attitunidish

888-712-0491

2012-02-13T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ah, those telemarketers. Today I had a message on my voicemail from "Rachel" in Las Vegas, who was "currently working with my bank for the government's new program." Oh really??

Did you get a phone call from her, too?

Let's listen to what Rachel had to say:

One of my favorite Etta James tracks

2012-01-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

In honor of Etta James, who passed away this week. It's hard to choose just one track -- she had so many genre-defining R&B blockbusters. But this one from 1955, which created some controversy (and got changed later to "Dance with Me Henry"), is definitely one of my favorites.

Ultimae's Ambrosia -- another psybient gem

2011-12-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

For those of you who love the music from Ultimae Records in France -- especially if you were into the Fahrenheit series -- you'll love this new compilation they released in November. Called "Ambrosia," you can buy it directly from Bandcamp (preview it here). If the currency exchange rate doesn't work out for you in euros, Amazon and iTunes carry it as well.

Enjoy.

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://ultimae.bandcamp.com/album/ambrosia"&amp;gt;[ AMBROSIA ] by Various Artists&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

The Dream

2011-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

I had "The Dream" last night. The same one I have over and over again. A maddening, recurring dream that even I know in transit must be a dream, yet I can't snap out of it.

In the dream, I'm on my way to the airport for an international flight. And just as I'm rolling my luggage up to the check-in counter, I realize I've forgotten my passport. Again!

In real life, I've never forgotten my passport. In the dream, I forget it every time. And in each dream, I try to take a taxi back to the city to retrieve it, though I know I probably can't make it back to the airport in time for my flight. I usually wake up before the entire sequence unfolds.

This time I even had a conversation with myself in the dream.

ME: You always do this. And it always turns out to be a dream.
"DREAM" ME: Yeah, but this time it's not a dream. This is real.
ME: There's no way you would ever forget your passport.
"DREAM" ME: Well, I don't have it. I definitely didn't pack it. I forgot all about it.
ME: Come on! It's the one thing you check several times. This is a dream.
"DREAM" ME: No, it's not. Look. I can get a cab. There might be enough time. What else can I do? It's the only outbound flight today. I won't be able to leave if I don't try.
ME: (starting to doubt reality) OK. You have to try. But this is ridiculous. How could you forget??

I suppose it's perfectly obvious what this dream is actually about. And no, I'm not about to leave on a holiday. It does make me miss some of the recurring dreams of my youth, though -- like the flying dream. I think everyone gets those and then one day, like a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine, you outgrow it...

Stating the obvious about today's economy

2011-06-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

I realize that many of us know this already, and many of you might have already seen this viral video... but... it's worth repeating again. This is Robert Reich's two-minute rundown of why many people in the USA are scrambling just to stay in the same place.

Manor Coffee Shop, San Francisco

2011-02-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm very late in posting this video footage that I took in December. I was invited to a friend's birthday party, and he hosted it in a really cool, vintage coffee shop in the West Portal district of San Francisco called Manor Coffee Shop.

It was pure kitsch. I loved the space and the theme decorations (it was during the holiday season, in this case -- which explains the Santa stuff). Apparently they have several different themes throughout the year. In addition, they made custom french fries with an assortment of unique flavors and had pretty good omelettes and other basic "American style" breakfast food.

I'll put some photos here, too, because the video compression came out weird.

If you're in San Francisco, I highly recommend that you visit Manor Coffee Shop. Oh, BTW, they're closed on Sundays.

someone else's podcast

2011-01-31T23:45:00.000-08:00

I felt like embedding a podcast here...not mine, surprisingly (though I just uploaded my latest chill episode-- #72-- here if you want to hear it).

This is Secret Archives of the Vatican episode 43: No More War.
Have a listen.

No More War - Secret Archives Of The Vatican Podcast 43 by Secret Archives Of The Vatican on Mixcloud

great little short film with a message

2011-01-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

A friend from Germany alerted me to this short film. The German version has very clear HD quality -- and you can understand the story line even if you don't speak German. But here's another version with English subtitles.

I think the message applies to many cultures that manifest intolerance or ignore its consequences. Watch it through till the end!

last day, for awhile

2010-11-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

I spent my last couple of days in Paris cramming in as much as I could... I met another musician near Nation and interviewed him for my podcast, I ran around buying last-minute things and snapping photos, and I had to clean the apartment and do the laundry before I left.

I met Pascale for dinner and we ended up around Canal St. Martin, first having coffee at l'Atmosphere, then dinner at a place that we didn't know...it had nouvelle cuisine, but with a surprisingly bland taste.

