April 2008
3 posts
The more things change, the more they stay the...
‘Big G’, your wish is my command. Hence, *frappáns klisé cím itt is back on its old stomping grounds. Tumblr, dead and shat upon. Blogger, like Lazarus, raised from the dead.
Eva's Apology for Communism
Eva Balogh has deigned to respond a comment of mine on her blog. My response below: An excerpt from my comment: Varangy/Toad: “Eva, I would like to ask you as to your view of the Communists and ex-Communists? I believe massive injury has been done to Hungary, Hungarian society, and Moral Principle as there was no high-level purging undertaken in 1989/90 for the sins against humanity...
Fitna
As anyone who has ever read this shittiness that I call blog knows, I absolutely treasure and delight in irony. This time it rears its oh-so beautiful head in Indonesia. Short story: Dutch politican, Geert Wilders, released a 15 min film critical of Islam. The Dutch government did all it legally could to censor the film due to the de facto appeasement policies it employs when engaging the Muslim...
March 2008
13 posts
More on ethnicity and race
Long rambling, poorly written and spelled, but hopefully, ultimately persasive post ahead. Some of this will overlap with what I have written here. You are warned. So over at Hungarian Spectrum, Eva blogged about violence in Hungarian schools. I was taken aback and irritated because, clearly, no one wanted to address the 800 lb. gorilla in the room. That is, the perpetrator was, most...
Brainwashed
The Chinese are not only shitty drivers, but perhaps far less intelligent (or far more brainwashed) than I have previously considered. [I]n a new survey, most Chinese say they approve of internet control and management, especially when it comes from their government. According to findings from the fourth and most recent of a series of surveys about internet use in China from 2000 to 2007, over 80%...
fig-leaf
Erik nails Adam LeBor: … But what really is the difference between this “award” and the ones handed out by the Socialists or (hypothetically) by Fidesz? Okay, there’s the fig-leaf of it coming “from the city” rather than from Demszky and the SZDSZ. But if you or anyone else really believes that makes a difference, I’ve got a bridge I can sell you. And...
Audit
I go to a bank for a loan for my business. They tell me that they could loan me money at 10%. I say that is great and I show them my financial statements that I just had audited a few days ago. The audit shows a few irregularities that I hadn’t mentioned in my conversation with the bank managers. The bank then says, alright, we can still loan you the money, but now at 15%. The audit...
The referendum itself was the medium
Two very incisive comment by vtballs: Do entity specific financial statements cause changes in entity specific unsystematic risk? No! Are changes in market values attributed to the publishing of information? No! The changes are consequence of financial data and the relative underlying economic performance of the entity (contained in the report) within the market that the entity is OBLIGED to...
The 'Mystery' of Global Warming's Missing Heat
Fascinating piece on NPR — which, if I understand correctly, is a taxpayer funded organ of the American Left. Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying the ocean have sent home a puzzling message. These diving instruments suggest that the oceans have not warmed up at all over the past four or five years. That could mean global warming has taken a breather. Or it could mean scientists...
NWO and Vándorló
Two of my anonymous brethern drop me a line. NWO: Varangy- A couple observations on your two recents posts. (1) I am sure you remember a year or so ago the uproar by FIDESZ and the various chambers (pharmacists and doctors) against the “liberalization” of the Hungarian pharmacies. If you recall, competition was deemed to be bad for a profession and Hungary would be rife with...
Healthcare, Pharma and the Free Market
WSJ Health Blog: Wal-Mart’s doing a bit of chest thumping this morning, claiming that its $4 generics program has saved consumers $1 billion — $1,032,573,012.61 as of March 10, to be precise. The company says the $4 drugs now account for 40% of all prescriptions filled at its stores, adding that nearly 30% of the cheap prescriptions are purchased without insurance. Wal-Mart breaks down the program...
