Every British Prime Minister I can think of has written his or (in one case only) her memoirs. None have provoked quite the pre-publication antagonism generated in advance of Tony Blair's autobiography, A Journey, which is out tomorrow. Stand back from the venom for one moment, and ask yourself: would it not be rather odd if a former Prime Minister did NOT at some time write a memoir? Yet for this particular Prime Minister, we have people, among them artists and authors, who would describe themselves as liberals, and doubtless rush to the barricades whenever freedom of speech is under attack, attacking bookstores who have the temerity to want to stock and sell a book written by a man who won three general elections, one of them after the war in Iraq which is the single biggest contributor to the `anger' which these people say justifies the hatred.
Every British Prime Minister I can think of has written his or (in one case only) her memoirs. None have provoked quite the pre-publication antagonism generated in advance of Tony Blair's autobiography, A Journey, which is out tomorrow.
Stand back from the venom for one moment, and ask yourself: would it not be rather odd if a former Prime Minister did NOT at some time write a memoir? Yet for this particular Prime Minister, we have people, among them artists and authors, who would describe themselves as liberals, and doubtless rush to the barricades whenever freedom of speech is under attack, attacking bookstores who have the temerity to want to stock and sell a book written by a man who won three general elections, one of them after the war in Iraq which is the single biggest contributor to the `anger' which these people say justifies the hatred.
so having given his heart to one silver tongued mendacious monster, he goes in search of another and finds one. Campbell is a loyal slave, once he gives his heart, he gives it completely. Yet he is also disgustingly selfish; a manic depressive who frequently trades on how debilitating this has been for him, yet he has no capacity for the introspection necessary to see how it impacts others or disables his own capacity for judgment or empathy.
nothing Campbell says on any subject whatsoever should be considered to be a useful contribution to any debate. He is a hack, a bully and worst of all a fool who uses his writing skills and aggressive nature to enable monsters to wreak havoc. Scum. Absolute scum. keep to the Fen Causeway
There is nothing at all surprising about Blair cashing in on the memoir trail just as quick as he can. Faster than most Prime Ministers...
THIS is venom:
"As soon as he could after leaving office Blair joined a notorious global pedophile protection organization, aka, the Roman Catholic Church."
(cue Tim Minchin)
n the book and in his only pre-publication interview, Blair reveals that:* Brown personally threatened to bring him down over the loans for honours scandal in 2006, before offering to stay his hand in return for the abandonment of Lord Turner's plans to reform pensions.* He feels intense "anguish" over the lives lost in the Iraq war and failed to "guess the nightmare that unfolded".* He believes Labour was wrong to ban fox hunting and pass the freedom of information act which is "not practical" for good government.Blair nails his policy colours to the mast in his memoir by launching a sustained attack on the belief that the financial crisis means that voters want the return of the state as a major economic player. In remarks that will be seen as an implied attack on Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, Blair says voters will not elect a party which fails to offer a credible attack on the deficit.
n the book and in his only pre-publication interview, Blair reveals that:
* Brown personally threatened to bring him down over the loans for honours scandal in 2006, before offering to stay his hand in return for the abandonment of Lord Turner's plans to reform pensions.
* He feels intense "anguish" over the lives lost in the Iraq war and failed to "guess the nightmare that unfolded".
* He believes Labour was wrong to ban fox hunting and pass the freedom of information act which is "not practical" for good government.
Blair nails his policy colours to the mast in his memoir by launching a sustained attack on the belief that the financial crisis means that voters want the return of the state as a major economic player. In remarks that will be seen as an implied attack on Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, Blair says voters will not elect a party which fails to offer a credible attack on the deficit.
Our new blogs will cover particle physics, skepticism, evolution, politics - and much more. Photograph: Tim O'Hara/Corbis It's nearly the end of summer holidays, and there are plans afoot in the blogosphere.You would not know it from general media coverage but, on the web, science is alive with remarkable debate. According to the Pew Research Centre, science accounts for 10% of all stories on blogs but only 1% of the stories in mainstream media coveage. (The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism looked at a year's news coverage starting from January 2009.)On the web, thousands of scientists, journalists, hobbyists and numerous other interested folk write about and create lively discussions around palaeontology, astronomy, viruses and other bugs, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, evolutionary biology, extraterrestrial life or bad science. For regular swimmers in this fast-flowing river of words, it can be a rewarding (and sometimes maddening) experience. For the uninitiated, it can be overwhelming.The Guardian's science blogs network is an attempt to bring some of the expertise and these discussions to our readers. Our four bloggers will bring you their untrammeled thoughts on the the latest in evolution and ecology, politics and campaigns, skepticism (with a dollop of righteous anger) and particle physics (I'll let them make their own introductions).
It's nearly the end of summer holidays, and there are plans afoot in the blogosphere.
You would not know it from general media coverage but, on the web, science is alive with remarkable debate. According to the Pew Research Centre, science accounts for 10% of all stories on blogs but only 1% of the stories in mainstream media coveage. (The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism looked at a year's news coverage starting from January 2009.)
