To get him comfortable to sleep on the floor that night I:

1. Made a little pallet with his favorite blankets and pillows
2. Gave him a big kiss
3. Got into bed myself and then
4. layed around up there wishing he was
5. up there with me because
6. every single one of our dogs was thrilled he was
7. on the floor with all of those
8. wonderful blankets and pillows and for
9. about three hours after lights out
10. all I heard was

Damnit!  Stop sitting on my head!

and

Oh Christ!  Get your tongue out of my ear!

and

Awwww.  Little thing snuggling up to me!

Seriously, I'm not the jealous type, but I'm sure glad I knew it was the dogs down there pestering him instead of some actual 'little thing' because I was really, really tired and didn't have the energy to get up and kick somebody's ass.

Earlier today I was listening to the news while I was driving and heard some report about the GAO (General Accounting Office of the Good Ol' U.S. of A.) discovering that something like 1.5 million dollars worth of supplies has magically disappeared from several health clinics on Native American reservations.

And I thought,

Oh let 'em take whatever they want.  They've been having to put up with our land, dignity and future stealin' asses for 200+ years.  So what if they feel a little entitled to an ink pen or blood pressure monitor here and there.

This, of course, made me think of the hospital where I had just sat in a waiting room to hang out while Dolly was getting checked out due to having ingested some kind of blue liquid during a science class.

Yes, our self described 'Extra Credit Whore' apparently got a little too much 'extra credit' when she agreed to ingest the blue liquid and then have her pee monitored during her science class.

And I'm tellin' you what, I absolutely loved being in that particular hospital. 

Just a few weeks ago I had been in a different hospital while waiting for Ben's brother to have an emergency appendectomy.  The waiting room for those going into surgery was simply over the top.

Seriously, if you would have blindfolded me, walked me into the middle of that surgery waiting room, and then taken the blindfold off and asked,

What kind of lobby are you in?

I would have said,

The Ritz?

or

Donald Trump's house?

or

The freakin' White House?

because that place was all done up with little private seating areas and snacks and 'customer service' people and all kinds of other crap that was on the verge of causing me to be self-conscious about the fact I was wearing a pair of jeans.

The hospital where I waited for Dolly today was just the opposite.  The decorations were drawings kids from local schools had donated that included

• a long hallway of sunflowers followed by
• a long hallway of multicolored fish followed by
• a long hallway of some kind of patchwork something or the other

and

• several over-sized and clearly donated paintings of nature scenes

and

• a bunch of hand written signs that were taped on walls and doors and windows that said things along the lines of

no smoking

and

admissions this way ----->

and

<----- trash goes here

And I thought,

Now this is my kind of place to be sick!

Seriously, the last thing I want to be worrying about when I'm sick or waiting for someone who is sick is about little snacks and live plants and little private seating areas.

I just want to hang out and be where I need to be and feel like I can sit around and worry about myself or my friend or read a book or,

as the case often is when Yours Truly is waiting around,

tipping my head back against the wall to 'think' for a few minutes and ending up waking myself with my own snoring about 45 minutes later.

Alas, Dolly's boyfriend ended up being able to come wait for her this morning so I didn't get to 'think' or wake myself up.

But I absolutely took my time as I was leaving to enjoy the sunflowers and fishes and patchwork thingies.  I also took time to stop back by the admissions window to say 'see you later' to the fabulous woman who was working there and had been so funny and interested and kind with Dolly as she was admitting her. 

And as I walked out the doors and into the parking lot I thought,

Hey Nice Admissions Lady, I hope you take about 10 ink pens home tonight and even one of those over-sized nature paintings for your living room if it's been an especially hard week.

I was thinking that because, seriously, working in a hospital like that makes the Nice Admissions Lady about the only thing that is fancy or special or personal.  And I think having an actual person instead of a bunch of little snacks or little private seating areas to make you feel 'right at home' is simply better than anything.

When I got home Ben was sitting around in his recliner talking with one of our friends and adjusting his heating pad on his back.

I said,

When was the last time you took any Motrin?

He shot me one of his big-eyed stares and said,

I've taken it.

I asked,

When?

He got all big-eyed again and said,

About an hour ago.

I said,

Good.  That's good.

And he remained big-eyed but I didn't care because...

last night Ben got into bed and was having back pain that was akin to the back pain he was having immediately after his injury and when I asked,

When was the last time you took any Motrin?

he said,

I decided not to take any all day just to see how I would do.

I said,

Well you better take some because I'm not going through that face sitting, ear licking, snuggling thing for three hours like we did last night.

He said,

That's kind of tough on a guy whose back is hurting like this.

