And if you ain't got 'em, you hit rock bottom!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em...or not, eh! Get this. The illustrious Marriott corporation has announced that all of its U.S. and Canada hotels will become entirely smoke-free as of this October.

Huh?!

That's everywhere, in every hotel. Every Marriott, every Residence Inn, every Fairfield, every Courtyard...every every one. That is mind-blowing to me.

First of all, because it's so all-encompassing. Secondly, because it's so bold. Clearly the non-smokers' voices have spoken louder than the smokers'. (Understandably so, as the smokers probably are a little raspy with a cough and whatnot.) Particularly interesting to note is that it's just the U.S. and Canada -- this still won't fly in Europe and Asia, is the message I get.

I don't know, man. I shake my head at things like this. I know some people passionately believe this is the direction the world is going and those who light up need to either jump on the train or get the hell out of the way - but do extinguish your cigarettes first, as there is likely no longer a smoking car!

I was a smoker. I quit. I am very, very proud of my quit, as it turns out. I barely ever even think about having a cigarette, and that only happens when I'm conversing about cigs with a friend smoking in front of me. I never have dreams about smoking anymore. I have made my 1000 days and then some. I have in fact just passed my 40-month anniversary. I think my new goal might be to go as long without smoking as I smoked (roughly nine years as a habit, though it was off-and-on the first year or two).

But I just don't care if other people smoke at the Marriott Hotel.

Or in a restaurant. Or bar. Or CASINO for criminy sakes. Or in the airport, or at the bus stop, or in a box, or with a fox...well, OK, maybe with a fox, because smoking with a fox would be just plain weird. But seriously -- any-bloody-where in front of me! Don't care! I've thought about what it would be like to care. I can get passionately worked up about so many things that you'd think I could get worked up about this one. Alas, no.

In fact, the last time I stayed at a Marriott Hotel, I even let the smokers smoke in my non-smoking room sometimes. Aren't I a troublemaker! Whatever, they smoked out the window. I was more upset when they broke a glass on the carpet, hello.

The point is -- hmm, what is the point? That I suffer from apathy? They say there's nothing worse than a reformed drunk. (And I might be testing out that theory soon!) But apparently the reformed smoker thing is not the same.

I recently watched the movie Thank You For Smoking and I thought it was hilarious! Fantastic! Sarcastic and witty and intelligent and no-holds-barred and packed a punch and -- the best thing about it -- it took on both sides of the debate. It pointed out some of the obnoxious qualities and fallacies of those on both sides. I mean, it definitely made its anti-tobacco-company-politics point. But it was not sanctimonious about it. I think that's the worst thing about all the anti-smokers: they're so holier-than-thou! I think possibly more so than any other issue. I love that we are allowed to have a "debate" about the merits of war -- war! War!! Literally killing people with the stated goal of killing people with no pleasure or particularly social aspect and definitely expensive and takes a toll on our resources and the healthcare industry and so on...yeah, war is all right. But smoking? How could you even suggest it's not the worst thing ever? Oh, no.

I wish more of the smoking debate were like Thank You For Smoking.