tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77127062636953646652024-03-14T09:33:44.801+00:00Critical Faculty DojoExcercise your critical faculties - Feel the burn!CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.comBlogger612125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-66463659452543809922016-12-05T12:59:00.000+00:002016-12-05T13:03:31.585+00:00Hail! Hallo, Hulloo.. Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?It never ceases to amaze me the amount of misinformation and half-baked so-called ‘facts’ and faulty ideas that circulate on the net. Often they could be refuted with but a moment’s effort to check, but apparently this is too much bother.. although it is apparently not too much bother at all to pass them on like some infection of the mind.<br />
<br />
The simplest form of ‘chain letter’ without even any empty threats, or bogus promises of good luck.<br />
<br />
I suppose it really ought to have ceased to amaze me by now because this is not exactly a new thing. I suppose just I have too much misplaced faith in humanity. The sheer credulity of so many people and the urge they seem to have to pass on any random nonsense positively takes one’s breath away in sheer wonder.<br />
<br />
People have studied this stuff. Here is a definition. A meme can loosely be described as an idea that spreads from person to person that can be spread from one mind to another like a virus through writing, speech, gestures, habits and rituals, like genes they self-replicate, mutate, and ‘selfishly’ respond to selective pressures.<br />
<br />
Memes do this through the processes of variation, mutation, competition, and inheritance, each of which influences a meme's reproductive success. Memes spread through the behavior that they generate in their hosts. Memes that propagate less prolifically may become extinct, while others may survive, spread, and (for better or for worse) mutate. Memes that replicate most effectively enjoy more success, and some like diseases replicate effectively even when they prove to be detrimental to the welfare of their hosts.<br />
<br />
Why am I discussing this? Because – call it serendipity – I have several times in the last few days heard something to the effect of the following:<br />
<br />
That "Alexander Graham Bell invented the word hello because it was his girlfriend’s surname and it was the first thing he said on the telephone,”<br />
<br />
It is chirpy, if slightly odd, English as follows: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMFaSY6mTC4/WEViip6XYsI/AAAAAAAAAZc/nGOs5GqZlJw4X7XP1zdGbEyqELmJLxnEQCLcB/s1600/2676380_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMFaSY6mTC4/WEViip6XYsI/AAAAAAAAAZc/nGOs5GqZlJw4X7XP1zdGbEyqELmJLxnEQCLcB/s640/2676380_orig.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
<br />
No. That is not love. That is not even true. That is actually prime, Grade A, Bull S*. You should take anything that anyone who tells you otherwise with a large pinch of salt as they are unreliable.<br />
<br />
A simple check on the net reveals that Mabel Hubbard was Bell's actual girlfriend/fiancée in 1876 when the telephone was patented He married her the following year on July 11, 1877.
Feel free to go verify this. No nice easy links to cut your facts up into small digestible easily chewed lumps in this post.<br />
<br />
Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent came partly out of his work teaching the deaf. He taught deaf people at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, and at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Mabel, the daughter of Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a founder of the Clarke School had become deaf, after an almost fatal bout of scarlet fever and had been one of Bell’s students.<br />
<br />
Alexander and Mabel fell in love and married. That is love.<br />
<br />
Alexander Graham Bell is never recorded as specifically using the term "hello" . The first call he made was to his male assistant Thomas Watson who was in an adjoining room. He said "Come here. I want to see you."<br />
<br />
Alexander Graham Bell’s preferred term after he had thought about it was was apparently the naval “Ähoy".<br />
<br />
You will be aware by now that this was never as widely adopted as, say “Yo!” or “Wazzup?”<br />
<br />
Margaret Yo Wazzup has a certain “ring” to it - don’t you think? Do you know what is the real meaning of Yo! Wazzup?<br />
<br />
Early telephone operators, it seems, were known as "hello girls," Obviously more innocent times...<br />
<br />
You want to pass stuff on?<br />
<br />
Here is something awesome to pass on, and tell your friends. Apparently it is a little known fact!!<br />
<br />
It can keep you from being ripped off and loosing out. It can save your friends and family from making mistakes, looking stupid, being horn-swoggled anduuuh… man-ip-ulated, by salesmen, politicians, and con men.<br />
<br />
CHECK THE KNOWN VERIFIABLE FACTS before you repeat, act on, or accept something to be true - Even if a nice elderly relative passed an email on to you.<br />
<br />
If you fail to check, then you will at the very least look foolish to people who do bother to check their facts, if you repeat things that are not true.<br />
<br />
And the worse thing? If you don’t check you probably won’t even know - Like leaving a paper roll tail hanging out your underwear after visiting the rest room and being totally unaware.<br />
<br />
Hey. They are looking at you because they admire you - right? <br />
<br />
Pass this on to seven friends.
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-70683206410838027282016-11-08T12:17:00.004+00:002016-11-08T12:23:44.893+00:00Democracy as it relates to the question of Brexit<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I know, as anyone else must, who is honest with themselves,
that as a rule nothing is perfect, but, when it comes to deciding the rules we
live by, who in practice governs and how, then unfortunately the best we can
hope for is often the least worse option. <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I can not take credit for originating this thought, or even
claim it is ‘bleeding edge’ thinking. Here I will take the opportunity of
quoting Winston Churchill: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“<i>…democracy is
the worst form of government - Except for all the others...” </i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now if one accepts the principle of democracy – that the
people decide, as a whole on something - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it seems to me one there must be a hierarchy
of methods of implementing it, based on the purity and directness of the expression
of that will.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than having a separate
Quote of the day here I’ll mention Aristotle: <b><i>“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found
in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the
government - to the utmost.”</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having said that then surely a direct vote by each and every
individual in the population on a specific point must morally and in all
honesty beat any other method? The method in the UK used is whatever side of
the question is supported by the majority.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other words a referendum. Quelle surprise! By purest
co-incidence the UK has recently had just such a thing to decide upon leaving
the EU. The turnout was high (important to the democratic process) practically
everyone in the UK was eligible to vote and the decision was a majority for
leaving the EU – Simple enough to grasp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not a vote for a “Hard Brexit”, or a “Soft Brexit” or a “posture
sprung, memory foam Brexit, with down filled duvet”. Just stay vs leave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So logically a leave result should result in Leave being
triggered and negotiations to get the best deal available, but if no reasonable
deal were on the table due to the desire of EU politicians to ‘Punish’ the UK
then that would be something we would have to live with and implicit in the
original question. In fact I seem to recall it being emphasized by some
Remainers before the vote so no one can claim it wasn’t on the table to begin
with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not all so-called parliamentarians necessarily <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>approve of referenda as it cuts out the middle
man – THEM. Especially those implacably opposed to leaving the EU for
ideological reasons, ambition & Quid pro quo, or simple vested interests.
They are used to being the ones to decide, not the mere plebs they allegedly
represent..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still the EU and it’s supporters can be quite viciously and
deviously ruthless when roused. They have never let a little thing like an unfavorable
referendum get in the way of their project before. They just keep going back
and forcing another variation on the referendum or bypassing a referendum until
they get the s result they want, whereupon suddenly they are perfectly happy to
accept the result and will turn on anyone who isn’t, like a pack.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are plenty of examples where countries have been told
to think again or had something imposed despite a referendum and in some cases
the rules have been twisted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to allow new
treaties to be imposed by the back door by making a tiny change and renaming
them as something else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the Remainers, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fronted by anti-Brexit London based fund
manager Gina Miller and a legal team, are manipulating the judicial system to
block the PM initiating the leave process that is necessary in order to begin negotiations, as the
EU has insisted that no negotiation can begin until the <u><b>after</b></u> process is initiated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why? Apparently,
as best as I can tell, on the grounds that they want parliament to vote on the
leave package that has not been negotiated yet before the leave process can be initiated.