I said,

It's hurting like that because you didn't take any Motrin.

Then he got all big-eyed at me and I said,

Well I hope you don't turn schizophrenic on my ass because those people are always feeling so much better because of taking their medication that they decide not to take their medication.

And then he made his eyes really big at me, but also took some Motrin, so I didn't have anything else to say.

And now I'm sitting here thinking that this has been just my kind of day.  Meeting the Nice Admissions Lady, thinking the GAO and the Good Ol' U.S.of A. are a bunch of damn cry babies for getting put out with supplies missing from Native American reservation health clinics, Ben taking care of himself with Motrin, and being able to sit here and look right outside to the sunshine where I'm going to be a in a few minutes to see everything amazing and beautiful and wonderful that is called 'Where We Live'.

Oh, and this is also my kind of day because our cousin J. called and, almost the second I had the word 'hello' out of my mouth, yelled into the phone,

Oh my God!  How are you?  What are you doing?  What's going on?  I haven't talked to you guys for, like, two weeks.  I just love you guys and I want to know what's going on and how you are and what you're doing and when I'm going to see you and all of that!

And, by the time he was done yelling and yammering all of that stuff I was laughing so hard that I could hardly talk and was thinking,

Now that's my kind of phone call!

Just like that's my kind of hospital and the Native Americans taking a few ink pens and a blood pressure monitor is as well.

Life is good people.  I'm telling you, life is good!

Except for when Ben doesn't take his Motrin when he's supposed to and I have to give him that little

'hope you don't turn schizophrenic on my ass'

talk. 

But then, hey, life is still good because, even though it always happens when he's a little put out with me, Ben making his eyes all big at me is really a funny and twisted up kind of thing.  And really funny and twisted up things are what seem to get me right on track with knowing that life is good!

Pro dan kontra pun terjadi, antara yang membela dan yang tidak setuju. Dari beberapa pro dan kontra di Internet, ternyata ada beberapa hal yang sangat menarik mengenai kecenderungan seseorang untuk memilih pilihan yang terbaik hanya bagi dirinya sendiri, tanpa peduli dengan orang lain.

Pro Tapi Egois
Yang setuju agar rokok itu diharamkan ternyata adalah orang-orang yang merasa terganggu dengan asap rokok ketika berada di tempat umum, rumah, gedung perkantoran, maupun tempat kerja. Mereka beranggapan bahwa dengan diharamkannya rokok, maka mereka tidak akan terganggu lagi dengan asap rokok. Ya, inilah orang yang menolak rokok atas dasar egoisme karena tidak memberikan solusi bagi kelompok yang merokok, hanya mengejar cita-cita kelompoknya sendiri: kelompok anti-rokok.

Kontra Tapi Egois
Adapun orang yang selama ini merokok atau kecanduan rokok, pasti akan menolak mentah-mentah usulan pengharaman rokok. Mengapa? Karena mereka selama ini sudah kecanduan rokok dan pikiran mereka sudah dipenuhi dengan asumsi semu bahwa rokok adalah kebutuhan utama, lebih baik tidak makan sehari daripada tidak merokok sehari.

Agar terkesan tidak egois, dicarilah alasan-alasan yang aneh bin ajaib, seakan-akan bahwa mengharamkan rokok adalah suatu hal yang tidak mungkin, akan sangat sulit untuk dilakukan dan perlu tinjauan mendalam yang komprehensif sebelum diberlakukan. Jika pabrik rokok tutup, karyawannya akan bekerja di mana? Penghasilan cukai yang selama ini dari penjualan rokok akan ada gantinya dari mana?

Tinjauan Kekinian
Dua tahun lalu, kami beraktifitas selama sebulan penuh di sebuah hotel dalam rangka pemeriksaan CPNS tingkat propinsi. Ternyata para pegawai pemerintah yang bertugas di sana adalah perokok berat!
Di awal tahun lalu kami mengadakan seleksi penerimaan pegawai baru di kantor kami , tapi ternyata semua yang terbaik hasil seleksinya adalah perokok!

Dua bulan lalu kami beraktifitas di Puspendik Depdiknas di Jakarta dan Dinas Pendidikan Propinsi Jawa Tengah di Semarang. Ternyata mereka juga perokok berat! Dua hari yang lalu kami berkunjung ke Kantor Departemen Agama Kota Bandung untuk mendapatkan pelayanan umum, dan kami mendapati bahwa mereka juga perokok berat! Jangan-jangan, bila merokok diharamkan, yang protes lebih dahulu adalah PNS Departemen Agama dan Departemen Pendidikan.

