April 2008 Archives
We were up and out ridiculously early this morning, to fetch the kiddo from this year's Academic Games national tournament, which was held in Orlando. The New Orleans contingent took a chartered bus there and back, and the bus returned to Brother Martin just before 0600.
My son didn't go out on the bus, because the BMHS Jazz Band played their spring concert last Wednesday evening:
Mine's the bone player on the end. He got into Academic Games because both his brother and his old man (once upon a time) played the games. Dad lettered and did OK at the city level, but never won nationally. Big brother (who is now at Ga Tech) did very well in the games, and is now in the AGLOA Hall of Fame. Since little brother puts most of his emphasis and effort on band, nobody really had expectations that he'd follow in big brother's Academic Games footsteps. Imagine our surprise when he came home with this haul:
The New Orleans league competes in four games: On-Sets, Equations, Presidents, and Propaganda. That's two math, one Social Studies, and one Language Arts. Little brother and one other 8th grader from Brother Martin were on a team with a girl from Haynes and a boy from St. Charles Borromeo. (When enough kids qualify for nationals, they make single-school teams; when there aren't enough, they make teams from the league.) AGLOA's signature award is Rodin's "Thinker." The big trophies are for individual titles, the smaller ones for team wins. The colors are Bronze-Third, Silver-Second, Gold-First. Little brother's team placed third in Propaganda, Second in Equations, and he picked up an individual third in Propaganda. Additonally, he received one medal for a perfect score in the elimination rounds of Equations and another for top-ten in Presidents. The acrylic trophy is for placing in top-ten for sweepstakes, the overall championship for Middle Division.
Big brother is very proud of him, even though he's a bit jealous, since he came up empty-handed in his 8th grade year. Traditionally, Brother Martin is a bit weak in the Middle Division because many of the boys have never played the games before, and other kids have been playing since fifth grade. Still, little brother has a long way to catch up with the firstborn:
that haul of gold thinkers on top are his national championship trophies. They both make me proud!
Mine's the bone player on the end. He got into Academic Games because both his brother and his old man (once upon a time) played the games. Dad lettered and did OK at the city level, but never won nationally. Big brother (who is now at Ga Tech) did very well in the games, and is now in the AGLOA Hall of Fame. Since little brother puts most of his emphasis and effort on band, nobody really had expectations that he'd follow in big brother's Academic Games footsteps. Imagine our surprise when he came home with this haul:
The New Orleans league competes in four games: On-Sets, Equations, Presidents, and Propaganda. That's two math, one Social Studies, and one Language Arts. Little brother and one other 8th grader from Brother Martin were on a team with a girl from Haynes and a boy from St. Charles Borromeo. (When enough kids qualify for nationals, they make single-school teams; when there aren't enough, they make teams from the league.) AGLOA's signature award is Rodin's "Thinker." The big trophies are for individual titles, the smaller ones for team wins. The colors are Bronze-Third, Silver-Second, Gold-First. Little brother's team placed third in Propaganda, Second in Equations, and he picked up an individual third in Propaganda. Additonally, he received one medal for a perfect score in the elimination rounds of Equations and another for top-ten in Presidents. The acrylic trophy is for placing in top-ten for sweepstakes, the overall championship for Middle Division.
Big brother is very proud of him, even though he's a bit jealous, since he came up empty-handed in his 8th grade year. Traditionally, Brother Martin is a bit weak in the Middle Division because many of the boys have never played the games before, and other kids have been playing since fifth grade. Still, little brother has a long way to catch up with the firstborn:
that haul of gold thinkers on top are his national championship trophies. They both make me proud!
But I think Amy Winehouse would be perfect to sing a Bond theme. She's got that sort of voice that would be memorable, like how Shirley Bassey singing "Goldfinger" was so memorable.
I've been mulling over a situation that happened at the Delta ticket counter at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) last Friday, trying to decide if which of the two in the title happened.
Here's the story:
My son qualified for the Academic Games national tournament that was held this weekend in Orlando, FL. The New Orleans Academic Games League has been one of the serious competitors in Academic Games going all the way back to when I was in high school. Getting the opportunity to represent your school in a national competition is always a thrill for a kid, and certainly was for my 13-year old 8th grader. The group from New Orleans took chartered buses to Orlando that were scheduled to leave at 6pm. That presented a problem for my chronic over-achiever of a kiddo, because the Brother Martin High School Jazz Band had their spring concert at 7pm on Friday.
OK, being the wonderful parents that Mrs. YatPundit and I are, we were more than willing to make this work. The easy solution would be to let him play the gig Thursday night and put him on a plane to Orlando on Friday morning. This was made even easier when we learned that there was a Delta nonstop flight to MHO, and the teacher who is the Academic Games moderator for BMHS had already planned to take that flight. So, we booked the flight and that was that.
Until I got to the airport on Friday, that is.
The gig Thursday night was fantastic, and the other kids going to Orlando got off just fine. I drove kiddo to MSY about 10:15am for a 11:40am departure. We parked and went up to the First Class/Medallion line to check him in. The ticket agent was a black woman in her late 30s/early 40s. I handed her my driver's license and my "Platinum Medallion" card, explaining that I was checking in my son. The agent told me that she would have to charge me $100 extra because kiddo was only 13 and therefore had to be treated as an "unaccompanied minor."
I further explained to the agent that he wasn't going to be "unaccompanied," but rather that he was traveling with a teacher from his school. She firmly refused to bend on charging me the fee, saying that the only way that it could be avoided is if the teacher was here to escort kiddo through security.
At this point, I wasn't a happy camper. You see, I don't pay fees like this to Delta. I have "Platinum" frequent flier status with the airline. Last year, I spent over $30,000 with Delta, and I expect to spend at least as much this year. I expect them to waive fees like this as a courtesy to a good customer. This woman would simply not budge, and I was getting annoyed by it. Finally, I said we would call the teacher to see if he was already here or on his way, and take it from there. At this point, the agent got snippy with me, informing me that she was going on her break, and therefore was going to void out the current check-in of kiddo, and that we would have to start over with someone else when we got things straight.
We stepped back from the counter and off she went on her break. In the meantime, kiddo had run teacher and learned that he was indeed already checked in, through TSA, and at the gate. There was no way I could rationalize paying the hundred-buck fee. If a Delta employee had to be tasked with the responsibility of making sure kiddo got on the plane and then off into the hands of another responsible party, that would be one thing. But his teacher was going to be with him the entire time; all that was necessary was to have an adult take him through TSA.
By now kiddo's anxiety is starting to build up. It's 10:45am and departure is 11:40am. OK, time to bite the bullet and do what I have to do to make him at ease, even if it costs me a c-note. Back up to the counter we go, through the First Class line. The agent of our first encounter is still on break. To the left of that station is one agent who is servicing the regular passenger check-in line, and to the right was another agent who was one of two servicing the "self-service" computer kiosks. Ten minutes go past, and the self-service agent is not only ignoring us, but is actually handling customers who are leaving the regular line and jumping over to the kiosks. After 15 minutes had passed, I've no doubt that my face reflected my annoyance of being kept waiting this long.
Finally the agent working the regular check-in process waves to us to come over to his station. he's a white guy, early 30s. I repeat the process as before, handing him my license and platinum card, explaining that the teacher is going to accompany kiddo on the flight. He printed up kiddo's boarding pass and attached a claim check to his bag. With no mention of rules, fees, or anything, the agent asks, "Would you like to walk your son down to the gate?" I said, "yes, indeed." He took my license again and printed me up a pass to get through TSA.
The contrast between the two agents was stunning, even to me, and I fly on Delta 30+ weeks a year. I'm very much used to having my butt kissed by Delta employees, even the frazzled, stressed, overworked (but wonderful) gate agents at ATL. They see that "Platinum Medallion" on my boarding pass and they know that I'm a regular who understands the system.
This brings me back to my original question: did i benefit from good customer service, or white privilege? The first agent was a black female. The second agent was a white male. Clearly, if the rules were as firm as the female agent made them out to be, then the male agent committed a serious breach of the rules. That's not the sort of thing one good ol' boy does for another, particularly given how fickle TSA folks can be. I can see if they cut me a break because they kept us waiting so long the second trip to the counter, though. I'd like to think that I was treated the way I was because of my customer status, not my race.
Here's the story:
My son qualified for the Academic Games national tournament that was held this weekend in Orlando, FL. The New Orleans Academic Games League has been one of the serious competitors in Academic Games going all the way back to when I was in high school. Getting the opportunity to represent your school in a national competition is always a thrill for a kid, and certainly was for my 13-year old 8th grader. The group from New Orleans took chartered buses to Orlando that were scheduled to leave at 6pm. That presented a problem for my chronic over-achiever of a kiddo, because the Brother Martin High School Jazz Band had their spring concert at 7pm on Friday.
OK, being the wonderful parents that Mrs. YatPundit and I are, we were more than willing to make this work. The easy solution would be to let him play the gig Thursday night and put him on a plane to Orlando on Friday morning. This was made even easier when we learned that there was a Delta nonstop flight to MHO, and the teacher who is the Academic Games moderator for BMHS had already planned to take that flight. So, we booked the flight and that was that.
Until I got to the airport on Friday, that is.
The gig Thursday night was fantastic, and the other kids going to Orlando got off just fine. I drove kiddo to MSY about 10:15am for a 11:40am departure. We parked and went up to the First Class/Medallion line to check him in. The ticket agent was a black woman in her late 30s/early 40s. I handed her my driver's license and my "Platinum Medallion" card, explaining that I was checking in my son. The agent told me that she would have to charge me $100 extra because kiddo was only 13 and therefore had to be treated as an "unaccompanied minor."