Egg/Chicken anyone? Catch 22 anyone?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Surely the best time for parliament to get involved is once
something is actually up for agreement?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the Remainers are starting an ‘independent’ pressure
group to initiate criminal proceedings against the leave campaign, claiming
they lied about how much cash might, or might not, be available for the NHS (British National Health Service). Considering some of
the lies pedaled by the remain camp. (Remain claimed Brexit <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>would lead to War for instance) That is
difficult to accept. If so every politician and party since the first world war
would have been equally guilty including the remain camp .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A democrat is someone who will support the democratic
process even when they don’t agree. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Jerrod Carmichael said: “<b><i>True democracy isn’t just listening
to people you agree with</i></b>,” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He is right - and I would go further. True democracy isn’t just about accepting
a result you agree with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
It is about accepting a result you don't necessarily agree with. </span>It certainly isn’t about subverting a result you don’t agree with.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-78770990642276614092016-10-31T12:11:00.001+00:002016-10-31T12:11:02.549+00:00Committees of Correspondence?<br />
US voters can be forgiven for throwing their hands in the air in bewilderment after no less a luminary than the director of the FBI, James Comey, has seen fit to weigh into the politics of the election at the last minute.<br />
<br />
<br />
Talking of politics - What do we know about his <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/07/politics/who-is-james-comey-fbi-director-things-to-know/">politics</a>? According to CNN to quote the man himself "I have been a registered Republican for most of my adult life". However he has now apparently allowed his membership to relapse and isn’t registered any longer.
Well he will have completely changed his political loyalties as a result of what must surely have been his own personal ‘road to Damascus’ experience? Who knows after that he could even be toying with signing up to Socialist Party USA as I write.. then again maybe not?<br />
<br />
I had always just assumed being a paid up republican was one on the qualifications for the job – Oh and he has a history of going after Hills.<br />
<br />
How many does it take to blow up the houses of Parliament?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KONDgW9FWOs/WBcy2DCr1FI/AAAAAAAAAZE/sti83q9X0Dwe16B7WTUqeBayreVYanaEgCLcB/s1600/Gunpowder_Plot_conspirators_satire2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KONDgW9FWOs/WBcy2DCr1FI/AAAAAAAAAZE/sti83q9X0Dwe16B7WTUqeBayreVYanaEgCLcB/s320/Gunpowder_Plot_conspirators_satire2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
– ask Guy Fawkes.
An appropriate question as we come up to Nov 5th, the 410th anniversary of the plot.<br />
<br />
But I digress – Apparently James Comey has written an ‘explosive’ letter to Congress and then <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/10/28/read-the-letter-comey-sent-to-fbi-employees-explaining-his-controversial-decision-on-the-clinton-email-investigation/?utm_term=.49c960f9d8f9">one here</a> to explain himself.<br />
<br />
So what genuine information do we actually have?<br />
<br />
He says some emails have turned up in a case unrelated to Hill’s but they might be 'pertinent' to that investigation. So he wants to take appropriate steps to obtain and 'review' them.<br />
<br />
When pushed he ‘decisively’ states “We would certainly look at any new and substantial information.” speaking about something entirely hypothetical.<br />
<br />
...but - wait a minute here, let's be clear on this. The FBI have not actually got their hands on any emails? They have not read them. They seem to have no idea what, if anything, relevant may or may not be in them. “Penis enlargement” and “letters from nice Russian girls” maybe?<br />
<br />
Given the supposed possessor of the hypothetical emails is the estranged husband of Hill’s aid what are the chances if there are any genuinely vaguely ‘pertinent’ emails they will be copies of ones the FBI have already reviewed and discounted?<br />
<br />
Soo.. on the basis that it is not impossible to rule out that there <i>may</i> be some emails that <i>may</i> have some connection to an investigation, the FBI previously concluded had not risked leaked data Comey sees fit to write what amounts to an incendiary letter to congress, surely knowing that the simple existence of the letter he has written can be used to destabilize Clinton’s campaign among the voters inclined to think exclusively in headlines and ignore the small print.<br />
<br />
Of course if it all blows over as a nothing after the election – any damage is already done – unfortunate that.
Well if he didn’t see that before he wrote then maybe one ought to question if Mr FBI is bright enough to actually undertake his current role.. and ditto if he did and did it anyway.<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-84813066365742805752016-10-14T09:08:00.001+00:002016-10-14T09:08:57.543+00:00Quote of the Day<blockquote>
<i>“Someone asked me the other day if I believe in conspiracies. Well, sure. Here's one. It is called the political system. It is nothing if not a giant conspiracy to rob, trick and subjugate the population."”</i><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
(Jeffrey Tucker)</div>
<br /></blockquote>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-85088517744047517522016-10-14T09:02:00.000+00:002016-10-14T09:02:20.510+00:00Conspiracy 101<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O79KQ_ubQoA/WACdsTw7uuI/AAAAAAAAAYw/tZB8bKhGj2MpwYmQaUagydsuHqPVzEAYQCLcB/s1600/conspiracyq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O79KQ_ubQoA/WACdsTw7uuI/AAAAAAAAAYw/tZB8bKhGj2MpwYmQaUagydsuHqPVzEAYQCLcB/s320/conspiracyq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I am not naturally a great believer in conspiracy theories. There are normally far more likely reasons and explanations than conspiracy.<br />
<br />
However there is such a thing as what is known as "Group-think". It really needs a detailed explanation but in short:<br />
<br />
Group-think is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a groups of people and results in an irrational, or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.<br />
<br />
The "in-group" significantly overrates its own abilities in decision-making and significantly underrates the abilities of its opponents (the "out-group"). In addition, group-think can produce and pseudo legitimize, ugly, demonizing/dehumanizing, beliefs and actions, against the "out-group".<br />
<br />
Group-think is also observed more broadly, in natural large groupings, such as different mind-sets of liberals versus conservatives, this conformity of
viewpoints within a group does not mainly involve deliberate group decision-making, and might be better explained by the collective confirmation bias of
the individual members of the group. It can naturally result in a group dynamic that can in turn look orchestrated without necessarily being so.<br />
<br />
It is arguable there are elements of this observable among "Remainers" in the "Brexit" campaign and aftermath of the vote.<br />
<br />
The Remainers appeared to have a significant element of the metropolitan and Political elite, secure in their worldview and tending to look at anyone
else , especially if they disagreed with them with contempt.<br />
<br />
A neat example of faulty thinking and dehumanization was the way the Prime Minister, David Cameron,
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4875502.stm">dismissed</a> UKIP (UK Independence Party) as ‘fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists’. Many
natural Conservative voters disillusioned with what they saw as the EU steamroller had increasingly identified with more reasonable elements UKIP’s not
anti Europe as such, but specifically anti-EU stance.<br />
<br />
Much of the Remain Campaign's "Project Fear" arguments were an attempt to browbeat terrify and stampede voters into being terrified of voting Leave and
the "great and Good" were clearly <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/06/24/brexit-referendum-results/">confident</a> they were going to have their way with a Remain vote in the referendum right up until the counting.<br />
<br />
The Remainers had promised Armageddon in the event of a leave vote Prime Minister David Cameron even talking about
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/david-cameron-scaremongering-war-brexit-project-fear-a7019951.html">war</a>.
Various world leaders had been dragooned to spout threats and warnings. Even President Barack Obama was wheeled out to spontaneously
(<i>anyone who thinks this sounds suspiciously like a peculiarly British phrase, crafted especially for a British audience please form a line</i>) threaten that if the UK were to leave the EU it would, go to the
'<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/22/barack-obama-arrives-in-britain-to-tell-voters-to-remain-in-the/%3Eback%20of%20the%20que">back of the queue</a>' when it came to negotiating any separate trade agreement with the US.<br />
<br />
In the immediate aftermath of the vote there was in fact very little turbulence, except in the lives of some of the Political elite in the UK and
across Europe. Heads Fell metaphorically among the British political establishment, Including David Cameron's.
