TABOO TO YOU TOO

I don't smoke. I tried it once when I was 15. I'd swipe a few smokes from my grandmother's pack of Salems. Then well past dark, I'd sit in the dark recess of a doorway of the school across the street and puff away. I thought I was so cool, even though I knew no one could see me. I tried to inhale once, and to this day I do not understand how anyone can inhale enough times to become addicted. But that's just me.

My father smoked but my mother didn't; my father died at age 49 from cancer related to his smoking, and my mother is still going at age 87.

I swore I'd never marry a smoker, and yet I did. He gave up smoking indoors for the kids' health, both of whom were severely asthmatic. I tried to get DogMan to switch to cigars, which was when I took that photo (click to enlarge), but that phase was short-lived.

I have always been against laws which force bars and restaurants to go smoke free, because these are privately owned businesses and I think the government should butt out. Not to mention that tobacco is a legal substance. On the other hand, I do enjoy the smoke free atmospheres, at least inside these establishments. The irony is that rightoutsidethedoors is where the smokers congregate to smoke.

Smoking is even taboo in movies. Yet imagine all those great noir films without the requisite smoke. Imagine Bogie with a cigarette. gasp! For all this taboo-ness of smoking in movies, a helluva lot of actors smoke in real life.

I was reminded of smoking reading the NYC lit agent, Miss Snark. As she points out, NY City has stiff laws governing smoking. She brings up the subject in the context of her business:
Do you smoke? Sometimes we're not aware of why we react negatively to something. It's just "a feeling". One of the things that can produce that "feeling" is scent. Avoid shooting yourself in the foot subliminally. Store your paper in a smoke free room. If you smoke, you can't tell if your paper smells. I can.
Read it for the comments, which are great reading!

Elsewhere ...
8 If you ever read one of Jennifer Weiner's books -- Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, Goodnight Nobody -- or if you've seen the just-released movie In Her Shoes, you may be interested in this video of an interview with her.

8 Why I love The Superficial: Katie Holmes' aunt is a terrible liar.

8 Here’s a plain brown wrapper book for your weak-end reading. I'm bad :)
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