The risks of smoking have been known for decades, and in an effort to kick the habit many smokers have turned to e-cigarettes.

But according to a new study, using e-cigarettes could raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or developing heart disease.

One in 20 adults in the US is reported to vape, and according to the research carried out by the American Heart Association, vaping could increase their chances of suffering a heart attack by almost 60 percent.

People who smoke e-cigarettes are also 71 percent more likely to have a stroke, the study claims.

This latest piece of research, which surveyed 400,000 people, shows a link between using e-cigarettes and blood clots forming in the body, it is claimed.

The study claims vaping could raise people’s risk of suffering a stroke by 71 percent. Credit: PA

The shocking study also says that 66,795 of respondents who actually vaped were 71 percent more likely to suffer from a stroke, and had a 59 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or angina.

This group were also found to have a 40 percent greater risk of heart disease.

However, despite the fact that 4.2 percent of vapers in the study had suffered a stroke, there was no definitive evidence to show that vaping kills, it has been reported.

According to the Mail Online, Dr Larry Goldstein, chairman of the department of neurology and co-director of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, said a ‘wave’ of heart problems could be heading our way.

He said: “It’s obviously quite concerning. This is a potential chip of the spear, of a wave of cardio-vascular disease, that may be coming in the future, especially since this has been so attractive to young users.

“This is the first real data that we’re seeing associating e-cigarette use with hard cardiovascular events.”

He added: “But it’s quite a concern, especially since nationwide now we’ve seen a levelling off in, and in many instances an increase in the risk of stroke-related mortality in the country. It’s hard to know what contribution this has to that, but it doesn’t appear to be safer, or safe right now from the data that’s available.”

Last year, research was carried out by Public Health England claimed that 44 percent of smokers wrongly believe vaping is just as harmful as regular smoking.

However, according to the study, vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking.

The father of two of the three Christchurch boys, who were aged 16 and 13, blames the police for the deaths of both his sons who died last weekend speeding away from the police in a stolen car. The Otago Daily Times reported the father’s accusation and defence.  Quote.

He said his sons were good boys but conceded they had been involved in police pursuits and had stolen cars in the past.” End of quote.

Newsflash: habitual stealing is not a characteristic of good boys. By all means give a kid a break for his first offence, but ignoring multiple car thefts? Absolutely not. Quote.

Actually, no!  Not one of my dozen nephews reached adulthood with a penchant for stealing other people’s stuff.  Their parents did a good job of teaching them to respect other people and their stuff.

Given this father thinks stealing cars is acceptable, he deserves some of the blame for the strife his boys got themselves into. No person has more influence in a child’s life than their parents.

These boys should have been sorted out much earlier – an education that excludes the biff or any other violence.  Kids learn more from what they see than what they are told, and this father has no concept of good parenting. As we now know, he might appears to have missed out in decent parenting too. Quote.

Technically, his kids killed themselves because the police pulled out of the chase before the crash.

And as it happens, there is a history of family violence. The father’s brother, Glen Mcallister, died after a murder suicide rampage in Cathedral Square in 1989.  The father of the dead boys is very quick to absolve himself and his deceased violent brother of blame for the boys deaths, but is he correct to do that?

I think violence in the family affects all members. History repeating itself points to parental neglect and lessons not learned, if taught at all. ‘It’s not my fault’ from the father is a man simply denying his part in his children’s outcome.  Quote.

“It’s not about me.” End of quote.

Actually, it is about you. Your children learned from you and their behaviour is a reflection of your parenting.

This family history of bad behaviour is not unlike what we witnessed this week from the Liverpudlian family who displayed inter-generational insouciance. They thumbed their noses at the environment, restaurants and the general public. Some families really shouldn’t be breeding.

The police get a bad rap each time the media comes out with “police pursuit” and the families of the deceased take the media opportunity to point the finger, blaming the police for the deaths of their loved ones.  Not a bad kid, they say. I guess it’s all a matter of degrees, maybe these errant kids are just not bad enough in their parents eyes.

