Smoking really does kill...

[Laetca]

Yeah, the form of hentai I was referring to was the manga form

I'm glad I never really got in the habit of smoking.

 

[Idris]

I give up smoking every night when I go to sleep. And start again when I wake up the next morning.

 

[sanzar]

I could be mistaken, but I think that Japan is the country with the highest suicide rate in the world.
It's one of the things they are famous for.

Well, that and hentai.
[/b]

I think it's the highest in the developed world. There are roughly 30,000 suicides a year, about as many people in the US who are shot and killed every year... Mostly it's linked to depression, and I read one report that suggest 90% of the population suffer from some level of depression. Mind you, I've been living in Japan for a year now and the feeling on the street isn't like that, even if people do look a bit dreary on the train at times. It's actually a very cool place to live though.

I give up smoking every night when I go to sleep. And start again when I wake up the next morning. [/b]

That's nice.

 

[KZNSharksFan]

Crazy bloody japs! One would think they would have kicked the suicide habit by now (suicide was pretty popular amongst japanese soldiers in ww2 when the only other option was surrender).

Yes, you're right about the liquid fuel, it won't ignite unless its volatolised ie.turned into fumes (god i've always wanted to use that outside of chem class). I thought that LPG cylinders had stopper valves to prevent the flame entering the canister?

 

[Laetca]

Mind you, I've been living in Japan for a year now and the feeling on the street isn't like that, even if people do look a bit dreary on the train at times.
[/b]

It could be me, but I think most commuters look a bit dreary on the train at times. Getting up early in the morning to catch a train which is then late, which defeats the purpose of taking the train in the first place, namely not getting stuck in traffic, being pressed against too many people who are because of the delay on the same train, and as a little extra, having to smell the odour escaping from some of the mouths that contain unbrushed teeth.
And every now and then, the train personel decides to strike Which is the reason why next tuesday, you'd better not need to be somewhere in Belgium, they are expecting traffic jams of historical proportions


Back on topic, people who smoke smell bad, in both meanings of the verb.

 

[mickywicky]

Laetca you make Belgium sound as bad as the worst of London (commuting) and France (strikes) put together...
Well I haven't been to BE, just through it several times, but I did live in Japan for a while in '98 and have gone back several times for holidays.
Yep, commuters there look as depressed as they should be, unless they're playing around with their super-duper gadget phones.
But... seeing how strict Tokyo has become with its myriad of smokers (there are entire town districts that have gone non-smoking, with the exception of bars), I'm a bit surprised at how he was just given a smoke.
Ah well... his suicide has been noticed, unlike the tens of thousands that use more conventional methods. My hostmother's daughter hanged herself at home. Others like throwing themselves in front of trains, but they've installed barriers in most underground stations in Tokyo in 2007 so maybe that will stop.

I think Japan's a great place for western foreigners who can actually speak the language well, myself I love it. But I wouldn't want to work there any longer than half a year or so. Life's too short to work so hard and all that

 

[Laetca]

Belgium's not too bad, and the expected traffic jams weren't half as bad as expected. Any country would get on your nerves every now and then if you live there long enough.
I heard that people throwing themselves in front of trains were a major expense for the train companies, since they usually end up paying for the counseling their train conductors need. It's odd, I'm not sure why I know this, but that seems to be the biggest problem wih people throwing themselves in front of train. Other than that said people often die.

It was in today's news that most politcal parties are considering going for the complete smoking ban in pubs too, there has been a smoking ban in restaurants a while now, and there has been a bill to try and ban smoking from pubs now too. This will cause so much protest again

 

[mickywicky]

It was in today's news that most politcal parties are considering going for the complete smoking ban in pubs too, there has been a smoking ban in restaurants a while now, and there has been a bill to try and ban smoking from pubs now too. This will cause so much protest again
[/b]

We've had this in the UK for a while now... I speak as a smoker, and think it's a good thing. Makes the whole pub thing much nicer.
What bothers me about it is how it's one thing, then another. Right now it's smoking. At least here there are signs the next thing will be middle-class wine consumption.
But first we need to turn our heaters down a few degrees to save the Earth (good), while my current clients have a policy that forces staff to leave all computers on at night and week-ends (VERY bad).
My building: 400 staff in it (company total is just over 100,000 employees)
Average PC per staff in this building: 3 (not including server machines)
~400W per machine... that's 480KWh for one small building.
The company owns another 3 in the centre of London.
But I still get asked to turn the heating down a few degrees at home... you get the idea.

