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Sunday 29 August 2010

I read the news today…oh boy!



The Irish are scratching their collective heads and asking “Elephant? What elephant???” when it comes to pub closures.

I started my new life as a serial  killer after watching the movie Driller Killer and ratcheted up my  CV after seeing my favourite ‘celeb’ movie stars smoking a cigarette, in full colour no less! If only they were ‘R’ rated I’d have thought twice about being a tobacco junkie.

My old ma in law used to say “keep your own council” and she’s probably rolling in her grave If she could see that today other people take care of your ‘council’, they are called medicare these days.

OMFG! The Welsh have saw the big, fat mammoth in the room! Better late than never, eh?

Oh bugger, I’ve just had an attack of the vapours, no, not those vapours silly, these vapours

…I mean, where do these bastards get off? E-cigs offer the chance  for the smoke addled junkie to reduce their nicotine intake in gradual instalments or even just go through the motions of smoking an E-cig which has no nicotine in it… what are these people on eh? I suppose the intelligent thing is to go ask them, a simple idea I know but you never know, it may catch on. We smokers hate them (I’ve got an e-cig, just for blogging integrity you understand, not that I, a committed tobacco smoker would use it, say on a train, or train station platform, where I am prohibited from smoking there or…) and anti smokers hate them because they look like…well, work it out for yourselves.

These vapours even have their own website and proudly show a woman engulfed in dirty, filthy tobacco smoke vapour from her legal, for now, e-cig. You’d never catch me smoking an e-ci… oh chit, who do I sue? (WARNING, the above link has an FU rating and you go there at your peril!)

mypic

I guess I’m just an apeman! More about one of my fav musicians, Ray Davis in particular, in a later post. Bloody love his music!

Saturday 28 August 2010

Anti smoking scientists go through the motions…

…quite literally!




An asides from my main context but relevant non the less!

Apparently a cohort study by eminent scientists, who shall not be named…oh, go on then…

Joe M Braun (jbraun@hsph.harvard.edu)
Julie L Daniels (julie_daniels@unc.edu)
Charlie Poole (cpoole@unc.edu)
Andrew F Olshan (andy_olshan@unc.edu)
Richard Hornung (richard.hornung@cchmc.org)
John T Bernert (jtb2@cdc.gov)
Yang Xia (yax1@cdc.gov)
Cynthia Bearer (cfb3@case.edu)
Dana Boyd Barr (dbbarr@emory.edu)
Bruce P Lanphear (blanphear@sfu.ca)

…was peer reviewed. Ah well, where there’s muck (in this case, baby shit) there’s money!
Peer review is a generic term that is used to describe a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals with the related field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance, and provide credibility.

Self-regulation says it all really.
This peer-reviewed article was published immediately upon acceptance.
I’ll bet it was, why wait that long? These, err, ‘scientists’ collected Meconium (what! You’ve never heard of it?) and one assumes that they smelt, prodded and tasted it before putting it through the vast array of  CSI type of gadgets to discover that the wayward mum had been within one hundred feet of a smoker and his/her deadly SHS.

And, as a person who just checked his lottery numbers may say….RE…….SULT!  But mad scientists wouldn’t go that far, would they?
Results: We detected nicotine (80%), cotinine (69%), and trans-3’-hydroxycotinine (57%) in
most meconium samples. Meconium tobacco smoke metabolite concentrations were positively
associated with serum cotinine concentrations and increased with the number of serum cotinine
measurements consistent with secondhand or active tobacco smoke exposure. Like serum
cotinine, meconium tobacco smoke metabolites were inversely associated with birth weight.
Conclusions: Meconium is a useful biological matrix for measuring prenatal tobacco smoke
exposure and could be used in epidemiological studies that enroll women and infants at birth.
Meconium holds promise as a biological matrix for measuring the intensity and duration of
environmental toxicant exposure and future studies should validate the utility of meconium using
other environmental toxicants.
Well that’s clear then, to us ‘sink estate’ plebs who KNOW that you have written the biggest piece of [non solid] baby faeces since you upgraded Second Hand Smoke, and Third Hand Smoke from a mere annoyance to a class A carcinogen. If you want to know more about SHS and third hand smoke then you can do no worse than visit  Christopher snowden, Rich White and Michael Siegel’s blogs. (Siegel is all against smoking and SHS but he knows junk science when he sees it!)

And I haven’t even mentioned Michael J. McFadden’s website entitled “Anti Smokers Brains yet! The truth is out there folks, go look for it, because it won’t come to you!

Here’s the PDF file about this ‘scientific’ study, shock and awe it is not, the smell of money it is. (Smell, get it?)


Click to launch the full edition in a new window
Self Publishing with YUDU

Ok, I’ve never had kids, and by all accounts (anti smoking accounts that is) I never will, but that won’t stop me from trying, (if a fertile) lady young enough wants to bed an ancient and proud smoker.