Dua jam yang lalu, kami membaca sebuah website tentang haji. Di sana disebutkan bahwa jamaah haji Indonesia pun ternyata tidak dapat melepaskan diri dari kebiasaan merokok saat sedang menunaikan ibadah haji.

Intinya, dari guru hingga ulama, dari ilmuwan hingga kiai, preman hingga pengamen, pengangguran hingga pejabat negara, kecanduan akan rokok tidak pandang profesi. Dari terminal bis hingga bandar udara, apartemen hingga gubuk derita, naik becak maupun naik kereta, diskotek maupun peringatan Isra Mi'raj, orang merokok ada di mana-mana. Bagi yang tidak merokok, rokok adalah penyakit. Sedangkan bagi yang telah kecanduan, justru rokok adalah obat. Itulah dua buah kepentingan yang saling bertolak belakang.

Kesehatan dan Narkoba
Dari segi kesehatan, biaya yang ditanggung pemerintah akibat penyakit yang ditimbulkan oleh kebiasaan merokok atau terlalu sering terkena asap rokok masih lebih besar daripada cukai yang diterima oleh pemerintah dari produk rokok. Menaikkan cukai juga diduga akan menurunkan daya beli terhadap makanan pokok, karena bagi pecandu rokok, rokok lebih prioritas daripada bahan makanan pokok untuk keluarganya.

Survey membuktikan bahwa 100% pengguna narkoba adalah perokok! Artinya, kebiasaan maupun keberanian untuk mencoba narkoba diawali dari kebiasaan dan keberanian untuk merokok. Artinya, salah satu cara ampuh untuk menjauhi narkoba adalah dengan meneguhkan pendirian untuk tidak mencoba merokok.

Simulasi Fatwa Haramnya Merokok
Bila rokok diharamkan, maka mungkin hasilnya tidak jauh berbeda dengan fatwa MUI mengenai haramnya riba di bank konvensional. MUI bagi sebagian besar umat Islam di Indonesia justru tidak ada apa-apanya. MUI hanyalah sebuah lembaga tempat berkumpulnya para ulama, tetapi umat Islam saat ini sudah jauh dari yang namanya ulama. Jadi, mana mungkin mereka mendengarkan ulama, apalagi bila itu akan merugikan mereka?

Ulama hanya dibutuhkan ketika khutbah Jum'at, khutbah nikah, aqiqah, tahlilan, syukuran, atau ada acara yang butuh penceramah. Ulama tidak lebih dari ustadz yang punya pesantren atau punya pengajian tetap, atau punya yayasan pendidikan, praktek penyembuhan penyakit, KBIH dan travel umrah. Ulama sudah terlalu jauh dari masyarakat yang lebih banyak mendapatkan nilai-nilai kehidupan dari 2 tempat: lingkungan pergaulan pekerjaan maupun tempat tinggal, serta berita dan hiburan yang berlebihan dari televisi.

Di sisi lain, sebagian kaum intelektual yang menyebut dirinya muslim malah menjatuhkan martabat dirinya dengan menjadikan pemikirannya sebagai tuhan, serta intuisi dan pendapat diri sendiri sebagai ayat suci. Fakta pelanggaran berat aliran Ahmadiyah terhadap aqidah Islam saja dapat diputarbalikkan sebagai sebuah masalah kebebasan beragama. Bisa jadi, melarang orang merokok akan dibawa-bawa oleh kelompok aneh ini sebagai sebuah pelanggaran HAM.

Kompromi
Tidak cukup hanya dengan fatwa. Bahkan bila dimasukkan ke dalam undang-undang yang legal secara hukum dan diberlakukan bagi semua penduduk, tetap saja masih akan ada penegak hukum yang merokok. Diancam dengan neraka, penjara, sakit kanker, sakit jantung, impotensi, bayi cacat, itu semua tidak cukup menakutkan atau masih kurang mengerikan bagi para perokok berat, karena godaan untuk merokok masih lebih kuat.

Sebenarnya, kompromi dapat dicapai dengan cara menyingkirkan egoisme, baik bagi yang pro maupun bagi yang kontra pada usulan fatwa haramnya rokok. Perlu dipilih solusi yang terbaik bagi semuanya, bagi yang pro maupun kontra, sekali lagi tanpa egoisme.

Menyikapi kebiasaan merokok perlu dipandang dari segi menghargai manusia sebagai makhluk sosial, makhluk yang tidak dapat hidup tanpa bantuan orang lain. Lepaskan dulu balutan egoisme, singkirkan dulu keberpihakan kelompok. Tinjaulah sisi akibat tindakan merokok, baik itu manfaat, maupun mudharat bagi semua orang.

Merokok itu dianggap baik oleh perokok, tetapi dianggap merugikan bagi yang tidak merokok. Di ilmu Biologi, hal ini disebut sebagai simbiosis parasitisme. Orang yang merokok bagaikan sebuah benalu, tumbuhan parasit yang bisanya hanya menumpang, tetapi merugikan yang memberikan tumpangan. Ingatlah puisi Dedy Mizwar, bangkit itu malu, malu jadi benalu. Orang yang tidak mampu menahan kebiasaannya untuk merokok di tempat umum itu tidak punya malu, dan tidak ingin bangkit dari statusnya sebagai benalu.

Merokok=BAB
Perlu dikembangkan dan diterapkan teknologi yang memungkinkan para perokok dapat melaksanakan hajatnya tanpa mengganggu orang lain yang tidak suka asap rokok. Demikian pula perlu keberanian dan ketegasan dari setiap orang yang alergi dengan asap rokok untuk menyatakan sikap penolakan terhadap gangguan asap rokok. Potensi konflik bahkan kerap terjadi bila ada yang berani merokok di tempat umum, padahal di sana ada yang alergi asap rokok.

Anggap saja, merokok itu seperti buang air besar (BAB), hak yang perlu ditunaikan di tempat khusus, tempat yang gas dan baunya tidak boleh mengganggu orang lain. Para perokok tentu malu BAB di depan umum, seharusnya seperti itu pulalah tingkat malu mereka ketika merokok di depan umum. Adapun bagi kelompok anti rokok, tegurlah dengan tegas bila ada yang merokok di hadapan Anda sebagaimana halnya bila ada yang BAB di depan Anda. Jika Anda berani, niscaya Anda tidak sendiri. Dan jika ternyata Anda sendiri dan malah balik diceramahi atau bahkan dianiaya, setidaknya tindakan berani Anda secara tidak langsung pasti akan mengurangi kejadian serupa terulang kembali.

Stop Kaderisasi Membakar Uang
Tidak peduli apakah Anda bukan perokok atau perokok, jagalah keturunan dan keluarga Anda dari coba-coba merokok. Bagi yang sudah kecanduan mungkin sulit untuk berhenti. Tetapi bagi keturunan Anda yang bahkan belum memulai mencoba merokok, adalah sangat mudah untuk mencegah mereka memulainya. Apabila Anda benar-benar berniat untuk membuat generasi penerus kita lebih baik, cobalah untuk berubah, berilah contoh berupa perbuatan nyata, yaitu dengan cara berhenti merokok.

Bagaimana Cara Berhenti Merokok? (Khusus Bagi Perokok)
Niatkan untuk berhenti merokok, hanya 2 hari, yaitu hari ini dan besok. Esok hari, gunakan niat yang sama, hanya untuk hari itu dan keesokannya. Keesokannya lakukan lagi hal yang sama, demikian seterusnya.

Jika tidak mempan, coba cara kedua, dipegang saja, tidak perlu dinyalakan. Pasti di sekitar Anda tidak ada yang protes, toh tidak ada asap. Jika masih gagal, coba cara ketiga.

Setiap kali Anda menyalakan rokok, gunakan prinsip menuju kemajuan, biarkanlah apinya maju, makin menjauh dari Anda. Peganglah rokok dengan arah terbalik. Api yang menyala dan sisa abu tembakau ke arah wajah, pegangan ke arah luar. Tiap kali Anda berusaha mendekatkan bibir ke api, tentu Anda akan ragu mengulanginya. Hal tersebut berbahaya dan berakibat buruk. Sadari bahwa itulah yang sebenarnya selama ini Anda lakukan, berbahaya, dan berakibat buruk.

Setiap kali Anda mencoba untuk mendekatkan bibir ke pangkal rokok yang tidak berapi, ingatlah bahwa sesulit itulah Anda setiap hari mencari nafkah, namun kemudian setelah mendapatkan uang, uang itu ada hamburkan dengan cara membakarnya.

Last time, I noticed in their restaurant something which is, at least for me, quite 'hilarious'! It's No-Smoking (Non-Smoking?) notice. Saved it in the form of a pic to share it with you all. Have a look at the following...

It was hard for me to control my giggles at the resturant [sic] as I started looking at each word used to make a complete 'request'... ;) Every time I laughed, my uncle looked at me and raised his eyebrows as though he was asking, 'What's wrong with you, man?' :)

So, this is our variety of English: the Pakistani English, or rather Penglish!

~all in all, a rather neatly clean place.