Here are a few parting snapshots from this séjour:

day-to-day stuff

2010-11-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things that I can buy in a supermarket in Paris very cheaply that are done so much better than at home: packaged soup that's actually quite good, milk (which can often sit on the shelf for months before you open it), ham, mustard. I'll miss these when I go home.

Historic Paris metro video (1950s)

2010-11-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

Don't blame me for the cheesy music!

And here is a video I took this week at the Bastille metro station.

A day of art

2010-11-08T01:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met Pearl, Patsy, and Carol at the Pompidou Centre and we saw the Nancy Spero exhibit, then hopped on the metro to see the André Kertész exhibit at Jeu de Paum. Following that, we had tea with some of their friends (artists who live in Paris) at one of their ateliers, which was a very cool, funky, spacious spot-- a former storefront --tucked into the middle of an urban neighborhood. It was the perfect thing to do on a cold and rainy day.

13eme

2010-11-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the 13eme with Pascale to satisfy my craving for Vietnamese food. We went to Lao Lane Xang on rue Ivry. It really hit the spot. I took some photos of the soup, the green papaya salad, and the rice pancakes.

Then we went on to Tang Freres to look at the food. Of course a lot of what's for sale at Tang Freres, I can probably get in San Francisco, but I like looking at it in this environment, anyway. And of course I snapped a few pictures.

Then we went on to the Institut du Monde Arab, and then back to the Gibert Jeune bookstore. It was raining, and we had wet umbrellas, so maybe a bookstore wasn't the smartest idea, but...

Then on to the Bastille, where we had salads and drinks at Cafe des Anges. Now it's almost 2:30 a.m., and the street is filled with the sound of shouting, drunken young males -- the same thing I seem to hear on Saturday night in any European city, for some reason. This will be my last Saturday night here for awhile...

random stuff

2010-11-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Today I walked around in the 3eme again...mostly to buy this amazing ras al hanout blend at a spice shop that requires you to ring a bell to get in (Le Goumyande, I think it's called).

Then I walked around, ate some Lebanese food at the Marché des Enfants Rouges, and in general spent another leisurely day as if leisurely days were normal. Ran some errands in the evening, bought some INSANELY GREAT cheese that was....I don't know what it was, but maybe it's good that I can't get it all the time.

Then I decided to go to the Apple Store near l'Opera before it closed tonight. I wonder what it's like during the day? iPads everywhere, and could just walk right up and try them out...and look at all the stuff that people downloaded to them during the day, I guess. Or is that dancing wedding video of the American couple always on the iPad display units?

Then, finally, I looked at the windows of the Galleries Lafayette. The Christmas stuff is already out....but the displays are ... well, they have Barbie dolls and stuffed animals and puppets...I'm not sure what they're selling, but it's amusing.

art, lest I forget

2010-11-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Basquiat exhibit at the Musée d'Art Moderne. I really loved it and it made me want to go home and dig into my own creative projects again. And that's about the best thing that could happen to me... it was like turning on a light switch.

When I left the museum, I was heading for the metro when I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower between a couple of buildings. It took me by surprise, and I'm not an Eiffel Tower kind of visitor here, but I had to take a snapshot. Like the Golden Gate Bridge in SF, a lot of people pay a lot of money to come here and see this structure, and I almost walked right past it, just like I drive over the GG Bridge without a second thought.

I also took this snapshot of a random building that looks like it was once a firehouse, but possibly isn't anymore. Then I took the number 6 metro past the Eiffel Tower again, did some random shopping, walked through the Bastille, and came home and made dinner. A pretty quiet day, overall, and perhaps I should have done something more intense, since I'm only here for 6 more days, but then again when I'm here it's like being at home. And these dilapidated stairs lead to the flat that's been my home away from home for many months in the past few years.

And here is a little YouTube video about Jean-Michel Basquiat for your viewing pleasure:

metro movie

2010-11-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

I tried to capture some of the busy vibe in the metro today...and was only able to capture some of the moments when people were hurtling at me from every direction. But this short amount of video illustrates the general feeling. Sorry about the audio on these rudimentary videos. I only have an old copy of iMovie with me for video editing...and not much RAM.

back to my project

2010-11-03T11:34:00.001-07:00

Today I spent a bit of time taking photos in Pere Lachaise. I started a project awhile ago about the forgotten graves there...I found them fascinating and sad. And as I photographed them, I found them to each be beautiful in their own way.

Many tourists come to Pere Lachaise looking for the famous and they walk around with maps so they can find their graves. I collect images about the ones that no one else looks for and in many cases, stopped remembering them 100 years ago.

