I watched it happen!

Ship slams into New Orleans riverfront mall
Dozens of people injured
December 14, 1996
Web posted at: 10:10 p.m. EST

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- A freighter slammed into a packed riverfront mall in New Orleans Saturday. Panicked holiday shoppers and tourists jumped into the Mississippi River to escape. Others were trampled in the rush.

The Liberian-registered freighter, MV Bright Field, apparently lost its steering power and rammed into the Riverwalk shopping mall around 2:30 p.m. Thousands of people were at the mall at the time of the accident.

The impact collapsed four floors of the multi-tiered mall, a strip of stores and condominiums overlooking the Mississippi River. About 200 feet of the dock was destroyed.

The freighter's bow slammed into the dock between the Flamingo Casino boat and two cruise ships that were tied up at the dock. The ship's captain blew a distress signal moments before the crash, a warning that sent people scurrying.

"It was just panic. People were trying to get off the casino boat. People began jumping into the river," said Wood Thomas, who was standing in the mall at the time.

Sylvia Brooks also witnessed the crash. "People were falling down. People were picking up babies. People were crying."

The 700-foot freighter struck in the middle of the Riverwalk at Cafe du Monde. The cafe's walls collapsed, its girders twisted.

The Riverwalk opened in 1986 at a cost of $58 million. Stores include Abercrombie & Fitch, The Sharper Image, and Eddie Bauer.

The freighter was tied up after the crash, and several tugs worked to hold it in place. Other accidents have occurred in which boats have struck the riverfront but none was as devastating as Saturday's accident.


We were in New Orleans because Crowley High was playing in the state championship that weekend. We were standing near the waterfalls, in front of the Riverwalk Mall, and watched the entire thing. People were acting crazy. They were actually jumping off the boat, in between the boat and the riverwalk. Now the Riverwalk is solid, so if the freighter would have hit that boat, they would have been smashed.

I Love Sushi

I have officially been introducted to sushi. I have been wanting to try it forever, and I love it. I cannot remember all the different types that we tried. Let me try to remember....We had crunchy rolls, miami rolls, eel rolls, and tiger eye rolls. There was one other kind, but I don't remember the name. The eel rolls were my least favorite. I think it was the eel sauce that I didn't care for.

I actually ate with chopsticks. I was nervous about the chopstick idea. I did not even know that I had to eat with them, until we were driving up to the restaurant. I thought to myself, "I'm going to look like a big ole' donkey." I did well with the chopsticks. I didn't drop a piece, and I looked like a pro.

Things I have I learned...

At most sushi bars, the waitress will offer a hot towel to wash your hands so you can pick up sushi with clean fingers.

Sushi is meant to be finger food, quick and tasty. It is preferable to eat sushi with ones hands rather than with chopsticks, but both ways are acceptable in America.

With your Sushi order, you will be served some pickled ginger, a small mound of wasabi, and soy sauce. Eat a slice of pickled ginger after each variety of sushi to cleanse your palate. It is not proper to mix the wasabi with the soy sauce.

Eat the whole sushi roll at once. It is not appropriate to eat part of a piece of sushi and place the other piece back on a plate. Once you have picked something up you should eat all of it.

After eating, Cypress and I went to the Blue Moon Saloon. We sat and listened to a couple bands. I had a good night. I'm glad I had a chance to relax because the past few weeks have been a little hectic.


"The pleasant experience of eating something you have never had before, will extend your life by 75 days."
-- Japanese proverb

School is cool

I have a few minutes before class, so I decided to do something a little different. I am blogging from the library. I really don't have much to say. Well, I have heartburn, and this library is always full of people.

I have been staying pretty busy with school and the new job. So far, I've been a good student. Although, I haven't taken any tests or quizzes to support that statement.

Yesterday, I found out that the nursing program has their own computer lab. I am excited about that. I can go in there, anytime, and use the computers without waiting in line forever. The only bad thing is I can't print anything there. I'll get over it.

I have a lot of classes where I have to take quizzes and turn in assignments online. It would probably be best to do them there. The instructors recommend that you don't take the quizzes on a dial-up internet connection. There is only one chance and 20 minutes. I don't think I will take a chance of getting booted at home.

