I find the entire “chatting with the dead” industry a bit pathetic. The people who claim to do this are taking advantage of the suffering of those that have lost loved ones. Many of them speak in vague terms that allow the bereaved to latch onto whatever they are saying.

I see it highly unlikely that people, especially non-family members, can converse with the dead. I have never seen any evidence to proof such claims and I rather doubt I ever will.

People who peddle this should leave the bereaved alone with their memories and stop taking them for a ride. It makes for ghoulish television when done “for real” and amusing escapism when done fictionally.

In sense these people are cons who prey on the weak and weary, just like con-artists prey on the greedy.

Crossposted at Love to Lead.

Have a laugh and take the Gay-o-Meter its rather enlightening to see how one scores on the test. Oh yes and this little quiz, thanks Tabitha, has so far produced 108 comments on As Maine Goes.

However its rather good to see than rather than whingeing and barracking people Branson is offering $25 million to a help spur development that lowers the amount of carbon in the enviroment. Instead of taxing the hell out of consumers and normal people, encouraging business to develop things is far more useful. Overwhelmingly people in the UK think that Gordo is just using these hystrionic reports to get more money out of Britons.

Update: Peter Hitchens skwered Gore and his ilk on Daily Politics. There was a bimbo sitting next to him who was aghast that he doubted global warming.

Update II: Bjorn Lomborg has hit back at his critics in The Guardian no less. Guess now that he is a real heretic they feel a bit sorry for him.

Update III: As you would expect Colby Cosh is all over this including writer a primer on the discounting debate.

Update IV: A piece on the real deniers you know the ones denying us a debate on the subject?

You might be confused why an Iman, one Abu Izzadeen, was arrested yesterday by the police in a fairly high profile raid that was covered quite extensively. The man has had several people come out and complain about his arrest. Before you resort to decrying the police state, as some have, you might just want to have a listen to to this sermon that was discovered by those fine folks over at host-mates Harry’s Place. I am guessing journalists will be relieved he is off the street. His definition of “not supporting terrorism” is quite revealing it has to be said.

There are times when people ask me about all the blog advertising that shows up on this blog, most of it via PPP. Some people have actually taken exception to my using this blog to raise some funds for its upkeep and spending money. Most have been quite polite about but some have been rather rude. I simply tell them that this is my blog, the url is my namesake after all, and I will do what I damn well want with it. If you don’t like my paid advertising then don’t read the posts. Other sites have shedloads of advertising and people still use them. The reason I like PPP is that they actually pay you for the space they use on the site. Most advertising schemes promise alot and deliver sod all. I had adsense on my site for quite a while and got nothing. Others have a threshold to which you have to reach before getting paid. With PPP it is very simple. You write a post, they approve it and 30 days later you get the money into your Paypal account. This is a no-brainer.

So far I have earned over $2k which I am using to purchase things online like flowers for my beloved. It is also used when my beloved and I are in the US to go shopping in Freeport for things we need and or want. I think of my PPP money and “pocket money” that I spend on things like getting GoD tracks into the reviewing stream on Garageband and paying for a meal at Pizza Express when we are sick of cooking. As the amount of PPP money gets higher it will be used for various elements of my forthcoming wedding in Maine. Oh yes and the odd fun opp where I get to muck about and learn iMovie is not a bad thing either.

That’s what it’s called—the football card pictures of a ballcarrier with one leg in the air, straight-arming an imaginary would-be tackler. At least that’s what it’s called on this site. I can’t find any other reference to it on Google or in Wikipedia.

If it’s not called the “ol’ huck ‘n’ buck”—it damned well should be. I suspect that after Google indexes this page, the pressure to call it the “ol’ huck ‘n’ buck” will be unstoppable. The pose, that is. I think Google’s name is still safe.

There are three pages of quality huckness ‘n’ buckitude. Or photos of the rejects from a Bolshoi Ballet audition. The link to the next is at the centre-bottom of each page (it’s hard to see, but lights up when you hover your cursor over it).

the blog québécois

Well that is ok by me but you might not be too pleased about it. Why don’t you try Free Online Dating from JustSayHi.com. Its actually free so you know you are not being had by someone greedy to exploit your loneliness. And hell it is free so why not have a go? This post is sponsored by JustSayHi.

Sir Charities, community groups and social enterprises want the 2012 Olympics to be a success, but they must not be unfairly penalised due to the increased cost of the games (News, February 7).

We are therefore joining with voluntary and community organisations across the country to petition the Prime Minister to ensure that further National Lottery funds are not diverted from other good causes to pay for the rising cost of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A further diversion of more than 900 million would be disastrous for good causes, including charities, community groups and social enterprises. It will create insecurity, uncertainty and will threaten our work with some of the most disadvantaged and excluded individuals and communities in our society.

The voluntary and community sector is a vital partner in the games an event that should unite us all. The Government must therefore safeguard Lottery funding and find an alternative means of funding the overspend.

Stuart Etherington, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
Kevin Curley, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)
Martin Sime, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
Graham Benfield, Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)
Christopher Spence, Volunteering England
David Tyler, Community Matters
Jonathan Bland, Social Enterprise Coalition, London N1

So its not only taxpayers who are getting screwed by the whole Olympics fiasco but charities as well.