One of the men was described as white, in his mid 20s, and about 6ft, with a stocky build. He had short cropped brown hair and was wearing beige shorts, a green round-necked T-shirt and trainers.
The other man was white and in his early 20s with a medium build, bright red shorts and a dark top. BBC

Smoking is banned on all train platforms throughout the UK since July 2007. The two men were smoking, as apparently they did habitually: another regular commuter had seen the woman speak to them about this on Monday or Tuesday.

The woman was walking up the platform to catch a London-bound train. She passed the two men. Witnesses say there was a "scuffle"... (The Times) and they pushed her on to the railway line.

She missed the live third rail, 750 volts, by inches. The lone member of staff got the power turned off and pulled her from the line (The Telegraph), and she's now in hospital with minor burns and a broken wrist, but the police are investigating this as attempted murder.

Now here's some reactions to this from the British wingnuts on the Times website:

"While it is a terrible crime that these youths have committed, I don't see why people need to interfere in other peoples' lives. If people want to smoke, they know the risks on their health and that they could get fined if there is a no smoking sign and if they want to risk the penalty, let them."
.....
"Dog eat dog. Smokers have been walked all over, so why shouldn't they do it to others. Contempt breeds contempt. Sensible Germans are showing us the way."
....
[Someone who didn't witness the incident said the woman was pregnant. While not absolutely impossible, the woman's age is confirmed by several reports and there's been no other reference to it. I think the reason for asserting this is that there's just one acceptable reason why a woman can tell a man what to do] "I'm assuming that if she was pregnant she was simply asking them not to smoke near her for the sake of her unborn child."
.....
"Until thugs like this know what it is to experience fear and feel pain, nothing will change. The Isle of Man used to have the right idea - Birching. Perhaps it is now time for a national debate on 'Punishment to fit the Crime.'"
.....
"Why ban smoking on an open air platform in the first place and why try and enforce a silly law in the first place???
Especially when it's not your job and your pregnant and have the safety of your child to worry about."
.....
"This is a turn about. Usually smokers are in real physical danger from rabid, hate mongering anti-smoker's who are often verbally abusing them. People have learned to HATE smoker's to the point of walking across an open field outdoors to say their smoking is bothering them." (This is actually an American wingnut.)
.....
"Not only should these youths be punished (if caught) but also the parents for raising them to have no respect to other people or the law."
.....
"Not so long ago the following was published:
POLICE chief has urged the public to be 'have-a-go heroes'.
Northumbria Police's chief constable, Mike Craik, said ordinary people should challenge rowdy behaviour, such as drinking or swearing, to improve society.
So now we see what happens."

Men attacking a woman because the woman has presumed to tell them what to do is nothing new. The raving (which I mostly didn't quote) on the Times website about how "youth of today" are insolent and rowdy, is just classic crap.

Most of the commenters who respond to the "How dare she tell them what to do" recognise that these are ugly comments. And there may be a part of it with nicotine addicts reacting nastily to a curtailment of their ability to smoke on a station platform. (All the nicotine addicts I know personally actually supported the ban on smoking, because it made it easier for them to cut down on their smoking - which all of them had been trying to do for years.) But at root, I think this is men resenting the idea that a woman - any woman - can tell them what to do.

The whole men under siege nonsense which Zoe Williams ably deconstructs is part of the "pity me, I'm losing my privilege" mindset which Publius takes down with My One and Only Post About the Stupidest Phrase in Politics: "the animosity of the aggrieved. They feel like they are the victims." Men who feel like victims when they no longer have as much male privilege as they were brought up to expect: whites who feel like victims when they no longer have as much white privilege as they were brought up to expect. (If you are unfamiliar with the concepts "male privilege", "white privilege", etc, click on the links before you do a kneejerk rejection.)

A woman. A woman nearly sixty, probably not "attractive" to these two men over thirty years her junior. A woman, telling them what to do, acting as if she had a right to tell them to obey publicly posted rules. An uppity, ugly, bitch.

Margaret Atwood wrote that when she asked a male friend why men feel threatened by women, he answered, "They are afraid women will laugh at them." When she asked a group of women why they feel threatened by men, they said, "We're afraid of being killed."

(hope I'm not sounding like a Nattering Nabob of Negativism...)          ---->  Fun Fact:

"Nattering nabobs of negativism" is one of the most popular turns of phrase associated with U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, who served under Richard Nixon until resigning in October 1974, after pleading no contest to charges of tax fraud. Agnew, who had a particularly acrimonious relationship with the press, used this term to refer to the members of the media, whom he also deemed "an effete corps of impudent snobs."

According to the Congressional Record, this term was first used during Agnew's address to the California Republican state convention in San Diego on September 11, 1970. In context, it was used together with another well-known Agnew alliteration: "In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club -- the "hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history."

