I'm wondering what it's like at places like Curly's, Kosy,Mitch's and O'Gilby's. I might have to stop in just to see what the places look like without the blue haze..or maybe not.

RT's? It might just be worse...all that stale 20 yr old smoke.

Smorking - what Robin Williams did during the production of "Mork and Mindy". Definately should be banned (if only to save us from more horrible sit-coms).

Smorking - what Robin Williams did during the production of "Mork and Mindy". Definately should be banned (if only to save us from more horrible sit-coms).

Good riddance to those six bar bands. I hope they and all the smorkers rot in hell (aka Superior.)

It's too bad nobody had the foresight (or foreskin) to realize the extreme demand for non-smoking bars before the ban. They could have opened a clean air bar and made a fortune off self-righteous non-smokers who go to bars once or twice a year to spend upwards of five or six bucks on whatever import beer or microbrew they think will make them look sophisticated.

Where's my chew cup?

Now that's the spirit!!!

or even those non-smokers who like to go drink and listen to live music without having addicted entitled smokers affect the entire room with their habits. Go figure.
(see, pejorative mud flinging can happen on all sides, isn't it FUN?)

I'd rather reign in hell (Superior) than be a slave in heaven. (smoke free Duluth)

Taken from the article: As Kuyath opened beers at one end of the bar, customer Skip Schroeder of Red Wing sat at the other, taking drags from a Doral Menthol and sipping a Heileman’s Old Style beer.

“I got a bar at home,” said 54-year-old Schroeder, who has smoked since he was 8. “I’m not going to stand outside and smoke cigarettes.”

Skip should be the poster boy for the smoking ban. I bet his bar is awesome.

I guarantee Skip's bar has Hamms on tap.

Richie, you forgot the best part of that article:

“Smoking is more important than friends,” said Gary Lien of Diamond Bluff, Wis. “I mean that.”

I've just about done a 180 on my feelings on the smoking ban. I knew it would be bad, but I definitely underestimated the "whiny bitch" factor. I'm starting to think that a few dead bartenders and waitresses is worth it just to get these babies to quit their incessant whining. Hey Marlboro Man, welcome to the 21st century! You're no longer allowed to release a known carcinogen into the air. How is this a surprise to you? You should feel lucky that you had a long of a run as you did. Get over yourselves and head out to the sidewalk.

What do you think it would cost to get a frosty mug at "Skip's Place"? I can only assume that's what he calls it.

“Smoking is more important than friends,” said Gary Lien of Diamond Bluff, Wis. “I mean that.”

I don't think Ross, Chandler, Joey, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe would like to hear that.

I live 40 minutes north of St. Paul, and the bars here are ignoring the ban thus far, but who knows. I dont care either way.

I also believe a frosty mug at Skip's costs anywhere between a handshake and a Hustler magazine.

I wonder how long it'll take for "smokeeasies" to start cropping up.

...Or someone crazy/savvy enough to park a "smoking bus" out in front of places in the winter.

I remember when we used to have to go to the mens room to smoke pot. I hope people still do that. Just booze alone is so redneck.

Congradulations, You win. Now I want to see if any of you really are worried about cancer . What about diesel exhaust and the fact that it causes an estimated 23 dealths out of a million in kids using schoolbuses. Actually mostly they are getting asthma , not nearly as bad. And to say the least, there couldn"t be a relationship between this fuel and oil and our young peoples lifes. Kinda cuts both ways on these young kids. So enjoy your victory. I actually know your right. I'm sure you will all be on the streets talking about electric cars and alternative ways. But I fear , seeing how you couldn't start your own nonsmoking bars You hardly will do anything about those kids on the bus. But maybe I'm wrong there's more to stake her them smoking in bars . So lets hear a discussion on how to make Duluth a greener more in tune with mother earth place to be.Hot Rod call me.

Well, it's a good thing that smoking tobacco is hopelessly retarded.

Smorking on the other hand... I've actually used that term in the past! Smork it up1

why does duluth think it's so special? every state that has the smoking ban loves it!! If you want to kill yourself please go outside I DON'T CARE IF YOU DIE FROM YOUR OWN SMOKE! I want to live and HATE your smoking! Stay away from me!!