The police are there to keep us safe from idiot minors, and the courts need to come down heavily on youth who persistently flaunt the law.

If these boys had survived the accident would they have learned anything from it? One would hope so, but probably not.

The Independent in the UK shows how Britain is so far ahead of us here in New Zealand. It seems that expressions like ‘bringing home the bacon’ are offensive… yes. You read that right. quote.

You may think phrases like “bringing home the bacon” and “putting all your eggs in one basket” are harmless quirks of the English language, but they could be offending vegans and vegetarians, with one academic claiming they might end up being avoided altogether as a result.

As research shows more people are removing animal products from their diets than ever before, Shareena Hamzah of Swansea University says idioms involving animal products could be rendered obsolete because they are out of touch with the zeitgeist. end quote.

Or offending Muslims, perhaps, Shareena? quote.

Writing for The Conversation, the researcher explains how meat-based metaphors are a popular staple of our everyday vernacular but that an increased awareness in the environmental and ethical issues surrounding meat production “will undoubtedly be reflected in our language and literature” and that this language may no longer be so widely accepted. end quote.

This article is about absolutely nothing. It is saying that people might stop using these expressions because fewer people eat meat. Most of us don’t even think about offending vegetarians, or Muslims, when we use expressions such as ‘bringing home the bacon’, because there is nothing offensive in them. The vegetarians that I know seem to cope quite well with a few expressions here and there. Not all vegetarians are snowflakes. They simply choose not to eat meat, for reasons of their own. quote.

“In today’s reality, meat is repeatedly the subject of much socially and politically charged discussion, including about how the demand for meat is contributing to climate change and environmental degradation,” she continues.

“Given that fiction often reflects on real world events and societal issues, it may very well be that down the line powerful meat metaphors are eschewed. end quote.

Let’s think of some other powerful metaphors still in use, shall we?

‘Money doesn’t grow on trees’ – how offensive to trees

‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ – why Romans? Why not Somalis?

‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ – offensive to horses. Neigh!

‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’ – offensive to non vegans

‘Beggars cannot be choosers’ – offensive to our homeless people

You can see how stupid this is, can’t you?

Also, I keep thinking of the song ‘Ring a Ring of Roses’. This is not quite the same thing, I know, but it is believed to be a reference to the Great Plague of London in the 17th century. And ‘bring home the bacon’ has a historical reference as well. The Phrase Finder has all the details quote.

The origin of the phrase ‘bring home the bacon’ is sometimes suggested to be the story of the Dunmow Flitch. This tradition, which still continues every four years in Great Dunmow, Essex, is based on the story of a local couple who, in 1104, impressed the Prior of Little Dunmow with their marital devotion to the point that he awarded them a flitch [a side] of bacon. The continuing ritual of couples showing their devotion and winning the prize, to considerable acclamation by the local populace, is certainly old and well authenticated. Geoffrey Chaucer mentions it in The Wife of Bath’s Tale and Prologue, circa 1395.

An additional invented explanation that links ‘bringing home the bacon’ with the culinary habits of medieval English peasantry is given in the nonsense email ‘Life in the 1500s‘. That, and all the other supposed derivations above, ignores the fact that ‘bring home the bacon’ is a 20th century phrase that was coined in the USA.

One field of endeavour in which one’s body, that is, bacon, is the key to one’s fortune is boxing, and it is in that sport that the expression first became widely used.

Joe Gans and ‘Battling’ Oliver Nelson fought for the widely reported world lightweight championship on 3rd September 1906. In coverage of the fight, the New York newspaper The Post-Standard, 4th September 1906, reported that:

Before the fight Gans received a telegram from his mother: “Joe, the eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news and you bring home the bacon.”

Gans (on the right in the picture) won the fight, and The New York Times printed a story saying that he had replied by telegraph that he “had not only the bacon, but the gravy”, and that he later sent his mother a cheque for $6,000. end quote.

