Seasons greetings

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you and your families !!!

Another interesting topic

Last week I read in an Austrian Newspaper about health experts who explained that every day two to three people die of the effects of passive smoking. I was quite shocked about this statement because I’ve never thought that passive smoking is that dangerous. Of course I have heard about sequences of passive smoking and that some people operate extreme, almost militant against smokers but I’ve never thought about death in connection with passive smoking. I have never been such an aggressive non-smoker but according to such articles in newspapers maybe I should revise my opinion.
What attracted me in the past was following: while our health authorities are making inroads banning smoking on the workplace or in public buildings, visiting a restaurant, bar or cafe is still a “breathtaking” experience. For sure I can follow the arguments of some restaurant owners that restaurants are not public buildings and that people go there on their own and that a general smoking ban would be a "catastrophe” due to compact loss in sales, but, as we can see in Italy, the reverse is also true.
I completely agree with the man who wrote on a website that Austria is one of Europe's last refuges for smokers, still resisting the widespread smoking bans introduced and discussed in other EU countries. From my point of view it is time to think about changes.
So what I have done until now, and what I am going to do in the future too, is that I have preferred restaurants or bars with no-smoking areas or places with sufficient air condition systems in order to avoid exceeding impairment by smoke. But I must admit that I wouldn’t leave a bar or a restaurant where I feel good only because of some people smoking their cigarette, least of all if they are friends of me.

No smoke signals in bars anymore?

Well, what should I say? - It's thursday evening and I have to agonise over such a serious topic like bans on smoking in restaurants and bars. Well to get serious, if I am honest, I have no clear point of view referring to this theme.
First of all, yes Birigt - I am still a smoker, although I smoke meanwhile very rarely. So, I usually smoke not at all during the week. Also at home I never get the necessity to smoke. From the side of my physical or psychic desire for smoking a cigarette a ban on smoking in restaurants or bars should not be a problem for me. Furthermore I am not sure if it is good to ban smoking in such localities or not. It even seems to me that more smokers are for the prohibition of smoking in public buildings than non-smokers. Concerning this matter I often hear the statement of avowed non-smokers, that adults should not be placed under disability.
As far as I know this bans should guard non-smokers. Well, it is certainly correct, that it is very unhealthy if you have to smoke passive in pubs or bars - also for me as a smoker it is in some localities very displeasing, if my eyes start to burn, because of the incredible amount of smoke in the air.
Nevertheless it is not easy for me to imagine a future with bars, restaurants, discos and so on, without any smoke and without the possibility to smoke. Maybe there will start a new trend - many glasses with anti smoking chewing gum will be presented on the tables and boards and you will see a lot of people champing this chewing gums. Maybe lollipops are a better alternative for cigarettes? - Well it would look a bit weird if old fat harley bikers will sit in a bar with their beer and a strawberry lollipop... (sorry for my last thoughts - it is getting late ;-) )
Finally I have to say it is not very easy for me to position either for or against the bans on smoking. Referring to our health it would make sense, if such bans on smoking will get active. However any adult should decide for themselve if you want to smoke or not.
In this spirit - good night and good luck!

The e-cigarette (or: a less interesting answer)

First and foremost I have to say that I would be interested in typical problems of women. Maybe knowing their problems helps to understand them...

But back to the original topic: In general I’m a strict non-smoker. Ok, I have lost a breath on “Truth or Dare” several years ago but that’s it. You might think now that I am happy about the new law but honestly I do not really care. Most of my friends are smokers and they were allowed to smoke even in my car (they still would if they had managed not to make so many burn marks and throw out there cigarette stubs). So I think I became used to it already.
When they first discussed the possibility of the new law I remember a talk with my cousin who owns an inn and smokes as well. He was asking if they really could forbid him to smoke ‘at home’. Was some kind of funny for me but he was really serious about that topic.
So in my opinion separate rooms for smokers are enough if a clear separation is possible. In discotheques and bars I don’t believe that it makes sense at all.
But this is only my current opinion. I guess that I’ll change it rather quickly as soon as somebody I know or maybe I by myself suffer on cancer.

You might question yourself now “What has that text to do with the header?” Simple answer: Last Saturday I woke up switched on TV and saw an advertisement for Ruyan, the e-cigarette. A cigarette that doesn’t burn, you just smoke water steam and according to the advertisement it tastes rather similar to real cigarettes and not covered by the new lawsuit.

So if you are a smoker and believe that nicotine is the sweetest taste on earth and the new law will ruin your life, you should switch on the advertisement show next Saturday on ATV. Maybe you find a solution for your problem there.
By the way this is one of my favourite TV program in general (you know Horst Fuchs? Isn’t he great?).

Another interesting topic

So, now it's my turn to find a topic, which you maybe find interesting and can write a comment on it. Maybe I should mention first, that I am not really inventive concerning such things. I could write something about a typical problem of women. Okay, boys calm down again – it's not a good idea ;-).

Well, a topic that recently resounds throughout the land is the ban on smoking in restaurants, bars, etc. I know that I am the only smoker in our group and that you all as non-smokers probable agree to the concept of an extended smoking ban. Sorry, now I am no longer sure - Bernhard, do you still smoke?
Anyway, you will be surprised about the fact that I approve the idea of smoke-free restaurants & co too. I am a smoker indeed, but I am also able to exist without smoking. Nevertheless everywhere smoking is allowed and others smoke I do as well (some kind of peer pressure – you can also call it absence of self-control). Because of this a smoking ban would be a good possibility for me to reduce my consumption of cigarettes, which I have been able to distinctly cut down again, except at Campus02. In my opinion it's not fair to disturb other people with the stench of cigarettes and endanger their health. Frankly, I hate it when everything smells of cold smoke and therefore I not smoke at home, at least very rare and then not indoor. So, I don't really know why I smoke and I would like to stop it again, but there is anything that bars me from doing or rather not doing it. However I managed to stop smoking once (I have been a non-smoker for three years before I have started my study at the University of Applied Sciences) and I will manage it again (when I am pregnant at the latest).

By the way have you ever eaten a gateau that has been standing in a smoke-filled room? – Terrible!!!!

Hibernation for cars with diesel engine

Once upon a time there was a man, let’s call him Mister B., who got excited over everything. Even when politicians presented some extraordinary and well thought out proposals to keep our surroundings clean he was not able to contain himself and reacted very angrily and narcistic. He had a very old and battered knockmobile without any diesel particulate filter, without any equipment to prevent environmental pollution, sort of a real smut-catapult. He couldn’t accept the fact that such a jalopy should be parked at home when the threshold value for particulate matter emmission exceeded a declared limit. He blusterd, cursed and bitched about the persons in charge because of their incompetence and their being worldly innocent. He found hundreds, actually thousands, of arguments to confirm his point of view but a lot of them were far-fetched and completely inconsistent with the result of the lastest research concerning ecology.
Some day Mister B. walked through his hometown and saw a very handsome and beautiful girl standing on a podium in the middle of the park, talking about pollution control and how a lot of people refused to assume personal responsibility for our shared environment. Suddenly he was overtaken by the awareness that he was wrong and was ashamed of having such a position regarding ecology. He decided to become a better and ecology-minded man. Already the next day he went to the nearest Mazda-dealer and bought a Mazda6 with diesel particulate filter. Since that time his ecological conscience has been pacified and he is now able to sleep as well as I do.

@Bernhard: I have a free place in my car but unfortunately I am not in Graz every day L