SFO Airport - United Flight cancellations and "free" WiFi that never works

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As I write this I'm at San Francisco International waiting for the Denver flight to leave so I can get to Atlanta for my Mom's birthday. This is the third flight I've tried today.

The first United flight, 102 to Chicago, was to leave at 11:55 AM PST but it was canceled. In fact there were a number of flight cuts to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago, thus gumming up other airplanes with people trying to make connections to their destinations - like me.

Actually I'm used to the cancellation thing. In fact I had one really interesting episode that caused me to appear on CNN. Here's the video series of that fun time:









When I arrived in Atlanta to see Mom for Christmas, I had already planned a visit to my friends at CNN's iReport staff. But while there, executive producer Andreas Preuss was told of my travel story, called down to the iReport staff for me, and said "OK. I'm putting you on in 8 minutes. I'm betting my life on you!"

The result was this appearance on CNN that Friday with CNN Anchor and Old Blue (UC Berkeley grad) Richard Lui:



That was fun but I do hope I don't have a replay of the events which led to that particular show.

SFO should fix its "free wifi"

I'm writing this thanks to the 7 bucks I spent for a "T-Mobile DayPass" and because the so-called "Free Wifi" that pops up in my Mac's "Internet Connect" window doesn't work at all.

That's happened before.

SFO needs to get its act together in the wifi department. For an airport that's in the center of the unofficial capital of the Internet industry, having just T-Mobile to use and no free wifi available is an outrage

Don Fisher: RIP

Very sad to learn of the passing of GAP Founder (and Old Blue) Don Fisher, whom I've met twice. The first time at a GAP "Project Red" event a few years ago, the second time when I ran into him at San Francisco Shopping Center at Union Square. Don was always a great person to talk to and gracious with his time. A successful man who treated people as if they mattered, at least from my personal experience. He will be missed by many.

Well..I'm still waiting.

UPDATE! Off to Denver, then ATL!

Oakland Raiders lose to Denver Broncos - lift The Blackout Rule!

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The Oakland Raiders lost horribly to the Denver Broncos 23 to 3 in a game where one had to ask "Where was everyone?" The game didn't sell out but I've never seen a Broncos - Raiders Coliseum contest where most of the third deck was empty.

I'm serious. It was that bad.

The official attendance count was 45,602 people in a stadium that can hold up to 65,000 people. That's 20,000 folks short of the madhouse level of fandamonium that normally goes with this contest and its all due to the economy.

It pretty much goes without saying or writing but the San Francisco Bay Area economy is in bad shape, along with the American economy. While the unemployment rate is officially over 12 percent statewide and about 10 percent nationwide, it's got to be worse than that in reality.

I've never seen a time where most of the people I talk to are looking for work, and its people who I'm used to seeing with money in their pockets. Does the NFL adjust to this?

No.

The Blackout Rule was designed for a different time when America was rich. Not today. The idea of The Blackout Rule was to get people to go to the football games by causing sellouts, then televising them.

That's not happening today.

The Blackout Rule needs to be lifted otherwise the NFL will find itself with a whole bunch of pissed off television execs and NFL sponsors. Jay Mariotti of ESPN and AOL is right: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should lift the rule for now and the future because its not clear when this economy's going to get better.

Oakland Raiders lose to Denver Broncos - lift The Blackout Rule!

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com

The Oakland Raiders lost horribly to the Denver Broncos 23 to 3 in a game where one had to ask "Where was everyone?" The game didn't sell out but I've never seen a Broncos - Raiders Coliseum contest where most of the third deck was empty.

I'm serious. It was that bad.

The official attendance count was 45,602 people in a stadium that can hold up to 65,000 people. That's 20,000 folks short of the madhouse level of fandamonium that normally goes with this contest and its all due to the economy.

It pretty much goes without saying or writing but the San Francisco Bay Area economy is in bad shape, along with the American economy. While the unemployment rate is officially over 12 percent statewide and about 10 percent nationwide, it's got to be worse than that in reality.

I've never seen a time where most of the people I talk to are looking for work, and its people who I'm used to seeing with money in their pockets. Does the NFL adjust to this?

No.

The Blackout Rule was designed for a different time when America was rich. Not today. The idea of The Blackout Rule was to get people to go to the football games by causing sellouts, then televising them.

That's not happening today.

The Blackout Rule needs to be lifted otherwise the NFL will find itself with a whole bunch of pissed off television execs and NFL sponsors. Jay Mariotti of ESPN and AOL is right: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should lift the rule for now and the future because its not clear when this economy's going to get better.

Megan Fox on SNL tonight! What will Megan Fox say?

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Ok, Megan Fox is hosting the 35th season premier of Saturday Night Live and the question on my mind is what is she gonna say! If it's anything like the Rolling Stone interview, this should be a classic SNL.

Did you see the Rolling Stone talk? If not, here's my review:

Miley Cirus in Sex and The City 2

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A few weeks ago it was rumor that pop star Miley Cyrus was going to be in the sequel to the Sex and The City movie called "Sex and The City 2" but now it is true.



According to Gossip Cop, Cyrus, who caused a stir at the Teen Choice Awards with her stripper pole dance performance, has brief role:

Gossip Cop can confirm that in the current script, Cyrus has one scene, and in it she wears the same dress to a red carpet event that Kim Cattrall’s character buys to look “hot and young.” In the script, Mario Cantone’s character Anthony responds by exclaiming, “Mother of God: She is wearing the same dress as Hannah Montana.”

