Smoke and mirrors?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="More">More</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="smoking">smoking</span> <span word="e">e</span>-<span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quitting">quitting</span> <span word="tool">tool</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span>.” <span word="All">All</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="More">More</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="smoking">smoking</span> <span word="e">e</span>-<span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span>, <span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="taste">taste</span> <span word="tobacco">tobacco</span>-<span word="like">like</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="presumably">presumably</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="little">little</span>, <span word="less">less</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="nicotine">nicotine</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="quit">quit</span> <span word="smoking">smoking</span> <span word="altogether">altogether</span>, <span word="e">e</span>-<span word="cigarettes">cigarettes</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="help">help</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="least">least</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="infer">infer</span> <span word="from">from</span> “<span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span>”.</p><p>“<span word="Smoke">Smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="relatively">relatively</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> (1980-85, <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span>.<span word="com">com</span>). <span word="They">They</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stage">stage</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="magician">magician</span> <span word="performs">performs</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span>/<span word="her">her</span> <span word="tricks">tricks</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="magician">magician</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="turns">turns</span> <span word="on">on</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="audiences">audiences</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="spumes">spumes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="billowing">billowing</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>, <span word="reflecting">reflecting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="scene">scene</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span>-<span word="filled">filled</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="choking">choking</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bewildering">bewildering</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="helpful">helpful</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magician">magician</span> – <span word="They">They</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="distract">distract</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="he">he</span>/<span word="she">she</span> <span word="performs">performs</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="tricks">tricks</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magician">magician</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="right">right</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="audience">audience</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="mesmerized">mesmerized</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="marvel">marvel</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magician">magician</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span>.</p><p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mirrors">mirrors</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magician">magician</span> <span word="hide">hide</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span>/<span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="doing">doing</span>.</p>
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