eezer goode, eezer goode, he's Ebeneezer Goode

[Zippy]

Reading the story about Professor Nutt's comments and sacking on the BBC website, I am getting more and more annoyed.
You hire someone to advise you on drugs, they give you their advice, you disagree and when they challenge you about it you fire them. The reason you give is that the experts advice did not agree with your 'policy'.
How the flipping heck did you formulate that policy in the first place?? Moist finger in the air? The front page of the Daily Wail/Sun? (as Chris Huhne said)

And, yes, apparently this would have happened under the Tories as the craven creature who is the Shadow Home Secretary of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition agrees with this decision (the Lib Dems have criticised this sacking).
This is idiotic behaviour on the part of our two largest political parties and I share Professor Blakemore's concerns about the future role of scientists in formulating government policy.

So, a message to our 'moral' leaders - stick to bulltulipting and fiddling your expenses and leave the science to those with the education and experience.

[Gonzo]

Reading the story about Professor Nutt's comments and sacking on the BBC website, I am getting more and more annoyed.
You hire someone to advise you on drugs, they give you their advice, you disagree and when they challenge you about it you fire them. The reason you give is that the experts advice did not agree with your 'policy'.
How the flipping heck did you formulate that policy in the first place?? Moist finger in the air? The front page of the Daily Wail/Sun? (as Chris Huhne said)

And, yes, apparently this would have happened under the Tories as the craven creature who is the Shadow Home Secretary of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition agrees with this decision (the Lib Dems have criticised this sacking).
This is idiotic behaviour on the part of our two largest political parties and I share Professor Blakemore's concerns about the future role of scientists in formulating government policy.

So, a message to our 'moral' leaders - stick to bulltulipting and fiddling your expenses and leave the science to those with the education and experience.

I agree.

There is no point having scientists advise you if you are going to sack them if they say something you don't like.

Having said that I am not surprised because time and time again we have seen that it is a topic over which it is impossible to have a reasoned debate. It is a waste of time to attempt it, best not to bother.

[threaded]

Yes, but, no, but, you have to agree that science in the modern world is subsumed for political desires and commercial interests. Hence, it's often not what many would recognise as science. You have to get your head around the idea that there is two meanings of the word science now. It would appear the government wanted this guy to do this political kind of science, and when he, being an old fashioned science type did what proper scientists would do and give a recommendation based on real science, he failed in the task for he was hired. And so is fired. Makes perfect sense to me.

When people worry that there may be a problem getting science advisors for the government, there is no need to worry. There are plenty of people produced by the universities with science degrees, and a good few of them are more than happy to invent some science to fit the governments purposes. If real scientific institutions don't give these front men some gong to give their work the air of respectability they'll find their funding cut, leaders vilified, and an alternative set of institutions created that are more 'fit for purpose'.

[minestrone]

A friend works in the social services and one of the advisers was sacked and discredited for saying in a report that there are middle class people who take smack recreationaly with no long term addiction issues.

Ecstasy use is a million miles away from where the government should be focusing on, went out for lunch yesterday in Edinburgh and seen about 5 obvious junkies floating about, one chap was crashed out in a phone box, another was trying to cross Lothian road looking like he was sleepwalking. There are alway a hard core of junkies floating about Glasgow Central involved in petty crime, why are these people not dealt with? Gf saved the life of a junkie who ODed in her surgery, when he came round he tried to punch her then ran out the door. Government policy is clearly not working.

[EternalOptimist]

A friend works in the social services and one of the advisers was sacked and discredited for saying in a report that there are middle class people who take smack recreationaly with no long term addiction issues.

Government policy is clearly not working.

Yet they bang on about whistleblowers being vital. joined up government at its best

[AlfredJPruffock]

Yeah.

Right.

Good old CUK - actually it was not a reference to LSD - did you know that Lucy died recently? (see article below )...


Lennon always denied that Lucy in the Sky was a reference to LSD - unlike a Day in the Life referecnes to Pot and the death of a friend who 'blew his mind out in a car ' whilst tripping - the BBC banned a Day in the Life - but never Lucy in the Sky.

But what did he know he only composed the song - with Paul - you guys must be right.

OK pop pickers - which Paul Mcartney song was baneed for overt drug and sexual referecnes - and I think the B side made it to No1 - or was it No 2 .... climb in the back with your head in the clouds and you're gone.




LONDON — Lucy Vodden, who provided the inspiration for the Beatles' classic song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," has died after a long battle with lupus. She was 46.


Her death was announced Monday by St. Thomas' Hospital in London, where she had been treated for the chronic disease for more than five years, and by her husband, Ross Vodden. Britain's Press Association said she died last Tuesday. Hospital officials said they could not confirm the day of her death.

Vodden's connection to the Beatles dates back to her early days, when she made friends with schoolmate Julian Lennon, John Lennon's son.

Julian Lennon, then 4 years old, came home from school with a drawing one day, showed it to his father, and said it was "Lucy in the sky with diamonds."

At the time, John Lennon was gathering material for his contributions to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," a landmark album released to worldwide acclaim in 1967.

The elder Lennon seized on the image and developed it into what is widely regarded as a psychedelic masterpiece, replete with haunting images of "newspaper taxis" and a "girl with kaleidoscope eyes."

Rock music critics thought the song's title was a veiled reference to LSD, but John Lennon always claimed the phrase came from his son, not from a desire to spell out the initials LSD in code.


Anyway the first reference to LSD by the Beatles was much earlier - the song Doctor Robert (hes a new and better man - he ehlps you to understand) was a reference to the Dentist -Doctor Roberts -who introduced the Beatles to Acid - then on the same album 'Tomorrow Never Knows ' confirmed the Beatles experimentation.

All this a good year before Sgt Pepper as well.

Lucy Saxon is the Devil.

[DiscoStu]

All this fuss over weed and disco biscuits, I wish politicians would concentrate on something important

[AlfredJPruffock]

Funny how nobody ever latched on to the Fab4s Day Tripper as being a reference to Acid - and that was in 1965 - or Rain for that matter - I think which was the B side of PaperBack Writer.

But if you want to know about Lennons ultimate view on drugs other than pyschedelics - then check the anguish of Cold Turkey - or from 1970 - I Found Out -

Dont let them fool you
With Dope and Cocaine
Nobody can harm you
Feel your own Pain

I Found Out ....

[Toastiness]

Drugs are bad mkay

HTH

[EternalOptimist]

Funny how nobody ever latched on to the Fab4s Day Tripper as being a reference to Acid - and that was in 1965 - or Rain for that matter - I think which was the B side of PaperBack Writer.

But if you want to know about Lennons ultimate view on drugs other than pyschedelics - then check the anguish of Cold Turkey - or from 1970 - I Found Out -

Dont let them fool you
With Dope and Cocaine
Nobody can harm you
Feel your own Pain

I Found Out ....

anyone who sings about newspaper taxis and being a walrus has got to be taking something special. Even after ten pints I never considered myself to be an egg-man