Here are a few of the snapshots that I took today. I have hundreds more.

changing times

2010-11-02T03:04:00.000-07:00

On Monday I stood on line at the Voltaire metro station to add another week's fare to my Navigo card. The line was long and slow and it took forever. Why? Because there were two gypsy kids standing over the fare machines and hovering over the customers while they inserted their Navigo passes and their credit cards into the machine. Most of these patrons were loading up their Navigo cards with fare for the month (November).

I've never seen Romany kids in my neighborhood before. I've also noticed more homeless people than the last time I was here, too. No one wanted to do their transaction with these kids hovering over them, but no one was able to get rid of them. The woman who worked in the fare window told them to go away and they just laughed at her. Then a male worker yelled at them, and again, they didn't leave.

Nothing short of the police could have gotten rid of them, but the police -- ironically -- were busy standing inside the corridors making sure that everyone's Navigo passes were current and trying to catch fare jumpers. Meanwhile, the passengers were being intimidated by these kids who were trying to grab their money while they updated their Navigo cards. Nice.

and a few more...

2010-11-01T02:30:00.001-07:00

and here's a couple more photos from the weekend:

10eme - 11eme

2010-10-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today we turned our clocks back an hour -- no more daylight savings time!

Pascale joined me and we walked from Les Halles over to Canal St. Martin...had lunch at L'Atmosphere and looked in the shops...then walked over to Oberkampf and had drinks at Cafe Charbon. There was a little bit of Halloween energy in Oberkampf as the night began, but nothing like what you see in San Francisco, and maybe more to do with the Day of the Dead tomorrow.

more food...

2010-10-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the ongoing food porn, but part of my day was spent shopping at Marché d'Aligres and Monoprix, eating, and then trying to walk enough to burn off all the calories.

Then I went to Gibert Jeune booksellers, one of the rare times I go to the rive gauche (the Fisherman's Wharf of Paris). I make this exception because there's so many fabulous books in that building, mostly at great prices, that I want to take the bookstore with me. I settled on only a few purchases, most notably, "Fahrenheit 451" in bandes dessinnées. Then, to avoid the crush in the awful St. Michel metro station, I walked to République before hopping back on the metro again.

I'm always amazed...

2010-10-27T07:16:00.001-07:00

...at how much cheaper it is to buy food in Paris than it is in San Francisco. These groceries cost €27, and it includes a week's supply of coffee, 8 containers of yogurt, a package of smoked ham, veggies and tomatoes for a salad, several rolls of toilet paper, some Dijon mustard, some breakfast grains, a container of "gourmet" olives, milk, mineral water, and a bar of dark chocolate. This would probably cost $40-$45 in the USA, and might not be as good.

Look how great the Muni service was back then!

2010-10-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

This video was allegedly filmed a week or so before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The filmmakers mounted a camera on a San Francisco streetcar and went all the way down Market Street to the Ferry Building. Aside from the obviously amazing things in this footage, I was also struck by how frequently the streetcars ran. They're almost bumper to bumper! Anyone who's ever stood i the wind on Market Street waiting for the F car knows that things have changed a lot since then....

And this is just the data they're tracking. . .

2010-10-17T19:20:00.001-07:00

Saw this time lapse video of the spread of rising unemployment in the USA. I'm not sure that shopping is going to turn this thing around.

"Safety is an optical illusion"

2010-07-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Nie Znikaj (don't disappear), a music video from Bajzel

Bajzel - Nie Znikaj from MUZEUM on Vimeo.

one from the failblog

2010-01-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

watch closely...

Médicins sans Frontières - Haitian earthquake

2010-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Many organizations are coming forward with requests to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake. This is my preferred charity...please donate if you can.

still happily entering twenty ten

2010-01-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

I felt like posting a wonderfully kitschy music video. This is from Stereo Total.... enjoy.

A few notes about 2009...

2009-12-31T21:36:00.001-08:00

I have mixed feelings about 2009. In some ways it feels like a lost year. It went by really quickly and I feel like I'm in the same place that I was last year...only with more clutter and less money.

Good things happened, but bad stuff happened, for sure. Let's get that out of the way first.

On the personal level, some of my friends died, some of my friends' parents died, I got ripped off by an evil businessman, I had family issues, I was often sleep-deprived due to a noisy downstairs neighbor, and my workplace was a tempest.

On the larger front, lots of people suffered financial hardships this year while others ran off with the money and got away with it. The war in Afghanistan got bigger. Services got cut everywhere while prices kept going up, and the "change we could believe in" from 2008 turned out to be barely noticeable nuances brought to us by the same people who gave us the last 10-15 years.

But now here's a few good things from 2009.

* Creative Commons music and netlabels are really flourishing. Take a look at Phlow Magazine's advent calendar (with guest music curators) for 2009 and sample the vast amount of good music that's coming out on the 'net. You really don't need radio anymore.

* My city (San Francisco) implemented a law that requires you to separate your trash from your compostable food waste with separate bins. I found this practice really easy to adjust to (though messy!) and along with recycling plastic, paper, and cans every week, I feel less wasteful. It was really easy to do.

* Several people that I know found their groove this year. They finally pursued their creative dreams and started doing what they felt passionate about, and it worked for them financially and psychologically. Kudos... I raise my glass to you.

* iPhone apps! Thank you for the second year in a row to the developers who made cool applications for iPhone...I can conjugate verbs in French, look up bus/train schedules, play word games, read Facebook and Twitter updates, tune my guitar, monitor my calorie intake, manage my project database, discover new music on Last.fm or Pandora, check news around the world, and of course send email, find maps, and all the usual wonderful stuff from the same little device.

* Farmer's markets -- they're nothing new, but in 2009, they started popping up in more neighborhoods and more towns than previously, and it's been a wonderful thing to go back to the basics and buy real food when it's in season from local growers.

These are just a few things I can remember that made 2009 look better than 1999 for me.

So here's to 2010, whatever may lie ahead. Onwards!

My genetic destiny...

2009-10-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Recently I had my cholesterol tested for the first time in about four years. I actually figured that it was just fine, and that I should just test it to confirm that. But to my surprise, it was higher than expected and higher than it should be. So I went to my doctor.

I like my doctor. I don't see her that often, but what I like about her is that she's not like most doctors -- she doesn't hand you pharmaceutical samples or give you prescription drugs without a real medical necessity, and she has a pretty good sense (usually) about the underlying cause of any affliction. She generally prescribes holistic practices like yoga and self-help things that make sense. So I figured it was OK to see her about the cholesterol.

As I expected, she talked to me about what the numbers really mean and how I was in a "watch" zone but not a critical one. She prescribed to me two things: a MUFA diet and an interval exercise regime. This was fine by me: I already ate (though not consistently) most of the foods in the MUFA plan, and I already go to the gym, but due to my workload and other pursuits, I'd been slacking off and also replacing some of my gym visits with red wine.

The problem is: I already live a much healthier lifestyle than most Americans. I seldom go places in my car -- I usually walk or take the bus. I don't eat much meat and I already don't eat gluten or fast food. I've gone to a gym for years, but not as diligently as I used to go. And although I'm not as pencil thin as I was when I was younger, I'm not overweight, either. So why is my cholesterol coming out so high? I guess it's my genetic destiny....

My father has many of the major afflictions that plague the modern world-- heart disease, diabetes, and now Alzheimer's. And I gambled that I would not end up like him because I don't live on bacon and hamburgers (like he did). I've made regular exercise a part of my life for years, plus I take herbal supplements, use both eastern and western medicine, and lead a different life--but now I'm beginning to wonder if my genetic destiny isn't catching up with me. After all, I know people who weigh much more than I do, eat worse than I do, and exercise less -- and their cholesterol is just fine!

Of course, in the meanwhile, I'm reading what I can about the subject and about diet and disease -- not for the first time, but again -- and last month, I started cutting the amount of sugar, wine, and cheese in my diet and started the MUFA regime more stringently. I also started going to the gym again--religiously--every other day. So far I've lost six pounds and I have a lot more energy. But what about my cholesterol? Stay tuned -- I think I'll check it again in about 2-3 months.

Then and now

2009-08-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, I came across some 40-year-old newspapers, and I've started scanning some things of interest in them. I thought I'd start with this ad for some popular record albums that were on sale for under $3 each, brand new. They include artists that were extremely popular at the time, like Jimi Hendrix, Simon & Garfunkel, the Supremes, Donovan, the Mamas and the Papas, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, the Monkees, and -- oddly enough -- Tiny Tim.

All of these albums were on sale for less than $3 per LP, and the normal price ranged from $3.70 to $4.59, brand new. The artists listed above were some of the heaviest hitters of that generation, and some of the music in this ad is still being played on radio stations today. The artists lived well (so well, in fact, that a few of them met an early demise), the record companies did well, and everything seemed to be be pretty copacetic in 1968. People could afford to buy albums, artists could afford to be artists.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Today, these same albums would be about $15 if you bought each one on a CD, and approximately $10 per album if you bought them as digital MP3 downloads. We read all the time about how the record companies are hurting, but artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison have been dead now for nearly 40 years and still selling music for them. Classic albums like these, whether the artists are dead or alive, are still selling, but they cost 2-3x what they cost then, even though the engineering costs and advances were paid long ago, and today's distribution costs (or even advertising, on this old music) are next to nothing. So what's the problem?

