Fantastic headlines today!

The fourth miner has just made it above ground!!!!  Thank goodness the New York Times has a live feed of the rescue operation. The story merited all of about 60 seconds at 7:30 on the national TV news this morning.  I waited, wondering HOW in the world they would inevitably insert something Danish into the story. It happened when they said, "The first miner was rescued at 5:30 Danish time."


All of the news sites this morning had massive headlines about the miners' rescue. 

Far below these jubilant headlines, however, was a curious one: "Danish People's Party wants to allow smoking in restaurants!"

Say whaaaaa??

It's true.  Smoking was finally banned here a few years ago, except in places like very small bars, where one can smoke anywhere in the bar.  Some larger bars have converted a small area into a smoking room, which really is almost as disgusting because the amount of smoke is too much even for the smokers, and they leave the door open.  At the local mall here, a restaurant even has a glass smoking box, which of course does nothing to eliminate the odor, but may serve to give extra attention to the smoker.  Whether it is praise for being special, or ridicule for having such an unwanted habit is unclear.


Back to the story.  Here is a quote from the politician Liselott Blixt (my own translation):

"I myself smoke only at parties. So I really understand the irritation when one must stand outside in all types of weather. There must be better ways we can solve this. We all certainly can be here all together, both smokers, non-smokers, and ex-smokers.  ...  Why should all the smoking patients be thrown out of the hospitals? Why must the smoking personnel at nursing homes not help the elderly and the sick, if they want to smoke? Why can't they help patients with sclerosis and hold their cigarette for them? I am entirely behind the effort that we need to protect those who do not want to be exposed to smoke, but this is inhuman. We need to try to do better."

Wow. That's the only thing I can think to say without launching into a diatribe about everything that is wrong with what she said!  Well except for the part about the health care worker helping the patient hold his/her cig.  Why can't they just do that when they are both outside in the smoking area?

I also wonder if smokers and non-smokers can live together in peace and harmony, as she states, then why can't Danes and non-Danes?

I would really love to write more on this, but I need to make it to the gym. 


At least now we all know how to get the crinkly facial skin of Pia.