tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post2762597556557477211..comments2023-12-28T06:30:48.808-05:00Comments on The Rule of Reason: The Welfare State of MindUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-39560744124442830762012-11-10T19:31:13.670-05:002012-11-10T19:31:13.670-05:00Heh, grills...sigh, just how long before charcoal ...Heh, grills...sigh, just how long before charcoal is outlawed or we have to catalytic converters on our Webers etc...Tim Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319251326099194934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-21178078438412072152012-11-02T06:58:59.518-04:002012-11-02T06:58:59.518-04:00My son came home from kindergarten the other day w...My son came home from kindergarten the other day with his peach yogurt wrapped in a plastic bag containing a condemnatory note to my wife for sending a substance that causes one of the teachers to have a "reaction". I also recieved an email from the principal about the need to be aware of the allergy sensitivities at the school. The teacher, apparently, had to go home that day, because the minute amount of peach allergen in the air was too dangerous! <br /><br />This is the same teacher that dumped out a garbage bin so the kids could sort the trash according to recycleables.<br /><br />I love the smell of a bit of smoke outside. I don't smoke, but I like the faint smell wafting off a patio. I like to smoke cannabis only. I'd love to burn one with you Ed, and here your stories, thoughts, and opinions with a little wacky-tabacky induced mental tangents.Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15122129410990551416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-82478484260897801152012-10-29T09:23:10.353-04:002012-10-29T09:23:10.353-04:00I spent part of this year in a western state famou...I spent part of this year in a western state famous for its Republican, mind-your-own-business social attitudes. During this time, the state's capital city passed sweeping anti-smoking legislation, banning tobacco in bars, parks, and city streets. The great outdoors in this great outdoorsy state was not, evidently, great <i>enough</i> to sustain the assault from a few burning cigars and cigarettes.<br /><br />Just a <i>whiff</i> of tobacco smoke, with its deadly carbon monoxide and other toxic pollutants, was enough to kill The Children™ and other sensitive beings, the bill's advocates claimed, citing discredited but pervasive government propaganda.<br /><br />Testing a theory of mine, I asked the anti-smoking zealots whether they would favor--in an effort to remain wholly consistent in their support of outdoor-smoking bans--outlawing charcoal grills in the public parks. After all, the carbon monoxide and other toxic pollutants belched from charcoal grills must be many <i>thousands</i> of times more deadly to The Children™ and other sensitive beings, given the fact that the volume of smoke from one grill must exceed that of a thousand cigarette smokers. Would the citizens of this great capital city be willing to give up their barbecues, for The Children™?<br /><br />Guess.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06188622297744653212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-24397084786694080552012-10-28T07:57:08.935-04:002012-10-28T07:57:08.935-04:00Another point I might have elaborated on is that o...Another point I might have elaborated on is that one is expected to act as an unpaid enforcer of the welfare state, and a self-disciplined one, as well, by conforming to statist norms of behavior and patronizing those corrupted by a welfare state of mind. Another retort I've used in reply to a pious non-smoker is: "You wouldn't say that to Bogart." Edward Clinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160209827969614964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-5931298150314592702012-10-28T00:48:08.192-04:002012-10-28T00:48:08.192-04:00Grr. I meant to edit that to say "we know th...Grr. I meant to edit that to say "we know the health risks" as it can be read to be rather heavy handed. I.e, I personally concur with the idea that a risk (i.e, behavior that could be construed as detrimental to life, and hence contradictory to being an Objectivist) is acceptable should other benefits derived from an activity be deemed to be worth the risk. For instance, while I'm personally a (mostly) ex-smoker, I ride motorcycles and will for as long at it's feasible for me to do so.... I also frequent blogs of various politically undesirable reactionary hothead infidels and very likely have my IP address on file thusly....Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06198703192380634595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-84068719821710294082012-10-28T00:36:40.400-04:002012-10-28T00:36:40.400-04:00Another great essay...while obviously the smoking ...Another great essay...while obviously the smoking thing is just the launching point, I'm reminded of a story an Objectivist friend told. He was at O'ist convention and L. Peikoff was asked why it's acceptable for an Objectivist to smoke when we know it's bad for you. His response was to take out a cigarette and smoke it right there in the auditorium (presumably a non-smoking venue by that point).<br /><br />I also, while not endorsing all of Breathed's observations/politics (including stance on smoking, I might add), certainly miss the modern golden age of comics, and Bloom County in particular.<br /><br />http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Kaiser0929/que3/bloom_offensensitivity.jpgUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06198703192380634595noreply@blogger.com