It's so strange sometimes watching tv shows and movies from the 90's where you see characters smoking indoors in public places.
Like in Seinfeld you will have episodes where Kramer is smoking in offices....and even in the doctor's clinic! There was an episode where Kramer took out a cigar and smoked in a doctor's waiting room. I thought he would immediately get in trouble but none of the other characters cared.
And then you got movies from back then like Jackie Brown (which is a great movie by the way) where you see character's smoking in a mall cafeteria. A mall! A family friendly environment! And it's considered normal!?!?!? Blows my mind.
The last hold out in the UK was the offices of BAT (British American Tobacco). They had ashtrays, spittoons and untold free cigarettes for their staff to help themselves to.
To spice it up a bit, they had lots of cigarettes to try from developing markets. Sometimes these had extra flavour that appealed to the smoker, so more nicotine and tar.
They had this 70s style going on in the early 2000s, at a time when smoking had been outlawed from enclosed public spaces plus lots of outdoor spaces such as sports grounds and train platforms.
Out of the 70s context, the dedication to normalising smoking in the BAT offices made the place sound like more of a cult. I did not work there myself but I had a friend that did. He didn't smoke once he left the 'cult'.
But everyone knows they're healthy! It's a herbal remedy taken bronchially as an inhumnation, as this video by Dr.Fry indicates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewVicFzRxw
I feel like I was brainwashed so much harder by the anti-smoking and anti-tobacco lobby (i.e. state Departments of Health) over smoking in media. This is probably why it all disappeared...
New York schools statewide constantly were and are bombarded with constant media and FUD that the single moment you see someone light a cigarette, that's marketing.
We used to hang out in the smoking section of diners at 2am with friends slugging down coffee and chain smoking. The whole smoking section was packed with the rest of the place empty.
In a way I miss it because it was such a social thing to do. I have zero interest in smoking any more but the rituals around it were nice
If you think that's strange. I remember work places with all kinds of alcohol, weed and live music.
A friend of mine from Yugoslavia described their lunchroom looking like a grand Caffe with walls full of strong liquor, various kinds of beer on the tap. They started drinking beer at 11 am in the sun in front of the building and kept going till 1-3 am (often talking about work!). He often slept on the sofa and didn't go home for weeks. His boss was always the first to arrive and was happy he wasn't the only one there. Sleeping at work showed a high level of dedication.
Reminds me of reading my grandparents' old copies of National Geographic from a similar era. The ads were all attractively retro cars or cigarettes. A couple of taglines that stick in the mind are "the thinking man smokes" and "doctors recommend..."!
You think that our grandchildren will be shocked by sugar, something that has been in use for hundreds of years (and that's just refined sugar, not counting natural forms)? Not very likely.
They didn't have a scientific proof that smoking was bad for you. Just like we don't have the proof that social media is awful for you and that Trump is a cult.
Ever since quitting years ago I never really recovered. It’s like 35% of my mental focus and clarity evaporated.
All these moments when something had to be figured out suddenly things became easy if you only went for a smoke. Solutions became crystal clear obvious and effortless.
At a price.
Without it is always like a little bit of heavy fog is obscuring everything. That I know could be instantly lifted by this terrible drug.
I even remember my first time what a transcendental clarity it summoned. It was as if some thick veil fell from me in an instant. That’s very, very addicting and just useful.
Does overclocking your brain is worth the accelerated parts wear and tear? Well I made a decision that it isn’t. That I am intelligent and privileged enough to hopefully achieve the things I want and enjoy them for longer.
Why not chew some nicotine gum? People cite things like blood pressure and cardiovascular effects, but seems like caffeine has these same issues and they might just be general stimulant related effects. Have you ever considered if you have add/adhd? You might benefit from adderall as well or some other stimulant. These also have extended release formulations.
I wish coca leaves were available stateside. Not sure the growing requirements, but it seems like they have a lot of similar neuro benefits without much of the harm from the narcotic derivative.
The trick is to hit a 'Ballmer peak', such that the overall experience is optimal. Long term effects included.
But for most psycho-active substances, such optimal dose / frequency is quite low (if not 0). A beer during a BBQ with friends? Fine. Some recreational drug to enhance the experience of say, a music festival? That I can understand.
But needing a smoke 10, 15..20x all day, every day? Look in the mirror, and admit: you're just an addict, damaging your health.
Look, in our modern realities, somebody who goes through their day completely sober, raw and unfiltered is a much bigger freak than any common junkie.
I can understand the need to smoothen out the reception of reality but what I will never get is enjoyment to take all the bullshit of today raw and supposedly with pleasure.