I further explained to the agent that he wasn't going to be "unaccompanied," but rather that he was traveling with a teacher from his school. She firmly refused to bend on charging me the fee, saying that the only way that it could be avoided is if the teacher was here to escort kiddo through security.
At this point, I wasn't a happy camper. You see, I don't pay fees like this to Delta. I have "Platinum" frequent flier status with the airline. Last year, I spent over $30,000 with Delta, and I expect to spend at least as much this year. I expect them to waive fees like this as a courtesy to a good customer. This woman would simply not budge, and I was getting annoyed by it. Finally, I said we would call the teacher to see if he was already here or on his way, and take it from there. At this point, the agent got snippy with me, informing me that she was going on her break, and therefore was going to void out the current check-in of kiddo, and that we would have to start over with someone else when we got things straight.
We stepped back from the counter and off she went on her break. In the meantime, kiddo had run teacher and learned that he was indeed already checked in, through TSA, and at the gate. There was no way I could rationalize paying the hundred-buck fee. If a Delta employee had to be tasked with the responsibility of making sure kiddo got on the plane and then off into the hands of another responsible party, that would be one thing. But his teacher was going to be with him the entire time; all that was necessary was to have an adult take him through TSA.
By now kiddo's anxiety is starting to build up. It's 10:45am and departure is 11:40am. OK, time to bite the bullet and do what I have to do to make him at ease, even if it costs me a c-note. Back up to the counter we go, through the First Class line. The agent of our first encounter is still on break. To the left of that station is one agent who is servicing the regular passenger check-in line, and to the right was another agent who was one of two servicing the "self-service" computer kiosks. Ten minutes go past, and the self-service agent is not only ignoring us, but is actually handling customers who are leaving the regular line and jumping over to the kiosks. After 15 minutes had passed, I've no doubt that my face reflected my annoyance of being kept waiting this long.
Finally the agent working the regular check-in process waves to us to come over to his station. he's a white guy, early 30s. I repeat the process as before, handing him my license and platinum card, explaining that the teacher is going to accompany kiddo on the flight. He printed up kiddo's boarding pass and attached a claim check to his bag. With no mention of rules, fees, or anything, the agent asks, "Would you like to walk your son down to the gate?" I said, "yes, indeed." He took my license again and printed me up a pass to get through TSA.
The contrast between the two agents was stunning, even to me, and I fly on Delta 30+ weeks a year. I'm very much used to having my butt kissed by Delta employees, even the frazzled, stressed, overworked (but wonderful) gate agents at ATL. They see that "Platinum Medallion" on my boarding pass and they know that I'm a regular who understands the system.
This brings me back to my original question: did i benefit from good customer service, or white privilege? The first agent was a black female. The second agent was a white male. Clearly, if the rules were as firm as the female agent made them out to be, then the male agent committed a serious breach of the rules. That's not the sort of thing one good ol' boy does for another, particularly given how fickle TSA folks can be. I can see if they cut me a break because they kept us waiting so long the second trip to the counter, though. I'd like to think that I was treated the way I was because of my customer status, not my race.
Doctor Daisy and I were tweeting about Sacred Heart on St. Charles, when I was reminded of a paragraph from the school's "history" page:
Where to begin in terms of dissecting this oh-so-bigoted paragraph? The only yardstick by which one could argue that the Quarter was "in decline" in the late 19th century would be the one where you measure how many "original Creole" families were still left in the neighborhood. The reason the "established French, Catholic families" bailed from Da Quarters was because the Italians began living there in larger numbers. Just as the French Quarter really became the "Spanish Quarter" after the fire of 1788, by the 1880s, it had become the "Italian Quarter." Our Lady of Victory, located on Rue Chartres next to the Old Ursuline Convent, became known as "St. Mary's Italian" church as the Italian community grew in the area.
The problem with Sacred Heart being in the Quarter was that the young women who went there might have to associate themselves with the Italian boys and girls in the neighborhood, and that disturbed the parents. Better for them to move Uptown, where they would be closer to the folks who lived in the Garden District and Faubourg Bouligny, who were more "their kind."
I never dated any girls from l'Academie, but I did date Holy Angels girls. From where I sit, I'm very glad the French families bailed. :-)
In the late 19th century, the French Quarter was in decline. Most importantly, the established French, Catholic families from the Quarter and Esplanade Ridge, whose daughters were the mainstay of the student body, were moving across town into what was the American sector. In addition, second generation English and Irish families, who were already uptown, were seeking for their daughters a school that provided the same type of education that the religious had been providing downtown. It was therefore no surprise that the religious sought refuge from their deteriorating urban environment and turned their attention upriver. Demographically, the nuns and the city were moving in the same direction.
Where to begin in terms of dissecting this oh-so-bigoted paragraph? The only yardstick by which one could argue that the Quarter was "in decline" in the late 19th century would be the one where you measure how many "original Creole" families were still left in the neighborhood. The reason the "established French, Catholic families" bailed from Da Quarters was because the Italians began living there in larger numbers. Just as the French Quarter really became the "Spanish Quarter" after the fire of 1788, by the 1880s, it had become the "Italian Quarter." Our Lady of Victory, located on Rue Chartres next to the Old Ursuline Convent, became known as "St. Mary's Italian" church as the Italian community grew in the area.
The problem with Sacred Heart being in the Quarter was that the young women who went there might have to associate themselves with the Italian boys and girls in the neighborhood, and that disturbed the parents. Better for them to move Uptown, where they would be closer to the folks who lived in the Garden District and Faubourg Bouligny, who were more "their kind."
I never dated any girls from l'Academie, but I did date Holy Angels girls. From where I sit, I'm very glad the French families bailed. :-)
A bit of a follow-up to this post about Alexander Hleb of Arsenal and his clocking of Graeme Murty two weekends ago. In a BBC interview, Murty said that referee Peter Waldon's apology made all the difference:
Huzzah! to Mr. Waldon for keeping a lid on the situation.
He said: "He prevented me from taking the law into my own hands and kept 11 men on the pitch." Murty added: "He said 'I'm sorry Murts. I missed it. I apologise. You have a game to play.' That got me back.
Huzzah! to Mr. Waldon for keeping a lid on the situation.
Since Saintseester went out to her town's AA ballpark yesterday, I thought I'd toss in some local sports trivia that involves both the Saints and baseball.
We got the Zephyrs because, prior to moving to New Orleans, the team was the "Denver Zephyrs." The AAA-club was forced to move because the city had just been awarded a MLB franchise, the Colorado Rockies. The team had to find a new home, and New Orleans was a prime target.
The city's last dalliance with minor league baseball was the last incarnation of the New Orleans Pelicans, a AAA club that played in Da Dome. Problem was, like with the New Orleans Jazz, Da Dome isn't economical to use as a venue for events that don't regularly pull in 40K+ paying customers. The team's bottom line was a disaster, and they went through the whole thing about suburbanites not wanting to go downtown for night games. The team folded, and, at some point, Tom Benson bought the rights to the Pelicans name.
At the same time the Z's were negotiating with the city, Benson had a fit of pique that someone other than him might own a sports franchise in the city. The Z's had some things to iron out, particularly the commitment from the state to build the new ballpark (which was done under the auspices of the Superdome Commission and using the hotel-motel tax). In that timeframe, Benson went out and bought a AA team and announced he was going to move it immediately to New Orleans. Thinking he had squatter's rights on the city, Benson thought it was a done deal.
But that's not how baseball works. If The Show trumped AAA ball in Denver, then AAA ball can trump a AA club in New Orleans. The MLB commissioner refused to approve the Benson deal, because the Z's were the bigger/higher club. Not one for following tradition or really giving a shit about the city, Benson actually sued Major League Baseball. arguing restraint of trade and such. The courts summarily tossed the suit, because The Show has so many exemptions built into the law that the owners can pretty much do whatever the heck they want.
All this led to some serious bad blood between the Benson and the Zephyrs organization. I hesitate to say bad blood between the Saints organization and the Z's, because I don't think the people that work for the old man truly dislike the baseball folks. Still, when the team's move was approved and the deal to build the park was firmed up, the baseball club was hoping to acquire the Pelicans name from Benson. He steadfastly refused, and also proved to be a minor annoyance to the club over the ballpark, because his training facility and team office complex is next door on Airline Dr. When someone pointed out to the baseball folks that the "Zephyr" was the big roller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach, that was it, there was a local connection, and we got our Z's.
Originally, the Zephyrs were affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, which is why they started with a blue uniform. That blue became more of an indigo over time, so the teams colors could look like purple-green-gold for carnival. The mutual animosity betwee Benson and the Zephyrs was so bad that the Z's kept their blue colors even when they became part of the Astros farm system. Usually a team will adopt the colors of their MLB club, which is why you have teams like the Iowa Cubs and the Louisville Redbirds. The Z's steadfastly refused to switch to the Astros' livery.
The Astros' colors? Black and Gold.
We got the Zephyrs because, prior to moving to New Orleans, the team was the "Denver Zephyrs." The AAA-club was forced to move because the city had just been awarded a MLB franchise, the Colorado Rockies. The team had to find a new home, and New Orleans was a prime target.
