SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

Saška Lendero is not exactly my all time favourite Slovene singer… Especially due to the fact that she cannot make up her mind as to wheather to go with “turbofolk” or to stick to the Dalmatian melos which is even more annoying in my humble opinion. Some have newfound respect for Saška, and while I’ve no doubt that she is a professional (afterall, it takes a whole person to keep her gig going), and I’ll admit that she may find her way into the Friday Foxies category if I can get my mouse on some of her nude photos, I seriously can’t stomack her music. But – degustibus non disputandum est

However, the reason for this post is not her music… We’ll it is actually. Specifically, her latest hit single “Ne grem na kolena” (“I won’t go down on my knees”)

OFFTOPIC: Don’t you just love the double meaning? I wish they’d stop with such obvious allusions to sex. Really

Anyways: As you can see from the videos below, Saška’s song is suspiciously simmiliar to a song titled “Kanenas”, performed by Anna Vissi a Greek pop singer. The fact that the two pop-diva-wannabes look very much alike is probably just a concidence. Or not. 😀

Say “živjo” to Saška…

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…and say “kalimera” to Anna.

Truth be told, Saška’s record company Menart did give credit to Nikos Karvelas, who (as it happens) is Anna’s husband. Nikos is credited as composer, arranger and author of lyrics. So basically Saška had very little to do with her hit single – except to record it. But they sure didn’t advertise that fact…

Things are too serious not to be taken lightly 😀

I stayed out the anti-smoking legislation debate, mostly because I have a rather ambivalent attitude towards the issue. As you know I smoke, but I understand that people who don’t would like to come home from a bar not smelling like an ashtray. On the other hand, I also hate the idea of being forced into the street from a bar if I wanted to enjoy a fag with my Guiness.

Numerous bloggers already posted on the issue, so I’ll refrain from repeating what was said already. But a thought occured to me while reading these two posts (via Jonas Ž.). How much did I spend endangering my life?

Let’s compare things: Smoking is not unlike driving. It’s a calculated risk, taken by an individual. When I light a cigarette, I am endangering myself and those who happen to be around me. But when I drive a car, I am also endangering myself and those around me. So isn’t banning just smoking a bit hypocritical, if what the Minister says is true and he’s really concerned about the health of his fellow citizens? And aren’t people who claim to have saved a fortune by quitting smoking just slightly off the mark?

Below are two calculations (not exactly precise, but close enough):

SMOKING:

I smoke for four years now (give or take a few months). I estimate that I smoked three packs of cigarettes per week on average. I started with half a pack a week to about four a week now (at least a third of that during my Saturday night gig at Cutty Sark). I also estimate that an average price of a pack in this four-year period is abot € 2. Both estimates are a bit exaggerated, just to be on the safe side

So, I spent on average € 318 yearly endangering myself and those around me, or a total of € 1272 in the past four years. Not exactly cheap, but not utterly pocket-cripling either. To put in economic terms, I spend a little less than a basic Slovene sallary.

DRIVING A CAR:

I’ve had this particular ride for eight years now. I also made a couple of assumptions, especially the one about price of fuel. A litre of 95-octane gas is priced at € 0.95 now, and I have no idea what the price was in 1998. Also, I think that the amount of € 300 for maintainence is just about right, when you think that you have to do a major check-up every now and then, occasionally buy a new set of tires, change the lightbulbs, wiper-blades, etc.

As you can see, I spend almost six times more endangering myself and people around me by driving a car than by smoking. Add to that the fact that I’ve crashed the car three times in those eight years, causing more than € 6000 of damage in total, and it becomes obvious that driving a car is much more costly.

Given the numbers I think that there is little financial benefit to an individual when this law will come into effect. Also, given the fact that every fatal car crash costs the government circa € 750.000 (I kid you not), perhaps the government should also start considering a ban on using motor vehicles in public areas.

Granted, it’s safer if you don’t smoke (and I’m not encouraging anyone to start). But it’s also safer not to drive a car or cross a street for that matter. It’s also safer not to bungee jump, go rafting, ride a bike or go mountaneering. But people do it anyway.

As I said – it’s a calculated risk. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take. For now, at least.

I have no illusions as to the fate of anti-smoking legislation. It will be passed and (in the beginning at least) vigorously enforced. I understand that.

But that don’t mean I gotta like it…