Placebo

First a little note about homeopathy. Mimum says that she remembers me ranting about homeopaths before. She is right when she says that homeopathy works for those people that believe in it. It is, as she quite rightly states, a positive thought thing. The placebo effect has been shown in a number of tests. That effect however doesn't work when homeopathy is used on people who don't know whether they are getting a real remedy or a dummy. It also doesn't work on animals. It could be argued that the placebo effect is a good thing and that homeopathy does more good than harm, even if it doesn't work as described. The worry is that people will abandon real medicine in favour of plain water, which is not a good thing. So I say we should all turn our back on it, despite what Prince Charles says.

Why does Svan Goran Eriksson have so much trouble keeping it in his trousers? It's not like he's a young blonde Adonis exactly is it? Well, he was blonde before it went grey and fell out I guess. Hardly a week goes by however without some new allegation about him and some curvey female half his age. I'm half in awe at his swordsmanship and half amazed that he has the energy. I nearly met him once. I walked into him when he visted my office. Couldn't see where I was going behind whatever I was carrying. Didn't recognise him anyway.

An Australian politician has found himself in very hot water and had to resign after calling the Asian born wife of a colleague a "mail order bride". I found this quite unsettling to read. I've always been aware that a white man married to an oriental woman does lend itself to the mail order bride cliche. As someone who actually married an Asian woman, it bothers me. Ironically I don't think the dragon ever gives it a second thought. The scum sucking bottom feeder politician in question, John Brogden was leader of the Australian Liberal party and made the remarks at an event in which he also groped a young woman an propositioned another. He's married, 37, and should know better. I'd say the average 12-year-old should know better come to think of it.

I think schools are going mad in UK. I just read that one school in Northants, I lived there for a while, is allowing children to swear during class up to five times. I'm not sure whether that is five times each, or five times altogether. Either way I can't see the logic. What are they trying to say here? Swearing a little bit is OK? Apparently children that don't swear are to be sent home with a letter of praise for their parents, unbelievable, I mean you can't write that kind of comedy. Click.