Day 10, January 12, Wednesday

Worked off and on all day on the Sketchbook Project. Almost finished. Don't like what I've done as I got totally distracted.  The theme was to be "Coffee and Cigarettes" and I had in mind an ethereal set of photos, smoke drifting, coffee steam wafting....remembering moments in movies as the stars inhaled. Instead, when I got started, I came across a huge article on how the cigarette manufacturers have so manipulated the paper that the tobacco is wrapped in to control the amount and heat of smoke as it's inhaled, the filter has a series of very specific punches in it to allow only so much smoke, no more no less. The nicotine itself is no longer just tobacco. It's reprocessed, combined with paper goods, sprayed with chemicals......

I got so angry that the whole Sketchbook became a protest against cigarettes and what's being proferred by the cigarette companies.

The worst of all the items I came across:  The Marlboro Man, in 1992, dying of lung cancer, went to the Philip Morris shareholders meeting asking the company to voluntarily limit its advertising. The Chairman, Michael Miles, responded: "We're certainly sorry to hear about your medical problem. Without knowing your medical history, I don't think I can comment any further."  The Marlboro Man died of lung cancer three months later. Stunning in its absurdity.