Can you really blame me for being extra suspicious around sworn sober types?
For those who are not that old, when cigarettes were mainstream there were many scientists (or business backed science) telling people that smoking was healthy. Then they decided to change tact when it became obvious it was causing lung disease.
Here's a fun one, Benson and Hedges commissioned some classic 80's CGI, it got played at one of the art-house animation festivals that was a thing for nerds to do in the 80's. Looks like it was Robert Abel who did it.
But what was the point? It seemed like they were trying to sell gold collectibles to rich people in Malaysia.
Lifestyle marketing, romance, appeals to independence, metaphor, and humor. All timeless advertising tropes. It's cigarettes themselves that are passé.
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[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 60.0 ms ] threadLike in Seinfeld you will have episodes where Kramer is smoking in offices....and even in the doctor's clinic! There was an episode where Kramer took out a cigar and smoked in a doctor's waiting room. I thought he would immediately get in trouble but none of the other characters cared.
And then you got movies from back then like Jackie Brown (which is a great movie by the way) where you see character's smoking in a mall cafeteria. A mall! A family friendly environment! And it's considered normal!?!?!? Blows my mind.
Sometimes it was thick with smoke and the walls would have tar.
After the Oxford St, Kings Cross Tube station fires, along with the Bradford stadium fire in the 80s they thought that safety could be improved a tad.
Personally, I like my air fresh.
To spice it up a bit, they had lots of cigarettes to try from developing markets. Sometimes these had extra flavour that appealed to the smoker, so more nicotine and tar.
They had this 70s style going on in the early 2000s, at a time when smoking had been outlawed from enclosed public spaces plus lots of outdoor spaces such as sports grounds and train platforms.
Out of the 70s context, the dedication to normalising smoking in the BAT offices made the place sound like more of a cult. I did not work there myself but I had a friend that did. He didn't smoke once he left the 'cult'.
But planes back then had smoking and non-smoking.
And the "first class row" behind me was smoking.
So imagine I was in first class row 3, and the people in first class row 4 were smoking.
I felt like I should try to go back to coach row 18 or whatever, which was probably 10 rows away from smoking in 28.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_Check_(program)
New York schools statewide constantly were and are bombarded with constant media and FUD that the single moment you see someone light a cigarette, that's marketing.
In a way I miss it because it was such a social thing to do. I have zero interest in smoking any more but the rituals around it were nice
You make it sound like indoor smoking in public places is a thing of a past.
A friend of mine from Yugoslavia described their lunchroom looking like a grand Caffe with walls full of strong liquor, various kinds of beer on the tap. They started drinking beer at 11 am in the sun in front of the building and kept going till 1-3 am (often talking about work!). He often slept on the sofa and didn't go home for weeks. His boss was always the first to arrive and was happy he wasn't the only one there. Sleeping at work showed a high level of dedication.
plastic everywhere
social media as news
teflon
fossil fuel cars
sugar/ultra-processed food
* https://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/what-happens-body-qu...
According to the article I have 5 years to go till my body has completely recovered from the effects of smoking.
Ever since quitting years ago I never really recovered. It’s like 35% of my mental focus and clarity evaporated.
All these moments when something had to be figured out suddenly things became easy if you only went for a smoke. Solutions became crystal clear obvious and effortless.
At a price.
Without it is always like a little bit of heavy fog is obscuring everything. That I know could be instantly lifted by this terrible drug.
I even remember my first time what a transcendental clarity it summoned. It was as if some thick veil fell from me in an instant. That’s very, very addicting and just useful.
Does overclocking your brain is worth the accelerated parts wear and tear? Well I made a decision that it isn’t. That I am intelligent and privileged enough to hopefully achieve the things I want and enjoy them for longer.
I wish coca leaves were available stateside. Not sure the growing requirements, but it seems like they have a lot of similar neuro benefits without much of the harm from the narcotic derivative.
But for most psycho-active substances, such optimal dose / frequency is quite low (if not 0). A beer during a BBQ with friends? Fine. Some recreational drug to enhance the experience of say, a music festival? That I can understand.
But needing a smoke 10, 15..20x all day, every day? Look in the mirror, and admit: you're just an addict, damaging your health.
I can understand the need to smoothen out the reception of reality but what I will never get is enjoyment to take all the bullshit of today raw and supposedly with pleasure.
Can you really blame me for being extra suspicious around sworn sober types?
But what was the point? It seemed like they were trying to sell gold collectibles to rich people in Malaysia.
https://youtu.be/fdBoKOpctp4
Lifestyle marketing, romance, appeals to independence, metaphor, and humor. All timeless advertising tropes. It's cigarettes themselves that are passé.