We went to see Calendar Girls at our local cinema, followed by dinner at the Indian restaurant next to the cinema, for our birthdays* (which are a week apart).
The film was very good, and very enjoyable, except for the fact that the cinema for some reason was unable to maintain focus on all but a handful of scenes. It was without doubt the most poorly projected film I have ever seen.
The food at the restaurant was very good, as usual, the only bad luck there was that there were a number of smokers** present, and the stench really puts me off my food. Normally we go earlier, when it's less busy, so there is plenty of space between occupied tables, last night we were not so lucky.
* The next release of XML::RSS::Tools will come out on my better halves birthday, tomorrow. I don't think she will be that impressed, but it's as good a date as any other to release it.
** I have no problem with people smoking, it's their health they are ruining, I just don't want to have to breath their pollution, then it's my health that is being damaged.
Re:smoking
ajt on 2003-10-03T14:24:25
From what I recall, when I use to live in California (over 4 years ago) they had a similar law. I even gather it is being tried in New York City, and parts of London, at the moment.
Moving to Florida from the UK is a bit drastic to get clean air in a restaurant, even if parts of the state are very pretty - I once had a very nice weekend camping in St. Joseph's Park.
Moving to Florida
jdavidboyd on 2003-10-03T15:55:27
Well, it certainly is too far to commute!Re:Moving to Florida
ajt on 2003-10-03T16:37:09
This is true! However think of the Air-Miles™ I'd collect!
Re:smoking
drhyde on 2003-10-09T11:40:42
Making it illegal to smoke a fine cigar with your port or brandy after a good meal? How barbaric.Re:smoking
ajt on 2003-10-09T12:04:24
Personally I don't care if other people smoke, nor do I care what they smoke, I only care if I have to breathe in their pollution.
Smoking killed my mother, and most of my grandparents, they all suffered with poor health for many years, and all died younger than they should have. If you or anyone else wish to take the risk, that is fine by me, I simply don't wish to share it with you.
I don't mind if pubs, bars and restaurants ban smoking or install air-filtering systems, all I care about is clean air. I'm well aware that smoking will probably gradually be banned, not because people complain, but rather that employers are unwilling to pay the extra costs associated with allowing people to smoke: cleaning bills; air purifiers; and in particular staff health insurance costs.
Banning smoking wouldn't bother me, but it's not something I actually want.
Re:smoking
drhyde on 2003-10-09T14:24:30
My gripe is with blanket bans. If a pub or a restaurant wants to ban smoking - some restaurants do already - that's fine by me, but if governments wants to force them to ban it - rather than having seperate smoking areas like thousands of pubs and resturants do, and like trains do - then that's wrong.Re:smoking
ajt on 2003-10-09T14:39:46
I can't say I'm in favour of blanket bans either, and I'm quite happy with separating about 1/3rd of the space off for smokers. However all too often smokers ignore the rules, or the separation doesn't include air-filtration or proper separation.
I believe that blanket bans will happen, indeed are happening already, not because non-smokers complain about the stink, but because management is worried about the insurance and cleaning costs, and a blanket ban is cheaper....
I have no wish to persecute smokers, for while many started of their own free will, most would give up if they could. About 70-80% of smokers would give up if they could, depending upon survey and country. I simply do not wish to share their drug.
Re:smoking
jdavidboyd on 2003-10-09T13:34:50
It's not illegal to smoke a fine cigar with your port or brandy after a good meal.
It's just illegal to do it in the restaurant where you ate that good meal.
It is kind of hard to believe, isn't it, that other people might not think of your fine cigar as being quite so fine.Re:smoking
drhyde on 2003-10-09T14:38:03
The non-smoking section of the restaurant is both much larger than the smoking section, and is --> over there, if you don't like people smoking, I suggest you take advantage of the facilities provided. Oh, and there's a gert big extractor sucking my smoke away. At least, that's what it was like last night.Re:smoking
ajt on 2003-10-09T14:48:07
That's excellent, but alas not that common. As I said, that was the problem with the restaurant that we went to, the food was good, the air was not. I only wish that more places took the enlightened view. I am not in favour of a total smoking ban!
Was your food good?
Re:smoking
drhyde on 2003-10-09T16:09:06
'twas excellent - mmmm, rare steak, mmmm, roasted garlic. The wine was good too, and the port was wonderful. I almost regret not drinking more of it - although i dread to think what a hangover on top of this 'orrible cold would be like.Re:smoking
jdavidboyd on 2003-10-10T14:42:18
Yes. I agree that is the plan. And I have seen many a big "smoke sucker" installed on the ceiling.
Unfortunately, I have a medical condition called 'sarcoidosis', which is a crystalization of my lung tissue. Given this, any amount of smoke is too much.
I know, I know, all you smokers say, "Don't go out".
...endless debate...
Who the hell knows the real answer
I know that breathing any smoke is torture.
Are my rights to NOT breath smoke greater than someone's rights to exude smoke?
I think so, but what the hell, I'm a non-smoker, right?Re:smoking
drhyde on 2003-10-10T18:08:52
> Unfortunately, I have a medical condition called
> 'sarcoidosis', which is a crystalization of my lung tissue.
> Given this, any amount of smoke is too much.
You have my sympathy. I am also confused as to why you think that matters.
Just like I don't care if my rock-climbing makes vertigo sufferers feel ill when they see me half-way up a cliff, I don't care if I break your oh-so-delicate lungs. You have the choice to make that a non-issue by going elsewhere. If your medical condition restricts your choice of where to eat - just like a vertigo sufferer's condition restricts his choice of where to go for a walk - that is your problem, not mine.
> I know, I know, all you smokers say, "Don't go out".
No, I wouldn't say "don't go out". I'd say "don't go into smoky environments". They do exist, you know.
Now, how about doing something useful like campaigning to clean up polluting internal combustion engines - which there is no getting away from - rather than whining about the smokers that you *can* get away from.Re:smoking
jdavidboyd on 2003-10-13T14:09:39
I don't know.. I gues I like "whining", day in, and day out! Whine at you soon!
Dave B.
