Monday, May 02, 2005

2 MAY 05: FILTERED KINGS



You'd never know it simply by driving past them, but Sunday was a day of change at Columbus-area Burger Kings. The Shuster Enterprises restaurants went smoke-free - so if you're hoping for a return of the Smoky Barbecue Whopper, you may be disappointed.



BLOG EXCLUSIVE: A survey by your blog shows only one fast-food chain in Columbus now allows smoking inside its restaurants. Burger King is the last of the local hamburger chains to go "smoke-free" - perhaps because of years of pressure on "the King" by Parliament and Viceroy.



We called 11 fast-food restaurants around Columbus Sunday evening, all with different famous-name chains. We found ten of them do NOT allow smoking, and in most cases it's system-wide. It's as if they're telling smokers to be like the Marlboro cowboy, and only smoke in the middle of a cattle ranch.



(I'm sure there's a politically correct word game we can play on this issue. One side says restaurants are "smoke-free," while the other side argues they should have "freedom to smoke" where they wish. Just wait until the cigarette smokers argue it's a matter of self-expression.)



Some of the restaurant chains banning smoking aren't that surprising, if you think about it:


+ Subway - where you're supposed to stay thin through Jared's sandwiches, not cigarettes.



+ Taco Bell - since you can pick up packets of "FIRE" taco sauce if you want something hot.



+ Church's Chicken - offering jalapeno peppers as a nostril-filling alternative.



So which fast-food restaurant chain is the remaining exception to the no-smoking rule? It's Captain D's Seafood. The person who answered the phone at the Victory Drive restaurant told the blog they have smoking and nonsmoking sections. So which group has to walk through one to reach the other, and risk jeers of ridicule?



For the record: our smoking survey also included Arby's, Burger King, Church's, Hardee's, KFC, Krystal, McDonald's, Subway, Taco Bell and Wendy's. We did NOT bother calling Sonic Drive-Ins - where we presume customers still can smoke in the privacy of their cars, without even needing to stand next to the dumpster.



Sunday's change by Burger King comes as Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue faces an agonizing decision about smoking. A bill on his desk would ban smoking in almost all public places - but Perdue fears the state shouldn't "play nanny" when it comes to health. So what's the state doing now, when it comes to murder and arson?



A great deal of politics is involved in this smoking bill. Governor Perdue comes from Middle Georgia, where Brown and Williamson Tobacco has laid off thousands of workers in recent years - and Georgia does have some tobacco farmers. If he signs the bill into law, those groups could spit wads of chaw on all his campaign signs next year.



One more note about fast-food: the Phenix City Wal-Mart SuperCenter is hiring staff for a new Blimpie's sandwich shop. It apparently will replace the "Radio Grill" in the back - which is yet another sign iPods are in and radios are out.



E-MAIL UPDATE: What we somewhat expected is now official -- an organized protest of Mayor Bob Poydasheff's proposed budget. We learned about it Sunday from a frequent writer:



Please attend the Public Safety Protest and Picket on May 3rd 2005 at 3:30pm at the Government Center.



Afterwards, supporters will attend the council meeting concerning the budget.



The real victim of the shortage of Police Officers is the citizens of Columbus. They are the ones having to wait for several hours for Police to respond to their calls for service.



Our councilors are having meeting after meeting trying to get help from the community in order to come up with suggestions of how to better serve the community. As a community, we should show them how they should better serve us...by not voting for them in the next election. We all stood together and voted down the tax increase. Lets do the same and vote all of them out of office.



Thanks,



Wade Sheridan



OK, Wade, I expect you to follow the example of other Columbus protesters - and call off this picket sometime today.



But do you see the paradox in Wade Sheridan's letter? People like him voted down a one-cent sales tax last November. Now they plan to protest proposed cuts in public safety, which are happening because they voted no. These critics have a great future in Capital One commercials.



I've heard from a few critics of Wade Sheridan's "IsOurCitySafe" e-mail drive. But another message from him shows Sheridan also has some fans:



I sure hope there are more people that feel the same on election day.



Wade



I think what you are doing is great. I would also encourage every to go to the polls next year and start voting these city administrators out of office. Don't allow them to become a useless relic like Red McDaniel.



Keep up the good work and God Bless



There's one problem with these words of support. Councilor Red McDaniel had opposition for reelection last year, and won with ease. People in his district apparently don't think he's useless - at least as long as he keeps appearing on WRCG's "TalkLine."



Our InBox also has a short note from WRBL reporter Desiree Taylor. It indicates Muscogee County Teacher of the Year Leslie Robertson DID indeed receive a "Golden Apple Award." But the link Taylor provided to proof at WRBL's web site didn't work when I tried it -- so maybe this week's award should go to a computer science teacher.



SPAM-A-RAMA: The weekend e-mail also was filled with messages from at least seven different names, about a supposedly red-hot stock pick.



DGCP Trading at $0.40 a share….. Average daily volume of 680 over the past 3-months.. Investors confidence in this company is increasing by the moment!.... Invest in DGCP (Symbol DGCP.OB).



Diagnostic Corporation of America is in the process of obtaining outpatient diagnostic! healthcare facilities in the hopes of merging a number of these facilities into a single network, offering superior expertise and efficiency in the medical field. Once again revolutionizing the medical industry, DGCP is likely to become America's leading suppliers of DMX (Digital Motion XRay) within the coming months....



This company is prepared to meet the demands of the ever-changing 21st century with their expertise, our technological superiority over our competitors and our willingness to compete.



Now hold on a minute - "our" technological superiority?! Whose? The spammers?! Do they plan to keep the competition so busy deleting e-mails that they can't accomplish anything?



I admit I know nothing about the DMX's described in this spam offer. I'm still amazed by BMX's - and how bicycle motocross riders don't need DMX's after going over all those bumps.



Now let's declare "may day" to spam, and review other May Day notes:


+ The Short Stop convenience store on Lee Road 240 in Phenix City lowered its gas price to $1.99 9/10 a gallon. Wow - what Georgia Lottery jackpot did this manager win?



+ The Gwinnett County, Georgia prosecutor said he's considering whether to file criminal charges against confessed "runaway bride" Jennifer Wilbanks. At least she could be accused of stealing the copyrighted idea of that Julia Roberts movie....



+ Auburn University researchers showed off what they call the first-of-its-kind "hybrid catfish." First of its kind? I thought the Columbus Catfish already had that -- you know, Hook the mascot....



+ Phenix City Central won a rare rain-delayed Sunday high school baseball game over Montgomery Jeff Davis, to advance in the state playoffs. The next matchup is "Baker vs. Central" - and I say anyone who played for the old Baker High School against Central years ago should get in free.



+ CBS showed the NCAA women's gymnastics final at Auburn University - and it revealed Beard-Eaves Coliseum had a large number of empty seats weekend before last. Did that many people in Opelika and Auburn keep Passover weekend? After all, it looked like CBS sportscaster Bonnie Bernstein didn't - and she's Jewish.



+ Jeff Gordon won the "Aaron's 499" NASCAR race at Talladega, Alabama. The President of Aaron Rents told MRN Radio during the race it's called a "499" because "we like to have fun with numbers." Like what - maybe 40 percent interest on rentals?



+ Instant message to the Howard Johnson Inn and Suites: If I follow the directions on your Oglethorpe Bridge billboard - "left at stop light, then 4 blocks on left" -- I miss your Veterans Parkway motel by two blocks. If your staff that good at computing nightly rates?



COMING SOON: How to get a tan on the beach, not far from downtown Columbus....



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