NP: Mike Stern, Jigsaw

It seems odd that both Washington, DC and Chicago are voting on smoking bans within a day of each other.

In the event that you're wondering where I stand on this, I don't really have a firm position. I choose to go to smoky bars, so I don't complain about it. That said, would I prefer my clothes -- and oftentimes, my drum cases -- not smell like smoke when I get home? Sure. It would also allow me to test the theory that smoke is the underlying cause for some contact lens-related problems I have late at night sometimes.

Back on the first hand, I don't like the culture of making people who have chosen this particular vice over a myriad of others feel like second-class citizens. Second-hand smoke isn't the only secondary risk out there.

As is the case with most things, it's a complex issue, and any solution is going to be problematic for one side or the other. I'm just saying the timing is curious.