Serious Snowden watchers say he has now left the Moscow airport and is free somewhere in Russia. Reports are sketchy. Snowden revealed another NSA surveillance program, this one covering all internet traffic. Now not only does Google know my search preferences, Amazon my shopping interests, Spotify my music choices and Netflix my favorite movies and TV, but the good ole NSA is keeping track of everything else including how many times I've viewed the SI Swimsuit edition (hey there's a lot there).

Tolls on the CCC are gone but the authorities are not and they seem irate.One million notices of toll violations up to three years old are being sent to drivers who crossed the bridge and failed to pay. The notices demand a $1 toll and a $25 administrative fee per violation. I have received these notices in the past when for some reason my toll tag malfunctioned. A call to the appeals phone number always produced a fair response (pay the $0.40 toll and drop the fee). I hope that phone number is still working.  An amnesty program is being announced on signs near the toll (free) plaza. 

It's hot. Morning, Noon and Night my air conditioner is running full out to keep up. July 21st may be the statistically hottest day, but August is the hottest month. My best wishes to Entergy. I like air conditioning, and without them I would be soaking under a garden sprinkler to keep cool. A few more of my neighbors are sporting solar panels on their roofs. I guess the 80% federal and state subsidies are working.

It has been nearly eight years and the GNO Community Data Center is taking stock. Median income is down 8 percent to $44,404. Could you live on that? Half of New Orleanians do. The GNOCDC touts the "rate of entrepreneurship" in the city as some great thing. These are people who can't get a job so they create a business. It is a $25 registration fee with the Secretary of State if you want to make it legal, nothing if you don't care. New Orleans has more than double the national rate of non-profits That seems good, but is it? Politicians like William Jefferson use non-profits to funnel state money to their families. Crime though lower than before K is still double the national rate and based on the violent/property crime ratio, much goes unreported. Oh and education in the city still sucks especially for black men. 47 percent of working age black men don't have a job (hey Mitt Romney), and the poverty rate is double the national average. I guess the numbers don't lie because when I go to Rouses' the people in line ahead of me are all using those Louisiana Purchase cards.