Briefly

• Over the weekend a young fella climbed into the cab and launched into a series of questions pertaining to my night, what time I started and my earnings per hour. Initially I was concerned he was sizing up how much money I was carrying, until hearing of his attendance at ‘the Church of Scientology'. Which got me thinking – if Scientology is indeed a religion, how come they’re so in your face? Try loitering outside their headquarters at Broadway and you’ll be challenged.



 

• Since quitting smoking I’ve been waiting for the onset of serious coughing and hacking as the lungs seek to expel accumulated tar and crap. Yet I never coughed whilst smoking nor since quitting. Last night a medical authority (the coffee man outside POW Hospital) insisted the reason I’m not coughing is because I was largely a one-brand smoker throughout the years; i.e. I never mixed up my cigarette chemicals. In the absence of a better explanation I’m going with it.



 

• A woman shared a cab home from a Northern Beaches bar/restaurant with a girlfriend, both aged in their mid to late thirties. We dropped one off first and upon alighting she told her friend, “Thanks for inviting me tonight, I had a great time.” Then she added with a laugh, “Thanks to Botox!”



 

• After accepting a radio booking from a swish North Shore restaurant, I arrived to find a high-spirited party of a dozen people waiting on the footpath. One of my two passengers was the guest of honour, celebrating his sixtieth birthday. So naturally it took some time for he and his wife to get through the warm farewells and it was all very convivial and civilised as they finally waved us away. Yet from that moment on there was not one conversational exchange between the birthday boy sitting up front and his wife in the back seat. They travelled in complete silence for the next twenty minutes. This I found bemusing though not surprising as such occurances are not uncommon. Just a little uncomfortable.

Comments

[Rainer.the.cabbie]

A. They are from outer space, well more or less. Do 20 thousand of their courses[and pay that amount of money to them] and you will attain enlightenment. Easy.
B. What a lot of bull. Don't worry about coughing, or lack of it, go with the flow.
C. Soon they all will look like the Joker.
D. Cathy and I have observed and indeed felt sorry for couples like this. Its time to call it quits when you get to this stage, we make the effort no matter what. Also I wouldn't dare sit in the front with my wife sitting alone in the back seat.

[Goldstein]

A: I think Scientology is about as close as you can get to psychotic without being sectioned.

B: This is why he's the "coffee man" not the Surgeon General -total drivel. Maybe your lungs have been steadily clearing themselves without drama, maybe the coughing stuff is yet to come, maybe ask an actual doctor.

C: Morons with too much spare cash.

D: Not uncommon, maybe old tensions, maybe new, it's a bit sad to see though. My mother would bitch slap my old man if he tried that sort of nonsense, he'd be sleeping in the car port..

[Aiko]

a. who cares
b. yep - he is spot on. You have sought quality counsel and you now have the answer
c. I use Botox and it works for me
d. Wish my father would be quite for twenty straight minutes.

[damien]

I'm not sure why the doctor told you that - when both myself and a brother quit smoking, there was a couple of months of phlemy coughing until you actually feel healthier - he went to the doc and was told that while smoking, your body over-produces phlem to protect somewhat against the tar and smoke. Once you quit, the body still over-produces the phlem and it gets coughed up until things return to normal. Thats why your first smoke after quitting for a while tastes so bad!

Just wait it out - its worth it.

[Renanan]

HAHA maybe the Norther Beaches lady works for Aventis (who I think do botox)