Monthly Archives: April 2013

From Trust To Distrust

Posted on April 30, 2013 by the archivist

Over on Taking Liberties last night, I read: “No-one disputes the health risks associated with smoking but there can’t be a sane adult in the country who isn’t aware of them.” And I immediately wrote: I dispute the health risks! And … Continue reading →

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Informal Passive Resistance

Posted on April 29, 2013 by the archivist

I was quite cheered by my trip to London. I’d expected London, with its many landlocked pubs, to be one vast joyless No Smoking zone, where I’d see only one or two smokers lurking down alleyways here and there. In … Continue reading →

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A Trip to London

Posted on April 28, 2013 by the archivist

Back from London, after a 36 hour trip. The wedding went off happily. And London seemed much like the London I’d known. And it didn’t seem to be the no-smoking desert I’d expected either. Because there seemed to be lots … Continue reading →

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Tidal Forces

Posted on April 26, 2013 by the archivist

Ever wondered what happens when a cloud of rocks skims low over the Earth and back out into space? Yes? Well, here’s your golden opportunity to find out. Here’s what happens: The rock cloud starts out as a cube of … Continue reading →

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EU Loses Europe’s Trust

Posted on April 25, 2013 by the archivist

Something worth reading in the Guardian:   “The damage is so deep that it does not matter whether you come from a creditor, debtor country, euro would-be member or the UK: everybody is worse off,” said José Ignacio Torreblanca, head … Continue reading →

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Why The Economy Won’t Grow

Posted on April 24, 2013 by the archivist

I keep reading about attempts to encourage economic growth, usually by cutting interest rates, or something along those lines. But the way I see it is that, once you’ve kicked a quarter of the population – the smokers – out … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a Tea Addict

Posted on April 23, 2013 by the archivist

An email this evening on the subject of tea reminded me that I sometimes think that I might be a tea addict. After all, the very first thing I do every morning when I wake up is to grope my … Continue reading →

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Don’t Stop

Posted on April 22, 2013 by the archivist

I woke up this morning remembering that Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop in his presidential campaign. It goes; Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow, Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here, It’ll be better than before, Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone. … Continue reading →

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The Tobacco Control Cult

Posted on April 21, 2013 by the archivist

One thing I took away from my reading of the Tobacco Endgame was that Tobacco Control was an introverted community with its own set of ‘visionary scholars’ and ‘world thought leaders’, and its own utterly mad set of beliefs. I … Continue reading →

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Clueless Global Thought Leaders

Posted on April 20, 2013 by the archivist

I’ve continued reading essays in the Tobacco Endgame today, and reflecting upon what I’ve read. I think it’s a bit optimistic, even grandiose, of them to think in terms of ‘endgame’. It rather suggests that they think the game is … Continue reading →

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