6 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015 Dating at an oxygen bar could lead to heavy breathing the atmosphere of an oxygen Ned bar. Hickson [Pause here to catch clever It all started with bottled water. That’s when we, the con- sumers, put our collective feet down and cried out in a unit- ed voice that there was a little thing called The Law of Supply and Demand! And that we’d be willing to break that law for the chance to pur- chase an already free and abundant earthly element if it came in a squeeze bottle. The latest trend is oxygen, which can now be purchased at a growing number of hip “Oxygen Bars” around the country. To prepare for your first venture, you must visualize irony of last sentence] [Thank you for waiting.] Picture a singles bar with attractive people all sitting around conversing. Now, take the wine glasses and beer bot- tles from these people, and replace them with plastic oxy- gen tubes draped over their ears. Add to this sexually charged atmosphere the con- stant hum of an oxygen pump… and there you have it! The terminal-care ward on “Grey’s Anatomy.” OK, that’s the visual. Now let’s work on etiquette. To begin with, flatulating into the end of someone’s oxygen tube is not considered an acceptable “ice-breaker.” Though there are many scent options to choose from, that is not one of them. Also, nothing exposes a first-timer faster than asking for the “smoking section” at an oxy- gen bar ... Come to think of it, that’s not entirely true. The fastest way is actually not asking — and just light- ing up. For you single men out there, remember that the whole purpose of breathing 97 percent pure oxygen is to clarify and revitalize thinking. So pick-up lines that may have sounded clever after four beers at a singles bar now sound something like: “I wish I were a Jedi Knight. Can I live under your couch?” So instead, try one of these savvy lines to entice a prospective date at an oxygen bar: 1) “Excuse me, is this nose-piece taken?” 2) “Can I buy you another minute of air?” Or 3) “This reminds me; what- ever happened to the group ‘Air Supply’?” As with any new and excit- ing trend, knowing the correct terminology and etiquette are crucial. Just as you wouldn’t enter a biker bar and ask for a “Zima,” you wouldn’t want to ruin your first oxygen-bar experience by asking for a nose cannelloni instead of a cannula; while one will blow oxygen through your nostrils, the other will blow ricotta cheese. So, let’s get started by cov- ering some basic terminology: • Cannula — A stylish, plastic tube that delivers oxy- gen to your nose. • Host — Someone carry- ing an illness that can be spread by sneezing on some- one else's cannula (or cannel- loni, for that matter). • Ebola — A deadly, incur- able virus made famous by the movie “Outbreak,” in which Dustin Hoffman con- tracts the virus after trying to pick up on an infected mon- key at a Peruvian oxygen bar. • Life insurance — A poli- cy that will pay your loved ones should you contract the Ebola virus from a cannula (or even a cannelloni). • Swizzle shtick — The act of writing a humor column about oxygen bars. If you’re nervous about taking the first step into this new trend, remember that it’s actually been around for a long time. Japan, for exam- ple, has had oxygen bars for almost 40 years. Mexico, California’s down-wind neighbor, opened its first oxy- gen bar 20 years ago — which, coincidentally, is right about the time Ross Perot started complaining about that “Giant sucking sound.” Lastly, if all else fails, just hold on to your cannula. And don’t forget to breathe. Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation. His book, “Humor at the Speed of Life,” is available online at Port Hole Publications, Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble. Write to him at nedhickson@icloud.com Rotary donates to Yachats Youth, Family program The Florence Rotary Club presented a check in the amount of $815 to the Yachats Youth and Family Activities Program (YYFAP) to help pay for raised flower beds in its community garden. With support from individu- als and organizations like Rotary, YYFAP has successful- ly grown starts from seeds. The seedlings were planted in the garden and have been watered and tended by kids, staff and volunteers. The gar- den has broccoli, kale, chard, fava beans, oregano, chives and carrots. The garden also provides radishes, broccoli and kale for snacks during the afterschool program. Anything extra will be donated to the Yachats Food Pantry. Anyone interested in helping with the garden can visit www.yachatsyouth.org for more information. Happy 50th Birthday Loni Love~ Mom, Paul, Megan, Brian and rest of the family Trudie, Denyse, Shelby and Lalitha Time for a new look? Call and make your appointment today. We look forward to seeing you! COURTESY PHOTO 351 Laurel Old Town Florence 541-997-3160 Rotary president Sadie Ward, YYFAP president Michelle Korgan, YYFAP executive director Alice Beck and Rotary president-elect Crystal Farnsworth. Visit us online: www.TheSiuslawNews.com. IRUPHUO\3UXGHQWLDO3DFL¿F3URSHUWLHV Same great brokers... same excellent service. All the information you ps. need at your fingertips. 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