The city's last dalliance with minor league baseball was the last incarnation of the New Orleans Pelicans, a AAA club that played in Da Dome. Problem was, like with the New Orleans Jazz, Da Dome isn't economical to use as a venue for events that don't regularly pull in 40K+ paying customers. The team's bottom line was a disaster, and they went through the whole thing about suburbanites not wanting to go downtown for night games. The team folded, and, at some point, Tom Benson bought the rights to the Pelicans name.
At the same time the Z's were negotiating with the city, Benson had a fit of pique that someone other than him might own a sports franchise in the city. The Z's had some things to iron out, particularly the commitment from the state to build the new ballpark (which was done under the auspices of the Superdome Commission and using the hotel-motel tax). In that timeframe, Benson went out and bought a AA team and announced he was going to move it immediately to New Orleans. Thinking he had squatter's rights on the city, Benson thought it was a done deal.
But that's not how baseball works. If The Show trumped AAA ball in Denver, then AAA ball can trump a AA club in New Orleans. The MLB commissioner refused to approve the Benson deal, because the Z's were the bigger/higher club. Not one for following tradition or really giving a shit about the city, Benson actually sued Major League Baseball. arguing restraint of trade and such. The courts summarily tossed the suit, because The Show has so many exemptions built into the law that the owners can pretty much do whatever the heck they want.
All this led to some serious bad blood between the Benson and the Zephyrs organization. I hesitate to say bad blood between the Saints organization and the Z's, because I don't think the people that work for the old man truly dislike the baseball folks. Still, when the team's move was approved and the deal to build the park was firmed up, the baseball club was hoping to acquire the Pelicans name from Benson. He steadfastly refused, and also proved to be a minor annoyance to the club over the ballpark, because his training facility and team office complex is next door on Airline Dr. When someone pointed out to the baseball folks that the "Zephyr" was the big roller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach, that was it, there was a local connection, and we got our Z's.
Originally, the Zephyrs were affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, which is why they started with a blue uniform. That blue became more of an indigo over time, so the teams colors could look like purple-green-gold for carnival. The mutual animosity betwee Benson and the Zephyrs was so bad that the Z's kept their blue colors even when they became part of the Astros farm system. Usually a team will adopt the colors of their MLB club, which is why you have teams like the Iowa Cubs and the Louisville Redbirds. The Z's steadfastly refused to switch to the Astros' livery.
The Astros' colors? Black and Gold.
I don't like his side, but Cristiano Ronaldo is a heck of a player:
And bravo Cesc!
It's good to see two players from the side I support get recognition. Of course, it's hard to ignore Torres and Gerrard, who have done so well for Liverpool, and James' performance in both league and FA Cup matches has been great to watch.
Congrats all, even the MUFC guy! :-)
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year.
The 23-year-old wins the award for the second successive season after another outstanding campaign that has seen him score 38 goals in all competitions.
And bravo Cesc!
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas picked up the young player of the year award.
Ronaldo beat off competition from Liverpool duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, 20-year-old Fabregas and Gunners team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James.
It's good to see two players from the side I support get recognition. Of course, it's hard to ignore Torres and Gerrard, who have done so well for Liverpool, and James' performance in both league and FA Cup matches has been great to watch.
Congrats all, even the MUFC guy! :-)
If you didn't know, Hana is keeping up Ashley's blog. In an update she wrote:
Beats when they tell the kids to donate to the missions and stuff. What a great kid!
This one will make you cry. A 1st grader came to Katerina's teacher during their morning meeting and gave her a bag of coins. He apparently broke his piggy bank so he could help our family.
Beats when they tell the kids to donate to the missions and stuff. What a great kid!
I guess wingnut pols keep spewing the same memes time and time again because they just don't have anything better to put up. Sort of like how former almost-Speaker Bob Livingston (R-phonesex) used to always refer to the People's Republic of China as "Red China" well into the 1990s. Or how, even now, Vitty-Cent (R-hookers) still uses the "hollywood liberal" meme.
Here on the Gulf Coast, the "greedy trial lawyers" meme is a dog that won't hunt anymore. All too many people know that their only hope of getting money back from their insurance carriers is an attorney. Others will gladly join class action suits over the flooding in Jefferson Parish and the poisoning of residents of FEMA trailers.
The latest Washington use of the trial-lawyer meme is over the FISA legislation. Wingnuts argue that Dems don't want to give amnesty to Telecommunications companies because they want to put a lot of money in the pockets of trial lawyers.
As mcjoan points out at Daily Kos, Republicans spend a lot of money on trial lawyers themselves. And it's not always money well-spent, given how many of them are ending up in prison these days.
Here on the Gulf Coast, the "greedy trial lawyers" meme is a dog that won't hunt anymore. All too many people know that their only hope of getting money back from their insurance carriers is an attorney. Others will gladly join class action suits over the flooding in Jefferson Parish and the poisoning of residents of FEMA trailers.
The latest Washington use of the trial-lawyer meme is over the FISA legislation. Wingnuts argue that Dems don't want to give amnesty to Telecommunications companies because they want to put a lot of money in the pockets of trial lawyers.
As mcjoan points out at Daily Kos, Republicans spend a lot of money on trial lawyers themselves. And it's not always money well-spent, given how many of them are ending up in prison these days.
just noticed that Google Maps still identifies the UNO East Campus (the part from Franklin to the Industrial Canal, more or less) as "Camp Leroy Johnson." It was an army base by that name until the 1960s. I remember going through the unmanned security gates at the Franklin Ave. entrance with my dad as a kid.
Google Maps also identifies the traffic circle at the end of Elysian Fields Ave. by the lake as "Pontchartrain Beach." :-)
Google Maps also identifies the traffic circle at the end of Elysian Fields Ave. by the lake as "Pontchartrain Beach." :-)
Greta "Princess of Positive" Perry of Kiss My Gumbo and YatPundit
After going to Orleans Parish Juvenile Court to pay a two-year old traffic fine for my now-19 year old son (how does an attorney not send you trial notices for a year and a half??), I hung out downtown for the rest of the morning, because I had a lunch date with Greta from Kiss My Gumbo (and nola.com). She was chaperoning a field trip for her son's 6th grade class at House of Blues.
If I may digress for a moment, any of you who have elementary-school-aged kiddos should take a look at Greta's story about the field trip. I had no idea that HoB had that robust an education program. The cost was reasonable, and it sounds like the kids enjoyed the heck out of the morning. the other thing I really like about this sort of outing is that it put a busload of kids from the north shore into Da Quarters for a morning.
Anyway, back to lunch. Since the group was at HoB, I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce Greta to Napoleon House. It was a lovely day, and fortunately we were able to sit outside on the courtyard. Like many buildings in the Vieux Carre, Napoleon House is built around a central courtyard. I haven't dined outside at NH in years, mainly because the courtyard was their smoking section for a long time. I'm no rabid anti-smoker, but I also don't like being in smoking sections. The smoke and tobacco smell is just too concentrated to properly enjoy a meal.
I ordered my usual, half a muff. Greta had a tuna sandwich that had olives on it. It looked yummy, and has inspired me to do something soon at home with grilled tuna and olive salad. Washing down a muffuletta with an Abita Amber on a gorgeous spring day while chatting up a hottie. I thank goddess for living a charmed life!
Our lunchtime chat focused on two cities, New Orleans and Boston. Sticking to the old Southern rule of not discussing politics, sex, or religion in polite company is often a good idea when someone as liberal as I am is getting to know a conservative blogger. When it comes to politics, there's not much upon which m'lady Princess and I agree. Sex was pretty much off the list of discussion topics, given that her son was in attendance, but we did talk a bit of religion, since both of us were born in metro Boston.
But our New Orleans chatting was a good reality-check for me. I believe in and work for social justice daily, but I refuse to wake up and go to bed angry.
...but it's good that this appears to be an internal correction rather than an indication of tech recession:
One of the first things to go when budgets get slashed are big-iron purchases and training. Hopefully HDS will stay strong.
Storage vendor EMC Corp today reported a 14 per cent first quarter profit drop and blamed acquisition-related expenses for the fall. The Massachusetts-based firm said it coughed a $79.2m non-cash charge for in-process research and development that came from company buy-outs during the quarter.
One of the first things to go when budgets get slashed are big-iron purchases and training. Hopefully HDS will stay strong.
So, I had to go to OP Juvie court to pay a traffic fine for my firstborn. That saga is an epic in itself, but no matter, the deed's done. I'm in the elevator lobby of the 2nd floor of the CDC building on Loyola Ave., downtown. I turn one way and it's all the courtrooms for city court. I see a NOPD Major in the lobby talking to another guy, and I ask them if they could point me to room 210.
I'm wearing my very-crimson Brother Martin High School "band parent" polo shirt today, so the cop points to the shield on the shirt, and says, smiling, "I don't know about helping out someone from Brother Martin."
The jibe had the intended effect, because it took me aback. He immediately started laughing out loud and pointed around the corner to give me directions.
I smiled back and just said, "Friggin Purple Knights."
:-)
I'm wearing my very-crimson Brother Martin High School "band parent" polo shirt today, so the cop points to the shield on the shirt, and says, smiling, "I don't know about helping out someone from Brother Martin."
The jibe had the intended effect, because it took me aback. He immediately started laughing out loud and pointed around the corner to give me directions.
I smiled back and just said, "Friggin Purple Knights."