Frank dude, as per usual I'm having trouble following your logic. I will come out first by pleading my ignorance on the diesel fumes-cancer link. But even if there is such a horribly ignored problem with exhaust from buses killing children, it really has nothing to do with the smoking ban. In a perfect world we would do something about both issues. But just because this country is hell bent on continuing to suck on the teat of Mother Oil is no reason to also ignore the dangers of secondhand smoke. I'm just not following how we forsook greening up buses to pass a ban on smoking in bars. Was there some either or bill before the legislators that I missed?

Chris,

Don't feel bad I to have trouble following my own logic . Might have something to do with old age and senility, but more likely I just can't quite get around to what I'm thinking. The diesel thing is just something I ran into the other day It's probably a small thing in the scope of things but look it up, see if it's real. Check out how it affects people that work around diesel. See what OSHA says about it. The thing I would like to see is that we start doing alternative energy and I do believe that most of the things I talk about can be related to each other with enough words. Hey I'm just a disgrunted smoker who hasn't got a leg to stand on. I would apologize for my lack of lucidity in my writing, sometimes I find myself looking at a word and not knowing how to spell. It's a part of getting old I guess, but I'm not going to apologize , I guess yo'll have to live with it. I welcome feedback. It help me sort out what I'm doing

perhaps we should be looking beyond alt energy programs and such...how about "slow" concepts, such as "slow cities" and "slow food?" If we're talking about alt energy, it makes sense to incorporate an entire lifestyle change, really...kinda like going through AA, where you in essence alter your entire lifestyle in order to kick an addiction.

hmm...what an apt analogy.

One could argue that the increase in automotive related emissions could be cause for increased ozone depletion and climate change...and a factor of such being the current trend of moving away from city centers where in general, there is more of a mass transit infrastructure into a more rural setting where townhome developments and retail centers have replaced agribased living. In many cases, these out of the way bedroom communities are quite a ways away from the workplaces of the people moving there. More time spent in cars to and from city centers and homesteads -in lieu of an expanded mass transit infrastructure -could definitely equal a marked increase in the aforementioned emissions.

Why not focus on the decrease in your carbon footprint? live closer to work, work closer to where you live? sure that huge house with six extra bedrooms does well to impress your friends and family, but do you really need it? just because you CAN buy that hummer, does it mean you SHOULD?

alt energy is the tip of the iceberg, and the way things are headed with more and more of our agricultural resources going to produce ethanol and other such fuels, i wouldn't be surprised if that area of energy production has caused, or is on the verge of causing an enormous dearth of food supply, effectively increasing the cost of the rest of the food we put on our tables.

Just a little note regarding ozone depletion. That was pretty well tied to CFCs (cloroflorocarbons), and once the collective asses got moving those have become quite well regulated and have been reduced to the point where the ozone layer is actually stabilizing (last year/year before, can't recall), where there was no further depletion and now, one hope, is going to be repairing itself. I concur 100% that carbon emissions need to be curtailed dramatically and that it is tied to climate change, just not so much the ozone part.
Otherwise, yeah what you are talking about, the concentration of populations is a pretty well established goal of "green" urban planners. Smaller towns are even not so bad, as long as the concentration of services and goods is fairly dense. This is but ONE of the problems of the Wal-Mart phenomenon, setting up shop outside of town necessitates more driving.
I'm actually pretty pessimistic at this point that we are going to be able to do anything dramatic to resolve the worst of the problems that are going to occur because of climate shift. I think the last ten years or so was the bubble time when things needed to start happening in earnest, but because of distractions and a hostile federal government it's been pushed off to some undefined point in the future, combined with the rapid "development" of China and India there are going to be some rough times ahead.

According to George Oshawa and the macrobiotic way of living you should eat what grows in your neighborhood. I don't know if that is true but it has a lot to do with sustainability

also an old friend Oddio Nib is having a art show at Pizza Luce Thursday Oct 11th from 7-9 pm

I'm afraid you might be right edge...about being past the tipping point for change...

but what are we supposed to do, enjoy the ride?