Jefferson authorities probing ammonia leak on West Bank.

So I guess containment of noxious chemical fumes really isn’t a concern in these situations. Well, not for the Port, anyway.

This newspaper has long been an advocate of opening most courtrooms, at every level, to video broadcasting. We welcome recent word from two quarters about new support for efforts to crack the old bar to public scrutiny of the courts via video cameras.

I suppose in this day and age of COPS, Homeland Security USA, Jail, and Court TV that I shouldn’t be suprised by a bigger push for cameras in the courtroom. Here is some interesting history on the topic.

What do you think?
[poll=5]

Feel free to discuss the pros/cons in the comment section and I promise I won’t make a tv show out of your responses.

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Even though that was more than 20 years ago for me, I still feel a lot of affection for Mission High and the way it allows families to pursue their dreams for their kids. Now, courtesy Mission Local, I just ran across a nonprofit called Mission Graduates which runs a tutoring center and other programs for the neighborhood kids. Because if it’s anything like it was when I was teaching there, a lot of kids need more help than they can get in a class of, say, 30. Check ‘em out.

Beef the pig

I saw the most interesting thing a few weeks ago along Freedom Parkway.  A guy walks his pot-bellied pig there.  I ignorantly always thought pot-bellied pigs sounded small and cute.  Not so.  This is a big pig, folks.  About 180 pounds of pig, which is bigger that I am.  Some friends of mine have, as well, and well, a pig that big in the city gets people talking.

One of the things I love about Atlanta are the recurring characters I see around town.  I’ve begun to hear about the pig enough that I’m elevating him to tier 2 status, below my old stand-by characters: the dude with the cane at Ponce and Moreland, and Ron aka dual-dred.  This puts Beef on par with Baton Bob (who I haven’t seen in ages) in my book (your mileage may vary).

Turns out the pig’s name is Beef.  Some Facebooking with my friend Jeanne turned up fact that the local PBS station did a little asking around about the pig.  His name is Beef, and he’s about five and a half years old.  Go listen to the short interview with his owner, and hear Beef say hello.

It is really interesting how artists and copy writers pick, from the changing social fabric of a society, ideas for creative writing. The day before yesterday, I saw an advertisement from Servis Shoes titled ‘Loadshedding Sale’ with amazing discounts on a complete range of shoes at their stores.

Maybe loadshedding is not that bad; especially when someone’s talking about shedding the load of sky-high price tags. So, head for it. *toot parro!*

12:05 PM - Thrilling Tales: Adult Story Time
SPL Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium
“”The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson. If you know the ending to this infamous classic shocker, please keep it to yourself! Also “Jack The Ripper,” by Shirley Jackson.” (SPL)
[LINK]

7:00 PM - Hugo Works in Progress: Open Mic
Richard Hugo House Cabaret
“A monthly open mic designed to give writers a chance to read in front of fellow writers and share what they have been working on.” (RHH)
[LINK]

7:30 PM - Rebecca Brown & Lidia Yuknavitch: Reading
Elliott Bay Book Co.
The two regional authors read from their most recent works. Brown is based in Seattle; Yuknavitch joins us from Portland.
[LINK]

A look at the underground youth scenes of Karachi.
Source : Current.com

This is summer vacation time in Islamabad for school going children but not for  Afghan scavenger children who in their ragged clothes, unwashed faces travel long distances everyday to pick recyclable waste in their waste collection bags from waste dumping points located in markets, residential areas as well as hospitals. Their parents are unskilled, illiterate and live in abject poverty. Parent’s poverty forces these kids into scavenging. While other children of their age are going to school, these scavenger children become earning hand of their poor families living in abject poverty. Nevertheless, they are not only exposed to various health hazards but also become victims of sexual abuse. We should appreciate the hard toil of these scavenger children because they, unlike hundreds of beggar children found begging in various markets and roads of Islamabad, are not begging but are earning their living through hard means.