:-)
El Reg has it wrong, smut is still the worry:
A survey of 300 security pros by security firm Webroot found that workers frequently visit travel, webmail, and social networking websites while attempts to surf smut or gambling sites are less common. Users are effectively policing themselves, the survey revealed.Travel, webmail, and social networking websites are more a threat to productivity than smut, but smut will get the workplace in much deeper shite. If an employee is tweeting all day or playing on LiveJournal, it's not likely that what's on their screen would be considered as creating a hostile work environment for a colleague. Watching porn, however, opens up that harassment door in a huge way. The fear is not about productivity as much as litigation.
In the wake of the storm, all of the Von Dullen streetcars have been stripped and are getting new paint jobs. This was 2012's turn in the paint shop. Carrollton Station has a full paint shop, which is one of the reasons I'd love to get NORTA a PCC streetcar or two. PCC streetcars could easily be painted to meet the needs of movie production companies that come to town to film.
All of the Von Dullens now look great, and we're waiting for BMC to get the first of the new propulsion units and trucks down here.
seen on TMI Tuesday:
Once upon a time back in 1979 or so, the University of New Orleans Privateer men's basketball team played (I think) Dayton at the "Chamber of Horrors," the gym on the main campus. (This was years before the Lakefront Arena was constructed). One of the Dayton guards was engaging in a lot of off-the-ball harassment of one of the UNO guards. At one point near the end of the game (UNO was winning handily at the time), the UNO guard had enough of the other guy's antics. The referees were both down-court, the two guards closer to center court. The UNO guard goes to tie his shoe and the Dayton guy stands right behind him, just to piss him off. Next thing you know, the Dayton guard is on the ground after having been clocked by an elbow to the chin as the UNO guard stood up.
The Dayton coach and bench went nuts, with the coach threatening to beat the crap out of the UNO player. There was little the referees could do, because the the Dayton player was literally crawling up the UNO guy's butt. The guy had no business being that close to the UNO player, and neither of them saw the actual contact to determine if it was deliberate.
Fast-forward to last Saturday. A football pitch is pretty big, and there's a lot of things that three officials often don't see. English Premier Leagues are well-recorded, however, much to the chagrin of Arsenal's Alexander Hleb:
Hleb forgot that he wasn't at an amateur men's league game at some playground on Sunday morning, and now it's going to cut his season short early.
The Dayton coach and bench went nuts, with the coach threatening to beat the crap out of the UNO player. There was little the referees could do, because the the Dayton player was literally crawling up the UNO guy's butt. The guy had no business being that close to the UNO player, and neither of them saw the actual contact to determine if it was deliberate.
Fast-forward to last Saturday. A football pitch is pretty big, and there's a lot of things that three officials often don't see. English Premier Leagues are well-recorded, however, much to the chagrin of Arsenal's Alexander Hleb:
The FA has taken action after reviewing video evidence of an incident
involving Hleb and Reading's Graeme Murty in a game Arsenal won 2-0
last Saturday.
"The incident was not seen by referee Peter Walton," said an FA statement.
"Having now watched video footage, Walton has informed the FA
that, had he seen it, he would have shown Hleb a red card for violent
conduct."
Hleb forgot that he wasn't at an amateur men's league game at some playground on Sunday morning, and now it's going to cut his season short early.
When I'm not traveling, I usually do the morning carpool for my son and his friend who lives down the street. They're 8th graders at Brother Martin High School, a Catholic high school with a long tradition of educating young men in New Orleans. On the drive in, one of the interesting post-storm sights we see are school recruiting posters on the neutral grounds of city streets. The posters are trying to draw drivers' attention to new charter schools opening in the city. There are 40 charter schools operating in Orleans Parish this school year, with another seven slated to open next fall.
One series of signs along the road advertise "Sci Academy," the nickname for the New Orleans Science & Mathmetics High School. While there are many critics of the charter school concept, if we use the pre-storm failures of the city's public schools as a baseline, even the charter schools look good. I propose to make lemonade with the charter school lemons and open my own school: The New Orleans High School for Visionary Thinking, better known as Blog Academy.
The notion of a school that focuses on developing math and science skills makes a lot of sense at first glance. Improving the global position of American students in those subjects has been a goal of educators since the Eisenhower administration. In the late 1950s, the fear was that the evil red menace of communism was going to overrun us with slide rule-wielding Russian engineers. Ironically, the engineers and programmers overrunning us now are from the world's largest democracy, India.
We got to the moon. We bankrupted the Soviet economy. Americans invented the Personal Computer. We're always going to be overrun by others in terms of numbers. We need to think not in terms of a new generation of scientists but rather a new generation of visionaries who will then get all those engineers and programmers to work on projects of their creation.
That's where Blog Academy comes in.
Don't worry, we'll come up with a much cooler name for the school, so kids will wear their senior rings and letterman jackets (earned for activities like debate or Academic Games) with pride.
The hallmark of most math/science schools is the notion that the school will eschew athletics in favor of more scholarly extracurricular activities. That way there are no distractions from the mission of producing kids who can pass the Calculus A/B advanced placement test in their senior year. All math, all the time. I'd rather see the kids writing than calculating, frankly. Let's put aside the fact that the developers of Sci Academy's website can't even spell "privilege," since that's not a fair indicator. I want kids reading and writing as much as possible.
The best way to do that is not to make them write essays by hand, but to give them blogs. Each student will be required to participate in at least three writing projects: A personal journal, a daily blog whose content goes beyond that of the personal journal, and a community/team project. The personal journal is the student's first-person narrative. The content blog is where they will write their assignments for class, as well as any comments on politics, sports, lifestyle, celebrity gossip, whatever is on their minds. Team projects will vary, since it's important that these be more grassroots in nature.
All this blogging is going to require technical support. OLPC-style computers will be provided to each student. Tech-savvy kids will be recruited to mentor their classmates. The school will have a data center where servers will be installed and maintained by students. Those who are interested in working on the back-end technology will have ample opportunity to do so. Most likely, their blogs will be filled with geeky goodness as they work out problems with various platforms at various levels. Even the geeks will have to write. They'll get the foundation they need to continue geeking at the college level, including the biology and chemistry that will get them a BS degree. They'll learn the physics behind the electronics they geek with in the data center. And they'll get daily doses of the math that is the foundation of it all.
And the non-geeks will have to learn tech. They'll all learn enough math to at least understand their checking accounts and what carrying a credit card balance at 1.5% a month means. Those that want more will get more.
But they all will read and write. They'll be challenged to think, not to just calculate.
Because we will continue to produce visionaries.
One series of signs along the road advertise "Sci Academy," the nickname for the New Orleans Science & Mathmetics High School. While there are many critics of the charter school concept, if we use the pre-storm failures of the city's public schools as a baseline, even the charter schools look good. I propose to make lemonade with the charter school lemons and open my own school: The New Orleans High School for Visionary Thinking, better known as Blog Academy.
The notion of a school that focuses on developing math and science skills makes a lot of sense at first glance. Improving the global position of American students in those subjects has been a goal of educators since the Eisenhower administration. In the late 1950s, the fear was that the evil red menace of communism was going to overrun us with slide rule-wielding Russian engineers. Ironically, the engineers and programmers overrunning us now are from the world's largest democracy, India.
We got to the moon. We bankrupted the Soviet economy. Americans invented the Personal Computer. We're always going to be overrun by others in terms of numbers. We need to think not in terms of a new generation of scientists but rather a new generation of visionaries who will then get all those engineers and programmers to work on projects of their creation.
That's where Blog Academy comes in.
Don't worry, we'll come up with a much cooler name for the school, so kids will wear their senior rings and letterman jackets (earned for activities like debate or Academic Games) with pride.
The hallmark of most math/science schools is the notion that the school will eschew athletics in favor of more scholarly extracurricular activities. That way there are no distractions from the mission of producing kids who can pass the Calculus A/B advanced placement test in their senior year. All math, all the time. I'd rather see the kids writing than calculating, frankly. Let's put aside the fact that the developers of Sci Academy's website can't even spell "privilege," since that's not a fair indicator. I want kids reading and writing as much as possible.
The best way to do that is not to make them write essays by hand, but to give them blogs. Each student will be required to participate in at least three writing projects: A personal journal, a daily blog whose content goes beyond that of the personal journal, and a community/team project. The personal journal is the student's first-person narrative. The content blog is where they will write their assignments for class, as well as any comments on politics, sports, lifestyle, celebrity gossip, whatever is on their minds. Team projects will vary, since it's important that these be more grassroots in nature.
All this blogging is going to require technical support. OLPC-style computers will be provided to each student. Tech-savvy kids will be recruited to mentor their classmates. The school will have a data center where servers will be installed and maintained by students. Those who are interested in working on the back-end technology will have ample opportunity to do so. Most likely, their blogs will be filled with geeky goodness as they work out problems with various platforms at various levels. Even the geeks will have to write. They'll get the foundation they need to continue geeking at the college level, including the biology and chemistry that will get them a BS degree. They'll learn the physics behind the electronics they geek with in the data center. And they'll get daily doses of the math that is the foundation of it all.
And the non-geeks will have to learn tech. They'll all learn enough math to at least understand their checking accounts and what carrying a credit card balance at 1.5% a month means. Those that want more will get more.
But they all will read and write. They'll be challenged to think, not to just calculate.
Because we will continue to produce visionaries.
I guess it's no surprise that my twitter stream is largely dominated by women who are mommies. It's becoming a reflection of my friends list on LiveJournal in that regard. I've got a solid list of political and issue blogs I read, but when it comes to just personal, relating to my lifestyle reading, I love reading mommy-blogs. These women wrestle with the same parenting and family issues that my family does. I'm not saying that single folks, childless couples, and LGBT singles and couples don't have family issues. On the contrary, many of those writers are excellent. Still, my area expertise, if you will, is being dad to two boys who are now almost 14 and 20.
I enjoy reading about the exasperations of a parent who works full time, then has to deal with school carpool, soccer practice, dance lessons, and all the other things that suck away the free time of a mom or dad. It's good to hear stories from parents of older kids, so I can get some perspective on what mine are doing/feeling. I can actually comment with authority on the trials and tribulations of being a playground parent, and I particularly love it when we go off on tangents like whether or not Steve from "Blues Clues" is cool.
Social/community sites like LiveJournal and Xanga were two of the best places to find parents who blog, but the ease with which setting up a blog with WordPress has become has empowered mommy bloggers to get a bit more independent, reaching out from the communities. Some women have taken blogging beyond just personal journaling, promoting their expertise in various areas through their blogs.
In either case, community or independent blog, the notion of regular, set-piece writing still puts some folks off. That's why forum-based sites and chat rooms are still packed with participants. They are places for disposable conversation. Chat rooms fit the lifestyle of the SAHM/WAHM in that it's easy to sit at the computer a bit, get up and deal with kids, and come back when things settle down. I personally find chat rooms intimidating. It's like seeing a group of 3-5 women sitting at a table in a coffee shop. It would be totally rude for me to just sit down and start talking to them. They would get more than a little annoyed if they had to do introductions around the table just for my benefit, you get the idea.
Enter Twitter and "micro-blogging."
In this regard, Twitter is a variation on the classic chat room. With messages limited to 140 bytes, conversations have the back-and-forth dynamic of chat. Unlike a chat room, however, Twitter is a much larger community. "Following" on Twitter is much less intrusive (and much less intimidating) than jumping into a chat room. Profile entries and pointers to homepages/blogs provide background on those following you. Unwanted followers can be blocked. These features foster a good environment for conversation, and the moms and dads have adopted it.
And that's a good thing.
I enjoy reading about the exasperations of a parent who works full time, then has to deal with school carpool, soccer practice, dance lessons, and all the other things that suck away the free time of a mom or dad. It's good to hear stories from parents of older kids, so I can get some perspective on what mine are doing/feeling. I can actually comment with authority on the trials and tribulations of being a playground parent, and I particularly love it when we go off on tangents like whether or not Steve from "Blues Clues" is cool.
Social/community sites like LiveJournal and Xanga were two of the best places to find parents who blog, but the ease with which setting up a blog with WordPress has become has empowered mommy bloggers to get a bit more independent, reaching out from the communities. Some women have taken blogging beyond just personal journaling, promoting their expertise in various areas through their blogs.
In either case, community or independent blog, the notion of regular, set-piece writing still puts some folks off. That's why forum-based sites and chat rooms are still packed with participants. They are places for disposable conversation. Chat rooms fit the lifestyle of the SAHM/WAHM in that it's easy to sit at the computer a bit, get up and deal with kids, and come back when things settle down. I personally find chat rooms intimidating. It's like seeing a group of 3-5 women sitting at a table in a coffee shop. It would be totally rude for me to just sit down and start talking to them. They would get more than a little annoyed if they had to do introductions around the table just for my benefit, you get the idea.
Enter Twitter and "micro-blogging."
In this regard, Twitter is a variation on the classic chat room. With messages limited to 140 bytes, conversations have the back-and-forth dynamic of chat. Unlike a chat room, however, Twitter is a much larger community. "Following" on Twitter is much less intrusive (and much less intimidating) than jumping into a chat room. Profile entries and pointers to homepages/blogs provide background on those following you. Unwanted followers can be blocked. These features foster a good environment for conversation, and the moms and dads have adopted it.
And that's a good thing.
Frankly, I can live without voice communication for 6-7 hours across the Atlantic. What I'd want is e-mail/toobz access:
That Air France in-flight calling trial is now well underway, and it looks like there's still some kinks left to iron out. The New York Times hitched a ride on a recent flight featuring tests of the system, and found that things weren't quite working up to snuff: voice quality was said to be like "talking to a small robot," only six passengers could get a signal at a time, Blackberry email didn't work, and calls placed from the ground to cell phones in the air went straight to voicemail. That's a pretty long list for a system that's been talked about for a couple years now -- let's hope OnAir manages to clear up some of these glitches before angry passengers revolt over not only having to listen to other people's conversations, but also their screaming over bad connections.I will say this, though, we're past the notion that cell phones will take down the plane. That was always a stupid thing.
(this post was written for this week's "NOLA/Gulf Blogathon at www.dailykos.com)
The story of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's handling of emergency preparations for suburban New Orleans and his leadership post-storm have been widely discussed and documented. When Broussard stood for re-election, the division of the vote in Jefferson Parish was clear: Voters whose houses were flooded as a result of Broussard's decision to evacuate pump operators out of the parish voted against him. Voters in neighborhoods unaffected by these man-made floodwaters supported him.
Broussard and his assistants defended his actions. Parish CAO Tim Whitmer backed Broussard's decision in 2006:
OK, a politician who is a documented liar is not news. But a politician who may have lied under oath, well, that's something different. Walter Maestri, the parish's emergency preparedness director at the time of the storm, testified in a deposition taken on April 9th that Broussard knew full well about the plan long before landfall:
Of course, it's always possible that Maestri is the one lying here. He'd have reason to sell out Broussard, since his old boss threw him under the bus after the storm. Maestri currently works as a consultant for Assumption Parish in SW Louisiana. So, the top Democrat in the parish is now not only a liar, but quite possibly a perjurer.
Die hard Broussard supporters will argue that any attacks on him originate from Republicans for purely partisan reasons. In the wake of the Democratic reaction to former NY-GOV Spitzer's legal/ethical/moral entanglements, is it right to defend Broussard, simply because he is a Democrat?
The price tag for the flooding of Jefferson Parish that is a direct result of the implementation of the "Doomsday Plan" is believed to be between $3-$5 billion. The lawsuits have begun, and will continue. Had Metairie not flooded, things might have gone better for recovery efforts in the city, since all the focus would have been there.
Where do we draw the line in defending liars?
The story of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's handling of emergency preparations for suburban New Orleans and his leadership post-storm have been widely discussed and documented. When Broussard stood for re-election, the division of the vote in Jefferson Parish was clear: Voters whose houses were flooded as a result of Broussard's decision to evacuate pump operators out of the parish voted against him. Voters in neighborhoods unaffected by these man-made floodwaters supported him.
Broussard and his assistants defended his actions. Parish CAO Tim Whitmer backed Broussard's decision in 2006:
Whitmer believes Broussard made the right choice -- "life over property." He adds that officials now hope to make sure "that no parish president will ever have to make that decision again." To that end, the parish has built pump station safe rooms, which are intended to eliminate the need to evacuate pump operators.One wonders if Whitmer still defends his boss, who, when under oath giving testimony in a lawsuit, said:
"Your question says that I knew the Doomsday Plan was going to be implemented," Broussard said. "I've already testified that I did not know this plan existed calling for the evacuation of the pump operators."Broussard stood for re-election as the man who made the tough decisions. He took full credit for implementing the "Doomsday Plan,"even going on the radio before the storm made landfall, urging FEMA to bring 10,000 body bags to New Orleans. When under oath, however, denied any knowledge of the plan.
OK, a politician who is a documented liar is not news. But a politician who may have lied under oath, well, that's something different. Walter Maestri, the parish's emergency preparedness director at the time of the storm, testified in a deposition taken on April 9th that Broussard knew full well about the plan long before landfall:
Maestri said he wrote two versions of the Doomsday Plan: one in 1998, during Parish President Tim Coulon's administration and when Broussard was council chairman, and another in March 2005, a revision requested by Broussard through Tim Whitmer, his top aide who supervises department directors. "Was it your impression at the time you had the meeting with Mr. Whitmer that Mr. Broussard was fully aware of the Catastrophic Weather Plan because he had in mind a change of the shelter location for parish employees?" plaintiffs attorney Richard Martin said. "Yes," Maestri replied.No wonder Whitmer so strongly defended his boss in 2006. He ran point for Broussard for the project.
Of course, it's always possible that Maestri is the one lying here. He'd have reason to sell out Broussard, since his old boss threw him under the bus after the storm. Maestri currently works as a consultant for Assumption Parish in SW Louisiana. So, the top Democrat in the parish is now not only a liar, but quite possibly a perjurer.
Die hard Broussard supporters will argue that any attacks on him originate from Republicans for purely partisan reasons. In the wake of the Democratic reaction to former NY-GOV Spitzer's legal/ethical/moral entanglements, is it right to defend Broussard, simply because he is a Democrat?
The price tag for the flooding of Jefferson Parish that is a direct result of the implementation of the "Doomsday Plan" is believed to be between $3-$5 billion. The lawsuits have begun, and will continue. Had Metairie not flooded, things might have gone better for recovery efforts in the city, since all the focus would have been there.
Where do we draw the line in defending liars?
Dearest Friends and Devotees to Crawfish, Chicory Coffee, Parkway Bakery, and Hubig's Pies:
There has been a disturbing increase of late in your ranks of the use of the term "Democrat Party." I'd like to politely suggest that y'all consider using the correct name for the party. The party's name is the "Democratic Party." While you may think you humble author and Companion of the Hubig's Lemon Pie is picking nits here, it's more than just two letters at the end of the word. Prior to the Bush Administration, referring to us as the "Democrat Party" probably would not have even raised an eyebrow. It would have been dismissed as a slip of the tongue. Since 2000, however, George W. Bush's and his political advisers, most notably Karl Rove, began to use "Democrat Party" regularly.
