Strained metaphors
This article, on "why you shouldn't hit your kids," on Slate, attempts to link the addictiveness of cigarettes with the addictiveness of hitting your kids! I would have liked to have read more details about the studies that the article alludes to, but it was still interesting. For instance, I didn't realize any countries had actually banned corporal punishment!
The author doesn't seem to think very mild, occasional corporal punishment is all that bad. Here's where the analogy to smoking comes in. I'm sure he thinks his question, "But who smokes three cigarettes a month?" is rhetorical -- but I'll answer it anyway: I do! I've smoked 1 or 2 to maybe an occasional max of 20 cigarettes per month for the last ten years, and I've never smoked more than that. Moderation in all things! :) Admittedly, I'm odd, but I've known a couple of other social smokers. A lot of them used to smoke heavily, though, or eventually started smoking more... I guess that's the problem....
My husband used to be a smoker; he currently smokes more than I do. He consistently claims to smoke one cigarette a day (though he used to claim half of one :), but really he has this cycle of slowing upping the number he smokes, until it reaches about three a day, then he quits for a month, and starts over again with half of one a day. It's interesting to watch the willpower vs addition play out. He uses cigarettes as a stimulant and stress relief, but his main motivation for quitting is that he's a runner and notices whenever too many cigarettes start interfering with his running. My motivation is that cigarettes go so well with beer... this meant the bans on smoking in bars cut down my smoking a whole lot! I still have many fond memories of cheap pitchers of Yeungling and packs of Camel lights in sports bars in Pittsburgh :) Though I hear those days are gone now.
I have a feeling almost none of you reading this touch cigarettes, but ... any smokers out there? Are you happy with how much you smoke, or trying to quit/ cut back?
Also, just for fun, here's Bill Hicks on smoking. (Warning: language not suitable for work -- but if you know Bill Hicks, you already knew that :)
The author doesn't seem to think very mild, occasional corporal punishment is all that bad. Here's where the analogy to smoking comes in. I'm sure he thinks his question, "But who smokes three cigarettes a month?" is rhetorical -- but I'll answer it anyway: I do! I've smoked 1 or 2 to maybe an occasional max of 20 cigarettes per month for the last ten years, and I've never smoked more than that. Moderation in all things! :) Admittedly, I'm odd, but I've known a couple of other social smokers. A lot of them used to smoke heavily, though, or eventually started smoking more... I guess that's the problem....
My husband used to be a smoker; he currently smokes more than I do. He consistently claims to smoke one cigarette a day (though he used to claim half of one :), but really he has this cycle of slowing upping the number he smokes, until it reaches about three a day, then he quits for a month, and starts over again with half of one a day. It's interesting to watch the willpower vs addition play out. He uses cigarettes as a stimulant and stress relief, but his main motivation for quitting is that he's a runner and notices whenever too many cigarettes start interfering with his running. My motivation is that cigarettes go so well with beer... this meant the bans on smoking in bars cut down my smoking a whole lot! I still have many fond memories of cheap pitchers of Yeungling and packs of Camel lights in sports bars in Pittsburgh :) Though I hear those days are gone now.
I have a feeling almost none of you reading this touch cigarettes, but ... any smokers out there? Are you happy with how much you smoke, or trying to quit/ cut back?
Also, just for fun, here's Bill Hicks on smoking. (Warning: language not suitable for work -- but if you know Bill Hicks, you already knew that :)