Parents on the Run

Last week the parents of a newborn baby boy were told that if they took him out of hospital without getting the vaccination against Hepatitis B the Government would take the child away from them. So they left the hospital and went into hiding, saying they believed that aluminium in the vaccine was more dangerous than the disease. Welfare workers couldnt find them, so the saga then became even more "David and Goliath" when the Supreme Court of Australia issued an injunction requiring the parents to get the vacination done, but they still refused. Today the Government has given up because there's no point in giving the vaccine once the babys five days old. So I daresay tonight the antivaccination lobby are rejoicing that they outsmarted Big Brother.

I wonder what the little boy will be thinking? We know for certain that without his vaccination he has an almost 50/50 chance of becoming a chronic carrier of hepatitis, and if he does, a 30% chance of getting cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer and dying from it before he's an adult. In other words at least 1 chance in 8 of a miserable debilitating existence that will end in death from liver failure before he's an adult. And the benefit of not being exposed to aluminium in a vaccine? Well the antivaccination lobby propose all sorts of dire effects of aluminium from alzheimers disease to autism, but there is absolutely zero credible scientific evidence to back up their claims. In any case, Autism is really rare - 1:1000 - and is not lethal, so why on earth would you prefer a 1:8 chance of death from cancer at a young age, over a 1:1000 chance of Autism or Alzheimers in 60 or 70 years? So is this a case of child abuse? Or do the rights of parents overrule the rights of their children ?

This really just highlights the completely confused and unbalanced approach these people have about vaccination. I dont think anyone doubts that on a very rare occasion a vaccination can produce serious side effects. But even Penicillin can be fatal to the rare individual with an extreme hypersensitivity, yet no one disputes that it has saved literally millions of lives in the last 80 years and is right near the top on the Top Ten List of Greatest Discoveries of All Time. And no-one would dispute the possibility that on a rare occasion, someone might have survived a road smash if they hadnt been using a seatbelt. But the balance of benefit versus risk greatly favours our continuing to use penicillin and seat belts, and the same is true of vaccines. Only a conspiracy theorist could deny this.

Biomagnetic Therapy

If you saw the ad that I saw on TV the other day you would swear that what they were selling was a magnetic device that would give you incredible relief from chronic pain. The device was an amazing underlay containing hundreds of magnets that you put on your bed. The underlay can be wool or cotton and is available in a variety of sizes, and you can also get a pillow. "How amazing" I thought and decided to check out the website. On their slick website the same impression is created but look again : when you read the actual words, there is not a single statement that is anything like a direct assertion that this product actually does anything at all. Its a masterful example of how advertising can be designed to create an impression - you know the old classic blond bombshell draped over say an outboard motor! - suck you in, relieve you of your cash and then be able to deny any liability for the product turning out to be useless. The Website has the personal story from "chronic pain to welcome relief thanks to Biomagnetic therapy"of Craig Trinder, an Australian Champion Motorcyclist who, when you read the story closely, is actually the owner of the company. "Welcome relief" - OK so what exactly is that? It doesnt even dare say pain relief but links the two ideas together in your mind. Now, he may indeed have had miraculous and welcome relief - of whatever - using biomagnetic therapy, and then decided to make a business out of promoting it, but on the other hand you would have to say theres a clear conflict of interest involved and you might expect him to talk it up. Actually when you look a bit further, you discover that he certainly had been talking it up, so much in fact that Biomagnetic Therapy and Craig Trinder were investigated by the ACCC - the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, a government agency whose function is to monitor commercial activity and try to protect consumers from being ripped off. Heres a bit of their report:"Biomagnetic Therapy and Craig Trinder have admitted that prior to 2002 some of the claims made in regard to their therapeutic magnetic products may have been, or had the potential to be, false, misleading or deceptive, in contravention of sections 52, 53(c), and 53(g) of the Act although they have advised it was never their intention to do so."
I thought it was nice of the ACCC to include that bit about "it was never their intention to do so" "Yeah right" was my thought! Later in their judgement they extracted the following undertaking:

"Biomagnetic Therapy and Craig Trinder will not make any claims regarding therapeutic magnetic products unless they are able to demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds for making the representation, for example, reliable scientific evidence. '

Of course none of this necessarily means that Biomagnetic Therapy doesnt work. But when theyve been ordered not to make claims unless they can back them up, and they then dont make any but just use advertising tricks to create impressions in the minds of vulnerable people with chronic pain, it makes me wonder.

