Scared Smokeless

I've had kind of a long day and I'm really kind of tired right now, so I'm going to make this one a little short. I just learned that over in Australia, they have made new regulations for what cigarette packages can look like. They're trying to deter young people from starting to smoke. They're method of doing this seems to be to try and scare the holy crap out of kids by making the packages downright scary.

The Federal Government down there in Australia has made it so that companies can no longer display their logo on the packages. The color of the background has to be an ugly olive green color, as someone's research has determined that ugly olive green is the least attractive color to smokers. (I don't know that research was all that necessary, as I think most people are turned off by ugly olive green. Hence the term "ugly".) The name of the brand has to be in a specific font. (They don't mention what the font is, though. From the looks of it, it could be a variation of Arial or the beloved Helvetica. But I only mention that because I'm a nerd and I don't get to throw out my font knowledge...um...ever.) There also have to be huge warnings on the sides and on the front. Also included on the front, a scary ass picture of something horrible that will happen to you if you smoke. The folks over there at news.com.au were kind enough to provide a picture of what the new scary ass cigarette packages will look like. Behold!

Holy S! My God! Why is his eye held open like that?! Shouldn't there be a picture of a seeing eye dog or something else?! Why not a German Shepard?! Oh, right. Because they're trying to scare the holy bejeezus out of folks. Hey, it worked with me. I can't believe that with images like that, they were seriously concerned about whatever font they were going to use. I can tell you right now, I have no idea what any of the wording on the package says. And I am not going to know what it says ever because I will never look at that package again. I will not be smoking in Australia or anywhere else. Granted, I wasn't planning on smoking anywhere to begin with, but that image did deter me from ever thinking about it. Holy crap. I hope I can sleep tonight.

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Make Up Your Mind Already!

Decisions, decisions. It's hard to make up your mind sometimes, isn't it? But the bigger the decision and the bigger the consequences of your decision, isn't that reason enough to really think things through? I mean to really think things through. And sometimes, shouldn't there be a point where even though you might want to change your mind after already deciding on something that you just can't? Shouldn't there be a point where you just have to suck it up and deal with what you've chosen for yourself? Not in all cases; just certain extreme ones. Like, say, oh....having a sex change. And then changing back.

According to something called smh.com.au (whatever it is, it's in Australia), a one "Alan Michael Finch underwent male-to-female sex change surgery in 1988 aged 21 and lived for the next eight years as Helen Finch." OK. These things happen from time to time. Nothing new to see there. But the twist really comes after those eight years when Mr, er, um, Ms. Finch "...wanted to be Alan again, undergoing surgery to reverse the gender change as far as possible." Wait. What now?

Correct. Shim, er, she wanted to go back to being a dude. Now, listen. I don't know about you, but if you're asking me, I'm thinking that I'm going to make this guy wait just a little bit before he delves into this all over again. I mean, clearly he wasn't thinking all that soundly when he made the choice to have his dingus lopped off the first time. Who's to say that he's thinking all that soundly now that he wants to have his new hoots removed?

Regardless of how insane I think that all is, what I think is even crazier is this: "The High Court heard this was a difficult experience for Mr Finch, who had variously worked for Telstra, Foxtel and Qantas but who was now unlikely ever to work again." Wait a minute. He's unlikely ever to work again? Because he went from being a dude to being a chick to back to being a dude? The article doesn't explain why that is, but I'd really like to know. I'd also like to know why, if that is the case, the reversal surgery (or however they do that) was performed in the first place. Doesn't that essentially amount to incapacitating someone? Kind of seems like it if they can't work anymore.

The reason this is even a discussion is because Mr. Finch wants one of his previous employers "...to give him a total and permanent incapacity (TPI) pension benefit." It seems that the previous employer doesn't want to pay out because they determined that he would be likely to be able to work in the future. (At least someone else besides me thinks that would be a possibility.) I can't imagine why they'd be so up in arms about this. Or maybe I can.

Seriously, how is it that someone who makes these choices to do things to their body is supposed to be entitled to some sort of pension benefit that is reserved for if you are incapacitated in some way? I'm pretty sure that the intent of the benefit was in case someone was injured. I'm also pretty sure that the intent of the benefit was NOT in case someone couldn't decide if they wanted to be a man or a woman and kept switching their gender around like a game of musical chairs (or genitalia as the case may be). And what, exactly, has he been doing since 1996 when he went back to the land of boxers or briefs? Working? Not working? Contemplating a surgery to turn himself into a bear? That's an awfully long time to not work (or do whatever) and then suddenly claim you can't work anymore and someone should pay you for the rest of your life to do so.

I don't know how they feel about stuff like this in Australia, but I certainly hope that the previous employer doesn't have to pay anything out to this dude-lady. I'd really like shim him to get some therapy, but I still don't think that the employer should be on the hook for it. For cryin' out loud, who wants not one, but two sex changes in their life? I mean, sure, sometimes I regret getting the soup over the salad, but I always feel as if I've put a great deal of thought into the matter beforehand and I never change my mind after I get my soup. This guy needs to have stuck with his soup. Or his penis. (By the way, this is the only time that "soup" and "penis" will be interchangeable. Just so you know.)

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