Although this phrase is often credited to Agnew himself, it was actually written by William Safire, the legendary columnist for The New York Times, who was a speechwriter for Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. Some of Agnew's other pearls were actually written by Patrick Buchanan, another White House speechwriter at the time.

(abridged obit from NY Times)  July 30, 2008

Dr. Julius B. Richmond, Who Led Head Start and Battled Tobacco, Dies at 91

Sign must be displayed

 

 

Since the ban on smoking in a public place came into affect in March 2006, it is a requirement for all businesses to comply with the law by displaying statutory 'no smoking' stickers — and failing to do so is a breach of the legislation.

Until now East Dunbartonshire Council's enforcement officers have been talking to drivers, explaining the need for signs, telling them where to get the stickers and letting them off with a warning.

But that is set to change from Monday, September 1, with a £200 on the spot fine being issued to anyone who is in breach of the no smoking laws.

Eddie Short, secretary of the East Dunbartonshire Taxi Owners' Association (TOA), said: "The law is the law and we have made sure that all our cars have stickers on them.

"Milngavie and Bearsden, however, might be different as there are a lot of private hire cars in the area."

Mr Short, whose TOA operates a fleet of around 55 taxis licensed by East Dunbartonshire Council, does however admit that a few taxi drivers have been caught in the past for smoking in their taxis which is another breach of the law which forbids smoking in a public place.
He said: "Some of our drivers have been caught in the past for smoking in their taxis.

"I do, however, feel that it will be harsh if the council gives these fines when taxi drivers are not actually working.

"A lot of the drivers can use their cabs for private use and it would be unfair if they were fined in that instance.

"The signs are, however, an important aspect of the law and they should be displayed at all times to let members of the public know that they are in a public place and they are not able to smoke."

Over the next couple of weeks, the council will write to comp
anies letting them know that the fixed penalties will be issued when a breach is observed.

Councillor John Dempsey, vice-convener of the development and environment committee, said: "With any new legislation there is a bedding-in period and we have been working with companies to help them comply rather than being heavy handed with financial penalties.

"However, there are persistent offenders who are not displaying the correct signs and it's confusing for their customers."

Councillor Dempsey added: "It is important that the public knows we are taking this issue seriously as they are telling us that they are confused by the inconsistency of signage.

"The smoking ban is well established now and the people of East Dunbartonshire expect us to enforce it with local businesses in a firm but fair way."

Any business person who needs signs can drop into Tom Johnston House in Kirkintilloch or Grange 2 in Milngavie to collect them free of charge or call 0141 578 8781 to have them sent out.

While DUSU president Amrita Bahari claims her outfit’s intentions are honest, students feels it is more of a political propaganda than a step towards social change.

The fact that no other student’s union has been made a part of the campaign makes students look askance at it. 

 Others kept out

“We have been completely barred from the campaign although it is supposed to be a DUSU initiative. Despite the fact that our organisation is more than willing to support this campaign we are not being informed about anything officially,” says Vikas Dahiya from ABVP.

Besides having doubts about the real intentions behind this campaign, Vikas also does not approve of the measures being taking to reach the goal.

“Nobody is keeping a daily check. If they involve more people and the police, more smokers can be caught breaking the law every day. It is high time that the banners are dropped and some real groundwork starts.”

“The unions once played a very important role in building the character of the student's community but now interests have shifted from welfare to injecting hooligans in favour of the mainstream political parties these unions are answerable to,” said a senior professor.

 Hardly any takers

On the campus, there is doubt as to whether any serious work will be undertaken to curb smoking. The students feel it is one of the many promises politicians make, not keep.

“What change does she really refer to when several students can be found smoking in the DUSU office every now and then?” says a student from the Law Faculty.

The students have other pressing issues to deal with. “I am worried about the unhygienic conditions of the washrooms in the college. I think the campus requires cleaner washrooms. Are there any funds granted for that?” says Saurabh, a student.

What do you think of the campaign? Do you think it'll work? More important, can social change be brought about by political intervention? Would it not be better if it has the approval of the community? Debate.

   Hace poco, leí que los nazis, fueron pioneros respecto a la prohibición del tabaco y alcohol. De hecho hasta se hizo el "Departamento contra los peligros del alcohol y el tabaco" y el "Instituto contra la lucha del peligro del tabaco" El tabaco era prohibido, vetado en casi todos los lugares, hospitales, escuelas, edificios públicos, hasta en el coche; si el conducto llegaba a tener un accidente y se descubria que estaba fumando al momento de este, se le sancionaba por negligencia al volante.