27impotence The anti smokers daren’t give a brand name in case it may ‘advertise.’

But I digress.

I now wish to show you some ‘homemade’ kiddy porn, so if you are of a paedophilic** bent look away now!*
nappy3Hmm, what’s that stain?

nappy Oh chit, I fear the worse! What are they doing to that baby?
nappy2 Gather ye merry scientists because the baby has just done a shit!

*Pictures unashamedly stolen from this site.

**Move along, nothing to see here…unless seeing a baby having a shit gives you a hardon, you depraved cunt!

Tip  of the soiled nappy (Diaper to our American cousins) to Dick Puddlecote and anon on his comments section (for part of the headline above.)

(What, Dick Puddlecote has three kids, is he insane I ask myself? How does a smoking, drinking, cricket loving, darts buff do that??)

I’ll have some of what he’s having…Please! I mean, he must have his toe well over the Oche, surely?

Friday 27 August 2010

NHS North keep on spending the news?


Whether or not the cutbacks are coming we don't as yet know for certain. If they are then it will be very interesting to find out just which parts of the NHS are going to be slaughtered. Duffy (Sheila) is screaming in Scotland lest they cut 'most important' funding for smoke cessation programmes-not that she'll lose a penny of her luxurious wages if they do, well you paid for the most part of it!

Arnott is in similar position in England and similarly waged, but why she still has a 'job' after the complete exposure of her 'con job' concerning the Tobacco display Ban I do not know!

Step forward NHS North for the latest salvo against smokers.

Of course, the latest weapon "it's for childrens sake" is being touted far and wide but what about the cost in these cash strapped times?

NHS North have now started their assault on 'illegal' tobacco. Now you may ask, considering tobacco is a legal commodity "what the hell is illegal about it then?"

One of the pictures presented is of a user of 'abroad facility' and the question is "Why is she going abroad again?"


Because she want's to sell your body to the child sex slave industry, they need non smoking childred for sex!
Well, she might have a French lover, could be a Belgian pimp or possibly she has an interest in a bar in the Netherlands-who knows? The picture & caption lead you to believe that she is going abroad solely to bring back tobacco products. Why?, because that's what they want you to believe.

So what if she does go abroad 4 times per year, it has nothing to do with NHS North, Sheila Duffy, our Debs or the bloody milkman really. If she brings back'x' pouches of tobacco for her own personal use then that's fine but NHS would have you believe otherwise, they obviously envisage her driving a 40 ton wagon stocked to the gunnels with illegal tobacco.

They say that illegal tobacco is the curse of our country, it's finding it's way to our children but where is the proof of these claims?

They also say that illegal tobacco is, Quote:- Cheaper prices-less than £3.50 per pack of 20.

Aha! now we are getting to the nub of the matter. They want all toabacco bought and paid for in this country so that the tobacco tax can be collected to fund the NHS, ASH CRUK et al. Of course, tobacco from abroad doesn't quite cost the same as here does it! Now I see the problem.

Now this is quite amusing for our friend "Johnny Rebel" ( Facebook) has advocated exactly the opposite course of action. He wants us to buy our fags & tobacco abroad for the simple reason that they are using our tobacco tax against us!

Now, as a quiet, moderate, law abiding sorta fella I can see what NHS North are getting excited about but I cannot see for the life of me how they expect 25% of the population to fund causes aimed directly against them-the logic defies me!

Oh, of course..."...the children". But it's illegal to smoke under age isn't it, and to sell tobacco products to them? So what is wrong with present legislation that prohibits this?

In a FAQA's section, they ask where 'illegal' tobacco is being sold? Happily, I can answer that one for them - Nationwide!

Nobody in their right mind is going to give Mr Mahmoud £12.36 for a 50gm pack when 'billy' at No 46 is knocking it out at £6.50 cash - that's cheaper than the amount of revenue the government steal off each 50gm pack!

The point of this is to show, yet again, how the anti smoking brigade waste our money so frivolously. Have a look through the site and see what you think-oh, and ignore the YOU-GOV survey, the questions are so lopsided I'm amazed they didn't fall over!

Hat Tip to the Visigoth from the Freedom2Choose Forum.

See yet again how smokers are portrayed as peodophiles

Thursday 26 August 2010

We shall fight them on the beaches!


The video below could be about any beach in this country but it just happens to be Coney Island in New York. The Royal College of Physicians are actively seeking such bans here.

Beach Smoking Ban Challenge.


Hat Tip to Jredgirl.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Ciggy Busters-the other side

I received an amazing phone call about half an hour ago from a gentleman by the name of Jim. Now 'Jim' is a reporter working for the Medway newsgroup, I assume the Medway Messenger (?) I was amazed because he had phoned to enquire why we were so angry about the 'Ciggy Busters' article & video-he wanted our side of the story.

Sorry, I'll repeat that for the benefit of the dazed & bewildered...

HE WANTED OUR SIDE OF THE STORY.

I informed him very politely that all smokers would find it offensive for the simple reason that it was portraying smokers as 'fair game' for any type of vigilante abuse. (Oh!) It was sending out the message that we agreed with 'wolf packs', ie gangs of kids, marauding the streets taking any chance to intimidate people not of their liking/persuasion. (Oh!)

I then explained that this would not be tolerated if it was aimed at gays, muslims or the disabled. (No. Well of course not Phil)
 
Then why can a minority faction, smokers, be subject to random attacks when gays, muslims & the disabled are obviously exempted? (Well they are...[pause]...I see...yes...hmm).

I went on to say that the arts teacher was totally irresponsible in even cultivating the idea, never mind activating such and that if she thought this was anything to do with art, she was Irish, not Italian! Bullying, intimidation & robbery can never be termed artistic in way, shape or form.

I further explained that we were not a loony pro-smoking group but a nationwide PRO-CHOICE organisation with full backing from the likes of our friends at the CIU - that caused a sharp intake of breath I assure you.

I went on to ask how much he thought the smoke cessation programme had cost this country so far, about the science behind the ban, about SHS, so called 3rd hand smoke, the pub/club industry, the vilification of smokers, the costs to the NHS, the loss to the treasury if tobacco was banned, the situation in S Ireland & more. He was totally clueless as to any of it, bless him.

Safe to say 'Jim' is now a lot wiser as to smokers temperament, reasoning & feelings so I think the article will be a fair reflection of what was said this afternoon. He seemed mortified at the thought of a smoker objecting to such treatment and 'smacking' one of these idiot youths 'in the mouth'. He did not answer when I asked what HE thought the police would do in such a circumstance?

Unlike the 'Swindon Swamp', I think 'Jim' will print the truth of our conversation for he was quite enthralled with some of the facts & figures imparted.

Bless him, he only phoned for a comment - he got 6 pages worth! Oh happy days.

Monday 23 August 2010

An Interest To Declare

Fearing the end of a lucrative career, a bunch of disgruntled academics from the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies have written to the Lancet, complaining that the Coalition Government has frozen 'all mass media health campaigns, including those aimed at encouraging smokers to quit', is reducing the manpower at the Department of Health, and reconsidering the wisdom of implementing the tobacco display ban. If this is the line the Coalition Government is taking, it is a logical step considering that cuts are inevitable: tobacco control must be the most un-useful department of them all.

But what's this they say at the end of the letter ... 'We declare that we have no conflicts of interest'?

Well that's an interesting claim, considering that some of these characters feature on their own website's page entitled Competing Interests. Peter Hajek, Paul Aveyard, Timothy Coleman and Robert West all have declared commercial interests in smoking cessation medication, an interest that is central to their letter to the Lancet. What can these people mean? Do they imagine that by declaring their interest, that it is nullified?

In addition, Linda Bauld has connections with Cancer Research UK Tobacco Advisory Group, and John Britton with Action on Smoking on Health. 'No conflicts of interest'?

I sought a definition here:  'A competing interest exists when the interpretation or presentation of information may be influenced by the personal or financial relationship with other people or organizations.' How the work of these people could be construed not to constitute a conflict of interest beats me!

Sunday 22 August 2010

The Anti

Here's a video for the likes of Baz Rollo who dont like the use of the word Nazi in relation to anti-smokers. Hope everyones Dutch is up to scratch.


 

Hat Tip to Freedom2Choose (Scotland) 

THE ANTI
Uploaded by wes_hrv. - Explore more science and tech videos.

The science of fear.

If the science does not show what you want it to show then just make it up. An abuse of the facts and a truly shocking video.

You can't keep a good lady down

Anna Raccoon is on the warpath.
 
Sheila Martin was a fragile babe in arms when her Mother heard those words. Too young to understand the menace behind the Messerschmitts and Heinkels screaming overhead and disturbing her slumber.  She was the intended beneficiary of Churchill’s words, one of the generation of children that depended on the bravery of British men such as her Father, away in France fighting for the freedom, tolerance and variety that was Britain’s hallmark.

Today, Sheila is once more fragile; she is 70 years old and was widowed 30 years ago. She tells me she has survived five heart attacks; she suffers from asthma, angina and high blood pressure. She only smokes the occasional cigarette these days, partly for health reasons, partly because her minimal state pension doesn’t stretch to any more.
Head over to Anna's place and see how you can help. The jackbooted anti tobacco police have gone one step too far.

Friday 20 August 2010

Pack up your troubles-Friday night is music night #1

I do need a break from writing about smoking and bans, it’s time to…

Wakey Wake!

No matter what you may think, the Beatles shaped the British music scene and indeed the world of music at large. The day that John Lennon was murdered a part of me died also.

