Christopher John Myers

Everyone knows so-called 'probiotic drinks are sugar and water masquerading as health food.  And that great customer relations is about listening to what people are saying.  So how do you explain this - below - from the distributors of Yakult in response to my mate 'Nutters's’ complaint?? First, I'd better explain that the milkman left 24 free samples of this expensive confection at 'Nutters's' place of work.  'Nutters' didn't ask for them ... didn't welcome them and told Mr Yakult as much. You will notice that Yakult's careful, official, line is not to claim health benefits, just the weasel words about ‘positive outcomes’.  I shall be following this up at some reputable sources, including Quack Watch and Bad Science. Watch this space. Here's the official response: Subject: RE: Yakult freebies Dear , Thank you for your email; I am very sorry that you were disappointed with your recent free delivery of Yakult. Just to give you so

Francesco Schettino, the self-styled 'Captain of the Costa Concordia' who jumped ship, was ordered by back on board his stricken vessel  with the words - ' vada a bordo, cazzo! '. The coastguard official who gave that order - even if you don't understand Italian, you just know it IS an order - has been hailed a hero for his no nonsense approach.  That's in sharp contrast to the braggart captain who has caused 11 or so deaths and so much tragedy. So how does this, now famous, order translate? I'm told it goes somethimng like this, "Get back on board for f**k's sake".  Helpfully Google Translate gives us, "go on boardf, f**k!" The phrase has made it onto t-shirts - see graphic.  You can hear the radio exchange on  YouTube : As for me, I won't be buying their coffee ever again! Nb: The Captain's name is pronounced 'Skettino', not as you may have wished.

Some profound thoughts here from the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, on the news that his tented neighbours are being evicted: “Whatever now happens as a result of today's judgment, the protest has brought a number of vital themes to prominence.” “These are themes that the St Paul 's Institute remains committed to exploring and, now through London Connection, we want to ensure they continue to have a voice.” “Bishops cannot have all the answers to what are complex economic problems. What we can do, however, is broker communications and make sure that a proper connection between finance and its ethical and moral context is found.” Thanks the Daily Mail for bringing us this insight. Actually, no one who has followed the inept management of this ‘important issue’ by the Church of England will have expected ‘Bishops to have answers’.   C of E Christians like me are only too, painfully, embarrassingly aware that all we get from our leadership are questions, que

The St Paul's anti-capitalist tented camp will have to move now they've lost their appeal against eviction. But the fight against the capitalist fat cats goes on.  All property is theft ... etc http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/18/occupy-st-pauls-eviction-court

Suicide is the most tragic form of death and so many people are hurt … perhaps for the rest of their lives. Reggae star 'Smiley Culture' was alleged to have killed himself, with a knife, after a police raid on his Surrey mansion on 15 March last year. Now Croydon Crown Court heard that he allegedly masterminded a £400,000 cocaine supply plot from his Warlingham home. The trial of his alleged conspirators was told on Monday (17 January, 2012) that the singer - whose real name was David Emanuel - was charged and on bail when he allegedly stabbed himself through the heart on March 15 last year during a police drugs raid at his home. Prejudicing anyone’s trial is a criminal offence in itself, but I recall that days after the raid, “a meeting between top Metropolitan police officers and members of the public descended into chaos and tears, as family and friends of the dead pop star Smiley Culture accused senior police chiefs of being "murderers". From www.guardian.co

So we were in a restaurant in Conway , North Wales last year when this women pipes up, complaining: “I object to the narrative coming out of the kitchen.”  Honestly. And then I read in PR Week (13 January 2012) that the British electorate is so furious about the damage bankers have done to the economy that, “this may provide a difficult narrative to control.” So, what’s going on? Why call a ‘story a ‘narrative’? Is there a difference, or does ‘narrative’ just make the user sound more intellectual?  Are writers, speakers becoming even more up their own ar**s?  Or, more worryingly, is it a symptom of the way PR and spin is seeping into journalism? I think it’s all these things. Here’s one fact, significantly from the US : ‘the narrative’ was officially judged the ‘No. 1 political buzzword’ of 2010 (things take a while to cross the Atlantic ).  This from the Global Language Monitor  (GLM), in Austin , Texas . who have been electronically monitoring words on thousands of news, blog

