robert

Thousands of people just like you are haranging smokers on a daily basis
- and not always by choice. Antismoking zealotry sneaks up on you as you
eventually become so emotionally and psychologically dependant on your
chronic bigotry that it takes control of every aspect of your life.
Hectoring smokers made me feel like there was nothing better on earth - I
used it to treat boredom when I needed to; it made me think I could understand scientific
reports like an educated person; and I felt like I could finally forget all of my worries
and just be. It took me a full 4 years to realize that my life was
literally passing me by while I was cutting and pasting the days away.

Friends and family noticed how withdrawn and unsociable I had become. I
found it hard to even get out of bed in the morning and often forgot
things throughout the day. I became less productive, lacked energy and
generally felt depressed and negative about the direction was my life
was headed as I was posting more and more hatred to get by.
I decided to quit haranguing smokers because the negative toll it was
taking on my life far outweighed any positive short term effects it had
on me.

huge wad of spit

Sir Robert, ahhh so true.. So many smoker's are now seeing it my way.
Chew em & Spitz.. America will wake up one day and realize they've
traded ashtrys for the ol spitoon. Sure does get a bar fight settled up
faster.

That's another thing for shawn's duty roster.
I catch those spitoon's over half full and your
gonna have them for lunch. Think of the savings over
the 2 burger and fries @ McD's.

Fear not. I'll always be here to promulgate the *Shane Hen Tough Love
Approach*. I'll be here to remind them of the insanity of their
hate-smoker addiction. A the same time they must know that I am "Mr.
Friendly Helper". I'm only here to *help them* shed the shackles of
their anti-smoker, and trolling, addictions. Let me SAVE THEM from
their negative ways and lead them to the path of good psychological
health!! Praise be on high, chillun's, I will help them walk through
the darkness of their zealous and fanatical ways!!
You are needy weaklings now, my fine ladies, but I will show you the
errors of your empty-life ways and lead you to the light.

Oooo, Lawdy!! Praise ME!!!!

shawn hirn

I don't hate smokers. In fact, the opposite is true. I hope every smoker
lives a long and healthy life. We all know that one way (among several)
to reduce the risk of major health problems and live longer is to avoid
smoking if you haven't started and quit if you have. Don't blame me. I
didn't design the human body such that it reacts badly to smoke. I am
just a messenger, and blaming the messenger for the message makes no
sense.

The opposite of hate is love. Thanks Shane, we appreciate your emotion.

My one grandfather smoked cigars and a pipe all his life: Died age 93 -
natural causes
My other grandfather smoked filterless cigarettes all his life: Died 84
- natural causes.

Both were light eaters and enjoyed healthy diets of fruits, vegetables,
and basic non-adulterated processed foods.
Both of their second-hand smoke wives outlived them

Tell ya' what, Shane, I'll play the genetic card and forego your silly
hypotheses.

BTW the family grew up around second hand smoke and all enjoy(enjoyed)
healthy lives.

Also, don't asubstitute the messengar moniker for your true label as
troll. We ain't buyin' it.

shawn hirn

Sigh! Many factors combine to influence our lifespan. Smoking is one of
those factors. Some people can live very unhealthy lives, yet live to a
ripe old age. Longevity is a genetic trait that probably runs strong in
your family on both sides. Some people live extremely healthy lives, yet
they die too early. There's the concept of risk factors. Smoking is a
huge risk factor for most people. I said "most."

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a genetic card to play. I don't
care if you have that card to play or not, as long as you don't smoke in my presence.


As I said, genetics is a significant factor in determining mortality,
but so is smoking. Your family genes seem to help you live right as far
as diet is concerned, and that may be what's helped your grandparents to
live into their 90s.

Using an N of 2 is hardly a valid study.

Stay away from where I am and you don't have a problem,troll. Should
you happen to wander into my presence . . .well, you know the ol'
"don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out", bit .


As a shill for junk science your judgements regarding studies, and
their validity, are less than meritous.

° shanghai lil °

It's ok, even smokers hate smokers. They even hate themselves for
being hapless addicts.

Posted by: Ignorance_is_Bliss | January 10, 2007 12:14 PM

As a self loathing smoker, I think this is a great idea. I was initially
against banning smoking in resturants and bars, but after a recent trip to
Vegas, it was even harder to breathe.

It's a difference you can only tell after a while of experiencing it.

Now as a Californian, stepping outside for a smoke isn't as chilling an idea
as being someplace where it snows.

Smoking in workplaces is a uneeded distraction.

===

Smokers suffer from self-loathing?


To the Editor:

I can't help but be bewildered at the number of students who smoke. I am
forced to ask myself, "Why do so many people persist in participating in
such an obviously stupid activity?" The answer I have come up with will no
doubt make me a marked man among the slaves of the nicotine culture, but I
believe it may have the unpopular merit of being true.

