journal.melendez.org

Scary news from New Orleans: NOPD looking for suspects in Mid-City robbery, murder- http://www.wwltv.com/local/WWLrobmdr092702.6415df13.html

HACKERS BEG BORING PEOPLE TO STOP ENCRYPTING EMAIL: http://www.satirewire.com/news/aug02/encryption.shtml

The Disenchanted Kingdom: George Ritzer On The Disappearance Of Authentic American Culture. An interview by Derrick Jensen: http://www.thesunmagazine.org/318_ritzer.pdf

Ok, so I have finally stopped being completely bummed out about the world long enough to document the night I went out with 35 people dressed as Santa: http://www.melendez.org/santa/santa.html Another one happens next year, check it out.

Interesting tutorial about how to lobby your congress people: http://slashdot.org/yro/01/09/16/1647231.shtml

Senate Amendment 1562, adopted Thursday, will expand Federal wiretapping powers: http://www.cdt.org/security/091101response.shtml/ Calls to ban encryption: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46816,00.html http://www.msnbc.com/news/627390.asp Re-emergence of Carnivore: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46747,00.html http://latimes.com/business/la-000073542sep12.story Erosions of civil liberties are coming: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46784,00.html

People who don't consider themselves "activists" in the stereotypical sense do feel strongly about the issues affecting them and their environment. However, modern culture has made more people feel powerless and resigned to events taking place, whether they like them or not. This is good news for the mega corporations, bad for communities.

more microjobs: real estate, reseller.

A whirlwind of a weekend. Friday was dinner at Mike and Emily's house. We got to meet Mike's sister Anna as well. The paella was fabulous. On Saturday, we had Thai food with Kenny in Jennifer in of all places, Slidell. It was surprisingly good for Slidell! Then on Sunday night we went out with Rese and Kenneth to the Sake Cafe to celebrate Kenneth's birthday. Rock on old man!

There is a sad beauty to this city. I was struck by this thought this morning as I mused on friends who wanted to move or friends who were moving. I was reminded of those people who chose to stay in Cuba, especially Havana, which is a harsh life to say the least. At this point, anyone who really wants to leave Cuba can, yet there are many who still choose to stay. Whatever that motivation, I believe it is related to the reason so many people live here their entire lives, even though it is a struggle at times.

I need to make the weekly review of my personal goals. I haven't done that in a while, and I need to make sure I am living up to those.

My friend Kenny is going to China.

From Japan Times: Freeter: a Japanese Anglo-Germanism coined in 1987 meaning, roughly, free work. You ditch the career track in favor of part-time jobs leading nowhere and demanding little -- so many hours a day, at so much (generally not very much) per hour, and the rest of your life is your own. Fed up? Quit; travel; drift back; get another job . . . Not a bad deal, thought many. The article goes on to ream this lifestyle, saying that corporations do not look kindly upon "freeters."

I guess I am just a posting fool today. Fact of the Week: Number of extra cops recruited by the D.C. police department to face off with protesters in late September: 3,500 source: alternet

Oh yeah, I worked on the No Wal-Mart in Historic New Orleans page. It's not quite finished yet, but I thought I would share it with you.

Another weekend. Friday night, had cocktails and dinner with our friend Tim. Tim is an old friend and business associate from a previous life. He has a very cool pad in the CBD. On Saturday night, we saw Tim again, this time at his house for cocktails before White Linen Night, a local event where people drink booze and circle art galleries like mercury poisoned fish (or skateboarders). After wandering downtown aimlessly we joined a friend at a party in a loft nearby. Nice to escape the wandering masses below. We saw some friends and made some new ones. On Sunday we did home improvement chores (ugh) and then had a dinner for Cassie's mom's birthday at Bangkok Cuisine, the Thai restaurant next to the Rock n' Bowl. Gotta love that word. Bangkok.

So, the alarmist neighbor was not far off on the number. Yes, there have been about 30 robberies. This, unfortunately is also what defines a "real" neighborhood. The very mixed quality of our neighborhood means that all types of people, some good and some not so good, brush up against each other. High crime periods make me long for the physical security of the suburbs, but the accompanying lack of soul makes me throw that idea out the window. Tropical storm in the Gulf today. It will be a hurricane in 72 hours and has a decent chance of hitting New Orleans. Gotta love it!

Crime in my neighborhood can be intense. Right now, there are a rash of armed robberies in the Faubourg Marigny area. If you live in the area and see anything suspicious, please contact the 5th District police at 504-941-4400. One of our neighbors (a man of much alarming news) says that there have been 36 armed robberies in the past month, including one across the street from our house. They are also supposed to be occuring during the day.

Argh! Dead fish in the pond today. Suspiciously, a cat was hanging around the pond.

I live in a real neighborhood. I got up early today and walked from my house to the far end of the French Quarter, which takes about an hour round trip. The neighborhood is very mixed, with rich and poor literally right next door to each other, mansions beside crumbling shacks and punks and retirees, all mixed up together. Gay couples walk their dogs, tattooed and pierced people ride bikes, and old ladies sit on porches and size up everyone who walks by. Most people make eye contact with you, and no matter how strange you may appear, say hello. Many houses are being restored, no small feat in an older part of a city where the elements extract a wicked toll. Our house was built in 1840 by a free man of color and we spent far more than we could afford addressing structural and cosmetic issues. Our neighbors are mostly working class and the ones on the right side drink a little bit too much on weekends and turn up classic rock to deafening levels. Judas Priest whips them into a fr...