Smoking Laws

and it's about time. Ft. Worth is seriously looking at changing the smoking laws within the city limits; and it can't come a moment too soon for my tastes. Don't get my wrong, I'm not interested in taking away the rights of others, I'm much more interested in protecting the rights of me. If there was a bar in my general area who's owner had the balls to make it a non-smoking bar, believe me when I say that's the bar I would frequent. I hate coming home after a long day at work smelling like an ashtray simply because I decided to stop at a pub on the way home for a quick beer. That's my right - stopping for a beer on the way home. I'm not telling smokers they can't smoke, I'm just asking them to choose a different location in which to indulge their habit. Now, the city of Ft. Worth is asking them to do the same. Apparently, the City of Ft. Worth put together an ad hoc group called The Smoking Ordinance Review ad hoc Work Group to gather together recommendations in regards to the existing Ft. Worth smoking ordinance. This is the list they have created and will be discussing in the public meetings scheduled over the next two months. The work group is looking to enact a ban:

• in Restaurants
• in Bars
• in Billiard Halls
• Bingo Parlors
• in Bowling Centers
• in Business/Office Buildings
• in Service Lines, including those that extend out the doors of non-smoking facilities
• within 20 feet of any entrace or openable window of a non-smoking facility

They will provide exemptions for:

• Retail tobacco stores unless they open into a mall or another non-smoking venue
• Outside dining patios, except portions within 20 feet of facility's main entrance.
• Sexually-oriented adult entertainement businesses

If you want more information about the meetings, please contact the City of Ft. Worth Smoking Ordinance Hotline at 817-212-2710.

Bar owners, tobacco companies and smokers are in wild disagreement with the proposals arguing everything from A through Zed. Bar owners are claiming that their sales will go down, when in fact there exists massive data to prove the opposite. Tobacco companies are, of course, upset because they see a decline in sales. But, I expect they will see a decline in sales from the new "sin" tax that goes in effect on 1 January to the amount of $1.00 per pack. Smokers, the most vocal of the lot, are furious that their ability to blow their nasty exhalations at non-smokers will be diminished greatly. I look forward to day when I can, in my own city, walk into a bar and not immediately have to breathe the carcinogenic poisons being exhaled by others. I can do it in the states of California, New York, New Jersey, the countries of Scotland, England & Ireland, the city of El Paso; but I can't do it in the city in which I live. How frustrating. Make your voice heard and let them know that smoking is fine, in the privacy of your home or vehicle, but not in a public venue.

Wastrel On! (Listening to: Pride (in the Name of Love) by U2)

Enjoyable Diversion

This is a very enjoyable diversion, although I understand that addiction can occur. So enjoy, but be careful. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Baby, It's Cold Outside by Lee Ann Womack (featuring Harry Connick, Jr.))

Splashpower

I've been waiting for this for a LONG time. It appears that the consumer world at large is every bit as frustrated with the uselessness of current battery power as I am. So, some folks are taking it into their hands to correct it. My post from yesterday was one employable methodology. This Splashpower is another, much more elegant, solution. I sure as hell hope it works as advertised and that it's inexpensive enough for the commonman.

Trailer available

Oooh my... I'm a geek. I admit it. When I was just exiting High School, a new item swept through the geek world in the form of Transformers. Yeah, Transformers, those über-cool toy-cum-machine things. I bought and stole (yep...not proud of it, either) as many of them as I could because...well, because I'm a geek. And, it's about time for my geek to show again. The new Transformers Movie Trailer is available and I am just about as excited as I've ever been for a movie. As I said, I'm a geek. Check it out. Wastrel On!

news like this

It's news like this that does my little footy-heart good. Now if only we could convince the American populace at large that the sport really is worth watching. I fight the fight, walk the walk & talk the talk at bars & pubs across the country; but I encounter such immense resistance it's disheartening. In fact, the manager at one of my local bars just, pretty much, flat refuses to put footy on for me preferring instead to watch an infomercial about golf-clubs, or the cup-stacking championship or even the opening rounds of the World Domino Tour. Please. Wastrel On!

USB Batteries

Ok, now here's an idea who's time has come. It's long been known that Moore's law, and all the other tech-based theorems just don't seem to apply to batteries. Maybe that can changed one step at a time. Check these out: Groovy. I've not tried them yet, but the whole concept appeals to me greatly. You can read a review of them here. Wastrel On!

