The Tobacco Control Industry is killing us.

They never ever think of the consequences until after the fact. And they’ve been warned what would happen.

British undercover detectives in Birmingham have found cigarettes containing human excrement, asbestos, mold and dead flies, as counterfeit cigs flood into the UK at huge risk to public health.

Private eyes working for the tobacco industry have spent weeks rummaging through litter bins and scouring pavements for cigarette butts to access the scale of the black market in England’s midlands region, according to the Birmingham newspaper the Sunday Mercury.

Operation EDPC – which stands for Empty Discarded Pack Collection – was funded by Swiss-based brand protection company MS Intelligence – found that 31% of cigarettes were either bogus or bought abroad.

But then the UK border agency are getting on top of the problem. NOT.

Investigators were shocked by the sheer volume of the trade, which has more than doubled in the last 12 months. A similar study last year found only 14% of packets were fakes or had been smuggled into the country.

The trade in counterfeit cigs is big business. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimate that non UK duty-paid cigarettes cost the tax payer up to £3.6 billion during the financial year 2009-2010.

That 3.6 billion is more than enough to cover the cost of so called smoking related diseases. (2.7 billion quoted today by the Chief medical Officer).

When will the Government realise that they’re  being led down a very slippery road with their blind obedience to what ever the Tobacco control industry tells them? They don’t seem to realise that the public will take them to account, when it all eventually goes wrong and people start to die from their blind obedience to the public health lobby.  

SOURCE

Just in case they’ve started early

 

Alle gesprekke oor die internet en e-posse kan aangeteken word as die regering beplan om 'n massiewe uitbreiding in toesig.

Die koalisie is herstigting van Arbeid se noodlottig skema om na Snoop op alle Britse burgers aanlyn - ten spyte van die feit dat dit teengestaan ​​is deur liberale en konserwatiewe terwyl hy in die opposisie.

Internet diensverskaffers sal gevra word om rekords te hou van alle e-pos boodskappe op die sosiale netwerk-webwerwe en gesprekke oor Skype.

Die inhoud van die oproepe of boodskappe sal aangeteken word, maar die owerhede sal hê om 'n hofbevel te verkry om as hulle wil om te luister of die inhoud te lees.

Maar, sal die polisie en sekuriteit in staat wees om die besonderhede van wat die kommunikasie tussen en watter tyd dit plaasvind sonder 'n hofbevel te eis.

For an explanation why this is written in a foreign language go HERE

Tossers.

Islamophobia comes to Town

It’s plainly rife where I live. And where was this pernicious article published?

AN anti-Islamic article aiming to "liven up" a church magazine has sparked outrage after it branded the religion a "threat".

Who is this shadowy group attacking Muslims in the street?

The 80-year-old divorcee claimed in her column for the St John's Church publication that young Christian schoolchildren were being brainwashed with Islamic ideology.

Mind you, I’d like to read what she originally wrote before the censorship kicked in.

Both magazine editor Nick Hawkins – who admitted toning down the original submission because it was "too extreme" – and the Reverend John Chandler this week defended the piece, which was sent out to all homes in Hildenborough.

And the usual from the professionally offended:

But residents and the West Kent Muslim Association (WKMA) have called it "unacceptable" and "harmful to the community".

Well mateys. I’m a resident and I’m not in the slightest bit offended.

And of course a politician has to jump on the publicity bandwagon. It’s all so predictable.

Tonbridge Green Party's Steve Dawe said he hoped the article – which sits alongside more benign offerings about coffee mornings and whist drives – was a one-off.

And on a final note.

Mrs Clark, of Bramble Close, said she stood by her views, saying: "This used to be a Christian country."

Good for you Mrs Clark.

If you want to see what she wrote there is a transcript in the comments following the article In Thisiskent.

UPDATE:

of course there is always one of the Righteous in the comments.

I think this piece in the Hildenborough parish magazine was a step too far but was probably written by someone whose understanding of Islam is limited to what she sees and hears in the British media. I'm not surprised that the Editor of the magazine and the local vicar defended the article, as the Christian community in Hildenborough is quite evangelical in its make up, However, if the Editor wants to liven things up then he must be prepared to publish balancing articles which may in turn cause offence to the Christian community. Personally I am an atheist and don't have a lot of time for any particular religion but I respect people's beliefs and would expect them to respect mine. Christianity is meant to be a tolerant religion and the article in question does nothing to promote that. I suspect that what Mrs Clark is actually afraid of is extremism and what she has to realise is that extremism in any religion is a destructive force. I think the Editor of Keys should print some form of disclaimer, retraction or apology for this article, if not then I would support Steve Dawe in his suggestion that this should be a matter for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Terence Morrison.