 Y esta también en dato curioso de que Adolfo Hitler, encargo se hiciera una muñeca inflable, esta para ser entragada a cada uno de los soldados para que satisfaciera sus nececidades sexuales, y claro para evitar las enfermedades venereas, tan comunes entre soldados en aquel tiempo. El cometido no se llevo a cabo, debido a la destrucción de la fabrica donde se estaban fabricando. El modelo estaba hecho tal y como lo habia especificado Hitler: "De tamaño y aspecto naturaes, tenia que parecer una linda mujer con piel blanca, pelo rubio, dulce ojos azules, 1 metro 76 de estatura, labios y pechos gigantes, piernas, brazos y cabeza articulados y un marcado ombligo", fueron las instrucciones del Führer sobre el aspecto de la muñuca debía tener.

   Los cometidos, los tres, tenían un fin en particular: no deteriorar la raza alemana, no alterar los genes de los nazis. El tabaco decían: "esta considerado un 'veneno genetico' (sic) y podria poporcionar la degradación de la raza alemana". Respecto a la muñeca, era precisamente para eso, no mezclar genes con razas agenas a la alemana. No degradar la raza. 

  Ahí estan los datos, me parecieron algo curioso. Saludos...!!!

Eitts! Jangan protes dulu, kalo tidak merasa egois ya gapapa J Tapi kebanyakan bikin bete.

Di angkot, sudah sumpek, panas, pengap, ee.. enak-enakan “sebal-sebul” ngasep! Sebenarnya kalau peka mbok ya ditahan tidak merokok kecuali satu angkot janjian merokok.

Di ruang ber-AC, ada aja yang sembunyi-sembunyi merokok. Weleh-weleh, ndablek tenan.

Di dekat orang hamil, gak ngefek! Ini yang paling bikin aku bete. Sudah jadi ilmu umum kalau orang hamil itu jangan dekat2 orang ngerokok. Kalau orang hamilnya yang ngotot berada smoking area sih bisa disalahin. Lha kalau di kantor ber-AC tertutup, sudah jelas-jelas ada tulisan dilarang merokok, boleh kan kalau dibilangin, orang gak ngerti gak bisa baca!

Pertama sih aku ngasih tau sambil guyon, “ ehh, jangan disini dong, kasihan anakku”. Emang menjauh, tapi gak lebih dari empat meter, amit-amitt… Apalagi kalau di ingetin malah ngotot, “ Halah, gapapa tanggung tinggal dikit nih”. Padahal mereka-mereka itu ya pengalaman punya anak. Jangan salahkan ibu hamil kalau jadi lebih garang sama perokok. Biarpun pemimpinku ya kuteriakin, “ Paakk, kok ngerokok sih, kan ini ruang berAC!”.  Kalau teman kerja ada beberapa yang merokok di dapur ber-AC, aku kunci pintunya, sekalian aja keracunan sendiri bau rokoknya.

Jelas aja lapisan ozon semakin bocor, lha wong cerminan penduduk bumi begitu. Penggunaan AC saja sudah mempengaruhi global warming, ee.. ditambahi dengan kelakuan “ criminal lingkungan” seperti mereka. Menunjukkan ketidakpekaan dengan tempat dia berpijak, bumi. Menurut mereka mungkin itu hanya kelakuan dalam taraf kecil sekali, tapi bayangin aja, dalam area 100m2 ada sepuluh orang merokok di ruang berAC, padahal dunia itu berapa milyar persegi? Kalau dilihat dari ruang angkasa, mungkin persis dengan pabrik keramik illegal yang mengepul hitam.  Greenpeace teriak-teriak hutan kita semakin bopeng, LSM-LSM Lingkungan Hidup juga ngabisin duit donator banyak sepertinya dianggap angina saja oleh orang-orang yang tidak peka.

Saran buat perokok,

Merokok di ruang tertutup rapat, sampai asepnya kesedot sendiri, ntar kalau sudah sesak nafas, anggap saja itu seperti kondisi orang lain terganggu dengan asap rokok saudara.

Dipahami maksud tulisan DILARANG MEROKOK DI RUANG BER-AC.  Bukan hiasan dinding, dan kalau anda masih merokok, berarti anda sama dengan pecundang. Kalah sama nafsu merokok daripada mendahulukan kenyamanan orang umum.

Kalau masih merokok di dekat orang hamil, berarti anda jangan heran kalau nanti punya istri hamil dan anaknya lahir dengan gangguan pernafasan. Impas tho?

Hehehe… ini juga termasuk protes sama suami, karena juga merokok, tapi cukup 1-2 batang sehari, itupun untuk ritual PUP dan pasti dapet prengutanku setelah keluar dari kamar mandi. Bau apek!!