Much wailing and cursing was heard among the Remainers, used to getting their own way and inexperienced in accepting defeat.<br />
<br />
Suddenly it became
apparent that many of them were far more keen on the sort of democracy where things went their way than that less acceptable, practically fake,
democracy.. more "Populism" almost.. Mob rule where things somehow incomprehensibly went against them.<br />
<br />
So, and here is where we get back to the consequences of group think. They began to talk down the UK economy, currency and prospects against the
evidence. They began to look at ways to subvert the result of the referendum.<br />
<br />
The disappointed abroad, with the bitterness of spurned lovers who never saw
it coming EU leaders began to threaten to make the UK pay for abandoning them.<br />
<br />
Eventually a computer logarithm in the far east picked up on this wailing and gnashing of teeth and mistaking it for real problem instigated a
<a href="http://news.sky.com/story/flash-crash-for-pound-to-118-is-surrounded-in-mystery-10608056">flash crash</a> in the value of sterling in eastern
markets before anyone human had a clue what was happening.<br />
<br />
It must have occurred to quite a few - it did me - at this point that if the dire predictions could somehow be made to appear to come to pass... If the
Referendum could somehow be subverted, or diverted, by the usual suspects in parliament... by < href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37576654">a court case.. then the remainer elite might yet get to have their cake and
eat it.<br />
<br />
An the poor old dumb ill educated foolishly idealistic voters would never realize their prize had been snatched away and could be lulled back to sleep,
happily dreaming they had won their independence.<br />
<br />
Not an actual conspiracy then - as such... more a group's individuals actions collectively producing a manifestation of group-think swarming behavior... "<br />
<br />
So, now you know - if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it still ain't necessarily actually a duck, it could, despite appearances, just be something... duck-like... duck-ish.
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-7685880682121744922016-10-10T14:45:00.002+00:002016-10-10T14:45:36.594+00:00Hills vs Donald II. Just when you thought it was safe...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0E_7uKVpW_U/V_undSURBpI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Hr5scLi7UN0VYUCdfnGMofAagN1V2Cx-QCK4B/s1600/dthc%2BGetty%2BImages%2BPauul%2BJ%2Brichards%2BAFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">Acknowledging Getty Images + P Richards</a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0E_7uKVpW_U/V_undSURBpI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Hr5scLi7UN0VYUCdfnGMofAagN1V2Cx-QCK4B/s320/dthc%2BGetty%2BImages%2BPauul%2BJ%2Brichards%2BAFP.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
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<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Some random thoughts on the Presidential debate between
Hills and Donald.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s no good. I have tried to resist commenting on the world
at large. Greatly assisted by lack of time and the suspicion that it makes very
little difference anyway :-) Never-the-less here goes nothing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Firstly, having considered the two of them, I must nail my
colors firmly to the mast as a strong supporter of… “None of the above”. To me
neither would exactly be my first choice as a commander in chief, nor many of
the also-ran’s who put their names in for nomination, on either side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing that for some reason especially stuck with me
about the debate was Donald’s comments about Bill Clinton. For any one who has
been living in a nuclear bunker under silent running since – say 1973…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donald has had some comments he made on camera a few years
back come back to haunt him. He characterizes them as “Locker room comments”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He said, “It was locker room talk, as I told you. That was
locker room talk. I'm not proud of it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He neglected to mention if he was specifically referring to
a Middle School Locker Room or not - Given the intellectual maturity of the original
comments. - On reflection though hopefully not, as one would like to think better of middle schoolers, their whole lives in front of them, hope of the future etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is probably a thesis somewhere in so called ‘Locker
Room banter and unwritten protocol’ revolving around naked guys subconsciously trying
to show they are not doubtful about their sexuality, by adopting and
using exaggerated stereotypes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It all brings to mind something Confucius once said: “Without
feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I digress - Reassuringly Donald insists he has “…tremendous respect for
women.” So that’s ok then.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In any event, presumably as mitigation, or possibly in the
hope of some mud randomly sticking to Hills amongst the ‘hard of thinking community’,
Donald offered up a comparison between himself and her husband Bill Clinton (not
just any random black sheep) - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and how
he interprets allegations about Bill’s behavior as so much worse than his.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I quote, “If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse. Mine are words, and
his was action. His was what he's done to women. There's never been anybody in
the history politics in this nation that's been so abusive to women. So you can
say any way you want to say it, but Bill Clinton was abusive to women.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, in Donald’s own words, according to transcripts,
apparently speaking about himself, he said; “You know I’m automatically
attracted to beautiful… I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just
kiss… I don’t even wait.” - “And when you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump
says. “You can do anything.” - “Grab them by the p---y,” - “You can do
anything.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, to recap, these are Donald Trump’s own words <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- about what he apparently boasts are his own personal
actions. So looking at his comment “Mine are words and his was action. His was
what he's done to women.”? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really? Because it kind of sounds on the face of it like a boastful
admission of actions someone was in the habit of taking - and knew from personal
experience - his power and influence would let him get away with. Actions “done
to women” from what was said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From that specific ‘attack’ it seems to me Hills does not
come out quite so badly, morally speaking, as the ‘wronged, faithful, forgiving wife ”
arguably defending her husband. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe Donald should have thought that one
through some more before trying it? There again presumably he knows his supporters…</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-80234652947590924622015-02-17T11:44:00.001+00:002015-02-17T11:44:48.728+00:00Quote of the Day<blockquote>
<br />
<i>“And do not argue with the People of the Book otherwise than in a most kindly manner…”</i><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
(Al-`Ankabut 29:46)</div>
<br />
<br />
<i>“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."”</i><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
(Matthew 23:27)</div>
<br /></blockquote>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-24366035057715013672015-02-17T11:34:00.000+00:002015-02-17T11:34:08.573+00:00Lost Shepheards?It has been and is said that the Church of England is the Tory Party at Prayer. That may even have been true... once: but that was then and this is now.<br />
<br />
It is certainly true that the C of E might reasonably said to represent the “Establishment”, or rather the left wing 'hard of thinking' elite at prayer.<br />
<br />
Well it might… except that generally, the left wing elite don’t have much time, or use for prayer.
It is ok for the proles you understand - sotto voce. But the thing about the left wing elite is they always imagine themselves on top.. in
charge.. the Vicar rather than the flock. In positions of power handing down “wisdom” from the mount to the admiringly grateful, but sadly
unable to quite see what is best for them, populace.<br />
<br />
In the interminable run up to this fixed term election the C of E seems to be becoming more and more overtly partisanly <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11417226/Tory-fury-over-Church-of-England-letter.html">political</a>. It was
interesting to note they were urging business to apparently maximise their UK tax liability? Well that was what it practically amounted to
- whilst (of course) being effectively exempt from paying tax themselves.
