Furry Canary

Reply to O' For H.G. Wells Time Machine in Politics JoeUser Forums

''The Time Machine' was H G Wells, not George Orwell.' First of all, thanks for the acknowledgement - not. Instead, you change your title without so much as a word, presumably hoping that nobody else notices. Secondly, thanks for all the CAPITALS and bold case . Without them, I'm sure we poor mortals wouldn't have a hope of understanding the complexities and subtleties of your argument. Col Gene, has it ever occurred to you that you might get more people (me, f

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Let me just say that it is incredibly rude and ill-mannered to continue baiting a blogger on his own blog, especially after he has closed a thread.' For the umpteenth time, adnauseam, the thread is NOT closed. Quite apart from anything else, I refer you to what you wrote only a few contributions ago - 'Ok, I'll leave it open --for Furry Canary and CharlesSC1 --if you like.' Besides, if it were closed, nobody would be able

Reply to O' For H.G. Wells Time Machine in Politics JoeUser Forums

'O' For George Orwell's Time Machine' 'The Time Machine' was H G Wells, not George Orwell.

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Sounds to me like your problem is with black people, not smoking laws.' Doesn't it just? It's interesting that adnauseam has elected not to respond to my invitation to explain the basis for his position. Sometimes, to quote Murray Head, 'Silence is a strong reply'.

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Ok, I'll leave it open --for Furry Canary and CharlesSC1 --if you like.' That's not what I suggested. What I said was this (pertinent passage underlined): 'But rather than getting shirty and storming off in a huff, why not just - gasp - leave the thread open and actually present evidence to support your position ? (If you can find any, of course!)' There is absolutely no point in our continuing to post on

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'You claimed that crime rates in Britain are up due to ...' Thanks for your support, CharlesCS1, you make some salient points. I would add only this. Before adnauseam starts postulating as to the causes of high and / or rising crime rates in the UK, he should demonstrate that this actually is the case. How high is 'high'? High compared to when and / or where? So far, he hasn't done so, which makes his argument entirely moot.

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Someone should write an article about the glut of garden gnomes causing the UK to sink into the North Sea and cite this thread, and ask people how to solve the problem.'

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'I wonder whether you actually realise that a Blog is a personal statement, right or wrong.' You would rather be wrong but unchallenged? Why post your opinions on an open thread if you don't want to hear alternative views? As I said earlier, if that's really all you want, include a disclaimer inviting copycat thinkers only to respond. And wouldn't that be stimulating (yawn)? 'I wonder too, whether you have your own statistics

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Why don't you do a liitle research on immigrant populations ...' You're the one making the claims, so the onus is on you to do this, not me. I merely asked whether there was any substance to your assertions. That's far from me trying to prove that I'm 'clever', and for you to suggest so merely makes you appear the opposite. That you refuse to answer, but keep threatening instead to pick up your ball and go home in a sulk .

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'To Furry Canary: I cannot provide complete statistics but I suggest you read the report on prison populations at : www.blink.org.uk' This website is 'the main communication channel of The 1990 Trust' , which is described as 'the first national Black organisation set up to protect and pioneer the interest of Britain’s Black Communities.' Given this, I was fascinated by the very notion that it might provide support for you

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'To Furry Canary: I cannot provide complete statistics ...' I rest my case. ' This thread is now closed.' Now why on earth would you announce that, unless you were finding it increasingly difficult to justify your position and / or afraid of a little muscular disagreement? Why post your opinions on a public forum if you're not prepared to have them discussed critically? In future, I suggest either you disable other blogg

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Oh, and by the way ... 'Charles Kennedy (former libdem leader), was cautioned for smoking on a train.' That wouldn't be the same Charles Kennedy who, in 2006, backed the England-wide ban on smoking in enclosed public places, would it?

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Did I say that?' Well, if you didn't, I'm sure I don't know what you DID say. I guess you must be far too clever for me. 'But perhaps before you start rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic, you should make sure the boat has not sprung a leak.' It's a poor metaphor that equates preventing illness / blindness in children with rearranging deckchairs. Actually, it's a particularly poor metaphor for a second reason t

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'So in the end, the invaders will not have to worry about soiling their shoes as they march down the street to Buckingham Palace.' So having a law against dogs defecating in the street compromises immigration control how exactly, doc?