It seems to me that anyone who would voluntarily pay for a product that is
guaranteed to reduce their life span and quality must hate themselves in
some fundamental way. Anyone who has seen someone dying of cancer or
respiratory ailments can't possibly wish that fate upon themselves if they
are confident and happy in life.

Bedsides self-loathing, smokers have underdeveloped social skills. I make
this statement because the majority of smokers begin the habit under the
influence of peer pressure, or in order to rebel against their parents.

Even though nicotine is medically habit-forming, I still believe it takes a
certain weakness of character to become addicted to anything. By being a
smoker, you join an international society that makes socialization easier.
You don't have to rely on charm or conversational skill - you simply
approach a fellow nicotine zombie and open a conversation with an inane,
"Got a light?" or "Can I bum a smoke?" This kind of lazy and empty
fraternity seems somewhat sad to me.

Cheap thrills and easy friends seem, to me, to be inadequate justification.
Do yourself a favour, learn to respect yourself and drop the disgusting
habit.

William Fleury
===

Confessions of a Former Self-Loathing Nicotine Junkie

A few months ago, I celebrated one whole decade without a cigarette. It was
a big deal. I should have thrown myself a party. Something. But I figured
that the people who love me wouldn't be inclined to celebrate me not doing
something I never should have been doing in the first place.

Smoking is bad. And I hated myself to the core for doing it.

People who know me in real life can't believe that I used to smoke. I guess
I just don't look or seem like a smoker. But it's true ... I was among the
foulest of the foul ... and there were witnesses, too. I wasn't one of those
social smokers who light one up once in awhile to accompany a ****tail. (I
wish.) I'm the kind who smoked two between the time the ****tail was ordered
and put in front of me. I smoked four on the way to the bar ... and that was
after stopping at the convenient store to pick up another couple of packs
for the evening.

Nicotine junkie. That's what I was. Nothing social about it.

I was the kind of smoker who lit one up within a minute of getting out of
bed in the morning and last thing before slipping back in it at night. I
kept an ashtray on my nightstand.

I was the kind of smoker who would gather change from the car floor to buy a
new pack.

I was the kind of smoker who would go through the car ashtray PRAYING for a
long butt when there wasn't enough change for a new pack.

I was the kind of smoker who made a nuisance of herself bumming cigs off of
others when there were no long butts in the car ashtray.

I was the kind of smoker who ... desperately needed help.

Like so many stupid kids, I started smoking when I was a senior in high
school. It was Sue L.'s fault with her pandering of Marlb0r0 Lights. It also
didn't help that I came from a long line of smokers on both sides of the
family. My parents were a-okay with me smoking in the house. They were
smokers and I was 18 by then. I thought they were being very cool. Over the
years, my habit only got worse.

I can't tell you how many times I tried to quit.

Gum? I could chew it and smoke at the same time. (Did I mention I needed
help?)

Patch? Close but no cigar!

Hypnosis? Worked for about 24 hours.

Everytime I failed, I hated myself even more.

What saved me was marrying Dan, a non-smoker. He never gave me a hard time
about smoking. But he did reach the point where he asked me not to smoke in
the house. Frankly, he didn't ask as much as he insisted. I was so ashamed,
at that point, that I quit. Cold turkey. With the help of infinite rolls of
Breath Savers. Wintergreen. I will remember (and bless) that flavor for as
long as I live.

That first year was a full year of living hell. Every single day I had to
tell myself no about a million times. Cigarettes and smokers were
everywhere, beckoning me to join. Suddenly, I didn't even want to talk to
anyone on the telephone, because the cravings would be so intense. All of my
routines had to change. After dinner, I would have to lie down and cry
because the yearning was overwhelming. I literally grieved for a smoke. This
was long before someone had the good sense to recommend prescribing
anti-depressants to quitters. I had to go it alone. No matter how bad I
felt, I knew the answer had to be no. No to "just this once" ... no to "just
one more" ... no to "but there's always tomorrow." It had to be no today.
Every day.

Ten years later, here I am.

Why am I confessing all of this now? Because, maybe, you are reading this
and you are a self-loathing nicotine junkie too. You feel like you can never
quit. Ever. So why bother, right? Please trust me on this ... if I can do
it, you can too. There is no perfect time to quit. You will never be 100%
ready. That's how the addiction works. But it can be done. It can be
overcome. So don't give up on yourself. Just do it.

I'm here if you need me.

http://www.juloftheday.com/mt/archives/2005/08/confessions_of.html

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Do these nut-cases all take their seat-of-the-pants, sophomoric, Psych
101 classes together??

C'mon Singsong Lil, get yourself a less cliche confabulation and
refresher course in the perils of automated and predictable groupthink.

Such a bore.

miss elaine eos

[Whatever. Snip]

Just in case anyone's not clear: self-loathing non-smokers also hate
themselves.

The list of people who hate themselves also includes: self-loathing ice
skaters, self-loathing pancake eaters, self-loathing nannies and
self-loathing narcissists.

--
Please take off your pants or I won't read your e-mail.
I will not, no matter how "good" the deal, patronise any business which sends
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