tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post6395968393655994723..comments2023-10-17T15:56:22.827+01:00Comments on Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: Poetry corner with Gerard HastingsChristopher Snowdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-84721079677039112552014-01-26T01:16:51.151+00:002014-01-26T01:16:51.151+00:00
Agreed Junican but the tragedy is that this demea...<br />Agreed Junican but the tragedy is that this demeans those awards given to others who actually deserve recognition. <br /><br />Australia has just honored Mike Daube thereby reinforcing the attitude that telling the truth is of little value in modern society. <br /><br />Honoring people such as Daube and Hastings sets an extremely poor example for our children but fortunately most of them are smart enough to realize this which is why young people are especially disillusioned with politicians and the establishment. <br /><br />I have no idea why politicians are not as smart as children but there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that this is very much the case. <br />Ivan Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18364023294207490403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-62778794649472507902014-01-25T23:17:40.957+00:002014-01-25T23:17:40.957+00:00Ivan,
They nominate each other, especially the aca...Ivan,<br />They nominate each other, especially the academics. Their 'awards' are worthless baubles. Junican https://www.blogger.com/profile/03405543859782362078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-13045645742062033992014-01-25T22:52:25.957+00:002014-01-25T22:52:25.957+00:00Hasting has been awarded an OBE for his "serv...<br />Hasting has been awarded an OBE for his "services" to healthcare. He has produced nothing of value and has used public health as a vehicle to promote his political agenda. His worthlessness is rivaled by few. <br /><br />And the Westminster clique wonder why we don't vote for them and why we increasingly despise them. Ivan Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18364023294207490403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-27415993623878818842014-01-25T10:48:33.164+00:002014-01-25T10:48:33.164+00:00That settles it. I've been wondering if public...That settles it. I've been wondering if public health 'professionals' are all missing a gene. The gene that allows you to feel embarrassment. <br /><br />I think this poem must be proof. Although I may need some funding to investigate my theory further.Buckohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03169970711606515445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-15818889575035601082014-01-25T02:16:57.540+00:002014-01-25T02:16:57.540+00:00I can't remember how I came across the McTear ...I can't remember how I came across the McTear Case. It seems to me that that case was very, very important in that it set a precedent which applied throughout the Commonwealth. It only concluded in 2005, so it is not ancient. <br />TC lost the case on all four claims - that smoking causes lung cancer in general; that smoking caused Mr McTear's LC in particular; that JPS cigarettes were the specific cigarettes in question, and that he only smoked as a result of addiction (caused knowingly by the tobacco company). <br /><br />The actual 'opinion' of Judge Lord Nimmo Smith covered some 600 pages. I spent some weeks doing a summary of the 'opinion' and managed to reduce it to some 60 pages without, as far as I can tell, losing the essentials. <br />Anyone interested in reading my summary, or even the whole 'opinion', can access them here:<br /><br />http://boltonsmokersclub.wordpress.com/the-mctear-case-the-analysis/<br /><br />-----<br /><br />It has amazed me that Tobacco Companies failed to take advantage of the judgement. It is really weird. But the same occurred about Stirling Uni's claims about youth smoking initiation. Japan Tobacco demanded information about the nitty-gritty of the study and was supported by the Ombudsman. But, having won the judgement, Japan Tobacco suddenly dropped the whole thing! The only rational explanation is that 'deals were done' in secret and that corruption is wide-spread. <br /><br /> Junican https://www.blogger.com/profile/03405543859782362078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-9480836996810283542014-01-24T23:53:37.228+00:002014-01-24T23:53:37.228+00:00Nice find Junican. Very interesting. I can't s...Nice find Junican. Very interesting. I can't see why Hastings would be invited to speak at that court case in the first place.Christopher Snowdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-65502380165094729982014-01-24T21:49:20.207+00:002014-01-24T21:49:20.207+00:00Remember the McTear Case? Tobacco Control tried to...Remember the McTear Case? Tobacco Control tried to get a judgement that the tobacco company, ITL were responsible for McTear's lung cancer. This is what Judge Nimmo Smith said abut Garard Hastings's 'expert' evidence:<br /><br />"<i>Professor Hastings, who regarded himself as an advocate for greater measures of <br />tobacco control, carried this into his courtroom manner and his tendency to argue with counsel rather than to answer questions. I am bound to say that <b>none of</b> Professor Friend, Sir Richard Doll and Professor Hastings seemed to me to be <br />mindful of the need to be independent (see para.