Tax Wedge
I have been harping on about for the past few weeks on taxation in Hungary, as Eva Balogh, inanely, seems to think that Hungary is under-taxed! See my comments here and herefor some flavor. Clearly, Eva doesn’t understand two very important things: 1) Taxes, incentives and economics 2) Hungary Let’s see what RealDeal.hu has come across: Among OECD countries, Hungary imposed the...
scandalette
Georgie notes: 2. A letter from east-central Europe proposes that the right to vote of welfare recipients should be suspended for the duration of their dependency. Indeed, parties advocating re-distribution seem to disburse so as to bind and to gain clients. “Vote for the dole” is not an openly used slogan but it fits the practice. So the newest (Hungarian) “scandalette”...
Miklós Zágoni, Ferenc Miskolczi and AGW
All three of you that actually read this dogshit of a blog are most likely weary of reading my douchebaggy thoughts on anthropogenic ‘global warming’. Well, tough luck, cuz today’s post pleasantly combines two of my favorite frustrations: Hungarians and aforementioned AGW. New derivation of equations governing the greenhouse effect reveals “runaway warming”...
Blow and AGW
This is one of those truth is stranger funnier than fiction moments in life. I must admit, I fuckin’ luv it. Ana Maria Caballero, adviser to the vice-president of Columbia, attended the conference to encourage those who take the drug [cocaine] to consider the impact on global warming. Hey cokeheads! Stop doing blow for global warming, maaaaaaan.
thick
These days I cannot decide: 1) Who is more stupid? Eva from Hungarian Spectrum or ‘Viking’? 2) Are they willfully thick or just painfully ignorant?
February 2008
28 posts
CCCP
NWO forwards an article on one of my favorite irritations, the Left and their undying adoration and apologia of things Communist: Let’s eliminate from our inquiries the idea that Fidel was somehow better than the rest of them, better than Honecker and so forth. Those cigars, those battle fatigues, that beard. Kinda cool, no? No. Death sentences for those who want to flee, prison sentences...
Goddamn Global Cooling !?
Time to fear global cooling! Let’s see if the environmentalists can figure out how to profit, expand their influence and further engineer their brand of neo-socialism. Twelve-month long drop in world temperatures wipes out a century of warming Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in...
Pretty primitive
World traveler, culinarian and chef Anthony Bourdain slams Romania: Even WITHOUT cameras, looking just for a relaxed meal, we’d often enter a near empty restaurant, ask if a table was available—and have the waiter tell us “No” in the surliest of terms. WITH cameras—asking if we could shoot was an invitation to either an instinctive “NO” or an invitation to gouging. As waiters and...
compassionate socialized healthcare
Someone explain to me how single-payer healthcare, which outlaw private healthcare (!), is in any way, shape or form, fuckin’ compassionate or socially just? All those who think that I wrong —- please email me your comments.
folk geneticist
I love Serbians, those deranged lunatic criminals, the whole lot of ‘em. Down the road from the US embassy, a German embassy guard house was burning, while a car was on fire outside the Canadian diplomatic mission. Other embassies targeted included those of Bosnia, Croatia and Turkey. But the rioters moved to other parts of the city, setting alight a McDonald’s restaurant, ransacking a...
Silliness
Were the Beatles to sing Stairway to Heaven. Mummy, make them stop. Make them stop, please.
főzelék
I have a big soft spot in my three-chambered, cold-blooded amphibian heart for the typical Hungarian néni — why? Because even ugly, evil varangyok have nagymamák. Mine, for example, was one the sweetest, most loving ladies in all of Magyardom —- except if you tried to get on the tram or the metro at the same time as her. For being such a frail lady, she managed to surprisingly,...
Contradictions in terms
Kudos to the American Left! Lefty American economist Brad DeLong stands up to the idiotic and repugnant Lefty Fidel Apologists. Ken Houghton: Model that one up and show me the results. Your major local trading partner when you were run by a Mob-backed dictator unilaterally refuses to buy your goods, or to import anything to you… Reply #3: You know, there is something very wrong with an...
kúrvára hasznos
The other day I was cooking and I remarked to the Varangycsajszi about how much I enjoyed using one particular cooking tool/utensil of ours. Me: I love this thing. It is so fucking handy. Where did we get it? VCs: From blankblankblank, I think. Me: No kidding? Very cool. At which store did they purchase it? VCs (entirely nonchalant): They didn’t get it from a store. They got it from...
