I don't even look at ugliest dog categories anymore because they always go to a Chinese Crested,. Ugliest dogs ever, no doubt, but it takes the fun out of the "competition" when it is always the same dogs. But, many still enjoy it and the proceeds go to help various animal groups so there's no complaint in that!

After the previous article about 311, I'm glad to see that someone did an interview with Knepp. As an ex-911 Dispatcher (12 years), I can completely understand and relate to the differences as well as the "Dumb should hurt" sign on her door, lol. She seems like a down-to-earth person and maybe, just maybe, the 311 center, even with all their budget cuts and manpower shortages, is stil able to function better than most City departments because she actually makes it a fun place to work (if my Dispatch center ever had a tin foil hat day, my job might hve been a little more fun rather than oppressive) and has a good grasp of reality rather than a complete bow to political nonsense that leaves employees feeling like no matter what they do or how hard they try, they'll never get ahead of all the office and City politics (I know, giant run on sentence). It's a huge, and genuine, moral booster and when employees get it on a regular basis, everyone they come in contact with benefits. I always had a good opinion of Knepp simply because I've had such great experiences with 311 and knew that to have that consistent kind of quality service (and no, I wasn't the rabid tongue caller, lol), a good leadership is required but I like her even more now that I've seen an interview with her. Kudos to her and all 311 operators; they're doing an amazing job!

I don't know how many people are employed to answer the calls but I do know they are 24/7/365 (minus these furlough days of course). Too bad about these cuts because 311 is about the only City service I've dealt with that didn't have some kind of grief involved in getting anything accomplished. I've used them several times via phone and e-mail and each time I was met with a pleasant and knowledgeable person who helped solve my issue or gave me the information I needed and they did it very quickly. Perhaps Division Manager Knepp should be in charge of more City functions.

Amen to that. Whether people agree upon their agenda/opinions/stance or not, the one thing that can be agreed upon is that they're at least out being heard and fighting for what they believe is best for this country. That's a heck of a lot more than most people do. Shoot, we can't even get half the nation to get up off their butts to take a few minutes to fill out an election ballot yet everyone wants to sit around and whine about the government and spout their opinions. As the saying goes, "you have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything" and no matter what side of the political fence you stand on, it's exactly why we have so many problems; people blindly follow the media or even worse, e-mail chain letters and fall for anything that that comes in a pretty package without a second thought rather than getting up, getting involved, and finding out for themselves.

I know I'm probably going to get bashed for saying this (and I won't be responding to baited arguments) but I just cannot understand why it's become so acceptable for "Mexican Americans" or any other (insert nationality)-Americans to celebrate other countries in America. The one quote, "MEX 200” party to celebrate those 200 years of independence Saturday in Midtown" is just asinine. If they're so happy for Mexico and it's 200 years of independence, why aren't they celebrating it in the country they're so proud of? I'm quite sure that residents in Mexico don't celebrate an American 4th of July. Barcena said, “That’s what makes this country different from the rest of the world" but I say that's what is making this country lose it's own culture and why our Constitution is becoming nothing more than toilet paper. I know America is a "melting pot" and people have come here from all over the globe to gain freedom from oppresive countries, circumstances, or situations but why then turn around and celebrate the very country you chose to leave? I'm all for learning geographies, languages, and cultures on an educational level and studying your roots to know your family history but for "Americans" to hold a celebration in honor of a country they no longer belong to is, to me, a slap in the face to the men and women who have fought for the very freedom for them to come here and have a better life. It's no different than if an adopted child from a torn home would be raised by someone who took them in, fed them, clothed them, and gave them a better life but then that child turns around and celebrates mother's day with the biological mother that treated them harshly and did it in the adoptive mother's house and expects her to join in and be happy about the party like it's no big deal. Because America (and California especially) has so many immigrants, I'm all for understanding diversity and being sympathetic to the circumstances that led them to seek a better life but to come to US soil to celebrate a foreign country is like pissing on the American Oath of allegiance that you so readily stood up and raised your right hand for and repeated. If you want to be an American, fine, but be an American, not a Mexican-American, African-American, or any other type rather than just plain old American because after all, that's what you came here for. "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen..." From the Oath of Allegiance. Having a party to celebrate Mexico doesn't quite seem like it's entirely renouncing or abjuring all allegiance to Mexico. In fact, in my opinion, if anything, it's just the opposite because they are remaining loyal to and celebrating the very country they renounced. End soapbox. (edited for spelling errors)