Michelle Malkin's info caused death threats to be sent to elementary school

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Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin's zealous coverage of the "praise Obama" video issue has reportedly resulted in death threats sent to the principal at B. Bernice Young Elementary School in New Jersey, and last Thursday the school was placed on lockdown as a result.

Blogger-with-the-cool-name Larisa Alexandrovna over at at-Largely writes that

The Malkinites are making wild use of this to get the psychotics all fired up and ready for an attack on... an elementary school:

"The tension at B. Bernice Young Elementary School escalated to such a degree Thursday that the school was placed temporarily on lockdown after its principal received death threats over a YouTube video that showed nearly 20 children being taught songs lauding the president, though back-to-school night events continuing as planned Thursday night at the school."

She got that from Raw Story, which ads that Fox News altered the story to exclude the mention of the death threats issued to the principal. Then, after the action was reported by bloggers, Fox News restored the original text.

Moreover, the angry mob of callers actually phoned the wrong school!

Where was the Malkinite's outrage over the "Jesus Camp" President Bush worship story or the Katrina Kids being told to sing a song of praise of FEMA before Laura Bush? Oh, I forgot, we had a white Republican President in place, so it was ok for the Malkinites to overlook that.

Shame.

If Michelle, who's a mother, has a compassionate bone in her body, she'll write a blog post that condemns those death threats and tells her flock not to behave in a life-threatening way to others. That's only the right thing to do.

(And on the matter of the "Jesus Camp", Malkinites have repeatedly sent emails which read that the "school is private not public" but they're wrong and miss the point. The school is part of a church that, like other religious institutions, is tax-exempt.  So the Federal Government, in a way, sponsors that organization's actions.)  

Malkin and race

I've gotten emails from Malkinite's on this matter of mentioning race, stating that I'm racist for identifying racist actions (the new conservative dialectic). But here's the problem: Malkin has said and wrote some pretty racist statements and has a way of framing blacks and minorities in a way that diminishes them. Yes, including Asians.

Malkin has said that Japanese internment "was a good thing" and Gawker recalls her rather "vile" interview with Matt Lauer on The Today's Show.

Malkin's work is - to this day - published at "VDARE.com" and one can even email her from that site - if they read the stuff.

What is VDARE.com?

According to Alex Koppelman in The Huffington Post, VDARE is a site named for Virginia Dare, the first white person born in the new world and is identified as a hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center.

Malkin is, sadly, commonly described with the term "racist" and that's not for pointing out racism, as I do. It's for putting people of color down like Michelle Obama whenever she gets the chance. That's enough to make even an admirer of her business acumen like myself just cry.

If Malkin's not racist, why is she posting articles to websites like VDARE? Just a question.

We all want to think the best of each other and that's true for my view of Michelle. I've not yet had the pleasure of meeting her - or at least I hope it would be so - and I'm sure it would be a great experience because people in the media business are seldom like the images they extend.

Seriously.

But Michelle's got a track record of putting down people of color that's long and strong.

That's just terrible so say the least.

Green” Zone troubles continue to haunt Big Blue-By Dr. Bill Chachkes Football Reporters Online

“Green” Zone troubles continue to haunt Big Blue-By Dr. Bill Chachkes Football Reporters Online
(Photo: Coach Tom Coughlin must continue to search for answers for the Giants lack of scoring Touchdowns inside the 20-By A.F. Chachkes for F.R.O.

It’s been an Issue since the last year or two of the Jim Fassel era. Every other team knows about It. The Giants have issues scoring 6 points from inside the 20yard line. Why?

They have so many players that can produce offensively that It’s sickening. They should be averaging over 35 points per game instead of 27. QB Eli Manning still has quality Receivers and Tight Ends to catch the ball. No one really misses Jeremy Shockey anymore either since Kevin Boss came into his own. So then why can’t Big Blue get more love inside the 20? With Steve Smith and Mario Manningham emerging as legitimate downfield threats, and the depth behind them beginning to contribute as well, we have to begin to look at the play calling.

If Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride and QB coach Chris Palmer (who have both been coaching a very long time) have to know that they need better scoring production. Every other NFL defense knows Brandon Jacobs is coming on second and short and third and short situations. Like the playoff game last year, when Brandon Jacobs was pyle-driven to the ground on several short yardage situations, the entire free world knew when he was running between the Guards Sunday night.

If Eli would be allowed to freelance a few more play fakes every game the defenses would have to run a little less “8 men in the box” alignments and keep a few more defensive backs In the game on the short yardage situations. This would open up the corner routes and the crossing routes from the 25 yard line and in, and at least give the Giants a few more chances to score six instead of three points.

You can argue with me all you want that the Giants receivers are not that skilled yet, but Manningham looks like “White Shoes” Johnson when he “tight-ropes” up the side lines, and Smith runs a better down and in then Bobby Johnson ever did. Ok so Toomer and Burress were taller then most Receivers and Burress created mismatches everywhere he ran to on the field. But it was Toomer’s leadership ability that New York misses the most right now. But, the lack of a veteran presence in the Receiver corps has not stopped their growth as players. So again, why are the Giants only averaging 26 points per game?

I have come to the conclusion that It Is less an Issue with the players then it is with the play calling. Until the Giants diversify their Offensive Game plan to use all of their skill players equally, they will “telegraph” their every move to the opposing defenses, and you will see lots of scoring left on the field.