Mac vs. Windows - a Real World Analogy

An employee of a client of mine asked me why he should get a Mac instead of a Windows computer. He wanted what, in my opinion, was the number one reason. After a moment of thought, I told him it was because Windows is much more susceptible to viruses and spyware. He said "How so?"

This is what I told him.

Imagine coming home after work and you open your closet to change clothes, and hanging there is an ad for J.C. Penny. You go into your bathroom and there are ads everywhere for toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. You then walk into your bedroom and there, on your bed, are ads for Linens and Things. As you walk from your bedroom to your kitchen, you notice there are maybe 100 people in your house - all uninvited - placing these flyers everywhere.

So now you have to go around your house and clean up all the flyers, and doing so is made all the more difficult from all the people in your house who are making it hard for you to move from one room to another. After finally getting rid of all the flyers and ushering the people out of your house, you sit down to eat dinner.

The next morning, you wake up and you aren't feeling so good. In fact, you are feeling downright awful. So you go to the doctor. After running some tests he says you have not just one virus but hundreds of them, probably left by some of the people who were in your house the day before. At this point, your doctor tells you something quite astonishing:

"Oh, this is quite normal. In fact there are well over 10,000 viruses out there that they could have infected you with. Here are some prescriptions that should take care of them."

So you get the prescriptions filled, and then you call a security company to install equipment and post an armed guard outside your home to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Now, think for just a minute about what a much more crazy world this would be (yes, even crazier than the one created by the Bush administration). Yet, everyone in this crazy world thinks that is normal and acceptable - just the stuff you have to put up with in order to live your life.

Well, not everyone.

There are some people who build extra special houses. They are a little more expensive, but they are virtually impervious to home invasions that leave advertising all over the place and infect you.

Which home would you want to live in? That's the difference between Windows and Mac. I am admittedly a Mac bigot - but it just doesn't make sense to me to pay less for a Windows computer, just to have to install a bunch of extra software to keep it from getting "sick," or slowing down from all the spyware. If you are going to spend extra money anyway, why not just buy something that doesn't have those issues?

There are, of course, many other reasons why I think Macs are better than Windows (not the least of which is that I can now run all the Windows software on them as well, if I want - without endangering my Mac stuff, btw). But I won't go into them here. I really just wanted to write all this down while I was thinking of it.

Cate St. Seafood Station, Hammond, LA

When you think of Sushi, Hammond, Louisiana is probably not the first place that comes to mind — or the second or third or hundredth, for that matter. But if there is a finer place to get Sushi in North America, I don't know about it. Seriously.

Janis and I drove up to Ponchatoula last night to visit with our good friend Keith Davis and to pick up a couple of projects he was working on for me and to take him and his family out to dinner. Keith suggested the Cate St. Seafood Station in Hammond, which is just a few miles north of Ponchatoula. This is the old train station in Hammond that has been converted to a restaurant. Keith just happens to do some odd jobs for the restaurant's owner, John Wong. Once we arrived Keith could also not resist telling us that we were now on the "Wong side of the tracks." Blame Keith for that one, not me.

Here is my endorsement: if you are going to visit New Orleans, this place is worth the 1 hour drive (gas prices and all). It is that good.

We started off with the "Bonzai Bomb," which is a large Jalapeno pepper stuffed with crabmeat and a special Tabasco cream sauce, then fried in Tempura batter and served with a sweet sesame sauce. Janis ordered California rolls, which are as good if not better than any you would get in any other Sushi restaurant. Here's where things get interesting. While the girls decided to go for more conventional meals (which they loved, btw), Keith and I stuck with the Sushi. The owner's son prepares the Sushi. We chose a couple of items off the menu and let him pick a couple of others.

We had Cajun rolls, N.O. Saints rolls, Bayou rolls, and a brand new creation called "Cowboy roll" which had Tenderloin on top and a combination of crawfish and asparagus in a Tabasco mayonnaise. While they were all fantastically good, it was the Cowboy roll that put us over the top.

So next time you are going to visit New Orleans, plan on taking a trip to this amazing seafood restaurant with us!

Key West Trip - Wrap Up

We're all back at home safe and sound after a fantastic vacation - probably our best family vacation ever. Here's a summary of the last couple of days.

