on state prisons.