[Mears]

Unbelievable---and they say it's about health!

[Mears]

Of course this is from the wonderful state of Massachusetts where I am unfortunate enough to live.

[rellimpank]

--I'd like to see that phrase branded on the forehead of every government employee who gets to stay home when the weather is bad--the "non-essential" ones--

[Gabz]

Amazingly, there are many right here on FR that have said the exact same thing.

[Radix]

I have never smoked in my life, but the demonization of smokers in this country is out of control. The notion that a restaurant owner cannot allow smoking in a private establishment is insane.

Drinkers, and obese persons will probably be next. Already drivers of SUVs are targets for those who espouse "choice."

Massachusetts makes a lot of money from cigarette taxes, and the media including the Boston Globe are in on this scam. Advertising agencies do quite well also with their silly incessant commercials.

Oh, and by the way, I do not condone smoking and I have lost 2 very close relatives because of smoking related illnesses. Still, IMO, the current anti-smoking frenzy is more about mind control and $$$ than it is anything else.

[Publius6961]

I attended a meeting at the Harvard School of Public Health where Howard Koh, then health commissioner, said he had considered asking that every pack of cigarettes sold in Massachusetts bear the phrase, ''You are the scum of the earth."

A man demonstrably an academic idiot. In my experience, that is not an oxymoron.

Instead of name calling, he could have made a logically consistent positive suggestion: ban tobacco products.
What a tiny tiny man!

[derllak]

Are they implying that we are worse than baby killers, child molesters and wife beaters? I always thought THEY were the scum of the earth! Sounds like us evil smokers should be lined up and shot if we are that bad!

[Rokke]

I don't think they are the scum of the earth, but they do tick me off when they throw their cigerette butts out of car windows. I guess they just assume it is someone else's job in life to pick up their spit soaked, tar filled, lipstick covered pacifiers.

[cgbg]

It sounds like Mr. Koh has a little problem with hating people.

Perhaps some sensitivity training where he can get to know loving smokers is in order. ;-)

[SheLion]

(Thanks to those of you who pinged me on this)

Scum of the earth eh? Well, let them read THIS:

The Farking Troll
The Toque ^ | Feb.23,2005

Posted on 02/24/2005 2:44:06 AM EST by kingattax

IN THE FORUMS-- He lingers in the shadows like a Quake-playing camper, a witless coward waiting to shoot someone in the back with a half-conceived verbal sniper-shot. He hides behind ill-conceived pseudo-names, like W1NGNUT or LAM3R or PAUL, disguising his true identity in order to protect himself from the scorn of his Real Life peers. He roams from forum to forum looking for someone or something to denounce, because he's a bitter, frightened, nerd-of-the-ages. This creature is the farking troll.

Welcome to our continuing series on Internet Inhabitants. This week we look at the farking troll, a dimwitted loser that thrives on discord and discontent in online forums. fark troll flamer flamewar forum The farking troll tries to use his verbal diarrhea to impress other forum readers.

The farking troll is a less-than-fascinating creature, having nothing of value to contribute to society. Yet everywhere we surf, this vomit-writing forum-leecher is rampant, puking up words that add to the verbal sewage that purveys many online communities.

How does this bottom-dwelling scab-sucker thrive? His vocabulary and spelling are as weak as his under-developed muscles, and he thinks that "grammar" is the woman married to "grampar." It's surprising that this organic virus has enough brain power to maintain his own breathing.

Yet somehow, this bed-wetting boor consistently finds fodder upon which to feed on, and is able to spew out his dribble like a crack-induced soothsayer.

His critical attacks are simple but venomous, and his words are like a poisonous, hate-inducing propaganda, intended to disturb the shit upon which stands the frail structure of the online community. Too many times does the farking troll succeed in this, for his power grows from the ignorant, pre-teen community members who treat his ass-wiped, shit-smear postings like verses of gospel.

Never mind that the farking troll has absolutely nothing intelligent to say, and rarely knows anything about any of the subjects being discussed--those things matter not to the uneducated. His only goal is to insult, and then enjoy the attention he receives from his fatuous feedback, like the spoiled child who constantly yells "look at me!" to his tired mother.

Comment like "worst...link...ever" or "this sucks" or "where is the funny?" are the most common telling indicators of a farking troll. To him, these simple words are the throwing stones of a puerile youth who grew up in the school yards yelling out replies such as "oh yah?" and "I know you are, but what am I?"

But fear not, for these terse statements are about as inflammatory as the farking troll can get. Anything more spirited or preconceived would be beyond his comprehension. An when there is the rare example of a clever retort, it is usually found when the farking troll copies and pastes it from another forum member's valid critique.

