Next for the smoking bans that are sweeping the globe!  Oh, great.  Next thing you know the Chinese will stop buying our Marlboros and then what will happen to the USA's once popular product?  Think about the farmers; think about the communites; the exporters.

Who's next on this international non-smoking bandwagon?

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

how can you tell a soldier is french?

hes got sunburnt armpits


whats the best way to defend paris during a war?

no one knows, its never been tried


how many gears are on a french tank?

3 for reverse and 1 forward incase they get attacked from behind

Q: How do you confuse a French soldier?

A: Give him a rifle and ask him to shoot it.

Q: What's the motto of the French Army?

A: 'Stop, drop, and run!'

Q. Why don't Master Card and Visa work well in France

A. They do not know how to say "CHARGE!" 

Q: What does the new French flag look like?

A: A white cross emblazoned on a white background

Q: What English word has no equivalent in the French language?

A: Gratitude.

Q: What's the difference between toast and Frenchmen?

A: You can make soldiers out of toast!

Q: What do you call a Frenchman advancing into a warzone?

A: A salesman.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Franco-phobes!

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I just joined Second Life.  Anyone want to make any bets on whether it will be banned there?

You know my views on this.

Puffing away merrily,

-Andrew

You just joined SL?!!! Oh shit!!  I'm there too,  please don't hunt me down and kill me!

I don't know if you can smoke on SL though - probably.  you CAN get pork scratchings and pints from the pub though, and eat tasty watercress sandwiches. yum...

A worldwide ban anyhow.  Even I think that does sound a bit extreme...

"watch out for my cousin.."

The tobacco banning fascism is out of control! This morning I learned that the Santa Monica (aka "The People's Republic of SaMo") city council will vote whether or not to ban smoking on the Third Street Promenade. This is a popular outdoor area with an adjacent weekly farmer's market, lots of outdoor cafes, shops and street entertainers. It's also a popular panhandling zone.  There are no cars emitting icky fumes -- just promenaders. If the city can prevent them from smoking, it's possible that the residents and merchants might live forever. 

Then I heard there's a drive to ban smoking in MOVIES. Not in movie theaters. That's where it started here about 35 years ago. But banning actors from smoking on film. A cigarette would automatically rank a film with not only with SHAME but an "R" rating. At least. Maybe worse if they smoke while nude. Full frontal smoking -- one can only imagine. Triple X?

The examples they showed were "101 Dalmations" with a smoking Cruella and her cigarette holder, a smoking Julia Roberts in "My Best Friends Wedding" and a smoking James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause."

Two medical researchers claimed that eliminating all smoking from films will keep 200,000 children alive. Uh, okay... To be fair, if this worldwide ban on smoking finally comes to pass maybe Ali G will have been right -- only 4 out of 5 people will have to die.  And I think that will have been the perfect example of the ends justifying the means.  Especially if I'm among the 1 out of 5.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Talking about smoking - I went to Jordan (the country, not the webmaster) in september, and at a couple of hotels partook of the sheesha pipe (hookah), which was filled with 100% legal fruit molasses and tobacco I should add. I'm not a regular smoker at all, but I really enjoyed having a puff on the pipe.

The other day, I was daydreaming in the car, and thinking about anglo-islamic relations (as you do). I was considering that what is needed in our society is positive cultural exchange of ideas and customs from islam to west, and although there are some examples of this already, I thought that sheesha pipe smoking might be one of those things that would work especially well. I could picture sheesha pipe lounges springing up everywhere, and that the adoption of such an arabic custom in pubs, clubs etc. would help promote common interests and activities, and of course, mingling with each other, not separation.

Of course, with legislation as it is now, there's no way that sheesha lounges will ever open in the UK now.

Which might be a shame or not.

Devilish

You should really visit Amsterdam some day :-)

I know that many of our Fest attendees were unhappy with the new Washington law passed by the majority of WA voters that banned smoking in certain places and certain distances away from buildings.

More and more cities are jumping on the no-smoking bandwagon on both sides of the aisle. 

I can't stand teh smell of smoke but I sure do disagree with all these govts banning smoking like this. Let the marketplace decide, please.

Jordan .

The majority of laws banning smoking in the US are mostly inside building laws or just a few feet away from buildings laws. We have teh govt controlling the marketplace and private property.

Jordan .

Dev, we have mucho mucho hookah cafes here in Los Angeles.  The first I heard of them was in Westwood adjacent to the UCLA campus.  They are not quite as commonplace as the ubiquitous Starbucks or Coffee Beans but it's getting there.  There's something that strikes me as un-hygenic about those pipes though.  I understand you get a fresh tip but still the backsplash of an earlier patron's TB cooties would turn me off were I a habitue of such a place.

I think I mentioned this once before on a smoking thread but back when Seattle was a smokin' town, there was a cute little bar-restaurant in a downtown hotel where we stayed.  We went there for dinner once with a chain-smoker.  I was dreading it.  You know those kind of smokers who smoke between courses?  That's what he was.  But they had this ceiling mounted machine -- a smoke eater -- that really did the most effective job of killing smoke even at the close quarters with a smoker at our table.   

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin