Does It Get Better Then An In-N-Out Double Double?

The BEST burger on earth!

At In-N-Out Burger, freshness is everything. That’s why in a world where food is
often chemically processed, prepackaged and frozen, In-N-Out makes everything
the old fashioned way.

Our hamburgers are made from fresh, 100% pure beef. They are free of additives, fillers and preservatives of any kind, and we buy only chucks, the front ribs and shoulder. No other parts are ever used. Our butchers carefully hand-cut and grind the beef in our own facility at which point the patties are shipped directly to our stores in refrigerated trucks by our own drivers. This way we have total control over the production of every burger.

Our commitment to freshness doesn’t stop there. Our lettuce is hand-leafed. Our
American cheese is the real thing. And we use the plumpest, juiciest tomatoes we
can find. All of our ingredients are delivered fresh to our stores. In fact, we
don’t even own a microwave, heat lamp, or freezer. We even bake our buns using
old-fashioned, slow-rising sponge dough. And we make every burger one at a time,
cooked fresh to order.

Of course, what's a great burger without great fries? At In-N-Out, we know a french fry is only as good as the potato it comes from. That’s why we use the highest grade potatoes and ship them fresh from the farm. Then we cut them right in the store, one potato at a time. And cook them in 100% pure, cholesterol-free vegetable oil.

To top it all off, we also make our delicious shakes from real ice cream – just like we used to make at the first In-N-Out back in 1948. We wouldn’t do it any other way. Because when it comes to burgers, fries and shakes, getting fresh is a good thing.

And here's the kitchen at In-N-Out

Want To See The New FDNY Rescue 1 And Rescue Me Ladder?

Just got a heads up from a good friend that the new FDNY Pierce Arrow XT and the Ladder from Rescue Me will be appearing this weekend at the Long Island Fire Expo.

I'm on days :-(

The Hartsdale Post Office- Why Is My Mail Late?

Today, I called to complain about my mail service.

I am a subscriber to over 30 different magazines, such as Trains, Airliners, Fire Engineering, Fire Apparatus Journal, Mens Health, Wired, Inc, RailPace, Fast Company, JEMS, Firehouse, Fire Rescue and many more. I realize that's a little much, but I LOVE to read, and have many interests, and that's the postal service's job- to deliver my mail in a timely manner.

I have friends that live in surrounding postal jurisdictions, and get their magazines two, even three weeks before I do. Sometimes, I even miss issues. Or several issues will come together. My mother has the same problem at her house, and so do other friends who live in 10530. Another issue that I don't seem to have though is getting other peoples mail.

So today, I called the Hartsdale Post Office to complain. The lady on the other end sounded very annoyed, and basically told me it's not her problem. She told me that the problem was that my apartment number was not on the mail. She did not seem to comprehend or care that it clearly was on the label, and I was getting the mail late. She also did not see a problem that people a post office away from me were getting their SAME mail/magazines weeks ahead of me. She stated that the same carrier was on the same route everyday, and she could not help me. I called several of my magazine companies, and had no issues with my account.

It may just be a rumor, but I've been told that Hartsdale sorters and carriers sometimes shift mail they don't want to carry until days that they are off. I think my mailman is a nice, honest guy, so I'm wondering where the problem is?

When I arrived home, what did I find? Most of my late magazines stuffed into my mailbox. Some of them I got the past 3 months copies.

I guess I'll have to settle for getting my mail late. It's too bad, because I like to read my magazines when they are fresh, and I also kind of like getting my bills and other corrospondence on time. Great customer service when I can't even get a "I'll look into it". But that's what you get when you have a monopoly.....

Photos From My January 2007 Los Angeles Trip

100 photos from my January 2007 Los Angeles trip this past week can be found here:

http://www.x635photos.com/LosAngelesJan07/x635LAJan07.html

When I have some more time, I'll elaborate some more on the photos. In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to ask. I have so much I want to tell about them....

Quoted In The Journal News Today

Did anyone see I was quoted in the Journal News article about jetBlue coming to Westchester County Airport today?

"That's awesome," said Seth Granville, 27, a Hartsdale firefighter and self-described JetBlue fan and stockholder, who had just gotten off a JetBlue flight to Los Angeles and spoke between bites of an In-N-Out burger. "I can't wait. I'll be on the Web booking the first flight. I plan on being on their inaugural flight. That's something the true JetBlue fans do. A lot of my friends and co-workers are really looking forward to it. It's going to add a tremendous convenience to Westchester and Fairfield County residents. This is the best - to be able to drive to West-chester County Airport and fly out of here."

Here's the rest of the article:
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070124/NEWS01/701240355/1018/NEWS02

Thanks to CAREN HALBFINGER and my anonymous source for their awesome coverage of this great news for Westchester!

See Ya Later LA!

Well, as I sit here at Burbank Airport awaiting jetBlue flight #358 with nonstop direct "redeye" service to JFK, my January '07 trip has come to a close. My plane, "Mystic Blue", is the same Airbus A320 that brought me out to LA on Monday.

Although I will miss my 2007 Mercedes ML350 ( a lot, what a GREAT car! I MUST have one!) and of course, the weather, I am lookg foward to arriving home tommorow morning, no matter how cold it is.

I had a great day today. The Standard West Hollywood was great, my dinner at Paquito Ma's last night comes close to topping Chiptoles. I enjoyed a nice people watching stroll during the evening down the Sunset Strip, omne of my favorite activities when I'm in LA.

I got plenty of photos today. I hope to have a chance to post and share them tommorow. Today, I covered a lot of ground, and my favorite part of the day was my tour of the Los Angeles COUNTY FD shops. Although the LA City FD shops is more impressive to me, LACoFD shops were awesome. The facilities are very cramped, especially now since they are processing dozens upon dozens of brand new KME Severe Service Predator Engines. There must have been 20 or so at the shops during my visit. Like LA City, they do it all and can build anything. Besides the brand new Engines, they had several brand new 2007 Chevrolet Suburbans, and numerous Paramedic squads that were being equiped for service.

All and all, Los Angeles City and County FD are a very impressive operation, and we should take a lesson from the way they do things. I'll be writing more upon my return home, but there were numerous things that they do that I find no reason why we can't accomplish in Westchester.

Stay tuned to EMTBravo.com and x635Photos.com, where I'll be posting my photos from this great trip as soon as I can.

LAFD Engine 37 On It's Way To A Structure Fire

Los Angeles City FD Engine 37 on it's way to a structure fire in 27's first in on 1-23-07. View is from my hotel balcony, the road is the Sunset Strip.

Los Angeles: Day 2

Today started at 05:30hrs PST, with me hitting the road to check out what was at the fire apparatus dealerships in Ontario, CA. One of the reasons I was up so early, besides the time difference, is because I went to sleep at 2000hrs PST, because I was spent. I am disapointed, I missed watching Heroes, on top of that with Kris. Inbetween, I was just about everywhere in LA City today. I'm just getting to the hotel now, the Standard on the Sunset Strip, which is AWESOME! I'm about to go for a stroll and get some dinner.

I got a lot of great photos today, but I'm shot, so I'll share a few with you for this evening, Sorry for the short and detail-lacking entry this evening. More photos from today will be posted upon my return home. (I don't want to leave the 65 degree and sunny weather! Can I take it home with me?)

My Mercedes!

Well, after a great jetBlue flight into Burbank Airport, I headed to my favorite rental car company, Enterprise, to pick up the Ford Explorer Or Similar that I had reserved at a great rate.

It turns out they didn't have any Explorers or standard size SUVs availalbe, so they upgraded me to a brand new Mercedes ML350, for the same rate as the Explorer! This car is AWESOME, it has more power then I have ever experienced in a car before, and it handles awesome. It's also loaded with amentites and features, it practically drives itself. One of my facorite features is the tip-tronic transmission, where you can shift using paddles on the steering wheel. AND, technically, it's related to my Dodge's! I LOVE the ML350!

With the car and the poolside suite in a Beverly Hills hotel, I feel like I fit in here!

Today's photos didn't go as planned, since I got distracted by the beautiful weather and cruising around in my Mercedes. But tommorow, I will be up early and the camera will be snapping away!

The LA Trip Begins......

x635 here, at 0530 hours, from JFK jetBlue Terminal 6, where I'm waiting to board jetBlue Flight #351 at Gate #5 with direct, nonstop service to Burbank, CA scheduled to depart at 0645hrs (On Time as of now). Expected arrival time in Burbank is 10:00 AM Pacific time. I'm nervous to fly, but excitied. Usually the friendly jetBlue service and 36 channels of live, direct TV keep me calm, in addition to my brand new iPod.

I'm very excited to be traveling to LA again, but will miss everyone back home while I'm away.

The itinerary for today, after getting the rental car, includes my traditional drive down Sunset Boulevard from the beginning in Hollywood to the end in Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. The camera will be out and snapping away, as Sunset usually provides many excellent photo oppurtunities. Since I'll be arriving so early in the morning there, I will also be heading to a few public works yards to try and get some DPW truck photos. Then, I plan to head to the hotel, for some rest and relaxation, a stroll down the Sunset Strip, dinner at Paquito Ma's, and then back to the hotel for a swim. I'll be in bed early, since I plan to get up early tommorow to get a jump on the day.

That's it for now, I'll be checking in later hopefully with photos, here on x635: The Blog. Don't forget that I'm 3 hours behind you on the East Coast, and most of my updates will be made in the evening hours.

Follow My Latest Los Angeles Trip!

Overnight tonight, I will be leaving for my January trip to Los Angeles, via my favorite airline, jetBlue. I'm flying from JFK to Burbank Airport nonstop. I will be in Los Angeles until Thursday.
Like my October trip to Los Angeles, again on this trip, I plan to blog both in words and photographically so you can follow along on my adventure, right here on this blog. Whenever I can, I'll check in and post and keep you up-to-date.

My main photographic goal for this trip is night photos of LA, LA City DPW Trucks, LA City Buses, and LA Metro trains. Of course, I have some LA City apparatus I'm aiming for, most specifically the new American Lafrance Eagle "Severe Service" cab tillers and the new "prototype" battalion trucks. I'm looking foward to using my new Digital Rebel XTi, Uniden Scanner, and Garmin c330 GPS navigation on this trip. All these new tools should really improve my enthusiast capabilities (LOL)

And don't forget, you can now add my blog to your RSS reader or aggregator, your Google, Yahoo, or AOL homepage, or have the latest post emailed to you.

So, starting tommorow, check in on x635:The Blog to follow my latest LA trip as it happens.....

Woohoo! WC Airport Announces jetBlue is coming!

I can't wait for the official announcment from jetBlue!!!!

JetBlue is coming
By CAREN HALBFINGER
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: January 19, 2007)

Westchester County learned today that JetBlue plans to begin flying in and
out of the county airport by March 5."They told us they are coming,'' said
Deputy Transportation Commissioner Harry Stanton. "They haven't told us where
they're going to fly to, but we expect to hear more about that on Monday.''With
the low-cost airline obliged to begin service by March 5, JetBlue should soon
begin selling seats from Westchester. JetBlue hasn't yet announced where they
will fly to, but airport manager Peter Scherer has said JetBlue has told him the
routes they were considering included Orlando, West Palm Beach and
Chicago.

Elmsford FD Ladder 55

While looking though my photos today, I forgot I had taken this shot of one of my favorite ladder trucks (which I haven't seen recently and would love to shoot it again)

Elmsford FD Ladder 55, 1999(?) Pierce Dash 75'. Replacement for the old International/Oren "Quad", wish I had a photo of that!

My favorite part of this truck, amongst other things, is the color scheme.


And I can't forget about Tower Ladder 21, a 1993 Pierce Arrow 100', formerly known as Quint 2

A Box Of Chocolates

So, as many of you know, I had a problem with White Plains Honda and their shady sales practices back in December, as detailed in this blog:

http://x635.blogspot.com/2006/12/swindled-by-white-plains-honda.html

Yesterday, I recieved a call from the Westchester County Department Of Consumer Protection. They stated they have completed their investigation, and since they haven't recieved similar complaints about White Plains Honda, that they scolded them for their practices and put them on warning, noting it on record, and that the next time they will recieve a violation. The investigator asked them how they wished to resolve the issue with me, and they stated "We'll Send Him A Box Of Chocolates". The investigator thought that would be insulting, and told the dealership manager so.

So today, UPS shows up at my door. I'm not expecting a package. I open the package, and it's a box of chocolates- with a note-

"Sorry If Your Experience Was Less Then Sweet
Brian Benstock And White Plains Honda"'

Are they kidding me? I was swindled and lied to by their dealership, spent 6 hours of my time on a rare Saturday off, sitting there expecting to purchase the car, was treated like shit by the finance, sales, and dealership manager, and given aggrevation and dissapointment, and this is how they apologize? They can take their box of choclates and shove it. It will be returned to sender, along with a nice little note from me.

