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March 24, 2006 |
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Straightening
up Drinkers
March 24 -
Arresting drinkers, in bars -
Police
in a Dallas suburb, perhaps inspired by that city's smoking
ban, swept through bars arresting patrons for being
"intoxicated." Officials describe the raids as a
pre-emptive strike against drunk driving. In other
words the arrested bar patrons not because they had
committed the crime of driving while drunk but because they
might drive while impaired. Critics of the raid point
out that the police didn't know whether those picked up were
with "designated drivers" or whether they relied on cabs or
other means of transportation. It's only a matter of
time before the anti-alcohol crowd, inspired by the success
of the anti-smoking fanatics, will opening promote the plan
to "denormalize" and eliminate drinking.
Junk Science
March
24 -
Political predictors -
From
the University of California, the font of anti-tobacco junk
science, comes another fun example of garbage passed off as
research. This time the grant junkie is stereotyping
and slandering those whose politics he doesn't like.
Jonah Goldberg enjoys himself as he
debunks the junk
and
exposes the motives of the so-called experts. |
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Straightening
up Eaters
March
24 -
Addicting ingredients -
This
story from the New York Times delves into the plans by
special interests to shake down the food industry and they
took down the tobacco industry. Of special interest is
an "obesity expert" from Yale named David Katz.
Although he admits that "the evidence is scarce" he
believes that the food industry engineer their foods to
make their customers eat more. How do these diabolical
companies accomplish this? By craftily conspiring to
make their products taste good!
Research shows that
people eat more when faced with a variety of foods, or
even a variety of flavors within a single food. For
example, you are less likely to overeat plain baked
potatoes than those drenched in butter, salt, sour cream
and chives.
What a break through!
The task now for Katz and his social-engineers is to mandate
that food be boring. A baked potato and broccoli
without even a pat of margarine next to an unseasoned
hamburger patty will solve the obesity crisis. No
flavor no fatties. The future according to Katz. | |
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March 22, 2006 |
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Smokers
March
22 -
Challenging Dogma -
We're
pleased to link to Michael Siegel's latest article on challenging
the dogma that is espoused by most the the tobacco control movement.
Dr. Siegel, an advocate for tobacco control, focuses on
anti-tobacco's unfortunate tendency to smear those who disagree with
its scientific conclusions. He dedicates this article to
Rosalind Marimont, a fearless scientist whose work appears
on this site.
Anti-tobacco
March
22 -
A
long time coming - We link to comments from a resident of
Washington State. She has done her homework on the issues but
what is most interesting is her account with irrational intolerance
in a public park more than 30 years ago. One of her points is
that warning signs of things to come were ignored by people of good
will. Now is the time to rectify the inaction by people of
good will who, back then, couldn't conceive how evil the
anti-tobacco movement would become.
Prohibition
March
22 -
Petty vindictiveness -
An
establishment designed specifically to accommodate smokers in
comfortable climes has got the antis panties bunched into a tight
little wad. The fact that those “slimy tricksters” at Big Tobacco
own it only serves to compress that ball of cloth and push it
northward.
Marshall McGearty clearly qualifies
as a “tobacco retail shop” which is clearly exempt from Chicago’s
latest version of prohibition. Alderman Burke’s answer? Close the
loophole by redefining what constitutes a “tobacco retail shop”. God
forbid the dirty smokers enjoy any creature comforts while sucking
on coffin nails.
Annie Tegen of the ANR displays her
keen nose for business:
"I'd expect this business model
to flop," Tegen said. "People in Chicago are excited about the
smoke-free law. And many smokers I know in Chicago don't mind
stepping outside for five minutes to smoke. I don't see them as
a trend that will continue."
Providing a warm atmosphere, plush
chairs and a crackling fire for a huge but much maligned segment of
the population is surely the road to ruin.
March
22 -
Hell freezes over -
Action
on Smoking Health says that the Calabasas outdoor smoking ban is
going to far! That ASH-UK, of course, since ASH in the USA is
perhaps the most rapid hater of smokers in the world. Good for
ASH-UK, now please butt out from indoor private property smoking
bans. |
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Big Tobacco
March
22 -
Thumbs down -
The
U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Philip
Morris of a $50-million verdict against the cigarette
manufacturer. Without comment the court let stand the
punitive damages awarded to the widow of a man who said
smoking gave him lung cancer.
Philip Morris is reaping the
results of its own stupidity. Rather than focusing on
whether smoking its cigarettes cause cancer, the company, as
usual, delved deep into its bag of legal minutia hoping it
could beat the rap.
Contrast this case with the
stunning victory of Imperial Tobacco in Scotland
last year. Imperial won by showing the judge that
there was no proof that smoking Imperial's cigarettes (and
by extension every other tobacco product) caused the
plaintiff's lung cancer. Imperials aggressive
technique worked. Philip Morris' tired, old,
legalistic bluster failed. Could Imperial please buy
Philip Morris?
