I'm going outside for one now if you want to join me.

"and she would basically throw a shit fit if she ever saw anyone within 20 feet of a lit cigarette."

Equally annoying are self-important twits who freak out if they think they see a yuppie or an old person at an election party, talk over the people who are speaking, then freak out and leave. Everyone has their own private oppressions they like to push onto others, it seems.

Someone has a hard time staying on topic. focus, Bob. Focus.

(Yes to Robert's comment about off-topic comments, but just to get this cleared up. --Erik)

Alright, so that's in reference to this, right?

Okay, dude, just for the record: I'm not sure who you (or "Jason E") thought I was at Chris Smith's party, but... uh, yeah. Pretty sure whoever that guy was, it wasn't me. Other than when ordering a beer, I didn't say a single word to anyone at that party. I was the one sitting at the bar, typing on my laptop, quietly drinking a beer, and checking out the scene. When I left, I did so quietly, and at no point did I "freak out." Just so we're clear.

Smokers are posers.

Nuf said.

Erik -

Thanks for the reply. The "freak out" I was referring to was what you wrote. Compared to the other party coverage of that evening by other Mercury staffers, your post came off as unjustifiably mean-spirited. If you want to discuss it elsewhere, that's fine.

To get things totally back on topic... About 10 years ago I attended a play, a community theatre performance of Death and the Maiden. During the performance, a gun was fired on stage, startling a good portion of the audience who had been unfamiliar with the play. In the program notes, there was only a warning that in some scenes, the actors smoked on stage... nothing about the gunfire. :-)

I recently had the pleasure of sitting next to Don Younger (Horse Brass owner) on an aeroplane flight, and asked him about his opinion of the upcoming smoking ban in Oregon bars and taverns.

His response was a well-reasoned lecture on the cowardice of present-day supporters of the nanny-state, and implied that many taverns in the state are destined to turn into a Laurelwood, with safety-obsessed breeders letting their hairless ape-children screech in the corner, pausing only to consume breaded chicken fingers (he said nothing about the Laurelwood per se, I am supplying that comparison).

I had previously thought that the smoking ban would be a mildly good thing, but by the time I deplaned I was terrified of this vision of the future.

I don't mind banning cigarettes in bars-- I don't smoke and despite a slight loss in ambiance and the saisfaction of my second hand smoke craving, it won't affect me much.

But jesus fucking christ do I wish the OLCC would keep kids out of our bars. It's bad enough to have them already infest restaurants like some sort of fucking daycare facility. yuppies, I hate your motherfucking kids.

Old people are cranky.

Most smokers dont even smoke in their own homes, but have no problem stinking up a 'public house'. So yes, IM looking forward to the smoking ban. That being said, it is a bit silly to have warnings for movies that have smoking in them, but aren't you a bit in Andy Rooney territory here?

I want to see this warning label on a porn movie:

Caution: Ron Jeremy Appears in this film.

I wish the legislature hadn't nixed that loophole about the donkey racing from the upcoming smoking ban. I was totally looking forward to donkey night at MFP.