Category Archives: Mutual Understanding

Bike Accidents and Secondhand Smoke

I love bicyclists. I loved them in Amsterdam, where they sometimes make up the majority of traffic and even after a few close calls added new white hairs to one clueless American pedestrian’s beard. I love cyclists in the U.S., … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Science, Mutual Understanding, Politics & Policy, Smoking Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sorry, Aussies, for Jumping to Conclusions

I castigated the Australians because of a newspaper headline from an anti-tobacco group that said banning smoking in all apartments Down Under was inevitable. But I never checked to see whether they were talking, in their charming and peppy accents, … Continue reading

Posted in Defending Rights, Mutual Understanding, Politics & Policy, Smoking Life, Travel & Gear | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meanness is Contagious

Poor Wisconsin! In the budget cut/union busting battle, it seems like nobody has got an understanding word to spare about the desires of the other side. This seems un-Wisconsinite – the cheddar heads I know are kind and reasonable to … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Science, Mutual Understanding, Politics & Policy, Smoking Life, Travel & Gear | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Authorities Who Cried Wolf

In the last few days, New York authorities have come closer to instituting an outdoor smoking ban in all parks, beaches and Times Square. (Is the most-visited tourist attraction in the country now “Square,” like beatnik “square,” Dobie Gillis “square” … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Science, Mutual Understanding, Politics & Policy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment