Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Say Hey Kid Opens Up


Willie Mays, at 78, Decides to Tell His Story

Published: January 30, 2010

On the night of April 29, 1961, at dinner in Milwaukee, Willie Mays ate some bad barbecue. He was up all night, sick to his stomach, and so wobbly the next afternoon he told Alvin Dark, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, to erase his name from the lineup. Lew Burdette was scheduled to pitch for the Braves.

Read More

Source: New York Times

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bad News About Sly Stone

Sly And The Family Stone's first publicity photo in 1967

Sly Stone sues ex-manager, claiming millions kept

Thursday, January 28, 2010
(01-28) 15:40 PST LOS ANGELES, (AP) --

Sly Stone sued a former business manager and others on Thursday, claiming tens of millions of dollars in royalties were kept from the singer who now depends on Social Security to survive.

Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, was the frontman of the 1970s funk group Sly and The Family Stone.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/28/entertainment/e145237S38.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0dyLsymDJ



Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Monday, January 25, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ETTA JAMES!!

The DMV Chronicles, Volume II

A List of FAQ by DMV Customers

1. "I have to pay?"
2. "Why do I have to fill out the application? My information has not changed."
3. "I don't have to wait in line, do I?"
4. "No, I don't know my number. Don't you have it?"
5. "I don't want to take my photo. I like my old picture/I didn't do my hair/shave."
6. "Why do I have to take a test? I:
a. have been driving for 1000 years
b. didn't have to take a test last time
c. know my vision is bad, but I'm a very good driver. If I go to the eye doctor, who's
supposed to pay for that?
d. didn't have to take a test in New York" (to which I reply either Welcome to California!
Or Planes Fly Both Ways Across The Continent, Buddy.)

When asked for legal presence documents (i.e. birth cert. passport):

1. " I know my social. Can't you look it up?" (a customer from of out-of-state asked me that.)
2. "I have my phone/pg&e bill." (this is in reply to my specifically asking for a passport or birth certificate)
3. "She doesn't have her birth certificate, but I'm her mother".
4. "But my friend..." (that one is my favorite. if your bogus papers don't work, pointing out that you know someone who did beat the system oddly doesn't work in one's favor.)

When checking in for a Drive Test:

1. "What does insurance and registration look like?"
2. "It doesn't say on the website that I must provide my own car for the drive test."

Gary Coleman's Mug Shot


Well, I don't even know what to say. Michael K from Dlisted does though, so click and enjoy!

As Timely Now As It Was Then


[Heavy Flooding at Market and Church Street]. Jan 21, 1941
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, San Francisco Public Library.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The DMV Chronicles, Volume I

Computers down at all 168 California DMV offices

By JUDY LIN, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, January 21, 2010

(01-21) 16:06 PST Sacramento, Calif. (AP) --

A systemwide computer failure at the California Department of Motor Vehicles caused several hours of delays at all 168 offices Thursday.

The offices remained open, but with computers unable to connect to the state's network, DMV workers were forced to do everything by hand, such as processing driver's licenses and registrations, DMV spokeswoman Jan Mendoza said.

"They're collecting paperwork and processing it later," Mendoza said while the computers were down.

DMV offices began experiencing problems connecting to the state's network around 11 a.m. Offices started to connect back around 2 p.m.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/21/state/n140553S74.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0dJe1ur1l

Can you imagine such a horror? Try working there. Not able to do anything but sit there for 3 hours trying not to make eye contact while the gallery stares at us like we're a reality show (it's actually more of a sitcom/soap opera anyway). Good Times!

And now a word from The People (eyeroll):


Most Recommended Comments

sillyvalley
1/21/2010 2:23:05 PM

The really amazing thing is that it took all the DMV employees an hour to realize that the computers were down.

Recommend: (208)(18)[Report Abuse] Permalink Permalink

studs_lonigan
1/21/2010 2:20:41 PM

Become a AAA member. They have their own DMV offices in select locations...only the little people wait in lines

Recommend: (138)(36)[Report Abuse] Permalink Permalink

nezumi
1/21/2010 2:19:21 PM

Could it be that DMV is still using COBOL-based applications?

Recommend:
(114)
(35)[Report Abuse]

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/21/state/n140553S74.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0dJfu4kHp

The answer to the COBOL question is yes! I attempted to learn it back in college, and enjoy showing it to 27-year olds who were born the year I took COBOL in college.

Source: SFGate.com

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Saturday, January 16, 2010



ON MY WAY!