On the web, thousands of scientists, journalists, hobbyists and numerous other interested folk write about and create lively discussions around palaeontology, astronomy, viruses and other bugs, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, evolutionary biology, extraterrestrial life or bad science. For regular swimmers in this fast-flowing river of words, it can be a rewarding (and sometimes maddening) experience. For the uninitiated, it can be overwhelming.
The Guardian's science blogs network is an attempt to bring some of the expertise and these discussions to our readers. Our four bloggers will bring you their untrammeled thoughts on the the latest in evolution and ecology, politics and campaigns, skepticism (with a dollop of righteous anger) and particle physics (I'll let them make their own introductions).
A General Medical Council disciplinary panel today ruled that Dr Freddy Patel, the pathologist who carried out the first autopsy on Ian Tomlinson who died at last year's G20 protest, acted in a way that amounted to misconduct during two earlier postmortem examinations and his fitness to practise is impaired.The panel also ruled that Dr Patel had displayed deficient professional performance in a third postmortem.The panel had already concluded that Dr Patel was "irresponsible" and failed to meet professional standards during his examinations of the bodies of a five-year-old girl in 2002, a four-week-old baby in 2003 and a woman who died in 2005.Panel chairman Richard Davies told Dr Patel: "The panel is not satisfied that there is no risk of the relevant conduct being repeated."
A General Medical Council disciplinary panel today ruled that Dr Freddy Patel, the pathologist who carried out the first autopsy on Ian Tomlinson who died at last year's G20 protest, acted in a way that amounted to misconduct during two earlier postmortem examinations and his fitness to practise is impaired.
The panel also ruled that Dr Patel had displayed deficient professional performance in a third postmortem.
The panel had already concluded that Dr Patel was "irresponsible" and failed to meet professional standards during his examinations of the bodies of a five-year-old girl in 2002, a four-week-old baby in 2003 and a woman who died in 2005.
Panel chairman Richard Davies told Dr Patel: "The panel is not satisfied that there is no risk of the relevant conduct being repeated."
The first Edinburgh international book festival run by its new director Nick Barley saw a small dip in ticket sales, bucking a trend of increasing audiences in previous years.This year's festival, which closed last night with a tribute to the Scots Makar Edwin Morgan, who died last week, sold 3% fewer tickets than last year's record-breaking event.Despite unusually sunny weather and another record year for the fringe, which sold nearly 2m tickets, the book festival's organisers believe the recession led its audience to buy fewer tickets.
The first Edinburgh international book festival run by its new director Nick Barley saw a small dip in ticket sales, bucking a trend of increasing audiences in previous years.
This year's festival, which closed last night with a tribute to the Scots Makar Edwin Morgan, who died last week, sold 3% fewer tickets than last year's record-breaking event.
Despite unusually sunny weather and another record year for the fringe, which sold nearly 2m tickets, the book festival's organisers believe the recession led its audience to buy fewer tickets.
It is now well-established that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the view that MMR does not cause autism. The front page of the Mail on Sunday at the weekend has the headline "FAMILY WIN 18YR FIGHT OVER MMR DAMAGE TO SON" and a strap-line reading "£90,000 pay out is first since concerns over vaccine surfaced". This is the case of a boy called Robert, who is now 18 and has severe brain damage such that he is unable to talk, stand unaided or feed himself, following a severe convulsion and onset of epilepsy at the age of 13 months. It is impossible not to feel sympathy and admiration for Robert and his family for his condition, their circumstances and their long battle for compensation. In fact I share the view of Robert's mother that £90,000 is not very much given the financial costs involved with a case like this.
It is now well-established that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the view that MMR does not cause autism.
The front page of the Mail on Sunday at the weekend has the headline "FAMILY WIN 18YR FIGHT OVER MMR DAMAGE TO SON" and a strap-line reading "£90,000 pay out is first since concerns over vaccine surfaced".
This is the case of a boy called Robert, who is now 18 and has severe brain damage such that he is unable to talk, stand unaided or feed himself, following a severe convulsion and onset of epilepsy at the age of 13 months. It is impossible not to feel sympathy and admiration for Robert and his family for his condition, their circumstances and their long battle for compensation. In fact I share the view of Robert's mother that £90,000 is not very much given the financial costs involved with a case like this.
Around 8 p.m. on the evening of Dec. 23, 2009, my 12-year-old son and I were puttering around the house when there was a sudden, loud banging at the front door. "I have legal papers for Amy Wallace," a brusque woman's voice said from the other side of the door when I asked who was there. I was startled. The voice sounded unpleasant. It was dark out. It was the night before Christmas Eve. I didn't feel like welcoming the voice in. Can you leave the papers outside, I asked? "Are you Amy Wallace?" barked the voice. "Uh," I said, hesitating, my head muddy. Who was sending me legal papers? "I'm going to take that as a yes!" the voice said, and not in a friendly way. "I saw you through the window. Consider yourself served!"
