Archive for August, 2006

New Zealand invites AIDS sufferers to live there

August 31, 2006 9:47 pm

I’ve just read this news, and this is very dis-heartening.

The government of New Zealand has urged hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees who fear they may be HIV-positive to take advantage of a special scheme granting them permanent residence despite their sero-status.

It surely cannot be true? If so, it is the most stupid and dangerous thing I’ve read.

In the UK, AIDS cases cost around £20,000 p/a ($58,135 nzd).
That’s JUST the cost of treatment.

Lets assume 500 come in, and infect (through chain reaction) 300 more.

So, we’ll assume 800 cases, living for 20 years.

800×20x58135 = $930,160,000 shiny New Zealand dollars.

Wouldn’t that money be better spent directing healthcare and education towards the countries themselves, rather than importing the problem?
Perhaps someone could tell Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, South Africa’s health minister, that garlic and beetroot DOESN’T cure AIDS

“South African deputy president Jacob Zuma said that he minimised his risk
of contracting the AIDS virus during unprotected sex with an HIV-positive
woman, by taking a shower afterwards.
Zuma also said he believed the chance of getting HIV from a woman was slim
for a healthy man. “

http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/130760/1/6573

From The Reuters Foundation:

Babalwa Tembani is proof that the myths surrounding AIDS can be as deadly as
the epidemic itself. When she was 14, she was raped by an uncle who thought
he could cure himself of the disease by having sex with a virgin.

And the Catholics aren’t helping, either. From The Guardian

“The Catholic Church is telling people in countries stricken by Aids not to
use condoms because they have tiny holes in them through which HIV can
pass - potentially exposing thousands of people to risk. The church is
making the claims across four continents despite a widespread scientific
consensus that condoms are impermeable to HIV. “

The evidence goes on and on - no-one held a gun to these people’s head and
made them catch this - it was voluntarily contracted, and they are extremely
likely to spread it further.

If they aren’t careful, they’ll end up with this situation:

At least 150, mostly African, delegates sought asylum in Canada at the end of a conference on HIV/AIDS in Toronto late last month

What exactly is a community leader?

August 24, 2006 10:09 pm

Can anyone tell me exactly what a “community leader” is?
And who elected them? And who they represent?

And what, exactly, do the words “celebrate”, “vibrant” and “valid framework” mean when used by Mr Ruth Kelly.
I managed to console myself after it happened by playing a game of “Valid Framework”.
It’s an extension of Bullshit Bingo (which I’m sure anyone who’s ever attended a meeting with a PowerPoint Presentation will have played).
You play it with government ministers, and guess how many times they’ll use a meaningless and inappropriate phrase to avoid answering the question…
Mr Ruth Kelly was on Radio 4 being interviewed by James Naughty on Today. As usual she(?) (I’m never sure) was on some totally different planet to the interviewer, and I think the interview went something like this:

James: “So, I ask you again, does this mean that 2+2=5 under this government?”
M/r/s Kelly: “It’s not about simply numbers, James, it’s about creating a valid framework within which to hatch the fish which swim in the clouds. Under this government, the moon rises in a more robust manner and within a more valid framework than at any other string of sausages since the washing machine was last in power.”

I called 8 “valid frameworks”, but she only said it five times, so I lost. I think I would have been better using “robust”, but there you go, it’s all the fun of the game!

Big Brother 7 - w*nkers!

August 19, 2006 6:50 am

Thikki Nikki Klings On
Nikki finally got her come-uppance in the Big Brother final - no love, we don’t like you. You’ve already been voted out once.
The interview with Davina was just the most entertaining TV ever - this horrid, self-centred spoilt baby was having a nervous breakdown right there.
I WANT MY BEST BITS!” - she bawled. “Nikki - YOU HAVE NO BEST BITS!” came the genious and honest reply.
That's the sound of your contracts being ripped up
It’s a shame that Davina didn’t have the chance to point out that only 6.5% of the public wanted her to win.
Ugh - can’t bear to even look at her.

Anyway, congrats to Pete, and big sigh of relief that (tr)Ash didn’t win.
Pete wins!

Update: I found some comments from Nikki fans. In the style you’d expect from Nikki fans….

pete nikki i hope your still together you have been a real insperation to me
you are both kool an d i think you are perfect and so do most of my friends so please stay togatha n have a baby n get marryied. i think your relation ship is beutifull. i got so hooked on it, it would be such a shame if you broke up.
Nikki just like you said in your intervew you would like to get marryeid to him.
You love hime and i think he loves you he said at the after oarty that he would like to take you home for yea an djaffer cakes
laugh out loud

“i luv nikki shes so ace n to c her on telly agen wil sooo gurd!!! we all luv er dwn in wales n shes gna show u all up hu fink shes gna fail,(hopefully) lvyoooo niki biggest fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WE LOVE NIKKI XXX”

i cant belive pete dumped nikki , and he was just playing a game hee soo out of order!!!!!!!! and I realii liked him 2 and den he goes and does dat.
- MARIA, CROYDON

Useful Google tools

August 8, 2006 12:19 pm

Google has recently launched several new tools, most of which are still in beta, although VERY functional.

Some are online, so are downloadable apps. Some have been recently improved. There’s a lot of new satellite data in Google Earth, for example.

One I particularly like is Sketchup, an incredibly easy and free CAD tool. OK, it’s not Autocad - it’s better!

