planet davorg

dopplr: Pisa, Italy

2010-08-01T00:00:00+01:00

Pisa, Italy from August 1st to 6th

YAPC::Europe

twitter: davorg: At least @Mphillips51 is engaging with people on Twitter. That's more than can be said for many right-wing commentators. This could be fun.

2010-07-30T14:50:45Z

davorg: At least @Mphillips51 is engaging with people on Twitter. That's more than can be said for many right-wing commentators. This could be fun.

twitter: davorg: @jonathantweed The BBC FM&T exodus has been ongoing since I first worked in FM&T five years ago :-)

2010-07-30T14:38:24Z

davorg: @jonathantweed The BBC FM&T exodus has been ongoing since I first worked in FM&T five years ago :-)

twitter: davorg: @AdamPogonowski If Greens want effectiveness+cost they should be anti-homepathy. Homeopathy is expensive water.

2010-07-30T14:27:59Z

davorg: @AdamPogonowski If Greens want effectiveness+cost they should be anti-homepathy. Homeopathy is expensive water.

twitter: davorg: @AdamPogonowski Of course homeopathy isn't really witchcraft. But allowing witchcraft on the NHS would be just as effective.

2010-07-30T14:26:35Z

davorg: @AdamPogonowski Of course homeopathy isn't really witchcraft. But allowing witchcraft on the NHS would be just as effective.

twitter: davorg: @Mphillips51 My stress levels are generally pretty much fine until I start reading Littlejohn or you :-)

2010-07-30T13:29:04Z

davorg: @Mphillips51 My stress levels are generally pretty much fine until I start reading Littlejohn or you :-)

twitter: davorg: @cdevers My (admiitedly limited) exposure to COBOL indicates that the lines were usually 132 chars wide (and on stripy paper) :-)

2010-07-30T13:20:21Z

davorg: @cdevers My (admiitedly limited) exposure to COBOL indicates that the lines were usually 132 chars wide (and on stripy paper) :-)

twitter: davorg: It's not a question of screen size. I have two 1280px screens. But narrow columns are easier to read (see newspapers).

2010-07-30T12:49:08Z

davorg: It's not a question of screen size. I have two 1280px screens. But narrow columns are easier to read (see newspapers).

twitter: davorg: Why do people write code that goes wider than 80 cols? Do they never want to look at two files side by side?

2010-07-30T12:42:42Z

davorg: Why do people write code that goes wider than 80 cols? Do they never want to look at two files side by side?

twitter: davorg: Things to do before going on holiday for two weeks: 1/ Invoice client [tick] 2/ Pay income tax :-(

2010-07-30T12:22:39Z

davorg: Things to do before going on holiday for two weeks: 1/ Invoice client [tick] 2/ Pay income tax :-(

twitter: davorg: Nice piece by @inventpartners about the govenrment IE6 petition response - http://bit.ly/c9rM7L

2010-07-30T12:04:43Z

davorg: Nice piece by @inventpartners about the govenrment IE6 petition response - http://bit.ly/c9rM7L

twitter: davorg: @sbisson It was the implication that IE6 was "the latest fully patched versions of Internet Explorer" that confused me :-)

2010-07-30T10:41:16Z

davorg: @sbisson It was the implication that IE6 was "the latest fully patched versions of Internet Explorer" that confused me :-)

twitter: davorg: This response to a Govnt petition seems to fundamentally misunderstand how broken IE6 is - http://bit.ly/9dEzpB

2010-07-30T10:33:46Z

davorg: This response to a Govnt petition seems to fundamentally misunderstand how broken IE6 is - http://bit.ly/9dEzpB

twitter: davorg: Wondering how following @Mphillips51 would affect my stress levels.

2010-07-30T10:04:48Z

davorg: Wondering how following @Mphillips51 would affect my stress levels.

last.fm: The Polyphonic Spree – Section 9 (Light & Day , Reach For The Sun)

2010-07-30T07:20:40Z

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Polyphonic+Spree

last.fm: The Polyphonic Spree – Section 23 (Get Up And Go)