An simple acceptable, respectful resolution for me would have been to send me a letter of apology. The box of chocolates with that note is an insult.

I'm glad that others have shared there experiences with White Plains Honda with me. I encourage you to contact the appropriate resources to ensure that other consumers are protected from these fraudulent and nasty people.

My Visit To Bethel, CT

Bethel, CT Tanker 1, 2006 Mack Granite/4 Guys 2500 Gallon

Today, among my travels, I went to Bethel, CT to shoot some of their apparatus.

Special thanks to EMTBravo members CHIEFPHIL and nickcabral for arranging and making these photos happen

Bethel FD and Stony Hill FD both have some really nice apparatus.(Note Bethel FD and Stony Hill FD are seperate FD's located in the Town Of Bethel, CT, which is adjacent to Danbury and located of I-84)

Here are the photos:
http://emtbravophotos.com/SpecFeat/Bethel.html

Bethel is a cool town. I'd like to live in that area oneday

New Ways To Keep Up With x635:The Blog

Today, I've added a number of different options so that you can keep up with new posts on x635:The Blog.

These features are accesible under the "Feeds" section of the right sidebar.

You can now:
-Subscribe via email to this blog, and get new posts sent to your email
-Add this blog to an RSS manager
-Add this feed to your MyYahoo, MyGoogle, or MyAOL homepage
-Send a new post to your cell phone

Amongst other things.......

Thanks to everyone for their continued reading of this blog!

McDonald's Going Retro

Yesterday, driving past the Mcdonald's on Route 6 in Danbury, I got quite the suprise. They had built a brand new Mcdonalds building to replace the old, standard looking Mcdonalds.

The new building is retro, and the design gives a nod to the Mcdonalds of times past. I first saw this design in 2005, when it was in prototype stage, in Lancaster California. I really, really like this design.

However, I must note that I HATE Mcdonalds food. It's overly-processed crap, and I feel sick whenever I eat it....which nowadays is never. I wish they would takes this retro theme further, get rid of all this crap on their menu, stop trying to be "healthier", and go back to their roots.....fresh and inexpensive tasty burgers, fries, and shakes. That's what would revive Mcdonalds. But they are making millions with the way they are doing things now, and as long as the masses or executives don't give a crap about quality food or chemicals they are putting into their bodies, then Mcdonalds will continue to thrive serving crap "food". Take a lesson from In "n" Out Mcdonalds.

December Valor

Check out this story
http://www.lafdmuseum.org/2006/12/december_valor.html

I think you'll like it. I HIGHLY reccomend reading this!

The LAFD Historical Society reminds us that while our Brothers and Sisters
killed in the line of duty might seem distant to others, they were beloved
co-workers and dedicated public servants who once started their day alongside
us...

The Best Scanner Reference I've Ever Owned!

Recently, I ordered the ScannerStuff Southern California Frequency Directory. I got the book yesterday, and it is AWESOME! Very, VERY comprehensive!

Here's the website for it:
http://www.scannerstuff.com/scfd.htm

Here are some sample pages:
http://www.scannerstuff.com/scfd_detail.htm

A Massive all-in-one source for radio monitoring in Southern California
-Coverage of 10 Southern California Counties (see below) in Amazingly Detailed
Pages -Information on Police, Fire, Aircraft, Schools, Hotels, Utilities, Malls,
Media, Amateur Radio, Government, Recreation, and more... -Frequencies, Channel
Numbers & Usage, and PL (CTCSS) Tones -Detailed Background Information on
many agencies -Public Safety Terminology, Codes, Unit Designators/Callsigns and
Aircraft -Trunked Radio Frequencies, TrunkTracker Talkgroups, System
Information, and User Guide -Maps of Police Precincts, Districts, or Beats -Fire
Station Locations, Apparatus, and Incident Responses -Statute Numbers / Codes
-Listeners Guides for Scanners, Trunking, Aircraft, Helicopters, and Fire
Monitoring give you valuable information about "what" you are hearing, not just
where to tune -Access to Free Online Updates -California Counties Covered:
Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San
Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Although this book is for SoCal, I wish there was a NY Version! (There used to be the Scanner Master books, but this is MUCH better and up to date!)

Even More Exciting jetBlue News This Week!