All Blacks 19 Springboks Nil

And the Springboks were lucky to get Nil according to one commentator!Heres what someone else said:

What New Zealand achieved with this victory was to make a statement. It told the new world champions that it is the All Blacks, not the Springboks, who remain the benchmark for world rugby. The South Africans may have won the World Cup last year, but two wins out of three against the Springboks in this Tri-Nations speaks volumes for the All Blacks' ability to regather, to reorganise and revive.

I didnt watch this game because we dont have Pay TV and the Pubs are taken over by bands and live music by 11pm local time when this game was on last Saturday night. I spent ages trying to find an Internet Radio site that was broadcasting the game and eventually came across a Sports radio station in Capetown that would cross to the game from time to time but it was very frustrating - at half time I went to bed.

Not being in New Zealand I dont have a feel for what the mood there is in relation to the Olympics but I suspect Kiwis would much prefer an All Black win against the Springboks in South Africa than even a small handful of Olympic Gold Medals !!

Go the All Blacks!!

I nearly killed myself again

This time I was racing back from Sydney in Friday afternoon traffic - I'd been up there taking the boat around to Adam,the shipwright at Balmain Boatyard so he could do some work on her over the weekend. After an hour creeping along at 0 to 10 kph we squeezed in single file past a pile up where a truck had rear ended a car and slammed it into the two cars in front of it - amazing wreckage - and then everyone sped up to top speed. I was momentarily distracted and when I looked up everyone was screeching to a halt and I was headed at high speed for the back of a truck in front of me - slammed on the brakes and screeched to a shudderring stop with literally centremetres to spare. Those ABS brakes are amazing - they lock and unlock the wheels at high speed so the car doesnt slide - it judders and shudders and shakes and you feel a powerful vibration through your foot which is trying to push the brake peddle out the other side of the car!

Theres so many things I want to write about - theres a debate tonight that you can watch on http://www.smh.com.au/ - the Sydney Herald web site - at 1845hrs local time - the subject is "The World would be a Better Place without Religion". Its one in a series of debates, an earlier subject debated was "China is not fit to host the Olympic Games".

Another subject I want to write about is Global Warming. There was a great Australian Story on ABC TV last night - which you can also watch on the net at www.abc.net.au/austory/ - about a wealthy 62 year old Melbourne businessman who got so concerned about Global Warming last year that he quite his job and launched his own private campaign against the Prime Minister, having decided that the best way to get something done would be to get rid of John Howard.

I'm also working on a blog about the use of magnets for various therapeutic benefits they are supposed to have. I saw an ad on TV for something called Bio Magnetic Therapy and did a bit of reading about it.

Really this Blog today is just to let all my fans know I havnt forgotten you. I would hate it if you both stopped logging on and checking out my site. I'm off to work now but keep reading folks, theres more to come.

Time for a Laugh

Ive been really stressed and busy at work lately, which might explain why I nearly killed myself tonight - laughing that is ! - at these one liners of an american comedian called Red Skelton. According to Wiki he was really popular on Radio and Film and as Stand Up Comedian from the 1940's to early 70's. His first career move was as a Clown. His life was pretty sad - he had a breakdown after the war, he had a son who died from Leukemia, one wife committed suicide...amazing how he could be so funny.

Hope you laugh like I did....

1. Two times a week we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.

2. We also sleep in separate beds. Her's is in California, and mine is in Texas.

3. I take my wife everywhere....but she keeps finding her way back.

4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary."Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.

