I have to bang on briefly about smoking.
The Federal government in Australia brought
in legislation to force tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in plain
packaging.
The tobacco companies challenged this in
the High Court – and lost.
Australia will be the first country in the
world to introduce plain packaging on cigarette packets – and this will remove
the last avenue tobacco companies have for advertising.
Contrast this with Austria where smoking is
allowed in 70% of cafes restaurants and you can buy cigarettes from street vending
machines.
Strange people indeed.
Now I know you were wondering about my
German. Well I am still plodding along and having weekly lessons from Frau
Knickerbocker.
She is pleased with my progress - but is very patient - and indeed
we can now have a conversation – after a fashion – entirely in German. (Well –
with a few English and French words interspersed).
I would make more progress if I did more study - but I lack the imperative to do so.
At the current rate of progress I
should be fluent by 2020.
I think it is interesting for you to be 20-20 verbaLLy by 2020. I am hoping to be fuLLy fluent in Canine-ese by then. Calculating roughly, that may be roughly the end of Cooper by about that time. Not sure what kind of dog I wiLL get neXt, I have never got to pick my dog, they just arrive magicaLLy and mysteriously at times. My wife says we must have a dog that sheds less fur, my main requirement is to have a smart dog, and an affectionate one.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they just don't make tobacco products illegal. Most people are not going to seek out the smokes house and risk fines and a record.
ReplyDeleteThe German thing is a tuffy.
And by then, you could be living someplace like Mozambique.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with making any kind of substance illegal is that doing so creates a black market, and then gangs come into play. Prohibition should have taught us that lesson. I say, just make it illegal to smoke in any public place.
esb: Smart an affectionate are the most important qualities. Who cares about fur.
ReplyDeletefmcgmccllc: The won't make it illegal because governments get too much money from it.
SK Waller. Or Oklahoma
I think plain packaging looks cool and so do most 14 year olds...sadly. They don't buy them for the packet they buy them for the contents. Make them illegal will only add to the "thrill" of the purchase.
ReplyDelete