Around 8 p.m. on the evening of Dec. 23, 2009, my 12-year-old son and I were puttering around the house when there was a sudden, loud banging at the front door.
"I have legal papers for Amy Wallace," a brusque woman's voice said from the other side of the door when I asked who was there. I was startled. The voice sounded unpleasant. It was dark out. It was the night before Christmas Eve. I didn't feel like welcoming the voice in. Can you leave the papers outside, I asked? "Are you Amy Wallace?" barked the voice. "Uh," I said, hesitating, my head muddy. Who was sending me legal papers?
"I'm going to take that as a yes!" the voice said, and not in a friendly way. "I saw you through the window. Consider yourself served!"
One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking. But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.
But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Those who're aware and not sedated die sooner than those who're sloshed. Surprising, right? In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
It's more about a safety valve. keep to the Fen Causeway
Moreover, at baseline, abstainers were significantly lower than moderate drinkers on SES, physical activity, number of close friends, and quality of friend support and significantly less likely to be married than moderate drinkers.
Politicians and members of the public have reacted with fury after a BBC Radio 4 broadcast heard commentators describe Scots as living off of benefits provided by the English and describe the Scottish parliament as a "charade of a building" inhabited by MSPs who "crawl out of the darkness". The comments were made on the radio programme `Any Questions' by Baroness Ruth Deech who is a former Governor of the BBC and Douglas Murray who is the Director of The Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC). The comments have resulted in a stream of complaints to the BBC. The show, broadcast on Friday 20th August, heard Baroness Deech claim that Scots lived off of benefits paid for by English subsidies and that the release of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi had embarrassed the rest of the UK.
Politicians and members of the public have reacted with fury after a BBC Radio 4 broadcast heard commentators describe Scots as living off of benefits provided by the English and describe the Scottish parliament as a "charade of a building" inhabited by MSPs who "crawl out of the darkness".
The comments were made on the radio programme `Any Questions' by Baroness Ruth Deech who is a former Governor of the BBC and Douglas Murray who is the Director of The Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC). The comments have resulted in a stream of complaints to the BBC.
The show, broadcast on Friday 20th August, heard Baroness Deech claim that Scots lived off of benefits paid for by English subsidies and that the release of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi had embarrassed the rest of the UK.
Collecting tribal artefacts in the late 19th century, Harvard University's Peabody Museum sought to preserve a span of American history that 18th-century frontiersmen had tried to obliterate. By the end of the 20th century, the tribes wanted their things back. Thousands of ceremonial objects were returned before curators realised that earlier conservators had doused them with arsenic to repel insects. Saving the artefacts had rendered them deadly.
Do artefacts belong in museums?
No, they belong in the private collections of the wealthy, away from those grubby poor people. In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
A majority of Republicans believe that President Barack Obama "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world," according to a survey released on Monday. That figure, buried at the very end of a newly released Newsweek public opinion poll, reflects the extent to which a shocking bit of smear and misinformation has managed to become nearly commonplace within the GOP tent.
A majority of Republicans believe that President Barack Obama "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world," according to a survey released on Monday.
That figure, buried at the very end of a newly released Newsweek public opinion poll, reflects the extent to which a shocking bit of smear and misinformation has managed to become nearly commonplace within the GOP tent.
In the military, it's said, training never ends. Officers at one Virginia base reportedly think that maxim extends to their soldiers' religious development, as well: The Army is investigating allegations that soldiers there were ordered to attend a Christian pop-rock concert, or else remain confined to their barracks. "Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down," Private Anthony Smith told the Associated Press, referring to himself and the other 100 or so men who declined to attend the concert. "It seemed very much like a punishment."
In the military, it's said, training never ends. Officers at one Virginia base reportedly think that maxim extends to their soldiers' religious development, as well: The Army is investigating allegations that soldiers there were ordered to attend a Christian pop-rock concert, or else remain confined to their barracks.
"Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down," Private Anthony Smith told the Associated Press, referring to himself and the other 100 or so men who declined to attend the concert. "It seemed very much like a punishment."
The UK is to introduce one of the world's most ambitious attempts to police online marketing next year, when the Advertising Standards Authority extends its regime to corporate websites, social networks and mobile applications. Regulating the web is notoriously tricky, given its international and anonymous nature, but the British self-regulatory body will go further than those in most other large advertising markets."When this goes live next March this will be the most comprehensive approach to the regulation of advertising in website space anywhere in the world," said Chris Smith, chairman of the ASA. The rules will capture marketing through Twitter and Facebook pages and could even include user-generated content, such as YouTube videos, if members of the public are asked by companies to aid their marketing efforts.
Regulating the web is notoriously tricky, given its international and anonymous nature, but the British self-regulatory body will go further than those in most other large advertising markets.
"When this goes live next March this will be the most comprehensive approach to the regulation of advertising in website space anywhere in the world," said Chris Smith, chairman of the ASA.
The rules will capture marketing through Twitter and Facebook pages and could even include user-generated content, such as YouTube videos, if members of the public are asked by companies to aid their marketing efforts.
