plain packaging

The success of the Australian government's push for the plain packaging of cigarettes in a landmark High Court case this week is a rare example of why I still believe in politicians. We don't often see our elected representatives putting their necks out for a real cause, but there are still many who entered politics to make a difference.

Having said this, i have no doubt that we have not heard the end of this case. The tobacco industry will rally and spend some of their significant profits on further legal battles over brand ownership, compensation for loss of profit and other spurious arguments aimed at stalling a final outcome.

So, why am I so interested in this subject?

In the last 10 years I have watched three people near and dear to me die slow and agonizing deaths as a direct result of smoking a substance that is freely available and regulated by the government.

death - the difference between the common cold and the flu

There seems to be a major epidemic of the common cold in Australia, and newspapers like the Herald Sun are creating hysteria by using words like “Flu” in the headline, but going on to discuss the common cold in the article. By doing this they are just encouraging the sick leave junkies and the hypochondriacs.

As a contractor, I tend to work through most illnesses. I draw the line at real eyesight effecting migraines and anything requiring regular urgent toilet breaks, but these occur less frequently than the many variations of the cold virus.

look ma, no hands, no helmet, no lights...... and no consideration for anyone or anything

In my part of Melbourne bikes have been cool for a long time. It's close to the city, it gets clogged up with car and public transport traffic, and there are lots of parks, so riding is mostly a pleasure.

Unfortunately recent years has seen the bike go beyond a useful cheap mechanical form of transport, to being a fashion statement. The funny side is, a lot of people walk their bikes around on the footpaths and never seem to ride them, particularly up and down the busy shopping strips where all of the bars and cafes are.

an interlude of a self indulgent kind

The past year, particularly the 2010/11 financial year (July to June) has been the most eventful I can remember.

It's hard not to reflect when a whole pile of things happen to you in a short period of time. Ahh! there's the first slip. When I write that these things "happened to me" I mean that most of them affected me and actually happened to other people.

June 2010 was looking OK! I was working on a project at Australia Post as a Training Manager, and only having stand-up fights with a couple of people a week. It was stressful, but at least I as in Melbourne. I was home one day checking emails, when I received a phone call. The caller was from Virgin Gyms. I had won a six month free membership to their brand new state-of-the-art gym that was coincidentally located across the road from work. I felt great! I started emailing a few people to tell them about it, when my phone rang again. "What have I won this time?" I muttered to myself, grinning like an idiot.

It was a woman's voice, vaguely familiar, then it hit me! My best mate's older sister. It was great to hear from her as I hadn't seen her in a long time, but through the dopey grinning afterglow of winning, I didn't immediately hear that something was very wrong.

smoking makes you smell bad! oh, and it kills you, too!

On 7th May 2011 my mum died of lung cancer caused by nearly 40 years of smoking. She was four weeks shy of her 59th birthday, which is way too young in my opinion. She is survived by her mother and five children. She was one of five kids herself but she is the the third to succumb to smoking related lung cancer. Yes, the remaining two siblings still smoke. Why? What a great question, but it's not a question a sane and rational person can answer, because any sane and rational person who has seen just what we have seen in our family would throw their smokes in the bin and "man up" to