Even more exciting jetBlue news this week!

Earlier in the week, The Journal News published an article that jetBlue won slots at Westchester County Airport.

Today, jetBlue made an annoucment...not announcing service from Westchester, but they announced service from JFK nonstop to San Francisco International Airport begining May 3rd.
Currently, jetBlue has nonstop service into Oakland, another city in the Bay area adjacent to San Francisco.

I have a feeling this move is to get an up on the soon-to-be-launched Virgin America, whos main route will be JFK-SFO.

And for those who have been wanting to go to SFO, introductory fare is $99!

jetBlue just keeps getting better and better.........

Disturbed Dissapoints x635

Well, I've been dissapointment by my favorite band.

I heard on Sirius Octane (Channel 20) that Disturbed won't be doing a second leg of their "Music As A Weapon III" tour.

I went to see them on November 19th at UMass-Amherts Mullins Arena, with Stone Sour, Flyleaf, and Nonpoint- and it was awesome. I was looking foward to them coming to either NY or LA, so I could see them again, but I guess not.

What's up with Disturbed? Their website is hardly ever updated, no MAWIII 2nd Leg, and the band is pretty much dormant. Does anyone know what's going on? If anyone does, please hit me with an email at x635@x635Photos.com

Excellent Cell Phone Holster

As many of you know, I recently purchased a Nextel-Motorola i580 flip phone.

Like when I needed a case for my Blackberry, I went to B&D Holsters, a small holster company located in Spring Valley, NY. 845-426-7570

I have been using their product for many years, ever since I had a cell phone. I have found the cases to be simple and extremly durable, and do a great job protecting the phone.

The holster comes with a satisfaction guarentee, as well as a lifetime warranty.The polypropelene webbing with a certifed gun belt clip is unaffected by water, oil, mildew and pretty much anything else. Most of their cases retail for $15.

They make this product in a variety of sizes for cell phones, PDAs, camera, etc. I highly reccomend it to anyone looking for a great belt clip cell phone case.

Apple Unveils New Technologies At MacWorld '07

Apple unveiled a new cell phone today at the MacWorld expo in San Franciso. The new phone will run on a MacOS X operating system. The phone will be entirely touch screen.

Also, Apple announced a device that will allow you to watch TV shows and movies downloaded on your iPod on your home television.

I have a feeling that these will be some pretty cool technology revolutions....

Wal-Mart And Maisto Promote Graffiti With Childrens Diecast Toy

In December's issue of my new favorite railroad magazine, RailPace, there was a very interesting editorial.

Apparently, Wal-Mart is the major retailer of this new die cast toy train set, which is intentionally covered in graffiti. It promotes vandalism of railroad property as an "art", and included in the package is many starter resources for the budding graffitti vandal. This toy is aimed at children.

It's quite good ethics for Maisto and Wal-Mart to promote vandalism and trespassing with a toy, also it's great to know how the graffiti vandals are getting access to sensitive areas of a train yard.

Anything to make a buck. Read the press release below.

[QUOTE]MAISTO TAGS ENAMELIZED AS THE NEXT MAJOR COLLECTION
Maisto’s
relentless release of new introductions for 2006 continues with the announcement
of the launch of Enamelized – Graffiti Diecast Train Collection. The Collection
is slated for to be on the shelves prior to Summer 2006.
The train collection
is unique in that it features graffiti art from actual artists. Along with the
approximately 1:131 scale replica will be a trading card – one side depicting
the train art, and on the other some information, if available, about the
artist. Up to 12 different graffiti artists will be utilized in the
line.
Maisto is working with Enamelized brand and Roger Gastman, who’s unique
understanding of the graffiti art movement gives him unprecedented access to the
artists whose work will be utilized by Maisto. “I am excited to bring my network
of graffiti artists to Maisto for such an exciting project. ” says Gastman, who
has written nearly a dozen books, produced two films, and launched two different
magazines, including Swindle, which was launched with pal Shepard Fairey of Obey
Giant fame. “Graffiti keeps becoming more and more mass and diluted. To be able
to use authentic graffiti and tell the stories of the artists in this train
collection is a step foreword in broadening the culture.”
“Deep in most
inner cities, there is an artist with a collection of spray cans and a vision of
getting up on trains that go across the country.” says Ralph Benitez, the
influential Art Director who has launched Playerz, Pro-Rodz, and G-Rides lines
of die-cast collectibles for Maisto. "This collection pays tribute to those
artists that did”
The Maisto brand name was registered in 1990 by May Cheong,
a vertically integrated manufacturer based in Hong Kong. The company has been
manufacturing die cast for over 30 years, have over 11,000 employees worldwide
and manufacturing facilities covering over 2,000,000 square feet.
www.graffsupply.com[/QUOTE]

jetBlue Coming To Westchester County Airport!!

