Bag Law: Ellensburg Public Library

The library continues to get donated bags and is giving them away for free still. It is NOT affected by the bag law.


--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Smartphones Remind Me of Star Trek Tricorder, Phil of the Future Wizard

What's interesting about smartphones these days? They remind me of a real life Star Trek Tricorder, or a Phil of the Future Wizard.

Both are supposed to be futuristic descendents of the then-popular-90s-PDA. PDAs were popular in the 90s, at least for the rich, or mid-class.

Now, we actually have a 2000s replacement for the PDA. I'm sure you could still find them, but they are uncommon. Tablets came out and started to replace them. But the killer App, was the smartphone.

A smartphone is the combination of a standard cell phone, even what used to be considered a smartphone, and a tablet-like device of some kind.

A smartphone is in every since, the first widely available PDA for just about any class of citizen. Those with more money saved, can own several. They make good tablets, if you want. But they are also good for PDAs, or cell phones.

Remember the captain's log in Star Trek? Well, you could do that if you wanted with the smartphone. It's like a personal tricorder hooked into the 24th century star trek computer.

It's also like a Phil of the Future Wizard. It can't instamorph you or anything. But, like the wizard, it's descended from PDAs, and it has lots of functions.

Both futuristic gadgets, missed the App, however. The App is what gives it it's power. The App, or Application, is a type of program made for it to do high-level, user friendly work or give pleasure.

I sometimes wish I could rewrite a show like star trek, to include devices from today, but more futuristic. Wouldn't that make a great show!

Again, vlogs, are something that the star trek franchise failed to see. vlogs, or Video Blogs, or Video Web Logs, are ways to keep a diary of things. It's now becoming popular, and it will be interesting to see all of these technologies in the future, real and imagined.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

More Websites Planned for SMILEYNET Network

There is the strong possibility that in the near enough future, there will be more websites provided by the SMILEYNET network. Be on the lookout for them. They will take some time to code, however.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Bag Law: What Does the Law Say? - Update

Here is the law: https://www.ci.ellensburg.wa.us/848/Carryout-Bags.

So the only thing they, MUST provide free of charge to anybody who is exempt, is a paper bag. It doesn't say whether they can provide plastic bags free of charge or not when you are exempt. It also doesn't say you have to "pay with EBT".

I'm going to fight for a more specific law.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Bag Law: What Does the Law Say?

I will be researching the bag law and seeing what it actually says within the next few minutes.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Bag Law: Dollar Tree - Update

At Dollar Tree, they indeed seem to have their cash register "rigged" to figure out the bag fee by itself. I can't prove it yet. However, when I payed with EBT, there was no charge for the bag. They are only honoring it if you pay with EBT.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Bag Law: I Payed my First Fee

I paid my first fee on January 19th. I had a large item at Goodwill, and wanted to protect it. I decided on a bag, because I couldn't get it in another bag if I'd brought one. Rather than inquire about the exemption first there, I opted to just pay the $.10 fee for the bag for that time. A small inconvienience for that purchase.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---