About Me

There seems to be no area of our lives, whether public or private,that is not subject to the scrutiny of the 'Equality People' Yet, no one ever defines Equality. So, how will we know it when we see it? Is it definable? And are the principles of equality, however we define them, attainable?.Is the ever extending range of government regulation over our lives 'progress'Or,are we on the road to totalitarianism. Are we hindered or helped in our quest for rights and justice through membership of the E.U., U.N.,e.t.c. or, would a strengthening of our own Parliamentary Democracy serve us better. This Blog will comment on equality and related issues with the hope of making some small contribution to the debate. Feel free to post your opinions and share your thoughts and experiences. That way we can get a better idea of how we, the little people really feel about things. And,just maybe,we might even influence the debate!

Monday 8 July 2013

E-Cigs;update. Big Government,Big Pharma butting in.Well that didn't take long did it.

I'd heard murmurings about E-Cigs and the fact they are not licensed or regulated the same way other tobacco replacement products are, such as,patches,gun etc. Then I came across an article, reporting that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency(MHRA),have declared E-Cigs to be medicines.

What this means, as you might expect, is that the cost to the consumer-you and I- will go up. Just when you think you've a good,safe,cheap alternative to real tobacco, someone has to come along, apply all kinds of nonsensical regulations on the product and producer,thus skewing the market, and making it even harder to give up.


Apparently,sales of E-Cigs have increased dramatically since 2010 and have now reached 1.3 million. And they work. Unlike those patches and what not, which cost a packet. Pharmaceutical companies make a fortune out of them and these E-Cigs must be giving them a run for their money. If people actually stop smoking through using E-Cigs they won't need to keep "trying one more time"with the expensive stuff. 


Oh,and surprise surprise,or maybe not,the MHRA gets some of its funding from some pharmaceutical companies. And another surprise,or not,some of the members of the MHRA who produced the report and pushed for the regulations have declared interests in certain pharmaceutical companies.


Does this sound like a stitch up? Read the whole article here from the Free Society Site

Thursday 20 June 2013

Summer Solstice-celebrate!-rejoice!



                                                   Oh Great Sun God,
                                    Put ye to flight the powers of darkness,
                                                 Bring fertility to the land,
                                  Rejoice we in the full flood of abundance,
                                                     Oh great Sun God,
                                           The apogee of light and warmth

Sunday 26 May 2013

No More Summers for Drummer Lee Rigby

I had planned to follow up my last post which celebrated the beginning of summer, with some photos of  the Devon countryside where I have just spent a week. I heard the news, and witnessed those shocking videos of his brutal murder just as we were preparing to leave. Ever since,I've been unable to focus on anything else for very long.

We've had attacks before;shootings,bombs. This felt different somehow.The barbarity of it reminded me of scenes from places like Mogadishu and Rwanda. We're now bombarded with information on an almost hourly basis; almost all of it speculation and,some of it irrelevant: 'it was an impulse attack' (they just happened to have a couple of meat cleavers and a pistol with them-as you do-). 'They're British (so what)
'They want to divide us'( whom do they want to divide and into what?)

So, the great and the good, who supposedly manage and protect this country from enemies are clueless. This though, hasn't stopped them from throwing around solutions like confetti; close down hate filled websites, collect data on everyone who so much as looks at at a computer by reviving the Communications Bill, monitor speeches by Imams.

None of it will work. We've heard it all before. Most of the videos Islamists watch are made out side the U.K.  However the authorities have made a start. No one will be offended by 85 year old pensioners who shout at Muslims. Oh yes, get her locked up, that'l show every one we mean business! And I hope they've taken her computer away to check for more hate speech-you know the kind of thing-'that woman across the road never washes her bloody curtains'; blah blah blah. Well it has to stop!

Drummer Lee Rigby will enjoy no more summers. Unless of course there is a God,in which case may he spend eternity strolling through an English meadow.




Tuesday 30 April 2013

May Day

 It's that time of year again when the days get longer,the sun is stronger and buds begin to open.

                                                          ' Summer is a cummin'


                               
  

                             Happy May Day















Tuesday 23 April 2013

23rd April-must be St.George's Day






                                      Happy Saint George's Day


             The weather looks fine today so, if you are planning any festivities let's hope it stays that way.

Sunday 31 March 2013

Day of Faith and Hope



What is the essential message of Christianity.? This is a question I often ask myself. I studied theology for a while and found it fascinating. However, I also found that many people, especially academics,make it far more convoluted than it needs to be. Maybe it makes them feel superior,or justifies the remittances they receive from universities. 

My own take on Christianity is summed up in the words Hope and Faith, and nothing expresses this more than Ascension Day.The promise has been made to believers.

 Hope, that by faith there will be a renewal, a chance to redeem sins and begin life again, a life lived as it should be and not as it was in the past.

                                     No need to wait for the future. It can be done now.





                                             If you are religious I simply hope your faith is renewed.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

The Battle Has Begun

The Future ?
 I  bought one of those new fangled e-cigarettes today. I'd been musing over the purchase for some time. It really is time to stop the tobacco smoking but,I do enjoy it. So, the e-ciggy is the best compromise I could come up with.

These electronic replacements contain nicotine of varying strengths but no tar or any of the other chemicals which really do the damage. Nicotine can be addictive but that's it;but so can anything I suppose if you like it enough. But there's nothing harmful in it:except of course to the anti-brigade, who would ban everything they don't like the idea of.

But they don't count. It's still a free country-so far. And anyway, I'll need to save my money in case the government wants to raid my piggy bank to pay the banks for screwing us into the ground, as they've just done to the Cypriots. Dont'cha just love the E.U.

It cost £20 for the whole kit;nice fruity oil;charger, and the inhaler thingy. Replacement oil costs about £5 and, by all accounts one should last about a week. So that's £5 per week for smokes instead of £6 per day.There really was no choice.


But can I do it? I still have some cigarettes. I've told myself it's the last packet I will need to buy. I started using the e-cig this afternoon and already I've noticed a difference-I actually prefer the taste of mixed fruit to tobacco-so maybe I'm in with a chance.

Wish me luck