King Tobacco

I have been on the go. Left work last night at 530. Took Spaulding to Dunwoody over to Costco. Got the hot dog & Pepsi for $1.50 plus a big slice of pepperoni pizza for $2. Too much food. Poor service. At least 12 people waiting on food. Slow, and they worked the orders out of order. Orders 420, 421, and 422 were worked before poor 411 and my 419.

My focus group on “public opinion” turned out to be another tobacco lobby trying to figure out how to keep their products from being banned by RFK’s Make America Healthy Again. They’re saying vaping is safer than cigarettes and helps smokers quit – while saying nothing about the legions of pre-teenagers getting hooked on vaping. Half my office is hooked on nicotine patches. The literature distributed to the group pointed out the negatives of cigarettes and nicotine gum, but not for vaping and nicotine patches. Not sure they liked what I had to say – I didn’t get any follow up questions.

Big Tobacco wants the FDA to approve more varieties of vaping products, and to stop the flow of dangerous illegal vaping products from China, which would be good. I didn’t mention that I had been in a focus group a few years ago about vaping – in the same exact room. In a related note, the delicious cookies we received yesterday say “bioengineered” right on the wrapper. Was after 930 before I got home.

With the rain coming in later, I drove down to play golf this morning. Teed off at 6:55 am and was joined on the second tee by the professor. Some highlights:

1. Made good contact off the tee. Mulligan was better than my first ball. Fairway shot stayed left. Chipped a worm burner that rolled thru the trap and up onto the green, to within 10 feet of the hole. Ugly shot with a great result. Hit the mulligan too well – over the green.

2. Hit three tee shots while waiting for the professor to arrive: poor, fair, and better (above). Several poor chips.

3. Good 7 iron off tee that was pulled left. Bad chip good chip. Good lag.

4. Poor tee shot. Okay chip but still short. Good lag. Bogey.

5. Fair tee shot. Great chip onto the green. Just missed a 15 footer for par.

6. Poor drive, then flubbed a 5 iron. Then a better 5 iron and chip. Just missed the bogey putt. Double.

7. Flubbed a drive, then hit one up to the top of the hill. Worm burner, then a nice chip onto the green. Good lag. “Double”.

8. Mulligan got a good roll. Nice 9 iron not quite to the green. Chip, lag, putt for bogey.

9. Decent tee shot. Made good contact with my wedge, but pulled it left. Good chip onto green. Decent lag but missed the putt. Double. It was a good day for finding balls. Found at least seven. Didn’t lose any. My bag runneth over.

Small group tonight, on Luke 13:22-30, The Narrow Door: 22. Jesus continued to travel through towns and villages, teaching and heading toward Jerusalem. 23. He was asked “Will only a few be saved? 24. Jesus replied “Strive to go through the narrow door. Many will try to enter, but will not be able. 25. When the master of the house rises and closes the door, you will stand outside and knock, saying Lord open the door! He will answer “I do not know where you come from”.  26. You’ll say “We ate and drank in your presence. You taught in our streets”. 27. The master will say “I do not know you. Go away, you workers of evil!” 28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see all the great prophets of God, but you are cast out. 29. People will come from all over and recline at God’s table. 30. The last will be first, and the first will be last.