Despite the fact that the Government of Pakistan is a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, the steps taken by the government to protect children rights are still invisible. I wonder if this is the sorry state of affairs in Islamabad as far as the implementation of Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 is concerned then what would be the situation of child scavengers in other parts of the country. My question to all of you is what our government should do to protect child scavengers from all sorts of exploitation and hazards? Should the government ban scavenging altogether keeping in view the associated health hazards for scavengers and promote a culture and awareness of recycling at the household level as is done in developed countries or should the government formulate a comprehensive policy for the rehabilitation of scavenger children while providing them free education and offering their poor parents some monitory assistance or should the government continue doing business-as-usual?

Arlington County released video of the incident and is looking for anyone that recognizes the suspect.

Anyone who has information about this shooting or the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703 228-4242. Witnesses can also call Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IPbphLaHWI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yprijsXmeUo[/youtube]

One of the things I love about Melbourne are the amazing graffiti pieces we get. Apparently, we’re known internationally for it, in certain circles. We have a thriving and skilled population of graffiti artists - even under draconian laws that, for example, make carrying a can of spraypaint illegal (giving the police a pre-packaged excuse to stop suspected vandals that merely “look the part”, and haven’t actually been seen doing anything traditionally illegal).

The ‘Authorities’ choose to interpret graffiti as an eyesore. This has led to ridiculous crackdowns in the past, and masses of public money blithely wasted by our state and local governments on “graffiti clean-ups”, such as during the Commonwealth Games.

In the not-so-distant past, a police graffiti/transit squad was rumoured to have engaged in “tagging” of graffiti pieces. Graffiti artists would report catching police “slashing” graffiti pieces (painting over the top of them); I found one tale on an internet forum from a guy who says he left a can of spraypaint behind while being chased by the police - and later found that his can had been used to “slash” a range of pieces.

Tags began appearing, slathered across much better pieces, reading “CTSA” - rumoured to stand for “Cops Trashing Shit Art” or “Cops That Slash Art”.

My view of graffiti is obviously more positive than the “legal” view. I think you need to put it in some kind of perspective. Consider this: We’re bombarded with advertising wherever we go. A billboard is a genuine eyesore. We put up with lists of sponsors and corporate logos on sporting, artistic, and museum events, because we want their money. But they look disgusting. Most of the time, advertisers are outright insulting us; if they’re not insulting our bodies, they’re insulting our intelligence.

Graffiti, on the other hand, entertains. It’s not something put up there to make money; in fact, graffiti artists lose money on it, and sometimes carry it out at great personal (and legal) risk. Sure, it’s about prestige and showing off, and the worst of it - the texta tagging - can almost sink to the level of a company logo… not quite, but almost ;). But it’s often genuinely impressive. If not for the skill involved, then for the “How the heck did they get up there??” factor. Sometimes, there’s even a political point to it - while companies use slick advertising to gloss over their use of overseas sweatshops and other crimes against humanity, graffiti will occasionally bring you comments like “Stop Logging Our Water Catchments!”, “No Jobs On A Dead Planet” (in massive letters on a giant smokestack), and the bitingly ironic slogan “Shut Up And Shop“. And at least it’s your fellow Melbournians trying to grab your attention, just because they think your attention is valuable - not because they want to hustle you.

In around March of this year, Melbourne commuters began noticing a new tag - “CTCV” - used to “slash” a range of pieces. Mostly along train lines, and always over much better pieces.

CTCV tags along Melbourne's train lines.

A friend of mine pointed out that “CTCV” isn’t too far from “CTSA”, and apparently he wasn’t the only one to draw this conclusion. Do an Australia-centred google search for the initials, and you’ll find lots of forum speculation along similar lines by those in graffiti culture.

Is it the work of “gronks” - less talented kids trying to annoy the older graff artists and make a mindless mark of their own? Or could the “C” at the start of “CTCV” stand for “Cops” - as it has been rumoured to in the past? “CTCV” - “Cops That Catch Vandals”? “Cops Trashing Crap Vandalism”?

We’ll probably never know, unless they’re caught in the act. And then, the only people catching them would be graffiti artists themselves - reliable enough eyewitnesses if you ask me, but I doubt the “authorities” would concur.

