www.paulnixon.org

Blogs

Wow. If true, that's impressive. What? A new blog created every second. Or the number of blogs is doubling every 5 months.

I'm wondering why the sudden explosion now.

Dear Sun

It's been a while since I've dropped by the Sun letters page. Not much to celebrate today disappointingly. Although I see the paper is going to extraordinary lengths to help the plight of a Liverpool football fan. One wonders if they have an ulterior motive?

Anyway, there was one treat...

IT’S no wonder that Michael Jackson’s latest album sold only 8,000 copies in its first week in America.

The jury may have found him innocent but he now has a reputation that he is never going to shake off.

He needs to realise this and bow out of the spotlight.

AUDREY PEASE

Paignton, Devon

Nice one Audrey. She's right of course; as the phrase goes, 'guilty when proved innocent'. I wonder how many times she said 'no smoke without fire' during the trial.

Logical Fallacies

The full gamut of logical fallacies - from Appeal to Authority, via the No-true Scotsman to syllogistic fallacies.

My favourite, of course is appeal to authority. For example, if it's in the Bible then it must be true. Yip.

Genius

Some people are just.. well.. too stupid.

This fella was having problems with his wife so he told her (and the police!!) that he had murdered a hitchhiker in the hope that she might leave him.

Teddy, teddy; surely there was an easier way?

Jenson Button

Well, it's been a while since I've posted regarding Formula 1.

Jenson Button. 92 starts, how many victories? 0. Fastest laps? 0.

This poor record should garner some humility. However, it does not. I've lost count of the times that he's said he's the "best driver on the grid", "he's better than Michael Schumacher" or "how he wants the best chance to be a world champion".

Last year he was contracted to stay at BAR, but wanted to go to Williams. His management team thought they had found a loophole in his contract - which they had not. Jenson tells the press that he's off to Williams then swans off to David Coulthard's yacht and refuses to speak to BAR.

This year, Button is contracted to drive for Williams. But now he wants to stay at BAR. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Anyway, he's threatening to take a sabbatical next year. I think I'd rather he went to Williams with a half-decent teammate next year and we can sit back, pull out our sacks, and enjoy his humiliation.

Sun Letters

Admittedly it's a bit lazy mocking Sun Letters. However...

I COULDN’T get over the size of the catfish — 7ft 7in and 221lb — the British anglers caught in Spain. They would have to serve up a heck of a lot of chips!

OWEN HOLLIFIELD

Bargoed, Caerphilly

Couldn't you get over it Owen? Couldn't you? Just had to write in did you? Did it help Owen? Did it scratch the itch?

ANNE ROBINSON is looking more glamorous, her nips and tucks taking years off her. But her teeth look brown and stained and could do with bleaching. It’s just as well she doesn’t smile very often.

JANNETTE TIDMARSH

Bognor Regis, West Sussex

10Mb Broadband

Ooh. I want. I want. Apparently NTL are going to upgrade us 3Mb users to 10Mb. Sometime.

Pap-idiocy

See what I've done there?

Quote..

"Pope of Popes, the People’s Pope, Pope John Paul the Great. But to many he will perhaps be remembered as the African Aids Victims’ Pope. Who could forget Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, telling us all that HIV could pass through impermeable latex condoms? “The Aids virus is 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon,” he said. “The spermatozoon can easily pass through the ‘net’ formed by the condom.” The devil sent half of all new HIV infections to people under the age of 25, most of them women in developing countries, to taunt him, but JPII steadfastly presided over cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns in four continents, spreading the message that HIV can pass through tiny holes in condoms, discouraging use of barrier contraception, and making this a better world for us all. Bravo."

The Magic Numbers

I like the Magic Numbers, and their album.

Richard Bacon, as popular as he is with everybody else, seems to be a lot of a dick to me. I think he is a genuinely unfunny man.

Bush on Evolution

Intelligent Design drives me mad.

".. intelligent design - a critique that says Charles Darwin's natural selection theory doesn't explain some features of the natural world."

"Evolution doesn't explain some features of the world." Funny, you never hear which ones. This would not be so bad if it didn't have a very thinly veiled pro-Christian agenda. In the Bible you'll find the Christian alternative in all it's splendour in Genesis. And what a treat of bronze age superstition it is too. And where are the dinosaurs in the Bible?

Anyway, Bush says..

"I felt like both sides ought to be properly taught," Bush said. "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought."

Astonishing. Really? So maybe a few lessons from the Koran then...

Man Dies Playing Computer Games

"A man dropped dead from exhaustion after playing computer games for more than two days."

Oh dear. Queue Daily Mail - the grave new threat to our children...

Eclipse Day

Rach and I first got together exactly 6 years ago to do the day. It's easy to remember as it was the day of the solar eclipse.

It is actually coincidence that we are actually getting married on the day of our "anniversary".

Lions 'hunt' small cars

Can this pass as a legitimate reason to own a 4x4?