Get Books Online!

I love amazon.com!

I bought a used chemistry book from a bookstore on campus, and I paid $106. On amazon.com, I paid $40 less for the same text. I was so impressed. Obviously, I returned the book from the campus bookstore. I did the same today with another text book. I sound like a commercial.

After I bought my text today from a bookstore on campus, I brought my butt to the library to check out the same book on amazon. Well, low and behold, UL has blocked the use of amazon. It let me browse for books, but I could not look at the prices from individual sellers. I am not sure if it is blocked for security reasons. Perhaps, it is blocked because it is competition. Major competition!

I much prefer buying from other students online. It is better than things that have happened to me in the past. I have bought books for $150, and the bookstore "bought them back" for $30. Then, I'm sure they turn around and sell them the next semester for $100 or more. I am not getting screwed like that again.

First Day

Actually, I had two first days. Today was my first day of orientation at my new job, and also my first day back at UL.

Orientation was boring, and the one class that I attended had idiots for students. I can tell for sure that they are going to get on my nerves.

Movies

Tonight, I went with Cypress and Amber to see that new movie w/ Jim Carrey, "Fun with Dick and Jane." The movie was predictable. It was cute, but the previews let you know what it's all about.

People do not know how to act in theatres. Last time I saw a movie, a black couple beside us talked throughout the entire film. They made stupid little comments about the movie, and said out loud what they thought would happen next.

This evening, a similar family sat behind us with two young children. Hundreds of empty seats, and they sat down on the row immediately behind us with children. I was not impressed from the get go. They want to talk and move around because, let's face it, parents do not know how to raise their children today. The kids rule the roost.

Anyway, about 5 minutes after they "sit," I feel kicking on the back of my seat. Not something that I like to tolerate. I decided to end things, and I just grabbed my junk and took it to the next row. I wonder if they got the hint.

That's why

A few days ago, I posted the lyrics to the song "Another one bites the dust." Why in the world would I do such a thing?

If you know me, I changed jobs, in 2005, more than some folks change their underwear. Well, once again, I have decided to leave another job. However, this time I actually put in my two-weeks notice. I'm growing up!

I am going back to school, which is a priority. My schedule for school is a crazy mess, and it just would not allow me to ask if someone wanted soup or salad.

I'm glad. It feels like such a weight has been lifted.

I just threw up a little in my mouth

It is slash KLFY week! Do you remember the former reporter David Begnaud? Well, here he is, on the right, with the orange tan. This is a picture that he, himself, posted on his myspace profile.

I did no processing to make this photograph disturbing.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

I'm HOT. You're Not.

This beauty has been with TV 10 since 1899. She was no stranger to the TV 10 family when she started her career having completed an internship in the News Department while in college. She landed the internship using the Monica Lewenski method. After graduating magna cum laude from USL (no surprise there), now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with a B.A. in Mass Communications/Broadcasting, she began as a General Assignments Reporter and quickly became the Anchor and Producer for the weekend editions of Eyewitness News, and it is a good thing for her. You can't do anything else with that degree. In two years, she was promoted to her current position as news anchor for Passe Partout, her skills will blow your mind.

Originally from a Duson trailerpark, the girl from lot #14 says the best thing about this area is, of course, "friendly people." She's happy for the opportunity to stay in Acadiana after obtaining her degree. She cannot imagine living anywhere other than here because she spends her days barefoot. It is impossible for her to find a pair of shoes to fit her massive feet.

In her spare time, she enjoys watching aerobics, shaving her back, crossword puzzles, word finds and playing the board game "Taboo." According to the Queen, "Music is the best medicine," so don't be surprised if you see her enjoying a little karaoke. Although, if you see her, run. Her favorite movies include the classic, "Greasy Face," "The People Under the Stairs" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." She highly recommends "Chicken Soup for a Cyclops" if you're looking for a good book.

She received the Hearst Journalism Award and was named "Best Anchor/Reporter" in a special edition of The Times of Acadiana and was also named "Best TV Personality" in a special edition of Lifestyle Magazine. There were no other canidates nominated. That girl is quite the character. She did everyone a favor and filled out the ballots for them. She is a true sweetheart.

Miss Thing was selected to be the TV 10 coordinator for the "Jefferson Award." The segment recognizes excellence in volunteering in the community of Acadiana. She is always ready, willing, and able to take on any task.

She is married to chunky co-worker, who is a General Assignments Reporter for KLFY TV 10. She has one step-son, she says he never ceases to amaze her! That is her generic statement when she doesn't have anything better to say about someone. Poor kid.

Just One for Now

Which OS are You?

Swipe

Small things make me happy. I live by the card, my debit card, that is. More and more restaurants are hoping on the bandwagon, and accepting this method of payment. Now, it is becoming more rare to find places that do not accept the plastic.

I do not eat at Sonic often, but when I do, I am happy that they accept cards. It sucks when they have to walk all the way back in, and then out, to run your card. Now, Sonic on Johnston street has these outdoor debit/credit/gift card processors. This excites me, and this is my new favorite Sonic. "Drive in for a change."

Another One Bites The Dust

Written by John Deacon.
Sung by Freddie Mercury.

Released 22nd August, 1980 - Spent 9 weeks on chart and reached number 7.

Ooh, let's go
Steve walks warily down the street
With the brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet
Machine guns ready to go

Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this
Are you hangin' on the edge of your seat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat - yeah

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, eh
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

How do you think I'm going to get along
Without you when you're gone
You took me for everything that I had
And kicked me out on my own

Are you happy? Are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat
Look out

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, eh
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

Hey
Oh take it
Bites the dust - bite the dust hey
HeyAnother one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust, ow
Another one bites the dust, hey hey
Another one bites the dust, heeey
Ooh show down

There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him
You can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him
When he's down, yeah
But I'm ready, yes I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
Repeating to the sound of the beat
Oh yeah

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust, yeah
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Shoot out
Hey, alright

*Cough-Cough, Sniff-Sniff*

For the past couple of weeks, I have been feeling less than perfect. Today, I went to the doctor. I thought that, perhaps, I had strep throat. I had a friend, who may have infected me. I got my throat swabbed, which I would never recommend. The test came out negative. That is good, if it was accurate.

I still feel crappy. I didn't get any antibiotics, which I think is good and bad. Good because antibiotics are over-prescribed, and that may cause evolution of bigger and badder germs. Bad because...well, I'm still sick!

I decided to self-medicate. After dinner tonight, I had chips and dip, and I just had some M&M's. I feel pretty good. Now, I just want a nice carbonated beverage to wash it all down. I think I'll go get that now.

Body Log

Way back when, I made a body log for myself. I took my weight, and I measured every part of my body that I could. This way, I am staying motivated. I started my running program, and I am eating right. Although, I do have some exceptions for eating. I do live to eat, and anything in moderation is ok.

I am going for a physical, for my new job, on Tuesday. I wasn't going to weigh myself until then, but I think I might hop on the scale today. I'm going to take all my measurements, since I am in the beginning stages of it all.

OK...Wish me luck!

Epiphany is Here

The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time of year, one of the most beloved traditions in South Louisiana is that of the King Cake.

On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or Kings Day. It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.

The Louisiana tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.

In South Louisiana, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. In offices, classrooms, and homes, King Cakes are sliced and enjoyed by all. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.

The traditional King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar. Today, many additional varieties of King Cake are also available, with fillings such as cream cheese, bavarian cream, strawberry, apple, and lemon.

Pure Joi

The Times of Acadiana: Welcome Back - Thursday, August 25, 2005
By Stella Theriot.

There was a time in Lafayette’s history when it was home to a coffee-roasting and grinding facility. The Mello Joy Pure Coffee Company was located at 1013 9th St. from 1936 until 1975, when founder Louis R. Begnaud sold certain assets of his business to the Community Coffee Company. After about a year, Mello Joy disappeared from grocers’ shelves.

Begnaud and his brother Will were both working for Grimmer Coffee Company, the makers of Creole Belle Coffee, at the time that they decided to go into business for themselves. They created the smooth blend of Mello Joy in an era before drinking coffee was cool. When they came up with their original blend, they never dreamed eclectic coffeehouses would be a part of Lafayette’s business landscape or that exotic flavored coffees would gain such popularity.
Early on, Louis bought Will’s part of the company. He then grew his coffee business and made Mello Joy a familiar household name.

