Cool

The excellent Fonz:

Until the next time

RIP Leslie Nielsen

I really loved this man; why the original series of Police Squad was cut short, I shall never understand.

Here's a taster for you:

Until the next time

A Parable

The following piece was written by John Stossel and appears on the site Liberty for All a fine idea indeed.

***********************************************

If you’re a scientist working for private industry, it helps to invent something useful. But if you’re a scientist trying to get funding from the government, you’re better off telling the world how horrible things are.

And once people are scared, they pay attention. They may even demand the government give you more money to solve the problem.

Usually the horrible disaster never happens. Chaos from Y2K. An epidemic of deaths from SARS or mad cow disease. Cancer from Three Mile Island. We quickly forget. We move on to the next warnings.

This is the story of a looming disaster that never became an actual disaster — because the science that led to the terror was never sound science at all.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, the media used a few small studies of babies born of cocaine-addicted mothers to convince America that thousands of children were permanently damaged. Dr. Ira Chasnoff, of the National Association for Perinatal Addiction Research and Education, after studying only 23 babies, reported that mothers were delivering babies who “could not respond to them emotionally.” He told People magazine the infants “couldn’t respond to a human voice.” This led to a frenzy of stories on “crack babies.” Many people still believe “crack babies” are handicapped for life.

It isn’t true. It turns out there is no proof that crack babies do worse than anyone else. In fact, they do better, on average, than children born of alcoholic mothers.

Nevertheless, Rolling Stone told us these children were “like no others.” They were “automatons,” “oblivious to affection,” and “the damage doesn’t go away.” Education magazines warned that soon these children would reach the schools, which would be unable to control them.

It was terrifying news — thousands of children likely to grow up wild and dangerous.

It wasn’t until several years later that the myth started to unravel. Emory University psychologist Claire Coles had her graduate students spend hours observing “crack babies” and normal babies. Her students did not see what Chasnoff had seen. In fact, they couldn’t tell which children had been exposed to cocaine.

Coles told me, “They couldn’t really tell whether they were looking at the effects of cocaine or the effects of alcohol or the effects of poverty, and everybody ignored that. They just said, ‘This is cocaine.’”

How could that happen? “Well,” Coles said,” they wanted to get published.” It is easier to get your work published, and, more importantly, funded by the taxpayers, if you find something dramatic.

Coles said, “If you go to an agency and say, ‘I don’t think there’s a big problem here, I’d like you to give me $1 million,’ the probability for getting the money is very low.”

It’s also easier to get funded if what you conclude feeds someone’s political agenda. The idea of crack babies was perfect. It met the needs of liberals and conservatives. Conservatives wanted to demonize cocaine users. Liberals wanted more money for social programs.

When Dr. Coles dared suggest that crack babies were not permanently damaged, she was attacked by politicians, called incompetent, accused of making data up or advocating drug abuse. Dr. Chasnoff, who helped start the scare, did not receive similar criticism. After his scare was shown to have been exaggerated, he denied that he had pushed any agenda: “Neither I nor any of my colleagues were ever pushing junk science. Is everything we thought then — do we know that every bit of that is correct now? Well, obviously, the answer is no. But that’s the process of science.”

He said People and Rolling Stone exaggerated the implications of his research — took him “out of context.” Perhaps. Journalists hype risks constantly. But Chasnoff didn’t ask the magazines to correct or clarify their reports. So people continued expecting the crack babies — the real human beings who had to grow up with that label — to be walking disasters.

Next time you hear dire “scientific” warnings — and demands to surrender more control over your life to the government in order to avert disaster — remember the crack babies. The only disaster coming may be an activist-induced panic.

Think about that when you hear dire predictions about global warming or avian flu.

Source

Until the next time

More Climate Change Nonsense

"Modest hopes for climate summit as gas levels rise" reports the BBC today.

What's the matter with everybody? They say that so-called greenhouse gases are increasing, but if this is the case, why is the planet not actually warming? I don't believe in the greenhouse gas effect, and when I read rubbish such as:-

Heightened methane emission from wetlands and permafrost has regularly been touted as a potential amplifying factor in climate change, with warmer weather stimulating their release and so producing further warming.

