I half watched a television programme the other night.

The television tends to get switched on in the evening as the flickering images seem to calm Herself down a bit.  I rarely watch the content though as I have some respect for my few remaining brain cells.

The programme was some studio discussion thing and they were waffling on about NAMA or the Apple Tax business or something, but the presenter was easy on the eye so I let it run.  

After several interminable commercial breaks the subject switched to the gubmint's proposed tax on sugary drinks.  I decided to give it ten percent of my attention instead of the previous two percent.

It was the usual shite.  Some woman who was supposed to be an expert on obesity spouted all the usual verbal diarrhea about how successful other countries had been with their taxes and that if we didn't apply our own taxes then none of us would fit through a doorway by 2020 and there would be obese blimps dying in the gutters everywhere.  She could have lost a few pounds herself, incidentally.

There was one phrase that Fat Cow insisted on using though, to the effect that sugary drinks are "empty calories" [surely if they are empty, they’re harmless?] and that they had no nutritional value whatsoever and really should be banned altogether.

So, to extrapolate what Fat Cow was saying was that if it didn't give any nutritional value then it shouldn't be consumed?  Let's look at that for a second.  If you don't derive a health benefit then you shouldn't do it?  So what about such things as football, motor racing, bird watching or indeed just about any pastime?  None of them give any "health benefits" so maybe they should all be banned [or taxed out of existence]?

But let's confine ourselves to food.  If we ban everything that has "no nutritional value" then what happens to sweets, chocolates, cakes or biscuits?  Surely if they tax sugary drinks then they'll have to tax bars of chocolate, bags of sweets and ban Christmas cakes?  Every drink will have to get the chop and we'll all be confined to distilled water?

What Fat Cow never mentioned was the simple word "pleasure".  It obviously is something that is so lacking in her existence that it never even crosses her mind?  It is so completely alien to her way of thinking that people might want to consume something because it tastes nice?

Once again Fat Cow has confirmed my opinion that all Antis live in a grey dull joyless world.  Theirs is a world where everything must be analysed and if there is the slightest hint of pleasure involved then it has to be bad,  Everything we do must have a purpose and that purpose is health and longevity.  Our whole lives must be lived with the express aim of living as long as possible without a single thought for joy or happiness.

The sooner people wake up and lynch these killjoys, the better.