I gave up believing that a long life is necessarily a good in itself, at
least for myself, because the path of one pathology versus another often
affects quality over quantity as the Mark Twain selection quoted earlier points
out. For instance, it has become known recently by those who study diet and
metabolism that vegetarian subsistence diets, i.e., those diets in which one takes
in only as much food as required to maintain one's health, lead to longevity;
but you give up any enjoyment of the other foods available to human beings.
Sometimes I feel like I would kill or risk being killed for a nice thick
Porterhouse, and I accept that I might live a shorter life having consumed it.
Others, like the late and famous Ansel Keyes (spelling?), have lived a long and
intellectually stimulating life without these pleasures; I don't know how, but
they do.
When I was a child, I sometimes went on visits to convalescent hospitals
with my physician father where he had patients with various cancers, heart and
pulminary conditions, and other diseases mostly due to lifetimes of smoking or
exposure to people smoking. I think many of them thought that they were
better off dead at any given moment. We have become better and better at keeping
people like this alive, and I suspect that as we do, they become more and more
accepting of inevitable death--the sooner, the better.
We can accept that smoking is good for business and likewise accept that
the quality of life in old age, such as it is, will stink for those who expose
themselves; or we can try to help improve both business and the quality of
our lives. I still like my Porterhouse or filet with out the tobacco smoke, or
even tabasco; just a touch of salt and pepper on a thick medium rare steak is
the quality of life that I crave, when I can afford it, and hopefully with a
glass or two of Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon, too. Hold the tobacco smoke,
please. Here's to dying with our boots on or at least suddenly; easier on everyone
as well as our wallets.
Ban or no ban, with the exposure this issue is getting, I think that
businesses that cater to smokers will be hurt as people get their jollies in smoke
free venues more and more. Look out Mancini's and look out Manny's; I'm not
going to take it anymore. I'll get my cuts of aged beef prepared and served
elsewhere.
Bill Kahn
Prospect Park
<<I always wondered why NO ONE would ever disclose the average age of
"smoke-related" deaths. Now I know.
According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the life
expectancy in the U. S. has hit an all time high of 76.9 years.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/20011010.html
According to surveys funded by the federal government, a 60 year old female
smoker will live to be 84.2 years old and a 60 year old male smoker will
live to be 78.1 years old.
http://www.forces.org/evidence/carol/carol8.htm
Yesterday's Investor's Business Daily ran a headline which read "4,000
people move to business friendly Las Vegas every month." If Minneapolis is
silly enough to put another nail in the coffin of its dwindling business
base - REMEMBER - their loss is someone else's gain. Position yourself to
profit from the migration of freedom loving people. It's the same driving
force in the stock market - one company screws up and another one seizes the
opportunity to capitalize on it.
Compiled by Vicky Heller
North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside>>
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