I heard on the news one day that the Beatles were breaking up and had given their final concert on the rooftop of a, by now, famous building, and here is their swansong in three videos:

One:

Two:

Three:

And this was the start of a phenomenal success story.

Next week, before the Beatles. Then there was Jazz and some stupendous music.

What, you don’t like jazz? After listening to the late, great Gene Krupa you’ll want more…

 

And the righteous NEVER sleep.

What is it with these people?

NHS Grampian does it again!

Thursday 19 August 2010

Ciggy Bustin' B*stards

In an amazing video released today on facebook by our very own TBY, Medway students, 6th formers actually, are taking part in a project aimed at reducing smokers.......to quivering wrecks!



The students don't think that present day advertising is working as far as cessation is concerned so they have devised this rather frightening, brutal approach to 'force people to quit'. "The final idea was to go out and literally ambush smokers and take their cigarettes off them. The adverts don't works so we are going to make you stop smoking."

Now let's hold up here a minute folks and dissect this load of garbage:-

a...The students don't think.....correct

b...that present day advertising is working....and who are THEY to configure such when ASH, CRUK & Governments say they are (even though they want more & more!)

c...The final idea.....you mean there were even more ideas from this loonytoon bunch? God help us!

d...and literally ambush smokers.....ambush (dict'y)concealment of assailants to make a surprise attack, to attack from. Premeditated forms of assault-illegal !

e...and take their cigarettes off them.....gaining another's property through illegal means-theft; pure & simple.

f...so we are going to make you stop smoking.....err, pardon me! is this the first formation of policy doers, to be known as the Chatham Gestapo? To force someone do do something against their will also happens to be illegal !



Margherita Gramegna, artist in residence at the school, said "But we researched it properly and planned it in such a way that we covered all possibilities. So is this stupid woman telling us that it is suddenly outside the law to ambush innocent people going about their lawful business on our High streets because it concerns smoking? Is this obviously non English named woman is totally unaware of English law?



I am absolutely amazed that the British public, smokers vilified from every angle, have put up with this sort of treatment. I for one would NOT. Dancing round me chanting "Ciggy Busters, Ciggy Busters" like demented 6 year olds would send me well over the top. After enquiring (politely) if they were raving mad I would simply 999 and state I was being attacked by a mob on the high street. So long as I didn't say i was a smoker I'm sure our noble Plod would be there within minutes. But I am of a placid nature-fortunately for them!

My mate, who has a temperament somewhat akin to a permanently raging bull (since July 1st, 2007) would not bother with such pleasantries. Barry would simply bellow "fuck off", eyeball to eyeball and if no movement within 3 seconds, plant them on the spot-probably 2 0r 3 before they knew what was happening! After all, legally, he would be protecting his property-his cigarette that he bought and paid for. Now what would the local Plod think of that?

This is one of the most ludicrous, 'bear-baiting' ideas I've ever had the displeasure to come across. It is like advertising 'OPEN SEASON' on smokers. It is despicable, it is immoral, but it is newsworthy of the gutter press!

Watch, and be impressed, you anti smokers, as your proteges strut their stuff!





Anyone fancy a trip to Chatham for a bit of fun? It's called

"CIGGY BUSTER BASHING"




Shoot a smoker today

Some Thursday morning fun for the anti-smokers amongst us. You don't have to just imagine killing smokers anymore ... now you can have virtual fun doing so, instead.


Remember to aim at the head. It's the only way to achieve the satisfying spatter of smoker blood.


Enjoy.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Hit me baby one more time

Does anyone else find this logic, well, a bit Irish?

MICHAEL O'SHEA

OPINION: Better efforts to tackle tobacco crime would mean more money for schools and healthcare

God knows, we’ve been aware of the scale of this crisis for long enough. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has himself described it as an “epidemic”. And his department admits the exchequer is losing more than €300 million each year from illegal sales – more than a mere drop in the ocean of our deficit. The tobacco industry put that figure at €556 million which, ironically, would almost cover total cutbacks mooted for the health service.
It's a travesty, to be sure, to be sure. All those smokers detracting from government coffers by buying cheaper fags from elsewhere due to the high cost at their local shop. Something has to be done, right so.

And what is Michael's solution?

Further increasing tobacco tax would have the double effect of raising revenue and ensuring a healthier nation. We estimate that a €1 increase in tobacco tax would reduce smoking rates by at least four points from the Eurostat figure and yield an extra €200 million annually to the exchequer.
Not sure he really gets this economics thing, does he?

At least other anti-smoking measures have been highly successful though, eh?

This is starkly demonstrated in the latest Eurostat figures which put smoking prevalence here at 31 per cent – four percentage points away from a place in the world’s top 10 tobacco-consuming nations.

This is scarcely credible given Ireland’s role as a world leader in enforcing important aspects of tobacco control policy, such as our high tobacco tax environment and the workplace smoking ban.
You forgot the tobacco advertising ban, Michael.