Oh dear. The American origins are one of the few positive references to African Americans in the period before World War 2. Do we really want to dispose of a reference to the history of African Americans?

If it was just yet another piece of European history, it wouldn’t matter in the least of course. We are disposing of those by the day. But who do we support the most? Vegans or African Americans? What a dilemma!

A lot of vegans are white people. The black guys will win out every time.

Which means, as soon as everyone knows the origins of the expression, ‘bringing home the bacon,’ it will be perfectly fine. Even to vegans. They might even start eating it. The plant version, of course.

World War I

During the first World War, a general’s letter revealed details of British and German Soldiers playing soccer and exchanging Christmas gifts during a one-day truce in 1914. Quote.

A letter documenting the day when British and German troops laid down their arms, exchanged gifts and played a game of soccer at Christmas in 1914 has been uncovered in England.

The letter, written from the trenches in France by a high-ranking British general to his wife, has been made public to mark the centenary of the truce.

The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is already well-known, and has inspired many artistic endeavors, including an advertisement this year by a British supermarket chain.

But the letter, from General Walter Congreve to his wife, is a rare first-hand account of the event.

Writing from France on Christmas Day 100 years ago, General Congreve described to his wife how when he took Christmas gifts from his mother of toffees, cigarettes, pencils and writing paper down to the trenches he heard about “an outstanding state of affairs”.

“This morning, a German shouted out that they wanted a day’s truce, and would one come out if they did?” he wrote.

“So, very cautiously, one of our men lifted himself above the parapet, and saw a German doing the same – both got out, then more.”

The general described how the German and British soldiers then exchanged cigars, sang together and played soccer.

“Officers, as well as the men, were out and the German colonel himself was talking to one of our captains,” he wrote.

He also wrote of how the truce had exposed the position of a young man considered the German army’s best shot: “They say he’s killed more of our men than any other 12 together, but I know now where he shoots from, so I hope we down him tomorrow.”

A councilor at the Staffordshire County Council Archives where the letter was uncovered, Ben Adams, said it was a very moving piece of history.

“This was in the middle of the most horrendous war imaginable, the most horrendous circumstances imaginable, so for those men to have an opportunity to almost live a normal life, chat and meet with other men in the way that they would hope to do outside of war, but knowing within 48 hours it’s back to the gruesome business of trying to win – it’s quite extraordinary,” Mr Adams said.

General Congreve did not take part in the truce because he was worried he might be too big a target for the Germans to resist.

Mr Adams said it was understandable given the general’s enormous responsibilities.

“At the time General Congreve was probably in charge of something like 35,000 to 40,000 men – he would have been a real target for the enemy,” he said.

“He actually is a very brave man, he was a holder of the Victoria Cross – he won the Victoria Cross in the Boer War.”

General Congreve survived the war and died in 1927.

His son Billy, also a Victoria Cross holder, was killed in action in 1916. […] E

Jacinda Ardern cracking
Photoshopped image credit: Luke

Newshub reports: quote.

A former top rugby boss has called Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters “traitors”, and warned he’s coming to get them.

Ex-New Zealand Rugby CEO David Moffett, a member of the New Conservative Party, made the comments on Thursday after the Government announced it would support the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. end quote.

The only thing that makes me feel happy about this whole thing is the reaction to it. For the first time in as long as I can remember, people actually are up in arms about a political issue. Not ‘up in arms’ as they were over the TPP, which involved nothing more than orchestrated attacks on the government by left-wing activists; it is ordinary people who are outraged by this action. It gives me hope that the true colours of this Marxist government are starting to be seen for what they are. quote.

“Yes we’ll see whether you 2 traitors are still smiling when we are done with you next year,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Have a good break coz you’re going to need it. Next year will likely be your Annus Horibilis because we are coming to get you.” end quote.

Strong words, but deserved. Moffatt is an ex-rugby man, and so people will take notice. The sneaky, underhand way in which the government has handled this matter is now plain for all to see. Like the Sroubek affair, Jacinda hoped that it would all just pass under the radar. It didn’t. Once she was asked questions about it, her furtiveness became obvious and embarrassing. We are not going away, Jacinda. This whole issue of our sovereignty, which you promised you would never compromise, is not going to go away. quote.

