Be humble

Peter Egan is a popular moto-journalist who writes for Cycle World Magazine.  For many of us, he is one of those writers that simply gets it.  In the April 2010 edition of Cycle World, he writes:

There are a few select things, I believe, that every individual is intended to have in this life, almost as a matter of course.  Objects that seem to have been designed for someone with your exact genetic wiring, and you know it when you see them.

Ah ha!  That explains it.

Crass materialism?  Perhaps, but to quote Egan, “I like to think of it in more spiritual terms, as a classic  example of Predestination.  But with more chrome and no funeral”.

Varenicline belongs to the class of medications called smoking cessation therapies. It is used to help people quit smoking. Varenicline is intended to be used by adults in combination with quit-smoking education and counselling.

It works in the brain to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It also decreases the pleasure that people get from smoking. It is thought to have these effects by working at the same receptors that nicotine from cigarettes affects, although exactly how varenicline works is not clear.

I have smoked for 45 years.  Stupid, dirty and expensive habit and one I have considered quitting many times.  I have had Champix sitting on the shelf at home for months waiting for my head to be ready – 15 days ago I ate the first pill.

Possible side effects include:

• abdominal pain (yep, briefly had that)
• appetite changes
• changes in taste
• constipation
• dizziness (Yep for 15 minutes after eating the pill)
• drowsiness (Yawn – oh yeah)
• dry mouth
• flatulence (excuse me)
• gingivitis
• headache (briefly)
• heartburn
• nausea (Yeah, for 15 minutes after eating the pill)
• rash
• sleep disturbance
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• vomiting

I am a pretty heavy smoker – over a pack a day and I enjoy smoking.  However, it is going to kill me. 

I ate the first pill.  Immediately had dry mouth that went away very quickly.  With the Champix approach, you just keep smoking when you feel like it with the thought that you will be quitting in the future – hopefully around day 14. Thus the stress of the initial stage is minimal.  The first 7 days are at a lower dose taken once a day.  The first day I smoked as I wanted and noted that I had only smoked 15 instead of the usual 25-30.  The second day I smoked when I felt like it and had 10 that day.  The third day was down to 6 and I really did not feel like I was being deprived of anything.

The second week is an increased dose of 1 mg twice a day and this dose remains for the full 3 months if you continue eating the pills.  During the second week, and with a conscious effort, I have reduced from 6 at the end of week 1 to one a day over the past two days.  Today, none – but the day has some time to go.

The drug does take care of the physical cravings.  There has been no painful withdrawal.  What it can’t do is control the situational habitual behaviour.  I.E. I smoke with my coffee, I smoke when stressed, I smoke when on computer etc etc.  To manage this, I just left my cigarettes in another room or another floor of the house.  It required an effort to smoke and it was easy to just not bother.  I now don’t have any and will have to take from from Herself if I really want to smoke.  I am now working at it but still not feeling really deprived.  If I keep busy I don’t even miss it. 

Time will tell.

Today – sunrise to sunset – 12 hours, 59 minutes.

“What we were looking for is proof that influenza ... is decreased. Didn’t find it. We looked for proof that pneumonia is reduced. Didn’t find it. We looked for proof deaths from pneumonia are reduced. Didn’t find it.”

National Post

My daughter and son have said that for years.

Deposits accepted.

For all!

I am the handsome one!

Is this the place that our millions will be spent?

Follow the crumbs to see what falls off of the table.

I may have my numbers wrong as I was dozing – after all, it is Compass – but I believe I heard that the PEI advertising thrust for the 2010 season is primarily Internet based.  I.E. Facebook, Twitter, web site, etc.  If I heard the numbers correctly, $4,000,000 is being spent and $200,000 is being spent on TV (mostly in Quebec).  Kevin Murphy was noted as saying, “well, we can’t keep doing the same ol’ same ol”.

Simple math suggests that $4 million less $200,000 equals $3.8 million to send on Internet advertising.

My German Shepherd, Trek can run Facebook and Twitter (and he ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer) and I have a pretty good idea what an Internet advertising campaign should cost.

Where and to whom is the money going?