Of course, there is a way of reclaiming all that lost income and halting the renewed interest in tobacco - a respect for smokers and appreciation of human nature might be a start - but you can just ignore it and keep slamming your head into that brick wall if you prefer.

Your choice.

Monday 16 August 2010

Cigarettes are 'not normal' - but drugs are fine

Australia would appear, at first glance, to have completely lost the plot.

All shops and tobacconists in the ACT are required by law to remove tobacco products, such as cigarettes, from public display by the end of the year.

Every Australian state either has similar laws already in force, or laws that will be phased in by 2013, on the basis that research shows point-of-sale displays promote and normalise smoking.

In 2008, ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher told the Assembly, "The territory will be the first to send the message that it is not normal."
Yep. A legal product is now deemed 'not normal'.

Illegal products, however, ...

But while tobacco is banned from display, equipment used to consume illegal drugs such as cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine can be displayed at shopping centres throughout the ACT.

Attorney-General Simon Corbell said there are no plans to ban the display of drug paraphernalia in the ACT.
... are as normal as barbecues and sunscreen in the land where they take to the waves on an ironing board.

"The Government is not currently considering a ban on the display of such drug smoking paraphernalia," a spokesman for the minister said.
Well, of course not. They haven't developed pharma-manufactured drug cessation therapy to sell to the Australian government yet.

Besides, pharma may have an eye on manufacturing the drugs themselves if the growing movement for legalisation bears fruit.

Just saying, is all.

Saturday 14 August 2010

Feeling lazy?

For those days when one really can't be arsed.

The mechanical sculptures of norweigan artist kristoffer myskja are all somewhat strange, but the strangest of all is the ‘smoking machine’, which literally smokes cigarettes. the artwork features a small device made from brass that most prominently features a ramp of cigarettes. each cigarette is gravity fed onto a holder, where it is lit and slowly smoked by an air valve that is electrically driven. as the gears turn, the cigarette slowly disappears until only the filter is left. the machine then ejects the cigarette and ashes onto the floor below, loading the next one into the holder.
A spokesman for ASH condemned the new invention. "Smoking is the largest single cause of inanimate object cancer in the world. This device should be dismantled immediately, and its constituent parts incinerated to eradicate any risk of third hand smoke residue affecting anyone in a 10 square mile radius".

The machine was last night unavailable for comment.

Friday 13 August 2010

The signs of our times

From Michael Seigal's blog:


I can just see the conversation going on between the chief warden of the Middletown jail and the city department that produces signs:

Warden: I'd like to order the signs for the different sections of our prison facility.

Sign Maker: Sure, how many do you need?

Warden: A total of five.

Sign Maker: No problem. What should the first one say?

Warden: Murderers.

Sign Maker: OK. The second?

Warden: Sexual offenders.

Sign Maker: No problem. The third?

Warden: Burglars.

Sign Maker: The fourth?

Warden: Assaulters and Batterers.

Sign Maker: And the fifth?

Warden: Smokers who lit up in a park.

Sign Maker: Excuse me. Could you repeat that?

Warden: Smokers who lit up in a park.

Sign Maker: I think there's a problem with our phone connection. Could you call me back from a land line?
 Should smokers be worried?

Thursday 12 August 2010

The gulags can't be far off

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised.

A COUNCIL has banned smoking in playgrounds, pools and parks - or smokers could face jail.

New York's Middletown City Council on Monday unanimously passed one of the toughest anti-smoking rules in the region, banning people from lighting up at all city playgrounds and pools, as well as two entire city parks mainly used by children and teenagers.

Violators could be imprisoned for up to 15 days.

The rules, passed by a resolution of the council in the Hudson Valley town 65 miles (104 km) from New York city, is viewed as a measure to protect public health and is intended to reduce the exposure of kids to second-hand smoke.
Now, those for and against smoking bans will argue about the integrity or otherwise of passive smoking studies that led there - all of which were focussed exclusively on enclosed spaces - till they're blue in the face.

However, no-one but a lunatic can argue that there is any proven risk whatsoever from second hand smoke in a large public park, for the simple reason that - despite quixotic attempts - no evidence exists which points to it being so. Nor will there ever be any.

So to inflict a ban on smoking in the open air prior to any research indicating any possible harm is bad enough, but to attach the nuclear punishment of incarceration to it is bullying and bigotry. Pure and simple.

Middletown councillors can attempt to classify this move as being about health, but in reality it is the age old human trait of persecution. The marginalisation and denormalisation, with not even the remotest scientific or epidemiological reasoning for doing so, of a section of society classed as inferior for pursuing a legal activity.

One could reasonably argue that those promoting such a policy - and any who support its implementation - can fairly be termed, shall we say ... Nazi-esque?

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Whoa Nanny, whoa!