Why is this a big deal? It's like using a nickname that you know someone hates, like calling the girl who goes by "Elizabeth" a nickname she can't stand, like "Lizzie," or calling a guy named William, "Willie." The only reason to do it is to piss the person off. That's why Rove got his boy started doing it. Of course, it's easily dismissed when he does it, because so many people view him as a Texan who clearly has demonstrated on more than one occasion that his command of his native language is sorely lacking. The problem is that the term is not merely a slip of an ignorant man's tongue, it's a concerted effort to frame and characterize a group of opponents. The usage has spread from Bush to other White House staffers, to Congresscritters, to Fox News Channel on-air clowns.
And now to y'all.
Please consider correcting yourselves when making this reference. It's not like we refer to your party as the "Republic Party." We now return you to your regularly scheduled 10am discussions of where to go for lunch.
Love, YatPundit
There has been a disturbing increase of late in your ranks of the use of the term "Democrat Party." I'd like to politely suggest that y'all consider using the correct name for the party. The party's name is the "Democratic Party." While you may think you humble author and Companion of the Hubig's Lemon Pie is picking nits here, it's more than just two letters at the end of the word. Prior to the Bush Administration, referring to us as the "Democrat Party" probably would not have even raised an eyebrow. It would have been dismissed as a slip of the tongue. Since 2000, however, George W. Bush's and his political advisers, most notably Karl Rove, began to use "Democrat Party" regularly.
Why is this a big deal? It's like using a nickname that you know someone hates, like calling the girl who goes by "Elizabeth" a nickname she can't stand, like "Lizzie," or calling a guy named William, "Willie." The only reason to do it is to piss the person off. That's why Rove got his boy started doing it. Of course, it's easily dismissed when he does it, because so many people view him as a Texan who clearly has demonstrated on more than one occasion that his command of his native language is sorely lacking. The problem is that the term is not merely a slip of an ignorant man's tongue, it's a concerted effort to frame and characterize a group of opponents. The usage has spread from Bush to other White House staffers, to Congresscritters, to Fox News Channel on-air clowns.
And now to y'all.
Please consider correcting yourselves when making this reference. It's not like we refer to your party as the "Republic Party." We now return you to your regularly scheduled 10am discussions of where to go for lunch.
Love, YatPundit
there are a lot of things Fr. Ratzinger could do to make it right beyond rhetoric:
Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "deeply ashamed" of sexual abuse by clergy in the US Catholic Church. The Pope vowed to work to prevent paedophiles from becoming priests as he flew to Washington at the beginning of his first visit to the US as pontiff.For openers, he could make Bernard Cardninal Law return to Boston and fully explain why he covered up the widespread sexual abuse scandal in that city. Fr. Ratzinger could also come clean and fully disclose his personal role in any cover-ups in the last twenty years.
Any suggestions on places my first born (he's 19, will be 20 in June) can look for a summer gig/internship appropriate to his major in New Orleans?
He's finishing his sophomore year at Ga Tech in Nuclear Engineering. Given how narrow a field that is, any sort of internship or summer gig that is appropriate to an engineer of any major would work. So long as it doesn't involve asking "would you like fries with that?"
Comment here or drop me a note edward@ebranley.com if you know someone I can kick his resume to. Thanks!
The announcement that Delta and Northwest will indeed merge is wonderful news for me. Here's why:
1. The combined airline will be Delta. I don't have to mess around with my SkyMiles, Crown Room membership, Platinum status, etc. Northwest doesn't have a World Club at MSY. Even though World Club and Crown Room memberships are reciprocal, flying on Northwest means leaving from Concourse A when Delta is over on D. The merger will most likely mean that Continental will move off of Concourse D to make room for the Northwest flights.
2. Singapore on Delta. My last trip to Singapore was on Northwest. There was just no way to make it work on Delta, even going east to Paris and trying Air France. It was a great trip, but a Delta trip to Asia means I get the 100% Platinum bonus.
3. Memphis instead of ATL. Delta suspended hub operations at DFW when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. The storm had already forced major operational cutbacks for Delta out of MSY, nost notably the loss of most of the flights to the Salt Lake City hub. That's meant I have to go to ATL to get to the west coast, making for longer flights. With the merger, hopping up to Memphis, then north to Chicago, or out to the west coast will shorten my overall flying time. Additionally, it's faster getting to Tokyo/Narita from Detroit than Atlanta.
4. Delta stays healthy. Air France, the other big SkyTeam partner is reportedly willing to invest over $700million in the merged airline. Until something can be done by the government to settle down fuel prices, the airline will need that outside cash influx.
5. Delta employees are the best! It's definitely a southern charm thing. Give me Delta pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents any day. And of all these folks the folks who staff the Crown Room Clubs at SAN, SFO, ORD, ATL, BOS, and (last but certainly never least) MSY are worth their weight in gold.
I'm sure I'll come up with other reasons as the merger details unfold.
1. The combined airline will be Delta. I don't have to mess around with my SkyMiles, Crown Room membership, Platinum status, etc. Northwest doesn't have a World Club at MSY. Even though World Club and Crown Room memberships are reciprocal, flying on Northwest means leaving from Concourse A when Delta is over on D. The merger will most likely mean that Continental will move off of Concourse D to make room for the Northwest flights.
2. Singapore on Delta. My last trip to Singapore was on Northwest. There was just no way to make it work on Delta, even going east to Paris and trying Air France. It was a great trip, but a Delta trip to Asia means I get the 100% Platinum bonus.
3. Memphis instead of ATL. Delta suspended hub operations at DFW when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. The storm had already forced major operational cutbacks for Delta out of MSY, nost notably the loss of most of the flights to the Salt Lake City hub. That's meant I have to go to ATL to get to the west coast, making for longer flights. With the merger, hopping up to Memphis, then north to Chicago, or out to the west coast will shorten my overall flying time. Additionally, it's faster getting to Tokyo/Narita from Detroit than Atlanta.
4. Delta stays healthy. Air France, the other big SkyTeam partner is reportedly willing to invest over $700million in the merged airline. Until something can be done by the government to settle down fuel prices, the airline will need that outside cash influx.
5. Delta employees are the best! It's definitely a southern charm thing. Give me Delta pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents any day. And of all these folks the folks who staff the Crown Room Clubs at SAN, SFO, ORD, ATL, BOS, and (last but certainly never least) MSY are worth their weight in gold.
I'm sure I'll come up with other reasons as the merger details unfold.
I didn't get to do much of FQF this year, because of my teaching schedule. I definitely needed a boost by Friday night, so we went to Liuzza's on Bienville for po-boys, and the downtown to see Bonearama. Bonearama is a band I would prefer to see in a club, when I'm on at least my third Abita Amber. We caught their FQF set so my 13-year old trombone player could see them live.
Starting the set with the National Anthem, the set was typical Bonearama, meaning it was off-the-wall. My faves were "Hang Up And Drive" and "Shake Your Rugulator." Good stuff!
Starting the set with the National Anthem, the set was typical Bonearama, meaning it was off-the-wall. My faves were "Hang Up And Drive" and "Shake Your Rugulator." Good stuff!
As I mentioned a while back, I was sorely tempted to buy a MacBook Air. The desire to have a twist-screen for use on planes won out, but wow, it's a very neat computer. Here's the summary from El Reg:
I agree with the reviewer that the non-removable battery isn't a deal-breaker, and even the minimal port count is something I could survive. I could see using an Air as a work-in-coffee-shops system, but I still like working in Ubuntu as my primary OS.
The Air is a 'love it or loathe it' machine, but don't let the naysayers put you off if it offers the form factor you prefer. Of course it's not going to be the laptop to suit everyone - you can buy cheaper or more capable Macs and PCs - so it's not a must have for the price-conscious buyer or the power-hungry. It's pricey, but with the exception of the tiny, basic Eee, the Air's no more expensive than other slim'n'light laptops.
I agree with the reviewer that the non-removable battery isn't a deal-breaker, and even the minimal port count is something I could survive. I could see using an Air as a work-in-coffee-shops system, but I still like working in Ubuntu as my primary OS.
but that the heck, if urban farmers want to try their hand at it, the green space can only be a good thing.
(h/t Evelyn, via the twittertoobz)
Otherwise they'd know that flash drives are a wicked security risk:
Of course people will check out what's on a memory stick, they're hoping it's amateur porn.
The one good thing about most corporate data is that the average person doesn't care much about spreadsheets and access databases. I'd be more likely to wipe off the stick and use it for myself.
I'd probably hang on to the amateur porn, though.
Tut, tut, says SanDisk. Because end-user respondents also said that data they were most likely to copy onto a memory stick includes customer records (25 per cent), financial information (17 per cent), business plans (15 per cent), employee records (13 per cent), marketing plans (13 per cent), intellectual property (six per cent) and source code (six per cent).
(We'll suppose the remaining 11 per cent consists of goatse and humorous photos of cats, which to be fair can be equally nefarious when in the wrong hands.)
This security lapse might be okay if the survey didn't indicate approximately one in ten end-users reported finding a flash drive in a public place. When asked to pick the three most likely actions they would take if they found a memory stick in public, 55 per cent said they would view the data.