(972) 428-5200 -- persistent Texas telemarketer

2009-08-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Every single day I've been getting at least one phone call from the same number: (972) 428-5200. Sometimes it's as early as 8 a.m., other times not till 9 or 10. They never leave a message, but it's obvious from the timing, the constancy, and the number itself that it's an aggressive telemarketer.

I looked up the number, and it seems a lot of people are getting persistent calls from this location. According to the 800notes website, these calls are coming from a company called TransTech Merchant Group (or, alternately Summit Merchant Solutions) in Texas.

Some recipients of the call say that the caller is allegedly selling check imaging services, while other people report that the caller claims to be from their credit card company, and that they're calling to discuss some charges on the bill. Both of these calls are emanating from the same number. I have not picked up the phone to see which one I'm getting-- maybe I'm getting both. The caller does not leave an automated, prerecorded message. From what other people are posting, perhaps the telemarketers have a live human fishing for information at the other end. Some people continue to receive the calls, even if they answer the phone and say "no."

No legitimate business calls people like this every day.

On a happier note, I seem to have stopped getting the expired car warranty calls. Is this new outburst of calls from the same group?

Persepolis Now

2009-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar with Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels or her movie, "Persepolis," now's the time to read them. In these stories, she reveals what it was like to grow up as a young girl during the Iranian revolution, and all the changes it brought to her life and to her family.

With all the events going on in Iran right now, I highly recommend that you read the book(s) and rent the movie. It's an amazing, moving story, and somehow again, very timely.

Adriana Kaegi ... "ooh la la" live

2009-06-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

In my chillout podcast episode #45, you heard Adriana Kaegi's sultry "Ooh La La" from her new album, "TAG." Here you can see her perform it live in Manhattan. Listen to that sweet saxophone from Charlie Lagond, too!

ADRIANA live @ Joe's Pub singing "Ooh La La"

Things I Love About Living in SF

2009-06-18T22:44:00.001-07:00

Tonight I was riding on the Muni metro and I was playing a game on my iPhone called "WordWhirl." It's one of the many free apps and you don't have to be connected to the Internet to play it...you just need to make as many words as possible out of a letter scramble in a prescribed amount of time.

Anyway...

The train was very crowded. Suddenly I heard a guy say ...."chosen."

And I realized that he'd guessed the 6-letter word that I was missing in my game. I had less than 30 seconds left. I looked at him. "Thank you," I said. "I couldn't help it," he said. We then discussed our favorite online word games until my stop came up.

This is one of the reasons why I like living where I do...

Idiocracy: Are we there, yet?

2009-06-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know the name of this TV show and I've never seen it before tonight. It doesn't matter. But this evening I turned on my TV set for a few minutes and set it to a local channel.

A show was on that looked like it was a parody--or at least it could have been an outtake--from the movie "Idiocracy." This is a must-see dystopian movie that takes place in the future, where people are so dumbed down they can barely form sentences and clearly can't read. They sit in front of massive TV screens with super-sized sports drinks and watch "entertainment" shows about people jumping around and getting injured--an endless source of amusement for them.

Anyway, what I saw was very similar to the favorite TV show in Idiocracy. Various people, mostly overweight and hardly athletic, attempted to jump and dive into dumb-looking objects or through muck that appeared to be mud or pudding, apparently hurting themselves in the process. I kept the show on long enough to grab my iPhone and take a few photos with closed-captioning turned on.

Below, you'll see four photos from the TV show I saw tonight, followed by a YouTube clip that depicts the popular TV show from "Idiocracy" that seems eerily similar.

Marin

2009-06-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not referring to the suburbs north of San Francisco. This is a short, animated film made in France by three directors: Alexandre Bernard, Damien Laurent, and Pierre Pages. There's a gallery of stills from it that you can look at after you see the film. It's really very well done, and a sweet story. I saw a link to it on a blog this morning and thought I'd share it, too.

Marin from Marin ShortFILM on Vimeo.

Yann Tiersen in SF

2009-05-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, I saw Yann Tiersen in concert along with Asobi Seksu. I've enjoyed Yann Tiersen's music in the past-- most notably, his movie scores for Amelie and Goodbye Lenin-- so I was happy to have the chance to hear him live.

Asobi Seksu delivered a dreamy, psychedelic opening act with plenty of synths, an art-pop lead singer, and some driving beats that made me think of Stereolab at times. And Yann Tiersen played a melodic but forceful hour of music with his band ... part French chanson, part post-rock bliss, and some wonderful moments where he played violin with his band driving behind him. His violin melodies are some of my favorites, and they evoke in me a nostalgia for a past that didn't occur in my own personal life, but makes me want to reminisce about it all the same (see "Goodbye Lenin" to see what i mean).

