A quick word
Grandad July 16th, 2011
Egregious.
“Egregious what?” you ask.
“Egregious nothing,” I reply.
I just like the sound of the word.
It deserves an airing.
Archive for July, 2011
Nudge nudge wink wink
Grandad July 15th, 2011
Last week I scribbled a wee piece about the EU flag.
Some of you had the temerity to disagree with me [Shock! Horror!].
By sheer chance, I came across another item a couple of days later. The EU is proposing to compel all sporting teams from the EU to display the EU flag at sporting events.
Again, some of you will throw your hands in the air and say ‘so what?’ I say ‘so everything’.
There is a technique much beloved by modern governments known as the ‘Nudge’ technique. When they want a major shift in public opinion, they don’t just overnight legislate to force us into that opinion. Oh no. They employ the ‘Nudge’. Nudging is a slow process. It involves little steps where each step goes almost unnoticed. Anyone who objects to the nudge will be told that it’s only a small thing and that they shouldn’t worry.
The Nudge has been very effectively employed in turning smokers into second class citizens. We went through all the stages of Cancer, Second Hand Smoke, Third Hand Smoke and bans left right and centre. If, in the early nineties the governments had brought in the laws we now have, there would have been an uproar abut civil liberties and bully states. As it is, the bans are accepted because the sheeple have been nudged there. The same is happening right now with drink and fast food. The populace is being nudged in the direction of draconian measures that would be unthinkable today.
The flag is a classic example of the Nudge. People will say it’s only a flag and won’t turn a hair. But what comes next? Will it be mandatory for all EU goods to display the flag? Fill the EU flag get prominence over a national flag?
And once the sheeple have gotten used to seeing the EU flag everywhere, what comes next? Your guess is as good as mine, but as I said before, it wouldn’t surprise me if people were Nudged into a common language. It will be done in small discreet steps, so no one really notices any change.
One of these days, in the not too distant future, you will wake up and find that you are no longer Irish, British, French or German. You will all be just plain European, with no other identity other than that which Brussels imposes.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Truth and lies
Grandad July 14th, 2011
I wasn’t going to bother my arse writing anything today.
It’s too hot and sticky and I am knackered after two days work in the fields. Anyway I had nothing of interest to write about.
A few minutes ago I browsed the Interweb.
Fuck!
Some of you may not be aware of this [and Tinman obviously isn’t] but I fucking HATE memes. I don’t know why. I just do.
In this particular case, I am asked to give seven random facts about myself. Now, I might find it interesting to read random facts about other people, but I would find it exceptionally boring to read seven random facts about myself.
I am not going to do it.
As the Americans would say – no fucking way.
Instead I am going to give one random fact and pat it out with six random lies.
1. I am not a grandfather. I am in fact called Julie. I am twenty six years old and I live in Staines in Middlesex.
2. I have a star named after me. [a real star; not one of those Hollywood fuckwits]
3. I only have four toes on my right foot.
4. I have made an appearance on the BBC, ITV and RTE television channels for three unrelated reasons.
5. Twice, my life has been saved by the Lifeboat Service.
6. My middle name is Frances.
7. One of the above is not a lie.
You can guess away.
I may tell you later which one is true.
Or more likely I won’t.
I am now supposed to lumber 15 unfortunate souls with the same task. I don’t know 15 people who deserve such a dubious honour. By all means, if you want to have a bash, then feel free but you have to link back to me. Heh!
And for Tinman’s eyes only – You were supposed to write to me to warn me this was coming.
You didn’t.
Fail.
Harnessing the dog
Grandad July 13th, 2011
I went shopping yesterday.
Sandy came too. In fact she drove to the shops as the warm weather was making me sleepy.
Normally, when we get to the shops I get out and Sandy stays in the driver’s seat. She is very proud of that seat and will sit there huffing at people as they pass by, Quite often she draws a small crowd – “Ah! Would ya look at the dog! It thinks it can drive.” This pisses Sandy off mightily and quite often she will run those people over on the way home.
Anyhows, Sandy usually only comes with me when I am going to the coffee shop.This time was different. I had decided to buy her a safety harness as she has this habit of smacking her nose off the dashboard whenever I stop suddenly or run into someone. Naturally I had to buy her one that fitted, and that meant bringing her into the shop with me. Unfortunately she got the idea from somewhere that she was at the vet so she wasn’t very cooperative.
After several fittings, we found a harness that fitted her perfectly. Then I saw that the shop also sold those poo-gathering yokes. It occurred to me that one of those might be handy in France as we shall be staying in rented accommodation and it don’t want to leave it full of crap. I’m thoughtful like that. There were two types of poo-gatherer – a short handled version and a long handled version. I asked Sandy which one she preferred and she said that quite honestly she didn’t give a shite either way. I bought the short handled one.
Before heading home, I put Sandy’s new harness on. I had to drive as she now couldn’t reach the pedals. She sat there looking rather annoyed as I drove home.
On the way, I decided to test the harness. There was no point in just jamming on the breaks, as I knew Sandy would just brace herself. So just to catch her on the hop I ran into the back of an old biddy in a Fiat Punto. The harness worked perfectly, which is more than can be said about the Punto’s rear bumper.
Sandy has become very attached to the harness now and insists on wearing it all the time.
She is already muttering about going back to the shop for matching accessories.
She can fuck off.
Typical bloody woman!
Democratic science
Grandad July 12th, 2011
In the comments on this site yesterday, TT suggested that I was “anti-science”.
Considering that over the past years I have consistently thrown the mockers at Global Warming and the Anti-Smoking crusades, that may appear to be true. In fact, just the opposite is true.
In my school days, one of my favourite subjects was physics. I later went on to study physics as part of my third level course. So while I wouldn’t call myself a scientist, I do think I know a little bit about theories and experimentation.
The process in science is quite simple. You formulate a theory, and you then design experiments to test that theory. If the results of the experiment fit in with the theory then you know that you are on the right path, and if they don’t then you discard the theory. Simple.
Modern science however takes a different path. You formulate your theory and if the experiment doesn’t prove the theory you discard the experiment. The reason for this is simple – modern science is driven by cash and ideology, and has nothing to do with the search for truth and enlightenment.
This distortion of science seems to have become the accepted norm. I have seen advertisements for research where they have gone so far as to state the desired outcome in return for the funding. If you don’t find what they want you to find then you don’t get the cash. Is anyone going to find other than the desired outcome under these conditions?
In the case of Global Warming, so much has been invested that Global Warming has to be fact. Industries have sprung up on its back, taxes have been imposed and a multi trillion industry has grown. It is inconceivable that Global Warming could be false. Is any government or academic institution going to back research that proves it is false? The fact that many eminent scientists dispute it is hushed up, as it HAS to be true, whether it is true or false.
Similarly the Anti-smoking science has reached the status of a cult religion. To speak out against it is heresy. No doctor in his right mind dare claim that Environmental Tobacco Smoke is harmless despite very strong evidence that it is. Even the World Health Organisation is ignoring its own research and is declaring the argument closed. There is massive funding at stake here both from governments [via so called charities] and the pharmaceutical industry.
Science these days has become a democratic affair. Whether the arguments are right or wrong, what counts is the number of people who believe those arguments. We constantly hear such lines as “the clear consensus of opinion” and “the science is established”. No one dare argue the cases they will be pilloried and ridiculed.
I would just ask you to consider one little fact -
Once upon a time, the Earth was flat and also was the centre of the Universe. That was considered to be an “established fact” and to argue against either “fact” was an act of heresy.
Just ask Galileo.
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