Smoking ban

In July the smoking ban will come into force in England and frankly I can’t wait. Suddenly it will be possible to enjoy a meal in a restaurant or a drink in a pub without having to feel as if you’re being fumigated in someone else’s nasty habit.

I was a heavy smoker for years and gave up only four years ago. I would never want to become one of those militantly born-again anti-smoking ex-smokers. But I have to say that a holiday I had in Dublin last year, where the ban has been in place for a while, proved to me that this is the way to go. If they can live with a smoking ban in public places in Ireland then it can be done anywhere.

For years I used to hate it when having a meal in a nice restaurant I would feel the burning (pun intended) need to light up in-between courses. After finishing a meal I would sit there wondering: How long before I can smoke one? I would envy the non-smokers in the company who would just enjoy the meal for the sake of the food itself.

So, bring on the smoking ban. It may even impel some smokers to give it up and join the healthier brigade.

Fatty Hicks

For those of you following the Aussie Hicks saga:

http://timblair.net/ee/index.php/weblog/australias_biggest_loser_and_david_hicks/

Is my tea ready, Jeeves?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/05/30/dl3003.xml

Coen brothers

Watched ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou’ again on the free film channel Film Four, and once again enjoyed this imaginative flick. They must have a real love for the stories they tell and it shows in the many diverse themes these directors choose to depict.

John Torturro must be one of their favourite actors. He was fabulously downtrodden in ‘Barton Fink’, creepily on the money as Jesus, the pederast bowler in ‘The Big Lebowski’, and he always brings out a fine performance in whatever he does.

I love the surreal humour and light touches that the Coen brothers adopt in their film repertoire. I think my all time favourite film of theirs must be ‘The Big Lebowski’, although I’d rather not have to choose as each of their films can be considered unique in their own right.

My fondness for these films started back in the dark ages with ‘Raising Arizona’ and continues to this day. I hope they keep on making many more of these wonderful movies.

Fruitcake alert!

It really takes all kinds, especially in the South-West:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6689999.stm

BlogSire's treasure trove of blogging info

A fellow Aussie runs a very good blog called Blogsire at http://www.blogsire.com/myblog/
This is a veritable treasure trove of insightful information on opportunities for bloggers and anyone who maintains a personal site who wants to make the most of what's out there. I often browse the latest entries to see if BlogSire has anything new to report and am never disappointed. Do check it out!

It's just not fair, is it?

http://timblair.net/ee/index.php/weblog/chicks_get_midgets/