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The Strib article I'm trying to ignore has a photo from the future:

Mark Regan, front, and Dale Schumm, both of Osseo, leave the warm confines of Duffy's Bar & Grill in Osseo for a smoke on Dec. 9, 2006

I guess the smoking ban is still in effect a year from now.

"Our customers are crossing the bridge and going to Anoka, where they can smoke," he said.

And I'm crossing from Dakota into Hennepin County more and more often to enjoy an evening out without having to leave my jacket in the garage overnight to try and eliminate some of the smell.

"about to get nasty?" Some people in this debate drove past nasty some time ago. A few examples from local pro-smoke blogs to prove my point:

The Fraters blog, Oct. 6, 2005

Clearing the air blog (Mark Wernimont), August 11, 2005

Anti-Strib blog, August 8, 2005.

Oh well. Such is the life of a blogger for the American Lung Association. As the cartoon character Super Chicken used to say, "I knew the job was dangerous when I took it..."

Okay, now this is getting a little strange....

Someone (Jim from Stillwater) has written a poem about yours truely and posted on the corn fritters blog.

It's based on Poe's "The Raven." It's spooky -- not only did they spoof one of my favorite poems, the even picked my cheep beer of choice as a "perch."

Looks like Hennepin County has partially rolled back the smoking ban.

www.startribune.com/stories/462/5780454.html

Let the sparks fly!