2010-07-30T07:16:46Z

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Polyphonic+Spree

last.fm: The Clash – Stay Free

2010-07-30T07:13:07Z

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Clash

last.fm: She & Him – Home

2010-07-30T07:08:27Z

http://www.last.fm/music/She%2B%2526%2BHim

last.fm: Nick Drake – At The Chime Of A City Clock

2010-07-30T07:03:41Z

http://www.last.fm/music/Nick+Drake

last.fm: Nick Drake – Saturday Sun

2010-07-30T06:59:37Z

http://www.last.fm/music/Nick+Drake

last.fm: The Clash – Police & Thieves

2010-07-30T06:53:36Z

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Clash

last.fm: Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed

2010-07-30T06:50:38Z

http://www.last.fm/music/Ellie+Goulding

last.fm: Nick Drake – Hanging On A Star

2010-07-30T06:47:48Z

http://www.last.fm/music/Nick+Drake

last.fm: Julie Delpy – And Together

2010-07-30T06:44:08Z

http://www.last.fm/music/Julie+Delpy

twitter: davorg: New writing: davblog: Greens and Science: At the time of the European election last year, there was.. http://bit.ly/cJgAuq

2010-07-29T23:01:13Z

davorg: New writing: davblog: Greens and Science: At the time of the European election last year, there was.. http://bit.ly/cJgAuq

twitter: davorg: Blog post on @CarolineLucas' idiocy over homeopathy "Greens and Science" - http://bit.ly/dzsWGT #ten23

2010-07-29T21:09:11Z

davorg: Blog post on @CarolineLucas' idiocy over homeopathy "Greens and Science" - http://bit.ly/dzsWGT #ten23

davblog: Greens and Science

2010-07-29T18:48:50Z

At the time of the European election last year, there was some debate in the blogosphere about the Green Party's attitude to science. Holfordwatch picked up on a report which said that the Greens supported the continued use of "alternative medicine" in the NHS. Rational people, of course, gave up all idea of voting for them.

To their credit, the Greens responded to this by clarifying (and, actually, seeming to completely drop) some of these policies. In this Q&A in the Guardian, their press officer, Scott Redding, was asked:

If the balance of evidence suggests that a treatment does not perform any better than placebo, should it be supported by the NHS?

He replied:

The short answer is No. Our policy is that any medicine or treatment available on the NHS should be backed up by scientific evidence. Some new treatments, and some currently available on the NHS, will pass this test, others will not.

Of course, you might well think that it doesn't matter what the Green Party thinks on this as they'll never have the power to enact their policies. And you'd be right to think that.

But they do have an MP now. Caroline Lucas is the MP for Brighton Pavilion. And whilst she's not exactly driving government policy, she does have the same ways to make her views known as all other MPs, including signing Early Day Motions.

So, given the clear direction indicated by Scott Redding, it's disappointing to see the she has signed one of David Tredinnick's nonsense EDMs on homeopathy (as discussed previously on this blog).

On one hand, the Greens clearly say that they won't support medical treatments without scientific evidence to support them. And then their first ever MP goes and gives her support to something that is on a the same level as witchcraft. If I was one of the enlightened people who voted for her back in May, I'd be feeling pretty pissed off about now.

I had hoped that, at least, the Green Party would prove themselves to be above the lies and spin that characterise so much of British politics. I'm really disappointed to see those hopes dashed.

Update: Lucas has received a lot of comment over this on Twitter in the last few hours. She has posted what I can only assume is supposed to be an explanation for her actions:

EDM is about lack of BMA's consultation & argues that local NHS better placed to know patient needs, based on objective clinical assessment

It's nonsense of course. Tredinnick is a well-known parliamentary advocate for homeopathy. His EDM is purely about supporting the provision of quackery on the NHS. Tredinnick is deliberately inventing scientific controversy where none exists. The science is settled. Homeopathy does not work.

If patients have been told that homeopathy is worth investigating, then their doctors should make it clear to them that they have been misled. Doctors should not be encouraging this delusion.

twitter: davorg: @drakpete She replied with nonsense. The EDM is about spending NHS money on witchcraft.

2010-07-29T19:35:44Z

davorg: @drakpete She replied with nonsense. The EDM is about spending NHS money on witchcraft.

twitter: davorg: Been getting hit with blog comment spam for the last couple of weeks. First time this has been a problem for years. Anyone else seeing it?

2010-07-29T19:30:18Z

davorg: Been getting hit with blog comment spam for the last couple of weeks. First time this has been a problem for years. Anyone else seeing it?

twitter: davorg: Attn: @CarolineLucas Are you going against Green Party policy on NHS treatments? - http://bit.ly/bmGHER

2010-07-29T18:31:24Z

davorg: Attn: @CarolineLucas Are you going against Green Party policy on NHS treatments? - http://bit.ly/bmGHER