LeeDarrow wrote:
Once upon a time there were wonderful wristwatches that glowed in the dark without the use of batteries. They glowed because the paint on the hands and numbers was made from radium, a radioactive substance. The watches were very popular.
Then, they were banned.
Not because of a rsik to the public health. Heaven forbid! They were banned because of the proven damages done to the workers who PAINTER the radium on the watches by hand...
...Not to mention that Homeland Security would not let someone wearing a rad source anywhere NEAR an aircraft! 
I know you were kidding, but just as a point of interest. I own two watches, keep absolutely fantastic time. I thought that you might find it interesting how they got over the problem that you cited.
They use tritium now, but it is not painted on, the tritium is placed in very small, sealed containers. (I know it is for most applications, I don't think it is painted on at all.)
Stockard & Yale do this with MilSpec Lensatic Compasses. That same company is also involved with Luminox, who make the watches I wear, I think the people who own Luminox have Stockard & Yale do the tritium work because they have been doing it with compasses since the Vietnam War.
Overseas, Traser makes the same watch, so Luminox is apparently an American Trade Name for that company.
Likewise, for years, self-illuminated, tritium night sights have been made for firearms as well, same technology, sealed containers of tritium.
The watches that I wear cannot be imported into Canada. I joke with my Canadian friends, "Don't feel bad that you cannot own some of the firearms I have, feel bad because you cannot own a really good timepiece because of the bedwetters..."
I have no idea if they would turn me away from the border if I tried to visit Canada because my watch is on a No-Import List or something, but they would not be taking it, I'd go home, screw those trolls. I know a Police Officer in Canada who wants one for work, he cannot even have one imported. I never asked him if they have OK'd tritium night sights for their handguns, etc.
But as far as getting on a plane, I have no idea if they would give you grief, but I know many people with Trasers and Luminox watches who have flown with zero problems. Even if it is enough to peg some meter they would use, it's still a watch and not something nasty.
As to cigarettes, well, that fight is still going on. California has banned smoking in all restaurants and bars now and one town has enacted a regulation that, to smoke on a public street, you must be actively going somewhere - eliminating the clouds around building entrances and exits, supposedly.
Draconian, frankly, IMHO.
There are non-smoking areas where standing (running) vehicles are allowed to spew venom out. It's nonsense to me. It is more about desensitizing the public to further restrictions on every aspect of their life, more than about anything else.
The public versus private property rights and whatnot is an interesting debate...I think someone who own private property should be allowed to run it as they so choose as long as a legal product is being used, and cigarettes are still legal, and I think if you like the food or atmosphere there, you have to tolerate that or find food somewhere else that you enjoy. I don't think your right to *want* Joe Smuckatelli's World Famous Roast Beef Sammiches™ trumps Joe Smuckatelli's private property rights WHATSOEVER. You don't have a *right* to demand Joe Smuckatelli stop smoking in his establishment simply because you think Joe Smuckatelli makes the most wonderful roast beef sandwich you have ever had and you want to eat there.
Now, if good ole' Joe Smuckatelli has the right to run his establishment as he sees fit, he will soon find out one thing or another. People will either come to his place of business because he allows smoking and they like his sandwiches, or they will go elsewhere no matter how great his sandwiches are and his business will suffer. If smokers are in a minority, why is everyone so concerned about this sort of thing? Let a "Joe Smuckatelli" have his way and this person you consider to be obnoxious and uncaring will soon be out of business anyway, right?
The smoking issue is going on - and will continue until someone sets a decent set of rules that everyone can live with.
The anti-smoking side is not going to be happy until it is banned entirely, even in your own home.
But, look on the bright side, then we can have teenagers killing each other in the streets over who gets to sell Marlboros, Kools, Salems and Winstons on what street corner, then, the same people that caused the problem can blame guns and knives some more.
I agree that "private membership" clubs, such as the cigar clubs that have popped up throughout the US, are legit ways to let smokers smoke (or wear rad-crystals) socially in a relatively "public" place.
