Various foxtrots with Sundry

[lagilman]

January in New Haven: our street is seeing a steady parade of heating oil trucks making deliveries. $100 a barrel. Owwwwwww.

Cheap Fun: Cats, boxes, and catnip.

It hasn't been all observation. I have been busy getting things off my desk, including a short story that has been simmering for two years. I looked at it this morning and thought "oh, not (supernatural creature) but (supernatural creature)!" And it all fell into place. Not done yet, but I grok it. Rewriting comes next. And I still have no idea if it's a viable story or not. That's the kicker -- you've got to do it and no guarantees. Digging ditches isn't easier, but at least at the end of the day you know you've got a ditch. And the muscle aches are probably the same.

on the financial front:
Ten resolutions that will help you survive the coming bear market Not sure I agree with all of his suggestions, but he raises important points that you should have in mind, even if you don't play the market.

on the international front:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080102/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_france_smoking_ban_1

A Paris without smokes? As a former smoker, I understand the push to create smoke-free public areas. I even support it, within reason (no smoking in restaurants, yes. No smoking in open-air stadiums? GMAFB). But the thought of sitting in a cafe in Paris, specifically, now without a smoker to my left and a smoker to my right, and a smoker behind me... I dunno. Somehow it just seems wrong.

Comments

[smoemeth.livejournal.com]

Actually, since the new law means I can actually travel in France again, I welcome it wholeheartedly. (Plus if my employer actually manages to get that France tour together for this year, she'll be able to survive it without coming down with severe bronchitis three days in.)

[lagilman]

I just get hives at the Big Brother "we will tell you what to do in public" attitude that swept over this country and seems to be spreading... I figured the French would be the very last holdouts, for sheer stubborness if nothing else.

[katfeete.livejournal.com]

One can, however, be informed that one has dug the ditch a foot too far to the left, and must fill it in, pack down the dirt, and re-dig the damned thing a foot away.

I speak with authority here.

But yes, writing does seem to be one of the more frustrating ways to spend a day.

[lagilman]

One can, however, be informed that one has dug the ditch a foot too far to the left, and must fill it in, pack down the dirt, and re-dig the damned thing a foot away.

I didn't know you had been in the military! (or, perhaps, worked summer crew for the DOT...)

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. It is sooo very *right*! We likes this new law. *pets shiny new law* The thing is to see whether or not it works. The French are not very … disciplined. They may very well just ignore the law. Depends on how the authorities enforce it. I don't see Café owners kicking their customers out for smoking.

[lagilman]

oh, they thought of this -- part of the new law involves significant fines for cafes that don't notice/enforce the law. That seems unfair to me -- hit the scofflaws, not the standbys, but maybe that's what it will take.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the SO pointed out to me that the owners have a point in saying they are not the police. If they ask someone to leave for smoking, and that person refuses? What can they do?

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

I didn't think the Irish would take to their smoking ban but indeed, they have. So have the Brits - being in a pub now is far more pleasant (especially since my partner's just had a bout of throat cancer that was probably, the doc thinks, caused by inhaling other people's smoke in EU offices. I'm a lot less tolerant of the practice than I used to be...). When we were over in November, the difference between English bars and Parisian ones was really noticeable in terms of smokiness.

I have been watching the market with a lot of attention since, obviously, it impacts on retail. We're currently not investing at all (I don't necessarily recommend this, BTW) but my partner is a semi-pro gambler on horse racing, and very good at it (my father gave him quite a large sum to bet with, but the lease came up for the shop. I have not been able to bring myself to tell my dad that we took the money intended for gambling and spent it on something sensible). Do what you love, I guess, as Mr B suggests!

We'll need it - I just paid £230 for a tank of heating oil (not sure how much that is in quantity - it's about 23p a litre). Costs us about a grand a year to heat this place.

[lagilman]

oh, I didn't say it wouldn't be welcome -- just wrong.

I admit that I miss being able to lean against the bar and have the smell of smoke curl around me, but i acknowledge that I am rare among non- and former-smokers in that I like the smell of freshly-smoked cigarettes and cigars. It's a comforting smell to me, not an unpleasant one, and doesn't trigger any serious cravings on my art to start smoking again. So my view on all this is probably oddly biased.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

I've never smoked, but I don't mind it as such, unless it gets very dense. I like cigar smoke. Other people's health issues make one very paranoid, however, if they're smoke-related.

OTOH, my grandmother smoked because she thought it kept the germs away and died at 90 of something completely unrelated.