The decision to hold another General Election was not taken lightly. We recognise that there are those who strongly and genuinely believe that the outcome of this Election should be accepted as representing the definitive view of the people on the Government. However, for many reasons we do not believe that any responsible people could let the matter rest there. We made this clear in our various grumblings before the General Election. And we made this clear in our blogs. Simply put, the people cannot take risks about Irelands future.*

Surely Europe could step in or something…?

“I love my country and I am deeply ambitious for it. But at this point, I have to say, with this outcome, at this stage of my career, it makes it very clear that as far as I am concerned, my period of public life as a public representative is over.” - Michael McDowell

While the general outcome of the general election is generally depressing, at least McDowell didn’t get back in.

One has to wonder though - if Bertie was arrogant enough to show his true colours, like McDowell, maybe we could have shaken him off too.

I saw this a while back but couldn’t remember where, then I found it again today. Some people have been saying it for years, but it’s good to have some scientisty people going on about it. It’s a study challenging the UK’s drugs classifications. Read about it in the Telegraph or see the proposed table at Howstuffworks.

howstuffworks:

A study surveying health, crime and science professionals regarding the dangers of a set of 20 legal and illegal drugs, published in The Lancet in March 2007, found that alcohol and tobacco, which are legal in Britain and the United States, are considered by experts to be more dangerous than ecstasy and marijuana, which are illegal in both countries.

I don’t drink - or smoke tobacco. And it pisses me off that if I wanted to take the recreational drug of MY choice I’d have to break the law. It makes no sense when as Mike Skinner will tell you, it’s more likely to be alcohol drinkers that will wreak havok on themselves and others than, for example, marijuana users. C’mon Gaybo, don’t let them shut you up that easily.

howstuffworks:

“Tobacco and alcohol together account for about 90 percent of all drug-related deaths in the U.K.” Yet both of those substances are legal. In the United States, a study published in the journal of the American Medical Association in 2000 shows that 95 percent of drug-related deaths in the United States are from alcohol and tobacco use.

And just in the spirit of fariness, i should include the following quote. Then I’ll hand you over to Mike Skinner.

howstuffworks:

Of course, the legal status of drugs like alcohol and tobacco skews the results. Their legal status makes them far more available, so an accurate side-by-side comparison with a drug like heroin on all three criteria is impossible. Availability will always affect social effects of any given drug.

That makes you think about the time you spend blogging doesn’t it? I don’t think that was the point of miniature earth of course.