Is Brian Bitter??

I think he's just being human. I admire him for saying what he feels.

Brian has a lot of pressure on him all the time, and media hounding him. I wonder how any of us would sound speaking our minds if we were constantly being picked apart for every decision we make, and had cameras aimed at us everytime we tried to get away for some peace with our families.

And I agree with him 100% about smoking! I am a smoker but I didn't start until I was 23 (which is really stupid) so I know how awful it is to have to put up with the fumes. I grew up with both parents smoking and a father who was particularly non-caring and would smoke in the car with the windows all up (claiming that the ventilation/air conditioner would take care of it.. it didn't!) and wouldn't bend the slightest at my beggings to be able to breathe clean air.

Now as a smoker I am very aware of other people's feelings. I won't smoke in a restaurant even if it is permitted. If a smoker can't go a couple hours without one while they enjoy their meal then they are in need of help. If need be, step outside after your meal and come back.

And about smoking in the studio.. it did bother Brian but I guess he was too nice to say anything until when he finally did (according to Hutton's book) Freddie agreed and stopped smoking completely because it was causing him other problems anyway.

It's indeed one of his outlets. Perhaps he's doing it a great bit for himself, but he's sharing it with us. I appreciate that. He has a great knowledge of things it seems, like astronomy - amazing.

"Im a smoker and I couldnt give a shite what happens"

Oh, that's nice.

"I think a person in his position should have learned to keep a lot of those thoughts in private."

I thank god he doesn't! When was the last time we heard any star rant on like he does? It's both hilarious and interesting to read. Too many stars have their lips sealed because of their worry for how it'll affect their career or reputation.

My brother smokes and he's curtious enough to move to somewhere where the smoke won't annoy and won't linger. It's just being mindful of others. Which is why my hat is off to someone like Deacon Fan.
I could care less if people smoke cause that's their business. But when it bothers others in public places, it's just not a nice thing to do. I'm not agreeing with the whole banning thing going on, but it does give places like restaurants a nicer atmosphere.

Peace,
Adam.

I was a smoker and now am a non smoker....20 years now, so I know what he's saying. It's the way he says it. Next time he will say something and if that doesn't work he'll take "further action?!" WTH? If smoking is legal in the retauraunt he visits then what the heck is he talking about?
I have been in smokey places, if it gets to me I leave. I hate it when people shove their beliefs in your face. He chose the wrong place to eat, plain and simple. Until they ban smoking in restaraunts, he'll have to deal.

He very often comes across as whiny and somewhat childish, and while I usually enjoy his remarks about music and science, he seems to be painfully naive and uninformed about a lot of other subjects. Like many people with views similar to his own, he's all in favor of free expression and dissent except when it comes to a subject he feels strongly about. Then eveyone of the opposite view is a villain and must be stopped - by the power of the state where necessary and possible. I'm glad he's a musician and not a politician and I hope he gets back to being a musician instead of whatever it is he's doing now (theater promoter? professional cause organizer and spokesman? burgeoning multimedia baron?). How about just making some music again?

Adam, I was misunderstud. Im a smoker and couldnt give a shite, I meant that if its banned in public, so what, If its not banned in public, so what! As long as I can enjoy a smoke in my home, my car or at work, Im not bothered. To a certain extent, I agree with a ban, but you watch the businesses, such as bars, pubs, clubs ect that will fold due to a ban. Or on the other hand, the aount of businesses that will open because they are non smoking only. Brian chose the wrong place to sit and the wrong place to eat. WE CANNOT BE LABELLED OR LECTURED JUST BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING WE ENJOY. And Brian has NO right to say it. He is entitled to his opinion, but he makes us sound like cretins!
I could be hit by a bus tomorrow.

"I think he comes across as being very bitter in his Soapbox. Maybe he should vent some of that anger into some new music...."

Yeah, but does that mean there would be a bunch of songs about how he hates smoking? :-)

I'm a non-smoker, but I hardly would compare people smoking to someone "farting in my face." Just go to non-smoking restuarants, dude. Isn't most everywhere non-smoking at this point, anyhow? Maybe some Prozac is in order here..;-)

Hehehe.

I've came to this conclusion a long time ago. Hehehe.

Brian is just expressing his opinions, I respect him for that. I do agree that he does come as rash sometimes, but it is just hilarious. The more he rants over little things, the funnier he gets.

However, forcing me to believe that smoking should be banned? Uh no thanks. Has he ever heard of free will? Has he ever heard of democracy? I'm sure he has. That's why he should've chose to go to a NON smoking restaurant, instead of a restaurant that permits smoking. If that place was so famous, he should've known before hand that smoking was permitted.

Brian is never Bitter (haha!) In his soapbox? He always seems very happy to me! With 46664 he was kind of bitter I guess... Maybe sad???

Having just read his position on smoking (yet again), Brian seems to be under the impression that all his readers are nonsmokers and just about as fed up with smoking as he is. I'm sure he's doing what he feels is best for himself, and it sure as rain is titled Brian's Soapbox, but at least he should educate himself first before going off on a rant; you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke, and if he's that concerned about smoke, he should have asked before he sat down if there was a non-smoking section.

"you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke"

Uhh..actually you can.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2053840.stm

*but at least he should educate himself first before going off on a rant; you can't get cancer from second-hand smoke*

In fact you can get cancer from second hand smoke. My initital point was that he needs to go to NON smoking restaruaunts not threaten people in smoking restaruaunts.

A well known (UK) personality called Roy Castle died from second hand smoke as a direct result of working in far too many smoke filled clubs in the sixties and seventies

The real question here is how many of you have had somebody come up to you while you are eating a meal and fart in your face?

That article says that it COULD increase the possibility of getting cancer. It's worded very peculiarly, hinting that people may be able to get cancer from second-hand smoke. It doesn't say that a smoker sitting directly in front of a non-smoker blowing cigarette smoke into the non-smoker's face will give him cancer.

However, anything will give you cancer these days.