Ouch. I Took the Proverbial Social Hit

[brian64]

IMO there’s no doubt that nicotine reduces anxiety. And there’s plenty of info out there on the subject, including “studies”. But nothing in scientific “papers” these days can be assumed true or accurate...the proof is usually only in the pudding.
As for the unhealthier aspects of pipe or cigar smoking, it’s still less harmful than the side effects of long-term use of psychotropic drugs...IMO. Plus, of course, you get the added benefit of the wonderful taste of tobacco.

 

[workman]

I love the thought of telling everybody to just fuck off. But I never do. I would probably say something like: if you can't do what you want to, why even live?

But then, people are polite around here and I've never been pestered.

 

[danielplainview]

My great grandfather and my grandfather both smoked pipes from dusk til dawn. One made it to 94, the other 86.

 

[kickinbears]

I’m in the “tell them to fuck off” camp. My body is a temple with a full-on amusement park built in. I’m going to enjoy living first and foremost.
Anyone remember when eggs were equated to a sure and quick death via cardiovascular disease? Supported by reams of data, you weren’t supposed to eat more than a few a week. Now eggs are touted as a health power food with increasing HDL (good cholesterol), and is even recommended to being eaten in quantities up to 3 a day.
I’m tired of this nanny state shit.

 

[nitemair13]

As for the unhealthier aspects of pipe or cigar smoking, it’s still less harmful than the side effects of long-term use of psychotropic drugs...IMO. Plus, of course, you get the added benefit of the wonderful taste of tobacco

You got that right. When I was first diagnosed a psychiatrist put me on so much medicine. I finally went to my regular doctor, he looked at them all and said "why? Why this many and these two do the same thing. This is going to kill you not help you". He helped me off all of it, I only take 1 medicine for it now and he monitors that. Otherwise he told me to do whatever I found that relieves the anxiety. I doubt he expected it to be a pipe but oh well. He's been a Godsend, and he's actually delved more into psychiatry in order to help me more. He once actually told me to give him a few weeks to do some research before he prescribed anything. And if side effects show up, he wants to know and has changed meds because of them in the past. But I'm rambling off topic so I'll shut up lol

 

[georged]

...but unfortunately one of my colleagues noticed the smokingpipes.com website over my shoulder (on my phone), and I was treated to no end of lectures on the dangers of pipe smoking...

 

[brian64]

@nitemair13: You’ve got an unusually good doctor there. I’m not surprised to hear your experience with the psychiatrist. I have no personal experience with them or with any psychotropic drugs, but over the years I’ve heard and read countless horror stories.
Someday if sanity ever comes to the mental health profession, this whole current era of psych-drug madness (especially the widespread drugging of children that’s going on) will be looked upon as bad or worse than the era of lobotomies and electroshock.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

well, there must be some benefits in cigarettes and pipetobacco otherwise why these products would have been included in soldiers rations free of charge in some countries like France,or in our Armed forces till the early 80ies,lately I'm coming to conclusion the grand majority of those tobacco nazis' is to be found among med-care folks.

 

[floridapipeman]

<p>I had this happen to me just recently and all these 'do-gooders' all fit a certain mold. So, with that in mind, I just looked at him, smiled and said, I voted for Trump. If looks could kill!

 

[bnichols23]

You see a lot of it from conservatives these days too. It's not predominantly healthcare types by any means, either; I can say that since I'm in the biz.

 

[kickinbears]

well, there must be some benefits in cigarettes and pipetobacco otherwise why these products would have been included in soldiers rations free of charge in some countries like France,or in our Armed forces till the early 80ies

Yeah, but all of those benefits are psychosocial in nature.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yeah, but all of those benefits are psychosocial in nature.

What isn't?

 

[kickinbears]

^^^ precisely! We aren’t helpng the case by pointing out the hedonistic nature of our hobby though :rofl:
PS - the benefits to giving tobacco to troops was not for physiological health. It was for the mental state/social dynamics (psychosocial); to help keep the troops “at ease” in a stressful, high pressure, monotonous, “hurry up and wait” environment. Thats what my reply was in regard to

 

[Chasing Embers]

I know. :mrgreen:

 

[warren]

Cigarette manufacturers looked on the "free" smokes as a method of increasing their customer base and gladly participated in the program. The companies advertised for the folks back home to include cigarettes with the socks and cakes packages. A lot of kids learned to smoke while in uniform, sales increased and money was made. A purely economic choice in the guise of "supporting the troops." It work very well.
If you weren't sucking on a cigarette during a break you were likely to be tasked with a chore by your squad leader. When I was at Lackland non-smokers policed the flight's area while we others smoked. Cigarettes were also used by the GI as a form of currency as were nylon stocking and candy bars.

 

[matthewd]

Since when is it acceptable behavior to look over someones shoulder at

their phone or tablet to see what they are looking at?I'm sick of people

that stick their nose into my screen and then get butt hurt by what they

see there.What I'm reading or texting is none of their business.Whether

my hobby will kill me or not isn't the question,they were not invited

to participate in the decision.

 

[warren]

Probably started when people began reading newspapers in public. If you are going to sit in public reading, talking on the phone, using a laptop or pad you should expect people to eavesdrop. It seems that's what some people do when someone offers up the opportunity. If you want a modicum of privacy, sit in a corner I guess. Rude behavior, particularly in large, crowded cities, is nearly the norm these days I've observed.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes, it can be annoying, but one can also seek privacy as warren suggests.

 

[slowroll]

Yep, as mentioned above, I usually tell them something polite like: "birth is the leading cause of death, now fuck off. "

 

[mso489]

Sometimes the options seem limited to being menacing or walking away. However, depending on the person/people and the situation, don't overlook the possibility of doing a little public relations for pipe smoking. If you can be warm and pleasant, make conversation off the subject, assure them that pipe smoking is just an occasional pleasure for you (fib as necessary), and lay a little charm into it, you may leave an impression. This may only make some more hostile, in which case, back to options one and two. But if you can present pipe smoking as something done by sociable pleasant people who are good conversationalists, who knows? They may have the check-out person at Walgreens slip a cob and a pouch in the bag with their aspirin and Tums.