News for all Blightys

[nightfish]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on 'Maggie' hehe - she's such a polarising subject tbh.

Alcoholic is a relative term really. So he liked a drink - don't most of us? I don't think he drunk more than what most of the UK population drink every week.

As far as i'm concerned when they got rid of him, the LD went from being a potential government contender to a party forever remaining in political obscurity.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I work in a pub, and I actually like the fact that

a) I'm not increasing my chances of getting cancer every day.

b) The pub now actually has a friendly atmosphere when you walk in, rather than the smoky haze it used to.

If you want to smoke, fine. I don't see, however, why I should have to breathe in your fumes as well. You can call me a 'wanker' for that, but working in a pub nearly every day, I do place some value on my lungs. This isn't the PC Brigade condemning smokers as immoral bastards. This is me not wanting to get lung cancer.

thing is you have to breath it in cause that's the job you chose and the profession you chose

if i decide to work in a factory, i don't like all the noise so should they now install millions of dollars worth of sound proofing to protect my hearing? don't think so

And I call BS on the pubs closing thing. None of the pubs where I live (and believe me, there are hundreds of pubs out here) have closed due to the smoking ban. One in my village closed because the landlord harrassed a member of staff, but that's another issue entirely.

Current studies show that pubs, restaurants and cafes are actually doing better trade under the ban. Cos, you know, people can take their kids into them and have a family meal, and stuff like that.

now as for the business thing, you have to wait to see how long it lasts, initially you can get a boost but it will soon die out, after the dust settles if you will, then see how well the business does. cause there is a novelty to it right now and it will wear out

i know a few ppl who cried how much they hated smoking in bars and said "oh we'd go if they banned smoking" well they banned smoking here, now those ppl have a new excuse not to go

 

[Kukakkau]

i dont know/care about politics especially the english's (go scotland the worst devolped country ever) from what ive seen of boris hes just a spaz who likes sport. saw a thing on have i got news for you doing a publicity stunt by scoring a basket or something, he failed like 10 times. now ive seen fat people who cant throw do better
also i agree with the smoking ban since i dont get the appeal of inhaling smoke. does nobody who smokes go "hmmm im breathing in burnt crap...". and if you do smoke fair enough your choice but dont make others have to suffer from it. im looking at you people who blow smoke in other peoples faces to be "cool"

 

[Cousin_IT]

I personally prefer the bars/pubs/resturaunts I go to now no1 smokes in them. But smoking was never a reason I didnt frequent an establishment. I dont carea about the health issue part of it I just think cigarette smoke smells horrible & one cigarette can make the entire dining area/bar etc stink for ages (if lots of people were smoking I would put up with it but if no1 was smoking then one person came in & start id ask them to stop).

One negative aspect of the smoking ban. Now no1 smokes at gigs the places stink of farts by the end of the night :-/

Boris is an entertaining chap & to his credit he brought some colour into the Commons. Hes not stupid either, but now he is actually in a position of "power" its gonna take more than schoolboy mannerisms to get him through. Especially since hes used the usual Conservative ploy of saying "lower taxes higher spending" pretty heavily to get elected

 

[cleverlymadeup]

The noise of machinery in a factory is unavoidable. Factories use machines to make produce, machines make noise.

Smoking in pubs is a habit that's annoying at best, downright harmful at worst, and most importantly, entirely avoidable. It's not just me breathing in other people's smoke whilst I'm working. It's everyone in the pub. Elderly men, children, people's dogs- everyone's being forced to breathe in something that is toxic, simply because a few people can't be arsed to light up outside.

