Ok, I have had enough!   I ride the MUNI, and continue to me amazed at the slovenly, lazy people they continue to employ!

This is the typical employee at the Castro Station (intersection of Market and Castro streets for those who don't know.

I went through the typical event of showing this woman my pass (it is a monthly that is NOT magnetic, so they actually have to press a single button to allow me in through the turnstile.   Heaven forbid they actually have to excert ANY bit of work effort.

After they typical DELAY, because they don't want to be bothered, you will get, and I did as usual, the look of contempt, she leans forward to begrudgingly press that one single button.   Not even pausing her apparent important phone call!    I wish I was that important.

Well this morning, I had enough!   I went back and took this picture

The look was the same as I got when she had to lean forward to the button just above her hand!   After I took the picture, she ran out after me, demanding to know why I took the picture!  (Now if she moved that quickly normally to do her job, I wouldn't be doing this post!

I informed her I wanted proof of her being lazy and on the phone while supposedly working.   She then threatened me with calling the authorities, and a couple other colorful obscenities that I won't repeat, as you can already draw your own conclusions about this person! 

If this woman is paid over minimum wage, or even at minimum wage, she is over paid!   The MUNI needs to fire slovenly, lazy people like this! 

And in all fairness, she is NOT the only one like this, there is an older man that works the station, I typically see him in the evenings when I come home from work.   I believe it is their responsibility to see that things are working; but I would say 9 out of 10 times, if he is on, I will find the escalator not working.   I believe someone shuts the emergency power button, but he should be aware of this right?

Anyway, MUNI, all your posturing about getting better, is not ringing true, when you have bums like this working for you.   FIRE THEM!  You can easily find people that will actually do a good job!

My first reaction is that San Francisco's bumbling idiocy continues unabated!

Because they weren't  able to control the crowds last year, there going to take it away from everyone.   Ultimately, with the size of troop support they put on the ground, they could have been proactive, and actually had a great Halloween!   

Maybe Mr. Dufty was too busy this year to plan for it.   But he is an entire book of issues that I could comment about (Oh and I will in other posts).

My feelings are rather strong on this one, especially after just returning from New Orleans for it's celebration of Halloween.   I walked around without fear or trepidation.   Funny, isn't New Orleans supposed to be so unsafe?  (For full disclosure; I still retain my residence in New Orleans)

I have spent many Halloweens here in San Francisco and have usually been in the Castro with my friends.   However, because of the militant stance that the I felt the police were taking, I found somewhere else to be!   I also suggested to my friends to be away from it.  To be away from the cities anger.  

Unlike the officers in New Orleans, while stern, will shoo you away from trouble, rather than arrest you if they can.   Instead I saw hoards of officers, huddled together like packs of ravenous Hyenas.   They were so amped up, ready to start something.   The energy was angry, not frightening!   That phrase; "Don't taze me bro, Don't taze me!" kept echoing through my mind.   They were not here to help, they were here to dominate, intimidate and terrorize.  There were more troops on the ground then civilians!

My deepest sympathies go out to all the businesses in the Castro.  They are the ones that suffered the most!  Though I don't believe they were officially told to close, it certainly appeared that they were coerced to do it!  Brings you back to the days of prohibition doesn't  it?  You have to wonder how much money they lost because of it?   Hell, they should be allowed to sue the city for it!  But then again, can you be insured against a cities incompetence?  I would certainly encourage every business owner in the Castro to look into it!

The day of the dead truly was Castro's day of it's death!   May it not lay in peace, but come back to life!  To bring the frivolity and laughter back.   It was sorely missed!

And a reminder to Mr. Dufty, you have about 1 year to plan it!   Please set yourself a reminder on a To-Do list this year, so you don't embarrass the city and yourself again!   To bad they can't just fire you for your gross incompetence!  

I am here!    I arrived at 11:41PM Central Time at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.   You should have seen the smile on my face.   Started when the man in front of me was telling his seat-mate that we were over a swamp, on the approach to the airport.

