I'm an obese smoker. I am so totally screwed.

the problem is people that you've already hired. for example, I am clinically obese according to some charts. However, I can count on one hand the number of times that I've been to the doctor in the past year. I know skinny people with more health problems than me.

I know skinny people with more health problems than me.

Pointing fingers is RUDE.

I know it, Vortex! Out of my coworkers just in my aisle, and not including absences due to families' illinesses (which was quite a few for the past year for everyone else except for me), one slender lady was out for over a month with a back problem, my boss has a chronic heart condition, and another was out for a few weeks with migraines. But, if the average person took a look at everyone in the aisle, they would most likely pick me out as the highest absentee due to illness just because of my weight. Instead, I was the only one out of the group to lose sick/vacation days at the end of the year because I ddn't take them all.

Have they factored the costs of retaliatory workplace arson into these "forcing employees to quit smoking will save money" scenarios?

Yeah. But do I want to work here for the rest of my life? The rest of the year?

They start firing people for obesity, and my workplace would be but good and empty, starting from the execs down.

I'm not sure I need to punished for my genetics. ( You don't get diabetes if it isn't in the genes- unless you lose or damage your pancreas)

or that someone needs to be fired for non-work habits /ways of living that don't effect productivity.

I've always been very healthy. this year I was sick for a month and a half. I missed 4 days of work. Mostly trying to keep my germs home.

I just reread Vortex's post. Even with being that sick and diabetes I have been to the doctor 6 times this year(2004). 3 were regular planned checkups.

I am more expensive than I used to be, but not nearly as expensive as other people I know that don't have chronic diseases, but just happen to get sick a lot.

Lee, my family has a thing similar to your guy's Sam thing. Only ours is Fred, and not limited to living things. Anything that needs a name is Fred (for example, the virus on our computer.)

Except the girlfriends of the former theatre teacher at my old HS (with whom we still socialize). We call them Darcy.

Pointing fingers is RUDE.

hey, I wasn't talking about anyone is particular. Are you maybe feeling guilty? hmmmmmmmmmm? :)

My father's nickname is Sam. For the life of me, I can't figure out how they got that from his actual name, Martino.

I posted the Cheney link very late last night, Allyson. It still makes me mad. Did you read what he said at Auschwitz earlier that day? Try taking a look in the mirror, buddy...