TICAP, The Hague, March 15th 2010

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Artists

Keith having a strum...God, if that's what smoking does for your skin I giving up the passive stuff right now! At least the artists of the world are trying to get the message across. Well done Keef and Mel, keep it up! Oops I'd better send some viagra! Ha! Lol!

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I am denormal

For many the term "denormalisation" is puzzling to say the least. Ask most ordinary people what it means and they won't know.

Those of us who have thought about it and do know what it means no doubt ponder to themselves why a perfectly good existing term "abnormal" could not have been used instead by being extended to form the word "abnormalise?" This we could all have worked out and known that it signified some process whereby things were taken out of the category of "normal."

An immediate problem springs up from the word denormalise when we consider the terms of self reference that someone who may have undergone the process of denormalisation would have to use.

"Are you denormal" we should have to ask him and to which he might reply: "No, I am not denormal" or alternatively, he would proclaim: "Yes, I am denormal, but I know that I am and I am ashamed/proud."

Or imagine if you discovered your girlfriend was a cannibal and so you gave her the boot. When asked: "Why did you give your girlfriend the boot?," you would reply: "Because she's denormal".

Now this is fascinating so let's conjugate it:

I am denormal
you are denormal
he, she or it is denormal
we are denormal
they are denormal

or negatively,

I am not denormal
you are not denormal
he, she or it is not denormal
we are not denormal
they are not denormal.

Linguistically and from an intuitive perspective then, this word truly sucks. It just doesn't run in the mind and is rather like a prototype skipping elephant.

The picture becomes clear, however, when we consider why all the problems couldn't have been avoided by the use of the word "abnormal" as the root of activity. If the anti smokers had spoken about "abnormalising" people the public would have become suspicious or not have liked the sound of the language. Hence the word would have been a non-starter. So, the word had to made nicer and so people were to be...denormalised. Yes, yet another example of warped and twisted minds at work and if you think this one is going to catch on for posterity well, have you ever heard of the square wheel?

Blad Tolstoy.

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

"Got to keep the peace"

A gentleman, a patient, asked me for a light. He must have seen me walking over from the smoking corale. He asked me and I obliged directly in front of the main entrance of the hospital. He was a miniature santa claus in physical appearance, a greying beard and white hair, quietly spoken and showing signs of being a dermatology customer, wearing white gloves and sporting a vivid red rash on his arms, in place of his traditional yuletide robes.

"of course I said"
"we're supposed to go over there aren't we" he replied, continuing "we'd better keep the peace"

How gentle a perspective and how admirable under the circumstances!

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Friday, August 18, 2006

Interheart Study

Heres the Interheart article for your perusal.
Follow the link in the title.

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Tally ho, chocks away!

It looks like Blad and I have some very serious plans for The Big Debate's judicial review to succeed. Here Blad illustrates just how we are going to help. You had better be worried anti's we're on yer tail. Bandits at 8 o'clock!!!

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Thursday, August 17, 2006

Campaign for an Independent Britain

I would strongly recommend visiting the Campaign for an Independent Britain website at the link in the title or here. They are a campaign organisation with an obvious remit. They have an excellent amount of information to help you decide whether to sign their petition. I certainly have signed and have no doubt as to the wisdom of my decision.

The chairman of the CIB is Lord David Stoddart of Swindon who is an independent peer known well to The Big Debate Team and so also to me. He has had a long career as a labour MP but is very disillusioned with the present labour government. He makes his own mind up on the issues and has been a stalwart in the opposition to the smoking ban part of the "Health Bill". I have met him and he is an impressive and charismatic man who commands my respect unconditionally.

Go on, give him a visit and sign that form.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Whistle Blowers

A serious allegation from the Mirror. I've been suspended in the past, and I can confirm that the investigation and reinstatement process is a very lengthy one. The reason I was suspended was quite a controversial area which the medical profession are currently trying to get some more modern guidelines about. I went out with a patient and we have been very happily married for 5 years now. Her then husband complained to the trust and they said they had no option but to suspend me and that it was somehow in my best interests. I had about 6 months pay for staying at home which was certainly in my best interests!
Better be careful what I say here!!!

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Monday, August 14, 2006

Bunchball Games



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Electro convulsive treatment

This is an early morning posting as I shall be home late and knackered later. Today I shall start off by going to the Pysychiatric Hospital adjacent to the General Hospital, where I shall anaesthetise some people for ECT. It does really work, I see it every week. The people we treat are in a very bad way indeed, not drinking, basically given up and they get better.
Some debate recently in the Basingstoke Gazetteand Hospital Doctor and BMA news Review about smoking bans and nuthouses. Ban expected soon at my psychiatric hospital and I shall have to walk almost to the other hospital. There will be a road between the hospitals where I can smoke.
Anyway psychiatric patients are to have some exclusions especially if the are not voluntary patients. One thing that I found amusing was that another exception will be "those not capable of making informed consent to enter a quiting program". It strikes me they are saying that all smokers are mentally ill if they dont' consent!

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

Posting paucity

My apologies for the lack of regular blog entries. I shall attempt to rectify. Have been busy trying to construct Smoking Cafe . Must have lots to report especially on the hospital smoking ban. I will get some pictures of how the front of hospital looks with us all standing around. Have seen some pathetic scenes of patients for example using a zimmer frame to get to a smoking allowed zone. The hospital management have delegated the organisation of the policing to a submanager who has delegated it to one of the car parking attendants. Car parking charges are up and the particular attendant (Lionel) is a right little hitler. He makes people walk to the other side of the road when they are smoking. Its laughable.

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Saturday, August 05, 2006

Cult of Smoke Haters


It is with great pleasure that I pass on this delightful interpretation of our smell conscious enemies.

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Smoking Cafe

You may have seen the site redesign and the wonderful logos above. Well the main change is the addition of a legislation proof virtual cafe with a Chat Bar and a Forum. I hope all of you will visit and have a relaxed or serious chat with each other and lets develope our flourishing community some more.

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Ken Denson

It is with great sadness that I learnt of the death of Dr Ken Denson last week. Although I never met him I will sadly miss his infrequent emails. He was a great man who spent his time in conventional hospital haemotology but was hounded out by petty minded colleagues. Some conflict occurred between his business interests and his work. He invented a standard current method for monitoring the treatment of patients on Warfarin. The International Normalisation Ratio (INR) is still the benchmark for this area of medicine.
His business involved supplying epuipment for laboratories. After he left the NHS he founded his on institute, Thames Haemostasis and Thrombosis Foundation, and developed his interest in the epidemiology surrounding passive smoking. He died in his 80's of a cancer unrelated to his smoking. What a man! May he rest in peace. God Bless.

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