We should all be acquainted by now with Professor Steve Field and his now infamous remarks that all smokers are potential child abusers, and he’s not the first one to lump smokers with child abuse, look up Duncan Bannatyne sometime.

Below are two recordings about the smoking debate. The first is an interview on BBC’s Newsnight, which is up for seven days from Monday the 9th of August but, unfortunately, if you live outside of the UK you will not be able to view it, sorry. In the interview the good prof is unrepentant and has two stalwarts of tobacco control to back him up.

The first recognised name was Caroline Flint, one of the architects of the UK smoking ban.  10202



The second speaker, Kate Pickett, in this interview (apart from Steve Field) is someone I’d never heard of until I heard she was the co-author of  The Spirit Level, a book that I am not acquainted with but I knew Christopher Snowden had written a critique of it.

K Pickett
Professor Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level.
The Newsnight debate.










Turn down your speakers or headset.

The second recording is from Talksport and their phonein on the subject of Professor Steve Field and Freedom2Choose’s (Scotland) Michael Davidson talks on the subject of child abuse and smokers.






Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click to play

Hat tips to Freedom2Choose's (Scotland) blog for the Michael phone in and also to the F2C forum member Sheenadon. 

Monday 9 August 2010

On Antis and Principles

A guest post by John Watson
nazi2a 
The anti-tobacco campaign of the Nazis: a little known aspect of public health in Germany, 1933-45
Hitler was a smoker in his youth but at some stage he became aware of its health hazards and, when in power (perhaps with the zeal of a convert), appeared to detest tobacco, which he called "the wrath of the Red Man against the White Man, vengeance for having been given hard liquor." But the antismoking campaign reflected "a national political climate stressing the virtues of racial hygiene and bodily purity" as well as the Fuhrer's personal prejudices. The same could be said of Nazi efforts to discourage drinking and encourage a better diet.
:-

There seems to me to be some confusion over the term Anti in the context of the smoking debate.

To provide some background as to why this this article has come about we need to look at a comment posted in my blog post entitled Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
and also here:

(Courtesy of Pat Nurse and many thanks for the links to both Pat and Leg-iron btw,) where a gentleman posting under the name of Baz clearly objects to the terms Anti and Nazi as applied within that article. Of course it is his right to express his point of view and it is not for me to deny him that right but to rebut his point of view.

And so onto the business at hand. The following definitions are taken from Wikipedia and the Wikipedia dictionary.


Pro is a Latin preposition meaning for. It is the opposite of contra, which is very frequently abbreviated to con, another preposition.

As can be clearly seen, and no pro-choice advocate would disagree, the term pro-smoker is accurate, that smokers are for smoking and those who are in favour of freedom of choice are pro choice, Pro choice smokers are therefore in favour of smoking inside pubs and clubs, most are willing to accept smoking rooms or smoking pubs/clubs, allowing non-smokers venues where they may enjoy their leisure hours free of smoke, a choice that as a pro choice smoker I (or the law of the land) have never sought to deny them and as it is clearly shown on every forum the tolerant non-smoker does not seek to deny smokers rooms or pubs in which to spend their leisure hours as a social group.

Anti (plural antis)
  1. A person opposed to a concept or principle.
There is clearly no argument that can be made against that definition, if you are not pro then you can only be anti! This principle is as true in English as it is in its native Greek and Latin. It can be seen from my previous paragraph that there are degrees of being Anti, Tolerant non smokers by definition are also anti smoking but are also pro choice in regard to smoking venues for smokers.

Clearly then the fact that someone is anti smoking does not make them the devil incarnate or Nazi or anything other than the fact they are tolerant non smokers who believe that smokers should have the freedom to smoke inside a pub or club and accept that smokers lounges, tap rooms or what ever you wish to call them are a reasonable option, even that small pub landlords should be allowed to choose for themselves something that is meeting with great success on the European mainland.

The true hardcore Antis are the ones that say no, not inside pubs, not outside pubs in beer gardens when the weather is nice and I want to be outside without smokers, the ones that having got their law preventing smokers from smoking inside pubs now want them cleared from the streets, from the parks even from inside the car which the smoker paid for and owns!

Which leads on to principles:
Principle as scientific law
“Laws Physics. Laws Statistics. Laws Biological. Laws of nature are those that can not be proven explicitly, however we can measure and quantify them observing the results that they produce. (Vague or unclear statement).”

Vague or unclear statement sums it all up, the use of tobacco has been proven as far back as Ancient Egypt, its leaves have been found in pyramids, many cultures have been using tobacco in one form or another for millennia in its natural form, even today the tobacco produced by Native Americans is natural tobacco used in a natural way as it has been for generations. The laws of nature are such that many lethal biological species of Flora and Fauna are beneficial in small to moderate doses, Digitalis is a natural product highly poisonous but in trace doses can be used in heart medication, many snake venoms are now being used or researched, looking for anti coagulants and even Cancer treatments, get bitten by a Mamba death comes within hours if no treatment is available, Rattlesnakes kill less frequently but leave horrendous scarring and tissue wastage.

