Harassment, pure and simple?

Is this how it has become? You are harassed into being an hypochondriac???

I’m a Doctor, trust me?

This is not the first phone call I have received this dying year from my local doctors surgery asking me about my smoking habits where I have refused to reveal it, one way or the other, but I guess they know by my intransigence that I am a proud smoker.  Today they surpassed themselves.

The first phone call this morning came from the practice nurse who “needed to update her records” and wanted to ask me a few questions whilst saying she was sorry for phoning me on New Years Eve. I said “I’ve an idea what you want to know, but please continue.”

She then went on to ask me if I had the Flu shot, Swine Flu shot, another shot I’d never heard of and whether my height and weight still remained the same before leaving the question I thought she would have asked first, do you smoke.

I explained, on political terms,one by one, why I didn’t have the Flu shot, Swine Flu shot etc and would not divulge if I smoked or not, telling her that I was a member of F2C and was diametrically opposed to the smoking ban and my political stance on it (I was fuming by then, no pun intended) and I ran their office. The upshot was that she told me that the practice would not ask me those questions again…I’ll wait with baited breath!

Two hours later!

The head receptionist phoned me up (I answered in the same tone as above) with one question about Beryl’s (my wife) health* but didn’t ask me if she had her Flu shot, Swine Flu shot, or the other Flu shot I’d never heard of, or her height or weight or her fucking Alzheimer's …no, she asked if she still smoked!
 
Once again I was told that these questions would not be asked of me…I wait with baited breath.
You have to ask the question WTF is going on today?

*Because of Beryl’s Alzheimer’s I have legal authority to act and speak on her behalf but that does not stop me from feeling terrible for her not being able to, especially where her health is concerned, say what she thinks. I know she is a mild smoker and, in her present condition, she hates this intrusion into her smoking habits. She does not understand this vicious smoking ban when she socialises.

Thought for today... And maybe tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone...

...even to those who hate me for my lifestyle choices... now there's a buzz word or two if ever I heard them!

I'll let my doppelgänger explain:

Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,
Raised a glass of water and asked,
"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued,
"And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
We won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water,
You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home You can pick it up tomorrow."

"Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if you can.
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while."

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"Recalled" by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again,
It was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.

* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery

On a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today . . . I did.

Have a Happy Christmas dear readers and have a very, very Merry New Year. All within government guidlines of course...yeah fookin' right!

TheBigYin

Let the festivities begin but...

By John Watson

You are invited to this year’s New Years Eve party, I regret that The Healthists have laid down a few rules before it is permitted:
 

OFFICE OF ANTI-FUN AND GOOD HEALTH

　
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES:

In line with Anti-Fun and Good Health Policy the structure of New Year’s Eve Parties has been revised:

OBESITY.

In order to reduce expenditure on healthcare for the clinically obese the following orders are implemented:
1) All meats served will be lean or meat substitutes.
2) The use of butter is forbidden.
3) The eating of Haggis ‘neaps and tatties’ is forbidden.
4) Ethnic foodstuffs remain unaffected.
5) The serving of Crisps, Savouries, Hotdogs, Hamburgers or Kebabs are strictly forbidden.
6) No salt permitted.


By order:

Horace Beanpole.

Essengauleiter (District Leader Eating) UK.

DRINKING.

In order to reduce expenditure on healthcare for alcoholism the following orders are implemented:
1) All beers are to be low alcohol.
2) Absolutely no Spirit’s with the exception of Ghosts, Ghouls And Poltergeists.
3) All soft drinks are to be sugar free.
4) Energy drinks will be permitted for those over 65 years provided they are accompanied by both parents.

By order

Sir Reginald Ratted-Boozey MBE. OBE.

Trinkesgauleiter (District Leader Drinking) UK.
　
TOBACCO.

In order to reduce expenditure on healthcare for Smoking Ailments the following orders are implemented:
1) There is to be no smoking indoors.

2) Smokers will be provided with an outside enclosure not less than 1000 metres from New Years Eve Parties.

3) Armed guards, razor wire, searchlight towers with or without machine gun posts and dogs are available from your local garrison on request.

4) Demonstrations such as the singing of Auld Lang Syne are forbidden.

5) Any attempt to have fun is forbidden.

By order:
　
Sheila von Gorbals.

Rauchsgauleiterin (District Leader Smoking) UK.

By order this day 22-12-10

Heideki Banzai III.

Deputy Fuhrer Anti Smoking.

Stanley Von Grass.

Fuhrer Anti Smoking.

I wish that you all Have A merry Christmas and a Very, Very, Happy New Year!

John Watson.

 Happily filtched from the Taking Liberties blog.

True Irish logic & eleutheria !

In 2004 Southern Ireland were basically bludgeoned into implementing a smoking ban, which they duly did.

Nothing much was said about it over here as it obviously did not affect us at all. The problem was that nobody thought to publicise the fact that in the first year alone 1,000 businesses closed throughout the country. Now, for a relatively small country that is one hell of a lot of businesses! I cannot imagine the cost in revenue to the government but then I'lI suppose they never really considered the losses either amid the furore of being the trend setters in smoke-free!

In a bid to curb smoking habits the government had a brainwave; that being to ban the sale of packs of 10 cigarettes-the logic being that 'ten packs' were all that teenagers (and lesser ages) could afford. Hello? Anybody consider that young Seamus & young Tommy might pool their resources and by a twenty pack? Apparently not, so that was a complete waste of time and effort on the part of the Dáil Éireann.

The next 'gem' was the inevitable increase in the price of a pack of twenty, which at € 8.55 a pack “are the highest in the world”. So that's the smoking problem sorted then-again!

On top of that the goverment ensured the ending of in-store displays and advertising for tobacco products, presumably under the misguided premise that what you can't see you won't buy! Righty ho then.

Southern Ireland is now the laughing stock of Europe unfortunately for not only has the smking ban cost them £millions in lost revenue from now closed businesses, it is costing them £millions in lost revenue from tobacco sales! Now you would think that this loss might be acceptable but that is far from the truth because smoking rates have increased by at least 2% and tobacco sales have fallen due to the amount of smuggled tobacco coming into the country!

The Irish government now estimate that they are losing out on £1m per week in tobacco revenue but who can have any sympathy with them? They have ensured that a nation of carefree smoker/drinkers lose 1,000 watering holes, kicked the smokers out of whatever is left and yet still expect to profit from the exercise.

Unfortunately for them, their populace has stuck two fingers up at them-and fair play to them for that! Link:- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1217/1224285736185.html

Meanwhile the Greeks have done their ususal and gone way OTT in refusing to accept a smoke ban! There, they have made their disapproval clearly known as a spate of letter bombs in Athens and widespread ignoring of any form of ban.

You see, the greeks take these things rather seriously, well, as a personal affront actually so there is plenty of chance of civil riots kicking off again if the government tries too hard to enforce the ban. It appears that even the health minister admits that the smoking law cannot be effectively implemented so I don't think there will be much compliance-if any.

Link:- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/1217/1224285735360.html

Amazing really when you compare the diabolical lethargy by licensees in this country to the volatile Greeks and the slow but methodical Dutch. The Dutch soon got 1,200 licensees together @£250 per annum each to fight for their rights-and they won. They now have the right to earn a decent living and contribute to the Dutch economy once more. What do our miserable lot do? SFA-that's what! Instead of forming a licensees army to take on the government they sat back and continue to sit back in the hope that they survive! You see, the fundamental difference is that the Greeks believe in "eleutheria" (freedom) whereas we do but don't really want to do anything about it-until it's too late.

Wake up you numpties, what have you got to lose-apart from what little bit of sanity is left!