I'll think of a good title later

Really fascinating article all about the rise & fall of Iceland's banking industry. Lots of interesting stuff about the social dynamics in Iceland too, many observations that I would have never have expected given the little knowledge I have about the country.

from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-'Goodbye-from-the-world's-biggest-polluter'.html

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

I hope he lives long enough to see what he could have avoided.

Whatever it takes is an article from The New Yorker Magazine about the use of torture in 24.

I absolutely love the film Dark City which stars Keifer Sutherland so it is strange how I've never seen a single episode of 24. If 24 features torture in the way that this article suggests I don't think I will.

The Stern Review is an analysis of the long term economical effects of climate change & should be read by everyone in the world.

I find it disheartening that it is the economic cost that has driven this report rather than the fact that millions of people will die if we do nothing or continue to do as little as we are now, but anything that raises awareness is a good thing.

But will it make a difference?

Northern Ireland has followed the Republic of Ireland's lead & announced they will ban smoking from workplaces & enclosed public spaces starting in 2007. Scotland announced a similar ban earlier this year too.

I don't smoke, & I never have done. I am also hoping that the legislation does make its way over the Irish Sea towards England because it will be better for the environment & I believe the whole country.

It certainly seems now that the wants of non smokers are being put above the needs of smokers. The statistic quoted in the BBC article that 91% of people supported a total ban on smoking sounds ridiculously high to me. I'm pretty sure that non-smokers do outnumber the smokers but that has to be the result of a biased sample. Regardless of the actual figures for the smoker/non-smoker split, I'm sure most people have heard the quote about democracy being two wolves & a sheep deciding who's for lunch.

I hate having to suffer through second hand smoke, I am infuriated by the added strain on the National Health Service & most of all I can't stand wading through discarded cigarette butts on the pavements & seeing smouldering fag ends being flicked out of car windows. Most smokers seem totally oblivious to how filthy & prolific their littering habits are.

Even so I can't help but feel that smokers are becoming a downtrodden minority, that they are being forced into bending to the will of the non-smokers. In a perfect world no one should have another person's will forced upon them. Everyone should be left to change their mind. I guess though that the amount of time people have in which to change their mind is proportional to the amount of damage they are doing, & if some people cannot see the damage being done what choice is their?

I have heard many times a number of the smokers at work complaining about being harassed by non smokers about the anti social aspects of their smoking. Outside of work the vast majority of my friends are non smokers & we tend to choose to go out to non-smoking pubs & restaurants much to annoyance of the few who do smoke. & I do feel sorry for them. No one should have to suffer for doing what they enjoy doing, & if their chosen vice didn't adversely affect everybody else I would be in full support of their wishes to be able to light up whenever & wherever they like.

So to all you smokers, the smoking bans are for everyone's own good & I support them totally, but for what its worth I do feel guilty about it.

I've never understood how anyone could enjoy smoking so The Little Red Pack was a very interesting read for me. It is an article written from, "essays and testimonials on tobacco-information websites run by the Chinese government."

From the facts listed at the start of the piece it is quite obviously propaganda, but interesting nonetheless.