Boycott Tesco

Whilst searching for more reasons to hate tesco on the web, I found this website.

They're barking up completely the wrong tree of course.

Idiots.

I would think a tracking device attached to your Mach3 razor is one of their lesser sins.

And the least of your worries, should you shop there.

I do love how they've tried to persuade customers that cameras hidden in the shelves and the like are there to "make your shopping easier".

What nice, wholesome people they are.

The Guardian sums them up nicely, "a "charmless bully" and a "bad neighbor" who is "generating its own particular brand of loathing".

Let's bring 'em down. Every little [bit of money not spent there] helps.

Chat Forums

Is there not any subject in the world without an associated chat room?

Whilst continuing to search for more reasons to hate Tesco, I came across this, a discussion thread for asprining Tesco employees.

What a complete joy it was to read some of the ernest conversation between like minded shelf stacking hopefuls.

"i work at tesco, im a checkout dolly bird, its dead easy, i dont think they bothered with my references they just asked some god damn awful questions like

"can you give me a for instance when you have felt disappointed?"

"can you give me an example of when you have had to help someone in need?"

be prepared for those questions as its really hard to find an answer".

And, "Started off on the shop floor for a couple of months, got bored of that so moved to checkouts. Checkouts got boring after about a year so moved to the customer service desk. Discovered I wasn't too keen on customers so got promoted - enjoyed telling people what to do and the payrise".

Finally, "i got all my gcse's and ive got a levels. yet i still get regected by TESCO! of all places! ive had plenty of jobs before

but i think they regected me because i have a disability....and also i was only applying for shelf stacking, yet they made me do the damn bag packing test!

which is completly stupid because im parcially deaf and i wonted a shelf stacking job with no customer communication."

Jesus christ, i think i might have to join in and try and save these people.

Pay your bills when you're dead

It's always such a mystery to me why no Government would ever get elected unless they promise not to increase income tax.

Instead we're paying more national insurance and local government is being starved of cash, meaning huge increases in Council Tax.

My bill is nearly 5% of my net income! I think I'd rather a penny on income tax, frankly.

To couteract the problem that the annual council tax bill is now approaching (probably) more than the average old person earns in ten years, the commission responsible for reviewing local taxation has suggested that council tax, if you're old can be deferred till after you die.

Dear me. Seems a rather tasteless way to collect taxes from people that can't afford it.

However, if I were old, I'd definately go for it, I'd much rather pay when I'm dead.

And look how much these old people are enjoying themselves, gambling away all the money they've saved playing poker.

Michael Schumacher, still shining

OK, so he had a questionnable incident with Mark Webber but on the opening lap of the Turkish Grand Prix he overtook 7 cars (including Jenson Button), none of them at the start or the first corner.

A stunning achievement in light of the fact that his car was a good 2 seconds per lap slower than the competition.

Glad Michael took Webber out, whinging Aussie shit. He was a lap down for god’s sake after Williams 14th right rear puncture of the afternoon.

I was amused that this article names Jenson Button as the star of the race for his "blend of fluency and aggression" that got him “all the way” up to 5th place. Wow, what a result, only two places away from the podium. Go Jenson. Prick.

I love this bit – “Mike Gascoyne and Flavio Briatore both opined that Jenson Button would never be World Champion. Gascoyne should have known better.”

Gascoyne probably does know better. As does Flavio. As do I.

Formula One 2005

Dear god no.

Another terrible iteration of this terrible game?

Playing Formula 1 2004 was probably actually more difficult than driving a Formula 1 car.

Anyone that could complete a lap of that game is a sporting hero in my book.

So, is this one any good?

Well, early reports are promising, though that was the case with last years game and look how that turned out.

Amazon “viewers” are giving it the full five stars with comments like “What a wonderful game!” and “Wonderful graphics, very realistic conditions!”. Hmmm, quality of grammar does not lend the writer much credibility, but there you go.

And this, “You can actually see everything seemingly "vibrating" around you at 150mph as the driver would see thing's making it harder to concentrate and put in the perfect lap!”

Much as I applaud attempts to make the game realistic, this sounds terrible. Mark Webber is always getting his arse burnt. That does not mean I want my Mrs applying a hot iron to my cheeks during game play in the interests of authenticity.

Buoyed as I was by the last review, “A vast improvement on 04, a lot more playable and fun. graphics and sounds a lot better too. just need a safety car option now. A Great Game”, I may well risk some cash on this, somewhat reluctantly, and fearfully, just in case it’s any good.

I would dispute the need for a safety car option though, idiot. I refer to my earlier point about the hot iron.

It has Turkey on it too, what a great track that is.

A level results - educational miracle or something

Sorry but this is getting bloody ridiculous.

I know it’s becoming a well worn cliché now but A levels must be getting easier.

A pass rate of 96.2%! Oh, come on.

And 22.8% of those are A grades.

Oh come on. Again.

It’s not been widely reported in the press that the education system is 7.4% better than it was 4 years ago, when the pass rate was still an unbelievably high 89.6%.

