If you recognize Nosmo King, you must have read the Ramona Quimby books when you were a kid (or last week...you know, whatever). Nosmo King was a sign that Ramona, a young girl, put up in her house to encourage her father to quit smoking. She couldn't fit "No Smoking" onto one line, so she wrote it in two lines:
Nosmo
King
Anyhoo, finally, Chicagoans are getting a note from Ramona, courtesy of a smoking ban just passed by Chicago City Council. Unfortunately it gives freestanding bars and taverns until July 2008 to go smoke-free, which means we Chicagoans who actually care about our health and enjoy clean air must continue to forego patronizing establishments that allow smoking, which often means missing out on social events held by well-meaning friends who aren't as bothered by smoky bars. It's still beyond me why anyone feels they need to support smokers' rights. Unlike other behavior that some people may not approve of, smoking actually affects other people. I guess I assumed clean air was the status quo, which we need to protect. New York, Boston, and Los Angeles have all proved that the ban doesn't affect the city's economy and that plenty of people still go to bars and restaurants. Chicago should have more faith in its citizens.
