pumpkinstrokemarrow

And then I get one from another friendly bank, HSBC, which alleges that I spent £50 odd on something called spicegold. Never heard of. Ask Mr G. and it seems that there are lots of things called spice gold, including some kind of cannabis look alike which was legal in this country until late last year when they got around to sticking it onto the list of Class B drugs. But Wikipedia helpfully explains where it is still legal. However, none of this helps me to check my credit card bill as I have not knowingly ingested the stuff. Work the brain cells a bit harder, dig some dog-eared receipts from the wallet and find that the amount corresponds to that spent in a very decent restaurant on Garrett Lane called Kazans - http://www.kazans.com/Home.aspx. Eventually discover the word spicegold on the receipt, so I shall pay the credit card bill after all. Next time we visit the place we shall ask them how the two names tie up. No clues on the web site.

But this reminds me about a clipping that I received yesterday which tells of the health peoples' continuing drive against tobacco. It seems that the Canadians are leading an initiative called the 'International Framework Convention for Tobacco Control' to ban the use of flavourings in tobacco products, starting off with vanilla, licorice and chocolate. A gang which most recently met in Jordan, seemingly the eastern one. Didn't know anybody put that sort of thing into tobacco products, but clearly they do. The clipping then goes on to explain that this might make it difficult for tobacco product manufacturers to include something called burley tobacco in their blends, this last having a rather harsh and bitter taste which needs to be disguised. And burley is an important cash crop in some states in the US, notably Kentucky. So concerned US senators and congressmen are cranking up a counter initiative: they may be able to leverage some of the conditions of membership of the WTO to defeat the WHO. Clearly one of the many things, along with ice hockey, that Canada and the US like to needle each other about. Plus lots of dosh for lawyers.

In a related vein, I have been struck on three separate occasions on how otherwise reasonable people can catch the pedant strain of the bisease bug. Two social workers and one electrician, both callings which carry a lot of regulatory freight. So the regulators dump all this stuff on them and after a while they get to like dumping it on us. Making a great production of it all. All very tiresome. But I suppose we can't breed the gene concerned out of the population, as for some occupations pedantry, which might more kindly be called attention to the detail of the rules, is very necessary. Wouldn't get the job done without it. Soldiers, traffic wardens and IT service managers. And so on and so forth. Time for a beverage.