Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche
"A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier
"Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas
"Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex
Aw, Norfolk isn’t that far from Lejeune. Hang around a few days and we’ll hook up.
But you better take a cab! Or a designated driver!!!
yeah.
I can die happy now that I know the pub at the Hilton allows smoking. blech.
We were traveling through PA not too long ago and stopped for a meal. The hostess asked if we wanted smoking or non smoking. What???
Yeah Jersey is the same way. Dirty New Jersians.
No defense of smokin…but:
My father’s generation smoked and they won WWII…
My generation smoked and we won the Cold War…
although we’ve all quit in the last 20 years.
This generation will never smoke; but can they win GWOT?
How about a cigar once in a while?
Lex- lot’s of TOMCAT systems capability lying around after April. Methinks, we should put it in another legacy platform going away- cheaply.
B2
Take that stogie outside B2!
Thankfully CT put thru a law 2 years ago that prohibits smoking in any restaurant or bar of any kind, no exceptions. Makes it safer for all the people who work in these places all day, not to mention the patrons. Being a severe asthmatic, I can’t begin to express how nice it is for me not to have to worry about those things anymore.
So it’s quite a surprise to me when we travel to find places that do allow it. Just seems so odd, knowing what we all know about it now.
Ya know, you are all *allowed* to find resturants that don’t permit smoking. As for the government dictating to private owners whether they wish to allow their patrons to indulge in a lawful activity, IMO you all belong with the DU/KOS fanatics.
As for the 2nd hand smoke argument, show me the science.
Thank you, Master Chief! I somewhat agree with your DU/Kos comment. The issue of government mandated non-smoking facilities is but one reason I’m glad I left the Peoples Republic of California. New Mexico is one of the throw-back states, and it fits me well. Beer and ciggies are inseparable, for me, just as a good cigar enhances two fingers of single malt. I’m glad I can indulge without the glares and/or snide comments from my betters.
I suppose “At Ease! Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!” has disappeared from the military lexicon…more’s the pity. Oh well…
5 minutes late. That is just wrong. The smell of everyone elses dinner must have made it even worse. Nice place though, wasn’t it?
Airdale: I don’t need science to tell me that 2nd hand smoke is harmful to MY health. I am a severe asthmatic and being in the presence of smoke causes me serious problems. And the “non-smoking” areas of restaurants used to always be in the back, making you walk thru the smoking sections. Made my enjoyment of dinner out nearly impossible.
And the damage caused by secondhand smoke is a fact – I know 2 people who died from lung cancer yet never smoked a single cigarette all their lives. Plain and simple – smoking kills.
I do however sort of agree that the government really isn’t in a position to dictate what vices we all decided to embrace. BUT – if I’m free to select a non-smoking restaurant, than conversely, smokers are free to find places to smoke themselves. Which they should.
Mark,
I’ve been smoking that rare stogie outside for, nigh, 20 years now!
All- My point was, morality and smoking don’t go together despite what the “law” says..
Personally, I don’t like looking at obese folks, but I ain’t ready to propose a law keeping ‘em out of public and mandating how many calories they can consume.
(just kidding, but I had to pick another perceived “pathology” to make a point)
Sorry to have lit this subject off….
B2
I’m with MCPO Airdale. I quit cigarettes 7 years ago, but still enjoy a stogie now and then, usually in a bar. If a government can tell you that you can’t smoke on private property (which you don’t have to go to in the first place!), it’s only a short hop until they can tell you not to smoke at home, or have that third (forth?) slice of pizza, or drink 151 Bacardi.
Kris, your second post contradicts your first. “Thankfully CT put thru a law…” doesn’t jibe with “…the government really isn’t in a position…” I appreciate your feelings on the subject, but the ends don’t justify the means, as far as I’m concerned.
*plaintively*
“Can’t we all just get along?”
For my own part, I feel strongly both ways: Not a real fan of the nanny state, but do rather enjoy the fact that I don’t have to worry about smoke billowing over me when I walk into a family restaraunt with the bambinos in tow.
Funny what you get used to not seeing (or smelling, whatever) when guvmint takes good care of ‘ye.
Steve: I don’t believe my posts contradict themselves, having expanded on the subject by discussing my own personal health concerns. I am relieved that I don’t have to worry about smoking in restaurants, however it does concern me that if the gov’t. can legislate this, what else will they nose into? I see both sides of the issue, but because of my own personal health concerns, I am happy they interfered in this case.
Cora! Love that place! Wife and I used to go there religiously, as there was definitely something enrapturing about their pork chops. Tell ‘em the weird Navy guy who used to give them records and magazines sent ya. Or don’t; it’s been a few years.
You could go down the street a bit–driving away from the main drag, the Zen-themed bar on the left before the big wine shop has lambic on tap and the famous “One Dollar Chicken Dinner”, a little too cutesy but lambic on tap, sir. Further down about three or four blocks, on the right, is a Thai place that makes spectacular pad see iew.
Downtown is a French place called Voila (IIRC; sommat like that) that is the closest you’d get for fancy dining without taking a loan out for it.
Many sympathies for the absurdities of your meetings. If you’d like less buzzword compliant but more absurd, you’re welcome to try here…it’s pretty Kafkaesque…
If the kitchen was closed, but the bar was open, just drink more beer! That what I always do. After all, there is a pork chop in every glass………