The controversial pact would create a non-legally binding way of addressing why people migrate, how to protect them, how to integrate them into new countries, means of returning them home and other issues.

Mr Peters, Foreign Affairs Minister, said New Zealand will sign up after he received legal advice saying it won’t affect national sovereignty.

But the decision has angered Mr Moffett, who called Mr Peters and Ms Ardern “leftards”.

“There are 53million people, mostly from Africa and Sth America ready to invade other countries in the name of migration. They want out of their own countries run by criminals and dictators. The same countries that the UN want us to give $billions to…… Say No NZ,” he tweeted. end quote.

The Crown Law office have only commented on the document in front of their noses, but Angela Merkel let the cat out of the bag last week. Once the compact has been approved, all it will take is for a vote to be taken in the UN to make the compact binding. If two-thirds of countries agree to that, then it will be binding. Because so many countries that have signed up to it want their citizens to be able to migrate, the majority will be reached easily. The Crown Law office has not considered that possibility, because it was not asked to consider it. It has advised only on the document as it exists today. quote.

“You can all be guaranteed that I will not stop fighting for all Kiwis, no matter what side of politics you are on.”

His tweets have been met with some criticism, with one person calling them “a tad aggressive”.

“Hang on… aren’t you a migrant who moved to NZ for economic / job purposes?” a commenter said. end quote.

I too am a migrant who moved to New Zealand, but I went through all the proper channels, did everything right, had interviews with Immigration NZ, filled out copious forms and waited for the required periods for my residency to be approved. To think that someone could just turn up from Africa on a boat and have all the same rights without proper process is horrific. But that is what will happen.

I am glad the government is not going to get away with this, and I am particularly glad that Winston Peters is on the rack because of it. Anyone who has campaigned for all of his political life on lowering immigration, then doing a 180-degree turn and signing this document, is indeed a traitor. At least we have all seen the truth about Winston now. His legacy is truly in tatters. At least some good has come out of all of this.

Oh dear. The prime minister of the open and transparent government is now being accused of being dishonest about her text messages, received from Richie Hardcore, a supporter of Karel Sroubek, because she has pretended, all the way through this farcical situation, that she had no personal interest and a lot of secret information about the case that would change our minds about giving residency to a wife-beating drug lord who is in jail on drug trafficking charges… but is a lovely boy really.

Well, his mother says so anyway.

But the opposition doesn’t think so. Stuff reports: quote.

The Opposition leader claims the prime minister has been dishonest about a text message she received from a friend of Czech drug-smuggler Karel Sroubek.

When asked if he believed that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had lied about a message from Richie Hardcore, National leader Simon Bridges said by omission, she had been dishonest and that was “pretty much the same” as lying.

Ardern confirmed she received the message but said she did not engage with the unsolicited message. end quote.

I don’t have the prime minister’s mobile phone number to send a text to. Do you? So Richie Hardcore is a privileged person. Now why would that be? quote.

Bridges said it “beggars belief” that this was the first or only communication from Hardcore to Ardern about Sroubek.

He believed she knew more about Sroubek than she was saying or that Hardcore had been lobbying her. end quote.

I have to admit, this makes sense. Hardcore is clearly a close associate of Jacinda and Clarke. He is also an associate of Karel Sroubek. That the prime minister thinks it is okay to give her immigration minister directives to award residency to people supported by her friends is both surprising and very disappointing. That she may have actually done it beggars belief. quote.

“For nearly two months, my colleagues and I have been asking serious questions and the picture painted by Ardern was that she knew nothing about any of this … that’s dishonest.”

He said he did not buy her comment that her phone number was widely available and questioned why she would not release the text message.

Hardcore works in counselling and rehabilitation in Auckland and it is understood Ardern had met him at various events.