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

''The problem in Britain is that you require a person to pick up his dog's poo when they go for a walk ('Oi,'says neighbour Brown from behind half curtains, 'pick that up or I'll report ya.')' Toxocariasis, a disease carried by parasitic worms, is just one of several that can be contracted through contact with dog faeces. 'One way of acquiring a perspective on this question is to imagine an average-sized class of school

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'I am saying that you should guard your borders MORE and worry LESS about Joe Smith having a sneaky puff.' But unless you can demonstrate that changing one has an impact on the other, you have established no connection whatsoever, and are simply lumping together two entirely unconnected observations to support your agenda. 'Genuine policing relates to protection of the public.' Fair enough. And, as I pointed out above

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Perhaps less weight should be given to minding what people do legally, and more to what people are doing illegaly.' Oh I agree. But remember that nobody gets prosecuted just for smoking. At very little cost, a very small number of people get prosecuted for smoking when and where it is illegal, generally because their actions put innocent third parties at risk. And so they should.

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'Your points are taken' But your response suggests the opposite. 'I simply wanted to assert that there should be more pressing priorities in the UK' Would you also abolish charges for speeding, drunkenness in a public place, trespass, dumping, and all other supposedly petty crimes merely because they are not as serious as overstaying a visa? The law covers all crimes from minor to major - it's not an either / or mecha

Reply to Sir Salman Rushdie... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'We shall knight who we wish to ...' Yeah, like you - or any other Joe UK Citizens - get any say in the matter! While it chooses to adhere to the current archaic and politically motivated honours system, I agree that the UK should be free to honour whomsoever it chooses. However, I disagree vehemently with almost all your arguments as to why. 'Do we have to consider piss-pot states with their foul madrassas ...' This

Reply to Smoking is bad for you ... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

'... but it should not be a criminal offence to smoke' It is not a criminal offence to smoke per se. However, under some circumstances third parties are put at risk, and there is a cogent argument for criminal measures in such cases. What would you propose we do otherwise with those who, despite knowing the rules and regulations, elect to smoke in petrol stations, in public buildings, in taxis or buses, on aeroplanes, in hospitals, in close

Reply to Open Season On Bicycles in Misc JoeUser Forums

'Mason: I understand that they were there in a general sense. What kept them from moving AWAY from the accident instead of bring them RIGHT UP TO IT.' All we can do is to second-guess the motives of those involved. That said, in this instance I wonder if the adults weren't so distraught at the possibility that the couple in the van had deliberately run over / were in the process of deliberately running over fellow cyclists, that they felt it their duty to stay and try to prevent it co

Reply to Open Season On Bicycles in Misc JoeUser Forums

'As I recently lost a friend (a very experienced cyclist) to this sort of thing it's an emotionally charged topic for me, but I would still prefer to remain civil about it.' Fair point. I have been trying to be civil but facetious. Again, if I have failed, mea culpa. I have been a cyclist all my life, and have had more than my fair share of this kind of behaviour, so I write from a degree of experience. e.g. Some 15 years ago,

Reply to Open Season On Bicycles in Misc JoeUser Forums

'I've interacted enough with SSG to know that his 'hippies' comment was in jest. He's never struck me as a hateful person.' Thanks Mason, I'm more than happy to accept your reading of SSG's motives here. I didn't mean to suggest that SSG was being hateful. Actually, I didn't think I had done, but my apologies if it sounded that way. Really, I believe that SSG has every right to joke about any subject he likes. However, in that video

Reply to Open Season On Bicycles in Misc JoeUser Forums

'Although the disruption of traffic caused by all of the idiots on bicycles should be illegal also.' I suspect that a major aim of their demonstration is to illustrate that people on bicycles are traffic too. (And far healthier, more ecologically and socially considerate traffic than that caused by vehicular travellers, by the way.) No seriously, SSG Geezer, you're quite right. They're OBVIOUSLY all hippies. Or idiots. Or both. T

Reply to Satirical Wrap up of 2007 so far in Politics JoeUser Forums

'Pauline Hanson revealed she slept with Mike Oldfield.' MIKE Oldfield? Really? So is it true he has tubular b*lls?