The only issue I had with all this wonderfulness was that the reverberating acoustics of the concert hall did not support the ear-shattering sonic intensity of the volume. That is to say: it was too loud, and I had to get some ear plugs from the bar. I don't understand why some venues turn up the volume so high in an environment made from wood and plaster and mirrors -- the loud volume bounces along the hard surfaces and often can turn into a din. Why not establish an acoustical environment that's more like a recording studio, with sound boards and bass traps and other room modifiers that allow you to hear the detail of the instruments without distorting them? I must be getting old.

At any rate, the music was great, and I think now I just want to listen to them on CD and adjust the volume and the EQ the way I want it...

Auto warranty phone call: (786) 369-7342

2009-04-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't answer the phone, but again, the caller ID showed up as "Warranty Alert." You know what that means: it's the same crew that calls my mobile, my work phone, and my home phone almost every day, and your phones, too.

This time it corresponds to a mobile phone number in Miami, Florida (OmniPoint Communications), but of course, it's likely spoofed.

These are the same people who are harassing millions of Americans every day and trying to swindle people out of money with a ludicrous scheme that, like the Nigerian millionaire letters, must be bringing in some money for them from somewhere. Surely there must be a way to track them down and stop them?

A quick search on the web shows that lots of people have been bothered lately by calls from this same number. On WhoCallsMe, one person even complained that when he tried to talk to an "operator" to get off the calling list (if only we could!), she blew a whistle in his ear. Just look at all the posts on this site from aggravated people who get these calls.

Interesting that we live in a country that has the means and the will to wiretap its citizens for whatever reason, but no one seems to take an interest in using technology to find phone scammers and stop them? Nor, for that matter, does our landline monopoly take an interest.

It's time to mobilize a concerted effort to get our elected officials and phone providers to put a stop to these hecklers. At the very least, take a cue from their own playbook: push the button to get a live operator, and then blow a whistle -- loud -- in his or her ear.

"Stand by Me" -- the global version

2009-04-08T19:37:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine sent me a link to this video today, and I just had to post it. In it, you'll see an assortment of street musicians and tribal performers in various locations around the world who seem to be performing the same song together, thanks to some excellent sound and video editing. And wow, those singers are great. No autotuning for this crew.

It starts out slow and simple, and builds into something really majestic. Bet you watch this more than once....

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Home Sweet Jackhammer

2009-03-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I live on a cul de sac. It should be a quiet street. But since about 2002, my neighborhood has been under siege by real-estate developers and property spinners, and it hasn't stopped, not even with the credit crunch, the recession, and the housing market doom and gloom.

At any given point, there are 4 to 5 projects going on within a half block from my apartment in either direction, and as soon as one ends, another one begins. As a result, my little street is one of the noisiest little blocks in the city. There's an enormous amount of commotion every day: from jackhammering.. to huge trucks driving backwards with their beepers on...to cement mixers... and back to jackhammering again.

The projects involve tearing down cottages and building huge McMansions, or taking existing cottages and lifting them up and building another floor below them, or leaving just one wall of the original cottage and building a McMansion around it, and so on. As each property owner finishes, the building goes up for sale (often it's been turned into two flats), and then new people move in and they must decide that they don't like the granite countertops or some such thing, and they begin to tear the places up again. The blue house in these photos is a case in point-- the new owners seem to be doing a sneaky remodeling and gutting project shortly after buying a newly remodeled bungalow.

Ironically, I moved here to live in peace and quiet and away from the chaos of other neighborhoods, and somehow the people who bought homes here cannot stand the quiet, so they've launched all this chaos. I'd love to hear birds chirping some day...before they tear down the remaining trees...

Chill out mix

2009-03-23T22:37:00.001-07:00

With all the podcasts I make myself, I never get enough music. One of my favorite mix artists is Deep Goa, so for some nice chillout time, have a listen to episode 25, from December 2008. This post is courtesy of www.mixupload.com.

Bi-Rite Foods featured in U.K. magazine

2009-03-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I wrote about one of my favorite markets in San Francisco -- Bi-Rite Foods. This month, the wonderful U.K. magazine, Monocle, featured this grocery store in an article. I bought this issue of Monocle at a local magazine kiosk, but I think you have to subscribe or order a copy online to read the whole thing.

The bottom line is that some businesses are doing very well in this economy because they have what people want and need, they stay within a manageable scale, and they care enough about their customers, their quality, and their environment that this enthusiasm spills over and builds them a loyal and happy following. Isn't that how it should be?

"Warranty Alert" -- (201) 917-7310

2009-03-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

I didn't answer the phone call when it came in, but remarkably, the caller ID on my phone actually read "Warranty Alert" and "(201) 917-7310." I do believe it was our friends from the "This is your final warning about your car warranty...." scammers. The ones who everyone in the USA gets phone calls from, but no one pursues.