Key West Trip - Day Four

We started the day with breakfast at Blue Heaven - the one place you can't miss if you go to Key West. Adam and Jarret rented bikes so they could see more of the island. Cary and Andrea opted to sleep in instead.

We have no idea how this happened, but somehow Janis managed to get blueberries on her forehead and chest at the same time:

That confused look on her face is because Adam, Jarret, and I all looked at her at the same time and burst out laughing. She had no idea what we were laughing at until I took the picture and showed it to her.

After breakfast, Adam and Jarret went off for more exploring of the island while Janis and I wandered around and did a little more shopping. We then headed back to our hotel and took a dip in the pool. Cary and Andrea went to the beach and then joined us at the pool, as did Adam and Jarret. Adam bought some Mojitos for everyone. A very relaxing time.

We decided to do sunset on one of Key West's many sunset cruise boats. The boat had a live band and bottomless beer, margaritas wine, and champagne - along with plenty of appetizers. We all agreed there is no better way to see the sunset in Key West:

Cary looked right at home with his new hat (and his "My Name Is Earl" pose):

As you can see, everyone had a great time:


While you might think that the sunset would be the highlight of the trip, on this particular cruise, it wasn't. As we were coming back into port this sixty-something year old man hauls off and belts this big guy wearing an LSU T-shirt, knocking one of his teeth out. Apparently one of them had gotten in the way of the other earlier and the LSU guy spent the rest of the evening taunting the sixty-something guy until he had had enough. We had to wait in the harbor until the police and an ambulance arrived. Sunset and a floor show!

The only other thing I found interesting on the cruise was this guy's foot:

I found it interesting because judging from the tan lines, he only owns one pair of shoes.

After getting off the cruise, we headed back down Duval street and happened upon Key West's smallest bar:

As a joke, they keep a hula hoop on the wall:


As we ambled down Duval street, Andrea and Janis did a bit more shopping and headed back to the hotel, while I proceeded to beat the boys at pinball at one of the local watering holes.

Key West Trip - Day Five

We stopped for the night in Deltona, Fl and visited with my cousin Charlene. Janis met Charlene for the first time last year when we were in Florida. This was the first time Charlene and her kids got to meet my entire family.

Charlene had quite a spread put out for us with pizza and some of the best fried chicken I have ever eaten.

Key West Trip - Day Six

Our final bit of driving involved one last stop in Orange Beach, AL where we had dinner at Café Grazie, an excellent Italian restaurant where Adam's former girlfriend Megan works. From there we drove the final 3 hours back to New Orleans where we were greeted with one of New Orleans' famous torrential downpours.

What a great vacation! You can see more pictures in my web gallery.

Key West Trip - Day Three

By miracle or modern science we were all up and about well before the crack of noon. We decided to do some shopping before heading out to see more sights. Jarret was very insistent that I tell you he bought over $500 of clothes - which was especially important to him since he had never bought anything that cost over $40 until now.

Adam is jealous of the coat. 100% silk. Thousands of spiders worked their web-spewing keisters off for months in a Korean sweat shop just so he could look good. He also bought a new shirt, sandals (they go well with the coat), short pants, and long pants. Oh - he even bought a walking cane!



I think our favorite place to shop in Key West is Fast Buck Freddies. Sort of a Tony Bahama meets Spencer Gifts meets Banana Republic meets the Johnson Smith Company. After everyone had had their fill of shopping it was off to El Siboney - the best Cuban restaurant on the island - for lunch.

We decided to walk down to "the Southernmost point in the continental United States." More about that in a minute. Along the way we see this:



Not very inventive, but I would imagine those walking back to one of the hotels on that side of the island after hoisting a few may welcome the information lest they confuse it with a statue of a really tall, thin person. Adam wants to put a chain with a lock around it and write "This is a pole lock." Get it? Yeah, I knew you would.

So here is the thing about the Southernmost point: As Key West is an island in the middle of an ocean, it is not actually part of the continental United States. In order to call it the southernmost point in the continental United States, you have to allow that bridges connecting islands embraces those islands as part of the mainland. Sort of like the Enterprise extending her shields around another ship in Star Trek.