'whit′ed sep′ulcher' springs to mind...<br />
<br />
...or it would, if they hadn't changed it to 'whitewashed tomb', less poetic language - but
"modern".<br />
Apparently easily enough understood by generations who never had the benefit of Comprehensive state education.<br />
<br />
Do they imagine unleashing their vast hoards of fanatical believers (they wish) to vote the churche’s political line will have much impact?<br />
<br />
One suspects that whilst their pronouncements may seem significant in the Westminster village they have less impact than vapour trails on the populace in general. At least a small proportion of the voting public do seriously believe that vapour trails are a CIA conspiracy, perhaps a few might take their lead from Welby & Co. ?<br />
<br />
Perhaps it is time to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/04/clegg-calls-disestablishment-church-england-and-hes-" right="">disestablish the Church of England</a> as Nick Clegg has called for? It is questionable that they, or indeed any religion, should
be allowed to retain such a position.<br />
<br />
Better to concern themselves with diminishing flocks, abandoned Churches in the UK and rampant Christianophobia throughout the bible lands and middle east, driving the religious cleansing of Christians fourth from their homelands. So much for respect of 'people of the book'. More whit′ed sep′ulchers anybody?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-66567213068229358732015-01-16T19:06:00.005+00:002015-01-16T19:08:06.455+00:00Quote of the day<blockquote>
<br />
<i>“Admittedly, there is a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson in history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face.”</i><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
Ronald Regan</div>
<br />
</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-82309588799098664192015-01-16T16:05:00.002+00:002015-01-17T10:52:34.689+00:00Yo Momma...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onARWHyrsnY/VLkyPKdKSNI/AAAAAAAAAWs/aJSMebjMwi4/s1600/Pope_Francis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pope Francis" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onARWHyrsnY/VLkyPKdKSNI/AAAAAAAAAWs/aJSMebjMwi4/s1600/Pope_Francis.jpg" height="252" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pope Francis is “pontificating” over the <a href="http://time.com/3668875/pope-francis-charlie-hebdo/">Paris
Massacres</a> in Sri Lanka on a trip that focused on “inclusion” and “Harmony”
between religions.<br />
<br />
Pontificating - That’s what Popes do you’ll be thinking,
practically part of the job description.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one is saying he is not a nice, well meaning man. That is
what he ought to be and history might have been less bloody if some of his predecessors
were more like him in that. On the other hand maybe not, who knows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Specifically he has been commenting on the Charlie Hebdo
aspect of the apparently religiously motivated Paris murders/killings.<br />
<br />
Presumably the massacre of Jews, simply because they are Jews does not quite
fit within his homily. Those murdered French people – blameless Parisians who
also happened to be of the Jewish faith - "move along, no insults to see here folks".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He seems to simply sign up without question to the Islamicist argument that
any depiction of Mohammed at all is an insult to Islam. If it is actually in
bad taste or an insult seems to be irrelevant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pope Francis suggests that some sort of physical and violent
action (a bloody nose) is actually somehow appropriate to a perceived insult as
long as it falls short of an actually fatal response</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He goes on to say that; <i>“One cannot provoke, one cannot insult
other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One question that immediately arises is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- why? Why one can’t point out the inherent
illogicality and ridiculousness of some aspects of a faith or belief, or mutual contradictions, or two faced practitioners, or moral contradictions – Exactly? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What, dare I ask, makes belief based on some aspect of
religion - no matter how sincerely held so… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for want of a better word.. sacred? </div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one would
reasonably expect similar preference and deference to politically based beliefs
- except perhaps the apparent British devotion to it’s National Health Service :-)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Many Nazies apparently sincerely believed in racial
superiority, a master race. Would anyone now suggest that belief should not be
questioned, possibly made fun of?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems to me that Pope Francis is skating dangerously
close to saying that a physically violent response to a perceived insult -
intended or not - to a person’s religion is acceptable. He just feels that actually
killing people is too extreme. Conceding that, <i>“To kill in the name of God is an
aberration.”</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems to me that an all powerful and omnipotent being who
created the cosmos would be able to take note of… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and casually mention at some later accounting
if he/she felt any behaviour - was “inappropriate”, that they would not be even a tiny
bit insecure or thin skinned. Further that a person truly convinced of their own
faith ought to view any so-called insult as pathetically risible and beneath their
notice. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe the Holy Father should Google “Yo Momma” before he
punches anyone out. An art form all on its own - Just sayin man…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Notice: this is in no way intended to the Pope's Mother, any parent of any senior religious figure, any person living or dead. Any resemblance is coincidental and it is intended simply as an example of the art form. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Yo mama so poor I saw her holding a penny and I asked "Whatcha
doing with that?" and she said "What’s it look like dummy? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking my life savings to the bank!"</i></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-21222780260285586702015-01-12T20:23:00.001+00:002015-01-16T17:50:23.852+00:00Je pense donc je suis... Charlie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yRh6pjwp0uk/VLQsFXHRspI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/Dmmbdo4bKxM/s1600/Je_suis_Charlie.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yRh6pjwp0uk/VLQsFXHRspI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/Dmmbdo4bKxM/s1600/Je_suis_Charlie.svg.png" /> </a></div>
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Not much else to say - or maybe an entire essay?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5jt8Gf2nD4/VLQwWTVWmWI/AAAAAAAAAWc/rj586GVuuxI/s1600/pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5jt8Gf2nD4/VLQwWTVWmWI/AAAAAAAAAWc/rj586GVuuxI/s1600/pencil.jpg" height="35" width="320" /></a></div>
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What is it paints a thousand word? Oh Yes...</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-47175606087354134682012-01-30T16:21:00.007+00:002012-01-30T16:48:10.578+00:00State of the NationI am getting a little tired of listening to people complaining of government ‘cuts’.<br /><br />The UK state is unnecessarily and unaffordably bloated and unwieldy.<br /><br />It is that way, largely because too many people reflexively expect it to control so much more of every aspect of our lives than it has any real right or honest need to. So much so that even our ownership of our own bodies is threatened. it is that way because Authoritarian Stateists want it to be. It is that way because of empire building.<br /><br />One suspects many of the places cuts fall are exaggerated or are made worse by the self serving politically motivated spin and subterfuge of some Local Government.<br /><br />Ed Milliband (leader of the opposition) is now shifting his basically dishonest and untenable position on cuts slightly. Labour's latest line is that it opposes some spending cuts, on the basis they slow recovery. At least now he admits he would not necessarily reverse them. Many in the LibDem party, Partners in the coalition seem <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9DQhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/8066970/The-Lib-Dems-are-almost-revolting.html%E2%80%9D">unable to move even that</a> far towards actual coffee smelling.<br /><br />Presumably Vince cable and Nick Clegg have had their noses sufficiently rubbed in economic reality to be ahead of the average member of the so-called “Liberal” Democrat pack.<br /><br />OK, so let’s look at the actual figures (as seen in the Guardian).<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yPq3mnFMoc/TybEkXjH-TI/AAAAAAAAAVU/IOiG7n9BhtA/s1600/debt_graph.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 425px; height: 256px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yPq3mnFMoc/TybEkXjH-TI/AAAAAAAAAVU/IOiG7n9BhtA/s320/debt_graph.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703462107186985266" border="0" /></a>What do they show?<br /><br />They show that after inheriting a nice black balance sheet Gordon Brown, first as Chancellor and then as Prime Minister spent money hand over fist that he just didn’t have.<br /><br />He was running the UK deeper and deeper into debt over the whole period he held office.<br /><br />He also sold off half the UK's gold reserves when gold was at an all time low and plundered pension schemes helping to create the current pensions "Black Hole", and promised "No more Boom and bust", he got plenty of mileage out of that, but what's all that between friends, eh?