Monthly Archives: August 2013

The Storm Drain

Posted on August 31, 2013 by the archivist

I’m one of those people who can remember where he was when President John F Kennedy was shot. And every 10 years or so I get interested in the disputes that surround the event. Last time I got interested, about … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 38 Comments

A Refreshing Change

Posted on August 30, 2013 by the archivist

Every letter or email I’ve ever sent to any MP about smoking bans has always brought an indifferent, rote response. So it was a delight to get an email today from my West Midlands MEP, Nikki Sinclaire: Thank you for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 18 Comments

TobakkoNacht

Posted on August 29, 2013 by the archivist

My copy of Michael McFadden’s Tobakkobacht arrived today. I haven’t read it yet. But I read the author’s preface, and in my view for that alone the book is worth every penny I paid for it. Because he writes: …what … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 68 Comments

Gazing

Posted on August 28, 2013 by the archivist

I sat out in my favourite pub garden today. It’s a walled garden, with the walls heavy with ivy and roses. Earlier this year it was a sea of daisies. And on sunny days like today, I sit out on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Loss of Trust

Posted on August 27, 2013 by the archivist

I was writing about the death of cultural institutions last night. And today I came across something that UK Chief Rabbi Sacks had said of the breakdown of institutions: “And then you ask why they have broken down and you … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 21 Comments

Slow Motion Coup d’Etat

Posted on August 26, 2013 by the archivist

The way I see things these days, more or less the entire British political class – Labour, Lib Dem, and Conservative – have signed up to the EU ‘project’ in a way that the British people have not. And they … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 20 Comments

The Disintegrating Demos

Posted on August 25, 2013 by the archivist

I must say that I gaze on events in Syria and Egypt (and elsewhere) with something like dumb incomprehension. Some people say that Islam is incompatible with democracy. But an article by Dan Hannan offers a simpler explanation. No, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 36 Comments

Pot Research

Posted on August 24, 2013 by the archivist

I quite often compare anti-tobacco ‘science’ with global warming ‘science’. Today on WUWT I came across a similar comparison, this time exploring how global warming research is like pot research. One of the reasons given for making marijuana a schedule … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

An American Institution

Posted on August 23, 2013 by the archivist

I must be slow or something. I’d never heard of her until today, when I came across her talking about NY mayor Michael Bloomberg. “The overturning of the term limits — when this happens in another country, we call this … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Change Your Hearts

Posted on August 22, 2013 by the archivist

H/T Harley for this eloquent letter from kin_free published in the Blackburn, Darwen, and Hyndburn Citizen. I hope he doesn’t mind me re-publishing it, because I think it deserves it. Change your hearts or lose your inns The English pub … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 45 Comments