Quick Hitts

Last year the nicotine nannies (NNs) took their Second Hand Smoke nonsense a step further and announced that third hand smoke (THS?) was deadly.   The evidence consisted of someone doing a survey, asking people if they believed this nonsense, then presenting that as scientific proof.   “Journalists” ran with the story, declaring that smokers who had [...]

Back in 1978 F. Paul Wilson wrote Lippidleggin’, a short story about a farmer bootlegging butter and eggs, which had been banned to improve everyone’s health.  I’m guessing that back then most people thought it was entertaining, but silly.
Back in 2007, with the author’s permission, I did a reading of the story for an episode [...]

Few things can make life as miserable as idiot neighbors.  Imagine someone next door demanding you give up your cell phone and wi-fi because he’s allergic to electromagnetic radiation.
If you life in Santa Fe, you don’t have to imagine it.  Arthur Firstenberg is demanding his neighbors turn off everything to cater to his imaginary allergy [...]

A couple of weeks ago Rich White sent me an electronic copy of his book “Smokescreens, The Truth About Tobacco.”  It’s clear and well written and he provides a good explanation of anti-tobacco research, including not only the science, but the politics behind it.  I especially liked his chapters on second hand smoke.
You can find [...]

Spin is always entertaining, especially when it’s obvious and poorly done.
A couple of years ago it was revealed that Al Gore, the poster child for the Global Warming Will Kill Us All movement, used thirty times more electricity at one of his three mansions than any of his neighbors.  The apologists spin was pathetic.  “He [...]

The link between cell phones and brain cancer has been studied and studied and studied to death, and the results are conclusive:  there is no correlation between the two.  Yet the WHO, a political organization posing as a health organization, is now claiming otherwise.
Let’s take a look at the actual study.  Oh, wait, we can’t.  [...]

In the UK parents who smoke are being banned from seeing their kids in hospitals.  The signs are not “No Smoking,” which is perfectly reasonable in a hospital, but “No Smokers.
We warned about the Third Hand Smoke scam back in January, and this video shows the real life consequences of this hateful nonsense.

My disdain for Consumer Reports started in the late 70’s, when I was an audio salesman.  They frequently gave lousy products a “Best Buy” rating.
Back then audio was getting better on an almost daily basis.  All receivers and amplifiers had Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) down to a fraction of a percent.  It was amusing to [...]

I recently received a link to the latest Nicotine Nazi handbook (PDF).  It provides detailed, step by step plan these spineless goobers can use to coerce Big Brother into to imposing their will on business owners.
I usually try to be witty and pithy in these columns, working in the clever metaphor or silly pun, but [...]

Among the many reasons I remain skeptical about Global Warming – excuse me, Climate Change – are the veracity and agendas of those promoting it.  Government, non-government and quasi-government organizations (like the UN) are spreading fear at every opportunity while jumping on the chance to grow their power and income.
The EPA has been a junk [...]

The FDA wants to classify Cheerios as a drug.  Really.
Cheerios claims they reduce cholesterol by 4%, and therefore help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.  This led the FDA to send them a letter that said, “Based on claims made on your product’s label we have determined (Cheerios) is promoted for conditions that cause [...]

One reason Global Warming, er, sorry, Climate Change, doesn’t have me wetting myself in fear is I’ve lived through too many other End Of The World As We Know It predictions.  These are a few of the EOTWAWKI predictions I recall in my lifetime:
The Cold War – the most real and likely end of the [...]

Turning off the lights and burning candles instead might feel good, but it occurred to me it probably puts more CO2 in the air than just leaving the lights on.  I wasn’t sure how to calculate the numbers, so Googled the information, and found someone else had already done the math.
Still, I enjoy meaningless symbolism, [...]

The war on smokers proves the axiom “The first casualty of war is the truth.” After the real dangers of primary smoking were publicized a lot of smokers quit, but not enough to satisfy the nicotine nannies, who concocted a new danger: second hand smoke.
Smartenized® people know that SHS is the biggest scam [...]

(This article is also available as an episode of the Quick Hitts Podcast, with a bit more commentary.)
It started with the Helena fraud.  The city of Helena, Colorado, instituted a smoking ban, and then rescinded it six months later.  Two “researchers” claimed that during while the ban was in place heart attack admissions dropped by [...]

A friend, who has one of the funniest blogs on the internet, sent me a link to a story about PETA that was too disgusting to even consider writing about. So I considered it. And he considered it. We wrote back and forth about how disgusting it was. It was like a contest between adolescent [...]

The end of the world has been delayed for two weeks while repairs are made on the LHC. 
Paranoia over it creating a black hole that will destroy the universe are ridiculous.  The most it would do is destroy the solar system.  Hey, it’s been fun. 
India’s media has been broadcasting all kinds of paranoid [...]

The Smoker’s Club has a great page that outlines exactly how nicotine nannies work. Check it out.

You’ve probably seen those commercials where people with vastly different politics are sitting on a couch in front of the ocean preaching about Global Warming. (Pronounced so you can hear the capital letters.) The creepiest/most disgusting of them is the one that pairs Al Sharpton with Pat Robertson.
Let’s break this down. [...]

Visitors to The Facts send a lot of e-mail. Half of the writers love the site and say thanks, the other half hates it, hates smokers, hates freedom of choice, and especially, hates me.
The fan mail is pretty varied. Some people like the stats pages, some like the study analysis, some like the list [...]