<br /><br />Don’t forget the graph only shows each year’s borrowing, not the total amount the UK actually owes. That is horrendous and still going up literally by the minute, check out the TPA clock on this site (top left). God help us if we loose our triple A rating and have to pay higher interest rates on it.<br /><br />Look at the last two years of the graph. Those are the years of so-called coalition cuts that Labour and the Lib-Dems have bleated so much about and blocked at every turn.<br /><br />Those cuts have not been enough reduce the debt. No – those last two years figures just show that the actual speed that we are sinking into the financial doo-doo under the Coalition has finally actually slowed a little.<br /><br />If the majority of the electorate had the feeblest grasp of simple maths… perhaps enough to avoid being short changed… and if Milliband, or Balls, had any shred of honesty, or were capable of the least embarrassment, they would cringe and hide themselves in a deep cave somewhere from the honest light of day.<br /><br />Meanwhile the UK economy continues to be crippled by so-called green taxes, an unwieldy unaffordable social security system and wasted billions pumped into our EU membership.<br /><br />Should we pay out yet more to rescue the Euro? In an ideal world no. The Euro is probably not capable of surviving in anything like it’s present form without much of Europe being disenfranchised and a severe loss of sovereignty for most nations in it.<br /><br />But the Euro needs to be supported into a landingsoft enough the world can walk away from in one piece, so reluctantly we have to at least to some extent.<br /><br />Foreign aid? Again used properly it saves us from having to fight wars, and we no longer have the military capability we had a decade ago, thanks to a maintained level of government dishonesty, waste and incompetence over the last decade or more.. As the civil service has got bigger and more unwieldy the armed forces have been cut back and back... so again in our own interests we need to keep up foreign aid.<br /><br />What can we do about it all, if anything?<br /><br />Take responsibility and PAY ATTENTION!! for a start, don’t let the politicians distract you with pretty lights and spin.<br /><br />Make sure you really know the facts and arm yourself with them. Actually think. Is what a politician says really true? Does it fit with the facts? Politicians are careful about the words they choose. Are they true, but still fool you into misunderstanding what they actually mean.<br /><br />When they talk about inflation going down what they <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> mean is that it is going up more slowly than it was. It is still going up it is just the rate that has decreased.<br /><br />What is their track record? Did they deliver on what they promised to get elected? If not, why not - and why should you believe anything else they say?<br /><br />Ask yourself what might happen down the line if they bring in some new policy, or law and do you really need it?<br /><br />Check their sums are honest and make sense. Remember there are lies, damned lies - and worst of all statistics. Check your pockets after you hear a politician speak.<br /><br />Vote. Not like some zombie for whoever your ancestors did, but for what you think makes sense and is best. Watch what they are up to – ALL THE TIME. Don’t take your eye off the ball.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.writetothem.com/">Email your MP</a> if you don’t like something It only takes a few minutes. If you don’t like his answer, or it tries to wriggle off the hook then email them again and tell them so.<br /><br />Sign single issue petitions you support, email your MP about issues you feel strongly about.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-51437033716858660472011-12-24T15:04:00.006+00:002011-12-24T15:26:25.885+00:00A Merry and Happy Christmas One and All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl-dtuqO004/TvXuINARnCI/AAAAAAAAAVI/71MgIVl6iVI/s1600/christmas%2Btree.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 182px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl-dtuqO004/TvXuINARnCI/AAAAAAAAAVI/71MgIVl6iVI/s320/christmas%2Btree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689715528949668898" border="0" /></a>It’s Christmas!! As <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" org="" wiki="">Noddy Holder’s</a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" org="" wiki="">"pension plan"</a> announces to us every year from the end of November to the New Year.<br /><br />And it is Christmas, so despite the world not necessarily being the way we would like it to be and practically all of us not being what we should be, and that ramps up by a factor of 10 when talking politicians and fanatics.<br /><br />Despite that, even for the secular, Christmas reminds us that we have the potential to be better than we are. Rousseau’s perfectibility of man if you like. That we could be better if we would.<br /><br />For Christians it is a chance to remember, celebrate and give thanks that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.<br /><br />So for a moment let’s turn our attention away from how spectacularly well politicians and people in general are getting it wrong and think on how they sometimes get it right and that it could actually be worse. And how it might be made better. It’s a wonderful life.<br /><br />It is an interesting thought that the big, huge stuff.. constitutions, political systems, Yes we need to get those right. But if we get the small things right that builds the big picture. Jimmy Stuart’s George Bailey: <span style="font-style:italic;">“I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that.”</span><br /><br />A little like comparing a top down command economy to the market. The market isn’t an entity. It is countless small actions adding up.<br /><br />Imagine for a moment if we all just made a little effort to be a tiny bit more polite and considerate, a little more forgiving, slower to anger and irritation – every day. What might that add up to in the long run?.<br /><br />For those of you who love individualism liberty think of it as charitable giving that costs no cash. For the coercive and authoritarian think of it as a tax on the freedom to be an ass likely to fall more heavily on everyone else - and that you can benefit from by promoting..<br /><br />Any system we live by should ideally naturally reward such behaviour and discourage the opposite, preferably gently but persistently.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Merry Christmas One and All.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-79291829323427763282011-12-16T16:56:00.006+00:002011-12-16T17:09:14.735+00:00In Memorium Christopher HitchensHere is what is intended to be a small - and gently humorous<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ></span> - tribute to Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist, who has died of cancer.<br /><br />He was a fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine" title="Thomas Paine">Thomas Paine</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson" title="Thomas Jefferson">Thomas Jefferson</a>, so had two good points at least.<br /><br />An avowed an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitheism" title="Antitheism">antitheist</a> Right now he is either not saying "I told you so!", but would if he could , or being "I told you so!"'d by St Peter and thinking to himself.. "You win some. You lose some.".<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-16473137778294742892011-12-16T16:52:00.005+00:002011-12-16T17:31:19.137+00:00Buddy, peut vous épargner un sou?EU political machinations against the UK clearly continue apace. Christian Noyer the French equivalent of the governor of the bank of England has evidently been wound up by his political masters, such as <strike>his organ grinder</strike> the French prime minister Francois Fillon, cherleading, or Mario Draghi Italian governor of the ECB, or Sarko himself, all part of the elite European rulership - and then pointed at the UK.<br /><br />There is little need to link to it, as even the tabloids have noticed and have commented.<br /><br />A country’s credit rating is based on its, well - credit worthiness. The worse it is the higher the interest rates it has to pay to borrow, a bit like people really. One of the reasons Greece and Italy are in such difficulties just now.<br /><br />Put bluntly it’s ability to pay its debts. How safe it is to lend them cash. The world can be in little doubt that whatever else the UK is, unlike Greece, Italy, or even France for various reasons as an examples, about as safe a haven as it is possible to find in the current world economic climate.<br /><br />The only real threat to the UK’s ability to pay its bills is probably the EU and the Euro crisis.<br /><br />No one would really take such comments seriously, except this particular individual happens to be the governor of the Banque de France. A bank that is effectively, in turn, the glove puppet of the European Central Bank (ECB). It's main reason for existence these days being simply to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).<br /><br />Clearly M. Noyer is not fit for purpose as the figurehead of even a hollow shell of a bank and in a rational country would be removed from office.<br /><br />Clearly we would also be foolish to expect anything other than , not necessarily entirely justified reflexive overweening pride and slightly irrational Franco centric behaviour from France.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-2396463071819077002011-12-15T01:00:00.000+00:002011-12-15T01:00:05.813+00:00Ken's got to pick a pocket or twoSo much to post on so little time. <br /> <br />With a smorgasbord of ‘delights’ available I decided to focus, for this post, on a fairly "local" matter but it perfectly illustrates the left’s thinking on personal property and the private contracts we enter into with each other voluntarily.<br /> <br />Dear old cuddly newt loving - amphibian type not republican politician type - ‘Red’ Ken Livingstone, for those of you who don’t know, Is an ex mayor of London England, not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London of - No I have not been hanging round in dubious clubs – “puss in boots” fame, I am talking - as seen in Shreck.