[5.18]), and each appeared to me to engage in advocacy to a greater or lesser extent.</i>"<br />And later:<br />"Finally, on addiction: <br />(6.208) <i>The evidence of Professor Hastings appears to me to add nothing for present purposes. The fact that individuals may be exposed to advertising, and even influenced by it, does not mean that they are precluded from exercising a free choice. Advertising simply adds to the complexity of the individual’s decision-making process. People are well-accustomed to weighing up mixed messages, and to making their own decisions and choices. In any event Professor Hastings himself disclaimed any such mechanistic account of the influences to which an individual such as Mr McTear might be exposed</i>"<br /><br />Hastings strikes me as something of a charlatan, who has taken advantage of Tobacco Control to feather his own nest and exercise his desire for power.Junican https://www.blogger.com/profile/03405543859782362078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-9077753838314041782014-01-24T16:33:59.499+00:002014-01-24T16:33:59.499+00:00Does he mean the Corporation as in the days of my ...Does he mean the Corporation as in the days of my youth - corporation buses, corporation houses, corporation libraries? No, I thought not. Maybe he means the BBC? Or maybe he's just an arse who thinks calling companies corporations makes them sound more sinister.Vovahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01823050600809389492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-41354496654428934522014-01-24T16:32:47.928+00:002014-01-24T16:32:47.928+00:00It's more of a song's lyrics, and It makes...It's more of a song's lyrics, and It makes me think of a degraded version of Joe Jackson's much better "I'm The Man" lyrics, which goes like this:<br /><br />Pretty soon now<br />Y'know I'm gonna make a comeback<br />And like the birds and the bees in the trees<br />It's a sure-fire smash<br />I'll speak <br />To the masses throughout the media<br />And if you got anything to say to me<br />You can say it with cash<br />'Cause I got the trash and you got the cash<br />So baby we should get along fine<br />So give me all your money 'cause I know you think I'm funny<br />Can't you hear me laughing<br />Can't you see me smile <br /><br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop<br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo <br /><br />Kung fu<br />That was one of my good ones<br />Well what's a few broken bones<br />When we all know it's good clean fun<br />Skateboards<br />I've almost made them respectable<br />You see I can't always get through to you<br />So I go for your son<br />I had a giant rubber shark and it really made a mark<br />Didja looka looka lookit alla blood<br />Give me all your money 'cause I know you think I'm funny<br />Can't you hear me laughing<br />Can't you see me smile <br /><br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop<br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo<br /><br />Right now<br />I think I'm gonna plan a new trend<br />Because the line on the graph's getting low<br />And we can't have that<br />And you think you're immune<br />But I can sell you anything<br />Anything from a thin safety pin<br />To a pork pie hat<br />'Cause I got the trash and you got the cash<br />So baby we should get along fine<br />So give me all your money 'cause I know you think I'm funny<br />Can't you hear me laughing<br />Can't you see me smile <br /><br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop<br />I'm the man<br />I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo<br /><br />Joe Jackson's song is funny while Hastings' is dull.<br />But let's wait for the music to "The Corporation".Jean Granvillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863378650172171963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-58575951838391141112014-01-24T16:24:56.984+00:002014-01-24T16:24:56.984+00:00I actually rather like poetry, which is why I didn...I actually rather like poetry, which is why I didn't get past the first couple of stanzas. <br /><br />Dear God, to think he had the effrontery to publish such dross speaks volumes about the man.nisakimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563041282703559939noreply@blogger.com