Don't try and link the two. They're completely different.

no but they are very similar, ppl like to smoke while drinking, smoking is a social behavior much like drinking is

as for machinery and factories, you can go deaf from working in one

A novelty? It is, if you'll excuse the pun, a breath of fresh air. Pubs are becoming nicer places to sit and have a drink or a meal. Why on earth will that wear out?

no it's not BUT it's just the excuse, not the reason, they are not going out to an establishment. once you remove the one objection they will find a new one.

i understand and get what you're saying just being a bit of a foil to it is all and i've seen it happen before. i don't smoke but have friends that do and really it doesn't bug me all that much

 

[number2301]

Smoking wasn't banned in pubs (at least in the UK) because people said the weren't going out because of it, it was banned because of a strong proven link between passive smoking and various illnesses including cancer. The decision was made that it was unacceptable to put workers at that risk when it was completely avoidable.

As for Boris, he's great, hilarious bloke. The fact that he is not only a politician is quite perplexing though, who voted for the bumbling buffoon?

I think its more just seen as a Tory or Labour choice at all levels though, not the individuals who are standing. Doesn't bode well for Labour at the upcoming General Election.

 

[Watershed]

This is bad. It means he'll probably be too busy to be the guest host on "Have I Got News for You" again. Sad times, he was hilarious.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Smoking wasn't banned in pubs (at least in the UK) because people said the weren't going out because of it, it was banned because of a strong proven link between passive smoking and various illnesses including cancer. The decision was made that it was unacceptable to put workers at that risk when it was completely avoidable.

but a factory can be sound proofed and you can protect their health. so why not sound proof machinery to protect the workers there?

thing is ppl CHOOSE to work there, if they don't want the risk, don't work there, it's pretty simple. you aren't being forced to work there at all or being forced to stay there

As for Boris, he's great, hilarious bloke. The fact that he is not only a politician is quite perplexing though, who voted for the bumbling buffoon?

just because he's a comedian doesn't mean he can't be smart and a good leader

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on 'Maggie' hehe - she's such a polarising subject tbh.

Thatcher did wondeful things for London whilst strip-mining the North.

Smoking : I am a smoker at times. When I'm not smoking, I hang out with my smoking friends.

Whilst I understand Jeffers concern over his own health, I'd be more concerned over the head injuries he may suffer from drink or drunken behaviour; but that's probably by the by.

The one thing I find so ridiculous is the fact that MP's can smoke in the House of Commons bar but there are NO indoor places ALLOWED for the rest of us to smoke.
If you don't want to smoke then fine, I've got no problem with that, and I will happily move away from non-smokers and not smoke whilst others are eating.
If you don't want carciogenic fumes, fine.(But I'd stay well clear of the streets because they're full of car fumes).

But for heaven's sake, give us ONE place where we can drink and smoke in peace. We can't drink outdoors and we can't smoke indoors.
If most of the pubs round you have a cloud of smoke outside and some rough guys trying to practice a completely legal drug, then surely a few could have a smoking room? I mean it's not much to ask in this age of tolerance is it?

And if we're talking health risks, then criminalise tobacco; but don't sell it us at a 1500% mark up and then say "Sorry...you 'might' be killing us, so you can't use this product in the manner it was intended for."

Fact : NO scientific study that I have come across has conclusively proven the effects of passive smoking. A.S.H. etc. are using a very old study that has more holes in it than Jack Thompson's report on G.T.A.

And for people who think Boris is a buffoon, have you looked at his policies?

(It's a null policy about smoking anyway; it will never be banned because the Govt. make far too much money from it; and it will never be brought back because it's holding off the legalising cannabis: Which is FAR FAR FAR less harmful than Nicotine or even Caffeine.)

BTW Jeffers, there have been at least 7 pubs in my home city that have closed due to the ban and most of the others have provided special smoking areas.

One place where we can smoke and drink is all we ask. If anyone can provide me a recent surbey that PROVES the link between passive smoking and cancer, I will stop tomorrow. That's a cast-iron promise.

 

[number2301]

Sound proofing a factory would be virtually impossible and certainly massively expensive. Banning smoking doesn't have a huge cost so can't be compared like for like. Yes you could leave but given the rise of compensation culture and a little thing called constructive dismissal even in the absence of the ban you'd be well advised as an employer to ban it yourselves. It was just that no bar/pub/cafe could take unilateral action because it would be suicide.