<br /> <br />Having been thrown out of office Ken wants to get back in to city hall out of the cold. Having brilliantly worked out that rents (property prices, transport and just about everything) are a bit high in London he had decided if he can <a href=” http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/dec/13/ken-livingstone-tackle-london-rent?CMP=twt_gu”>offer tenants a discount paid for by someone else’s money</a> they might vote for him, despite his record. <br /><br /> I am reminded here of Ben Franklin’s comment that “When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”<br /><br />Ken is proclaiming that “rents rose by 12% on average in the capital last year - with no sign of improvement in the quality of the housing provided.”<br /><br />October’s official National RI rate is 5.0347% inflation. That figure is derived over the whole country, London is, as we noted, more expensive and this does not take into account of the disproportionate impact of some commodity rises, 12% is probably not unreasonable. Some London business rates (property tax) were up by 23% in 2011 for instance.<br /> <br />He is quoted as saying; “no one should pay more than a third of their income on rent” and in the London Evening Standard saying;<a href=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23884405-ken-livingstone-my-us-style-cap-on-rents-will-help-tenants-keep-homes.do “>“I would cap the rents. We want to have rent control.</a><br /> <br />He has also been quoted as having said he would "actually intervene" in the private sector rent controls?<br /><br />So Given his prefernce he would definitely cap rents. So not just taking from all London’s council tax contributers, but specifically something extra directly from the pockets of private landlords.<br /><br />He would presumably impose a maximum that a landlord could charge. I am not sure how that would dovetail with ensuring no tennent paid more than a third of their wages in rent I find it difficult to imagine landlords would be forced to rent expensive properties at knock off prices to pecunious tenants, but who knows.<br /><br />Virtually any cap would involve the local government forcing landlords to let properties below the market level. In other words the state treating private property as it’s own, and possibly intervening/restraining in private commerce and contracts.<br /><br />It is open to question how long any landlord who owned decent properties would actually be willing to rent them at all under those circumstances. They would shortly find it to their advantage to sell to private owners who could afford it, thus reducing rented stock and reinforcing the effect still further..<br /><br />Instead of picking private landlords pockets it would be possible to achieve virtually the same aim by introducing some sort of housing tax rebate, based on earning bands or tax levels might be more equitable and less damaging, but far less ideologically pleasing to Ken.<br /><br />Boris Johnson (the current Mayor) pay attention here - you could steal a march on Ken here, feel free to pinch this idea, gratis. Though if you need further advice I am available for weddings, bah mitzvahs and helping govern London J<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-50093986096029922962011-12-11T17:47:00.003+00:002011-12-11T17:55:04.796+00:00Economics 101 - and a halfThis seems to be doing the rounds at the moment and someone emailed it to me. It made me chuckle and is reproduced below, for your enlightenment and edification. I notice there is no mention of haircuts. Hat Tip to Pam.<br /><br />Understanding Economics:<br />The Eurozone Bailout <br /><br />It is a slow day in a little Greek Village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.<br /><br />On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.<br /><br />The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.<br /><br />The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.<br /><br />The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the Farmer’s Co-Op.<br /><br />The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the Taverna.<br /><br />The Taverna owner slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit.<br /><br />The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.<br /><br />The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything. At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.<br /><br />No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.<br /> <br />And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how the bailout package works.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-41547044022770308772011-12-11T12:50:00.000+00:002011-12-11T12:50:00.188+00:00Warning: Creeping Stateism is bad for your Liberties.A <a href=”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16031149<br />“>report</a> has been published in the British Journal of Cancer. It concerns the possible causes of various, predictably enough, cancers. Fair enough and all well and good so far. <br /><br />It is based on medical researchers doing correlations and statistical analysis rather than any clinical tests, that is always prone to possible mis-interpretation, but it is not unreasonable to take the findings at face value.<br /><br />It finds that lifestyle choices influence your likelihood of getting certain forms of cancer. That smoking is the main cause of lung cancer and second but far behind is a lack of fruit and vegetables in the diet possibly responsible for oesophageal or gullet cancer, half of the risk comes from eating too little fruit and veg. too much salt in the diet a possible cause of Stomach cancer. Way down there under 5% is drinking too much alcohol and being overweight.<br /><br />Useful information if taken sensibly, along with other studies that show moderate levels of alcohol seem to be actually beneficial.<br /><br />So what is apparently the knee jerk reaction of the Royal College of Physicians? True to form a demand for authoritarian legislation. Their president, Sir Richard Thompson, claimed the findings were a “wake-up call to the government” to take stronger action on public health. <br /><br />He stated that rising incidence of preventable cancers showed that the 'carrot' approach of voluntary agreements with industry is not enough to prompt healthy behaviours, and needs to be replaced by the 'stick' approach of legislative solutions," <br /><br />Maybe Sir Richard Thompson’s intentions are good, but his instincts seem to be to order, to force and that is not.<br /><br />Diane Abbott, Longstanding New Labour luminary and current Shadow Public Health Minister, said: "The government is failing on all the main public health issues.”<br />So let’s leave aside ideas of punitive taxation of burgers and sweets, making it illegal to smoke anywhere else or legislating illegal anti competitive minimum prices for alcohol for a moment. Lets rewind.<br /><br />That reflexive authoritarian statist demand that the government get involved, do more.<br /><br />Exactly what business of the state is it if I want a glass of wine after dinner in the fist place? <br /><br />OK so I am not as fit or as skinny as I used to be but I can see how it is my business, maybe my “significant other”, my tailor even, but the Government?<br /><br />The only justification I can see is how much I might cost the state. Possibly in increased pension payments from a scheme that I am basically forced by law to pay into by the Government if, I live significantly longer due to good lifestyle choices. Or increased medical costs from a scheme that I am basically forced by law to pay into, use it or not, by the Government.<br /><br />So the only real justification for the State to be involved, apart possibly from the odd public health warning, is how much I cost systems that they force me to participate in and thus cost er - well me. <br /><br />Catch 22.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-69451301254687917582011-12-06T12:19:00.005+00:002011-12-16T17:28:53.861+00:00Face to face, with the man who sold the world<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjYAO1yW0-M/Tt4LaDhCb4I/AAAAAAAAAU8/n-fHyi70stE/s1600/CameronClegg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682992322036526978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 230px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 159px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjYAO1yW0-M/Tt4LaDhCb4I/AAAAAAAAAU8/n-fHyi70stE/s320/CameronClegg.jpg" border="0" /></a> The British Prime Minister - Is he ours (the UK’s), or is he theirs (the EU’s)?<br /><br />“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” as the song says and to paraphrase, it’s beginning to look a lot like <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16029474">he is theirs</a>.<br /><br />Cameron happily says and promises almost anything to get into power – a referendum for instance.<br /><br />But in practice - That is an entirely different thing. He will never willingly allow the British electorate a European issue related referendum. Not unless he can fix it to give the “right” result with a "Have you stopped beating your wife?, Yes or No” type question. He has already shown where he stands by suppressing a free vote on the subject. Unfortunately the so-called Loyal Opposition seem equally shy of the subject.<br /><br />When you think about it is hardly surprising. The Conservatives basically picked him because he was a <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2010/04/09/heir-to-blair-cameron-seeks-progressive-mantle/">clone of Tony Bliar</a> An acorn that fell a little too close to the tree it seems.<br /><br />Interestingly the other “Boy from Brazil” his deputy Clegg looks suspiciously Blairish in the right light too. Clearly despite the misleading (all things to all people – how Bliar is that) title “Liberal” and “Democrat” it is questionable if he is either.<br /><br />Clearly he feels he and the state have a far greater right to have a say as to what is done with <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16022162">private property</a> than the rightful owners and the only way to ultimately enforce that way is - well force - So for all his spin that is pure authoritarian socialism. Cameron/Clegg birds of a feather.