09 Jul 05
Originally posted by WulebgrAlso , while on the topic of second hand smoke - I think those breathing second hand smoke are getting a free ride off the smoker . They should kick in a couple bucks for mooching off the smoker's fumes . Tobacco is exspensive , all who partake should pony-up . It's only fair .
The campaign against second-hand smoke grossly misuses bad science.
More people are harmed more severly by eating once a week at McDonalds than they are from second-hand smoke put out by smokers (now the smoke from the hickory and mesquite I put in the BBQ or my smoker for meats is another matter--but the neighbors have kept their complaints silent so far).
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by Moldy CrowGets my rec, MC.
Also , while on the topic of second hand smoke - I think those breathing second hand smoke are getting a free ride off the smoker . They should kick in a couple bucks for mooching off the smoker's fumes . Tobacco is exspensive , all who partake should pony-up . It's only fair .
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by AmauroteBefore becoming a feature writer for a newspaper I spent 12 years as a bookmobile librarian doing outreach work. Went to many prisons. Used to park in the yards and they'd lock the gates behind me. Used to take everything off the desk that could stolen and lock it in the drawers. I never had any trouble personally but now and then two guys would suddenly start hammering on each other and I'd have to blow the horn to get some guards out there. Used to circulate lots of chess books. Those were the Bobby Fischer days and chess was quite popular in the prisons I visited. Is it still popular, Amaurote?
I'm a prison librarian, sadly, safe just isn't going to happen until I resign...
09 Jul 05
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Originally posted by DelmerInteresting, Del, was that a federal prison or a county gaol? Funnily enough I went on a stress awareness course and noticed that one of the other people attending was a trailer librarian - he's one of the few people I've met that has a worse working environment than we do, incoherent drunks attempting to stab his tyres out, drive off with his van, etc., etc. At least we have prison officers within a corridor or two...some of the time.
Before becoming a feature writer for a newspaper I spent 12 years as a bookmobile librarian doing outreach work. Went to many prisons. Used to park in the yards and they'd lock the gates behind me. Used to take everything off the desk that ...[text shortened]... e popular in the prisons I visited. Is it still popular, Amaurote?
But no, I wouldn't say chess was popular, unfortunately - I work at five sites (young offender institution, female remand, local gaol - or "community prison" as they've christened it, a DSPD and a maximum security prison, which houses the DSPD), and of the five only the max really has any interest at all, amongst the older lads: playstations and soap operas in in-cell television sets have taken over, unfortunately.
I might see if I can order your book some time, by the way, I've been thinking about it for a while, but it occurs to me that it might be on the County Catalogue.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by AmauroteI went to county and city jails and work farms with the bookmobile. We were a branch of the state library and covered 6 counties in northwestern Ohio. I also did the same work in King County, Washington (Seattle) but there the county was so large that we just worked one county. I also went to Indian reservations, ghetto areas of cities, low cost government housing projects, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, small remote towns and schools that had no library and other such places. I loved the bookmobile work but in 1972 had the chance to write fulltime for the newspaper and switched jobs. Never regretted the change but I've always been glad that I had the bookmobile experience. My wife retired a few years ago after 30 years as director of a small city library. I would be very surprised if my books were available in an English library but since they're available through Amazon.com I suppose that's always possible.
Interesting, Del, was that a federal prison or a county gaol? Funnily enough I went on a stress awareness course and noticed that one of the other people attending was a trailer librarian - he's one of the few people I've met that have a worse environment than we do, incoherent drunks attempting to stab his tyres out, drive off with his van, etc., etc. At ...[text shortened]... een thinking about it for a while, but it occurs to me that it might be on the County Catalogue.
09 Jul 05
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Originally posted by DelmerVery interesting, I wasn't entirely sure, but your system in the states you served sounds similar to here - I always imagined that private prison libraries were the norm in the US, evidently that may not be the case. Here we're just another public library in theory, but we're sited in the prisons as opposed to visiting it - which means in practice that we suffer as the regime deploys resources elsewhere. The truth is that we could theoretically be a very useful service, and we do receive the necessary capitation to make us so, but the regimes see civilians as expendable, low-rent members of staff: before a recent strike in one of the remand centres we were isolated workers working alone as scores of female inmates came in. For about three years of the three and a half years I worked there, this meant ducking every other evening...the CCTV wasn't a great deal of help, because it didn't cover the corridor from which everything was thrown...
