Wow, this is sad news:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/23/carson.obit/index.html

My mom was a huge fan of his; and I grew up watching The Tonight Show. He was 79 years young and a victim of emphysema. A sad day for U.S. television history.

I grew up with him too! I hated it when he retired.

It's amazing when you think of all the careers he launched!

RB

Certainly is the end of an era. I see that he died of emphysema. The news stories I've seen concentrated on his life - rightly so - but didn't really give any details of his death. My mother also died of emphysema and was a chronic smoker until the very end.

I'm not saying this to ruffle any feathers.

I watched my Aunt die of Emphysema (she sucked on an O2 tank in between puffs), my GF's Mom has it now, and I am a former heavy smoker, so I can sympathize with those afflicted with it.

At the same time the word "victim" is a pretty loaded term to use when it comes to self-inflicted diseases. It's akin to being a "victim" of obesity.

I'm sure it was just torturous for you to watch your mother keep smoking, Boyd, and I'm very sorry she, and you, had to go through that experience.

I'm a pretty liberal, but I really wish they (the all powerful "they") would flat-out ban cigarrettes.

To anybody that's not a smoker, you have no idea how hard it is to quit. I quit three years ago, and still crave them pretty often.

If you haven't had one yet, don't ever try it. It'll just sap you of your money and your health.