The phone number, according to reverse phone lookups, corresponds to "Paetec Communications" in Cliffside, New Jersey. However, as we all know, these phone calls come from every state and from different phone numbers registered to different names.

Why no one goes after these people-who are clearly not involved in the warranty of our automobiles, but something far more nefarious-- is beyond me. But then again, guys like Bernie Madoff can steal $50 billion dollars, admit it, and not even go to jail. (If Bernie had only been growing a pot plant in his Manhattan apartment...he'd be put away already!)

And I'm just sitting here and googling that phone number into my computer, just like the rest of you. Are these people really that hard to catch?

Why this Office Max store will fail

2009-02-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Office Max is #3 in the world of big-box office retailers (behind Staples and Office Depot). I don't know if this economy can support three big-box chains of office stores--not when you can buy so much for less on the Internet-- but if things continue to go downhill, here's why my local Office Max could fail.

It's not the location. Although this Office Max is located in the nowheres-ville zone of a freeway overpass, its neighbors on each side of the street (Best Buy on one side and Rainbow Grocery on the other) enjoy a booming business and lots of customers all day long. No, Office Max's problems are: bad attitude, bad service, and lack of innovation.

Let's talk first about their attitude. They don't seem to have issues with the hordes of people who go to the Best Buy on one side of them, but they're really hostile to the health-food store customers from Rainbow Grocery on the other side. I realize this is because they can see the Rainbow customers parking in their lot when there's no more room in the health-food store lot or on the street. In fact, it bothers Office Max so much that they put up a big, handwritten sign in their front window (what could be more impressive than that?) that warns Rainbow customers that they'll tow them away if they park there, and they have a tow truck stationed in the lot most of the time to make sure no vegetarians go untowed from their lot.

Here's an idea: why not "welcome" the Rainbow customers by offering any Rainbow shopper a 15% discount in their store with proof-of-purchase of Rainbow groceries? Imagine that--they'd increase their walk-in customer base substantially, because this area of the city has neither pedestrian traffic nor adequate bus service. There's NO walk-in traffic. The only people walking around the area (besides the aforementioned customers getting out of their cars for the other stores) are the legions of bums who live under the overpass. So that's my first bit of advice, Office Max: drive business to your store by offering your neighboring customers a discount...d'oh!

Well, but then there's problem number 2: customer service. The store is huge, wide, and monstrously bright. The ratio of customers -- at least any time I've been there -- to Office Max employees seems to be a solid 1:1. But try to get any of them to help you, or to ring you up at one of their many empty cash registers...forget it. In fact, you can be the very next person in line and wait 10 minutes for the clerk to help you. I'm beginning to wonder if they don't have a policy that makes you wait in line for a cashier simply to make their store look busier. So my second bit of advice to Office Max is: train your employees to serve your customers in a reasonable fashion, in how to talk to your customers, and make your employees knowledgeable about your products. Right now it seems like some of the people who work there couldn't get a job anywhere else and barely made it through high school.

Problem #3 is innovation. Let's talk about customer demographics for a minute. You're in a city that has progressive politics and you're sitting next to a hugely successful, employee-run health food store that's been in business for almost 35 years. Maybe you might want to think about providing some services that might draw them in (besides the neighbor discount). What about offering services that help people recycle their old computers, monitors, office equipment, and batteries? What about selling "green" office supplies? How about working on your store's Feng Shui, so you feel drawn in by appealing window displays (instead of a crazy-looking, hostile sign) and an inviting layout? And what about the aesthetic appeal of some of your products? Is there some reason why you have to sell the ugliest possible laptop bags, storage systems, day timers, and other gear? What if you sold appealing brands and styles, instead of just sacks of black vinyl? A lot of your merchandise has a 1970s "you don't have a choice" aesthetic. So my third bit of advice, Office Max, is that you offer services and merchandise that fit your demographic area.

Best of luck to you.

"Top 25 Countries for Women" - doesn't include USA

2009-02-05T09:41:00.001-08:00

I recently ran across an article and a slideshow online from Forbes about the top 25 countries in the world in terms of female empowerment and gender equality.

It listed the top 25 countries with these four attributes for women: economic opportunity, health and survival, education, and political empowerment. Not surprisingly, the Nordic countries ranked the highest (Norway was #1), along with several predictable European countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Some of the other highest-rated countries included the Phillipines, New Zealand, Latvia, and Sri Lanka.

Moldova (shown below, in a screen cap from the slideshow) ranked as #20. Trinidad and Tobago had high ratings, as well.

