E-Cigs
In The Sun on Saturday there was a feature on the potential issues regarding e-cigs, and a contribution was made by Professor Robert West, director of Tobacco Studies at University College, London. E-cigs are not yet regulated, although the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - no, I've no idea why the 'P' was missed out either] will step being joining in from 2016. Mr West has worries, and said: "There is no evidence to say they are 100% safe, but what we can say is that they are 100% safer than cigarettes." I am sorry, Robert, but that makes no sense. This is the sort of complete mind-fuck of an argument, with a flawed combination of English and Maths, that makes people confused and misled. Something cannot be 100% 'safer than cigarettes' without there being the equivalent of no cigarettes, in which case this cannot be the safety level of e-cigarettes, because you say they are not 100% safe.
Benefits Cheats
Anyone found guilty of cheating to gain benefits for which they are not entitled deserves to go to jail. I am fed up reading about cunts who defraud the system, and are then told by a judge/magistrate that they are to be fined. The fines are usually paid back at a ludicrously low level (eg. £5 per week) out of future fucking benefits! Where's the deterrent, or the penalty in that? I propose that offenders claiming benefits who get more than they should by knowingly tricking the taxpayer should be made not only to suffer the hardship of reimbursing the money, but that they should also be jailed. Otherwise, it makes no sense to bother prosecuting them! Unless cheats know their liberty is to be taken if they are caught, they are really just pissing on the state and paying on the never-never, if they are in fact caught and prosecuted.
Worklessness
This completely stupid word (well, it wasn't a word at all until recently - and still isn't, in my opinion) relates to a phenomenon that somehow seems to suit politicians who want to try and manipulate things. Apparently, it's defined as: A combination of the number of people unemployed and the number classed as inactive, which mean neither working nor looking for work. What tosh. Apparently 'worklessness' has fallen by 400,000 in three years. However, that's meaningless when one digs deeper. The fact that there's been a decline in the number of people describing themselves as 'retired' is a sign of two things; (1) that many older people are having to stay working longer or need to start working again to make ends meet, and (2) that these older people are actually bothering to find work, setting an example to younger people who somehow struggle. The fact that more people over 65 are now working is hardly any cause for celebration, congratulation or political kudos.
The other reason that there's been a decline is that the number of people on long-term sickness benefit has dropped, after a concerted effort to eject from the system the malingerers and cheats. So, there's very little to make the term 'worklessness' have relevance. Old people are busier; it makes no sense at all to include them in any monitoring of those 'out of work'. Cheats are being caught; well that's a good thing, and it would be handy to know how many, what percentage of claimants that represents, and what the annual saving might be. Of course anyone losing incapacity benefit will probably claim housing benefit, unemployment benefit and a range of other things anyway. Finally, can we please report unemployment properly, and not wrap up the numbers into a weird 'worklessness' pot - it makes no sense.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland
Using the term United Kingdom is an easy way of ensuring that the people from all parts of the 'united' regions are included. The 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' is thus a useful (if long-winded) way of counting us all. When it is shortened to the UK, it still means all are included. However, it seems that sports people and bodies have tripped themselves up with the catchy (allegedly) phrase "Team GB", which of course excludes Northern Ireland. Thus, the 2012 Olympics event managed to ignore Northern Ireland, as "Team GB" was touted and paraded before the nation to receive applause and recognition. This made no sense at all.
In the recent World Championships, the team was referred to as GB & NI, and this rather proves the point that we are in a complete pickle as a nation - or set of nations - or collection of regions - or is that devolved something-or-others? Rugby and Football generally keep the home nations separate, although football suffered from gross hypocrisy when it featured a GB team last year. You'll recall Ryan Giggs and other were pleased to get the cheers and chance of a medal under a Union Flag but refused to acknowledge the National Anthem. The whole set-up is flawed, and nothing makes any sense when you scratch the surface, let alone dig deep.
Lotto
After all these years, the BBC still insists on making us watch some or other grinning tit press a big red button to start the draw, when the person in the background wearing white gloves (?) starts the draw properly via a button on the machine. It makes no sense.
Football
I have no intention of yet again highlighting the vocabulary used by commentators and 'pundits', when describing things. Their inane driver and terminology is fucked-up enough to warrant a thesis. However, I would like to touch on one aspect, which is my complete surprise that we are supposed to be impressed and/or grateful for players doing what they are fucking paid for. It makes no sense.
Learning about a player's "willingness to get into the box" is hardly something to be in awe of. The cunts are paid to score goals, and running into the penalty area is rather expected. To have to applaud this, and agree with Alan Shearer (or whichever other twat is asking us to cheer such an action) is insulting. Similarly, a player who "wants the ball" is nothing to write home about. He should want the fucking ball; heaven forbid that the norm is for players to run away from it, or kick it out the minute it comes to them! Then there's the willingness to run. Jesus - if a footballer is to be congratulated for running then the game is more fucked-up than I ever thought possible. There's me thinking it's all about "Quality", "Character", "Half a Yard" and "The Final Third", when all the time it's about running and trying to get in the box. Silly me. Senseless
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