As much as we love you, we feel obligated to point out that articles like this one from the Times-Picayune probably aren’t the best way to inspire confidence in the public–especially when that public is already skeptical of your plan to sandwich an ammonia-filled industrial wonderland between two of Louisiana’s most important historic neighborhoods, the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny. Skim the first couple of paragraphs, and let us know if you can see the problem here:

Faubourg Marigny and French Quarter residents are concerned that the ammonia used to refrigerate a proposed cold-storage warehouse on the Gov. Nicholls Street Wharf will pose a public health risk, but experts say the chance of a chemical leak is slim if proper safety measures are in place.

“You can stop most of these incidents before they have a chance to be a major challenge if you have the right equipment and personnel,” said Gary Smith, president and founder of the Ammonia Safety Training Institute in Washington, D.C. “If it’s just cold storage, the ammonia stays in the refrigeration if good prevention habits are in place.” [Emphasis totally mine]

–plenty more ifs, ands, and buts in the full article at NOLA.com

Statements like that are kinda like saying, “No, hurricanes aren’t a problem for New Orleans, if the levees hold, and if federal, state, and city governments are prepared, and if the city’s evacuation strategy works like a charm. You know, if all that’s good, then we should be fine. Probably.” Do you see what I’m doing there? Right.

And a quick reminder: those of us who live here aren’t opposed to your project, just its location. Heck, your puppet minion buddy Jindal just shaved bejillions of bucks from higher ed, mental hospitals, and the like–surely he can throw a few at the Cold Storage project so it can move downriver just a tad? That would be the right thing to do, karmically speaking. (NB: Confused by karma? Ask Bobby.)

Anyway, thanks for listening. You were listening, weren’t you? …Hello?

Nick and Josh and I went to visit Randall and see how big Sullivan has gotten in a year. Randall has taught Sullivan to roll-over on command.

It was really nice to visit with the Fox family. Sue, Randall’s mom, made the boys some scrambled eggs and Randall’s sisters graciously kept the boys occupied while we visited.

I was happy to hear Randall has been awarded full scholarship to UNO, where he’ll start in the fall. He’s going study Urban Planning. He was accepted to every college he applied to but UNO gave him the best deal and has the program he’s interested in. Randall’s also going into college with a buttload of AP credits from his extra work in high school. I am really proud of him. In addition to that good news, we were happy to see Sullivan is with a family who gives him plenty of love. He’s a very lucky and very smart cat !

I find it amazing that there has been little talk of conservation or limiting of our garbage. People want to continue business as usual and expect different results despite the lack of garbage service. In this “economic environment” it shouldn’t be difficult to cut out on take out or drive thru restaurants. Waste less and you’ll have more money in your pocket and less garbage to throw out.

Toronto’s efforts to reduce garbage going to landfill by 70% are valiant. Many municipalities have bragged of diversion rates of 60% over the last 5 years so this is not an unattainable goal. Mayor Miller has been reluctant to implement incineration and has focused more on reduction and recycling in an effort to limit garbage going to Michigan.

In this aim to reduce landfill Toronto has implemented a Green Bin program less strict than several Municipalities hoping for higher compliance rates. Toronto allows green waste to be placed in plastic bags, “disposable” diapers, and pet waste like kitty litter. This makes it harder to sort and turn our green waste into compost though. Shortcuts revealed by a Toronto Star shows that our service providers are skimping on their implementation of Toronto’s plan with much of the green waste still ending up in landfill or incinerated. As noted in today’s follow up article, city councillors are right to call for an audit of the services Toronto is paying for. If the city is paying a company to safely and efficiently deal with our garbage and green waste it should be accountable for it. The Ministry regulates these service providers and should wield a heavier hand.

At the end of the day it’s our tax dollars and our garbage. Reducing the amount of taxes need to clean up the mess and reducing the pile of waste starts at home not in Ottawa, Queen’s Park, or Mayor Miller’s office.

No one was sitting on their seats, they were sitting in the space in front of their seats, blankets, pillows etc… It looked like a giant living room - how cool!
We followed suit and made notes on what extra stuff to bring the next time.