Of course people will check out what's on a memory stick, they're hoping it's amateur porn.
The one good thing about most corporate data is that the average person doesn't care much about spreadsheets and access databases. I'd be more likely to wipe off the stick and use it for myself.
I'd probably hang on to the amateur porn, though.
I don't usually do all that much navel-gazing here in the blog, mainly because I do that in my LiveJournal. With Ashley's funeral on Friday, I wanted to explain why I wasn't all that sociable to folks who were there.
I only knew Ashley through his blog, so I didn't have the same personal attachment and affection so many of you do. Still, he was a helluva guy, I loved reading his tirades, and I have a soft spot in my heart for die-hard Saints fans. I wanted to honor his life, family and friends, so off to Schoen's on Canal I went.
I forgot how much I don't like that place.
I'm not one who flinches at funerals, to be sure. My dad's family passed on the Irish perspective on death to me, and I'm thankful for that. I enjoy being a part of Louisiana Relief Lodge #1, helping to do the Masonic Burial Service for members of the Fraternity whose families request it. I can go to Schoen as an unattached observer at that point--get in, do business, and leave. It's when I go into that chapel and sit that I don't do well.
With the exception of my daddy (Lamana-Panno-Fallo on Vets took care of him), every member of my family that's passed has gone through Schoen's on Canal. We grew up down the street from some of the Schoens, my mama went to school with others, well, you get the idea. I was always OK at funerals until we lost our daughter.
This story is on my LiveJournal as a "memory" post (so please bear with me, LJers, since I'm cross-posting), but I don't remember if I've ever told it in my "public" blog. I talk regularly about my two boys here, Justin, who is 19 and now goes to school at GaTech in Atlanta, and Kevin, 13, who is an eighth grader at Brother Martin. We had a child in between the boys, my little girl, Kathleen.
While carrying Kathleen, my wife suffered a placental abruption that sent her into contractions at 24 weeks. Her doctor tried to settle them down with drugs, while also giving her steroids, anticipating a premature birth and hoping to boost the baby's development. My wife's condition got worse, combined with a very unusual reaction to the anti-contraction drug (forget the name of it now), and it wasn't looking good for either mom or baby. At that point, her water broke, so we never got to the either/or choice point. Kathleen Elizabeth was born on 2-July-1990 at 25 weeks, all of one pound. She spent the next five months in the NICU at Lakeside Hospital, and we brought her home on oxygen just before Christmas. She had surgery twice over that next year, but was still diagnosed as "failing to thirve." Always struggling to breath, her little heart gave out on 10-December, 1991.
We'd always gone through Schoen, and so did wife's family, so that's naturally who I called. They took care of everything, and we buried her two days later. We had a funeral Mass in the Schoen chapel, and I put her little casket into a gorgeous tomb with rose-colored marble columns in Metairie Cemetery that afternoon.
Five years later, I still had trouble going into that chapel to see my mama off. It wasn't much better last Friday. I'm OK with cemeteries, particularly St. Louis #3, but I was pretty wigged out by the funeral home, so I really wasn't up to sending Ashley off in style, so I left it to his close friends.
But that was last week, it's time to carry on and make sure the city goes forward for my family, yours, and Ashley's.
I've turned off comments on this post.
I only knew Ashley through his blog, so I didn't have the same personal attachment and affection so many of you do. Still, he was a helluva guy, I loved reading his tirades, and I have a soft spot in my heart for die-hard Saints fans. I wanted to honor his life, family and friends, so off to Schoen's on Canal I went.
I forgot how much I don't like that place.
I'm not one who flinches at funerals, to be sure. My dad's family passed on the Irish perspective on death to me, and I'm thankful for that. I enjoy being a part of Louisiana Relief Lodge #1, helping to do the Masonic Burial Service for members of the Fraternity whose families request it. I can go to Schoen as an unattached observer at that point--get in, do business, and leave. It's when I go into that chapel and sit that I don't do well.
With the exception of my daddy (Lamana-Panno-Fallo on Vets took care of him), every member of my family that's passed has gone through Schoen's on Canal. We grew up down the street from some of the Schoens, my mama went to school with others, well, you get the idea. I was always OK at funerals until we lost our daughter.
This story is on my LiveJournal as a "memory" post (so please bear with me, LJers, since I'm cross-posting), but I don't remember if I've ever told it in my "public" blog. I talk regularly about my two boys here, Justin, who is 19 and now goes to school at GaTech in Atlanta, and Kevin, 13, who is an eighth grader at Brother Martin. We had a child in between the boys, my little girl, Kathleen.
While carrying Kathleen, my wife suffered a placental abruption that sent her into contractions at 24 weeks. Her doctor tried to settle them down with drugs, while also giving her steroids, anticipating a premature birth and hoping to boost the baby's development. My wife's condition got worse, combined with a very unusual reaction to the anti-contraction drug (forget the name of it now), and it wasn't looking good for either mom or baby. At that point, her water broke, so we never got to the either/or choice point. Kathleen Elizabeth was born on 2-July-1990 at 25 weeks, all of one pound. She spent the next five months in the NICU at Lakeside Hospital, and we brought her home on oxygen just before Christmas. She had surgery twice over that next year, but was still diagnosed as "failing to thirve." Always struggling to breath, her little heart gave out on 10-December, 1991.
We'd always gone through Schoen, and so did wife's family, so that's naturally who I called. They took care of everything, and we buried her two days later. We had a funeral Mass in the Schoen chapel, and I put her little casket into a gorgeous tomb with rose-colored marble columns in Metairie Cemetery that afternoon.
Five years later, I still had trouble going into that chapel to see my mama off. It wasn't much better last Friday. I'm OK with cemeteries, particularly St. Louis #3, but I was pretty wigged out by the funeral home, so I really wasn't up to sending Ashley off in style, so I left it to his close friends.
But that was last week, it's time to carry on and make sure the city goes forward for my family, yours, and Ashley's.
I've turned off comments on this post.
While this Open Letter for the Women's Bathroom is gross, it's reassuring to us male types to hear that women can be equally gross sometimes.
Almunia has saved Arsenal's butt way too many times this season to let him get away. A contract extension at this point is a great vote of confidence in a good goalkeeper.
Statue of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, located in St. Louis Cemetery Number Three on Esplanade Avenue at Bayou St. John. Padre Pio, who was reputed to be in possession of the Stigmata (the wounds of Christ Crucified), lived from 1885 to 1968, and was canonized by John Paul II in 2002.
Padre Pio was a Capuchin friar. The Capuchins had a big presence in New Orleans. Combine that with the large Italian community here, and it's easy to understand how his cult grew strong here. New Orleanians are big believers in the mystical side of Catholicism. The Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe apparitions of the Virgin Mary are all honored here. New Orleans is still one of the hotspots for the Medugorje cult. There are dozens of shrines honoring saints in the metro area, including major shrines dedicated to St. Jude (at Our Lady of Guadalupe on N. Rampart) and St. Ann (at the church in Metairie bearing her name).
Being the extremely Catholic town New Orleans is, it's no surprise to see devotional statues such as this in a Catholic cemetery. This statue of Padre Pio is relatively new, erected in the spring of 2005.
The inscription on the bottom of the statue reads:
"This humble Capuchin friar surprised the world with his life totally dedicated to prayer and to listening to his brothers and sisters. His body, marked by the Stigmata, demonstrated the intimate connection between death and resurrection."
Beyond the basic fact that a statue of Padre Pio in one of New Orleans' oldest cemeteries makes perfect sense, I also choose to feature this photo today because St. Louis Number Three is where Dr. Ashley Morris, a well-loved member of the New Orleans blogging community who passed away last week, will be buried this Friday. Dr. Morris' life was cut tragically short, and he leaves behind a wife and three small children. The family is struggling with the burden of funeral expenses and other financial obligations. Please consider going to the "Remember Ashley Morris" website and tossing a buck or two or ten their way.
Ashley Morris passed away last week. Ashley was an Associate Professor of Computer Science at DePaul University in Chicago, but he never moved his family to the Windy City, preferring to live in New Orleans and commute to Chicago. Only a true New Orleanian and Saints fan would even consider doing such a thing, and Dr. Morris was both of those. In his neighborhood as well as the NOLA blogging community, Ashley was ever the activist and advocate for the city, never hesitating to call out politicians, businessmen, and other "leaders" in his blog. Most followers of Ashley's blog consider this to be his best post, but this one will be how I remember him:
Idea: crab boil flavored jellybeans. Full strength. Put one in every bag just to keep 'em honest. Then again, why not? They make licorice...Yeah you rite. I never had the privilege of meeting Ashley in person, in spite of the fact that we shared so many common interests. it was one of those things that I figured would happen when it happened, in spite of both of our crazy travel schedules.
As often happens when someone departs this plane of existence (relatively) young, Ashley left behind a wife and three young children. His funeral expenses (he passed away in FL, will be buried later this week at home) are going to be five-figures. If you can spare some change to help the family, please go here. Think of it as a virtual hat out on the street and Ashley's playing his drum.
I'm at the airport, and was in the car before that, but my firstborn called to update me. Christiano Ronaldo was fouled by Roma players 9 times in the first half.
If they take him out now, FIFA will be pissed in a huge way at the Italians.
If they take him out now, FIFA will be pissed in a huge way at the Italians.