- I despair.

HELLO BBC! ARE YOU LISTENING? THE PLANET IS NOT WARMING.

Until the next time

Sarah Strikes Again

Politics can be very confusing: on the one hand I would like to see far less government here in western Europe, and this is part of the platform of the American "Tea Party" for the USA, and on the other hand I find the Tea Party very disturbing indeed, as I recall sentiments similar to those of the Party being expressed some time ago (and recently!) by Sarah Palin, the deeply worrying ex-governor of the State of Alaska. I have mentioned her before...

Today however, she has hit the jackpot. Former president George W. Bush was mocked for his verbal gaffes, but Miss Palin is in an altogether different league:

The gaffe was reported in the Daily Telegraph today.

Meanwhile on the Tea Party site (link above) it says that "Lasse Hanson is sad about Sarah Palin's unfortunate slip of the tongue supporting North Korea."

Not as sad as I am I suspect!

I did not feel inclined to register with the Tea Party to find out what Miss Hanson had to say, but as I suggested at the beginning of this piece I really do not like Big Government (= Big Brother) so perhaps I should register and at least have a look around.

Until the next time

A Small Start?

The disturbing news reported today by the BBC, following a Panorama investigation, that anti-Semitic and homophobic lessons are being given to schoolchildren in the United Kingdom, has provoked a response from the Education Secretary, Mr Michael Gove:

"To my mind it doesn't seem to me that this is the sort of material that should be used in English schools."

A bit tame don't you think? However, in the video, (on the BBC article) which includes pictures of the lesson-books concerned (which apparently originate in Saudi-Arabia) Mr Gove is a little more robust, but I think that he should have said:

"Her Britannic Majesty's Government requests and requires that these books be burned immediately, some distance outside UK territorial waters."

Happily, a) I have no children and b) live in France...

Until the next time

Brewing Up?

The USA is known to be one of the most litigious societies in the world, perhaps the most litigious.

However, as with all things there is good to be found amongst the widely-publicised absurd claims that reach the American courts.

Greenie Watch mentions an article from the American Thinker concerning a case involving the University of Virginia and emails between Professor Phil Jones of the University of East Anglia, home of the "Climategate" scandal of a year ago and former Assistant Professor of environmental studies at the University of Virginia, Dr Michael Mann.

I especially enjoyed the following paragraph from the piece:

"I was wondering just how long it would take the Nature editorial to suggest a parallel between climate skepticism and the tobacco lobby. Well done! It's too bad that global warming cannot be shown to cause lung cancer -- not yet, at any rate. But more research money may yet uncover such a connection. There's still hope."

As the article suggests, there should be interesting times ahead for the "warmists"!

Until the next time

Please Read This

Just as "Global Warming" has been shown to be a blatant lie, now the pigeons have come to roost concerning "Passive Smoking.

There's a good blog article on the subject of a recent Canadian study here.

Funny it received so little publicity; non-conformist news (cf. "Global Warming") is always unpopular, as is of course the truth.

Until the next time.

Congo News

It is reported today that the "Paris Club" of creditor nations has decided to write off the $7,350,000,000 debt owed by the "Democratic" Republic of Congo.

Regular readers will know that I am no fan of this failed state.  It is certain that the Paris Club knows a lot more than I about Congo, but as a previous article here shows, I feel that I know quite enough.

How nice to have one's debts written off!  Perhaps I should try murder and rape...

Until the next time

The CBI* Joins the Fun

Outgoing CBI* boss Richard Lambert pulls no punches in his assessment of developed economies' attitude to global warming.

This is how the BBC chose to introduce its report on the CBI's call for action on Climate Change.

As I have pointed out before, the climate has been changing since the beginning of time, so where's the rush?

Most depressing of all is the BBC's use of the entirely discredited expression "Global Warming."

BBC: ARE YOU LISTENING? THE GLOBE IS NOT WARMING!

Until the next time.

*Confederation of British Industry

A riposte to that disgusting campaign "10.10"

Some of you may have seen that disgraceful and disgusting campaign where those who chose not to be "on message" as far as the greenies are concerned were 'exploded' on the push of a button by some right-on twat.

