Link Tank 04/02
Published on 2012-02-04 02:10:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Unusual week, that.
Should we regulate sugar like alcohol and tobacco?
News used to be important; now it’s just well-dressed entertainment
Local, schmocal – eat what you like, author says
What kind of people have we become?
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| Tobacco Puzzle
Published on 2012-02-03 16:46:40.
Website: Frank Davis
While I’m very happy for her, I’m a bit puzzled that Pat Nurse has managed to grow and harvest a tobacco plant. It is, after all, early February and the coldest part of the year. Perhaps she’s been growing them … Continue reading →
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The forbidden way to boost your brainpower
Published on 2012-02-03 12:53:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
A word from my favorite doctor:
But again, this is no surprise. Nicotine — SMOKING — has been proven to boost the parts of the brain linked to memory and concentration even in people not at risk for dementia.
The forbidden way to boost your brainpower
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| Lifestyle Discrimination in Ohio
Published on 2012-02-03 11:00:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
I found this story linked on the Smoker's Club Newsletter
Penn National gaming has adopted a new hiring policy for all new applicants at its Toledo and Columbus locations:
3,200 applicants will be tested for nicotine usage, refused if found positive.
..A bit extreme, eh? This isn't even about health anymore, not that it ever was. This has turned into an all out war on smokers and on nicotine itself. How has it come to this? Remember when "non-smoker" front groups maintained steadfastly that their only true objective was to allow for non-smoking sections in restaurants? We have since fallen off of the slippery slope as it has become strikingly clear that we are now witnessing the cumulative effects of a 40+ year war on smoking and smokers themselves.
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La Ligue pulmonaire trompe-t-elle l'opinion publique volontairement ?
Published on 2012-02-03 06:52:23.
Website: Accueil
Lettre ouverte de Bernd Palmer, Ing. dipl. EPF (photo à dr.), à l'
Institut universitaire romand de santé au travail. Les arguments en faveur de son initiative fédérale anti-fumeurs sont pour le moins spécieux. Le Conseil fédéral et les Chambres fédérales s'opposent à cette initiative intégriste.
Messieurs, Dans le texte accompagnant la récente initiative fédérale de la Ligue Pulmonaire on peut lire que « Le personnel de service [de la gastronomie] souffre très souvent des conséquences pour la santé d'une exposition quotidienne élevée au tabagisme passif, l'équivalent selon une étude de 15 à 38 cigarettes fumées activement.
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| Surveillance permanente des salariés: entreprise épinglée en France
Published on 2012-02-03 06:30:05.
Website: Accueil
ATS: "Huit salariés, huit caméras: la Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (Cnil) a jugé que c'était excessif. Elle a exigé d'une entreprise de Toulouse de lever le pied sur la vidéosurveillance de son personnel.
"La Cnil, ayant reçu une plainte d'un salarié, a mené son enquête dans la société Oceatech, qui fournit du matériel et des applications aux personnels de santé. Le dispositif de vidéosurveillance comportait "huit caméras (chacune équipée d'un microphone permettant l'écoute sonore et d'un haut-parleur) filmant huit salariés, soit une caméra par salarié", a précisé la Cnil vendredi sur son site internet. "
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Goodbye, you lizard scum
Published on 2012-02-03 05:51:00.
Website: Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I have a post about the 'toxic sugar' canard over at the Adam Smith Institute. Before you go any further, please click over there and have a read.
I would like to leave it there, but there really is so much more to say. Seriously, has the whole world gone insane? I can understand why the media would pick up on a story like this and I can almost understand why a popular science magazine like Nature would publish the wacky article in the first place. It sells. What I don't get is why a bunch of nodding-dog journalists would respond with half-witted opinion pieces such as 'Evil is among us. And it’s called sugar'.
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| Vie privée : le guide pour rester anonyme sur Internet
Published on 2012-02-02 17:45:36.
Website: Accueil
rue89: "Hadopi, Acta : les lois qui surveillent Internet se multiplient. Mode d'emploi à l'usage des non-geeks pour utiliser le Web sans laisser de traces.