Can you believe it? The Koreans believe that having an electric fan on in the room can kill! Fans now come with timers to prevent this happening. Mind you, they do believe that their president Kim was the world’s most successful golf pro, if only for one day.   Oh, hang on – that’s North Korea .   Of course t hey don’t have any fans, either literally or metaphorically. I should have made it clear that this myth – the fan one – refers to South Korea . See reputable link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

Today is the first birthday of the world's sunniest baby - official. Thomas Arthur Myers has already had, at least, three birthday parties.  And, so far as I know, three cakes and three sets of presents. He deserved every one.

Cheese labelled a ‘high risk’ food!   The Anthony Worrall Thompson supermarket theft story is a sad one … but it reinforces the extraordinary fact that cheese is ‘high-risk' because it is the most stolen food product in the world. Shoplifting and organised retail crime cost the UK high street an estimated £4.9m during the past 12 months, according to a new survey by the Centre for Retail Research .   That’s up by 6.2%. The dairy item's loss percentage (3.9%) is more than three times the global average (1.29%). Supermarkets have had a tough few months, being victims of theft and looting Neil Matthews, vice-president of retail security firm Checkpoint Systems , spoke of ‘high-risk food’ thefts ‘shooting up’ by more than the global average. Most stolen items at supermarkets: ·               Razorblades ·               Alcohol  ·               Cheese ·               Coffee ·               CDs and DVDs

Scot Brian Ettles , 46, drowned after he threw himself inside the 11,000-gallon vat of Glenfiddich whisky on Saturday, 7 January He will go down in history. What a way to go. Of course it’s a tragedy, but we’re still waiting to hear from the Dufftown, Banffshire Distillery about what’s going to happen to those 11,000 gallons – 71,000 bottles. ·        Glenfiddich is the world's best-selling single malt whisky

Two drink-free days a week needed, MPs' report says How I laughed at the news that ‘a group of MPs’ says people should have at least two days a week completely clear of alcohol. Parliament is awash with booze, so who do these besuited people think they are to lecture us?   Indeed. The report by the Commons science and technology committee, calls for a review of all government guidelines on alcohol but I am more concerned about cutting Parliament’s drinks bill.   Or banning booze from the Mother of Parliaments. Anyone agree?

We’re often told not to mix alcohol and antibiotics; but is this sound advice … is there a medical reason to avoid this combination? As someone prone to winter upper respiratory infections – particularly so this year – and a beer-lover, this is a subject of enormous interest to me.   Particularly so as I’ve had two ineffective weeks on amoxicillin and am now on Docycycline.   The former has no prohibition on drinking in the advice leaflet; the latter says to avoid alcohol. So I did some research on the web.   Amazing how people offer completely unsubstantiated advice – “No, you can’t drink on any antibiotic as it will damage your liver!" Advises one nurse. I ‘phoned Activis, the manufactures of Docycline and I went to the NHS website and did some Googlisations. And … guess what – there is NO general, medical reason NOT to drink on antibiotics.   However if you DO drink on two, more recent antibiotics – Metronidazole and Tinidazole it will make you ill.   So avoid.   Otherwise,

So many people think that motorcycles are ‘greener’ than cars because they are more fuel efficient.   But did you know that they are actually much more polluting? It’s a fact – at least so far as bikes without catalytic converts (the vast majority) are concerned. Californian tests show that bikes were on average 10 times more polluting per mile than a car.   More specifically, they emit more unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide.   Carbon dioxide emissions – the greenhouse gas that is taxed for cars - however, are actually less. Carbon dioxide, of course, isn’t so injurious to health. So why should a bike internal combustion engine that is on average about twice as fuel efficient as car's be so polluting? Paradoxically, it’s the bike’s efficiency that’s to blame.   Higher performance techniques such as higher compression ratios, higher combustion temperatures, actually liberate MORE oxides of nitrogen. Bikes do have one advantage, however – they spend