Natural tobacco has many benefits, not least of delaying or even preventing the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's, it may well be the case that the additives put into refined tobacco could cause damage but that is opinion not fact, just as scientific claims about harm are scientific opinion not fact, after all there are thousands of scientific documents already peer reviewed that say otherwise, and today it is almost impossible to get a smoker friendly scientific report peer reviewed!

Principle as a juridic law

“It represents a set of values that inspire the written norms that organize the life of a society submitting to the powers of an authority, generally the State. The law establishes a legal obligation, in a coercive way; it therefore acts as principle conditioning of the action that limits the liberty of the individuals.”

As is clearly shown here legislation is nothing but coercion, who among us believe it right judicially for a minority lobbying on behalf of one business to dictate a law that is destroying 40 other businesses a week, that legitimises threatening behaviour which the article that brought this piece about condemned, that places vulnerable groups in danger from predators contrary to Health and Safety Act.

Of course there should be laws to protect us but when those laws prove to be counter productive as the Health Acts clearly are, when they place the people in jeopardy, their livelihoods at risk, and allow bigotry free reign then that law is clearly wrong, immoral and unjust.
Principle as moral law
“It represents a set of values that orientate and rule the conduct of a concrete society. The law establishes an obligation in the individual's conscience that belongs to the cultural field in which such values are accepted. It supposes the liberty of the individual as cause, that acts without external coercion, through a process of socialization.”

I said that the Health Acts are immoral, above is the justification for that stand, those who have read some of my work know that I believe the Health Acts to be the equivalent of the Nuremberg Decrees, history tell us this legislation was designed specifically to target a minority group, so do the Health Acts. The Nuremberg decrees targeted the Jews, the Health acts targets smokers, that is a fair comparison.

The Nuremberg decrees forced Jews into ghetto housing in the most appalling sanitary conditions sometimes 20-30 people in a small room, over 100 people in a standard terraced house! The Health Act forces smokers outside in all weathers into shelters that it is illegal to keep a pig in, in some cases there is no shelter at all just poorly lit pavements where the smoker is tethered like a goat for a tiger, for any predator to assault rape or murder at will. That too is fair comparison.

smokefrankbaron460 _47228475_466_smoke

The Nuremberg decrees also encouraged publications like the Deutsche Beobachter  and Der Stuermer* ( whose editor Julius Streicher was hung at Nuremburg for war crimes after printing such articles) to print anything they liked so long as it vilified Jews, they were said to be criminal, dirty, smelly, it was said that they eat babies (to be fair baby eating Jews has been around since medieval times and is not confined to Nazi Germany!). It implied they would abscond with children for god alone knew what purposes, in short Jews were painted to be the very scum of the Earth, any Jew will tell you this has always been so, especially since Christ was crucified, and Christ was a Jew, brought up in the Jewish faith and definitely not a Christian!

So what do we see in today's media, smokers cause (almost) every disease known to mankind, they are likely to be the cause of some yet to be invented, they too are vilified as criminal, as dirty, smelly, French Advertisements liken smokers to Paedophiles, on some newspaper forums there already calls by anti smokers to incite violence against smokers, In fairness to the Newspaper concerned they removed the comment after objections were raised and to date it has not been reinstated, but then their moderators should not have allowed it to be posted in the first place, smokers have not yet been accused of eating babies but are accused of child abuse for indulging in a perfectly legal activity this too is a fair comparison to the Nuremberg decrees.

Today too we find that the smoking principle is being expanded to the drinkers and the obese, like Nazism was not restricted to Jews but enabled against Gypsies, the mentally ill, the disabled, homosexuals, even the churches and political opponents of the regime so this Healthism is expanding its territory into every facet of our lives.

There is I believe more than enough evidence provided to indict those who recommended this law, those who enacted (voted in favour of) this law and those who support this law as Nazis.

So Baz by definition you are an Anti, there is no way out of that fact, as for being a Nazi, well that is up to you, it depends solely on your response.

If you are one of those tolerant non smokers, if you are one of the majority of non smokers that although Anti by definition have proven themselves to be reasonable tolerant people who wish to see fairness, equality and free choice, you are indeed decent human beings, with whom I have no quarrel.

You will note that I have deliberately left the choice as to how Baz wishes to regarded in respect to Nazism to him, I will not judge him here, I would rather that he be judged by his own words not mine, let the people and posterity judge him.

:-

stuermer_2
*Streicher wanted Der Stuermer to appeal to the common man, to the worker with little time to read. Thus, Der Stuermer's articles used short sentences and a simple vocabulary. Ideas were repeated. Headlines grabbed a reader's attention. And the cartoons were easily understood.
julius Julius Streicher (Editor of Deutsche Beobachter) is a martyr to some.
John Watson

Sunday 8 August 2010

Smoking Bad News Again

Its with great regret that I have decided to report more depressing news on smoking. You may wish to light up a comforting cigar while you digest the bad news.