"Naviguer sur Internet, c'est comme sauter à pieds joints dans du béton frais : on laisse des traces (presque) indélébiles partout. C'est aussi ce que dit Bruce Schneier, expert en sécurité informatique :
« Si vous pensez que la technologie peut résoudre vos problèmes de sécurité, alors vous n'avez rien compris aux problèmes ni à la technologie. »
"L'informatique, et plus particulièrement Internet, est un formidable moyen de liberté d'expression, mais aussi une machine à surveiller. Or, surfer anonymement peut être souhaitable pour des tas de raisons, et pas seulement pour les paranos. On peut être amené à vouloir être anonyme sur Internet à un moment de sa vie. Liste non exhaustive et non exclusive ..."
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Fumeur-martyr incarcéré en Grande-Bretagne
Published on 2012-02-02 16:50:44.
Website: Accueil
The Spectator/TICAP: "Le très controversé défenseur des fumeurs, Chris Cart, a mis a exécution sa menace d'aller en prison plutôt que de payer £ 1250 pour avoir allumé illégalement une cigarette il y a quatre ans, dans l'édifice de la mairie de Bangor. (Nord Ouest du Pays de Galles/Royaume-Uni)
"Le "crimino-fumeur", âgé de 57 ans, s'est livré à la police de Bangor samedi 28 janvier 2012 au soir mais a déclaré qu'il ne renoncerait pas à mener sa campagne contre l'interdiction de fumer dans les édifices publics.
"Alors qu'il se rendait à la police, le prisonnier de Bangor qui se décrit comme "La Voix de l'Indépendance", a affirmé qu'il agissait "pour défendre le Royaume" tout en brandissant un exemplaire de l'ouvrage d'Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf.
"Il a déclaré qu'il avait l'intention de digérer l'ouvrage une fois derrière les barreaux pour voir quelles seraient les prochaines lois inspirées par les fascistes" à être imposées au peuple britannique par l'Union européenne (UE).
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| Miscellaneous on tobacco control
Published on 2012-02-02 16:31:00.
Website: Freedom-2-Choose (Scotland)
1. Front page view of local rebel (local to Northern Ireland that is) on his way into prison. There will be a further report of his release shortly.
2. Court of Session turns down Imperial Tobacco's case against the Scottish Government claiming that the tobacco display ban is
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Sexe et cigarettes : affiches censurées...
Published on 2012-02-02 15:37:42.
Website: Accueil
L'Express: Cinéma ...«Les infidèles»: affiches sexistes censurées ! Après le tollé provoqué par les affiches promotionnelles du film Les Infidèles, ces dernières vont être retirées car elles présentent "une image dégradante de la femme". "Comme nous vous l'annoncions hier soir, les affiches du film Les Infidèles avec Jean Dujardin et Gilles Lellouche, sexuellement explicites, seront retirées vendredi à la demande de l'Autorité de régulation professionnelle de la publicité (ARPP)."
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| More Smokers To Die Outside Pubs This Winter
Published on 2012-02-02 15:25:21.
Website: Frank Davis
As freezing Siberian conditions gripped Britain, Chief Medical Officer Sir Edward Spleen said he expected “several hundred” smokers to die outside Britain’s pubs each week. “It’s not enough though. We were hoping for a lot more,” he added. “But far … Continue reading →
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Britain Imprisons Smoker
Published on 2012-02-02 10:02:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
Thanks to Smokers Against Discrimination for posting this on Facebook-
As he prepared for the police to take him off to jail to serve what could be a sentence of up to 47 days, he fumed, “I am the first smoker to be imprisoned in the UK.
..and all over the use of a legal product. If this isn't the very definition of fascism, then I don't know what is. It's really quite unbelievable that something like this could happen in what is otherwise deemed to be a "free" society. Forced captivity is what inevitably results from such draconian "laws" and "ordinances". The wrongful and unjust incarceration of admirable citizens such as Chris Carter only serves to prove unequivocally how oppressive these NS (Nanny State) "laws" really are. It's unfortunate, as all of this is quite avoidable really; there is no need to fall into the shackles of despotism, for liberty has always proven its efficiency when it comes to solving societal grievances and problems.
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| 100 Seconds Of Nannyism
Published on 2012-02-02 09:10:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Reason have just announced their Nanny of the Month top three for January.
Bloomberg, booze, e-cigs, and porn - how could I not feature it? It's like a mini midweek video link tank.