Lauren's Return Postponed

After nearly a year out, I was greatly looking forward to Lauren's return to the first XI tonight. But, it's not to be. Sometime between 6:15pm and 6:45pm it became so bloody foggy in ol' England that the Liverpool v Arsenal Carling Cup Quarterfinal has been postponed. Yes, the official, one Martin Atkinson, has deemed the match unplayable. So, for all of us gooners looking to watch Lauren on the pitch again...well too bad. Shan't happen today. Wastrel On! Listening to: Curve of the Earth by Matt Nathanson)

Och aye

Scottish Simpsons? What'll they think of next? Wastrel On!

A Travesty

A travesty on an immense scale!!

Eye Strain

Clever these. The first one gave me the most difficulty: Can you find the C? (Good exercise for the eyes!) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Once you’ve found the C………. Find the 6! 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999699999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 Once you’ve found the 6… Find the N! (it’s hard!!) MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Thanks Wastrel On! (Listening to Awkward Buildings by J. Dimenna)

Underdog the Movie

No, oh no, ohhhh no!!! As a child, I adored Underdog. In fact, to this day I have both an Underdog and a Polly Purebred PVC figure sitting on my desk at the office. This movie looks to be a travesty and almost certainly did not need to be made. Movieblog talks about it IMDB says it's in post-production with a tentative target date in 2007. The movie has some names attached to it, but most of them I don't recognize:

• Some kid named Alex Neuberger will be playing Jack, the boy that Shoeshine (Underdog) befriends.
• Amy Adams is the voice of 'Sweet' Polly Purebred
• Peter Dinklage will be Simon Barsinister (one of the most delightful villains ever!)
• James Belushi is listed in the credits, but I'm unclear why.
• and Jason Lee is the voice of Shoeshine, the Underdog himself.

You'll know Jason Lee as Earl Hickey from My Name is Earl or as the voice of Syndrome in The Incredibles, so at least we have some acting talent behind the embodiment of Underdog. Alex Neuberger is brand new on the acting scene, this being only his second movie despite being 14 years of age. Amy Adams you might recognize as Susan from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby or as Ashley in the acclaimed Junebug. Lastly, Peter Dinklage you will recognize without even necessarily knowing you've done so. He's a dwarf and has developed quite a CV over the past 11 years. Perhaps you saw him as Miles Fince in Elf or as Finbar McBride in The Station Agent? He's a decent actor and will bring a new spin to Simon Barsinister.

All that being said, this movie better not wreck my memories of a perfect childhood hero.

Wastrel On! (Listening to: Parallel You by Valve)

Because the World's an Odd Place

Every so often you run across a site that just requires a bit of discussion. From the day I was born, on Halloween, I've been intrigued (some might label it obsession) by the strange, the weird, the supernatural, the unexplainable & the downright bizarre. It's true that I, in no way, match Charles Fort's -- from whom we garner the term fortean -- massive obsession that led to cult phenomena. No, I'm just a borderline obsessive geek that seeks out and devours stories of the oddities in our world. This newly-discovered site gathers together a few of the odd bits & bobs of our world and places them in one easily digested location for your entertainment. This particular page is the one that captured my attention because I've read about & discussed these folk for many years. Now, everyone else can, too. Wastrel On! Listening to: The Novaks by the Novaks

New Jersey has a shore?

As my delusional friend over at the Beautiful Tornado says, "This will humble you," as you attempt to match country names with their location on a world map. How well can you do?

and why the hell not...

this platform worked for "W".

A New Job

After much waffling, much discussion and much wringing of hands, I'm taking a new position. It was not, by any means, an easy choice. I truly enjoy my current position, the people I work with (except for three, whom I truly loathe), my boss (great lady!) and the work. Really; I do enjoy the work. It's consistently challenging and enjoyable. So, why the need for change? Well, money is the primary motivator here. It pretty much had to be. In the transportation industry a 6% raise (as some would have you believe) is pretty much a thing of the past. Our cost of living raise was delivered this past April at a sparkling 1.5%. That doesn't compete with my cost of living. Oh no, it doesn't. My house payment has risen more than $200 in the last 5 years. If it continues in that vein, I'll be stacking a second cardboard box on top of the first just so I can have a second floor. Yes, money was primary. The job should come with a monetary raise even though the move is lateral; and I have a commitment for a review in 6 months to a year that could result in both a promotion and another raise. Thse were key factors in my decision. Then there's the job itself. I'm fearful, but jubilant. Either way, as a friend recently said to me, "fate has a way of whizzing on those who wait." So, it's in my hands now. I've lept from the cliff edge, I just hope my wings are strong enough to hold me aloft. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Even When I'm Blue by Steve Earle)