Please read this.

Here is the PR disaster:

It seems, I am happy to say, that the no doubt expensive campaign has proved - as it should be - a disaster for the warmists and their fellow-travellers.

Down with the warmist-fascist-communist eco-terrorists!

Until the next time

Bent as a nine-bob note?

The news that Russia is outraged at the extradition from Thailand of one Victor Bout comes as no surprise hereabouts.

Mr Bout who as far as I can gather, is an arms dealer as dodgy as they come, started making a large pile of money as the unlamented Soviet Union disintegrated.

As the article to which I have linked this post suggests, Mr Bout must almost certainly have friends in very high places in Russia.

Incidentally is Russia still "The Commonwealth of Independent States"? That name is about as convincing as "The Democratic Republic of Congo"!

Meanwhile I imagine that that any surviving Russian journalists will be inclined to tread very carefully on this one. To be an independent journalist in Russia today requires courage of an extraordinary sort.

From Greenie Watch

I make no comment on the following, which I have lifted direct from Greenie Watch, except to say read it and be scared.

Until the next time.

The 1930s all over again in Germany

Only the colour of the shirts has changed

What is it with these intolerant zealots who refuse to learn anything from history?

Right smack on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, German Parliamentarians, in a frontal assault, are now openly calling out and branding scientists for the crime of scientific dissent. These out-of-control parliamentarians are demanding that the German government take a position against dissenting views in climate science.

What follows makes McCarthyism look like a treasure hunt. What a number of zealous German parliamentarians are calling for borders on a call to launch a science pogrom.

The climate dogmatists are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the scepticism, free speech, and dissent now spreading in Germany and Europe, and therefore want to stamp it out using the might of the federal government – and now.

The upcoming 3rd International Climate and Energy Conference, REGISTER HERE, has got them spooked as well.

Journalist Dirk Maxeiner here brings our attention to the latest development on the exploding intolerance that has gripped certain factions in Germany. Maxeiner publishes the text of a query written by the Green parliamentarians sent to the German government, read below.

As the text shows, branding of climate science dissenters has begun. Fred Singer and EIKE (European Institute For Climate and Energy) are the first to feel the sting of the denier-branding-iron. German greenshirts have sent the bloodhounds afterFred Singer because of his speech in a German parliamentary forum discussion on the economic impacts of climate protection held by the FDP Free Democrats, the junior coalition partner of Angela Merkel’s CDU/FDP coalition government. Read background here.

Some may think that I’m being over-dramatic here. I am not. The situation that the few, yet very vocal, sceptics face here is precarious. Just read the following query written by a faction of Parliamentarians to the German Government, translated of the German text presented at Dirk Maxeiner’s site (emphasis added, and note the use of the term “denier” throughout the text)......

There it is folks. All this because some people are asking questions about the science. These Green radicals are scared crapless. Their media hacks did everything possible to slander and destroy Fred Singer, EIKE, and other dissenting German scientists – to no avail.

Now for the first time they’re going after the liberty-oriented Liberal Institute of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation. They are de facto demanding a declaration of war on scientists and groups that have a different opinion. This level of intolerance has not been seen in Germany in over 65 years. This is their “Either-you’re-with-us-or-against us” declaration to Angela Merkel’s coalition government made up of the CDU Christian Democratic Union and FDP Free Democratic Party.

More HERE

The Money Pit

There is currently a problem in the EU: that of approving next year's budget.

Officially, an increase of 6% has been requested, but MEPs are proposing 2.9% whilst according to this BBC article, a number of governments, in the throes of ruthlessly cutting their own budgets, are proposing leaving the EU budget at 2010 level.

I consider that to be more than enough given that the budget, according to this BBC graph, has increased nearly 40% over the last ten years:

As far as the UK is concerned, note the footnote about exchange rates. Using XE.com's useful historical chart, I find that in 2001 the pound stood at around 1.60 against the euro, very different from today's rate of 1.18. So in cost terms, the decline of the value of the pound has meant that the UK's contributions have become increasingly expensive, quite apart from the regular increases shown in the table above. Europhiles will blame this additional cost of course on the UK's refusal to sign up to the euro, but remaining with the pound has proved to be sensible, given the states of various European economies who have er, "benefitted" from membership of the Eurozone.

