Journalists annoy me.

Journalists annoy me, when in the name of balance they give time to idiots.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10622552%5E13780,00.html


Here is the main points summarised.

The research, which monitored 10,000 people across Britain over a decade,
shed new light on previous research which suggested only single men faced any
health risk. Six hundred people died during the course of the study, and
researchers looked at the different mortality rates of men and women who were
married, single, divorced and widowed. They found men who were single, divorced or separated at the start of the research were 10 per cent more likely to die in the following eight years.

Warwick University Professor Andrew Oswald, who led the study, said the
poor diets of many people living alone could play a part. The research, to be
published in The Journal of Health Economics, focused on 10,000 adults in their
40s. They were monitored for a decade and interviewed each year.

Oh but wait

Match.com managing director of Australia and New Zealand Jane Thompson
strongly disagreed with the findings.

So a dopey woman with no tangible evidence is allowed to seriously comment on Academic research? This journalist needs to hang their head in shame.

As Harlan Ellison said

Everybody has opinions: I have them, you have them. And we are all told from
the moment we open our eyes, that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.
Well, that's horsepuckey, of course. We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it's nothing. It's just bibble-babble..."

I agree with this sentiment entirely!

Election Time

Well it's election time again.

I'm faced with a choice PM Howard, Treasurer Costello, or PM Latham, Treasurer Crean.

While I'm not overly fond these days of Howard or Latham, the Crean detestation factor means that I can't support Labor. Dump Crean and you might have a chance at my vote Latham! Put Julia in as Treasurer please, she's actually got some brains.

I do look forward to Labor's tax policies though. Who knows, maybe they can buy me off with some nice tax cuts. If they propose upping the GST and decreasing income tax I would actually vote for them.

My Australian prediction: Too close to call.
My US prediction: Bush (The Dems chose the only possible candidate that can't beat him).

US Media Sore Losers

The amount of whinging I've read in the US media over their basketball loss it incredible.

Excuse #1
We didn't have enough preparations time.

Excuse #2
The refs were calling fouls on Tim Duncan.

Well I saw the replays, and the majority of them were clearly fouls. Where the refs did fall down was in the lack of traveling violations called on various US players.

The main reason they lost was because they shot horribly from both the charity stripe, and from the 3 point line. I suppose if they had of had more time to practice together they would have made more free throws?

If you want to find an excuse, blame the selection committee for forgetting to include shooters on the team. The team that you sent just wasn't that good. The US may have the potential to send the best team, but on this occasion no-one could seriously argue that it was the best team.