He had previously provided references in support of Sroubek (or Antolik as he was then known) to the sentencing judge in March 2016, arguing against him being jailed, and then to the Parole Board in December 2017. His pleas fell on deaf ears on both occasions: Sroubek was jailed in 2016, and the Parole Board refused early release in 2017.

When asked about the message on Thursday, Ardern said she would not release the text because she received a number of communications from a number of individuals in various capacities but she would consider an Official Information Act request. end quote.

You have to ask why she will not release the text. Let’s face it, the reason cannot be good. It is getting harder and harder to believe that Hardcore did not solicit the prime minister… particularly as Sroubek is such a lovely citizen, just grossly misunderstood. Sroubek’s wife, who is in a safe house in fear for her life, is clearly misguided in her assessment of him. quote.

She confirmed she had known Hardcore for a number of years and had proactively shared that she had received information from him, highlighting, it was only after the minister made his decision on the Sroubek case.

“I’ve only been asked in the past about whether I knew anyone that made representations on this case. I’ve made it very clear I knew nothing of this case until it was in the public domain. I do not know who made representations on the case and I could not, hand on heart, say whether anyone who contacted me made representation. I saw yesterday that the opposition were asking very direct questions – made the decision to put out there what contact I had received. I want to reiterate I did not receive this communication until the case was on the public domain.” end quote.

Whatever. What was all the stuff about ‘read between the lines’? She had ignored all representations on this case, in spite of the fact that he should never have been given residency. Not at any point, not at any time.

The prime minister is obfuscating here, and the deputy prime minister is covering for her, but then, as he is one of her henchmen, that should come as no surprise.

Winston was always a master of trying to hold the previous government to account, but he is ducking and weaving like a snake. He may appear smart in the house, but he is fooling no one. This government is probably the most dishonest government ever, and Winston Peters put it there.

Why is painting faces black considered racist, but painting them white is not?

Traditionally, geishas paint their faces white, so do Halloween characters and traditional French mime artists. I’ve never heard one word of complaint from white skinned people about racism in the face of white-faced performers.

French mime artist

A traditional Dutch character, Black Pete, is joining Rotorua’s Christmas festivities this year and calls of racism are upsetting the event organisers. The same thing is happening overseas, including in Holland where the tradition originates. Newshub reports. Quote.

‘Black Pete’ to appear at the local feast of St Nicholas on December 5.  The traditional character sees those playing them paint their face black and lips red, then put on a curly black wig and hand out presents and sweets to children.

The demonstrators were on their way to Dokkum, above, to protest against the inclusion of Zwart Piet in the town’s festival. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

It’s been called racist – even by many in the Netherlands, where the character originates – but Rotorua Netherlands Society member Douwe Visser believes it’s just tradition.  He told NZME it will have to change in the future, after some conversations in the community, but not now.” End of quote.

Origins of the character are not considered insulting – it is only our politically correct over-sensitivity that has caused this change in thinking.  People are dreaming up insults that never existed previously. Black Pete is a good guy.   Quote.

I think it has to change a little because for some people it’s looked at as insulting, but originally it wasn’t meant that way,” he told NZME. “I think it will change in the future, but we’ll have to talk about it.” End of quote.

Rotorua Multicultural Council president Margriet Theron said she’s in two minds about the costumes and will wait to see what the public has to say.

“The old Dutch people are very attached to the tradition but … I don’t think it’s going to go down well,” she told NZME.

It hasn’t gone down well with the NZ Human Rights Commission, who told NZME people need to challenge the perpetuation of racist stereotypes and customs like Black Pete.

“Racism, overt or casual, is not acceptable,” a spokesperson said.

Fights in the streets have broken out in the Netherlands over the character.” End of quote.

The NZ Human Rights Commission has lost the plot, yet again.

We need to stop being so precious about “racism”.  Let’s get a French mime artist to tag along with Black Pete at Rotorua’s Christmas festivities to highlight the ridiculousness of the racism argument.  They can both hand out sweets and pressies to the kids.