I went to county and city jails and work farms with the bookmobile. We were a branch of the state library and covered 6 counties in northwestern Ohio. I also did the same work in King County, Washington (Seattle) but there the county was so ...[text shortened]... re available through Amazon.com I suppose that's always possible.
Over here, it isn't about book promotion or literacy hours, unfortunately, it's about survival and firefighting.
On the subject of your book, it may be that an older edition is archived in the Bookstore at HQ. It's quite surprising, sometimes, there are some rare old gems hidden away in there.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by thesonofsaulJust for starters, from Joe Dawson's essay on the anti-smoking movement:
I would like you to explain this "bad science" you mention. I'm not sure I understand the concept, and I would also like to understand the concept as it concerns smoking.
All of these falsehoods depend for their general acceptance on thecredibility of those disseminating them and upon the inability of thetypical listener to perform simple sanity checks using common senseand arithmetic. The simplest is this. It takes 20 years or more for damageto manifest itself in a smoker. ETS is hundreds of times more dilute thanmainstream smoke. Non smokers would have to live with ETS for upwards of2,000 years to incur the same damage. Here's another. Smoke from charcoalcontains many of the same components as those most feared in tobacco smoke(carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, carcinogens and so forth). A ten pound bagof charcoal produces as much smoke (and harmful chemicals) as 160 packs ofcigarettes. Are you going to quit barbecuing? Probably not. Yet the slightestwhiff of tobacco smoke gives many anti-smokers apoplectic fits. Are theybeing hysterical?
http://www.smokingsection.com/issues1.html#smoke
I agree with you on butts, which is part of the reason I smoke cigars. When I did smoke cigarettes, I smoked Pall Mall filterless. I get more toxins with the filter; but moderation is a better toxin reduction plan than filters. Tobacco is not good for the lungs and throat, but it can be psychologically and spiritually beneficial in moderation.
McDonalds litter is omnipresent in our cities, along our highways, and even in rural areas. Their bread has no food value, and their burgers are pretty poor quality beef. Lots of bad carbs, very little good protein, and not enough vegetables to mention. If you want a fast food burger, every other chain is better.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by BowmannLOL! I'll try tea this evening, Bowmann. BTW, dried and crushed catnip leaves are good. Of course you have to gather your own, which makes for a healthy day in the country breathing fresh air and walking.
The best way to stop is to smoke tea. It is quite definitely the worst thing to inhale and will make every smoker eventually kick the habit.
I've been smoking tea for 17 years now and feel I'm on the brink of giving up.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by AmauroteI think private prison libraries probably are the norm in large USA prisons, Amaurote. I definitely would not like working in a library sited wihin a prison. Can't you use your experience to get out of the prison and into a community library? BTW, my books have only been out about five years. There are no older editions.
Very interesting, I wasn't entirely sure, but your system in the states you served sounds similar to here - I always imagined that private prison libraries were the norm in the US, evidently that may not be the case. Here we're just another public library in theory, but we're sited in the prisons as opposed to visiting it - which means in practice that w ...[text shortened]... ore at HQ. It's quite surprising, sometimes, there are some rare old gems hidden away in there.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by BowmannI've tried that. When I learned that the "weightless tea" my wife had was made from the herb otherwise known as kinnikinick, or used in kinnikinick, I had to roll some up in a zigzag. Alas, tea is much drier than tobacco by the time it hits the grocery store, and the stuff burnt too fast. It didn't taste bad, but it didn't add enough pleasuer for me to repeat the experiment.
The best way to stop is to smoke tea.
09 Jul 05
Originally posted by Moldy Crowlol!
Also , while on the topic of second hand smoke - I think those breathing second hand smoke are getting a free ride off the smoker . They should kick in a couple bucks for mooching off the smoker's fumes . Tobacco is exspensive , all who partake should pony-up . It's only fair .
Back when indoor smoking was still legal, I made it a habit to do my grading in the smoking section of the dining hall of the union building on campus. When the indoor smoking ban went into effect, I bought a pack of cigarettes and headed to the nearest bar to do some writing.
09 Jul 05
More on the bad science--in particular, the 1993 EPA study that was the standard citation for the anti-smoking coalition--can be found at http://www.nycclash.com/CaseAgainstBans/EPA.html.
Lots of links are available there, including links to testimony before Congress and a federal court decision that vacated part of the EPA study.