Tim Blair

"What, our nanny-state regulations have ugly side effects? By golly, it must mean our regulatory meddling wasn't comprehensive enough yet! Let's get right on to that!" Geez.

``Not Many Fish in the Harbour Today'' a fine ballad by Bernard Bolan, on the CD _Upon Sober Reflection_ with the finest cover art ever, needs updating for cigarette butts.

I wonder if I can find it ...

Well here's one but it's not big enough to see the slight skew and post escapade regret of the near mug-shot pose Upon Sober Reflection CD

The particular song resembles Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald somehow, in fact I thought it was a parody of it. The resemblance might come from the ballad form, but I think it's more than that.

Bigger picture of the CD cover art Upon Sober Reflection CD

I just thought it was cool. The perfect miscreant.

Why not just give up smoking? It might even make YOU live longer. But then again, YOU might be too much of an imbecile to realize they're aimed at YOU, not someone else.

Nah, leave it 'til later. A better time will come up in the future. You're too busy now.

When they came for the smokers, I did not speak, for I was not a smoker.

When they came for the drinkers, I did not speak, for I was a teetotaler.

When they came for the meat eaters, I did not speak, for I was a vegan.

When they came for the SUVs, I did not speak, for I ride a bike.

When they came for the sports fans, I did not speak, for I am an intellectual.

When they came for the wankers, they came for me, and nobody else was left to speak.

The dim witted Clover Moron says that:

"Look at the Oxford Street entertainment precinct and Darlinghurst Road and see how people congregate outside those venues.”

Well dim wit , they congregate all along Darlinghurst Road and outside your beloved heroin injecting centre and the exit to this drug taking facility. The reason ? Smoking is bad for health. It also represents an occupational health hazard to those medical staff who only manage to stay a few weeks before they get sick of all the junkies.

Clover goes on to say:

"We think it's good for the city, we think it's good for business, for the community - especially for the health of the workers involved in the industry,"

Clover never once thought about what is good for business in Kings Cross . Her policy of drug permissiveness has managed to drive tourism out of the area and helped close down over 50 shops..

When did this simpleton ever care about the health of legitimate business.? And when heroin possession goes on in the street she begs the police not to arrest but rather to issue a caution .

Consistency Clover . Will your Council inspectors fine the junkies for smoking or just issue a caution? And how will your junkies pay for their fine if they get one? I know, It will be the same way that they pay for they pay for their heroin – mug someone.

Why not just give up smoking?

Do you drive? Do you know that driving is a risk to your health and mine?

Why don't you give it up?

"Look at the Oxford Street entertainment precinct and Darlinghurst Road and see how people congregate outside those venues

That would be people trying to get into clubs on Oxford street Clover.

Clover told a packed hall meeting in Redfern how the injecting room in Kings Cross was a raging success.Her vote increased in that area and Redfern would benefit from it's own injecting room.This woman is one sick puppy. She is the worst Lord Mayor Sydney has had.

The people have meekly submitted to our bar smoking ban. I expected an outcry, but New Yorkers are so sheepish that none materialized. Think of it as your mother-in-law being mayor. Most of the more independent New Yorkers live in areas where they can and do just ignore such laws.

Meanwhile, in the equal outcomes capital of Australia, Melbourne's Lord Mayoral chauffeur gets paid as much as the Lord Mayor.

I wonder if he can smoke in the car.

REMFORMED ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, I remember so well sneaking off to the loo- indulging in a hasty few puffs on a fag, in my days as a student nurse- an escape from the wicked witch of a Ward sister, a few brief moments of ectasy along in the heady knowledge I was breaking THE RULES. Later in my own fantasy, me, another Audrey Hepburn as I languidly waved my silver cigarette holder in the air in pseudo sophistication at sophisticated London soirees (OKAY OKAY it was Whisky Ago Ago or some other cheap dive or scungy jazz club)
Moving on
By the time I had my second child and terrible twos tantrums started, I was lighting 20 a day to stave of my infanticidal inclinations, even after 4 weeks in hospital with a lung infection, an exacerbation of bronchitis. I still tried to persist, despite developing chronic asthma- then my little son refused a kiss me one day saying 'Mummy why do you smoke-you smell yukky.
I remembered then that my mum only ever smelled of Ponds 'Vanishing' cream and then I stopped. It was hell for ages- almost rotted my teeth with 'Minties',piled on the pound whilst 'Audrey' disappeared under few kilo's of blubber. Still the charities did well with crochet blankets and ponchos.
My father a heavy smoker died of cancer of the stomach and mum who never smoked died of cancer of the oesophagus? passive smoking?????
I now cannot go anywhere with pleasure, if I have to pass a smoker or through smoke haze as I start coughing uncontrollabley and have to use asthma medications for life.
As a nurse in an Oncology unit, for many years, I lost count of the people who wished every day that they had given up the weed so that they would not spend their last years unable to lie down to sleep and who can only walk as far as their oxygen tubing will allow them.
The money you save will enable you to buy and enjoy the best of wines, whisky and whatever-in moderation of course and believe me you will find everything tastes so much better- and you will be much 'sexier' too'

What I don't understand is that if passive smoking is such a great killer why don't real smokers die in aphixiated agony after 2 weeks of smoking. I mean they make it sound like hanging around zyklon b fumes or some such! Eff me! were will it all end? This is a legal product. I am a lapsed smoker.

You think the chauffeur for the Melbourne Lord Mayor earns a fortune? Well some enterprising journo should find out how much Sydney's much riduculed Lord Mayor is paying for her new P.R person.

This time it is not an employee of the Town Hall. No sir its a full time person from a P.R company on secondment. And guess how much he costs? Several Lord Mayoral salaries I am told.

Clover Moore should visit a spin doctor and get her lungs checked out.

Clover Moore is against the use of sniffer dogs for detecting drugs, is for Heroin injecting rooms and against smoking.What has she got against legal drugs? Next she will legislate against beer and wine.

Good old Clover Moore. Highly libertarian re any activity involving latex and/or vaseline. The ultimate nanny re just about everything else.

Talk about consistency. Clover Moore is against sniffer dogs for random drug detection. What is her policy for random drunk detection and breathalysing?

The simpleton says that it is embarrassing to be sniffed. Funny that, I have never known anyone under the limit having a problem being breathalysed .

Hey Clover ! Your council charges rent to anyone owning a coffee shop if they place a chair on the footpath for customers to enjoy that other drug, coffee.

Think about it . Force pubs to put ashtrays outside on the footpath. Charge rent for the space and a $300 application fee for the Pub.

Shit , you may even save the lives of some flathgead as well.

"Look at the Oxford Street entertainment precinct and Darlinghurst Road and see how people congregate outside those venues.”

Gubbaboy you are right. They line up to get their ecstasy, coke and the drug of the week.

God forbid that they would stubb out their butt on the footpath. Rather a dead fish than a brainh dead human.

sam seppo
good one!
but you should give the old german pastor a hat tip

The health fascists in Manchester are planning to ban all smoke in public offices. Workers will not even be allowed a smoke break or to smoke outside during working hours even during their lunch break. Lets not try to stop Manchester from having the reputation of being Gunchester, lets pick on easy targets like smokers.