Occupy Camp at McPherson Square.  © 2012 Matt Dunn

© 2011 Matt Dunn

600 Block H Street, NW.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

14th Street NW, March 14

Adams Morgan, July 14

The lone surviving piece of political propaganda after the first Capitol Lounge fire, circa 2005

Popular H Street NE hangout The Argonaut is closed following an apparent kitchen fire on Sunday morning. Photos of the extensive damage have been posted on the place's own web site, which also dishes up some details on the Argo's post-blaze hangover:  

Most of you may not know this, but our kitchen used to be an alley. Which means that the wall separating the kitchen and the bar is an "outside wall" and is several layers of brick. We are very thankful for that brick wall – it helped contain the fire.

Prolific tavern operator Joe Englert, who owns the Argonaut, is no stranger to the inherent fire hazards of the bar and restaurant business. His lawyers just settled a lawsuit with the Hartford Casual Insurance Company over damages associated with a 2007 blaze at one of Englert's other locations, Capitol Lounge on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, according to court records. That fire also damaged the neighboring Trover Shops, which Hartford had insured.

I'm referring to the second Capitol Lounge fire, of course, not the first. Both were reportedly started by errant cigarettes. The first fire, in 2005, radically altered this reformed nightlife reporter's position on D.C.'s smoking ban (although the link to that old City Paper article is, apparently and rather regretably, no longer available).

Argonaut management is organizing a benefit at the neighboring Englert-owned Rock and Rock Hotel on June 30, with proceeds going to help repair the fire damage.

Photo by DCist/Creative Commons Attribution License

Man With Cigar

Smoke Break, 2000

Ice Cream Truck, Smoke Break, 2000

I'm not one for fellating fellow journalists, but I'd make a knee-bruising exception for Slate's Ron Rosenbaum, the first big-name journalist (who's not a card-carrying libertarian) to stick up for President-elect Barack Obama's nicotine addiction.

And not only does Rosenbaum defend our Dear Leader's decision to do whatever the fuck he wants with his discretionary income/lungs, he also accurately captures the sympathies of fun-havers everywhere:

All us sinners—of various habits and forms—loved Obama for it and loathed Brokaw, Walters, and the nation of scolds we have become in their collective attempt to shame the poor guy (yes, president-elect, I know, but here, just a poor, conniving backslider) into some self-scourging confession.

You have to admire Obama's good nature as he puts up with these narrow-minded nannies (addicted to tobacco in their own perverse, negative way) and offers up this masterpiece of obfuscation.

Kudos, Mr. Rosenbaum, and way to stick a finger in the eye of obnoxious social engineers. I wrote about smoking just a few days ago when I thought I might quit due to a cold (I didn't), and a few weeks ago on "Stop Smoking Day" (or whatever it's officially called).

Photo courtesy of flicker user Roomic Cube

But that's not to say I'm celebrating. If I decide to stay off the herb once I'm well again, I'm sure I'll miss the luxury of being addicted to something that smells unpleasant (which, as far as excuses go, is almost as good as having raging diarrhea all the time). Meanwhile, I'm going to watch my favorite smoking clip–which is tied with the bbq toast in Planet Terror as Best Piece of Evidence That Smoking Makes You Cool–this John Waters (anti)PSA from the mid 80s:

And after reading the transcript from yesterday's Meet the Press, I suspect President-elect Barack Obama might try doing the same thing:

MR. BROKAW: Finally, Mr. President-elect, the White House is a no-smoking zone, and when you were asked about this recently by Barbara Walters, I read it very carefully, you ducked.

Have you stopped smoking?

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: You know, I have, but what I said was that, you know, there are times where I've fallen off the wagon. Well...

MR. BROKAW: Well, wait a minute.

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: ...what can I tell...

MR. BROKAW: Then that means you haven't stopped.

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: Well, the–fair enough. What I would say is, is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier, and I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House.

According to a study conducted by "world-renowned scent scientist Alan Hirsch, M.D.," founder of Chicago's Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, banning cigarettes from bars has resulted in people smelling things other than cigarettes in bars. The study, which investigated the odors inside one smoke-free Chicago bar, was sponsored by the folks over at AXE deodorant body spray. According to AXE:

Through a series of scientific tests at a popular Chicago bar, Dr. Hirsch discovered that while the odor of cigarette smoke is gone, equally offensive aromas that were previously hidden have surfaced—and bar patrons were a major cause of the stink, with sweat appearing as one of the top odor contributors to the “bar funk.” While these tests were conducted in only one bar, the results could shed light on why other smoke-free establishments are also experiencing “bar funk.”

The study concluded that "sweat/body odor" was the fourth odor contribution to the scientific state of "bar funk" at that one bar, after "must/earth/mold," "urine-like," and "sour/acid vinegar." Hmm. Did they test for the odor contribution of AXE deodorant body spray?

Photo by SuperFantastic