Comments on: A day at the fair

A day at the fair

oneirodynia — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:30:44 -0800

You may remember Stan Brock from as the British anaconda wrangler from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (top right video). These days he runs Remote Area Medical, a volunteer airborne relief corps that brings medical, dental, and educational assistance to remote areas of the world. Every year, they go to remote Appalachian Virginia, a one day drive from Washington DC, for a 3 day event at the fairgrounds.

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:41:12 -0800

News report on Remote Area Medical and Stan Brock - Part 1, 2 , 3, 4 [video].

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:44:34 -0800

60 Minutes segment: U.S. Health Care Gets Boost From Charity -- video [13:34].

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:26 -0800

Side comment: I totally heart Marlin Perkins, he was the most kickass anaconda-wrassling, lispy-voiced senior citizen EVER. (Although admittedly, this is creepy.) Seriously, throughout their 70s my parents mostly just sat around watching cable all day, bitching about being old... ahh, but then there was ol' Marlin, lassooing grizzly bears like a rodeo star even when his arthritis was acting up. Gotta love that.

By: readery

readery — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:35:16 -0800

miss lynnster, that is the creepiest thing I've EVER seen, The animatronic Marlon plus the animatronic chimp. That clip is from the Baltimore Artscape Festival,2007, as far as I can tell - but I can't find any info about it being currently "displayed". So somewhere animatronic Marlon waits patiently to be re-animated. I picture him in a closet.

By: foxy_hedgehog

foxy_hedgehog — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:31:33 -0800

The wrangling is fine, but don't let it distract you from the article. Read all the way through to the end to hear the stories of the clinic's patients. People slowly rotting from diabetes, untreated infections. A woman who has to have all 22 of her remaining teeth pulled out, who will spend at least a year on a wait-list for dentures. The mobile clinic and the people in line are a scene that is supposed to only happen a third-world country. We've got a lot of work to do.

By: foxy_hedgehog

foxy_hedgehog — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:31:51 -0800

Oops: make that "in a third world country."

By: Rangeboy

Rangeboy — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:33:08 -0800

They have anacondas in Britain?

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:42:22 -0800

Sorry, wasn't trying to derail or downplay the importance of teeth, etc., in Appalachia... just inspired to give a kickass senior citizen shout out.

By: willmize

willmize — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:40:33 -0800

Thanks for the 60 Minutes link; I remember seeing it, and being amazed at how Brock had changed since his chasing cheetahs while barefoot phase on Wild Kingdom. He lives such a spartan lifestyle to ensure that all monies received go to where they belong: to help the people. A powerful piece, a great humanitarian.

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:25:49 -0800

We've got a lot of work to do. We've had a lot of work to for, ya know, ever.