Comments on: Don’t look for me, I’ll get a hand http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/ Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:35:49 +1000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: I hate cigarettes http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-10945 I hate cigarettes Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:32:11 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-10945 I am fuming. People still smoke. When are people going to realize that it is up to us...each and every one of us as mature, intelligent human beings, to stop purchasing cigarettes..because the governments are not going to do anything about it. It will take the collective power of all the people around the world to stop purchasing them immediately, and that will send a mesage to the juggernaut that is the tobacco industry, that they no longer have a market for their poison, because that is precisely what it is. And unintelligent human beings that buy one ounce of that poison, are feeding the whole industry. So if you or someone else you know buys it, please tell them not to. Congratulations Free Man, you are doing something good. I don't care about all the medical tests and mumbo jumbo...it's all by the wayside...cigarettes are poison just like the exhaust fumes coming out of your car...if you suck on them long enough, they will kill you. What normal healthy human being wants to poison themselves or the clean air we all breathe? For God's Sake people..wake up to your selves. If everyone would stop buying it, it would send a strong clear message. The governments and the tobacco industry aren't going to do anything for us, because they are the ones getting your money. YOU have to do it. Say NO to tobacco..it's a dirty word. I am fuming. People still smoke. When are people going to realize that it is up to us…each and every one of us as mature, intelligent human beings, to stop purchasing cigarettes..because the governments are not going to do anything about it. It will take the collective power of all the people around the world to stop purchasing them immediately, and that will send a mesage to the juggernaut that is the tobacco industry, that they no longer have a market for their poison, because that is precisely what it is. And unintelligent human beings that buy one ounce of that poison, are feeding the whole industry.
So if you or someone else you know buys it, please tell them not to.
Congratulations Free Man, you are doing something good.
I don’t care about all the medical tests and mumbo jumbo…it’s all by the wayside…cigarettes are poison just like the exhaust fumes coming out of your car…if you suck on them long enough, they will kill you. What normal healthy human being wants to poison themselves or the clean air we all breathe?
For God’s Sake people..wake up to your selves.
If everyone would stop buying it, it would send a strong clear message. The governments and the tobacco industry aren’t going to do anything for us, because they are the ones getting your money.
YOU have to do it. Say NO to tobacco..it’s a dirty word.

]]> By: alice http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9947 alice Sat, 09 May 2009 01:58:19 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9947 Two things: 1. I'm around 5 years into quitting and I haven't even had a drag from a smoke since I got the monkey off my back. One of the cool things about being in a successful quit is that I now have something to look forward to if the apocalypse plays out in my lifetime. I only hope I have enough time to make it to the 7/11 for a carton of cigs before the final blow strikes... 2. I used to manage the medical office of a geneticist who specialized in prenatal ultrasound and genetic testing. We dabbled in a bit of predictive testing (checking for breast cancer susceptibility in Ashkenazi Jewish women, for example), but the majority of our business was in high-risk pregnancy -- people in an at-risk group, with a prior child born with birth defects, or with previous unsuccessful pregnancies. It's nice to be able to test for potential problems. Deciding what to do after receiving the results of such tests is the most anguishing thing I've ever been a party to. That said, the best day I ever had at that job was calling an expectant mother and telling her that her unborn child did not have the same genetic defect that ultimately killed her first two children. We both wept. <abbr><em>alices last blog post..<a href="http://thorg.com/archives/5494" rel="nofollow">I love it when huge groups of people get together to do really cool things</a></abbr></em> Two things:

1. I’m around 5 years into quitting and I haven’t even had a drag from a smoke since I got the monkey off my back. One of the cool things about being in a successful quit is that I now have something to look forward to if the apocalypse plays out in my lifetime. I only hope I have enough time to make it to the 7/11 for a carton of cigs before the final blow strikes…

2. I used to manage the medical office of a geneticist who specialized in prenatal ultrasound and genetic testing. We dabbled in a bit of predictive testing (checking for breast cancer susceptibility in Ashkenazi Jewish women, for example), but the majority of our business was in high-risk pregnancy — people in an at-risk group, with a prior child born with birth defects, or with previous unsuccessful pregnancies.

It’s nice to be able to test for potential problems. Deciding what to do after receiving the results of such tests is the most anguishing thing I’ve ever been a party to.

That said, the best day I ever had at that job was calling an expectant mother and telling her that her unborn child did not have the same genetic defect that ultimately killed her first two children. We both wept.

alices last blog post..I love it when huge groups of people get together to do really cool things

]]> By: admin http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9896 admin Fri, 08 May 2009 06:46:02 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9896 OK, I just spent half a lecture on genetic testing and have lots of good reasons now to do genetic testing! SSG - I'd kind of like to know your strange thoughts. Tell me. Jacob - Do you remember Skoal Bandits? Snus are the Skoal Bandits of the 21st century. Carolyn - I know. I know. NATUI - I don't know if it's not giving a damn or if it's just incredibly difficult to quit. It is. Incredibly difficult. TRB - Unless you're adopted or out of touch with your family you know a lot about genetic history anyway. As you say. Blues - It would be very tough to quit while living with a smoker. Good luck with that. Nathan - That's good news - that it's not a hereditary type of cancer. Good for the wee one, that is. OK, I just spent half a lecture on genetic testing and have lots of good reasons now to do genetic testing!