Not to mention the fact that most doctors agree that noise levels in most cities are as bad for your health as smoking is. At least I've read so from several unrelated sources in different countries.

I wonder how the Belgians will react to a smoking ban? The French sure didn't like it, and the Germans aren't in a hurry to follow suit.

 

[sanzar]

Laetca you make Belgium sound as bad as the worst of London (commuting) and France (strikes) put together...
Well I haven't been to BE, just through it several times, but I did live in Japan for a while in '98 and have gone back several times for holidays.
Yep, commuters there look as depressed as they should be, unless they're playing around with their super-duper gadget phones.
But... seeing how strict Tokyo has become with its myriad of smokers (there are entire town districts that have gone non-smoking, with the exception of bars), I'm a bit surprised at how he was just given a smoke.
Ah well... his suicide has been noticed, unlike the tens of thousands that use more conventional methods. My hostmother's daughter hanged herself at home. Others like throwing themselves in front of trains, but they've installed barriers in most underground stations in Tokyo in 2007 so maybe that will stop.

I think Japan's a great place for western foreigners who can actually speak the language well, myself I love it. But I wouldn't want to work there any longer than half a year or so. Life's too short to work so hard and all that [/b]

Japan is becoming more strict than before with smoking, but it's nowhere near as close to as strict as Australia... I mean you really aren't allowed to smoke anywhere in Aus anymore now that Bars have had it banned, while in Japan you can still buy smokes from vending machines on the streets and the shinkansen still has smoking carriages. But yeah, the suicide rate due to over work is crazy... the train thing got to be really bad for a while too I understand and they started install mirrors all around train stations in some areas because of a study done that showed people were likely to reconsider suicide if they saw their reflection.

 

[Laetca]

I didn't know about that reflection thing, it's very intresting though.

I know there was an asian country or a city somewhere in Asia where bubblegum was baned from the streets because it's such a hassle to clean it up once it's stuck solidly on the pavement.

What is the idea about the middle-class wine consumption?

We have a 'warm sweater' day here every year in schools, where the heating is turned off for one day, and the children all just wear a bigger sweater and such. The funny thing about that is that completely shutting off the heating means it has to be restarted the following day, which costs more energy then one day of just leaving the heating on. So it would be better to turn the heating a bit lower every day and ask parents to dress their children appropriatly all the time.
Though I don't get some kids (mostly teenage girls). It will be five degrees celsius, and I'll have a scarve, and boots and a warm sweater and whatnot, and then you see them standing at the busstop, in a miniskirt with leggings, and with peep toe shoes, showing some cleavage to boot. I can only assume their heating is blazing hot during the winter. And it's not that I've seen one such a girl, they come in flocks! I don't think they should cover up all the way to their neck and look pure and such, but some common sense would be nice.

I don't get why a company would want to spill so much energy :s If not for environmental reasons, then at least for the economic ones.

 

[BLR]

I know there was an asian country or a city somewhere in Asia where bubblegum was baned from the streets because it's such a hassle to clean it up once it's stuck solidly on the pavement.
[/b]

Singapore off the top of my head.

 

[mickywicky]

<div class='quotemain'>
I know there was an asian country or a city somewhere in Asia where bubblegum was baned from the streets because it's such a hassle to clean it up once it's stuck solidly on the pavement.
[/b]

Singapore off the top of my head.
[/b][/quote]

Singapore indeed.

What is the idea about the middle-class wine consumption?
[/b]

Apparently (I think it's true...) they drink far more than they should, and *gasp* at home!
So they'll end up costing our social security system loads of cash apparently. Notwithstanding the fact that this is less money than they pay in the first place...