Then there an online web page maker, an online spreadsheet, Writely (online word processing) Google Calendar which beats the pants of any other web calendar out there. And see some of my photos on Picasaweb, an online photo gallery in early beta, but which may have the potential to put Flickr in the shade.

Know of any others?

Keep an eye on
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/ and http://google.blogspace.com/

Thames Waster - UK water leakage scandal

11:46 am

Whether or not you pay the water bill, I strongly urge you to watch the latest episode of Panorama online, titled “Whose water is it anyway?”.

Thames Water has been spared a hefty fine by the industry regulator Ofwat despite missing its targets on leaks for four years in a row and being roundly condemned for failing to repair damaged and leaky pipes. Thames Water, currently seeking a drought order that will restrict water usage for its customers, caused an uproar last month when it emerged that it was losing 894 million litres of water every day. This is 34 million litres above regulatory guidelines and enough to fill 344 Olympic-sized swimming pools daily.

Thames lose a THIRD of all treated water. Their profits have increased steadily, as have the bills. Don’t be fooled by the hosepipe ban - it’s still fine to jetwash a car, or to use a watering can with a hose dangling into it, or water a golf course. But water that tomato plant and you’re in trouble!

Watch the video, and don’t forget to visit the Thames Waster website, which has some eye opening information on Thames Water.

Link:
OFWAT

EU immigration could push up local tax bills

11:31 am

As reported by BBC News, Reuters and http://politics.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329547934-110247,00.html etc…

Sharp council tax rises may be needed in the next few years to fund housing and education for immigrant families, says the Local Government Association.

The LGA, which represents local authorities in England and Wales, says rises of 6% on top of inflation-related increases may be needed in some places.

It says councils do not get enough cash to fund the services because official figures under estimate migrant levels.

Hmmm, that’s odd. I thought we’d spent the last few years being brainwashed into thinking that massive migration of non-tax payers into an overcrowded country with a crumbling infrastructure was somehow of benefit. Surely the government wouldn’t lie to us?!

Hal Turner and Ann Coulter - all that’s wrong.

August 5, 2006 1:20 pm

There are people worse than Rush Limbuagh!

Hal Turner on Jews:

“Jews NEVER forgive and Jews NEVER forget. They are satanic scum”.

He refers to jews throughout as “kikes” and blacks as “murderous negro
scum”.

I’d heard of Hal Turner before, but never quite realised what he was; turns out he’s a sort of female version of Ann Coulter.

Ann Coulter on other religions:

We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.

On home grown terrorism:

My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building.

I’m all for the idea of the US first amendment (I’m a Brit), but do you (Americans in particular) think that having people like Turner, Coulter and Rush Limbaugh on the airwaves is a good thing? And more to the point…I remember that stations got fined HUGE amounts because a woman accidentally exposed a small amount of a left breast.
And yet talk show hosts can openly called for the killing of jews and “negros” (their word, not mine). How does that work???!

http://users.rcn.com/skutsch/anticoulter/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Turner
http://www.oregonherald.com/eforums/messageview.cfm?catid=21&threadid=255

Please, Help Spastics

1:01 pm

help_spastics_blog.jpgAnd why not? Funny old thing, the way people feel the need to speak on behalf of another group. For example, who dictates our own right to live and die as we choose? Who dictates that a word is offensive? Not the group who are supposed to be taking offence!

Consider the above image. Does it shock you? Why should it? It came from a pack of stickers I found in an old book. The object of the stickers was purely benevolent. Sometime in the last few years, the word became taboo.

What doesn’t seem taboo, however, is the need to patronise one group by speaking on behalf of it. As if “oh, those poor simple people, I’d better interfere. They’re clearly not capable of thinking straight for themselves. Bless. While I’m at it, let’s use the sinister term “learning difficulties” as a catchall for any mental problem. That way, we can ensure that help doesn’t get where it’s needed.”

Or mothers “forgiving” the killers of their sons.

Every now and then, a voice of reason speaks out. I was very moved when I heard Debbie Purdy speaking on Radio 4 about her plans for euthanasia, and deeply angered when I heard the patronising twaddle from “Church leaders”. What gives them to right to inflict pain and suffering? Again, more recently, I read this letter in The Telegraph.

Sir - When any attempt is made to reduce the amount of disability in the population by embryo screening and other means (News, May 11), the holier-than-thou, “suffering is ennobling” and “what a wonderful example disabled people set to the rest of us” fraternity comes out of the woodwork.

As a disabled person myself, I can assure them there is nothing remotely ennobling about being disabled; if they don’t believe me, they are welcome to take on my disability for a week and see how ennobled they feel by the end of it.

The rise in disabled rights leads people mistakenly to believe they should somehow see disability as being a positive thing. I regard my disability entirely negatively; it is not pretty or sexy and has made my life far more of a struggle than it would have been without it.

All I ask is for the able-bodied to see me, the person, behind the disability, to realise that being disabled is a misfortune not a crime and to refrain from discriminating against me or other disabled people. But as for disability itself - if it were possible to wipe it off the face of the planet, I would.

Dinah Foweraker

Which is why Bush’s Stem Cell Veto is just so wrong. Especially when he says:

“The issue is whether or not it is morally right to use the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans who find this research morally objectionable.”

So, exploding Iraqis and electrocuting your own people is fine, but research on stem cells due to be discarded anyway, which could help millions of people, isn’t.