SSG – I’d kind of like to know your strange thoughts. Tell me.

Jacob – Do you remember Skoal Bandits? Snus are the Skoal Bandits of the 21st century.

Carolyn – I know. I know.

NATUI – I don’t know if it’s not giving a damn or if it’s just incredibly difficult to quit. It is. Incredibly difficult.

TRB – Unless you’re adopted or out of touch with your family you know a lot about genetic history anyway. As you say.

Blues – It would be very tough to quit while living with a smoker. Good luck with that.

Nathan – That’s good news – that it’s not a hereditary type of cancer. Good for the wee one, that is.

]]> By: Nathan B. http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9885 Nathan B. Thu, 07 May 2009 16:15:48 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9885 After Mrs. B was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago, she made the decision to have a battery of genetic tests done. After the tests results ruled out the known genetic markers for her case, she was relieved mostly because she knew a couple of things: 1. Our daughter will need to be checked for breast cancer early but isn't genetically predisposed (as far as current scientific knowledge goes); and 2. She had a greatly reduced risk of other types of female-related cancers. The frustrating part for her, though, was she couldn't "blame" anything for having cancer. She had none of the risk factors, outside of being a women, and heredity didn't appear to play a part either. I think she's made peace with this situation, but it still sucks balls. After Mrs. B was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago, she made the decision to have a battery of genetic tests done. After the tests results ruled out the known genetic markers for her case, she was relieved mostly because she knew a couple of things: 1. Our daughter will need to be checked for breast cancer early but isn’t genetically predisposed (as far as current scientific knowledge goes); and 2. She had a greatly reduced risk of other types of female-related cancers. The frustrating part for her, though, was she couldn’t “blame” anything for having cancer. She had none of the risk factors, outside of being a women, and heredity didn’t appear to play a part either. I think she’s made peace with this situation, but it still sucks balls.

]]> By: Joe http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9871 Joe Wed, 06 May 2009 23:00:33 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9871 I read an article a couple days ago that says a county in China is FORCING government employees to smoke. Here it is: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5271376/Chinese-ordered-to-smoke-more-to-boost-economy.html I think if there were something that I could do to help the situation, I would want to know so that I could take the proper steps to change my lifestyle. Actually, I would probably want to know about it even if I couldn't do anything to help myself so that I could concentrate on making preparations for my family. <abbr><em>Joes last blog post..<a href="http://www.irrationaldad.com/2009/04/the-non-dad-stuff.html" rel="nofollow">The Non-Dad Stuff</a></abbr></em> I read an article a couple days ago that says a county in China is FORCING government employees to smoke. Here it is:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5271376/Chinese-ordered-to-smoke-more-to-boost-economy.html

I think if there were something that I could do to help the situation, I would want to know so that I could take the proper steps to change my lifestyle. Actually, I would probably want to know about it even if I couldn’t do anything to help myself so that I could concentrate on making preparations for my family.

Joes last blog post..The Non-Dad Stuff

]]> By: blues http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9870 blues Wed, 06 May 2009 19:55:18 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9870 I am in the same damn boat and I'm waiting for the annoying cravings to leave. It doesn't help that Luis smokes and so makes me crave regularly. For me it just got to the point where it was psychologically destroying me to continue smoking, I just felt so defeated by not being in control of myself. Some days I feel that way, other days i think, "I'm in control and If i want a cigarette I'm gonna have one". It's all very confusing. As far as physical health, I know it's for the best, but then I start getting all hypochondriac for my husband who hasn't quit yet. Maybe I need to drink more. I am in the same damn boat and I’m waiting for the annoying cravings to leave. It doesn’t help that Luis smokes and so makes me crave regularly.

For me it just got to the point where it was psychologically destroying me to continue smoking, I just felt so defeated by not being in control of myself. Some days I feel that way, other days i think, “I’m in control and If i want a cigarette I’m gonna have one”. It’s all very confusing.

As far as physical health, I know it’s for the best, but then I start getting all hypochondriac for my husband who hasn’t quit yet.

Maybe I need to drink more.

]]> By: The Right Blue http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9869 The Right Blue Wed, 06 May 2009 19:41:07 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9869 Congrats on the six week milestone. Smug is good, esp. in this instance. Re knowing/not knowing - There probably is more utility in knowing while you are still young. There's more opportunity to do things (lifestyle, diet, etc.) that might influence the outcome. When you're already over the hill, so to speak, those kinds of changes may be too little/too late. In a way, I DO know about my risks, just from observing the patterns of cause of death (and illness) in my relatives. Middle-age onset type II diabetes on my mother's side; lotsa heart disease on both sides; kidney and lung cancer on my father's side; thankfully no Alzheimer's or dementia in anyone. The ones with cancer -- all heavy smokers -- died well before their time. The ones with heart disease and related problems all lived into their eighties and nineties, thanks to medical intervention. Perhaps if they followed a better diet, etc. earlier on they would not have needed all those drugs, nor have suffered the heart attacks that didn't kill them, but certainly were not nice to experience. Then again, genes aside, any of us could get hit by a truck tomorrow! <abbr><em>The Right Blues last blog post..<a href="http://therightblue.com/2009/05/stingray-city-grand-cayman-island.html" rel="nofollow">Stingray City, Grand Cayman Island</a></abbr></em> Congrats on the six week milestone. Smug is good, esp. in this instance.

