A member of the crew said they were practicing for their trip to the moon. The old man got all excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.

Recognizing a promotional opportunity, the NASA folks found a tape recorder. After the old man recorded his message, they asked his son to translate it. He refused. The NASA PR people brought the tape to the reservation, where the rest of the tribe listened and laughed, but they refused to translate the elder's message to the moon.

I know a little bit about this, having put myself through college in part by working nights dealing craps here: http://www.nooksackcasino.com/index...

<It's called "getting scalped", in the 21st century.>

Who was scalping whom? Let's see: http://www.abbemuseum.org/phips_bou...

Body parts as trophies were known to one and all Indians and Europeans alike, but the Indians were the main victims during the wars of genocide and dispossession. Scalping was invented by the Indians, and the Europeans adopted the practice as scalps were so much more portable and convenient than heads, which was their custom until then.

But if you analyse what he says he has no answers and he really seems to misunderstand politics or history. He doesn't even really know where NZ is! I recommend he gets some books and an atlas for start!

He has some vague idea that the US exits to save Australia and NZ from the Japanese. he also thinks it is the small countries that attack the US.

Any Imperialist nation such as Britain, France, Russia the US etc is subject to criticism.

However my comment was clearly a joke as (again <HeMateMe> has deliberately overlooked). I really enjoyed my time in the US and found people very good in general. I also admire many aspects of US culture (as I do of Japanese or China or wherever). I went up the Trade Tower and to various art galleries and I met a lot of "characters" in bars in NY. Some were black, some Hispanic, others just good old Pakeha Americans. I wasn't playing chess in those days but Washington Square was great. I wanted to do bigger tour of the US sometime.

My niece married an American and they live in Las Vegas, Nevada, my brother visited there recently.

I'm not senile. Nor is John Pilger when he lectures on US international politics to Americans. His critcism of say Guantanamo (and the other "Gulags" set up by the US military) doesn't mean he thinks all Americans are bad bastards. He is not that stupid. The people any nation are good. What we need to take into account are class, the class struggle, economics, racism, poverty and unemployment (in all nations) and so on. Pilger's critique of Obama is on the nail. But the fundamental structure of capitalism is now virtually world wide.

Nor are these question of Imperialism etc limited to the US.

There are huge question marks for example over what is happening in India or China, and say France (treatment of Arab peoples and the attack on welfare etc) and of course there isn't a nation on the earth above criticism...

But I think those memory fadeouts are caused by a kind of panic.

Hmmm... I am approaching 65 so suppose....

Yes, but NZ is nothing like LOTRs (Your point about Austria) - they key point of that film is the flight from fascism. The Sound of Music but LOTRs is also a kind of escapist almost a fascist (Extreme religious messages coded in about evil etc? (All person in the film are White. The fantasy is perhaps of some ideal pure and "good shire", but that is not NZ, where the police have just been armed extensively in response to increasing violence, crime and homicide here)) There are bizarre parallels with Wagner's Ring Cycle)) view of the world in some ways))

On radio talk back in NZ then when the (world and NZ's) economy took a dive, one of the main points made was how the Jews are running everything and how they have (deliberately) ruined the world and NZ's economy - racism is alive and kicking in NZ. And the struggle between European and Maori is continuous. Paranoia or Xenophobia about immigrants exists also. One successful politician (Peters, he is also Maori) has made big gains by pushing immigration restriction and much else. Some NZ farms were sold to Chinese businessmen (China probably does have Imperialist (or just strong business?) designs on the Pacific, but I feel overall this reaction is hysterical and paranoid, as I don't see why businessmen outside NZ cant run some of NZ's farms etc), and there is a big outcry but not much said when farms etc are sold to Europeans...the National Party are rightly suggesting there is an aspect of racialism in the reaction by many kiwis)...

Politics in Chess - I used to argue with Sarapu about Communism and Apartheid. [But there was a bloke who was Secretary of the Auckland Chess Club (Ian Mitchell) who actually was a member of the Stalinist Communist Party and there were tremendous arguments (deriving?) from him!!] Remember he came over with a Latvian - he was from Estonia. A 'cloud of evil and runour' hangs over that personage from L:atvia...Why didn't Ortvin stay in Europe while Wade did? Remember that the Germans didn't have to worry about getting cooperation from many of the Baltic peoples in the killing of "communists" or Jews etc

Then we wonder about Alekhine, not to mention Fischer. Then there is Pachman (I read his book (biography). Lasker and Reshevksy...don't tell me they were affected by the war. The role of Botvinnik in the USSR? It goes on all the time.

Wade had strong socialist sympathies.

Politics and chess - it is everywhere. Look at the President of FIDE - look at Kasparov's PCA - it goes on. Should Israel be in chess? What about the US while it is involved in overseas wars etc? recall the World Champs in Libya? And what about Russia Kasparov, now on a new tack.

You cannot separate politics and chess or politics and sport (or anything else - art, film in fact, or music) - politics is an integral part of human life. Sarapu didn't want politics in sport but for me that was impossible and that is why I protested the Tour of NZ by the South African rugby team. Sarapu, in my view, by not taking part in, was implicitly endorsing Apartheid. This may not have been his conscious view but it was probably the net effect or is that of those who sit on the fence and say or do nothing.

My own feeling is that he was a kind of middle of the road person politically. In person I liked Sarapu a lot. I was wish in fact I had got to know him better... our disagreements were not bitter by any means!

re Sarapu, I remember he at least had respect for my chess...he said once: "You play great chess when you are losing."!

Just now the Australian ex-cricketer Rodney Hogg (contemporary of Hadlee and Lillee etc) is making racist comments about Arabs and Muslims etc and carrying on what is clearly a right wing political stance and propaganda - he is on TV radio etc so it has to become political...

You are talking about my memory lapse and making a joke?

Not sure where you are coming from...

I did drink a lot through the 90s. That was when I was involved in performance poetry. Used it for "Dutch courage". Gradually checked out of drinking for a number of reasons. One was the number of police charges I had had to face. Others included adverse physical and mental affects.

A large and very loud American goes into a pub in New Zealand.

"I hear tell all you Kiwi people are real hard drinkers." he says in a big booming voice, "Now you folks just don't know what hard drinking is! Why I'll wager a bet with any man to drink 20 shots of whisky one after the other and give you $500 dollars if you can do it."

No-one takes up the challenge. One bloke even leaves!

"Well, there ya go, sure proves my point!" the American says disgustedly. A few minutes later the guy who left comes in and says "Hey you big fella, is that bet still on?"

"Sure as hell is!" and he orders a line up of 20 glasses of whisky. The man runs along the bar, grabbing each glass and throwing back the contents, to huge cheers and the astonishment of the American. The American of course tries to do it as well, but can't pass the 17th, so he gives the bloke the $500.

"Tell me," slurs the Yank, "where did you go before you (hic!) came back in again."

"Ah bro" says the man pocketing the bills,