<br /><br />So, the Euro, literally at least partly “jerry built” on foundations of the very best sand.<br /><br />Now the North wind doth blow and it is in deep deep doo-doo. Rather than contemplate a soft landing the princes of Europe, the political elite, now seem hell bent on an all or nothing approach, metaphorically ready to shoot the first person to make a run for it.<br /><br />To paraphrase Bowie, Oh no. Not us. We never lost control – Holding the threat of financial Armageddon over Europe to force, what would effectively be a political union, at least on the Euro-zone States. A Superstate in anybody honest’s book.<br /><br />Ironically having attempted to dominate Europe and the world by hook individually it now looks as if France and Germany may be within a whisker of being shoehorned into dominating it collectively by crook, so to speak. Déjà vu, is a ironically a suitably continental expression for where we find ourselves.<br /><br />The Greek and the Italian electorate have found out what this means, they essentially no longer have elected heads of state. They have Eurocrats, Commissars instead.<br /><br />Rather like the EU in fact, although it has a “decorative parliament” it is effectively ruled by Commissioners who’s finances are so murky no hones accountant will sign off on an audit of them. It has a so-called president that no electorate voted for.<br /><br />Its laws and justice system are essentially Statist, authoritarian, Napoleonic, more guilty until proven innocent. More “Do you have a permit to do that?” as opposed to “It’s not against the law”.. Continental oil to the English speaker’s water.<br /><br />Surely a point, if ever there were one, for the UK to stop and think to it’s self. “Hang on a mo!” Is this really what I signed up for when I joined what I was promised was just a friendly trade association the Common Market”?<br /><br />Back when we were so eager we dumped so many of our existing profitable trade partners and markets to do it too.<br /><br />The Common Market looked quite sexy and cute back then didn’t it, wearing a beret, a sexy pencil skirt, smoking a cool Gauloises and quoting beat poetry, you had so much in common. That was then, this is now.<br /><br />Now she wants different things, she looks sort of shifty, a little scary like her mother and suspiciously like she spent the savings and wants to claim your life insurance money. They are mushrooms in the stroganoff aren’t they? Oh and the door seems to be locked.<br /><br />So a perfect time to have a referendum then, you might think. A vitally necessary time. Dave Cameron clearly does not. And one has to question his fitness to hold the office he does because of that. Is he really fit for purpose? Is he representing our interests at all. There is a word for someone like that.<br /><br />So, a not unreasonable interpretation of the question:<br /><br />“<em>Do you want to be assimilated by the Borg or not?”</em> :-)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-65857663759115980982011-11-24T17:18:00.008+00:002011-11-24T17:39:05.339+00:00Care about Democracy? Be afraid. Be very afraidThe Euro crisis. Unless you have been on a simulated mission to Mars, or heard goats in a village in Africa it can hardly escaped your attention that the Euro is in difficulties.<br /><br />It was always going to happen, given how it was set up. Sooner or later things would get more out of kilter and eventually something would trigger the systems falling apart.<br /><br />But then that was avoided as a problem for another day by the European elite railroading the European state through over the wishes of what one suspects they see as an “unenlightened” electorate.<br /><br />It is questionable if the Euro can function for any time as a currency without both political integration of the states using it and massive transfers of cash from the Northern states to the Club Med States.<br /><br />But no matter. For many of the Europhile elite the Euro is a symbol of unity and it binds states and politicians more tightly into the developing European Super-state. None must be allowed to slip from the fold.<br /><br />Now it seems they had seen a way to turn what for them was an unthinkable threat into an advantage… To further their goals.<br /><br />When Greece began to wobble so badly the Prime Minister George Papandreou, faced with massive protests over crippling austerity measures the EU wished to impose, apparently decided the only way he could avoid massive civil unrest and maybe worse was to get the people onside.<br /><br />He decided, not unreasonably, to hold a referendum on the measures. If they were accepted he had a solid mandate, if not it would be brutally clear to all, that without the banks taking, not so much a hair cut on Greek debt, but more like a hippy getting a crew cut it would be impossible for Greece to remain in the Euro and he might get a better deal from Europe.<br /><br />Either that or Greece might default, re-instate the Drachma and become more competitive, at least as a tourist destination, by devaluing. It seems the Strength of the euro is harming the Greek tourist income as it haemorrhages to Turkey and other non Euro states.<br /><br />The referendum might have been better for Greece and the democratic process, but it appears that those considerations are irrelevant in European politics.<br /><br />The European patrician political elite have had unfortunate experiences with referenda. They can't be relied upon to produce the "right" result and have to be repeated again and again and again, with pressure applied, until they eventually do get the “right” result.<br /><br />They moved speedily and effectively. One can only suppose offers were made that were simply put "impossible to refuse".<br /><br />Suddenly the referendum was off the cards and Papandreou might as well have been declared taken ill at his dacha in the Crimea in time honoured fashion.<br /><br />Presto-chango! The Greek PM was suddenly (blnik and you'll miss it) <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" uk="" news="">Lucas Papademos</a> the entirely unelected ex head of the European Bank. His Foreign Minister? The now Ex EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.<br /><br />And the Greek parliament were all lining up behind him in a “Unity” government. No referendum, No election. No Democracy…<br /><br />Turning our eyes west we find Italy. Half of it at least another Club Med Euro Economy. Their debt is becoming too expensive as markets worry and their economy is a bit too big to easily bail out. PM Silvio Berlusconi, one minute declaring he is fighting fit to lead, the next disappearing stage left with the aid of a hook on a long pole in true vaudeville stylie.<br /><br />And who quietly shuffles on sideways to replace him (sans elections) hoping the average punter does not notice?<br /><br />Non other than <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" uk="" world="" 2011="" nov="" 16="" italy="">Mario Monti</a>, Ex European Competition Commissioner (what a coincidence) and founder - president of the Bruegel European Economic think-tank. Also an arch critic of Burlusconi. Not a game character at all. :-)<br /><br />So the new European solution to wobbly Club-Med economies? Let’s not bother with that old fashioned democracy stuff shall we?<br /><br />“Hey! Let’s just make dem bozos an offer dey can’t refuse an put our own guys in”.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-shej2H72k/Ts6AFkUzJJI/AAAAAAAAAUw/h0JllLRMrxY/s1600/170px-Coat_of_arms_of_the_Eurogendfor.svg.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 123px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-shej2H72k/Ts6AFkUzJJI/AAAAAAAAAUw/h0JllLRMrxY/s320/170px-Coat_of_arms_of_the_Eurogendfor.svg.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678617013299389586" border="0" /></a>I expect it is not lost on them that if the natives cut up too rough the is always the shiny new EUROGENDFOR waiting quietly tucked out of sight, like a club with nails in held behind their back.<br /><br />EUROGENDFOR or EGF standing for European Gendarmerie Force and modelled (Oh joy!) after the French Gendarmerie and the Italian Unità Specializzate Multinazionali (M.S.U.) of the Carabinieri . Staffed by nationals from (naturally) the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri, the Spanish Civil Guard, Portuguese National Republican Guard, Romanian Gendarmerie and the Dutch Royal Marechaussee.<br /><br />Mostly authentically “Napolionically European” traditions, several used to enforce the will of dictatorships in living memory.<br /><br />To mix metaphors are we looking at the nativity of some sort of western “Warsaw Pact MK II” with :-) frilly covers to disguise the tanks? <br /><br />Maybe more State Capitalism Technocracy “China Syndrome”?<br /><br />Oh - and before anyone in the UK starts to feel too smug. Don’t forget David Cameron’s sudden volt face about a promised British referendum on Europe, or the fact that he (thuggishly in parliamentary terms) prevented a proper vote on the question recently after parliament was petitioned to debate it under a system he set up.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-62228145679413114422011-11-18T06:00:00.001+00:002011-11-18T06:00:01.468+00:00The buck... just gets lost. in the shuffleOne has to really seriously doubt the competence of both the Ministry of Defence and the current British 'regime'. Are either actually fit for purpose?<br /><br />The harrier jump jet is a highly effective fighter jet with very useful capabilities not found elsewhere. The British government has seen fit to spend money on them and then scrap these fighters.<br /><br />It seems however others recognise a perfectly good piece of newly renovated kit fit to last another 10 years or more even if the cretins in charge of the UK don't.<br /><br />The US military, who seem to be capable of supplying their armed forces properly, unlike the British MOD, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/16/harrier-fleet-sold-us-military">have snapped up the whole lot of them</a> as a bargain.