Ash. (The cousins chapter)

They really can’t stop with their hectoring. Not content with their assault on the smoker with the crap pedalled about 2nd hand smoke damaging innocent bystanders. Now Ash America is trying to re-instate the myth of “third hand smoke”.

Parents who do not smoke in the presence of their children, including even those who smoke only outdoors, nevertheless put their children at serious risk of "massive damage" to both skin and nerve cells, according to a new study, notes ASH.

Now I’ve got three grown up kids and I haven’t seen people in the streets running and screaming away from them due to the hideous disfigurement I have inflicted on the Cheeeeldren.

What is it with these new puritans?

Using radioactive (Note 1) nicotine as a marker, German scientists showed that the neurotoxin nicotine is not only released from a parent's clothing by perspiration so that it can be detected in all the layers of a babies' skin, but that it is also transported through the child's skin into deeper tissue layers.
They also demonstrated that the toxins from the smoke that were dissolved in the perspiration caused massive damage to children's skin cells -- this included changes in shape and even death to some cells. Also, nerve cells -- which are particularly active and developing in young children -- demonstrated major changes, and were no longer able to connect properly with one another.

I’m certainly not going to emigrate to the good old U S of A. They’re more draconian than the UK.

Already, judges is most of the states have issued orders prohibiting smoking around children involved in custody disputes, about a dozen states have banned smoking in cars or homes when foster children are present, and a small but growing number of states ban smoking in cars -- all to protect the health of children put at risk by secondhand tobacco smoke.
Now all of these protections may have to be expended to include the risks caused by thirdhand tobacco smoke as well as secondhand tobacco smoke, suggests Banzhaf, whose legal actions have been in the forefront of the movement to protect children from the risks of their parents' smoking.

I wonder when the coagulation will get around to it over here.

H/T to Grandad. Or not, as my blood pressure has just shot up. Oh well. A large whisky and a cigarette should fix that.

Note 1. Are they sure they didn’t irradiate the kids with a lethal dose of pollonium?

Splattergate goes global.

OK it’s only on Fox news.

UPDATE.

It would seem that one of 10:10 sponsors is not too happy either. Read the letter HERE.

FURTHER UPDATE

And another one bails out as well. From 350.org.

We respect 10:10's previous work to encourage companies, schools, and churches to voluntarily cut their carbon emissions 10%. Upon seeing the video, however, we have informed 10:10 that we can no longer remain partners on 10/10/10 or any other initiative.

Another Quango for the chop please.

 

The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health (KASH).

A group funded by the NHS and they want to do this:

SMOKING could be banned in every public park and sports ground in the Tonbridge area.

The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health wants councils across Kent to stop people from lighting up at venues which are aimed at children and families.

It means people found smoking at Tonbridge Farm, Tonbridge Racecourse and the neighbouring Haysden Country Park could face on-the-spot fines, and court, for flouting the rules.

The document was backed by Kent County Council this week and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council said it was "carefully considering" the Kent Tobacco Control Strategy – which aims to have a smoke-free county by 2014.

Bastards.

And at the bottom of the article I read this:

The borough council's stance is in line with its pioneering of the Smokefree Homes Award system, introduced in January 2009, in which holders pledge to keep homes and cars free of smoke at all times.

I pledge to smoke in my own property incessantly from now on.

And of course there is the usual “Think of the Cheeeeldren.

Read the whole article in Thisiskent. They have a vote, which so far is 100% against this twattery

*Notice to self. Remember to take blood pressure pill*

ASH at it again.

 

As they say. Tell a lie enough times, and people will believe it's the truth.

I was just trawling through their site and found this recent press release:

A study measuring the impact of England’s smokefree law on hospital admissions for heart attacks has shown that the legislation resulted in 1200 fewer emergency admissions to hospital in the 12 months following the implementation of the 2007 law. [1] This is the latest of a number of studies measuring the short-term health benefits of smokefree laws [2] and the first to evaluate the impact on heart attacks in England.

This has been trotted out on various occasions since the smoking ban came into force.

The fact is that there has been no significant change since the ban in 2007. The downward trend was already well established. Most likely for a multitude of reasons.

The simplest way of showing this is by the use of the actual data in the study:

Emergency AMI admissions in English hospitals

2002/03: 61,498

2003/04: 60,680 (a fall of 1.33%)

2004/05: 58,803 (a fall of 3.1%)

2005/06: 55,752 (a fall of 5.19%)

2006/07: 53,964 (a fall of 3.21%)

2007/08: 51,664 (a fall of 4.26%)

To me the figures speak for themselves. I think ASH should stick their figures up their pipe (I.e. the fundamental orifice in their backside) and smoke them.

