Boo

Big tobacco was such a powerful lobby at the time, the lines between where the tobacco lobby ended and the regulatory arm began got blurry to the point of being damn near non-existent. Throw enough money at politicians and you will amass quite a collection of useful idiots. My grandfather survived some fierce battles in the Pacific Theater during the war. It was the government issued cigarettes that killed him in the end.

Yes. The propaganda put forth by big tobacco and tacitly endorsed by the federal government and all of the agencies that fall under its domain had been thoroughly discredited by independent research. Independent research that was silenced and destroyed by the powers that be at the time. Silencing the opposition is not the same as winning the argument.

The lie that won't die. My grandfather started smoking after he joined the service in World War II. The soldiers and sailors were issued cigarettes by the Unites States Navy under the guise of smoking as a means of calming the nerves and building bravery. A lie agreed upon is still a lie.

Uno. Dos. Adios cigarettes. Congratulations on two months of freedom Dizzy.

Congratulations on 8 months Kdad. You've built a solid quit for yourself.

Got back to work this morning. I took a few days off. My left elbow was all flared up and after several days of running, my body needed rest more than it needed another workout. Got back to the basics today: Strength work (Front Squats, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Chin-Ups, and Farmer's Walks), 20 minutes of steady-state work on the rower, and finished up with a mobility session. I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes, but I'm finally figuring out that rest and recovery are vital parts of any physical regimen.

Congratulations Solo.

You've got yourself some momentum working now. Full speed ahead to freedom. Congratulations D1.

Welcome aboard Free. Good call on giving up the smokes. I'm always encouraged by simplicity. And the good news is this: quitting smoking could not be any simpler than it is. You don't have to do anything. Just don't smoke. Simple as can be yet a process that will change your life for the better. There is nothing not to like about that.

Absolutely. It's amazing how one positive change can set off a chain of events that improve every facet of your life. Congratulations Jane.

Congratulations Christa. I always enjoy watching the benefits of quitting accumulate for a fellow traveler.

Good job Lilly.

Yep. The A-Team, CHIPs, Knight Rider, and The Dukes of Hazzard....That's my Mount Rushmore of shows I liked when I was a kid. I lobbied my parents to paint the old Crown Victoria like the General Lee. I was voted down on that one.

Aussie Uber should be bringing her back around anytime now...

As a young fella, I never missed an episode of the A-Team. That was great television.

I was thinking of making grilled chicken tacos tonight. Then the Chicken charged the mound and started a bench clearing brawl.

Special dedication going out to all the mothers...

Great job MissDixie. The freedom only gets better with time.

I saw the lone smoker that I work with standing out in the rain feeding his addiction yesterday afternoon. I don't miss one single thing about smoking.

The fact that we stuck it out is proof positive that you can do it too. Quitting smoking does not require any superhuman abilities. Anyone with a strong commitment can set themselves free. Continue on with relentless forward progress and with time the hard stage your in today will become a distant memory.

Had a good run this morning. Got out early and ran while the sun was still coming up. Did an out-and-back from the Roaring Creek trailhead up to Gilbreath Creek for a total of 9.8 miles. It was nice. I had thousands of acres all to myself. Apparently, so-called normal people don't go out on trails at 5:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning.