RIP

[xilman]

Another member has joined Private Eye's 94 club. I'm awaiting EJ Thribb's obituary in the next issue.

[rudy235]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I thought his predecessor was worse than he was. And not just because he was in office longer. I can't remember all the major scandals of Ronnie Ray-gun's admin, there were so many. One noteworthy event surrounded the conduct of AG Edwin "The Loan Arranger" Meese. William Weld, head of the Criminal Division of DOJ, was investigating his boss on ethics charges, which he only stopped doing after the investigation became publicly known, and his boss ordered him to stop. Weld couldn't directly comment on the case he amassed but did say he had gotten convictions on less evidence.

Not long after being ordered to stop his investigation by its subject, Weld, along with Arthur Burns, head of the Civil Division of DOJ, and several aides, resigned in protest.

I am quite sure Il Duce is the worst president in the history of the republic. Worse than Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, or Warren G. Harding, let alone any modern president.

At least Ronnie was articulate with words (is that a redundant statement?). Papa Bush has had an unhappy relationship with the English language and not even in a funny way like his lightweight son G.W.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by xilman

Another member has joined Private Eye's 94 club. I'm awaiting EJ Thribb's obituary in the next issue.

Speaking of interesting numbers related to the story:

https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=53880

"Most people have absolutely no idea what the Bush criminal dynasty has been up to over the last several decades, just like they wouldn’t recognize the special significance of the number 322 appearing in a piece about a dead member of Skull and Bones."

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Whatever Bush the Elder's war-hero/public-service/all-aroundswell-guy bona fides may have been, I never forgave him for, at the end of Gulf War 1, exhorting the southern Iraqi "marsh Arabs" to rise up against Saddam Hussein, then doing nothing to help them and giving self-congratulatory "mission accomplished" interviews during rounds of golf while leaving them to be slaughtered en masse.

Yeah, that one had me raging at the TV set. Aitch shouldn't have encouraged the rebels if he wasn't going to back them. Saddam had studied Stalin's methods of retaining power, and was IMO as brutal and bloodthirsty as Stalin himself. Part of his punishment of the marsh Arabs was to drain the marshes. In addition to the human cost, it was an ecological calamity.

Ronnie Ray-Gun had, of course, helped Saddam in his war of aggression against Iran. Saddam was the enemy of our enemy. And remained so until Dubya took him out. Luckily, Iran hasn't capitalized on this change in circumstances

I still remember seeing an incident during the 1992 presidential campaign that had me open-mouthed with amazement. Aitch was at the checkout in a grocery store. He didn't know what the laser bar-code scanner was. When I saw that, I said, "He's in trouble!" He was, too.

Quite a number of years ago (I think it was while Dubya was prez), I read a book entitled House of Bush, House of Saud. A recurring theme was the "double marriage" between Saudi Arabia and the USA.

When it comes to more run-of-the-mill criminality I think of Neil "Silverdo Savings" Bush. He only wound up facing a lawsuit over his failures in his fiduciary duties, if not downright defalcations, and the suit was settled out of court. Apparently he has become involved in efforts to stop treating childhood disciplinary problems with "medical" diagnoses and drugs. Best of luck with that.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by rudy235

I thought he was the worst President of the recent decades. Then came Bush 43 and proved me wrong. Then came Trump!
By comparison, he looks stellar.

Well, yeah. Too many of them make even Tricky Dick look better than he should.

[kriesel]

Ken Berry (the captain on F Troop, and other credits)

[Uncwilly]

Creator of the word processor

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Creator of the word processor

Thanks and praises! I had not known of her.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Creator of the word processor

I never knew.

Nor was this her only accomplishment. She also created the first digital airline booking system for United Airlines in 1962, as described here.

The design of the central system (three independent, linked processors) served 60 cities throughout the United States with a one-second response time and with no central system failures in 11 years of operation.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Penny Marshall

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

Penny Marshall

RIP indeed. When A League Of Their Own came out, the local theater that aired it organized a tribute to several of the ladies who had actually played in the wartime women's baseball league, so us opening-night theatergoers got to meet them.

Re. "the funniest that Lovitz has ever been" - I have a personal soft spot for his SNL Tales of Ribaldry character ... "Noooo, you've rrrrrrruined it!"