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[Update – October 2008] I’ve just registered a domain with godaddy for Lisa’s business, and I can safely say that the process is so awkward and difficult that, regardless of price (which isn’t that great) I will be going elsewhere next time. I’ll either use pteron.net, who I use for kember.net or I’ll try Gandi.net. Pah.

Domain names are pretty cheap anyway, but if you’re thinking about buying lots of them from a registrar like godaddy (beware confusing, special-offer-strewn pages) then make sure you don’t pay their full price. A simple search on google, like special offer godaddy, turned up four coupon codes. You can then apply them in turn to see which gives you most off. I got a 10% discount. If you try hard, you may get even more.

An article from Ananova about a smokeless cigarette says:

The smokeless and tobacco-free cigarette uses a rechargeable heating coil in a plastic cigarette-sized stick to dispense nicotine without smoke.
…
The company promises that dragging on it releases “a similar taste” to cigarettes without the health issues from tar, arsenic, cadmium and formaldehyde that a normal cigarette contains.

The question raised at the end of the article is, “Which aspect of cigarette smoking is bad?” Is it the addiction to nicotine, or is it the harmful chemicals that go along with that? If it’s the life-threatening effects of tobacco – the carcinogens in the smoke and so on, then if smokers will accept the substitute (and it is affordable) then there is every reason to use a substitute.

The obvious way to reduce smoking related disease is to reduce the number of people who smoke. However, despite plenty of effort from the government, among others, stop-smoking campaigns are not working. We are creatures of habit, and while we dislike change, we are even more hostile to change that’s imposed upon us. This may be borne out by research that shows that approximately 40%-60% of patients with a smoking-related disease still smoke after being told they have a chronic disease¹.

If nicotine is harmful, then this would make it a candidate for proscription. In concentrated form, nicotine is used as an insecticide. It affects the autonomic nervous system and, in small doses, causes the heart rate to rise, causes blood vessels to constrict and increases the feeling of alertness². Nicotine is physiologically addictive. An overdose (i.e. smoking while using nicotine patches or an inhaler) can cause nausea and palpitations. Long term use of nicotine replacements like inhalers and patches may cause cell damage in blood vessels and lungs. Clearly, addiction to nicotine can in itself be harmful.

From the evidence I’ve seen, I think that nicotine replacement therapy is the least-worst option for smokers. Patches and inhalers³ offer significantly reduced health risks compared to smoking, and allow nicotine dependence to be reduced gradually, which is a more effective method of quitting than stopping immediately (cold turkey) but offers health benefits over ramping down cigarette use⁴.

In the end, the effectiveness of any method of quitting must be linked to the determination of the smoker to quit, but encouraging these supportive medicines and technologies must be a Good Thing.

¹ Adjusted smoking prevalence among adults with a smoking-related disease: The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III), United States, 1988-1994

² Nicotine, from answers.com

³ Use of Nicotine Inhalers Could Reduce Rates of Smoking-Related Illnesses ; 2003; Darrell E. Ward

⁴ Mistaken fears over nicotine aids

Also:
Beyond ‘Smoking Kills’

I shall be getting baptised this Sunday. I’ve been a Christian for many years, but haven’t yet done this. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate my faith and the way that God has made me right with Him. The symbol of washing away my sins, leaving me clean and unblemished is a powerful one. Baptism is also clearly necessary. Jesus is baptised, and we are told to be baptised too.

Yesterday, most of the country paused for three minutes at twelve o’clock to remember the victims of the tsunami and earthquake disaster.

UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: “This is to commemorate the victims of the catastrophe in south east Asia and is in solidarity with the people of the affected countries.” (Source: BBC News)

My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the disaster, and with those who are part of the relief effort.

Is a three minute silence appropriate? I’m not entirely comfortable with it. The feelings of shock and horror at the scale of the disaster, sympathy for those whose lives have been shattered, and a desire to help are all commendable, but I’m concerned about the motivation behind holding the silence – what are we remembering, and why?

The two-minute silence was first observed in Cape Town, South Africa in 1916 following the publication of South Africa’s first casualty list of World War I. Sir Harry Hands, the Mayor of Cape Town, ordered a two-minute silent pause, to follow the firing of the Noon gun, in commemoration of those lost. (Source: H2G2 (mostly))

In this country, King George V requested a silence to be observed on the anniversary of the inception of the armistice, the cessation of hostilities as a prelude to peace negotiations between the Allies and Germany. He said, “All locomotion should cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.”

I don’t think that I am dishonouring those killed in the recent catastrophe by drawing a distinction between the tsunami and the wars in which so many died.

Both war and natural disasters leave a lot of casualties, but I stop in silence once a year in November to remember that those who died in war did so to defend their country, to defend the freedom of my family and me.

The difference is this: Victims of disasters have lost their lives, while those we honour at Armistice Day ceremonies gave their lives.

The wonderful news of the last few weeks is that Lisa and I have got engaged! I proposed on Saturday, 22nd March, and Lisa said yes about 1.2 seconds later, which makes me a very happy man.

So you can see why I’ve been rather busy, these last four weeks.

Never a man to do anything in a hurry, I’ve been surprised at just how quickly everything has fallen into place, now I’ve met the Right Girl.