The thing with Boris is half the time he doesn't intend to be funny, he doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I have no idea of his policies, it doesn't massively concern me along with some massive percentage of the UK population which lives outside of London. But because its London it makes national news.

 

[Melaisis]

Personally I found it the greatest day in British politics for that sole reason.

 

[nightfish]

i dont know/care about politics

Politics runs everything. Next time a decision doesn't go your way, don't complain

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Sound proofing a factory would be virtually impossible and certainly massively expensive. Banning smoking doesn't have a huge cost so can't be compared like for like. Yes you could leave but given the rise of compensation culture and a little thing called constructive dismissal even in the absence of the ban you'd be well advised as an employer to ban it yourselves. It was just that no bar/pub/cafe could take unilateral action because it would be suicide.

but you can't remove all the smoking either or harmful inhalants we inhale on a daily basis. the outside of london and any large city is bad for you to breathe in, we could remove those pollutants but we don't and trust me breathing in the smog of a city is WAY more dangerous than the smoke in a bar.

stopping smoking in one place is much like putting a bandage on a leaky pipe, it's still going to leak

i dont know/care about politics

Politics runs everything. Next time a decision doesn't go your way, don't complain

i've said that lots, if you can and don't vote you have no right to ***** about a decision that goes against you

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

i dont know/care about politics

Politics runs everything. Next time a decision doesn't go your way, don't complain

That's a very crass argument if you don't mind me saying. If I vote for the Greens and the Tories stamp estates through the Green belt, do I actually have a voice?
Now if my vote cannot make a difference (like trying to vote anything other than Tory here), then why should I? I already know that 60% of the electorate in this area WILL vote Tory, no matter what, purely because they have the most to gain. Doesn't matter if the party opposing has 39% or 0% of the vote.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

That's a very crass argument if you don't mind me saying. If I vote for the Greens and the Tories stamp estates through the Green belt, do I actually have a voice?

yes, even if you didn't make a difference you at least tried to make a difference, funny part is more ppl have that attitude than don't and they also ***** a lot

the big thing is to TRY to make a difference, if your vote didn't do much at least you voted

 

[nightfish]

i dont know/care about politics

Politics runs everything. Next time a decision doesn't go your way, don't complain

That's a very crass argument if you don't mind me saying. If I vote for the Greens and the Tories stamp estates through the Green belt, do I actually have a voice?
Now if my vote cannot make a difference (like trying to vote anything other than Tory here), then why should I? I already know that 60% of the electorate in this area WILL vote Tory, no matter what, purely because they have the most to gain. Doesn't matter if the party opposing has 39% or 0% of the vote.

I suppose it could have been better phrased.

I feel though that people have endured so much to get the vote that I have a low regard for people who decide they don't care about politics.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

yes, even if you didn't make a difference you at least tried to make a difference, funny part is more ppl have that attitude than don't and they also ***** a lot

the big thing is to TRY to make a difference, if your vote didn't do much at least you voted

TBF, and thanks nightfish, the problem with politics at the moment is that all the major parties are standing with equally worthwhile views but equally worthless candidates.

I tend to vote only if I have a need (I.E. to stop the BNP), but for everything else I've voted for the winning side, only to find it powerless FAR too many times.

I.E. (And this is a very supercillious example) There was a TV programme called "The Interceptor" and Central TV decided to can it. Now, I and a large number of others loved it, and voted for them to keep it. 86% (about 5000 people) said Yes. Central said No.

If there was a "I don't trust any of these bastards with my welfare" vote, I'd vote it EVERY time.

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

Boris Johnson takes Mayorship.

In related news, temperatures in Hell have just hit 0 degrees Kelvin.

To our American cousins, it's like Bill Cosby becoming a Senator of Philadelphia.

Ahahahahaha! Go Boris!