I think we all remember the case of the Publican, Nick Hogan who was jailed for allowing smoking in his pub. Well here is another member of the public who faces jail for smoking. The full details are over at Pat Nurse’s blog.
Just £1250 will preserve his liberty. Go on visit pat’s blog and donate a quid or ten.
They really are a bit slow. Do keep up.
Freedom arrived earlier than expected for smoking ban martyr Nick Hogan yesterday... courtesy of a briefcase full of cash carried by a man in a green Guy Fawkes mask.
Former pub landlord Mr Hogan became the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban when he was sentenced to six months for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation.
His plight inspired a campaign on the internet to raise funds to pay off his outstanding fines.
It reached its climax yesterday (national no-smoking day, no less) when a mysterious blogger called Old Holborn delivered the money to Forest Bank prison in Salford - 11 days into Mr Hogan's sentence.
The arrival of the self-styled ' libertarian vigilante' at the Category B prison in his mask, full black costume and hat left other visitors amused or bewildered.
In the prison car park, Old Holborn, who wore his costume to hide his identity, flipped open the metal case to reveal enough bundles of used fivers and tenners to pay the £8,445.15 needed to secure 43-year-old Mr Hogan's release.
Today Nick Hogan was released.
See the full account at Old Holborns Blog
Thankyou to Old Holborn and Anna Raccoon for making it happen.
And also a hearty thanks to all of you who contributed to his release.
Original story here
Alcohol drinkers fall into two categories regarding self-consciousness - those who become embarrassed by their drunkenness and those to whom nothing and no one matters as soon as they chuck the first pint of Guinness down their gullets. If you happen to be unfortunate enough to belong to the former category, then here are a few strategies which may or may not make you appear less inebriated than you actually are.
Conversational Tips
Talk intellectually. This tactic should be attempted only after the consideration of three criteria:
Do I have anything intellectual to talk about? Politics, film directors and books may be acceptable subjects. Whatever you do, don't go over the top - discussions focusing on Aristotelian ethics may make you look like a prat.
Will this be so far removed from my normal style of talking as to make me look even more drunk than I already am? If so, move on.
Can I cope? Here you will have to honestly assess your state of drunkenness, taking into account the stumbling blocks of pronunciation associated with words such as 'conspiratorial,' 'revolutionary,' and 'hullabaloo.'
When questioned about your level of intoxication, do not reply 'I'm fine. I'm not drunk. See?' - then stand rigid with a blank expression on your face. This rarely works for more than four seconds, at which point giggling begins.
Don't pester the waitress. It is a well-known fact that waitresses are only pestered by the highly intoxicated. If you leave her alone, you'll seem normal.
Loudly accusing other parties of drunkenness helps: 'I'm not drunk! You must be drunk.' (It often helps if one is not wearing the lampshade at this point.)
Be a good listener: occasionally say things to encourage the person talking (who in all likelihood will be drunk as well), like 'Hmmm' or 'yeah, yeah' or 'you're dead right' or 'they're not laughing at you, they're laughing with you.' The bonus of this approach is it works even if you're too drunk to understand what they're saying.
Actions Speak Louder than Slurred Words
Appear reluctant to dance. If you see dancing as the last resort of the foolhardy and desperate, this may be the right tactic. However, sitting aloof in the corner watching others have fun may not be the best way to go about making friends.
Appear reluctant to engage in 'childish' pranks and games. This may emphasise your maturity. However, considering that everybody else in your party will have to be pretty far gone to take part in activities like the 'South Park whisky drinking tournament', then it may well be pointless.
Maintain reasonable eye contact with everyone. This is good if this is your normal behaviour, but liable to make you seem a bit weird if not. If people start to avoid you, stop this.
Flag down taxis on the way home. This will make you very popular. Just make sure that light on the car's roof isn't a flashing blue one.
Restrict your toilet visits. Everybody knows that your need to use the lavatory rises exponentially with your drunkenness, so why not make it look as if the sound of flushing water is the furthest thing from your mind. Beware, though, unpleasant smelling puddles under the table will indicate that this plan has backfired.
Keeping a low profile and not making a noisy a**e out of yourself is a good way to go. The trouble is, this path more often than not leads unavoidably to catatonia.
Relativity - get everyone else around you more drunk than you are, and you will seem less drunk.
Avoid performing REM's 'Losing My Religion' as beat poetry - for one Researcher this is an early indicator that they're getting squiffy.
When you are drunk, people will often suggest that you do things. At the time, these things seem sensible and funny. The following morning they do not. Kids, just say 'No!'.
Don't forget you can still Donate to the Nick Hogan fighting fund.
Don't forget this man banged up for daring to stand up to the bullying state. Just a little more money needed to have him freed.
Let's get Nick Hogan out of prison by the weekend.
Either Donate via PayPal at Old Holbourn's blog or at the Scottish Freedom2Choose address if you need to Donate by cheque.
The address is Freedom to Choose (Scotland), c/o The Dalmeny Bar, 297 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8SA. And write Nick Hogan on the back
Every single £1 counts. Over £6,000 raised in 48 hours. Total needed £10,000.
Or at least drop him a line:
Nick Hogan
prisoner DN5431
HMP & YOI Forest Bank
Agecroft Road
Pendlebury
Manchester
M27 8FB
This article sums up what we are becoming
If you have not heard about this man then I'll tell you the story.
Nick Hogan ran two pubs in Bolton. However since the smoking ban came into force in 2007 he saw his trade melting away.
'Ninety per cent of people who come into my pub want to smoke, even the non-smokers think there should be a choice. These laws are ridiculous.'
He was vehemently opposed to this unfair legislation but on several occasions was visited by Gestapo inspectors and subsequently ended up in court.
A judge fined Hogan, of Chorley, Lancashire, £3,000 and ordered him to pay £7,236 in costs after finding him guilty of four charges under the Health Act 2006.
Fine you say (pun not intended) but it got worse.
But the married father-of-two refused to pay the fine and yesterday, after repeatedly being hauled back before the courts, a judge sitting at Bolton Crown Court finally lost patience and jailed him.
Now you would have expected him to get a sentence of 1 month suspended or some such. After all if a peer of the realm can get 16 days suspended for a motoring offence causing death, then this would be the harshest sentence he could get.
Oh no. He has been given a full sentence of 6 months!
That is not justice as I see. That is "being made an example of" by the authorities.
To cut a long story short there is a campaign on the Blogosphere to raise the money for the fine and court costs. This should allow him to be freed.
If you feel sickened by this travesty of justice then you can donate over at Old Holborn's Blog. Just a pound will do, or more if you can afford it. (The Donate button is at the top right.)
If you can't afford it then at least write to Nick at:
Mr Nick Hogan (No DN 5431)
HMP & YOI Forest Bank
Agecroft Road
Pendlebury
Manchester
M27 8FB
A former pub landlord yesterday became the first person to be jailed in connection with the smoking ban.
Nick Hogan, 43, was sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to pay a fine imposed for flouting the legislation.
Bloody Hell. Six months for that is so over the top as to be almost unbelievable. But then again the Righteous obviously want to make an example of him.
A judge fined Hogan, of Chorley, Lancashire, £3,000 and ordered him to pay £7,236 in costs after finding him guilty of four charges under the Health Act 2006.
Whether you smoke or not, don't you so feel that this a disproportionate sentence compared with, say, a shoplifter just getting an £80 fine.
If you do feel strongly about this misuse of the law pop over to Old Holborns Blog which is starting a fund to pay his fine and costs. Even a £1 will help.
Thankyou.
