Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Don't think I'm quite up to "101 Things I Hate About Fremantle" just yet.
I once wrote "101 Things I Hate About Linda McCartney" and felt bad about it when she died shortly after.
But I'm kind of hoping something similar might happen to Fremantle if I carry through my plans!
After all -- and this could be "Thing I Hate #1" -- nuclear-powered US warships do dock there from time to time.
Hmmm.

The very idea of writing something into (non-)existence is, of course, utter nonsense and anyone who believed it could happen would be living proof that ideology is not dead.
What is ideology?
I guess it's holding to any proposition which can't possibly be true.
Or maybe refusing to hold to any proposition which is manifestly true.
In which case, I've yet to meet a 100% ideology-free human being.

Me?
Well I guess continuing to smoke (inter alia) tobacco when it is manifestly true that it will make me ill and possibly kill me is a bit of ideology at work in this particular fractured soul.
I agree with the current view that smoking is a horrible and nasty habit.
The only health warning I really like is the one that says "Smoking Is Addictive".
So I don't smoke near non-smokers or in confined spaces.

One reason I don't want to give it up is the instant social bonding you get between smokers who now have to congregate in outdoor areas.
Though there aren't as many as there were once.
Dying breed?

The bit I don't appreciate is the moral crap you get from health professionals.
Like, you shouldn't get treatment for smoking-related health problems.
If you look at all the bloody tax we pay on tobacco, we're practically keeping the health system going!
Same with alcohol and other "bad" things.

Maybe the only reason I'll give up is a sheer hatred (lot of hating going on in this post!) of the tobacco companies.
Enough ranting from me for now ... there's a perfectly good pepper steak pie waiting for me up at the Blyton Bakery, followed by a good long black coffee and ... yeh ... a fag.

Sledge