Posts by dustyharbor7

hollowtrucker77 said:I actually think the idea of having separate bars and restaurants—one for smokers and one for non-smokers—sounds pretty reasonable to me.
As for the medical side of things, I mean, who’s actually footing the bill for someone who wipes out on a motorcycle without wearing a helmet? Or for an employee who ignores basic OSHA safety protocols on the job??
Besides, since when did non-smokers suddenly become immune to cancer??

Well, if they don't die, they'll just end up paying a fine!

And about those workers... yeah, you're right. It feels like nobody ever actually holds them accountable for skipping safety steps... it's definitely a massive loophole.

I guess nobody ever explicitly said that non-smokers can't get cancer, but you really have to admit that most people dealing with lung or throat cancer are smokers...

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Betty Hill82 said:In America, bans aren't always in effect, and I haven't really said anything about AT&T....

I live in the Netherlands, so I’m not just talking nonsense; I’m just looking at things logically, I guess.

Look, the nearly billion dollars in the European Union that gets handed over to the tobacco industry every year is more than enough to support what I was saying.

And then you people, who use our own tax money for this, claim it's like a drug. Honestly, who's being foolish here?

Let’s say I have ten years of smoking under my belt. Over those ten years, I’ve basically paid enough into this country's system to cure THREE cases of lung cancer. So, where did all that money go?
In the end, what am I left with? Just some nicotine patches. 😁

It's a business, but maybe you're looking at it too much from a non-smoker's perspective, so I don't think you can really get where I'm coming from. No, I'm not smarter than you just because I used to smoke—I'm probably dumber, since I was so reckless back then... I just happen to have better information on the subject.

I mean, everything they said probably holds up. I don't know the actual costs of cancer treatment, though. Maybe if there were a doctor around who could explain how much a hospital day costs, or the average length of stay, or the price of scans, tests, surgeries, and medications (if there even are any, not for a cure, but for... well, I'm not a doctor, so I don't know) and things like that. It should be pretty easy to crunch those numbers. And it all ties back to the money; tobacco definitely makes a profit. But the whole point of this thread is about bans... and like I mentioned before, I'm not necessarily against bans, but I am against being bothered by the smoke. I think Target did a great job with their restaurant setup; they made this glass enclosure for smokers, so they can eat and smoke and smell themselves, while I can just enjoy my meal in peace without the cigarette smoke getting in my way. 🙂

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Betty Hill82 said:That works! 🙂

By your logic, the entire Dutch government would be behind bars. Around here, they’re charging about two bucks per pack.

Look, honestly, it was actually easier for me to quit weed than it was to kick the cigarettes. In the last eight years, I’ve barely even thought about weed once, but cigarettes? They are constantly on my mind. I’m currently five weeks into quitting.

Well, I don't think the whole government would go to jail by my standards, but you did say something that just doesn't track. Based on your post, I get the feeling you aren't actually living here in the States... because in America, they don't charge two dollars a pack, though they probably should be charging more. If smokers want specific benefits to help them deal with their addiction or for medical treatment, then there should be a way to pay for that directly. We shouldn't all have to foot the bill through general taxes, especially when our healthcare system is already struggling so much. Otherwise, when it's finally my turn to need a doctor or some kind of treatment, I might find myself stuck on a massive waiting list because the system is basically in a coma due to lack of funding...

Anyway, if you go back and read my previous post, I mentioned that I'm not actually in favor of bans. What I said was just my response to your somewhat vague idea about what kind of benefits smokers should receive... so I was just answering vagueness with vagueness... though I think mine was a bit more grounded.

Sh

Betty Hill82 said:They also say they want people to stop smoking at any cost, even if they have to pass bans to do it, because they view it as an addiction worse than drugs or alcohol. Okay, fine, but then why not just register all smokers as addicts? Maybe we could give them concessions like access to free rehab and the first month of paid medical leave so they can actually get clean?
No, it’s really not that SERIOUS. I mean, seriously...

Sure, okay, maybe you get those perks and everything else, which sounds great on paper, but if you actually get caught smoking, buying, or selling cigarettes, you're heading straight to prison, just like it is with drugs. It's pretty much the same thing! 😉 !

