Thursday
Dec232010
Happy Christmas to you all
Thursday, December 23, 2010 Just collected the turkey so I think that's enough blogging for now. All that remains is to wish you all a very happy Christmas. Normal service will be resumed in the New Year. Next week there will be an open thread for people to comment as you wish. I may also publish some archive material so do drop by.
PS. The Daily Telegraph reports that Gentleman's smoking lounge makes Parisian comeback. On that half decent note, I bid you au revoir.
Update on Thursday, December 23, 2010 by
Simon Clark
Simon Clark
STOP PRESS: 10 Ways Christmas Is Good For Your Health by Dr Patrick Basham and Dr John Luik. Enjoy.
Reader Comments (19)
"I'm dreaming of a ..." actually, we've had more than enough of that!
Have a great Christmas and New Year, Simon. :)
Nice article by the 'Telegraph' - but please STOP calling me a 'nicotine addict': I'm a SMOKER, not a second-class Opium Fiend.
As to the wonderful idea of the 'Gentleman's Smoking Lounge' (Ladies admitted, too ?), one awaits with trepidation the icy counterblast from Les Arnottards (whose English edition will doubtless compare this very French solution with child brothels).
Vive Le Common Sense - and a Very Merry Christmas to Simon , FOREST, and all the lovely contributors to this site who keep the fires burning in a Darkening World.
Can Spring be far behind ?
I hope you have a peaceful Christmas and happy New Year. Let's hope 2011 sees the return tolerance in the Uk on all sorts of issues.
All the best and thanks so much for all your hard work during 2010 xxx
Shame it's for gentlemen. What about the ladies ?
They don't say anything about the joy of a cigarette/cigar/pipe after dinner!
......or about that sinking feeling when you know that you have to go outside in sub-zero temperatures to 'enjoy' it Soon smokers won't be allowed back in because of third-hand smoke - in fact they probably won't be invited in the first place unless they promise not to smoke for a week beforehand and to wear new (smokefree) clothing.
Dr. Patrick Basham and Dr. John Luik are national treasures.
May I wish everyone a Happy Christmas.
Best wishes to all. From J-n-c-n.
Happy Holidays to everyone - I'd like to say that I'll be switching off the PC and kicking back in front of the fire to enjoy the xmas telly - but, unfortunately I'm working normal shifts and as crimbo falls on a weekend - its making absoutletly no difference to me! But I hope the rest of you have a relaxing time!
Happy Christmas everyone and thanks, Simon, for your work throughout the year(and I think DaveA deserves a mention, too).
Happy Christmas Simon and thanks for all your hard work!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.
Yes, I am still here but I can't sign petitions which suck up to the enemy. Let's hope the New Year will revert to the commonsense we used to have. And suddenly lost... No we DO NOT agree that smoking is damaging to health... This has never been proved - nor can it be. The benefits of smoking have always been known and very apparent by the longevity of life and good physical and mental health of smokers.
Loved your comments, Joyce, re the dreadful arctic conditions to be suffered outside when all concerned have reached that best of all worlds - the satisfying smoke and companionable well being part. Tomorrow I must ensure that every inch of my clothes and self are smoke free before I dare sally forth to join what used to be the lovely family Xmas dinner. Most of us smoke but my daughter’s house has been declared “smoke free” because it contains children. [My smoking didn’t do HER any harm during her own happy healthy childhood.]
Must go – still have presents to wrap. I know we will have a happy Christmas and I sincerely hope that you all will. Good news re smoking from many parts of Europe – especially Holland.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Turkey..hey that's illegal
you should eat goose, as in 1588 Elizabeth I enacted a law making it an offence to eat any other bird on Xmas day.
Merry Christmas to Simon and his family. Also to everyone on here. Best wishes for 2011.
Slightly belated Merry Christmas and a hopefully Happy, Healthy and more Tolerant New Year to one and all here.
Many thanks Simon for all you have done over this year and will no doubt continue to do in the New Year ahead.
Best Wishes to one and all
Lyn
Merry Christmas Simon thanks for all the hard work and to ASH too. Third item down.
Margot (and all those suffering from familial persecution) -
I sympathise with your plight. But perhaps it's high time that smokers - where they socialize together in sufficient numbers - should seriously consider BOYCOTTING domestic 'smoke-free' zones.
Even if your daughter were to relent (why DOES she fall for this crap, anyway ?), it would probably only be half-hearted anyway. And if there's one thing worse than being expected to 'go outside' – that most unconscionable breach of the Rules of Hospitality - it's being 'tolerated' ("I'll just get you an ashtray - if you MUST smoke !").
Better by far to stay at home, catch up on some decent reading, listen to some decent music, watch some decent DVDs, drink some decent wine, and wait for the Spring. And pray for the return of decent behaviour in our once-Decent Society (and a Fluoride/Aspartame/Industrial Toxin-Free one, at that – unless you’re REALLY into Cancer, provided it’s smoke-free).
Happy New Year !
Hi Margot - lovely that you've posted and hope that you enjoyed Christmas!
Martin - Couldn't agree more. It really is time for smokers to stop being bullied. If we don't stand up for ourselves, who will? It's one thing for smokers to show courtesy but another for courtesy to be denied to us. My New Year resolution (and I'm breaking with tradition in making one) is to put together an idiot's guide to the passive smoking scam, to be handed out to every precious, hand-waving anti-smoker (just to reasure them that I'm not a decent person masquerading as a murderer).
Here is a link to a complementary, holistic website which really tanks into the NHS and big Pharma and gives detail on the mechanics of the bedsharing between them (especially find pg 36 onwards, "The Lies and Deceit Behind the 'drug' based Stop smoking Methods" in article, "Addiction: The Addictive Truth" (links, I sometimes find don't direct you, um, directly)
http://www.lifeprinciples.com/downloads/AddictionsDemystified.pdf
Joyce -
Actually, I make a resolution EVERY New Year:
To RESIST the temptation to QUIT smoking. Not easy with all the pressure on you from friends, advertising, the tyranny of fashion etc etc It's just a question of willpower, really. But I'm convinced ANYONE can do it - IF they have the appropriate support. Perhaps I should set up a website to assist any waverers out there ? I might even apply to Keef for a grant.........................
PS:
Thanks for the PDF, too, Joyce. That WAS fun ! I got almost as far as Page 4 before feeling nauseous. What IS it about Synthesised Virtue that makes me so queazy ?
And what is it about our esteemed HEALTH Secretary that makes him SO keen to shove the cancer/brittle-bone/dental fluorosis/Alzheimers/dementia/lower IQ - causing industrial neurotoxin popularly known as 'Fluoride' into the Hampshire water supply (and all the others, no doubt) ? There MUST be an Irrational Explanation somewhere - but I just can't find it. Perhaps he's started taking it himself: one more for the road, Andrew ?