Stop press. Heath scare alert. Panic

Remember swine flue? Now we are all going to die due to the attack of the killer volcanoes.

People with lung conditions like emphysema and asthma should stay indoors if volcanic ash starts to settle, a spokesman for the World Health Organisation said.

I wonder if they have shares in face masks ? You're more at risk in my opinion, of the fumes from public transport belching out those black clouds of unburnt diesel.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in the UK said Mr Epstein's advice was in line with its own. He said the situation was being monitored closely and could change but that regular updates were being sent out.

Why is it that every bit of news these days has to have it's own scare story. Could it be that they are trying to justify their jobs before the GREAT CULL that will happen after May 6th?

Contains bad language

Prodicus reckons this is the new Labour Leaders 2010 song. Replacing the Red flag.

I, however, think that it reflects my view of all the 646 thieving, sanctimonious, troughing swine that have been recently inhabitating  the House of commons.

I'd rather see the place emptied for good and put up for sale.

Aaaaaaargh (Again and again)

Any of you that are regular readers of this Blog will have noticed that I have had trouble with the Utility Companies,  serving my deceased Uncle's property.

Just when I thought it was all cut and dried I find lying on his doormat, this:

I really despair. This time it was TalkTalk. Just getting through to them was bad enough. The customer services number on their web site has four options. Guess what? Option 4, which I needed, didn't work.

The next number I found produced a very unhelpful lady from abroad who tried to make out it was all my fault in someway. I hadn't followed out their procedure. I tried to explain in simple words that as I wasn't their customer, how could I possibly know their mores and customs? (Oh and needless to say, her Supervisor was conveniently out.)

Found another number The Cones cancellation hotline, and after eventually fighting my way remorselessly up the queue, and being told every step of the way "that my custom was important to them", I finally reached someone who could actually do something.

Even then after explaining to the young Scottish Lassie that it really was their ineptitude that had caused all this in the first place, she had the cheek to suggest that I do all the leg work in setting it straight. I "politely"* declined.

The worst thing about it is they never apologise.

* Only slightly sweary language used. No "C"words were harmed in the making.

I couldn't care less

It's national no smoking day. Hurrah.

Just finished my tenth one. Bollocks to Deborah Arnott and ASH.

Aaaaargh. (Again)

 

I really don't think that big companies have staff that can actually read the printed word.

Last week I had recourse to write a scathing letter to a local water company. (Southeast water. I hope you are reading this). This was over a final demand for non payment of my Uncle's water Bill. I had to point out to them in no uncertain terms that my Uncle had died before Christmas, and that I had informed them at the time that they were to contact the Probate Solicitor.

I really can't see what is so hard about that. I didn't use any long words or anything in the letter. maybe they just thought the word Solicitor was Me touting a Brothel or other house of repute, ( House of Commons springs Immediately to mind).

Today I went over there to meet the Estate Agent and there was a final demand from his power company. (Eon. I hope you are reading this)

Well the only consolation is that it gives me the chance to vent my spleen. I must admit I love the groveling apologies. So I shouldn't complain.

The Police State is most definitely here.

It would seem that the Police don't even know the laws that they are supposed to uphold. It is still not illegal to film in a public place, so why are they still trying to stop it?

The video below is of the Police and a PCSO harassing The "Love Police" outside Harrods.

The Oxford Mail has the story of the police using section 43 of the Terrorism act to stop and search an ex RAF engineer from photographing them. Oh and there's a short vid to go with the story.

This should be stopped in it's tracks right now. Wanker of the week is PC Steve Burchett

Update:

There's more twattery here.

Cretins

 

Today I went over to my deceased Uncle's apartment to supervise the clearance of his furniture. The usual mail was on the table. However although most was junk, one got my blood boiling.

This was a letter stating that, as he hadn't filled an occupancy details form, the water would be cut off.

The fact that he died in October last year and that no such form has been found was bad enough. The very fact that I had sent them a letter stating that he had died and enclosing a copy of the death certificate just doesn't seem to work with those clowns

Lets face it. I know they received the letter as they, in due course, sent the death certificate back.

I've just E mailed their letter and a scan of the death certificate and covering letter that went with it to their Chief Executive.

Do you think I'll get a meaningful reply?

Oh and bye the way. My E mail wasn't too rude. I don't want to be accused as a bully. (Even though I do have a Nokia)

The Met Office. Fail

 

Since we had this latest round of Global warming last month, I've had their website tabbed in my Browser. I also have another site called meteox tabbed. Meteox streams ahead for 3 hours and gives a good picture of the weather patterns coming in.