All this reminds me of my favorite bar bet: Name the most southern, northern, eastern, and western states. This is not a trick question. We are talking about all 50 states, not just the continental ones. I'll bet you a beer you don't get this one right. (Unless I have already shared this with you, of course.) I'll reveal the answer at the end of today's blog.

We walked back to the hotel and rested it bit before enjoying yet another spectacular sunset. This time, we watched it from the rooftop terrace of the Crowne Plaza hotel, cleverly named "The Top." It is the tallest building in Key West, so the view was spectacular. (You can see it in the web gallery.) Want to know how much fun we are having on this trip: look at these smiling faces:

After the sunset we stopped downstairs for some appetizers, then we headed out to find a patio bar where we could enjoy the tropical climate, watch the Hornets game, and play Mexican Train Dominoes.

As with all New Orleans professional sports teams, it seems we are always a bride's maid but never the bride. The hornets lost their first home game in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was Game 7 so it will be the Spurs - not the Hornets - heading to the left coast to play the Lakers.

We accomplished all this at The Green Parrot, Key West's oldest bar. This is really our kind of place. Cary loved the sign that says "The Management is not responsible" and wants to get one for Coop's Place. Most astonishing, however, is that they have the exact same poster in their men's room that I have in our bathroom in New Orleans:

It's called "Proverbidioms" and is a poster where you see how many proverbs or cliches you can match with their picture.

After a couple rounds of dominoes, it became apparent that a couple of the lighter weights in our party needed more food. So we headed next door to the Meteor Smokehouse. The bartender asked Adam where he was from. During the conversation he mentioned he worked at a bar in the French Quarter. The bartender abruptly cuts him off and asks "which one." Adam says "Coop's Place, across from Margarita…" The bartender cuts him off again and says "That's why your face is familiar. I was in there with a friend of mine that lives in New Orleans."

Turns out he knows a couple of regulars at Coop's. So I guess we'll be going back there tonight. Just goes to show ya: ts a small world, (but I wouldn't want to paint it).

So another day in paradise, and the miracle is I not only lived to tell about it, but didn't hurt myself too bad in the process.

Oh - the bar bet. Here you go:

Southernmost: Hawaii

Northernmost: Alaska

Westernmost: Alaska

Easternmost: Alaska

I know what you are thinking: "you said it wasn't a trick question." It's not. The Aleutian Islands cross the International Date Line, making Alaska both the westernmost and easternmost states. Look it up. Those of you who didn't get it can buy me a beer next time you are in New Orleans. Those of you who DID get it will have to come to New Orleans to collect.

Key West Trip - Day Two

Sunday May 18, 2008

With the long drive and a good night's sleep behind us, we are ready for the final leg of our journey to Key West. On the way we stop at the Holiday Isle Resort and have Rum Runners at the original Tiki Bar. Word has it that years ago, when a new owner or manager took over the bar, he had way too many bottles of certain ingredients. So he invented a drink using all those ingredients and called it the Rum Runner.

After Rum Runners and lunch on Islamorada Key, we drove the last couple of hours down to Key West, checked into the hotel and promptly did exactly what you are supposed to do on vacation - nothing. After doing nothing for a couple of hours - mostly with our eyes closed - it was time to check out the fabulous Key West Sunset.



As Key West sunsets go, this one was not all that spectacular, with the sun setting first behind some clouds and then behind an island just to the west of Key West (and you thought Key West was the western most - HAH!). But I guess it is true that Key West sunsets are a lot like pizza and sex: when they are good, they are very good. And when they're bad, they're still pretty good.

After the sunset we stopped at the Hog's Breath saloon for some raw oysters and a dinner. Yum. After dinner we are walking along Duval Street and we here this guy singing "I'll Keep Your Poop In A Jar," a Hayseed Dixie tune about love lost, but remembered in an oh-so-special way.



What a great way to start the Key West experience! Here's this guy, wearing a Kiss T-shirt with a pair of panties around his neck, singing about poop in a jar. Apparently, this song is one of his trademarks as he sells T-shirts that say "poop!" on them. He was astonished when we started singing along with him. He couldn't believe we knew the song, so I had to show it to him on my iPhone.