Seeing that you are no longer allowed to express your opinions about climate change onStuff (unless you are a fawning believer, that is), I thought maybe you would like the opportunity to have your say on some of their climate change articles on Whaleoilinstead. quote.

quote.

[Mike] Smith, the activist, is now in charge of climate change policy for the high profile Iwi Leaders Group. end quote.

Well, we are off to a cracking start. We all know how level-headed and objective the average activist is. quote.

He says Māori, in particular, are at greater risk from the effects of climate change.

“We’re super vulnerable, like we are to anything,” Smith says.

“When it comes to climate change it’s like the poorest people in the world are going to be hit the hardest first and that’s a lot of us.” end quote.

I think the climate mantra is that, in general, the poor on the planet will be most affected – like those who live in the Bay of Bengal or Banda Ache in Indonesia. I don’t think the climate dogmatists meant Onehunga or Upper Hutt somehow. quote.

“It can be quite overwhelming the global climate change issues,” says Ōtaki resident and environmental scientist Aroha Spinks.

“To see those prediction models of how much water was going to be along that coastline was a big eye opener,” says Spinks.

“I’m sure some people got a bit of shock to see how much of that coastline could potentially be underwater.” end quote.

Or then again, it might not. quote.

Urupā, Māori burial sites, are common along New Zealand’s coastline and could soon become submerged.

“For some hapū and iwi there is a real pressing need to act to move tūpāpaku (corpses) to higher ground,” says Niwa research scientist Dr Darren King. end quote.

Forgive me. (Shakes head.) I thought we were all going to be 20 feet underwater in the next two years. If moving corpses is the biggest issue, well… sorry. quote.

“The climate change challenge for Māori society is about sustainable living arrangements and development, as much as it is about natural hazards management such as risks associated with flooding, storms and coastal erosion,” [King] says. end quote.

Not about maintaining your traditions then? quote.

A major challenge for Māori communities is how they will pay for any necessary physical adaptations. end quote.

How about using some of that Treaty settlement money that has been paid in compensation to Maori over the last 30 or so years? Just a thought. quote.

For well-off households and communities, the costs of adaptation will be manageable. But many Māori communities struggle to survive in the present let alone thinking about what needs to be done to adapt to, and help reduce climate change, says Dr Rhys Jones, a public health medicine specialist.

“A lot of people talk about climate change as a threat multiplier for people who are also facing disadvantages or poor health, it exacerbates those threats,” Jones says. end quote.

So… if we have money, we’ll be okay? So we are not going to be 20 feet underwater in the next two years then? Or is it just the poor that will be? quote.

Substandard housing is an issue for all New Zealanders especially during an extreme weather event. But many of those living in poor housing are Māori, says Jones, who represents over 600 health professionals in Ora Taiao, the Climate and Health Council.

“It’s not just the immediate event, it’s the period after; washed out roads, power out, no water. There are huge risks to health as well, if they can’t access water and can’t get to health services.” end quote.

A lot of these problems can be remedied, at least partially, by local councils taking steps to improve their floodwater management. I did not realise that weather was racist. People in better housing can still suffer the effects of floods. quote.

Smith is up for the challenge but is concerned others aren’t.

“We’ve got ten years to get our emissions down. We’ve got to shift public opinion and support governments that are prepared to do the right thing even if it’s going to hurt.” end quote.

Even if it is true that we have 10 years to get emissions down (isn’t it funny how it has been 10 years since about 2002? Shouldn’t we all be 20 feet underwater already?), there is just about nothing that little ol’ New Zealand can do about it. Unless the big emitters start to pull their weight, we will still be 20 feet underwater… in 10 years time.

The article states that Maori will be more affected than other New Zealanders because they live in poor housing and need to move their corpses. Excuse me making light of it, but nothing in this article makes the future seem very dire, for Maori or for anyone else.

And Stuff does not allow anything other than sycophantic comments on an article like this?

Stuff needs a new logo.

How about this one from the awesome Boondecker?

Says it all really.