Shakedown
March
22 -
Addicted to tobacco money -
Add
two more states that admit they can't function without the
money smokers pour into the coffers through cigarette taxes
and the so-called tobacco settlement. One tobacco
control advocate takes a dim view of what is obviously a
partnership between Big Tobacco and the states. We are
pleased that at least in the two states discussed here,
smokers are treated with a modicum of respect.
Politics
March
22 -
Upfront candidate focuses on issues -
Voters
in Illinois have a real choice in this year's contest for
governor. Judy Baar Topinka, a veteran in state
politics, brings a breath of fresh air to the conclave of
political hacks who too often are the only choices.
Ms. Topinka enjoys smoking and doesn't care who knows it.
She realizes that tobacco is a trivial issue and that voters
want real problems solved. She's off to a good start.
Commentary
March
22 -
Either Or - Relativism is rampant these days.
We say we value liberty then complicate that simple ideal by
piling on all sorts of qualifications. We're free to
smoke except under conditions set by people who hate
smokers. The home is the castle except when its color
clashes with the esthetics of the governing class.
Bob
Dyer wants to end the equivocation on an issue that is
forefront in America today. | |
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March 20, 2006 |
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Tobacco Taxes
March
20 -
Cigarette tax invalidated -
A
Washington State judge ruled last week that taxes passed by the
legislature last year violated the voter-approved spending limit.
Among the taxes invalided is the 60 cent-per-pack cigarette tax.
It appears that the certain members
of the legislature and the governor, Christine Gregoire, manipulated
the process to thwart the will of the voters. Gregoire, who
squeaked to victory in 2004 after ballots were "found" in
sympathetic precincts, promoted the cigarette tax even though she
said it wasn't necessary to balance the budget.
Gregoire has ridden the tobacco issue
for many years and apparently can't resist handing her
pharmaceutical patrons a hook to increase smoking cessation device
sales whenever given the chance. This
time she has had her hands slapped, although she, as always, admits
to no wrong doing.
Ethics
March
20 -
Not smart, not ethical -
Michael
Siegel is a tobacco control advocate with a difference. While
on board with many of the goals espoused by anti-tobacco he is
somewhat of a rara avis in demanding that scientific research
be conducted with rigor, adhering scrupulously to accepted
standards.
Of late he has noticed a disturbing
trend where anti-tobacco researchers and anti-smoking organizations
pushing research that appears cobbled together to support radical
agendas rather than increase knowledge. Some of the research
is obvious junk. Dr. Siegel has discussed how such shoddy
"science" undermines the credibility of the tobacco control
movement. In this articles he ponders the ethical question of
the ends justifying the means.
March
20 -
Culture of corruption -
More
than a dozen of Canadian medical researchers have been charged with
faking data and destroying records. The miss doers have raked
in millions of dollars provided by the taxpayers. Those
identified have been punished by being barred from seeking federal
grants for a period of up to three years. There are no plans
to attempt to recover the misappropriated funds. While this
story reveals "scientific" hanky panky in Canada the same goes on in
the United States although the theft is on a far larger scale.
Canadian ViewMarch
20 -
Why not list them? -
A
Canadian smoker wonders why cigarettes are one of the only products
sold where the ingredients are not listed. Could it be that
these ingredients, described by anti-tobacco as toxic beyond belief,
aren't so hazardous after all. The writer also relates how a
woman who is standing up for smokers received a death threat since
all dissent must be silenced.
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Humor March
20 - For the pious -
A Minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to
his Sunday Sermon.
- Four worms were placed into four
separate jars.
- The first worm was put into a
jar of alcohol.
- The second worm was put into a
jar of cigarette smoke.
- The third worm was put into a
jar of sperm.
- The fourth worm was put into a
jar of good clean soil.
At the conclusion of the Sermon, the
Minister reported the following results:
- The first worm in alcohol -
dead.
- Second worm in cigarette smoke -
dead.
- Third worm in sperm - dead.
- Fourth worm in good clean soil -
Alive!
So the Minister asked the
congregation: "What can you learn from this demonstration?
A little old woman in the back
quickly raised her hand and said; "As long as you drink, smoke and
have sex, you won't have worms.
ProhibitionMarch
20 -
Passing out false information -
New
Jersey, as Washington State, recently imposed a smoking ban on the
politically unconnected. Greasy spoons, local watering holes
and sit down restaurants are forbidden to allow their customers to
smoke. The politically connected, such as the massive Atlantic
City casinos, including their restaurants and bars, are free to
cater to their smoking customers.
Michael Siegel has written previously
about the hypocrisy of the New Jersey ban but in this articles
focuses on one anti-smoking group that seems to have a hard time
telling the truth. The Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights is
crowing about the New Jersey ban and bragging to its supporters how
all so-called public places will be smokefree in April. Dr.
Siegel is awaiting ANR's correction with bated breath. We
advise him, rather, not to hold it too long.
LifeMarch
20 -
Quantity Trap - Last week we wrote about the life marathon
that Big Health wants us all to run, eking out an arid existence in
the hopes of staving off death as long as possible. A reader
sends us his take on longevity. It starts out soft and fuzzy
but builds to a crescendo that is harsh but true. | |
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