These simplistic characteristics of the undersized brain of the farking troll are just its natural method of establishing a place within the forum hierarchy. This agonistic pattern of behavior is consistent with the farking troll's unsatisfactory sex-life (a direct result of his undersized genitalia), and mostly likely from childhood confusion arising from a long period of sexually satisfying his own step-father.

A problem with this sticks-and-stones behavior is that once the hierarchy is established, and an alpha farking troll is pronounced, immature challengers will learn to act imitate the leader using observational learning. They will copy and mimic the alpha farking troll by repeating his catch-phrases and posting their own foul fecal feedback. When the alpha puts down a particular comment, link, or story, the submissive forum posters will always follow, like ass-licking sycophants looking to impress their master.

We loathe the existence of the farking troll, but somehow we find a reason to pity this brain-damaged malcontent. Is it because this fat-fuck is only lashing out because his mother breast-fed him until he was nine, and now his misdirected anger is focused on the nameless, faceless individuals of the Internet who can't possibly fight back? Is he jealous of all others who can form complete sentences? Does he regret spending his teenage years playing Minesweeper and Tetris while his friends sought an education and pursued careers? Or is it because the farking troll cannot afford a decent computer, and is pounding away with his sweaty sausage-like fingers on the sticky keyboard of his pathetic Pentium-90 machine?

You can just imagine the farking troll in his own dirty environment, wallowing in his own sweat in a torn "Linux Sucks" t-shirt and soiled sweat pants, subsisting on a diet of Ding Dongs, Cheezies, and Red Bull. He probably hasn't seen an exercise bike in his life. It wouldn't be hard to conclude that he has never known the company of a woman, and the outside world frightens him like a child trying to cross the street for the first time. Of course he's unemployed, living off his parents' allowance or mooching off of his roommate. This unambitious financial freedom allows the farking troll those hours of extra time to post his empty opinions.

Should we condemn or pity the farking troll? Do we blame the mosquito for slowly sucking the life out of us, or do we just slap at it without giving it a second thought? Do we The farking troll deserves no more attention than the bubble gum that sticks to the bottom of your running shoe. But occasionally, that gum will get stuck in your hair and needs to be removed like a bad thread from a comfortable sweater.

(I have no fear of reprisal from this article, as it is unlikely the farking troll would have understood its retaliatory nature, and is probably still trying to figure what the word "fatuous" means--Ed)

[dalereed]

Proud to be part of the scum of the earth!!!!!

[EGPWS]

Society has always found cause to scapegoat particular groups based on race, religious, or political ideolology. In this case, it's public health.

A profound statement to say the least.

[EGPWS]

Society has always found cause to scapegoat particular groups based on race, religious, or political ideolology. In this case, it's public health.

A profound statement to say the least.

[Squantos]

Smokers driving SUV's while talking about helmet laws for organ donors on a cell phone and having a CHL bump to the top for the childreeeeeeen !!

[EGPWS]

I attended a meeting at the Harvard School of Public Health where Howard Koh, then health commissioner, said he had considered asking that every pack of cigarettes sold in Massachusetts bear the phrase, ''You are the scum of the earth."

Gosh, who can argue with a sensible, yet compassionate, without agenda mind who would be so visionary as to recommend a statement as such?

[SheLion]

Let me get my ping list pinged, here. I just signed on and am running a bit behind.

[SheLion]

I just got this in email.  And thought it would be good to pass on.  And I will continue passing this on every smoking thread for a long time!

Do we realize that the state of New York, or any state, cannot collect taxes on sales from other states, don’t we?  

Article 1, section 9 of the Constitution for the United States of America, paragraph 5 states simply:  “No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.”  

Ain’t it amazing how our constitution is ignored?  I think it should be required reading in our schools and a requirement that one is well-versed in our Bill of Rights before one can get a drivers’ license or a job.

 However, the government frowns on a truly educated society, especially one that is educated on their rights.

[TOUGH STOUGH]

Then I plead guilty!

[OCRET]

Sounds to me like a typical statement made at Harvard.

[robertpaulsen]

"I attended a meeting at the Harvard School of Public Health where Howard Koh, then health commissioner, said he had considered asking that every pack of cigarettes sold in Massachusetts bear the phrase, ''You are the scum of the earth."

Really now. Tell it to this guy, face to face:

[dog breath]

Apparently, Harvard, despite being one of the countries most expensive and exclusive universities is not a repository of wisdom. It is particularly discouraging since Harvard, Yale and other Ivy League schools often train the leaders in many fields.