The BBC piece goes on to say that in the event of the budget not being approved (which seems likely) then the EU may not be able to afford to launch it's new diplomatic service ludicrously called the EEAS: The European External Action Service. The EEAS has been budgeted at €475.8 million. On top of the colossal corruption and fraud prevalent in the EU and widely reported for a number of years, who needs another 475.8 million wasted euros?

Please remember the case of Marta Andreason, former EU chief accountant sacked by the Welsh windbag, Kinnock - then an EU Commissioner, for drawing attention to financial "irregularities."

Kinnock and his wife did alright though: they weren't sacked, they're doing very nicely thank you very much. Gravy train 'socialists' the pair of them - like one of Kinnock's predecessors, Roy "Claret" Jenkins, Britain's worst ever Chancellor of the Exchequer and another EU Commissioner.

Will no one rid us of this parasitic nightmare?

Until the next time.

Lead by Example

In this case I mean my suggestion that you peruse the links I have added to this page!

I have just been browsing Smokers Info, and found a good piece about another lying government, this time the State of Alberta in Canada.

This was all about the state trying to raise some money by hitting tobacco (again) - suing the tobacco companies. The position was that medical treatment of "smoking-related diseases" was costing the state some $3.5 billion per annum and the claim that the taxes raised from the sale of tobacco products did not cover these costs.

Embarrassingly for the government, an anti-smoking group, "Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada" (yuk) has stated that the revenue raised is actually $7 billion!

Whoops! Read all about it here.

Can anyone identify a single government that does not lie? And do the anti-smoking physicians claim a first for being, in this instance at least, honest?

Until the next time.

European Stuff

On 9th November, European President Herman van Rompuy gave in Berlin, the annual "Europe Address."

In the opening part of his speech he said:

"What is more, today is 9 November, a day of such exceptional significance in 20th-century German history. With its times of darkness but also of course with the joy of the fall of the Berlin Wall, so close to where we stand. The "Wall of Shame", the very antithesis of the legacy of Greece: democracy. At school I learned of Pericles' famous formulation of democracy in which "the affairs of State are not the privilege of the few but the right of the many"."

This is really rather tragicomical isn't it? Or have I missed something? Of course no-one except a few eccentrics I suppose, would like to see the re-establishment of the DDR for example and its repellent leaders such as Walter Ulbricht, nevertheless it was of course (in English) The German Democratic Republic, so as with the "Democratic Republic of Congo" in the words of Private Eye: "that's alright then."

Near the end of the speech Mr van Rompuy said:

"We have together to fight the danger of a new Euro-scepticism. This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries. In every Member State, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the globalised world. It is more than an illusion: it is a lie!"

Very good Mr President; whilst I accept that Norway is a special case, owing to its oil wealth, good management and a small population, as I write this I am looking at Lake Geneva; I see no oil rigs and the desperate state of the Swiss economy (thanks of course to the Swiss population's democratic obduracy with regard to joining the EU) would of course be immediately ameliorated were the Swiss to sign up (ho ho). In this part of France, many of the French would simply love to have a job across the border - as many do.

According to XE.com, the Euro stands at 1.34049 Swiss francs. A year ago the rate was 1.50. As Bliar once remarked it is essential to be "at the heart of Europe." I wonder did anyone ask him why?

So Mr President I don't agree: it isn't a lie - at least in many cases - excepting of course those who have crucified themselves with the Euro - Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and of course Ireland. Of course the Euro isn't directly to blame for the world economic crisis, caused by greed and over-confidence and in certain cases I believe criminal activity, but membership of the currency with its strict rules (now largely ignored) cannot be helpful.

As for Ireland, the BBC report on rumours, not denied by the Irish government, of the country seeking bail-out from Brussels, includes some comment by one Joe Lynam in which he says:

"Now that talks have begun with Eurogroup officials, Ireland has the embarrassment of pressing ahead with day-to-day management of a country still officially Europe's third richest [...]"