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"No thanks, we're sweet enough," say lying puritans
Published on 2012-02-02 05:44:00.
Website: Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
As you may have noticed from headlines such as "Sugar 'is toxic and must be regulated just like cigarettes', claim scientists", "Tax and regulate sugar like alcohol and tobacco, urge scientists" and "Experts say sugar is as dangerous as alcohol and cigarettes", the slippery slope got a little bit more slippery today. We did try to warn you, you know.
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| Cheap At Half The Price
Published on 2012-02-02 04:25:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Via Gawain, we find that the EU have been 'nudging' the European media with the EU Health Prize for Journalists.
The aim being ...
... about getting journalists around the EU to write articles for their respective outlets that promote the EU line.
The EU Health Prize for Journalists is awarded to stimulate high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and patients' rights. The Prize is part of the "Europe for patients" campaign, highlighting 12 health policy initiatives. All these are bound by a common goal: better healthcare for all in Europe.Or as John Dalli puts it "to stimulate high-quality journalism, with particular focus on the European Dimension" So successful is it that 358 hacks from the 27 submitted almost 500 articles. Given the prizes amount to 13,000 EUR that is bloody good value for money at 26 EUR per published article.Indeed it is.
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Naissance d'un nouveau média de droite: LesObservateurs.ch
Published on 2012-02-01 17:31:08.
Website: Accueil
ATS: " Un nouveau journal en ligne voit le jour en Suisse romande, a révélé mercredi le "19:30" de la TSR. Appelé LesObservateurs.ch, le média adopte un point de vue de droite. Le site est actif depuis mercredi, a déclaré à la télévision Uli Windisch. (photo DDR)
"Le sociologue genevois est à la tête du journal avec Philippe Barraud, notamment chef de rubrique à "L'Hebdo" et au "Temps", et Olivier Grivat, ancien rédacteur en chef de "24Heures", selon le site.
"LesObservateurs.ch dispose de 450'000 francs pour deux ans, a déclaré M. Windisch. Une dizaine d'actionnaires se tiennent derrière le journal, dont le financier tessinois Tito Tettamanti.
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| Branson Blog
Published on 2012-02-01 16:07:31.
Website: Frank Davis
I quite often compare bad AGW science with bad tobacco science. The odd thing is that AGW alarmists do the same. Except they compare what they regard as good (and true) AGW science with good (and true) tobacco science. Here’s … Continue reading →
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Tobacco Cembranoids Exhibit Anti-Cancer Activity
Published on 2012-02-01 13:38:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
Well, what do you know...natural, unfermented tobacco has anti-cancer properties! Hmmm..Maybe we can vape it? ...Maybe we can add cembranoids to cigarettes? Maybe we can eliminate most or all of the harmful elements that are associated with smoking and tobacco use? Why not? The science is there.
"These marine cembranoids are known for their anticancer activity," he said. "Since the leaf and flower cuticular wax of tobacco are rich in cembranoids, and also act as a chemical defense to protect the plant against insects and harmful microbial infections, we believed that natural, fresh tobacco ingredients would offer the greatest potential as an anticancer agent."
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| Citizens for Tobacco Rights
Published on 2012-02-01 11:25:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
Please check out this new blog-
Citizens for Tobacco Rights
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Protecting Anti-Social Behaviour
Published on 2012-02-01 10:12:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Teresa May's 'community trigger' has been bothering me for the past couple of days.
The government is promising to set up five pilot schemes this summer, which will force the authorities to act if people in five separate households complain about a neighbour causing problems, such as noise or threatening behaviour.Simply put, it seems that the Police are being absolved of the responsibility to investigate after receiving just the one complaint.
Rather different, then, to areas where activities which are wholesome, enjoyable, or life-enhancing seem to require only one complaint to have non anti-social activity stopped, such as expressions of affection.
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| Un nain fumeur piétiné par un intolérant hygiéniste
Published on 2012-02-01 05:41:01.
Website: Accueil
This is Somerset: "Nain fumeur piétiné devant un pub!
"Un nain de Milborne Port a été jeté à terre et piétiné alors qu'il fumait une cigarette devant un pub de Wincanton (Somerset)
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En progression - La Libertad
Published on 2012-01-31 23:45:10.