My big suggestion;  don't fly United.   Read on;

You can't tell me that the airlines aren't forcing you to upgrade and spend more money!   I am a 6'1" tall man.   I weight 169lbs.    Bear in mind, while you read this, that I have lost over 125lbs in the last two years, so this isn't because of ME growing.

I was sitting between to people, a gentleman to my left, maybe 20 years my senior and a woman to my right, that I would guess to be around my age.   Neither of them large people.    But I sat with my knees pressed against the seat in front of me, the entire segment, and almost no space between me and the armrests.  And of course the person in the seat in front of me, needed to recline their seat as far back as possible.  I would not have had to brace for impact, should that have been required.  There was no way I was going anywhere!

The woman, was explaining to me how she was offered at 14$ choice to upgrade to United's highly advertised "Economy Plus".   There is even a membership program for it!    They must make up for that space in the Economy .  You'll notice, no specification on what space there is.   

I would be happy if they would have given us just ONE more inch!  Then my knees would not have been on the seat in front of me!

But they got me!   I got off that segment, and walked right to the counter and upgraded the second segment (at 44$) (They said because more miles) so I could have that extra room!  BEFORE YOU DO IT, SEE HOW FULL THE FLIGHT IS!!!!!! I could have saved the 44$ and moved up like everyone else did for free!   The second segment had many empty seats.   They got me!   But whats the phrase?  Get me once, shame on you, get me again, shame on ME!   Won't happen. 

OK, I did enough whining.   I am off to spend some time with my friends and family!   I am sure I will have many things to share!

This is going to be a short post! 

Go celebrate this with your friends and family!   

Happy Twelfth Night!  Happy Carnival!  May it be joyous!  Get some cake!

As I said back in this post, the Baby Bell's here in the states needed to offer Unbundled or Naked DSL.   They were holding DSL Hostage!

It has always been a sticking point with me, that they would force you to have a phone line, when you didn't use it or need it.

Now a FCC requirement with the MCI/Verizon merger and the SBC/Att Merger will be required to offer the service!

The details are here, so I don't need to repeat it.   Needless to say I am most happy to see this happening.

Resolve to visit New Orleans in '07 is the name of the article I came across New Years Eve! 

I am sitting here, still in California.   All plans for getting home for at least New Years have been dashed.   

I was out the other  morning, walking the dog.   I watched the people, there cold sterile glances, as though I don't exist. No-one says, "Mornin'",  not a smile, or even a momentary pause.   I feel alien here, so lost and so alone.   

I think back to home, remembering Community Coffee's aroma filling the neighborhood.  Or the  workers from Hubigs Pies, on their way home.   Laughing and talking, but someone would always wave or say "hi", or "good morning".

My family and friends will celebrate tonight.    Unfortunately without me, but happy that life is returning to normal there.   Slowly things change and improve.  These people, my friends and my family and everyone there, deserve our respect.    THEY are the ones rebuilding the city. 

My New Years toast to my friends and my family;  "Good riddance to 2006, all the heartache and pain.  It sure was a shitty year!   May 2007 bring everyone happiness, prosperity and everything you wish for!   Happy New Years!"

Well it has happened!   According to this Times-Picayune article, the service went live on December 22.

I am very pleased to see this happen!   I think access should be available to everyone, especially now, while everyone is struggling to get their lives back in order.

Ah, but it is not all happy news.   The network doesn't cover down by my house in the Faubourg Marigny.   

Either way, it is definitely a big plus!  And shows how the city will continue to grow and prosper.

The History Channel article surprised me!    New Orleans got her papers today, way back in 1803.   She was part of the Louisiana Purchase.

This is definitely one of the issues of not being home.    You just can't replace the human interaction of people.   The little tidbit of news here, a little gossip there.    Its such a great way to learn things.

If your a history buff, you will find all the little pieces interesting.  

Have you ever had Praline bacon?    As they say, "Its so good, it make you slap your Momma!" and it's Elizabeth's claim to fame.  Nestled in the Bywater on Gallier street, adjacent to the Mississippi river.

Cover thick bacon with crushed toasted pecans and brown sugar.  Broil the pieces of bacon until the brown sugar and pecans melt together.