According to his grandson, Brian Begnaud, the firm became the predominant coffee provider in the state of Louisiana and in the southern territory. Because of its popularity, Mello Joy commonly became known as the “King of the Deep South”.

Brian says when he came back to Louisiana a year ago, he found that people were still talking about his grandfather’s coffee. That’s when he got the idea to stage a comeback.
He started fine tuning the recipe earlier this year and that’s when he discovered that some of the coffee beans his grandfather used aren’t available anymore. “We’ve got the taste profile as close as we can,” Brian says. He says countless taste tests were performed and the results show the flavor is right on the mark with the original blend.

The roasting, grinding and packaging are being done in Atlanta right now until the demand gets higher, Brian says. His ultimate goal is to have a facility in Acadiana once again.
He says numerous restaurants and grocery stores have been contacting him and Mello Joy is debuting around the area. “We’re going to be the exclusive coffee in all of the Cajundome,” Brian says, “as well as the convention center.” Adrien’s and Billeaud’s Supermarket in Broussard have agreed to stock Mello Joy and CajunGrocer.com has decided to sell the coffee online and Albertson’s and Super 1 Foods. Brian says it’s also in Camellia Country Market, a couple of stores in Houma and in Kroger in The Woodlands, Texas.

Although word is getting around that Mello Joy is back and sales have been increasing, bringing the coffee back to the masses has not been as smooth as its blend. Besides the unavailability of certain coffee beans, Community Coffee has filed suit to stop the process.
Joe Lemoine of Onebane, Bernard, Torian, Diaz, McNamara & Abell is Brian’s attorney. Lemoine says the crux of the suit is that it appears Community Coffee abandoned all use of the Mello Joy trademark by not promoting the brand. That opened the door for Brian to use and register the mark.

“In July of 2000, (Community Coffee Co.) would have had to renew that registration in order to keep it alive and they elected not to do so,” says Lemoine. He adds that the company’s failure to use the trademark for about 23 years — unless it was temporarily suspended with specific intention to resume use — waived its right to the brand name.

“When (Community Coffee) let the registration lapse in the year 2000, Brian decided he wanted to pick it up,” Lemoine says, “and see if he could restore that which was the Mello Joy tradition to Lafayette — a Lafayette brand coffee — and to restore the cultural tradition.”

He says that after learning what Brian had done, Community Coffee filed a competing trademark application and has brought suit in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge to block Brian from producing and selling Mello Joy. “We don’t think it has any merit,” says Lemoine. Nancy St. Pierre, public relations director for Community Coffee, says, “Because it’s a legal matter with proceedings surrounding it, I really don’t think it’s proper to speak about it publicly.”

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will decide which one has rights to the trademark, Lemoine says. “We believe the jurisdiction over who gets registration resides with the Patent Office, not with the courts,” he says. That preliminary ruling should be made within three to four months.

Meanwhile, Brian is moving forward selling Mello Joy. He has a Web page, www.mellojoy.com, and a toll-free number, 1-86-MELLO-JOY. And he’s looking for reliable employees like his grandfather found.

Mastern St. Julien was hired as roastmaster in 1936 and worked with the Begnauds until the company was sold to Community Coffee Co. in 1975. St. Julien was working for the Roy Coffee Company at the time, but he believed in the Begnauds and their new venture enough to take a chance.

“Every 28 minutes — we had two roasters — 500 pounds of coffee used to come out,” St. Julien recalls, “and I used to take care of both of those roasters by myself.” Their day started at 5 a.m. and by 11:30 a.m. about 20,000 pounds of Mello Joy had been bagged and workers were free to go. St. Julien operated a small trucking business on the side that he would attend to after his roasting duties were done each day.

The aroma of those roasting coffee beans would permeate Downtown and complement the smell of baking bread rising from Evangeline Bakery only a few blocks away on St. John Street.
Says St. Julien: “At 5 o’clock in the morning, everybody opened their windows.”