Re knowing/not knowing – There probably is more utility in knowing while you are still young. There’s more opportunity to do things (lifestyle, diet, etc.) that might influence the outcome. When you’re already over the hill, so to speak, those kinds of changes may be too little/too late.

In a way, I DO know about my risks, just from observing the patterns of cause of death (and illness) in my relatives. Middle-age onset type II diabetes on my mother’s side; lotsa heart disease on both sides; kidney and lung cancer on my father’s side; thankfully no Alzheimer’s or dementia in anyone.

The ones with cancer — all heavy smokers — died well before their time. The ones with heart disease and related problems all lived into their eighties and nineties, thanks to medical intervention. Perhaps if they followed a better diet, etc. earlier on they would not have needed all those drugs, nor have suffered the heart attacks that didn’t kill them, but certainly were not nice to experience.

Then again, genes aside, any of us could get hit by a truck tomorrow!

The Right Blues last blog post..Stingray City, Grand Cayman Island

]]> By: NATUI http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9868 NATUI Wed, 06 May 2009 19:22:40 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9868 I am waiting for the handheld tricorder device that I can point at people to see if they are genetically predisposed to stupidity. Then, I wouldn't waste my time getting into a conversation with them. What a time saver that would be. As for the cancer/smoking markers, my MIL has smoked since she was 12. A few years ago her doc did a big x-ray test/screening of her lungs as a smoking deterrent. Turns out her lungs were "amazingly clear", which to her was the green flag to continue smoking to her heart's content. My friend's neighbor just had his leg amputated after six vein replacement surgeries. They told him to quit smoking and he could keep his leg. He didn't. They cut his leg off below the knee. He got a staff infection and they reamputated at mid-thigh. They said he has quit now, but we shall see. My point: Some people? Just don't give a damn. <abbr><em>NATUIs last blog post..<a href="http://notafraidtouseit.blogspot.com/2009/05/hfcs-nazi.html" rel="nofollow">The HFCS Nazi</a></abbr></em> I am waiting for the handheld tricorder device that I can point at people to see if they are genetically predisposed to stupidity. Then, I wouldn’t waste my time getting into a conversation with them. What a time saver that would be.

As for the cancer/smoking markers, my MIL has smoked since she was 12. A few years ago her doc did a big x-ray test/screening of her lungs as a smoking deterrent. Turns out her lungs were “amazingly clear”, which to her was the green flag to continue smoking to her heart’s content. My friend’s neighbor just had his leg amputated after six vein replacement surgeries. They told him to quit smoking and he could keep his leg. He didn’t. They cut his leg off below the knee. He got a staff infection and they reamputated at mid-thigh. They said he has quit now, but we shall see. My point: Some people? Just don’t give a damn.

NATUIs last blog post..The HFCS Nazi

]]> By: Carolyn Online http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9865 Carolyn Online Wed, 06 May 2009 15:42:59 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9865 Dude you can't smoke because of your kids. That's really all it is. You never want your kids to smoke and so you can't smoke in front of them. Period. Cancer and studies and numbers are just things to read while you wait for the craving to go away. <abbr><em>Carolyn Onlines last blog post..<a href="http://carolynonline.blogspot.com/2009/05/that-wii-fit-bitch-better-just-step-off.html" rel="nofollow">That Wii Fit bitch better just step off.</a></abbr></em> Dude you can’t smoke because of your kids. That’s really all it is. You never want your kids to smoke and so you can’t smoke in front of them. Period. Cancer and studies and numbers are just things to read while you wait for the craving to go away.

Carolyn Onlines last blog post..That Wii Fit bitch better just step off.

]]> By: Jacob http://www.afreeman.org/2009/05/05/dont-look-for-me-ill-get-a-hand/comment-page-1/#comment-9864 Jacob Wed, 06 May 2009 13:02:17 +0000 http://www.afreeman.org/?p=2488#comment-9864 So that's what Snus is. There are signs for the stuff in every gas station in town and some mention that it's refrigerated. Camel apparently recently released their own brand of snus, but I had no idea what in the world it was. <abbr><em>Jacobs last blog post..<a href="http://aracauna.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-am-i-going-to-do-with-my.html" rel="nofollow">What Am I Going to Do with My Afternoons?</a></abbr></em> So that’s what Snus is. There are signs for the stuff in every gas station in town and some mention that it’s refrigerated. Camel apparently recently released their own brand of snus, but I had no idea what in the world it was.

Jacobs last blog post..What Am I Going to Do with My Afternoons?

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