This past week at Princess Bride we were ready or as ready as we were going to be since we had to carry everything bout a 1/2 mile or so to the amphitheater.

This time the crowd appeared to be doing a 1/2 and 1/2 seating. Some on their seats, some on the space in front of their seats. It mostly worked out so everyone could see what they needed to see.

We had arrived before the doors opened so we could get a pretty good seat.
Around 8pm other peope arrived and demanded we modify our seating arrangements so they could sit down.
Hmm…  Let me think about that…  no. I was here early, general admission seating and got my seat.
Since there was still a mix of seating I felt no need to make room for someone who in my opinion arrived late.

At one point a set of 4 came and made another couple in front of us move, a gentleman over 6 feet tall who had found a place where he could comfortably sit with his legs out. He ended up looking not so comfortable elsewhere.  This set of 4 moved 2-3 more time and eventually sat directly in front of my companion with no care that her view was now blocked. She had to move up to the seat portion which led to the people behind her having to modify their seating arrangement and so on - a domino effect.

I was annoyed to say the least.

I sent an email to Ron Garrison - General Services Manager. (Kudos to him for taking the time to respond very thoughtfully to my email!)
Hi-lights:

Me: “I was wondering if i could get clarification from you on what the preferred seating methods for film on the rocks is.
Last year most people sat on the floor with their back up against the “seat” portion. That made fun environment, like everyone hanging out on the living room floor with their pillows and blankets!”

Ron: ” Thank you for your email and the chance to give you our position.  We have had many complaints from people who purchased tickets and could not find a place to sit.  The fire and paramedics were also distressed by the people who had no place to sit but on the stairs.

There were less tickets sold than seats in the amphitheater, but patrons who “sprawl” and take more than one seat are becoming an increasing problem - particularly on a popular show like The Princess Bride.  When asked, some will make room for others, many will not.  Sitting in front of the seat and stretching ones legs out in front takes at the very minimum two seats.  If the patron takes two seats in their own row and stretches out to the seats in front, then they are taking up four seats.  Clearly this is unfair to others who pay the same price for tickets. Therefore we ask that you sit in your seat.  In the pre-recorded announcements before the show, this is one point that is requested of the audience.  A ticket to a show entitles you to one seat and one seat only. Although there are 8448 seats in the amphitheatre, for future shows we will stop selling at 7500 and declare the show “Sold Out.”
“

Basically I bantered back and forth on a couple more points with Ron and he was kind enough to take the time to respond in kind! With the final outcome being
“Bottom line is one ticket-one seat.    As romantic as the concept of “giant living room” is, we just can’t operate that way. “

I will abide by the rules now that i am aware of them when I go to Ghostbusters in August.  I am thinking the environment will no longer be as much fun as it was. I also hope they (Red Rocks Staff) make a bigger effort the enforce the rules - which need to be done from gate opening…  Trying for force everyone onto their “seats” at 8pm it just too late in the game - especially with the mixed seating that occurs.

See you there, and remeber to sit in your seat!

well some business have responded and at least one near the zoo, stella trattoria, is having a panda benefit night this tuesday. i haven’t eaten at stella’s yet (though the yelp reviews look decent) but for 10% proceeds to our furry not-so-little friends, i will certainly give it a try.

there is of course a facebook event set up you can rsvp on, or just show up and eat this tuesday.

dining for pandas
stella trattoria
563 memorial drive
atlanta, ga

1:00 PM - Ferre Whitney: The Artist Within: A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit
Barnes & Noble University Village
Unlock Your Artist Within, A Wine Bar-Artiste to Speak and Sign
“Artistic entrepreneur Whitney Ferre begins The Artist Within with the premise that our confidence in our ability to create change has been sabotaged by the luxuries of modern living. That is, the very conveniences that simplify our lives (take-out or prepared food, manufactured clothing, warehouse-style shopping centers), have limited our desire- and even our ability- to produce or create, these basic items for ourselves. The Artist Within offers a set of creative exercises to help you strengthen the right-brain, the creative side, which is in the shadow of the over-developed left-brain. I expected this book to be interesting, but I wasn’t prepared for all the fun I had while reading it and working my way through the various creativity exercises. From simple make your mark doodling to more extensive projects involving painting, weaving, and collage, there’s something for everyone.” - sheistoofondofbooks.com
[LINK]

