That page is on a website offered for free from an ISP. That's the universal home for all conspiracy theories nuts.
Yeah, but they picked such an honest, respectable-looking font.
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The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
51–60 of 65 posts
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#52That page is on a website offered for free from an ISP. That's the universal home for all conspiracy theories nuts.
It's apparently by a fairly widely published biologist, an expert on fish eyes, it would seem:
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#53That page is on a website offered for free from an ISP. That's the universal home for all conspiracy theories nuts.
Isn't that a funny correlation? It's not like that's the easiest way to publish something on the web. I wonder what's going on here.
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smoking is anti social though. It's disgusting. It's like force feeding everyone around you asparagus, just because you love asparagus. Please stop smoking everyone.
Smoking isn't antisocial at all. Smokers are usually the most friendly people I know. Some of the best social things I have done is smoking a cigarette on a train station in a 3rd world country - it brings people together. If someone offers you a cigarette you would be an uppity idiot to decline. You can walk up to a strange smoker and ask him for a light. Taking a smokebreak outside while there is a complete smoker…
>> "in a 3rd world country"
There's the difference. We're in more developed nations where smoking is far less common now. You'd expect 3rd world countries to still be smoking.
And yes, I concede, it does bring people together. But drinking is a far better way to do that.
I don't have a stick up my ass because I absolutely hate the feeling of choking in disgusting smelly smoke.
Again - I don't dislike it for some wooly reason like I think it's "bad". I dislike it because it tastes horrible. It smells absolutely disgusting. It makes your clothes smell. Your kids cough. Choking isn't fun. (And this is just second hand smoke. I've never smoked personally).
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smoking is anti social though. It's disgusting. It's like force feeding everyone around you asparagus, just because you love asparagus. Please stop smoking everyone.
Driving a car is like force feeding me toxic exhaust when all I want to do is walk down the sidewalk. It's disgusting. Please stop driving everyone. I don't need to drive, why do you? I am within walking distance of everything I need; you should be too. This is my city and I want to walk in it without your dirty car offending my delicate nasal passages.
Car smoke is 1% as offensive as 'smoke' smoke IMHO.
Modern cars fitted with catalytic convertors etc aren't the ones causing the trouble. It's big diesel busses and lorries or very old cars.
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#56That page is on a website offered for free from an ISP. That's the universal home for all conspiracy theories nuts.
Yes, but are the claims true? Have studies failed to show stopping smoking doesn't help you live longer? And the Japanese _are_ fairly heavy smokers yet have very long lives. That's not to say I don't thinking smoking is really bad for you. It's an addictive drug, reduces lung capacity and I've known people being treated for emphysema in their 30's etc. But the article makes some interesting claims about how politica…
> And the Japanese _are_ fairly heavy smokers yet have very long lives.
That's funny because I was going to write "I don't know how much truth is in what he writes about all those studies, but that statememt is complete bullshit". I've lived in Japan for a year, and my personal experience is that the Japanese smoke very little.
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. With the UK's "no smoking indoors in public" laws, you get a ton of smokers emitting a choking cloud under the awning outside train stations, etc. I hold my breath to walk through it. Plus just plain walking closely downwind of a smoker on the street is nasty. I have to pay visual attention to avoid getting a lungful of breathed-out smoke. Not fun.
In Toronto you can't smoke under large umbrellas or any partially roofed areas on patios/bus stations.
How is that enforced?
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smoking isn't antisocial at all. Smokers are usually the most friendly people I know. Some of the best social things I have done is smoking a cigarette on a train station in a 3rd world country - it brings people together. If someone offers you a cigarette you would be an uppity idiot to decline. You can walk up to a strange smoker and ask him for a light. Taking a smokebreak outside while there is a complete smoker…
>> "in a 3rd world country" There's the difference. We're in more developed nations where smoking is far less common now. You'd expect 3rd world countries to still be smoking. And yes, I concede, it does bring people together. But drinking is a far better way to do that. I don't have a stick up my ass because I absolutely hate the feeling of choking in disgusting smelly smoke. Again - I don't dislike it for some wool…
The "3rd world country" line wasn't the point - I think you missed it altogether.
Smoking has a bit of a culture - when you're smoking somewhere, and someone else is smoking, that's something you can physically talk to them about. You can saunter up to them and say "Virginia blend, eh? Never tried that" and you immediately have a conversation, provided they're not an asshole. It can be something that brings a group together: "Hey lets stop watching this movie and go outside and smoke." And it is very social: it's tough to NOT talk if you're just sitting around with some guys smoking. It can also just be something to do with your hands - for me, at least, it gets rid of the anxious foot-tapping or knuckle cracking and lets me just sit back and smoke and enjoy someone else's company.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that today we are caught up by "interactive distractions" rather than actual human interaction. Smoking socially changes that.
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> "in a 3rd world country" There's the difference. We're in more developed nations where smoking is far less common now. You'd expect 3rd world countries to still be smoking. And yes, I concede, it does bring people together. But drinking is a far better way to do that. I don't have a stick up my ass because I absolutely hate the feeling of choking in disgusting smelly smoke. Again - I don't dislike it for some wool…
The "3rd world country" line wasn't the point - I think you missed it altogether. Smoking has a bit of a culture - when you're smoking somewhere, and someone else is smoking, that's something you can physically talk to them about. You can saunter up to them and say "Virginia blend, eh? Never tried that" and you immediately have a conversation, provided they're not an asshole. It can be something that brings a group t…
>> " when you're smoking somewhere, and someone else is smoking, that's something you can physically talk to them about."
Agreed. Just like if you've both had a leg amputated, you have something in common and can also strike up a conversation. But it's not a good reason to purposely cut your leg off. That's probably why you believe smokers to be some of the most friendly people you know - because they have something in common with you.
Personally, most smokers I see around are pretty unfriendly.
Drinking is better for lowering the barriers to social interaction IMHO without making everyone smell horrible and choke. Also a bit healthier.
Also I'm sure it depends on where you live. In the UK the culture is very much anti smoking.
Re: The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Driving a car is like force feeding me toxic exhaust when all I want to do is walk down the sidewalk. It's disgusting. Please stop driving everyone. I don't need to drive, why do you? I am within walking distance of everything I need; you should be too. This is my city and I want to walk in it without your dirty car offending my delicate nasal passages.
Yes, people should drive cars that don't produce such a large amount of noxious fumes, they should drive less -- cars are the number one accidental killer at 40k deaths/year in the US. Both of these things would naturally occur if drivers were not free externalize the significant costs of their personal choices.
It's not about those wasteful car drivers "externalizing the costs of their personal choices." Please!
Most people have no choice, because of how the entire country has chosen to invest in infrastructure. Which is to say, it has chosen not to.
American physical geography and sociopolitical geography forces car driving.