Judging by the Governments ability to deliver in any key policy areas, I find it hard to believe they’ve done this good a job with education.

I looked quite hard for some stats going back further to the times where smaller numbers of “more gifted” pupils bothered to stay on for A levels.

No luck, but I would bet my house that the percentage of passes was nowhere near current levels.

Not to take anything away from the students who sat the exams of course, I just think it unfortunate for them that the value of their achievements will, inevitably be diminished.

My mate Ferry

There's a new compilation out today, mixed by Ferry Corsten.

Should be worth a listen - there's a dearth of "new music" trance compilations at present, and a nice bit of Ferry Corsten is always welcome of course.

Landing on my doormat tomorrow, along with the shameless "trading on the past" latest Crasher cd, had to buy it in the end.

Dear Me

How much worse can this situation get?

This article reveals that Mr de Menezes was “never properly identified because a police officer was relieving himself at the very moment he was leaving his home”.

The article never clarifies whether the officer in question was having a quick hand shandy, or indeed was just visiting the toilet.

This is all turning bad, really bad. Shooting an innocent man without even properly identifying him, jesus christ.

And

more awful truths

Stuff on my cat

Ever feel the need to dress your cat? some quality pics on here

Can a polished rock ever be worth £70,000?

Ask’s an article on the BBC website?

I think one would have to say “yes it can”, of course. It is quite possible.

There appears an adverse reaction to the procurement of a large rock “sculpture” to ornament the frontal aspect of the University College London.

Front page news in The Sun – the paper scathing in it’s condemnation of the hospital management “blowing £70,000 on a ROCK”.

“It could be seen as an insult to the hard-working doctors there and those injured in the bombings.”.

Only if you tried really hard, I would think.

Of course, this money could have been spent on “healing the sick”.

True, but the cash was specifically raised by charitable means with the specific aim of purchasing art for the hospital, a fact glossed over by the Sun, blasting that for the cost of the “polished turd” (as it is will likely become known by angry sick people and the tabloid press) the hospital could have funded 47 cataract operations, 12 hip replacements, 3 nurses for a year or 14,000 doses of Viagra.

Aah The Sun, bless ‘em, never fail to engage their loyal readers do they?

They then go on to further lay into the hospital by disclosing the chief executive’s salary and labelling him “one of the highest-paid bosses in Britain” presiding over a diarrhoea ridden, MRSA infested scumhole that employs doctors that fail to wash their hands.

Not only that but “Devastated mum Angela Roberts was handed her baby’s organs in a cardboard box

two decades after UCH removed them without her consent.”

The list of sins may well continue.

Har, quality article. What do I think? Well, not sure it adds £70k of value to the “hospital experience” but it probably will last a long time, it does look quite durable. And in fairness, it probably only cost about £50, the rest probably went on air freight, crane hire and stone polishing labour costs.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a load of rubbish. Clearly. The 'active' ingredient so diluted that it is basically a placebo anyway. So, maybe it is not surprising that it is just as effective as a placebo.

I love this quote...

"It has been established beyond doubt and accepted by many researchers, that the placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial is not a fitting research tool with which to test homeopathy."

Ha ha. I wonder what might be a better test of it's efficacy.

CreationWiki

Here's a nice little site - CreationWiki. A forum for those of a pro-creation, especially young earth creation, bent.

I quote

"The account in Genesis Ch 6-8 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=genesis+6-8&NIV_version=yes&language=english) is quite workable, even simple things like the height between decks make good sense."

and..

"Noah's Ark has not been found."

There's a surprise.

Am I being a bit thick? I don't really accept that it was possible to round up a pair of every species on the planet. However, even if you did, after the first generation, what happens next? Father-daughter, mother-son or brother-sister offspring only. In the words of Partridge - I've seen the big eared boys ion the farm.

Homeopathy II

From the Guardian Bad Science column..

"Enter the alternative therapist, who understands your problems whatever they are, who is privately employed and has time to listen, who has an answer and who gives a complicated (often wilfully obscure but always authoritative) explanation of what is going on, maintaining the power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship with his or her exclusive access to arcane knowledge. If that's not old-fashioned medical paternalism, I don't know what is, and the paradox is clear: while modern medicine, without even pausing to discuss the question, has championed patient autonomy and informed consent - and thrown the placebo effect out of the window - the market has shown that the old paternalism, in a new guise, is still very popular."

A new you in 48 hours

It's all in The Sun.

A 'new you' in two days only. That sounds to good to be true. But with advice like this who knows..

"Cancel your morning paper subscription and walk to your local shop to pick up your copy of The Sun in person."

"Have a simple supper."

"Take a turn. Spinning around rejuvenates and energizes your system. Stand arms out to the sides, and focus on a point straight ahead. Now spin round clockwise. As you turn, focus on your point for as long as possible, then refocus on it as soon as you can. Keep spinning until your feel slightly dizzy."