AWESOME NEWS to start the morning and week! Special thanks to dadbo46 for the heads up this article was in todays paper!

Hope jetBlue decides to follow through with this move!!

Wait is on for JetBlue at Westchester County Airport
Caren Halbfinger
The Journal News
(Original publication: January 8, 2007)

A week from tomorrow, air travelers should know whether they will soon
be able to lean back in a JetBlue leather seat, channel-surf and munch on blue
potato chips as they take off into the skies over Westchester.
Last week, the
stage was set for JetBlue to enter this travel market when the county held one
of its quarterly lotteries. For the first time, JetBlue was one of 15 air
carriers that vied for the right to do business in Westchester, along with
AirTran, which has been quite popular since it arrived in April.
The names of
all 15 air carriers were plucked out of a fishbowl to determine the order in
which they would choose from available time slots for flights and from the
remaining passenger capacity. JetBlue was No. 9; AirTran was 11. The lottery
went for six rounds, from one air carrier to the next, with each able to make
four choices per turn.
The flight schedule is managed in this unique and
antiquated way because the airlines are bound by a terminal-capacity agreement,
fought for by Westchester County, which limits the number of flights to four per
half-hour from 5 a.m. to midnight. Every 30 minutes, no more than 240 passengers
may arrive or depart from these gates. The passenger count is spread among two
larger aircraft and two smaller ones. The passenger limit covers only commercial
airlines. Most of the airport's traffic comes from private or corporate aircraft
and is unregulated.
For up to 150 passengers, JetBlue chose departure times
of 5:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 11:30
p.m., and arrivals of 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The
JetBlue executive who made the picks, James Smith, director of properties, said
he didn't know yet whether JetBlue would begin serving Westchester. He said the
company would evaluate all the costs of doing business here.
"We're
evaluating all the airports that are in our region and whatever opportunities
exist," Smith said with a poker face. "It's another airport, and it happens to
be in our backyard."
For up to 71 passengers, AirTran chose three new flight
times - a 3 p.m. arrival and 2 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. departures - and increased
the number of passengers who could fly on the existing flights.
But either
company could wind up with different time slots than the ones they chose,
because the air carriers can trade among themselves, as long as each slot still
has two large aircraft and two small ones and does not exceed the 240-passenger
limit.
JetBlue, AirTran and the other airlines must notify the county by next
week what flights they plan to schedule, must fly them at least five days a week
and must begin service by March 5.
"JetBlue's entry, I think, you can
attribute to our market," said John Kirby, director of strategic planning and
scheduling for AirTran. "We announced Stewart (Airport in Newburgh). They
announced Stewart. We announced White Plains; now they're in White Plains. Give
them credit for recognizing a good idea when they see one."
Hearing that it
was a possibility, some passengers grinned and rhapsodized about the comfy
leather seats, the personal televisions and the customer service on JetBlue.
AirTran offers satellite radio and free snacks but is not known for its seats or
in-flight entertainment.
Amanda Macellaro, who grew up in Armonk, was flying
from the county airport last week for the first time because of AirTran, but was
excited by the possibility that JetBlue might come to Westchester.
"It's way
convenient," said the 27-year-old kindergarten teacher, who was returning home
to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on an AirTran flight with her husband, Kevin Stransky,
after a holiday visit to their folks. "We always go JetBlue. We're True Blue
members. That would be wonderful if they flew here."
Claire Hart, a Stamford,
Conn., native who was returning to Fort Lauderdale on the same flight with her
4-year-old, Heather, and her husband, Todd, emphatically agreed.
"Their seats
are bigger; they have oversized leather seats, DIRECTV on every seat back," Hart
said. "I normally fly JetBlue. If the price was cheaper, I would have been on
JetBlue to JFK. AirTran doesn't have all that, so I had to bring a portable DVD
player and a bunch of movies for my daughter."
If JetBlue does decide to
begin flying in and out of Westchester, it will almost certainly spark more
changes at the county airport. Since AirTran launched service between
Westchester and Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Orlando, the airport has become
busier and more diverse. Fewer seats are empty, and instead of seeing 1,800
travelers on Dec. 26, as usual, the airport handled 2,800. Jeans-clad college
students sprawl in a hallway here, a cluster of Hasidic men in black hats and
coats talk amongst themselves there, and a lot more parents and grandparents
maneuver loads of luggage and strollers through tightly packed spaces at the
formerly subdued airport.
The airport has added 50 folding chairs to the
departure lounge, but at peak periods like Christmas, there aren't enough seats
or parking spots to go around. Airport manager Peter Scherer has invited airline
passengers into one of his conference rooms to make them more comfortable, and
he said the airport needed 400 extra parking spaces during the holiday. He
managed to find enough parking by shifting employees elsewhere and using the
employee lot for passengers. And new wrinkles crop up: Parents who had to drop
off their minor children for unaccompanied flights had no temporary place to
park while they signed their children over to airline personnel and handled the
paperwork before driving off.
"We're finding creative solutions," Scherer
said. "Westchester residents now have a reason to use their county
airport"