He says the Begnauds kept adding to the plant facility, which was located at 1013 9th St., until the warehouse portion fronted 8th Street. The building is still partially in use today, with Louis Begnaud’s son, Donald, housing his fiberglass business there.

Brian’s father, Mike Begnaud, remembers working at Mello Joy. “I started working with my dad when I was 12 years old,” says Mike. He worked in a variety of positions through the years, including packaging and delivering coffee, putting Mello Joy decals in clocks and keeping the books.

Mike says people never stopped asking about Mello Joy. So when Brian decided to bring it back, he wasn’t surprised by the overwhelming interest. He says numerous former customers out there have been hoping to see their old favorite again. “I think it’s going to really be accepted again,” he says, “because everybody referred to it as the good old Cajun dark roast coffee.”
St. Julien says he believes Louis Begnaud would be proud that Mello Joy is back on the market and he is confident that suppliers and consumers will welcome it back. Mike agrees: “All my dad ever did was brew coffee. That was his pride and joy.”

“They’re going to have a lot of people going back to Mello Joy,” says St. Julien.

Brian Begnaud is counting on that.

Are you that important?

I decided that I am not finished with my cell phone bashing. Today at the track, I noticed not one, but several, people holding their cell phones while walking/running. Some where talking, and some where sending text messages, and others...well, I guess they were just waiting for that important call.

Still, I do not see the need to be in touch at all times. When I am at the track, it is me and the track. The only other thing I have is my MP3 player. The tunes keep me going. I feel that the track is therapy. It is a time for me to take out my agression, a time to think, and a time to be alone. If I was waiting for a call, I would get stressed out. Then, I would be defeating one of the purposes of being at the track.

I have moments where I have to disconnect from everyone. It is not often, but I like to take the time here and there to do it. It gives me time to appreciate other things in life. My friends are great, and I love talking to most of them. However, it is nice to escape all the distractions that are now considered a daily part of life.

Eat Fresh

I ate lunch at Subway yesterday. No, I am not one of those people who made a New Year's resolution to lose weight. Actually, I never make resolutions. If I want to do something, I start today. In November, I'm not going to say: "I'm going to lose weight, next year." No, that's dumb. I procrastinate. I admit it. On the other hand, I realize there are some things that you just cannot put off.

So, back to lunch at Subway. There was a lady sitting across from me, eating. Yes eating because that is what you do after you get your food at a restaurant. She was heavy-set, but not huge. I couldn't tell her age, but she was probably in her fifties.

I was trying not to stare, but I noticed that as she would eat, she would glance up at the menu. It looks like she was not that familiar with the menu, so she was browsing at all the items. After finishing her six-inch sub, she started looking at the napkin. The napkins have the calorie and fat contents of some of their sandwiches.

My heart went out to her. It struck me that she made a new year's resolution. She is desperate to lose weight. She has probably tried every fad diet out there, and failed miserably. Well, she isn't alone. Fad diets don't work. The problem is that many people are clueless when it comes to nutrition. So, she followed the media, and ate at Subway.

Why Subway? Well, all the promotions with Jared. Look how much weight he lost.

I could not imagine eating Subway all the time. It's a good choice here and there, but nothing there has a flavor; the cookies are good. Quiznos....Now there is a good choice. Those sandwiches have flavor, and they are GOOD.

OOC

Bluetooth technology, all the latest and greatest phones come with it today. Hands-free talking works great in the car. Driving down the road and carrying on a conversation without a hassle, it is great. However, it should remain in the car.

I was standing in line today waiting to pay my tuition, while some chick had a bluetooth headset on her ear. She looked like a fool. Are you so lazy that you have to wear a phone attached to your ear at all times? I hate wearing a watch. I hate wearing glasses. I hate wearing a ring, or a necklace. I could not imagine having a phone attached to my ear for God knows how long.

I do have a cell phone, but personally, I do not think that it is of that much importance to be "in touch" around the clock. The exception is for work, like doctors.

Cell phones are truly annoying. They ring at all times. People talk on them in restaurants, in check out lines, and I have even heard them go off in church and funerals. Have you no respect? If I am around anyone, I usually turn my phone to vibrate. My phone has never made a sound in public. I think it's rude, and somewhat embarrassing.

Do your part, and try some cell phone etiquette.