Irony and then some
Not too long ago I had a, er, ‘conversation’ with a close relative of mine on the topic of healthcare in Hungary. (I should note he is an ardent FIDSZes.) Anyhow, he is currently obsessed with the American healthcare model and its, in his eyes, lack of any merit whatsoever. He takes Moore’s propaganda piece, Sicko, as gospel. So, you can guess his views on privitization....
What are the odds that some crazy and serious shit goes down in Serbia and Kosovo?
Blogs Reviewed
A couple of thoughts on the dying English language Hungarian blogosphere (I am too lazy to link to them all. You know where they are anyway). Hungarian Spectrum Interesting subject matter. Academic, condescending tone and dry timbre makes for painful reading and a lot of head-shaking. Typically poor understanding of economics common to most academics. Also, uses the word ‘blog’...
Nessie
I must confess, I luv this. Truly, you couldn’t make this shit up. File under: Blame ‘Global Warming’ for everything. LEGENDARY Nessie hunter Robert Rines is giving up his search for the monster after 37 years. The 85-year-old American will make one last trip in a bid to find the elusive beast. After almost four decades of fruitless expeditions, he admitted: ...
pointless political exercise
NWO continues his devastating email fusillade on my political positions: Varangy: Ok. In the last couple of days you have: (1) effectively admitted the March 9th referendum is a pointless political exercise, and given an honest choice you would support doctor visit fees and hospitalisation fees (other than for seniors) and tuition fees: My position is a little more nuanced than that. Granted,...
More on healthcare
Great post on healthcare by Tyler Cowen. Ironically, the comments on the post are as horrificly bad and uninformed as Tyler’s post is good. Let me be clear: the incentives today are screwy. Let me also tell you my ideal world. Insurance companies are judged by honest third party intermediaries. Insurance companies compete like heck to make customers satisfied. Insurance companies...
less sanguine
NWO weighs in: When I wrote it initially it was largely in jest, but come to think about it, I think there is some validity in the idea. In and around Komarom and Esztergom there are already a non inconsequential number of Slovaks working in Hungarian businesses in Hungary. Maybe they are all ethnically Hungarian so there is no language barrier that would face a Hungarian going to work in a car...
penniless survivor
Tom Lantos just passed away. Lantos was born in Hungary and as a teenager twice escaped Nazi labor camps. He was active in the anti-Nazi underground before coming to the United States in 1947 on an academic scholarship. When he announced his retirement from Congress, Lantos expressed his gratitude toward his adopted country, saying, “It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor...
Looks like I will have to do a scathingly honest review of the English language Hungaro-blogosphere sometime soon.
move to Slovakia
NWO drops us a line: re: reaching non-parity in 30 years Not that this goes at all towards your post, but I would feel remiss not sharing the rare pice of interesting and good news about Hungary (at least compared to our neighbours): “Hungary has taken top spot amongst the Visegrád four in exporting high-tech goods. The International Congress of E-government told MTI-Hungarian News Agency...
apocalyptic prophecies
City Journal: Thornton’s assertion that religion, notably Christianity, is a receding force in European life stands on firmer statistical ground. Europe’s historic cathedrals overflow with tourists, not parishioners, he rightly observes. Filling the space vacated by traditional religion are “pseudo-religions” like environmentalism, a movement that comes complete with its own apocalyptic prophecies...
governance by experts
Call me stubborn and dogmatic, but I hold the concept and execution of a liberal democracy in pretty goddamn high regard. These environmentalists…not so much. Hey, at least they’ve come clean. There must be open minds to look critically at liberal democracy. Reform must involve the adoption of structures to act quickly regardless of some perceived liberties. … We are going...
six years
IHT: BERLIN: The new chief of the Hungarian secret services, who spent six years at the KGB’s academy in Moscow during the 1980s, has become chairman of NATO’s intelligence committee, a development that diplomats said could compromise the security of the alliance. No comment. Actually, time for the USA to leave NATO. More here.