"Armed And Famous" To Premiere On CBS Wednesday

And I thought "Rescue Me" gave firefighters a bad rap. This show doesn't seem poised to shed a positive light on Law Enforcement.

However, I will give this show the benefit of the doubt first. This series looks like it can be quite interesting. Premieres THIS Wednesday at 8PM on CBS (NY Channel 2)

Through a rumor from a friend who works at CBS development, if this series is succesful, then they are going to try a "firefighter version"

Armed and Famous is the title of a reality television series that will premiere
January 10, 2007 on CBS.The series follows five celebrities as they train to
become reserve police officers for the Muncie, Indiana police department,
followed by graduation. After that, the celebrities will go on patrol with the
same training officers who traditionally ride with new officers.The series stars
Erik Estrada (CHiPs), La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne (MTV's "The Osbournes"),
Trish Stratus and Jason Acuña (a.k.a. "Wee Man" on Jackass).On December 5, 2006,
the celebrities were officially sworn in as reserve officers

Al Gore Was Right!

On Monday, I watched "An Inconvienent Truth", the Al Gore movie on global warming. It was fascinating, but scary. I think everyone should watch it. It's sad, especially learning that polar bears will drown and become extinct. I know some probaly disagree with the movie or global warming, but I think it is a proven reality that needs to be addressed, before it's too late. Watch the movie, then argue with me.

And, with the weather being the way it's been lately, and after interviewing several "old-timers" (those over 30 years old), I've learned these winters have had more extremes and less regular snowfalls and cold spells then years past. I know I'll be saying "Global Warming- Phooey!" when I'm shoveling snow and it's 30 degrees out soon, but I still don't think winter in New York is anything like it used to be.

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

Bye Bye, Blackberry

Well, after over a month with the new Blackberry, and after admiring HFD23's new Nextel i580, I decided to ditch the Nextel Blackberry 7100i in favor of a Nextel i580.

Although the Blackberry was chock full of features, maybe even too many for my liking, I didn't like the feel of the phone- I truely prefer a flip phone. It was also too businesslike, and the layout and use of the phone features weren't nearly as convient for my taste as the i580 or my previous i730. And, as I've proven to myself in the past, I don't have the patience or drive to stick to using a PDA. Pen and paper notes and schedule work just fine for me.

The new i580 is a perfect fit for me- it's a flip, and is built rugged, and the case is designed to be weather and shock resistant. It's a rugged looking phone designed to take a beating. I really like the feel and features of this phone so far. It has some really cool features that I'm looking foward to trying. I also like the simulated diamond plate on parts of the phone.

It's also neat because it is a cameraphone, although I carry a camera everywhere all the time, I think it may be a neat tool. I also got one of those obnoxious mini hands-free bluetooth headsets, which should make things easier.

I considered the new Nextel "hybird" dual mode phones, but after reading some reviews, I'm going to wait 'til the technology develops some more. Plus, I don't want to have to have two seperate plans for one phone.

Thanks to HFD23 for helping me out with selecting this new phone. (The Blackberry is going back to Nextel or is for sale at the right price) And to TMil for recieiving the phone from FedEx while I was in codes class.