The voice of reason

An article by Brendan O’Neill on why second hand smoke really isn’t as hazardous as those who are hard of thinking think it is.

If there really were such a thing as a bullshit detector, a machine that bleeped upon encountering nonsense, it would probably go into meltdown whenever someone talked about second-hand smoke.

In the modern public sphere, there are few issues that are as riddled with myth, misinformation, contradictory claims and outright claptrap as the scare about what smokers' foggy puffing is doing to us innocent non-smokers.

In recent years we've been told that second-hand smoke, or passive smoking, as some people call it, is as bad as smoking itself and can give you lung cancer. And apparently if you are surrounded by it in a car that has its windows closed that is like being in the most smoky, nicotine-stained bar you could ever imagine (if such bars still existed, which of course they don't).

Yet it turns out that these claims about the toxicity and cancer-causing powers of other people's smoke are either untrue or unproven. So how do prissy anti-smoking campaigners and health-freaky politicians continue to get away with churning out tall tales about second-hand smoke? Why won't this panic die under the boot of actual facts? What gives it its Michael Myers-like ability to keep coming back, in a crazier form every time, wagging its warning finger at humankind?

The evidence-light nature of the second-hand smoke scare was on full display during British politicians' recent mean-spirited attempt to outlaw smoking in cars in which children are present.

Last week, the House of Lords, our unelected second chamber, gave its nod of approval to a new Bill that would make it an offense to smoke in a car with kids, even if the windows are open. The Bill is now working its way back to the House of Commons, and if a majority of the members there agree that coppers should have the right to stop and threaten with arrest any motorist who has that apparently deadly combination of a lit ciggie and a child in his vehicle, then the Bill will become law and another bit of Brits' everyday freedom will be stubbed out.

Do read the rest of the article at Reason.com. It’s a cracker

E cigarettes and smoking in cars.

Last week the House of Lords voted to ban smoking in cars carrying children.

It’s interesting to note that at the same time the anti-smokers are campaigning  to have E cigarettes banned from enclosed public spaces. 

It might seem a coincidence, but I feel that their slippery slope of bans would come to a halt without a ban on E-cigs. After all how can you tell that a driver passing you with a child onboard is smoking or vaping?

As we all know this ban is just the start. I personally think that the ban on smoking in cars with children would be impossible to police anyway and would soon be amended to no smoking in cars at any time. Just to get around the vaping issue. That’s why they have to ban vapers from enclosed spaces.

As others have pointed out this is a major erosion of liberty, in the fact that they are at last managing to get their jackbooted laws into peoples own private property. Of course this will soon lead to “Think of the cheeeeeldren” in smoky homes. Your home will no longer be your own when the Nu puritans have the full force in law to inspect your home at a moments notice.

Be warned, other anti everything enjoyable groups are watching as this template unfolds.

So if you like a drink, sugar, soft drinks or anything else that public health deplore, then you will be next.

Count on it.

Where I woz

Been away for a while and attended a wedding in the land of the scots.

The Venue:

My bedroom:

And the best bit of all is that we had exclusive access to a section of the battlements from the room. Ideal for a smoke.

Anyone like to name the castle?

The witches of Ashwick

posted from Bloggeroid

The witches of Ashwick

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Katz

Who is……..

Meredith Wobig?

A couple of weeks ago I suddenly started receiving chat messages from Meredith. Bearing in mind that I have never ever used Google chat.

Now I’ve never met anyone called Meredith or even Wobig, so why is he so adamant to chat to me? Is it because:

I owe him money?

He’s trying to sell me something?

He owes me money?

He’s fathered one of my children? (If so he can have the brat).

He has a large sum of money that needs me to smuggle out of his country if I pay him a substantial sum in advance to facilitate the transfer? (419 scam)?

He’s gay and is looking for a partner in order to get a foothold into the UK benefit system? *shudders*

Maybe I’m being too harsh. If you really want to speak to me, Meredith, then E mail me.

If there is anyone reading this pathetic attempt of a blog, give me some suggestions.

 

 

 

Smoke and your baby gays it

Sorry about the post title, but when I read this article I really felt the world had gone mad.

Smoking and drinking during pregnancy could make your baby gay and stupid, if the claims of a neuroscientist are to be believed.

A controversial study has found that a pregnant woman’s lifestyle could influence their child’s IQ or sexuality.

It’s as if the whole world and his dog are trying to milk the anti-smoking gravy train for all it’s worth. My mother chain smoked throughout all her pregnancies, and I have never even thought about flouncing around in a pink tutu. Oh and my IQ is 143.

A pin drop.

A French one anyway.

JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when De Gaulle decided to pull out of NATO.  De Gaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded
"Does that include those who are buried here?"

You could have heard a pin drop

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American.  During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims.  What does he intended to do, bomb them?'

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:

'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply Emergency  electrical power to shore facilities; they have three  cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, They can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.  We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?' 

You could have heard a pin drop. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Royal Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, the English learn only English. He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'

Without hesitating, the British Admiral replied,

'Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN
WITH THE ABOVE...

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked  sarcastically. 

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. 

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready." 

The Englishman said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it." 

"Impossible. You English always have to show your passports on arrival in France !" 

The English senior gave the Frenchman a long hard  look.  Then he quietly explained,

''Well, when I came ashore at Gold Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to." 

You could have heard a pin drop.

A must read.

As a former seafarer I wish this book had come out sooner.

How to Avoid Huge ships.

The customer reviews show how this book has saved countless lives and stopped children from having nightmares about the subject. After all, we do need to always think of the children. Don’t we?