Posts by Carol Stewart
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
OnPoint: Sock-Puppeting Big Tobacco to…, in reply to George Darroch,
Which is why public health advertising is rarely haranguing or accusatory.
Similarly, public health measures to reduce sun exposure are effective without being haranguing or accusatory. Shade and sunhat policies in schools, strong and unambiguous information about the risks of sun exposure (leaving aside for now the slightly thorny issue of Vit D), UV indexes in the newspaper and weather forecast, free sunscreen given out at sports games and so on.
I sure wish all that had been around when I was growing up. -
A good 9/11 retrospective from the Guardian here
-
Hard News: Everybody's News, in reply to Crystal Dotson,
Everyone in the United States who were old enough will remember where they were at the time they heard the news.
That goes for our country too, Crystal.
It was early in the morning here - 5 am? - when the news broke. My partner, who was away travelling for work, phoned and suggested I turn on the TV. Like most people I was transfixed for the rest of the day. I remember letting my two year old sleep as long as possible. -
OnPoint: Sock-Puppeting Big Tobacco to…, in reply to Sacha,
as arguing about climate change - also a popular libertarian sport
An interesting comparison as accusations of puritanism are also bandied about on this topic, usually in relation to people who advocate for urgent action to reduce carbon emissions.
-
OnPoint: Sock-Puppeting Big Tobacco to…, in reply to BenWilson,
It's taxed to discourage it
But that's hardly the same as a sin tax, if there are sound reasons to discourage it, which I think have been demonstrated here.
-
OnPoint: Sock-Puppeting Big Tobacco to…, in reply to BenWilson,
I also think the aim of the taxes on smoking are simply sin-taxes
Oh, for goodness' sake. a) do you accept that smoking imposes burdens on the public health system and b) do you not think perhaps the aim of these taxes is to offset these costs?
You know I studied philosophy too, right?
Did they offer classes in wearing people down in debate?
-
Good luck with it all, Ian - whatever floats your boat (or melts your external superstructure) ;-)
-
Hard News: Everybody's News, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
I think we may be on the same page
I sure hope so, Ian, but I don't have any enthusiasm for relitigating the collapse of the twin towers, given that, you know, Al Qaeda took credit for it and there was a ton of evidence implicating them. Occams razor and all that.
-
Actually I did. I'd be interested to get an appropriately qualified engineer's perspective on it.
I am very wary of the idea of 'citizen engineers'. Sounds like the kind of thinking that led to Cave Creek. -
Personally I am rather keen on professional standards for scientists and engineers. Citizen dentistry anyone?