Last night the Met Office was predicting that there would be a yellow level of snow in Kent by Midday today.

This morning at nine O'clock the warning had changed to orange, predicting significant levels of snow.

At ten O'clock the sun was out. Not a cloud to be seen.

At 12 O'clock, the met Office site had suddenly changed to green.

Now I'd been comparing the Met Office data to Meteox and could see that there was no cloud coming towards Kent all morning.

It would seem that the Met office cannot even predict the forecast 3 hours in advance. Are their pine cones defunct? or do they just look out of the window?

If they can't get it right for 3 hours, how can they predict the next 50 years?

How unreliable do you have to be to get a job?

I couldn't believe the article that I read this morning. It would seem that it is non PC to advertise for a "reliable" worker.

When it comes to hiring staff, there are plenty of legal pitfalls employers need to watch out for these days.

So recruitment agency boss Nicole Mamo was especially careful to ensure her advert for hospital workers did not offend on grounds of race, age or sexual orientation.

However, she hadn't reckoned on discriminating against a wholly different section of the community - the completely useless.

Is your mind boggling yet? If not read on.

When she ran the ad past a job centre, she was told she couldn't ask for 'reliable' and 'hard-working' applicants because it could be offensive to unreliable people.

I feel sorry for the people who have such idiocy to put up with.

'Even the woman at the jobcentre agreed it was ridiculous but explained it was policy because they could get sued for being discriminatory against unreliable people.'

The advert is here.

And of course we have the usual weasel words:

Yesterday the Department for Work and Pensions said it could not comment on the conversation Mrs Mamo had with the member of staff at Thetford.

Read the whole article here in the Mail

My Plumbing is killing me. Oh what Now!

 

It would appear from a study that I'm in grave danger from the pipes in my house. I always knew the buggers were out to get me when I plumbed in the down stairs toilet.

Scientists have claimed people should remove old copper pipes from their homes or install special filters because the metal has been shown to build up in their bodies and cause serious health problems.

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do about it though, apart from rip it all out and renew it in stainless steel, thus bankrupting me, due to the cost. I know I'll renew it in lead. That's much easier to work. Oh, I seem to remember that, that will kill me even faster. In that case I'll take my chances with copper.

Dr George Brewer, lead researcher, said the study in mice had wide ranging implications for health authorities.

That's all right then, cos I'm not a mouse.

At least they haven't published bogus statistics yet.

 

Source

Give the Government more of my data? You have to be joking.

It seems that there is a move afoot to force us to hand over more data to your local council. The excuse is "To prevent electoral fraud".

After July electoral registration officers will be able to ask all householders to hand over three “personal identifiers “ - their signatures, dates of birth and NI numbers - as part of a new "individual elector registration" (IER) scheme, along with names and addresses.

I for one, will have nothing to do with it. I'll just stop voting. I'm not having more of my personal data sold on to anyone who wants it.

The Ministry of Justice said admitted that it was aware there was a risk that fewer people might register to vote because of the onerous requirements to hand over more personal data.

Just another attempt at bringing in ID cards via the back door. The excuse being that "We've already got the data, so you might as well pay for an ID card as well."

Break the law at your peril

It would seem from this article in the Mail today, that you really can be locked up for anything.

Labour has created 4,300 new crimes since taking power - including a ban on swimming in the wreck of the Titanic and on the sale of game birds shot on a Sunday.

Gordon Brown has been the worst offender in this unprecedented 'legislative splurge', with his Government creating new offences at the rate of 33 a month.

I especially liked this:

Causing a nuclear explosion - Nuclear Explosions (Prohibition and Inspections) Act.

More loony ones below:

The biggest problem I find with this wankfest of new law making, is that most of us don't know about them until some Jobsworth comes knocking on our door to inform us that the nuclear weapon we are about to explode, will incur a fixed penalty notice. I mean how  many of us know that it is illegal to "Disturb a pack of eggs when directed not to by an authorised Officer"?

How also, do we know who the authorised officer is? Does he have an ID card with Egg pack protection officer stamped across it?

And they came for the drinkers

Here we go again.

Minimum prices for alcoholic drinks would be set by the Government under radical plans being drawn up to cut Britain’s growing binge-drinking problem.

They're even admitting to intend to use the same tactics as they did on smokers:

He compared the emerging alcohol policy to that involving tobacco – which led to a sharp increase in cigarette prices and a ban on smoking in public places.

I will not vote for any party that contemplates more of this bullying. And yes, that includes your party Dave.

Source