<br /><br />Still it is hardly unusual, there are NHS managers who have committed their NHS 'trusts' to <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23420263-wards-and-staff-cut-at-bankrupt-hospital.do">crippling public private finance deals</a> no one but a naive idiot would have contemplated, like a stone round their necks, driving them into virtual bankrupsy and then flitted off to bigger and better things. Others who have presided over <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/maternity-deaths-force-inquiry-into-health-trust-2304615.html">appalling unnecessary loss of life</a> who <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/failed-nhs-manager-given-job-by-sisterinlaws-trust-794998.html">flit off to some similar role</a> apparently without any real cost to themselves.<br /><br />What amazes me is the fact that there are whole divisions of "Sir Humphry's" out there of one stripe or another warming civil service seats and collecting a generous wage who never - ever - seem to be held accountable for their utter incompetence. Incompetence one can't help but feel verges on criminal.<br /><br />This all presided over by Ministers with one suspects, ill thought out schemes who seem to have a tenuous grasp of things at best.<br /><br />The buck never seems to stop with those responsible, there hardly ever seem to be any consequences for them.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-16961538189361706312011-11-15T13:02:00.005+00:002011-11-15T13:13:05.478+00:00Lost & Found“Who is it in the press that calls on me?”<br /><br />“I hear a tongue shriller than all the music Cry ‘Caesar!’ Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.”<br /><br />But the trouble is I can’t help feel that he is not turned to hear. Or are you?<br /><br />Lately I have almost given up blogging. It is not as if there are not plenty of things well worth writing about. Far from it.<br /><br />But it seems to me that the average citizen seems to be lurching through life like some zombie paying little attention to things that vitally affect their well being. Missing, or failing to understand warning signs. Missing the called warning about the ides of march entirely in the press, Football, celebrity gossip and TV soaps occupying much of their attention. <br /><br />It is difficult not to feel as if I am wasting my time blogging. Perhapse I should renew my subscription to Murdoch’s Sky sports? :-)<br /><br />Still. Nil desperandum. <br /><br />We should all be well aware by now of the sheer incompetence of and off hand contempt many elected officials appear to hold both us, the electorate and their own office in by now. <br /><br />We see many examples, such as the fiddling of expenses and junkets. The election promises they go back on.<br /><br />Most recently, lest we begin to forget for a moment, several MPs have been kind enough to remind us. <br /><br />Oliver Letwin, a Government Minister, for instance, <a href=”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15737877”>dumping correspondence in a park</a>. He is not alone, Vince Cable Secretary of State for Business is a little careless with his correspondence. <br /><br />How little these oh-so-important people must think of their constituents who write to them as their represenitive in parliament. How little that the private details of what the writer, no doubt, would fondly imagine to be confidential are left for just anyone to find. <br /><br />Apparently he has not risked national security – they say. One suspects more due to luck than any judgement. <br /><br />Don’t they have office shredders? I expect they could get one on expenses. Rather that than hot and cold running High Definition home theatre flat screen TVs in every room of a “designated” second home.<br /><br />It is not the harm actually done… more that it is a symptom. One that gives an insight into how little “they”, those in power, regard those who entrust them with that power. And how reliable and competent they are to weald it. And how well they protect all our interests.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-6862968222016019232011-05-27T06:00:00.003+00:002011-05-27T06:00:01.026+00:00Lies. Damned lies.. and 'health' statisticsThe charity Alcohol Concern Cymru's (AAC) have apparently convinced themselves that there is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13503442"> drinking problem amongst Welsh seniors</a>.<br /><br />It conjures up an image of seniors staggering out of bars, vomiting in the street, getting into fights and sleeping it off in police cells.<br /><br />AAC are alleging seniors drinking over the recommended maximum in the week before rose from 22% in 2003/4 to 34% in 2009 for men and 7% to 17% for women.<br /><br />The charity's local manager Andrew Misell made the alarmist claim that: <em>"With the number of people over retirement age increasing, some researchers have even talked about a silent epidemic of older people's alcohol issues."<br /><br /></em>Alcohol Concern Cymru's (AAC) is what is sometimes referred to a "fake" charity. That is, a registered charity that receives the bulk of it's funding, not from charitable donations, but instead from the state, or interested state bodies, often by quite convoluted paths.<br /><br />In this case it receives funding from the Welsh Assembly and the Department of Health. One can't help but suspect the objectivity of such 'charities'. It is in their interests to talk up 'problems' and to dance the tune of their major funders.<br /><br />So what are the limits alleged to be exceeded the week before? For men 21 per week and 14 for women. A unit is 1/2 pint of beer, a glass of wine or a shot measure.<br /><br />It means a man who had more than a pint and a half each day in that week would exceed that limit as would a woman who drank more than a couple of glasses of wine each day would be accounted problem drinkers.<br /><br />Presumably, whatever their general level of alcohol consumption is, it can’t have done them any great harm over the last 65 years, or they probably wouldn’t have got to be seniors in the first place.<br /><br />One wonders when the survey was actually done. After the New Year? During the holiday season?<br /><br />In any event, the big problem with the statistics (gathered by the Welsh Health Survey) that AAC used, is that the way things were measured changed in 2006 - and they did not take that into account. So by comparing 2003 with 2009 they are basically comparing apples to aardvarks.<br /><br />AAC were making the mistake of only measuring the change in the way the figures were recorded and compiled - not in the way people drink at all. Oops…<br /><br />Still it made a great alarmist headline didn’t it - and how many people will ever notice?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-28854671975756607392011-05-25T07:14:00.006+00:002011-05-25T07:25:02.705+00:00Covert inter EU Protectionism?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8C4wAmTCamE/TdytlgcnRmI/AAAAAAAAAUk/_xg_J3QxvLY/s1600/c5e5be715f7b22cc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610550095673509474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8C4wAmTCamE/TdytlgcnRmI/AAAAAAAAAUk/_xg_J3QxvLY/s320/c5e5be715f7b22cc.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Danes have <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10727958&ref=rss">banned Marmite</a> from being sold in Denmark, allegedly because it has too many vitamins and essential minerals.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite">Marmite</a> is a spreadable yeast extract, first marketed in 1902 originally as a vegetarian alternative to beef extract. The advertising slogan is, "You'll either love it or hate it.". It looks as if the Danish Government does not love it.<br /><br />It is difficult to believe the recipe for Marmite just changed - and the law the Danish Government have suddenly brought into play to enforce the ban was apparently passed back in 2004.<br /><br />So why have the Danes suddenly taken it into their heads to "come the heavy" over the innocuous Marmite?<br /><br />Is this some sort of tit for tat attack on a British product because the British army is <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8507944/Army-to-ditch-Danish-bacon.html">planning to feed it's troops British Bacon for breakfast instead of Danish</a>?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pigworld.co.uk/Pages/BritishPigProduction.html">It is reported</a> that <i>"The majority of pigs in the United Kingdom, including those in Scotland, are <b>kept to a higher welfare standard</b> than elsewhere in the European Union and other countries."</i> This can push up the cost of the UK product.<br /><br />Maybe Brits in general should think twice about buying Danish bacon...<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7712706263695364665.post-11284452653503224252011-05-23T11:41:00.003+00:002011-05-23T12:01:51.639+00:00Proposed Public BanIt has been suggested that authoritarian anti smoking campaigners be <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13467728">banned from public places</a>. Proponents are suggesting the ban should cover public houses, public golf courses and sports grounds as well as squares, markets.<br /><br />Anti smoking views may be allowed to be expressed on pavements outside parks, and car parks in public parks. Areas it is proposed the ban will not cover are the central reservation of motorways, firing ranges and the lion enclosure at Colchester Zoo.<br /><br />A spokes person from the Essex Independence party stated that “The extreme authoritarian attitudes these individuals express in public, as if they are perfectly acceptable can seriously affect those who don’t think things through properly and are especially harmful children’s developing minds. Before you know it they will accept something like book burning as perfectly acceptable as well”<br /><br />There has been no formal response to the proposal from ASH, but a random Manic Street Preachers fan who had nothing to do with them ,when approached for a quote, stated “If you tolerate this then your children will be next.”<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright © 2007-2012, Critical Faculty Dojo. All rights reserved.</div>CFD Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14176957304124700156noreply@blogger.com0