As previously reported I have observed an increase in shoppers ignoring the smoking ban in enclosed shopping areas. ---- Bad news for smokers, shoppers ASH, Smokefree and coerced organisations.

A recent observation from my vantage point on a London Bus revealed that the driver of a local authority vehicle was enjoying a cigarette along with a passenger, and they were laughing and enjoying life. ---- Bad news for the population , ASH and pressed local government departments.

In Scotland, Dundee's Ninewells Hospital have been trying to impose an unenforcable smoking ban on the general public for three unsuccessful years. ---- Bad news for the smoking visitors and patients, Scottish health board and social engineering freeks.

A friend has revealed that his London club has now given up on the smoking ban and known members can now enjoy their cigarettes in warm surroundings. ----Bad news for the club members and the population Smokefree.

The London Evening Standard regularly contains letters about smoking on platforms, the bad news gets worse. I can report that this habit has now spread to substantially enclosed warm waiting rooms. ---- Bad news for travellers, ASH, Smokefree and Railway Law enforcers.

The report that Wandsworth Council officers are essentially under instructions not to catch anyone breaking the smoking ban. Bad news for Smokers, ASH, Smokefree and anti smoking enforcers.

Bad News, ---- Bad news -------- What bad news?.

Oh and I forgot to tell you about the 2 Bus Drivers enjoying a cigarette inside their single decker vehicles. ---- Check back for more bad news soon, it can only get worse.



Saturday 7 August 2010

Have I got news for you?

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Thursday 5 August 2010

Let the music play

You may remember, about August time last year, f2c co-hosted a Smokers Music Festival in Lincoln. For me, that night will never be forgotten for it brought together smokers from all areas to enjoy a night of sheer bliss. Local bands strutted their stuff, the beer flowed and there was a constant hubbub of excited chatter as smokers 'lit up' when they felt like it. point to note here! Not one single smoker transgressed and tried to sneak into the pub with a lit cigarette in hand-not even a drunken abberration was spotted!

The licensee, Emma Chapman is an absolute diamond. Sick of doing all the hard graft and earning the pubcos their luxuries she branched out and took on The Jolly Brewer (Broadgate, Lincoln). Now she can buy her beers from wherever she likes-bargaining power. Although a street fronted pub The Jolly Brewer has ample space at the rear and a covered terrace where bands can set up under cover.










Last year we amassed, at very short notice, 234 happy smoker/drinkers who took full advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a fag with a pint. Much literature on smoking bans was read by the customers and the proof that the majority of people had been brainwashed was clear for all to see as looks of astonishment came our way from bemused folk.

Last year Lincoln had the dubious honour of 'housing' Gillian Merron, labour, total anti smoker and the construction engineer for the smokeban review which never happened (thank God!). Her zealotry and constant railing against smokers has, happily, seen her evicted from Parliament so she can now no longer make 25% of the population even more miserable than they already are!

This year sees a Conservative MP, Karl McCartney in the driving seat. Perhaps, as a fair minded man he might like to see for himself just how much happiness a fag and a pint can create. This is of course, not to mention the rapacious ringing of the tills!

Apart from all the information available to willing learners, f2c held a raffle which was well received by all. We are doing the same this year folks and we have a brand new Samsung C3050 (pay as you go) Mobile Phone up for grabs. Tickets are a mere 50p each or 5 @ £2. You don't have to be there on the night you can contact me at...clubliaison@freedom2choose.info for tickets (please make your cheques payable to freedom2choose) and I will forward your raffle tickets to you immediately.



Finally, the best news of all. This years event is being held on Saturday 28th August from 12 noon onwards and entrance is FREE!

Even if you can't attend you can boost the night by buying a few raffle tickets-who knows (?) you might be the new owner of a mobile phone!

Wednesday 4 August 2010

How will we cope?

The government is going to cut 287 marketing and advertising jobs as part of its spending cuts programme, it has been announced.

Staff numbers at the Central Office of Information (COI), which distributes government publicity, information and communications, are to be reduced from 737 to 450.

The COI said the move follows a government freeze on "non-essential advertising", resulting in a significantly reduced volume of work.
Oh no! I wondered where those ads had gone recently. I've really been missing their incredibly tasteful offerings, so I have. It used to be so sweet to watch the kids unnecessarily crap themselves courtesy of the government.



Oh well, at least the commercial channels aren't losing out. Cancer Research UK appear to have taken up the slack without breaking sweat. The child scare quotient has also been righteously restored to boot.

Kinda makes you wonder why the government bothered spending so much money when others were more than happy to do so without recourse to our taxes, doesn't it?

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