libertus

House of Commons, Tuesday 14 February 2006, Orders of the Day — Health Bill,
New Clause 5 — Smoke-free premises: exemptions

Jim Devine (Livingston, Lab)

Is this not a simple health and safety issue? Passive smoking kills. Full stop. It does not matter whether it takes place in private members clubs or in public bars. Is that not the case?

Patricia Hewitt (Secretary of State, Department of Health)

My hon. Friend is right. It is also the case that about 95 per cent. of the deaths that result from passive smoking occur as a result of passive smoking in people’s homes, not in public places or in membership clubs.

Odd. If 95% of passive smoking deaths are caused at home, and this Bill doesn’t apply to homes, then a maximum of 5% of all possible deaths can be alleviated, 1 in 20, which according to the quote in the Minister’s opening statement amounts to “thousands of lives every year”. Saving a few thousand lives is a worthy cause, for sure, but will the Bill do so? Can it?

Continue reading ‘Smoking Ban’ »

Liberta and I are spending the first festive holy day in Norfolk.

Cue Prokofiev’s “Troika“!

Sigh. 30°C and sunny in Kuala Lumpur.

Update 8^th Feb 2007

While posting pictures of 2007 snow, I remembered a picture I took of 2005 snow.

A flurry of activity on the job seeking front. Today saw two promising contacts from agents, one of whom, bless her, gave me feedback on improving my CV. Taking that advice on board and with Liberta’s help, bless her, I now have a minimal, punchy, to-the-point CV guaranteed to get me highly remunerated employment. Or my money back, she says. I’m hopeful!

We have a home – a small terraced house in the S5 area of Sheffield. After a weekend of diving in in Lancashire (well, Liberta dived, I just grumbled) and a nightmare journey back here, we were faced with moved in to a house that was empty but for carpets and gas cooker. Thanks to a couple of friends for letting us borrow some bedding.

Now the scramble begins to add all the necessary services, such as broadband.

Buggeration. No success with either of the interviews I attended. The second was a disaster. I completely misinterpreted what type of programmer the firm were looking for. My skills were not appropriate and so I failed the test set for me. That was a little embarrassing but educational.

I’m going to aim higher from now on.

We may not be homeless from this weekend, hopefully.

Close to 20 hours of driving later, I’m back in Sheffield following my short jaunt up to Fraserburgh. I had two job interviews; one face-to-face with a firm in Aberdeen and the other by telephone with a firm in Nottingham.

Both interviews went well. I have been invited for a face-to-face with the firm in Nottingham on Tuesday. I’m told that part of the interview will be a programming test, which is great news. Bring it on – I love ‘em! The last firm to give me such a test hired me and we spent two profitable years together.

My family is getting more musical. My brother is now strumming and my sister tinkles the ivories once again. I’m looking forward to their gigs. Maybe I should learn flute? Or better, invent a new instrument. The music world will tremble to my cowpipe – a bit like a bagpipe but instead of one bag and four pipes you have four bags and two pipes. Just be careful which pipe you blow into.

I have an interview in Aberdeen on Wednesday. Right next door to my divorce solicitor’s office. Err… actually I got that wrong – it’s not next door. More like 2 mins walk.

If that isn’t an opportunity to multi-task, what is? ROFL

I love this channel! There are people in Afghanistan basically saying that they can solve the heroin problem by buying the opium from the farmers themselves and selling it on to produce legitimate medical opiate drugs. Presumably the price they offer will be at least as much as the evil drug dealers pay the farmers.

I’m so glad I’m up late! I can’t believe what I’ve just heard on BBC News 24. This scientist, Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, is on promoting the notion that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is somehow related to these hurricanes or something. However, the way she explains it is we can convert a small hurricane into a powerful storm. Which is kinda what happened to Rita. That’s scientific proof! Gawd bless global warming!

Umm… that’s… good, isn’t it?

She made me laugh anyway.