reaching non-parity in 30 years
Interesting stat: …German writer Josef Joffe makes the following back-of-the-envelope calculation: “Assume that the Chinese economy keeps growing indefinitely at a rate of seven percent, the average of the past decade (for which history knows of no example)… . At that rate, China’s GDP would double every decade, reaching parity with today’s United States ($12...
cop-out
NWO responds: I am sorry, but that is something of a cop out. Will there be corruption in the process of privatizing the medical system? Of course. Will insiders benefit? No shit! This is true no matter what party does this. It may not be perfect, but this really has to happen, and as there was a possibility for doing this on a consensus basis (i.e., like it would happen in Austria) where...
hard currency
Back to NWO’s email from two posts below. My responses: Varangy- You are right, of course. But this begs the question: when will you then come out and admit your frineds in FIDESZ`and your relatives are WRONG about the Hungarian medical system, Now. They are wrong. That duly confessed, I understand why. that the Government’s effort to reform the system perhaps poorly executed...
more of a statesperson than a politician
Who the fuck is more surprised? Me or Vándorló? Well, I’m surprised to hear myself say it, but what Hungary needs in Thatcherism, not the current form of Blairism that Gyurcsány is sporting. This all reminds me of the pathetic state of the UK back in 1980 and the heartless, but brave battle Thatcher fought to bring democratic principles to Union ballots. To be honest back then and even up...
renounce the role of the State
New World Order pins me to cardboard like a dead butterfly: Varangy- You are right, of course. But this begs the question: when will you then come out and admit your frineds in FIDESZ`and your relatives are WRONG about the Hungarian medical system, that the Government’s effort to reform the system perhaps poorly executed is correct in principle and-most relevantly now- that he...
treatment to be withheld
The logical consequence of socialized medicine. Doctors are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives. Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone. … One in three said that...
January 2008
12 posts
'Krisztián'
‘Krisztián’, the little gypsy street urchin is quite fascinating. In the aptly named video, Százhúsz centi tömény erőszak, he is at times, incredibly thoughtful, intelligent, fairly aggressive, sometimes even endearing, and a fair bit sociopathic. He is clearly a survivor. Incredibly, it turns out he is not an ethnic Hungarian-Gypsy. He, ostensibly, learned Hungarian in a...
Speak and Takáts Tamás
Speak the Hungarian rapper’s 15 mins of fame seem to have stretched out for another 5 mins or so. Boing Boing catches wind of his video monstrosity. Some of the comments are hilarious: #7 posted by connor811 , January 15, 2008 7:49 PM There isn’t any raaping in the video at all, but I do love the part where the one guy goes into the screeching falsetto. Business.#11...
ELTE Douchebags
It would be an understatement to call me skeptical about this: What would a dog say if it could talk? “Stranger”, “fight”, “walk”, “alone”, “ball” and “play”, according to scientists who have developed a computer programme to translate dog barks. The special programme analysed more than 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs...
$1,500 per day
Looks like Amazon.com refuses to roll over for the French courts over some inane and insane anti-consumer law governing book prices and discounts: PARIS: The online retailer Amazon.com said Monday that it would pay €1,000 a day in fines, rather than comply with a court ruling upholding French limits on price discounts for books. The company decided to pay the daily fine worth $1,500 rather than...
GDP Douchebaggery
Our favorite crypto-Hungarian (or not) Sárközy is making waves by capitulating to every anti-American/anti-globalizationist economist’s wet dream: No one can accuse Nicolas Sarkozy of aiming low. The French president wants to make his country the “soul” of the new Renaissance this world so badly needs. The goal of reconstructing rules and norms sounds distinctly old-fashioned,...
The Economic Illiterati
Foreign Policy has a fantastic piece on French and German attitudes regarding capitalism and entrepreneurship. Notable tidbits of stupidity include: “Economic growth imposes a hectic form of life, producing overwork, stress, nervous depression, cardiovascular disease and, according to some, even the development of cancer,” asserts the three-volume Histoire du XXe siècle, a set of texts...