5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker.She said "There are too many gadgets, and no place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.

7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor.I asked where the car was. She told me, "In the lake."

8. She got a mud pack, and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off. 9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, "Am I too late?" The driver said "No, jump in".

10. Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

11. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.

12. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.I don't like to interrupt her.

13. The last fight was my fault though. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?" I said, "Dust!"

Let the Games Begin

This is a really hard one for me, because in 1981 I was one of the Protestors who marched in New Zealand against the SpringBok tour of New Zealand. Back then I felt it was impossible to separate Sports and Politics, and many of us believed that the All Blacks that we all love and revere, should not give comfort to the representatives of the dark Apartheid regime of South Africa by playing with them. In those days Nelson Mandela was in prison and was described by our Prime Minister, Mr Robert "Piggy" Muldoon as a terrorist. Now of course Muldoon is a discredited blot on the history of New Zealand politics, but Mandela is universally regarded as one of the greatest, most loved and admired leaders of all time. So I am proud of my involvement as a protestor, for having marched down the streets in Dunedin with my home made protest banner, for being in a group that sat and blocked a main road, even for invading the hallowed "House of Pain" the famous Carisbrook Rugby ground and burning a Rugby Jersey and a Ball and an effigy of "Piggy". But what now of the Games in China ? Should we now ignore Politics, ignore the litany of chinese human rights abuses and the opression of Tibet and just play Sport?

The other thing that makes it hard for me is that Ive always been fascinated by China and Ive been there three times and found it wonderful. At High School I was known by everyone as "Mao", such was my obsessional interest in everything Chinese. I had a lump in my throat when I first stood at that very spot where Chairman Mao stood at the Gate of Heavenly Peace overlooking Tien an Men Square and Proclaimed the establishment at last of the Peoples Republic in 1949.

In fact the differences between the politics of Apartheid and of the Peoples Republic of China are vast. I would still boycott a regime whose very foundation was based on a racist lie, and whose entire political structure was designed to oppress and disenfranchise the vast majority of its citizens. But that is not China.

China is a place of extraordinary historical, social and political complexity. When I was a child it was known as a place of terrible poverty, and viewed with fear and suspicion, but since then much has changed, and almost all of it for the better. I think the Beijing Olympics will help the world to better understand this wonderful place, and help China to better understand the rest of the world and the concerns we have about some of the things that happen there. Let the Games Begin !

All Blacks 39 Wallabies 10

I havent been enjoying work lately, our heating at home packed up and we were cold and after the All Blacks loss last weekend was dreading the replay at Eden Park yesterday - it was getting to be a bit like the Americas Cup where all the Kiwi sailors joined the Swiss team and came back and took it from us. And now it was starting to look like the Wallabies were going to do the same now they had a Kiwi coach. And speaking of boats.... I was looking forward to the annual Sydney Boat Show which was where we went yesterday morning. Didn't buy anything but got lots of ideas and advice from the experts up there about everything from pumps to anchors, EPIRBS and Life Rafts. And then we hunted around for a Pub so we could have some dinner and watch the Game live. Its weird being in an Australian pub watching All Blacks and Wallabies play because everyone except me cheers whenever the Wallabies make a move - and when I'm feeling sick - and when I want to cheer for the All Blacks the Wallabies supporters are usually deathly silent. I usually just cheer quietly to myself and then punch the air with a clenched fist when we score. After two close defeats in a row it was great to see the AB's hammering the Wallabies again.This is what the NZ Heralds columnist wrote about it :

If ever anyone needed reminding that rugby is a simple business, they got it last night. The All Blacks went back to basics, took care of the core skills, played the game in Australia's half and levelled the series.
They did much more than that, though. The All Blacks administered an old style belting - the kind where the receiver feels the humiliation more than the pain.
They restored some pride, showed there is a depth of emotion with regard to what the jersey means, and that Robbie Deans, for all his ability and tactical knowledge, can't work any magic when faced with the fury of an All Black side wanting revenge.

So the week ended well.