God knows, I make as many typos as the next Bugle, but really...  If you're going to print it out on a sheet of A4 for all to see, you should at least stick it through Microsoft's Word's spell checker first...  If anyone has a permanent marker, perhaps an act of community kindness might get rid of that 'E'.

How to use 'ing'.

Submitted by tsuehpsyde

1. Behavior
Para perokok sudah terbiasa memegang rokok, memainkan rokok. Sudah terbiasa sehabis makan atau sewaktu minum kopi mereka merokok. Dan mereka akan bingung klo habis makan tidak dilanjutkan dengan merokok. Atau bila meminum kopi tidak dibarengi dengan merokok. Itu sudah menjadi kebiasaan bagi mereka dan tentunya sulit merubah kebiasaan mereka tersebut. Solusinya adalah cari kebiasaan lain, seperti main game dihape atau lain sebagainya.

2. Suggestion
Menyambung dengan kebiasaan, para perokok juga sudah tersugesti dengan rokok. Mereka seperti punya perasaan seperti: Sehabis makan harus merokok, minum kopi harus sambil merokok, ngobrol dan begadang enggak enak klo enggak sambil merokok. Dan akan sangat susah lagi bagi perokok untuk menghilangkan perasaan - perasaan seperti ini. Solusinya adalah, jauhi perasaan tersebut dengan mengambil kesibukan lain, seperti olahraga atau menyalurkan hobi. *asal jangan jadi ngelamun jorok aja..

3. Style
Kebanyakan dari perokok juga merasa bangga dengan gayanya merokok. Masak pemain band, celana robek, rambut gondrong, pake anting ga ngerokok sih?!? *korban gaya. Atau geek, yang begadang coding tiap malem sambil minum kopi, ga keren klo ga ngerokok!! Rock n' Roll beybeeh.. hehee.. Yang ini kayaknya harus nyadar sendiri deh, klo sebenernya ngerokok itu DODOL, ga keren sama sekali. wkwkw..

4. Advertisement
Promosi dan iklan rokok yang gila - gilaan juga membuat orang - orang tetap merokok. Iklan yang menarik dan gaya, dapat juga menarik perokok - perokok baru seperti anak - anak sekolah yang tertarik melihat iklan dan promosi rokok. Sehingga akhirnya menjadi perokok. Solusinya, buang TV anda jauh - jauh..

5. Neighbourhood
Lingkungan juga sangat mempengaruhi seseorang untuk tetap merokok. Orang yang baru mau berhenti merokok biasanya sering gagal karena tetap berada dilingkungan orang - orang yang merokok. Klo yg ini, tergantung kekerasan hati anda. Klo kuat silahkan tetap disitu, tapi klo ga kuat mendingan pergi dulu sampe udah bener - bener ga ada hasrat untuk merokok lagi.

Btw, 12 Juli ini adalah 1 tahun saya berhenti merokok. Tips saya untuk berhenti merokok adalah, jauhi 5 hal diatas, dan ikuti solusinya. :D *sok tau mode

Selamat menikmati hidup sehat tanpa asap rokok.

Picture Credit: SJ Market
Video Credit: 13sapphireangels @ YouTube

Say NO NO NO NO NO NO NO to smoking! The smell of smokes chokes me everytime, so we should listen to our boys and say NO to smoking. There are other older versions of Anti-Smoking MVs, done by various artists. The Song gets so addicting after awhile, here's are some examples:

~DBSK version ......Xiah, your hair ..ROFL
~Shinhwa version
~Epik High version
~Bi(RAIN) version
~g.o.d version
~Taebin version
~Se7en version
~FTTS version
~Eugene version

Okay, about the SJ-H version of NO Smoking CF. Awwww, Kangin is not in it. >.< At the beginning, they all look like Gangsters walking through the park. xDDDD Eunhyuk's rapping is just ♥♥♥ ~ I've always been very addicted to his rapping, and he looks so hot in this CF with his gangster like attitude. ROFL when Teukie pretended to smoke, Sungmin made a "GROSS, YOU STINK" face, and in slow motion pushed Teukie away. xDDD I luff Teukie's outfits + Yesung's w/ glasses! GYA, expecially the part where they all did the X and said NO NO NO NO NO, they all looked so serious/funny at the same time. At 0:40, Shindong is having too much fun w/ that sticker, xDDDD At the last part "Eveybody says NO", Sungmin's stare and hand gesture stuns me, cause our cute rabbit REALLY LOOKS LiKE A GANGSTER! I doubt anybody will ever smoke if our Sungmin started at them like that. xDDDD