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AIBU?

In punching Dr Briffa repeatedly in the head?

20 replies

Sparklyboots · 18/04/2014 22:43

... with his express understanding, if not direct permission.

www.drbriffa.com/2014/04/18/low-blood-sugar-appears-to-cause-aggression-and-relationship-disharmony/

I haven't had my dinner. This article refers to a basically idiotic bit of research involving voodoo dolls, which Dr Briffa has handily interpreted for us: Give him his tea, and he won't be driven to clock you one.

Can I remind everyone, I haven't had my dinner? So could in no way be expected to reply politely to anyone who actually thought I was advocating punching anyone.

OP posts:
breatheslowly · 18/04/2014 22:50

His suggested snacks seem to be very protein based, would they actually sort out your blood sugar anyway?

Back to your question, he does tread a fine line between suggesting a snack and blaming the wife, but I think it is carefully written and he is on the right side of the line.

Faver0lles · 18/04/2014 22:50

YANBU.
I don't think it takes a genius to work out that being hungry can cause aggression and grumpiness, most children I know are foul when hungry.
However, the alleged Hmm attack in question, how on earth can he make excuses for this judge? Could the man not have made himself a sandwich, did his low glucose levels rob him of the ability to make his way to the kitchen to make himself a snack?

I always found John Briffa to be very clear and make a lot of sense, but in this post, he looks like a twat.

kinkyfuckery · 18/04/2014 22:51

Oh wow. I have had my dinner and still want to punch him in the head.

namechangesforthehardstuff · 18/04/2014 22:51

Right side of the line? I don't think you know where the line is...

TooOldForGlitter · 18/04/2014 22:56

How the actual fuck is this cock on the "right side of the line"?

breatheslowly · 18/04/2014 23:00

He's said that having a snack is a good idea, not that the wife should have had dinner on the table and has only herself to blame for being punched.

Faver0lles · 18/04/2014 23:00

He's saying that a bag of nuts could have prevented a vicious attack? Bullshit.
As well as a tone that suggests that the wife should not have been entertaining guests at the cost of cooking her husband's tea?
How is that on the right line?

breatheslowly · 18/04/2014 23:01

He hasn't said either of those things.

piscivorous · 18/04/2014 23:01

I didn't read it that he was condoning this attack, just that he was saying blood sugar could be a contributory factor to the situation. Of course punching anyone is wrong, of course he could have made his own sandwich, I don't think he was commenting on either of those things.

Sparklyboots · 18/04/2014 23:03

It is very carefully written yes, so he might be able to claim that he hasn't explicitly stated that DV is caused by low blood sugar. But that's clearly a twatty misuse of semantics. I was going to go into massive detail about why but I really don't think I need to?

OP posts:
breatheslowly · 18/04/2014 23:11

Well, it's your choice not to go into detail, but you seem to me to be taking a message that isn't there and wasn't intended. I'm not a Briffa fan, but he does seem like a fundamentally reasonable guy.

Ruprekt · 18/04/2014 23:14

Hardly rocket science!

Low blood sugar makes me very irritable!

Dh hadnt eaten breakfast or lunch on Thursday. He was so grumpy by 5pm. I made him some scrambled eggs and he was so much nicer! It was all down to hunger......

I like Briffa.

LoonvanBoon · 18/04/2014 23:15

YANBU. And why does he keep saying "alleged domestic violence" in the article? The judge was found guilty of punching his wife, FFS!

Faver0lles · 18/04/2014 23:22

There's a difference between being grumpy and punching someone repeatedly.
Briffa is using a violent attack to demonstrate low blood sugar. A decent man would not go that far no matter how hungry and grumpy they were.
Why could he not have used general common grumpiness to display low blood sugar, rather than a violent, illegal act, with a tone that sounds like he is disbelieving the attack happened, and also sounds like he is excusing the man who carried the attack.

Milmingebag · 18/04/2014 23:37

Erm what a shit example he gave to support his theory.

Why was the judge incapable of fixing himself some foand or why didn't he make dinner if his wife was busy? Such a sexist account. Definitely intimating that because the man was allowed to get hungry this was the outcome.Poor use of alleged when the person was found guilty too.

Actually there was no need to use the wife in this at all. He could have said that because the man had chosen not to feed himself etc.......
Dr Briffa comes across as a cock end.

Sparklyboots · 18/04/2014 23:42

I am prone to food based irritability, and have never punched anyone in the head for it. I've been extremely hungry around some very irritating people, too. However, as I am not a total cunt the limit of my violence has been a massive sulk/ rant. How can anyone not see that suggesting low blood sugar was a factor minimises the cuntishness of the act?

OP posts:
BlackeyedSusan · 19/04/2014 00:51

I am foul when hungry, nevermind the children.

PollyWhittaker · 19/04/2014 08:50

DP gets extremely grumpy when he is hungry. He is horrible to be around. So if he starts getting hungry and irritable, he makes himself a peanut butter sandwich and hides in the bedroom until he is nice again.


There are many things that cause people to be irritable and aggressive: stress, lack of sleep, drunkenness, the neighbours constantly playing loud music. But the vast majority of people manage to cope with these things without punching other people in the head.

I haven't noticed any cases in which employees who have worked through lunch punch their boss repeatedly due to low blood sugar.

Andrewofgg · 19/04/2014 11:53

Dr B us a used nappy. Full of shit. I don't feel tempted to hit DW hungry or not but if I though hunger was pushing me that way the solution would lie in the fridge.

LoonvanBoon · 19/04/2014 14:38

I haven't noticed any cases in which employees who have worked through lunch punch their boss repeatedly due to low blood sugar.

Good point, Polly. The more I think about this article the more incensed it's making me. I also get irritable, as well as weepy & light-headed if I get too hungry - but again, no violence here.

I'm just astonished TBH that Briffa can't see that he sounds like a domestic violence apologist. I've heard him on the radio etc. & thought he sounded reasonable enough. But this is such an offensive pile of shite.

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