I've been self-employed as an independent computer consultant since 1986. Cover-Your-Ass is what consultants do when the project craters. Clearly Blakely was in this for the money, and now that his work is being revealed as substandard, blame will be assessed everywhere but on the doorstep of the consultant.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS NATIVE ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A NEW RESTAURANT
BANQUETTE'S BLOGGER BISTRO
1-APR-2008
New Orleans, LA - A truly innovative restaurant concept opens today on the Lakefront in Gentilly. Banquette's Blogger Bistro offers imaginative takes on classic Creole dishes as well as new dishes created exclusively for Banquette's by the restaurant's executive chef.
Don't dismiss BBB as a theme restaurant, even though its name and high-tech capabilities may leave that first impression. Banquette, a self-described "local gal with attitude," has assembled a top-notch staff both in the front and back of the house. Her executive chef started his career on the line, cooking burgers at Port of Call, then pulling a late-night shift at Clover Grill. This experience in classic New Orleans cuisine landed him as a sous chef at Restaurant Antoine. He also spent time at Commander's Palace before being tapped by Banquette to open BBB.
Banquette (who never appears in public) has been a part of the local blogging community for a number of years, and wanted to develop a restaurant concept where her on-line colleagues could have a good meal and still get things done on the computer.
"The idea was kicked around for a couple of years," she said, in an e-mail interview. "A couple of people wanted to open up a computer-friendly restaurant, but they never got past the talking stage. A couple of them were unhappy when I decided to open the place on my own. It's OK, they're always welcome anytime."
What makes BBB blogger-friendly is the table layout in the main dining room. All tables are sized for two diners but only one diner is seated at each table.
"Turn a table-for-two sideways, and you've got room for a full Creole meal and a laptop," says Banquette. If, on the off chance two bloggers actually want to sit with each other, the staff can quickly push two tables together. Diners can bring in their own computers or use one of the top-of-the-line laptops owned by the restaurant. When making reservations, diners can request a MacBook, or a Dell notebook installed with either Windows or Linux. The restaurant has excellent connectivity to the Internet, implementing 802.11Z, a variant of the standard wi-fi protocol that's in development by the US government.
It's the restaurant's location that allows BBB to display both old-New Orleans charm and hi-tech prowess. BBB is located in the basement of the old Milneburg Lighthouse, located at the end Elysian Fields Avenue, across the street from the main campus of the University of New Orleans. With the university on one side and the lakefront technology park/complex on the other, there's ample bandwith rolling into the neighborhood.
"Nobody knew there was a basement under the lighthouse until right after the storm," wrote Banquette. I know a guy who was on the team that inspected the lighthouse's structural integrity when the water went down. They found a reinforced concrete bunker down there that was built during WWII, when the UNO campus was a navy base."
You enter BBB through the lighthouse, descending a winding staircase, and are greeted by a hostess in the foyer. Start with "Nola's Knock-down Martini" at the small bar off to the side. The bar has wired Internet hookups, as well as a full selection of top shelf liquors a complete stock of Abita beer, and Guinness on tap.
Even if you're not a computer type, the menu at Banquette's Blogger Bistro is appealing to local and visitor alike. Start with appetizers such as Humid Head Cheese or Oyster-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms. For soups, "Kiss My" Gumbo, is available nightly. It's served in individual puff pastry bowls, making it a bit flaky. Soup du Jour possibilities include Trailer Trash Tomato Bisque, Ashley's Obscene Onion Soup, and B's Bouillabaisse.
Seafood pastas are a specialty of the house at BBB, including Lamenting Shrimp Linguini and Crawfish Maitri. From the grill, there's Squandered Salmon, Ray's Rack of Lamb or Charlotte's Chateaubriand. All entrees are served with the chef's choice of potato or rice and a creative vegetable side.
Even if you've had dinner elsewhere, come to BBB for dessert. The Yellow Bread Pudding may sound unusual, but the name comes from the creamy sauce ladled over classic bread pudding. If calories aren't a concern, be sure to try the Dangerous Doberge.
Banquette's executive chef has brought back a variation of his Marchand de Vin sauce fountain from a soccer-themed restaurant he opened several years ago. BBB's centerpiece fountain is a constant flow of heavy cream, which can be made savory as a rich sauce for dinner, or whipped up and sweetened for dessert.
Banquette's Blogger Bistro does not take reservations over the phone. Diners have to follow "Banquette" on Twitter to find out what the evening's specials are, and/or to reserve a table. It's also possible that the restaurant might not be open on a given night, if there's something else happening in town that has so totally distracted the staff and the bloggers that it's not worth opening up.
"Let's face it, it's easier to reach the on-line community on-line," Banquette replied. "There's no point in spending money on traditional advertising when trying to reach a 'Web 2.0' audience."
Banquette's Blogger Bistro opens somewhere between 7pm and 9pm nightly, when the staff is in the mood, and has been known to stay open until dawn.
********* (9-star rating from YatCuisine)
--XXX---
NEW ORLEANS NATIVE ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A NEW RESTAURANT
BANQUETTE'S BLOGGER BISTRO
1-APR-2008
New Orleans, LA - A truly innovative restaurant concept opens today on the Lakefront in Gentilly. Banquette's Blogger Bistro offers imaginative takes on classic Creole dishes as well as new dishes created exclusively for Banquette's by the restaurant's executive chef.
Don't dismiss BBB as a theme restaurant, even though its name and high-tech capabilities may leave that first impression. Banquette, a self-described "local gal with attitude," has assembled a top-notch staff both in the front and back of the house. Her executive chef started his career on the line, cooking burgers at Port of Call, then pulling a late-night shift at Clover Grill. This experience in classic New Orleans cuisine landed him as a sous chef at Restaurant Antoine. He also spent time at Commander's Palace before being tapped by Banquette to open BBB.
Banquette (who never appears in public) has been a part of the local blogging community for a number of years, and wanted to develop a restaurant concept where her on-line colleagues could have a good meal and still get things done on the computer.
"The idea was kicked around for a couple of years," she said, in an e-mail interview. "A couple of people wanted to open up a computer-friendly restaurant, but they never got past the talking stage. A couple of them were unhappy when I decided to open the place on my own. It's OK, they're always welcome anytime."
What makes BBB blogger-friendly is the table layout in the main dining room. All tables are sized for two diners but only one diner is seated at each table.
"Turn a table-for-two sideways, and you've got room for a full Creole meal and a laptop," says Banquette. If, on the off chance two bloggers actually want to sit with each other, the staff can quickly push two tables together. Diners can bring in their own computers or use one of the top-of-the-line laptops owned by the restaurant. When making reservations, diners can request a MacBook, or a Dell notebook installed with either Windows or Linux. The restaurant has excellent connectivity to the Internet, implementing 802.11Z, a variant of the standard wi-fi protocol that's in development by the US government.
It's the restaurant's location that allows BBB to display both old-New Orleans charm and hi-tech prowess. BBB is located in the basement of the old Milneburg Lighthouse, located at the end Elysian Fields Avenue, across the street from the main campus of the University of New Orleans. With the university on one side and the lakefront technology park/complex on the other, there's ample bandwith rolling into the neighborhood.
"Nobody knew there was a basement under the lighthouse until right after the storm," wrote Banquette. I know a guy who was on the team that inspected the lighthouse's structural integrity when the water went down. They found a reinforced concrete bunker down there that was built during WWII, when the UNO campus was a navy base."
You enter BBB through the lighthouse, descending a winding staircase, and are greeted by a hostess in the foyer. Start with "Nola's Knock-down Martini" at the small bar off to the side. The bar has wired Internet hookups, as well as a full selection of top shelf liquors a complete stock of Abita beer, and Guinness on tap.
Even if you're not a computer type, the menu at Banquette's Blogger Bistro is appealing to local and visitor alike. Start with appetizers such as Humid Head Cheese or Oyster-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms. For soups, "Kiss My" Gumbo, is available nightly. It's served in individual puff pastry bowls, making it a bit flaky. Soup du Jour possibilities include Trailer Trash Tomato Bisque, Ashley's Obscene Onion Soup, and B's Bouillabaisse.
Seafood pastas are a specialty of the house at BBB, including Lamenting Shrimp Linguini and Crawfish Maitri. From the grill, there's Squandered Salmon, Ray's Rack of Lamb or Charlotte's Chateaubriand. All entrees are served with the chef's choice of potato or rice and a creative vegetable side.
Even if you've had dinner elsewhere, come to BBB for dessert. The Yellow Bread Pudding may sound unusual, but the name comes from the creamy sauce ladled over classic bread pudding. If calories aren't a concern, be sure to try the Dangerous Doberge.
Banquette's executive chef has brought back a variation of his Marchand de Vin sauce fountain from a soccer-themed restaurant he opened several years ago. BBB's centerpiece fountain is a constant flow of heavy cream, which can be made savory as a rich sauce for dinner, or whipped up and sweetened for dessert.
Banquette's Blogger Bistro does not take reservations over the phone. Diners have to follow "Banquette" on Twitter to find out what the evening's specials are, and/or to reserve a table. It's also possible that the restaurant might not be open on a given night, if there's something else happening in town that has so totally distracted the staff and the bloggers that it's not worth opening up.
"Let's face it, it's easier to reach the on-line community on-line," Banquette replied. "There's no point in spending money on traditional advertising when trying to reach a 'Web 2.0' audience."
Banquette's Blogger Bistro opens somewhere between 7pm and 9pm nightly, when the staff is in the mood, and has been known to stay open until dawn.
********* (9-star rating from YatCuisine)
--XXX---
