Ridiculous things

Since June 1, stores in Quebec have been obliged to hide their cigarettes behind screens or under the counter. The government, in its infinite wisdom has decided that this is the best way to stop people from smoking. I suppose the reasoning is that if customers can't actually see the cigarettes, they'll not think of smoking because the government thinks smokers have the attention span of a squirrel on crack. Or something.

I imagine the this probably mostly targets kids. The idea being, of course that if they don't actually see the cigarettes, they'll not think of starting to smoke because obviously they have the attention span of a squirrel on crack. Or something.

I guess the government never heard of this thing called peer pressure. Because peer pressure doesn't apply when it comes to cigarettes. Does it?

Simply another great example of pretending to do something with great pomp and circumstance, while actually changing nothing at all. If the government is really serious about stopping smoking, they should make selling tobacco products illegal. 'Cept what would they do without all those taxes? The hypocrisy of the whole situation is galling. With all the money the govenment makes off smoking, they don't want smokers to actually stop. So why pretend?

Lottery tickets and booze are still in full view though. No crusade against alcoholism and gambling, those other two coffer filling addictions. If you must hide cigarettes, logically booze and the lottery should follow, shouldn't they? You don't want people smoking, but you don't mind them drinking themselves to death or gambling away the house?

The only people penalized in this whole production number are the owners of indeptendent corner stores who have to pay for the "masks" out of their own pockets.

And for the record, I'm a non-smoker who applauded when smoking was banned in bars - I guess I was thrilled I could go drink myself to death without dying of an asthma attack first.

**************************************************************************

June's O Magazine features the title: We are starting a beauty revolution! (Say bye bye to feeling bad about your body).

All this with a picture of Oprah photshopped to thinness and perfection.

C'mon Oprah, how hypocritical is that? If you're starting a beauty revolution of acceptance of self, maybe you should start with putting yourself on your cover in all your zaftig glory, eh?

Sorry about the picture, I couldn't find anything better online and I wasn't about to buy the magazine so I could scan the cover.

There are limits to how far I'll go for a post. Getting mauled by a housecat is pretty much my limit. Oprah is nowhere on the list.

**************************************************************************

Front page news in the Journal de Montréal a couple of days ago: We will have a fabulous summer!

A bit of context perhaps? Last fall, some meteorological guru predicted a hard winter (withtout saying whether it would be hard because it was cold or because of the snow). Pretty easy prediction if you ask me, you're in QUEBEC for chrissake. D'uh!

So now, he's back, and predicting a great summer, maybe the best of the century (um... it's only 2008 - there's a lot of century to go yet).

So far, I don't really have a problem with that. Go ahead and predict whatever you want, we all know they have trouble predicting the weather 48 hours in advance, so months... well, whatever. We'll get the weather we get and... and nothing actually. We'll get the weather we get. Period.

What I find really incredibly dumb is that this became Front. Page. News.

How is this news? How? With everything going on in the world, you're telling me this is the best you can do, Journal de Montréal?

Yes, the Journal is known for its "tabloidity", but this seems like a stretch even for them...

Damn, the stupidity I have to put up with... The mind? It boggles.