Ah, Van, so sorry you’re bummed right now. I hope you got some much needed sleep. I have to say that I love our anti-smoking laws up here! It makes everything so much more pleasant! But living across from a bar/club would pretty much drive me up the wall. I don’t know anything about your music programs, though I am familiar in a very rudimentary way with ProTools since my brother uses it.

I hope you feel better this morning and that you manage to have a decent day.

Yea, it was a rough night. I didn’t fall asleep until around 6AM. The sounds of the bar ended around 2 but they were quickly replaced by bird – LOTS of birds – that were all excited by the fact that the sun was coming up.

I was going to take the day off to catch up on rest but the responsible person in me pushed me to come to the office.

If you don’t mind, ask your brother about Ableton, see if he has any thoughts.

I know I owe you an email, I hope to get to that today.

We recently (last year or so) banned smoking in pubs/clubs and I think it’s awesome.

Love coming home not smelling like an ashtray. I think your symptom might be living opposite a club rather then the anti-smoking laws

Oh, yes, the symptom is living opposite a club. I’m oh so aware of that. =)

See, I don’t like the ban simply because I have this… well, I don’t want the govn’t telling me what I can / cannot do in a private establishement as long as it’s not a criminal activity. Now, understand that I *HATE* smoking and that I’ve never once smoked in my life, I just look at it as a potential larger issue. Today it is smoking, next thing is the govn’t is telling you what you can and cannot eat… oh… wait… that has already happened in Chicago.

So, really, I just see it as a slow erosion of personal rights.

Well, you can also make an excellent argument for the other side. Non-smoking patrons have the right to clean air, and employees of bars/clubs have the right to not work in smokey environments that can damage their health. I see your side of it, Van, but really, smokers can still smoke – they can just go outside. Too bad, as far as I’m concerned. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking is.

I don’t, however, want to turn this thread into a debate about smoking!

I’m with you on every thing about smoking, I think it’s a dirty – DIRTY – habit. I hate smoking.

It’s a government issue for me.

Take smoking out and put in talking on cell phones or putting on perfume in a public restroom. I think the venue owner needs to set the rules for his/her place, as long as no criminal activity is going on, not the government.

For example, there is a place in Chicago that will go NUTS if someone has a cell phone that goes off. Everyone will start yelling, the manager will ring bells… but it is their choice to do so, ya know, not the city telling them not have have cell phones in the bar.

I don’t mind it turning into a debate about anything. I’m all for hearing all sides of any argument (and arguments are not bad as they provide insight and exchange of thought – Fighting is the bad thing as one is simply trying to dominate another)

But I digress….

Well, I think governments should change and or create laws as the times change and the needs and attitudes of people change. If they didn’t women still wouldn’t have the vote and slavery would still be legal, right?

Spot on and very true.

So, let’s take a different view on the discussion for a second – is smoking (or cell phones or greasy food – whatever) a natural right?

Do people have the naturally (or “god given”) given right to have these things in their life or are they benefits of living in a free society?

BTW – just finished making dinner for the 1st time in a month. I’ll be posting in on yeswecook later!

Sure you can smoke, or do dope, or whatever, as long as it doesn’t impinge upon my health and safety.

Have a cell phone; don’t talk or text while driving. Or riding your bicycle, as I saw someone doing the other day – on the highway, of all places.

Etc.

I mean, it’s the same with drinking, isn’t it? Sure, drink till you can’t walk. But take a cab or find a designated driver. Don’t drive.

And I agree, as long as it doesn’t impact your life/my life.

But here is the thing.

I don’t think we have the right to go into the restaurant. It’s a privilege…they can deny service to anyone if they chose (as long as it’s not a racial/physical bias).

Maybe if it was a “private” club then they could smoke. Usually a club will have some threshold for membership, then everyone could smoke and they would disallow non-smokers. But can the govn’t come in and say “no, can’t do that” even if everyone agrees to that as a condition of membership.

A private club is one thing, and yes, if it is a private club then fine. But I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here.

That is not what the original thought was, but as we moved forward that popped into mind – wondering if local govn’t can stop that then.

Anyway. Good discussion. =)