Blowin' in the Wind

It saddens me public smoking has gone out of favor, and with it, the manufacture of ornate, standing ashtrays. The offices in classic films adorned marvelous chromium pieces to capture the cigarette ash of dangerous dames and smart-mouthed birds.

Now?

Now people just have stackable, plastic table-top ashtrays. Dishwasher-safe. No style. No charm.

Is it any wonder the quality of villain has depreciated steadily over the past fifty years?

For my part I own several which I frequently forget to empty. Arriving finally at the plot of the comic, the winds were not in my favor when I finally did.