Here Be Dentists

Off to the dentist this morning. This is, without doubt, my least favourite occupation since I was drilled sans anaesthetic by an Oxford dentist named, I kid you not, Savage. This, as you can no doubt imagine was an unforgettable experience and has left ruts in my psyche deeper than those on the most used bits of the Ridgeway. Thanks largely to the Gestapo-like tactics of my batty old ma I have led a life of low-ish sugar intake so my gob is not the bacterial war zone it could have been without her Nature Cure philosophy. This is a mixed blessing. On the one hand I have needed little dental work, on the other I have had minimum desensetising contact with dental personnel. The one and only extraction I've had was done under general anaesthetic and turned my previously pain free mouth into a raging week-long toothache in the extracted tooth. So my historical dental experience is not good to begin with. Add to this negatively balanced equation the fact that one can no longer have extractions done under GA, that I know I need two wisdom teeth pulled out and that my current dentist gleefully related a tale of doing and extraction on a Red Sea dive boat crew member with no anaesthetic and a sterilised screwdriver and it becomes apparent why I'm viewing this mornings appointment with some trepidation. Wish me luck

Gaia Like Balance

Two adjacent headlines from the Reuters Health eLine appear to support the Gaia hypothesis. This suggests that the Earth behaves like a giant organisim and reacts to threat levels in ways that try to restore a balanced state to the planet. Today I see a) Goal of eliminating malaria in sight: experts and b)Deadly flu breaks out in Mexico, U.S.

Gaia seems to be substituting one threat for a new more virulent threat which will kill countless numbers of people before we get a handle on it and eradicate it.

It is just possible that, unless we find some way to control our propensity for limitless breeding, the poor old Earth will find ways to do it for us. We can but hope.

Politicians Call Each other Names - Hold The Font Page

What is all this tosh about Damien McBride. Portly prat he may be but can anyone imagine that this kind of crap isn't going on in the corridors of every political party in the UK. It's a fact that politicians will find new and innovative ways to smear their opposite numbers before they save the country. Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic has been a priority for party activists since time immemorial and power hungry pillocks have been clawing their way up the political greasy pole for generations by digging the dirt on their opponents. What's changed? The only thing more sickening than the spectacle of McBride and the other one chortling nto their expense account blubber is the faux horror evinced by the 'wronged' conservative MPs at whom the relevant emails were directed. Please give us, the poor hapless goons who vote, some credit for knowing the score and get on with extricating the country from the shithole you and your American special friends have dropped us into.

Evil Monsters/Damaged Children - Life and Death in the World of Pain

I read this not knowing much about the Mary Bell case and, like many I'm sure, wondering what it is that makes kids do this kind of thing. That the two boys were in foster care meant that there was some kind of back story and as yet we don't know what it is but for all of us who jump for the 'evil monsters' label this thought provoking examination of some of the past's 'children who kill' stories is a must read.

I was horrified and sometimes I think I'm living in a rose-tinted separate reality far from the horror film sets these kids have had to survive in. That they survive at all is nothing short of a miracle, a testament to the human spirit. That they're severely damaged by the levels of abuse they have to suffer is unsurprising. The people who work to repair these damaged small humans deserve all our admiration and support.

Russian Doll Attempt Leads to Short Exchange and Even Shorter Shrift

I never cease to be amazed at the idiocy of the so-called master race. Humans I mean. Whilst not strictly a rodent, the racoon must at least merit honorary rodent status and this little Russian Racoon should be getting the highest accolade in the quadruped Hall of Fame. So a big high five to the little gnasher for forshortening the career of this slavic wierdo. Neither beer or vodka goggles can excuse this level of stupidity. Now we all know about the traditional Russian Doll but at least they're a)the same species b)the same sex c) sober and d) most importantly smaller than the one they're trying to get into.

On the plus side if he wants to repeat the experiment he'l have to go in feet first next time.

(Link)

Pacemakers Good, Vampires Bad

Oh the injustice of it. It seems that Canadian scientists have developed a fuel cell that runs on the glucose present in human blood. So if your pacemaker starts to flag you can go eat a doughnut and the resultant sugar hit will fire up your little metal friend and kick your ailing ticker back into action. But wait, I hear you cry, when the unded bretheren of the leathery wing variety used to get up to this kind of caper they were hounded from pillar to post by the unspeakable Snipes/Kristofferson axis. It all seems so unfair.

$100k Tantrum Come to An Electrifying End

Oh dontcha just love this one. All the wonderful ingredients of the American Way of life bundled up and served hot by a Florida Sheriff. The names, the Mercedes, the 'gators and finaly the taser. Destry Wymborough, for it is she, should just have painted a sign on her forehead reading 'light me up bro' and marched into the cop shop with a semi-automatic weapon. If you want to test your pacemaker here's a short 'How To' for you. Enjoy