Friday, October 19, 2007

Over at Volunteer Voters...

...a thimble-headed gherkin replied to my post on Chairman Phil's smoking ban with
The ban is in place. It’s popular and good for the public health, not to mention the tourism industry. Th[sic] restriction is not going anywhere - and will surely be expanded in coming years. Get over it.
This must be some new definition of "popular" with which I am not familiar...

15 comments:

Jeffro said...

Yeah, dammit, it's good for you and the children (we think), plus it feels good to us, so get over it already. ;>)

People like that give me the runs.

Billy Beck said...

"I'm gonna walk before they make me run."

(Keith Richards, 1978)

Time for another cigarette.

Anonymous said...

My guess is that "popular" means he and the voices in his head all agree.

I'm all for providing people some gentle encouragement/support to not take up smoking or to stop smoking. But that is on an individual basis. It's no business of government to get involved in.

The German Nazi's were pretty hard core anti-smokers too. You can probably draw some good parallels to the current socialists on that point and a number of others as well if you wanted to "push some buttons".

Joe

Anonymous said...

(sigh) Told you so. Almost makes one understand the mad-bombers' point of view. Goody-2-shoes, nyaa-nyaa triumphalists...god don't you love it when they get sick and die anyway?

doubletrouble said...

"thimble-headed gherkin" ???!!!

I guess I don't get out much, but that was FUNNY, as in LOL, right there.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

I didn't START smoking until age 30. You know why I started? The government got into the bizness of telling me I shouldn't.

I'm switching to Lucky's right f'ing now. And not those new fangled filtered Lucky's neither.

Roberta X said...

As an ex-smoker, I guess I'm 'sposed to say what damn kewl-O notion this ban is...

[...sound of crickets in the distance...]

...Um, but I can't, see, 'cos it sux. City I live in, a state or two North (yes, yes, fine, wrong side o' the line), did about the same. Who knew your lungs belonged to the State?

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em -- I still like the smell of fresh tobacco smoke.

Anonymous said...

The sad thing is that as with guns, many of those whom don't smoke (or shoot, or hunt) think bans are all just well and damned peachy. We'll see how they feel when they legislate low fat/low salt laws onto the supper table, because that's what's coming next. I'll tell you what, legally trying to take away my biscuits and gravy and grits with a lake of butter and shreaded country ham over top might just be the spark that sends me over the edge.

And for the record (not that it matters), I can't breathe particularly well anywhere in the neighborhood of cigarette smoke, but I'm a firm believer in freedom, including the freedom to kill yourself with bad habits. I doubt my Friday evening practice of eating Golden Flake Sweet Heat Barbecue chips and washing them down with Wild Turkey one-oh-by-God-one and a Moon Pie is doin' anything positive for my physical health, but mental health is another thing indeed...

Anonymous said...

Rope. Tree. Politician. Some assembly required.

It's the only solution. Get used to it.

Anonymous said...

"We compromised with you already. After 1808, no more slaves will be imported. It's over. Get used to it."

Politicians (not truly to their credit) tried to avoid this issue. Now that there appears to be "consensus" (they like that), most will try to get out in front of the riot and act like they're leading the parade. But politicians didn't start it. This is your fellow citizens, getting their way. And enjoying it.

Mark said...

I actually slightly prefer the "we won, ya boo suckts to be you" crowd to the type of critter we have over here who gaze at you with big, soulful ashtrays - er, I mean - eyes and tell you how good it's going to be for me to quit smoking. How much healthier I'll be because I can't smoke in pubs/restaurants/clubs/anywhere at the hell all anymore.

My desk at home is a Place of Business, therefore under the new laws, I'm a criminal every time I light up!

I bought a nice fat Havana earlier today. And, because I'm not drinking at the moment, a big bottle of chocolate milk to do with it. I shall enjoy bouncing smoke-rings off the monitor as I quaff it.

Sanctimonious bastards.

Anonymous said...

mark, by damn that better not be 2% milk. And, if you can't bring yourself to pollute it properly with black rum, at least let us send you some good old USA bovine growth hormone to lace it with--just so you can hold your head high! A gentleman must keep up his standards.

theirritablearchitect said...

"legally trying to take away my biscuits and gravy and grits with a lake of butter and shreaded country ham over top might just be the spark that sends me over the edge."

Good.

That's what it's going to take, people who want their lives to themselves, and being willing to do something about it.

Anonymous said...

B-b-b-but Tam, how are you smokers supposed to use enough of the product to pay for the TennCare, etc. programs if they won't let you smoke?

I mean, you can't smoke enough at home to carry the load; ya gotta use 'em when the opportunity presents itself.

Or, is the plan for you smokers to buy the cig'rets and not smoke 'em?

Every time I check the prices on smokes, the one thought that crosses my mind is "Dayum! I'm sure glad I quit them things!"

Jay G said...

"Every time I check the prices on smokes, the one thought that crosses my mind is "Dayum! I'm sure glad I quit them things!""

+1. Same here.

Quit, Tam. We want you around longer. :)