Where did he find that piece of information I wonder? The table in this Wikipedia piece gives far more realistic numbers; especially interesting are the figures for GDP per capita for those non-EU members, Norway and Switzerland.

They cannot survive alone in the globalised world, can they Mr President?

Until the next time

UPDATE

Here's the latest from the BBC on the Irish economy and Europe.

Thanks

To the Man Widdicombe blog for the very direct notice which now appears on this page; after all for we smokers I feel that the time has come for the nailing of colours to masts.

There is also a new link on the right of this page for another good blog: "Tea and Cigarettes."

More soon.

Until the next time

Aung San Suu Kyi

The release of Aung San Suu Kyi after 15 years of house arrest has been greeted with warm statements from many world leaders.

I do not propose to discuss the subject as I have no knowledge of it - apart from the fact that I know that the Burmese Government is composed largely of thugs and that Miss Suu Kyi's imprisonment was a disgrace. And in any case many people far better qualified than I, have been or will be writing on the matter.

No, it was reading this BBC article and in particular Mr David Cameron's reponse that prompted this brief scribble. The BBC article included the following:

UK Prime Minister David Cameron also said the release was "long overdue", describing her detention had been a "travesty"[sic.].

"Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration for all of us who believe in freedom of speech, democracy and human rights," he added.

Yes, très touchant, Mr Cameron. Now please tell us what is the extent of "freedom of speech. "

For example, are we allowed to condemn the climate change mafia, the green fascists, and the horrible nannying and bullying anti-tobacco lobby? Are we allowed to criticise the Mohammedans and other fanatical religious fundamentalists? Or the EU? Are we allowed to object to multi-culturalism?

And so on.

Until the next time

Them & Us?

The news reported today - in this case by the BBC - about French President Sarkozy's Presidential Aircraft had me spluttering over my coffee this morning.

With breathtaking arrogance, the aircraft's specification includes an "air-conditioned" smoking room. I should state here and now, that I am entirely in favour of air-conditioned smoking rooms being installed everywhere, but it seems unlikely to happen in France, where just as in the fascistically oppressive UK, smoking is banned in all public places (since January 2nd 2008) and in the workplace (since 2007).

Since the presidential aeroplane has cost the French taxpayer about €180 million, one is entitled to believe that the aircraft constitutes - at least part of the time (as does the Elysée Palace for that matter where the President is known to enjoy his cigars) a "workplace."

Personally I hope the President enjoys his cigars; it's just that I don't understand why he is the only citizen of France who is permitted to smoke at work, the rest of us having to put up with cold/rain/snow/ice/wind for our rather long winters here, for which, no doubt, that arrant bullshit "global warming" is to blame.

In "Tobacco News" meanwhile I have found a splendid article about the arrogance of our rulers here concerning a State Secretary (= Junior Minister) one M. Christian Blanc, who was caught having spent €12,000 of public money on fine Cuban cigars. Generously the article adds, he sent a cheque for €3500 "for the two boxes of 25 he smokes each month" whilst being unable to account for the remaining €8500-worth.

Even more intriguing, is the reference to the practice which ended in 2001:

In Scandinavia, Germany, or even in Britain these days, Blanc would now be looking for a new job. The opposition is spluttering, but he will no doubt just be rapped on the knuckles by François Fillon, the Prime Minister, and left in peace. Until recently, no-one bothered much about the huge sums that are spent on the comfort of the state nobility. Only in 2001, did President Chirac end the practice under which all ministers were given a monthly suitcase of cash, known as ‘special funds’, to spend on whatever they liked.

This merits further investigation I think.

Until the next time.

Do it Yourself

The title this time means literally that: I have added a couple of new links and suggest that you have a look, rather than me succumbing to the temptation to copy others' words and thoughts.

Just for once eh?

Until the next time.

What does it all cost?

Inspired by a piece on Frogsmoke, I have collected a small selection of videos of "motorcades". The French, always lovers of uniforms and pomp appear to have broken all records in the case of the visit of the President of China. As I have commented on the YouTube site, I would have cheerfully picked him up myself in my 1989 Renault 5, which is totally reliable. I doubt anyone would have noticed - Paris is full of Chinese anyway! And who the hell wants to ride in a Vel Satis?? Ugh.