It will be five degrees celsius, and I'll have a scarve, and boots and a warm sweater and whatnot, and then you see them standing at the busstop, in a miniskirt with leggings, and with peep toe shoes, showing some cleavage to boot.
[/b]

So you either live in heaven or in Manchester???

I don't get why a company would want to spill so much energy :s If not for environmental reasons, then at least for the economic ones.
[/b]

The official reason is that our antivirus updates take place at night. Why not trigger them when the computer boots instead?
But I really think the economic aspect plays no part in that. This company has far too much ££â'¬â'¬$$.
However all our plastic cups are recycled, there's signs in every kitchen to explain it, and certificates hung on walls to prove it! Go figure...

 

[Laetca]

That's like people who order a deluxe XXL super or whatever meal at any random fastfood place, and then ask for a diet soda

Why are they only tackling the middle class drinkers? I wsn't aware that drinking was a class related problem, not after patrons stopped paying the fees of their workers in the local pub every staurday evening, prefferably a pub they owned so a lot of their money would flow back to them. But now we're talking 19th century.
Obesity is probably more expensive for the NHS then drinking will ever be.

I live in Antwerp, and I find girls that dress that way stupid And their parents irresponsible. Then again, not much you can do about it, I used to go to a school that ahd uniforms and still some girls managed to look as if they had come to school srtraight after working their local corner.

 

[mickywicky]

Why are they only tackling the middle class drinkers? I wsn't aware that drinking was a class related problem, not after patrons stopped paying the fees of their workers in the local pub every staurday evening, prefferably a pub they owned so a lot of their money would flow back to them. But now we're talking 19th century.
[/b]

Not entirely sure. Possibly because they can afford to drink a lot? (wine)

Obesity is probably more expensive for the NHS then drinking will ever be.
[/b]

You know waaaay too much about England... I'd almost think you're an expat.

I live in Antwerp, and I find girls that dress that way stupid And their parents irresponsible.
[/b]

I agree, but I'm not sure the parents are given the option.

 

[Laetca]

Obesity is a bigger problem than smoking for any national health plan, I just know how the national health plan in the UK is called, and what it's abbreviated to
I'm far from being an expert though, I'll let you know how my grade for ChUK (Cultural History of the UK) was in July.
I have a nifty book on 'the culture of the United Kingdom' that has Tony Blaire on it.
The on on the Culture in the US has Will Smith and Tom Cruise.
Talk about difference.

Update on Belgium's non smoking policy, only one political party is still against it (that's the parties that form the government, I'(m not entirely sure about the ones in the opposition)

 

[BLR]

If they helped fight obesity the food companies would be up in arms and go crazy, there is too much money....the alcohol industry would have been similar in the past but the governments don't care too much anymore...anything to help supress the people and put them under the thumb, fascism is coming back in vogue if you ask me.

 

[snooch]

<div class='quotemain'>
It was in today's news that most politcal parties are considering going for the complete smoking ban in pubs too, there has been a smoking ban in restaurants a while now, and there has been a bill to try and ban smoking from pubs now too. This will cause so much protest again
[/b]

We've had this in the UK for a while now... I speak as a smoker, and think it's a good thing. Makes the whole pub thing much nicer.
What bothers me about it is how it's one thing, then another. Right now it's smoking. At least here there are signs the next thing will be middle-class wine consumption.

[/b][/quote]

The Australian government has put in something like that over the past few years. I'm a smoker as well and I think that many of the rules put in place are pretty unnecessary. Things like not smoking in the car and at home with kids I can understand, but at a pub? Soon the only place left to smoke will be in a boat 50km off the shoreline.

 

[Laetca]

If they helped fight obesity the food companies would be up in arms and go crazy, there is too much money....the alcohol industry would have been similar in the past but the governments don't care too much anymore...anything to help supress the people and put them under the thumb, fascism is coming back in vogue if you ask me. [/b]

Maybe the government should start promoting religion, adapting religious rules in the law and such. If religion can be considered an opiate, why not make it strong enough to soothe vast masses

McDonalds has started offering salads and such since the Supersize me documentary and the law cases in the US. So they 'could' adjust to the modern more healthy needs of people. It's just expensive to adjust.