Sh

1. Honestly, comparing farting to smoking is a bit of a stretch. I mean, when I’ve had too many beans, I might let one rip maybe once every five minutes or so, but you aren't going to get lung cancer from that—unless there’s some obscure scientific study out there proving farts have side effects... and besides, it doesn't make your clothes smell like smoke!

2. I'm not really a fan of outright bans. Personally, I think it would be better if we just passed some legislation requiring every single diner to have heavy-duty ventilation running constantly.

3. A lot of non-smokers—not everyone, but plenty—don't seem to have much etiquette. They hide behind the idea of "personal freedom" to light up whenever they want. But look, I try my best to hold back my gas while people are eating. Even if someone is just two or three tables away, if my stomach is acting up, I'll just head to the restroom. It would be nice if smokers showed that same courtesy and didn't smoke while I'm trying to enjoy a meal, but unfortunately, it feels like too many people feel entitled to season my food with their smoke.

4. Farting is just a natural thing you can't always control. If smokers were born with a cigarette permanently clamped in their mouths and absolutely had to light up just to manage physical pain, then I might have an argument, but otherwise... just back off.

5. I really wish we had the practice here in the States where we slapped a massive tax on cigarettes. And not just cigarettes—alcohol too. All that extra tax money should go directly into the healthcare system. That way, people dealing with illnesses that are clearly linked to smoking could actually be contributing to the cost of their own treatment ahead of time.

6. I don't think smokers are second-class citizens. I have my own bad habits that are hard to kick, too, but at least I don't force them on anyone else.

7. Anyway, I'm tired of typing this out.

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John Thomas2 said:Seriously, was it even necessary to start an entire thread just to talk about this? 🙄

is

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Damn, and that’s my dominant hand too...

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I guess I don't really get why people aren't doing more power walking... I've heard it's actually better for you than running, especially since if you're carrying a bit of extra weight, running can really mess up your knees.

I tried it myself, and honestly, it worked out pretty well for me. 🙂

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nimblescout said:Why wouldn't it help? Any progress at all is a win in my book.

But I don't know... this doesn't really feel like a step forward. It feels more like half a step.

So, I guess I have a suggestion for you...

I’m not sure how far away your office is or if you even have a chance to shower there, but maybe try walking to work or just power-walking somewhere else... nothing crazy, just enough so that 3.1 miles you can make it in maybe 40 minutes or less. You'll get a little sweaty, and if you do that twice a day while eating normally—or maybe just slightly less than usual—you should start seeing things happen. That's the low-effort way. If you want faster results, maybe go for a run for thirty minutes every other day, though I've heard that anything under 40 minutes isn't super effective... and maybe hit the gym, or try swimming...

And just eat a tiny bit less than you usually do... or just eat normally, though I suppose everyone's standards for what "normal" means are different...

Look, I'm definitely no expert, but that's basically how I managed to slim down. 😁

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Haha, yeah, I actually used some eye drops once back when I was just a kid. Something had gotten stuck in my eye and the doctor had to go in and get it out, which left everything feeling super irritated, so I used some Visine. I guess I just assumed they were all basically the same thing...

Back in high school, my eyes used to sting like crazy because I spent so much time hunched over my computer. They don't really do that anymore, though. I can't tell if I just got used to it or if modern monitors are actually better quality now... I suspect it's probably a bit of both, but maybe mostly the hardware side of things.

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I'm not really sure if that’s going to make much of a difference, to be honest...

give it some more thought.

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Maybe give those "vision heightening" drops a shot... I've heard people say they're basically for drunks... though honestly, looking at us IT guys, we probably aren't that far off from being functional alcoholics ourselves... 😁 😁

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Honestly, I’d probably just loop back to when I was four years old... then I'd fast-forward straight through the end of college, and then just start traveling backward again... maybe until I eventually get bored, though I don't think that would ever actually happen.

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jezebel said:Alright, dustyharbor7, come on, say something, goddammit!

🙂

evo, I saw this movie ages ago on some random channel on TV, so unfortunately I don't actually own it to watch it again, but man, it was such a blast 🙂

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