As the evening progressed, he would ask the crowd to shout out the name of an artist and he would do a song with just his acoustic guitar and a vocoder. Let's see, he did Pink Floyd, Dave Matthews, The Kinks, The Cars, Styx, Toto, Journey, and a bunch of others. He has been voted Key West's #1 entertainer, and he deserves it. His name is Matt Avery, by the way.

We spent a few minutes on the hotel's rooftop terrace, and left Janis and Andrea at the hotel. Cary, Adam, Jarret, and I found the Meteor Smokehouse - a nice little place Janis and I found last year - and sat on the outdoor patio drinking beers and smoking some Key West cigars. Around 11:30 we called Coop's Place and did a remote shot with Barry and the rest of the gang there.

After the Meteor, it was on to the Bottle Cap - the place Janis and I called our "Coop's Place" away from home in Key West. At midnight on a Sunday in the off season, Key West is pretty much shut down, so I was wondering what I would find at the Bottle Cap. This is where all the locals hang out after everything closes, apparently. After a beer, the night (and the last couple of days of driving), combined with the alcohol was taking its toll on us. Cary, Jarret and I decided to head back to the hotel, while Adam stayed at the Cap to play some pool.

On the way back, we decide to get some breakfast at Denny's. I know what you are thinking: "you went all the way to Key West and you eat at Denny's?" I know, I know. But at 1 AM or so in the morning and with a Robert De Niro-sized Raging Buzz there is nothing better in the world than a Super Bird or a Moons Over My Hammy. So with our belly's full and a fun first day in the Keys behind us, we ventured off to dreamland back at the hotel.

Key West Trip - Day One

Saturday May 17, 2008

We left New Orleans about 3:30 AM Saturday morning and drove straight through to Miami Beach. Cary and Andrea stayed with her cousin Tanya in Surfside (which is just north of Miami Beach), while the rest of us stayed at the Holiday Inn. We had an ocean view room on the 8th floor.

After we got settled in we walked down the boardwalk about 28 blocks to T-Mex, a Mexican hole-in-the-wall place that was featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show a couple of years ago. Cary and Andrea met us there shortly after we arrived. T-Mex's claim to fame? Very reasonably priced Mexican food, a good selection of Mexican beers, and the Stupid sauce. Adam and I had the Stupid sauce, everyone else wussed out. Sunday morning Adam wished he had put some TP in the freezer overnight. Me? I just wanted more Stupid sauce.

After dinner we walked about a block to the home of Miami Ink, a tattoo parlor that is featured in a show of the same name on The Learning Channel. Janis has been talking about getting a tattoo for years, and tonight - with her family in tow - was the night. The question was, what to get and where to put it?

After combing through their books, nothing was jumping out at any of us. So we called our local New Orleans tattoo goddess, Juli Green, who offered one bit of advice: make sure it has something to do with New Orleans.

Using a necklace Andrea was wearing, the tattoo artist came up with the following design:

A little while later, she had a beautiful Fleur di lis inside a heart on her leg:

While Janis got her Tattoo and Andrea took pictures, Cary, Adam, Jarret, and I went to "The Deuce." Mac's Club Deuce. Reportedly one of only two true, original dive bars in Miami Beach, and with a name that starts with "Mac's" how could we not go there? $8 shots of Maker's Mark and $5 Miller Genuine Drafts, Bull Riding in Hi-Def on the TV and one pool table, strangely situated at an angle under the pool table light. Adam won most of the games of course.

With the Stupid sauce coursing through our veins, and all of us quite literally stupid from lack of sleep, it was time to call it a night. But in the process, several goals were achieved: I had the Stupid sauce, went to The Deuce, and Janis finally got her tattoo.

See more pictures in my Key West web gallery.

Man dies in spitting contest plunge

Man dies in spitting contest plunge

From correspondents in Zurich
May 14, 2008 07:58am

A SWISS man died when he fell from a hotel balcony during a spitting match with a friend, a Swiss newspaper has reported.

The daily Blick said the 29-year-old man took a run-up from inside the room so he could spit further, but lost his balance and plummeted 6.4m to the street below.

He died in hospital.

The man had suggested the contest when he and two friends returned from a disco to their hotel in Cadempino in Switzerland's Italian-speaking Ticino canton in the early hours.

One of the men went to sleep, but the two others decided to see who could spit furthest from the balcony of their room.