Website: Accueil
Le fabricant de tabac suisse Villiger annonce un chiffre d'affaires record pour 2011. Ses ventes de cigars et de tabac à fumer ont progressé de 22%. Les ventes de la filiale allemande Villiger Söhne GmbH ont enregistré une progression de 26%. Ce résultat est dû à la progression de 17% du chiffre d’affaires réalisé en Suisse et à la hausse de 92% des exportations vers l’UE dont le volume a ainsi presque doublé.
Les conséquences inattendues de la prohibition rampante ?
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| News From France
Published on 2012-01-31 17:00:26.
Website: Frank Davis
Even though it’s the UK’s next door neighbour, I never seem to hear much in the way of news on how the French smoking ban is playing out. So H/T Jredheadedgirl in Lousiana for this snippet of news: More smokers … Continue reading →
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"Permis de fumer" envisagé au Royaume-Uni
Published on 2012-01-31 11:11:51.
Website: Accueil
(BBC-News-UK) )Les fumeurs britanniques
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| It's Personal, Plain And Simple
Published on 2012-01-31 08:35:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
You'll have smelt the nasty whiff of yet another 'urgent' and 'vital' anti-tobacco campaign, I take it? Even more so than the last one which, err, hasn't concluded yet.
Yes, the tobacco displays won't be fully hidden till April - with all the unintentionally accompanying hilarity that nonsense entails - but tobacco control is already spending money like water to, as Snowdon astutely comments, "justify its existence" with the latest expensive hare-brained exercise in abject failure. Plain packaging.
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L'Espagne aux prises avec les cigarettes de contrebande
Published on 2012-01-31 08:17:52.
Website: Accueil
soltimes.com: " Un tsunami de cigarettes de contrebande déferle sur l'Espagne"
"En 2011, les ventes de cigarettes légales a chuté brusquement de 16, 5 %,
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| Fifth Amendment compels government (and lobbyists who profit from rent seeking legislation, smoking bans) to compensate losses to individuals affected
Published on 2012-01-31 07:51:00.
Website: Clearing The Air
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
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Not About Health
Published on 2012-01-30 16:20:49.
Website: Frank Davis
“It’s not about health.” I think I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read those words in describing the reasons for the smoking ban. After all, if you push people out into the cold and wet, you’re not … Continue reading →
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| Competitive Tendering: A Personal Anecdotal Update
Published on 2012-01-30 11:24:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Last Spring, some may remember a piece here on public sector competitive tendering; the way that it now arguably costs the taxpayer rather than saves; how it is a right royal boon to Puddlecote Inc; and how, despite that, I still fundamentally despise its EU-led, self-serving administrative pomposity on principle. Go read it if you have time, as it is a pre-cursor to this latest chapter.
You see, in that article I explained how our competitors had been whittled away in the past seven or eight years. Where there used to be around 120 of us battling for the opportunities from public sector contracts, at time of writing last April it was down to just under 40. We were successful in being accepted for that particular framework, but things have moved on somewhat since.
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French Ignore Ban
Published on 2012-01-30 09:11:00.
Website: Jredheadgirl
Thanks to Smokers Against Discrimination for posting this on Facebook-
Anti-smoking group Droits des Non-Fumeurs (Non-Smokers Rights) has taken it upon themselves to conduct a survey to assess the level of compliance with France's five year old smoking ban.
They did not like the results. Apparently, many French smokers have decided that they're just not going to adhere to the Neo-Bishops of Do-Gooderism. Oh, but of course, the anti-smokers always have an answer to everything:
The organisation is calling for an increase in the number of inspections to stamp out the rise.
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| Plain talking
Published on 2012-01-30 06:53:00.
Website: Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
The British anti-tobacco industry is preparing to launch it's latest attempt to justify its existence. A public consultation on plain packaging is expected in March and the Department of Health's various sockpuppets (ASH, Fresh, Smokefree SouthWest etc.) will spend an enormous amount of taxpayers' money getting its employees and supporters to click on websites and send postcards.
The pseudo-journal Tobacco Control has helpfully published a "study" to help campaigners overcome objections from the public. Being Tobacco Control, the methodology is the tried-and-tested 'messing about on the internet' approach, in this instance the inappropriately named Becky Freeman has been reading comments on news stories.
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