With this series, I will provide a platform for you to help change things in Karachi for the better. In the rapidly upcoming tradition of citizen journalism, I will keep this series open to everyone. Since it is our responsibility to make our city a better place, you can go do your own reporting and send me your photos/videos. I will publish a good selection every week for the benefit of the readers (Submission guidelines are at the end of the post).

TODAY’s SELECTION:

Ibex being transported

Circo Hermanos Vazquez will offer three performances tomorrow (2, 5, and 8 pm), and one each on Monday and Tuesday (7 pm), worth every penny. It’s comfortably cool under la gran carpa (shown in this picture), and the popcorn is the best found anywhere lately. The location is Krieg Field, 515 South Pleasant Valley Road. Among the outstanding acts are clowns, acrobats, and a “Cossack” horseback-riding thrill act. As is customary, photographs are taken in the stands, with or without clowns, and, during the intermission, little children are photographed atop or next to Minimo, the miniature horse. After the performance, photographs may be taken in the company of the five young showgirls in their spectacular costumes, which include plumes and silver “character” dance shoes. The intimacy of this one-ring show makes it special, Circo Vazquez delights children and adults alike. The lighted and sparkly toy butterfly scepters were great favorites this year with the little girls in the audience. It’s not necessary to know Spanish to enjoy the excellent clowns, but it does enhance the fun. We especially loved the test of strength in which the dog was the clear winner.

I found this example of two starkly contrasting blocks of old and new construction located uptown at the intersection of Annunciation and Amelia.

Standing in the intersection, in immediate proximity of these contrasting styles, I found that they illustrate quite well criteria numbers three, four and six of the ordinance governing the NCDC (Neighborhood Conservation District Committee), on which I currently serve. We are obligated to consider all of these criteria collectively as we contemplate the impact of proposed demolitions on a case-by-case basis.

The main factors we consider under the new ordinance are:
1) Current Condition fo the structure.
2) Architectural Signifigance of the structure.
3) Historical Signifigance of the subject structure.
4) Urban Design Signifigance as it relates to the pedestrian perception and movement and the height, area and bulk of the structure and how it relates to the street scene traffic.
5) Neighborhood context of the structure.
6) Overall effect on the blockface.
7) Proposed time/length the subject site is anticipated to remain undeveloped.
8) Proposed plan for redevelopment.
9) Stated position of adjacent neighbors, neighborhood associations or other interested individuals or organizations, either in writing(email).

This block, with the traditional setback, is the type of architecture built by craftsmen and materials which are no longer available except through salvage shops and are a big attraction tourists who come from places where this style of architecture doesn’t exist. Along with our lovely oak trees, it is part of what makes our citys’ streets unique.

It is also worth considering the interior characteristics of the older shotguns which are often taken for granted in the traditional shotgun’s interior. Fireplaces, high ceilings, large floor-to-ceiling windows, including dormers as well as the old oak flooring, and often, plaster walls, all of which make New Orleans School homes more valuable and desirable. This compared with small, vinyl windows, low ceilings, cheap sheetrock and cheap parquet floors, plastic showers and non-descript home depot doors. At least the new construction on this block included porches.

Which block is more inviting/compelling to walk down? Which block offers the most compelling backdrop in which to carry on with the drudgery of life’s daily activities?

The one to the left of the intersection, or this one, on the right which could be anywhere U.S.A.:

While I know the importance of affordable housing, we also need to be careful where we put it. Imagine this old blockface with one of these new modular styles stuck smack in the middle of it.

As a member of the NCDC, I am often dumbfounded by the applicants who apply for demolition who have one of these old homes with superior construction and declare ignorantly to us that the property is not historical in their plea to demolish it and replace it with cheap alternatives, usually after years of their own neglect.