Chinese President



Here's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid of I understand, the UAE, making a noise in Berlin:

The poster says "amazing '46-vehicle convoy"; I think it's scandalous. Some of these big shots make me ill.

And again from Paris, here's President Medvedev of Russia; I cannot see if the cars have diamond-studded door-handles, but I wouldn't be at all surprised.

Finally a little touch of restraint and class with H.M. The Queen's visit to Williamsburg: dignified and probably very secure:



ça suffit!

Until the next time

A Tie-In?

The likes of Frank Davis are apt to link the attitude of the hysterical anti-smoking lobby with the "global warming" fanatics; I am inclined to agree with them.

Just like Frank and others, there are sites which work hard to burst the bubble of the cod science used to justify the so-called climate change arguments.

One of these, quite wittily is called "Greenie Watch" well worth a look.

For those who find "democratically-elected governments" bad enough, these huge alarmist lobbies (anti-smoking and "warmists") must be terrifying.

In the words of the Duke of Wellington: "I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me."

Incidentally, talking of the Duke of Wellington, whilst checking the above quote, I came across this amusing tale:

The Duke once met a little boy, crying by the road. "Come now, that's no way for a young gentleman to behave. What's the matter?" he asked. "I have to go away to school tomorrow," sobbed the child, "and I'm worried about my pet toad. There's no-one else to care for it and I shan't know how it is." Keen to ease the little chap's discomfort, the Duke promised to attend to the matter personally. After the boy had been at school for just over a week, he received a note: "Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Master ---- and has the pleasure to inform him that his toad is well."

The first Duke of Wellington
Source

Until the next time

Smoking Encore

Lots of smoking news recently; I hope that I haven't upset any virulent anti-smoking types amongst my readers!

Inspired by Frank Davis (link on right-hand side of this page) I have re-activated myself in regard to my inherent objection to "nanny-states" and "big government."

In today's post he pointed me toward an excellent blog called "Banned"

I have of course added this as a link here since once again, I fully approve of this individual's position, as my regular readers will probably appreciate.

With regard to SMOKING, "Banned" has reported an excellent item concerning an article in the "New Statesman" (a left-wing politically weekly) suggesting that government minister "Vince" Cable presses on with the Labour Party's anti-smoking policy. I have taken the liberty of copying and pasting the piece as I consider it to be essential reading:

Smoking Hot
23 October 2010 at 00:22
Read this Mr Cable. l had the honour of taking D-Day veterans back to Normandy this July courtesy of Heroes Return. What follows is a conversation that l was party too. lt is verbatim and the only alterations l shall make is censoring the swearing. Don't judge them by the swearing either, they were in each others company and no ladies or children were present. lf they had been present they would've behaved like the gentlemen they are.

"Later on when l'd taken them to bar and we were sat out in the sun having a beer ... and a smoke, one of the vets said " Y'know, l used to enjoy a pint and a smoke at the pub but it's not worth going anymore. Hardly anyone goes. When l have been and l want a smoke l've got to shuffle out on these f'ing sticks. Doesn't matter if it's pouring with rain, blowing a gale, f'ing snowing ... out l f'ing go"
He went on "What really pi**es me off is all them f'ing anti-smoking c**ts. They say it's better for me, it's healthier, it's for my own good ... l'm 85 for ffs!"

His mate replied " Makes you wonder why we bothered, f'ing fascists won in the end"

BANNED, for reasons that are not entirely clear to me included the following video in the post, which shows a very romantic view of England, sadly all of it concerned with the past:

I am happy to take the stand and swear that that England has it appears, gone forever; big government is to blame. The country in which I grew up no longer exists, which is partly why I no longer live there.

Until the next time.

Frank Davis

If I have any smoking sympathisers visiting here, do let me recommend you once again to Frank Davis's blog.

If you think that I'm upset about the absurd, nannying anti-smoking regulations now to be found in so many places in the world, wait until you read Frank Davis; he isn't upset - he's furious!

And then there's Frogsmoke, which I mentioned the other day; well worth a look, and finally, for the addict, Smokers Info, which provided the splendid photo below (which has appeared here before by the way.)

Until the next time