This is something I miss terribly.   Elizabeth's was our Sunday ritual.   We weren't church going people, so we would usually mosey down around 1.   Later than most, but it was always a treat.   

Chad, who is one of my dearest friends (and is my family), is who I blame for my addition to Praline Bacon's   Chad is the twirling blur of a person, speeding threw the otherwise unhurried restaurant.  Always attentive, but never intrusive!

He always greeting us with, "hi boys! Sit right there!  Two coffees?"   He would hurry off into the kitchen,  returning with those warm Praline Bacon's and our coffee.    These were such fond memories.

I have only been there a couple times since the storm.  Ms. Heidi has sold the place to a friend, for its continued care.  Ms. Heidi introduced me to Zcoil shoes, but that another story.  She's gone, moved to North Carolina I believe.

And my friend Chad, he's so far away too.  But one things I am thankful for, is he is somewhere!  He's safe.   And I can continue to hound him to get home!   

The storm scattered my family,  Not biological, they abandoned me a long time ago.;  But friends like Chad and Keith and John, they are my family!   And I will need them now, more than every!

At my house, we had to replace all three refrigerators.  This is John posing with them, after we managed to get them out of the house!   You want to talk about a NASTY task!   They were taped closed so the maggots and other bugs wouldn't get loose in the house.  . Every so often (there was not real schedule), trucks would come along and pick them up, and haul them away.

This is "The Fridge Lot" as I called it.  This was the first stop for the collected refrigerators.   This was at a used car lot in the 1700 block of North Rampart St.

You would then see bigger trucks come and pick them up, and take them away.   I believe they went to the landfill, but I don't know for sure.

On December 5, 2005, our three new refrigerators are delivered!  I remember sitting there in a cold drizzling rain, watching the truck drive up.  I remember the smell of the wet cardboard, as they unboxed everything..

This is another thing that you started to accept as just normal.   You would see these trailers, full of refrigerators, rushing through the city.   I noticed they weren't around nearly as much in the next couple trips home.

And then this is how my refrigerator looks now:

On traffic cams, I would have to side with the government.   In an article from the Times-Piq, they are reporting that the ACLU is protesting the installation of traffic cams at some intersections.

My question is why?  Have any of those ACLU members taken the time to watch these intersections?  Traffic signals are treated as a joke.  As a driver, I never move when a light changes to green, until I see that one additional car race thru against the green!   

While I love New Orleans, them drivers is crazy!   

This is on Elysian Fields by my house.  The signal is out because of Katrina. 

This was reported from New Zealand's own government website beehive.govt.nz!

Why does this matter?

Currently in the US, if you want to get DSL service, you need to have landline phone service from the local provider, typically one of the Baby Bell's.    And typically its $20.00 or more for just a basic phone line.

The Baby Bell's made a huge mistake forcing DSL providers to use bundled Local Services.  The price point just made DSL to expensive.   The Cable companies, obviously saw this as an opportunity, and took it!

Today started with a jarring ring of the phone.   It was about an opportunity back in New Orleans!  The voice on the other end asking me, "Would you be interested in a position, working in the CBD?" 

This is the library where FEMA setup one of their centers to help people in the CBD.

Across the street at 1111 Tulane, was were I used to work in the CBD.

The person explained the position, and it sounds like something I would really like to do!    I talk with the recruiter and technical people.   As the conversation winds to an end, I thank them for their time, and repeat my interest in the position.

Hanging up the phone, I begin to wonder; How did I do?  Were they impressed?  Would they offer me the job.   Was I a good fit?

Its the torture of waiting after these kind of phone calls that make me crazy.   At the same time, knowing that if I do accept a position, it is still a very limited high-tech market.    The contract could end and/or not be extended.   It makes it very difficult to make a decision. 

At the same time, I am conflicted with being here.   I have started to make some new friends.   They offer hope.  They are supportive and encouraging.   

While many of my friends and family I knew in New Orleans, will not return.

And some are gone!

There will be too many Second Lines, each one bitter sweet.    The privilege to participate is truly an honor!  And if you ever have the privilege to participate, do so.  It is truly an amazing experience.

We lost so many people/children.  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SPECIAL!  They will be not be forgotten!