The USA was ranked at #27 -- not even in the top 25 (#25 was Cuba by the way). Of course, this doesn't make the USA the worst country on the planet for women. Other countries that fared far worse included Canada, Israel, and all the countries in the Middle East.

post-inaugural post

2009-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

I realize that I need to post some new blog entries so I can push *that photo* farther down the page.

Last Tuesday, I watched the inauguration live from EuroNews. I'm not in Europe right now, but as most of you know, you can subscribe to some international programming through either cable or satellite TV.

What most of you might not know is: you don't have to subscribe to 100 or even 500 American cable shows in order to also get the international programs. You can go straight to what you want and skip the rest.

It's not easy. The media companies will try to sell you the whole package, and if you let them, you'll find yourself paying $70 a month or more for all kinds of infomercials, boring reruns, religious programming, "family" shows, bad movies, endless sports, Larry King's ubiquitous presence, and a million talking heads rehashing the same topics over and over.

But you don't have to take the whole thing. You can just pick a special package (say, French, or German) and get it, and nothing else. Really, all cable and satellite companies -- not that there's many to choose from -- should offer an á la carte deal for their subscribers. You SHOULD be able to pick the top 10 or 20 networks that you prefer, and skip the rest. We're not there yet, but we need to advocate for that. If you subscribe to TV, you should have the same wide-open options that you typically have on the internet. If the media companies don't get hip to this, they will become dinosaurs.

In the meantime, if you want to get international programs and skip the 100-500 useless channels, call your cable supplier today. You have to start somewhere!

Is he gone yet?

2009-01-20T00:18:00.000-08:00

You know who I mean.

Eight years ago this month, The Onion published a satirical article about what would probably happen in the Bush presidency: endless war, recession, increased national debt, job layoffs, etc.. . And, like life imitating art, most of it came true...

It's been a long time. Hasta la vista, baby...

The un-supermarket

2008-12-24T01:05:00.000-08:00

I like to shop for food in places where I feel like I'm doing something good for my health, and where I don't feel like I'm on a torture track. That's why I try to avoid bad shopping experiences like the one I wrote about at Safeway, and also why I avoid going to giant stores like Costco-- where you wait for 30 minutes in long queues of people who've loaded rolling flatbed wagons full of processed food and often, sadly, look like they eat too much of it.

So I go to places like Rainbow Grocery or Bi-Rite foods, where the produce is local and the stock looks well-maintained and thoughtful, and where the staff greets you and asks you if you need any help. When you're in the wine section, they'll ask you what kind of wine you'd like and then make suggestions. The same with the cheese, and so on.

It really seems like they care that you find the right stuff and that you're happy about it. So I don't mind spending a little extra money at these stores because I know what I'm getting, I know I will like it, and I don't get punished for being there. Even the people at the checkstands (and yes, they seem to have more working checkout people than the giant Safeway does!) seem to be in good moods, and they greet you with friendly conversation. The line moves quickly and you don't feel like you've sacrificed half your day trying to get through the store. And it's kind of fun to look around and see what they have to offer.

I think I'll go back to Safeway soon and go through the "downer cow" experience there again, just to see if anything's changed during these past few months, or if the economic downturn has also created more of a "breadline" vibe there, as well. Anyone want to join me for this social/anthropological excursion?

Heard from your carpet cleaners today?

2008-12-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

Some of you might recall my post about the phone spammers who call incessantly with the dire warning that your car warranty is about to expire. Their tactic is to deposit a recorded announcement in your voicemail or blast you when you pick up the phone. Each time they call from a different number and they don't identify the name of their company, nor can you successfully get off their calling list.

Similarly, there's a scam that uses the same tactics for an alleged carpet cleaning company. I don't know their name, and they probably don't have a name, because I doubt they're actually cleaning carpets, and judging from their various phone numbers from different U.S. states and outlying areas, it would be highly inconvenient for anyone to use their services, because they're not local.

Most recently, I received a recorded carpet-cleaning phone blast from "Heather" using this telephone number: (208) 656-4565. This corresponds to a land line in Idaho Falls. Yes, in Idaho. However, these people have called me from all kinds of numbers, including some that begin with "0," which are either out of the country or from a Skype number of some kind.

I've never quite figured out what they're after...obviously it must be money of some sort. They're clearly not looking for customers who want their carpets cleaned, or who are concerned about their vehicle car warranty expiring (I'm guessing these are the same people). They want money, or credit card numbers, or your ID, or something else.

Has anyone actually talked to a human at these so-called carpet cleaners?

From the lips of FOX news...sounds like Sarah Palin was even worse than we thought

2008-11-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

If you can make it through the car ad in the beginning, this genuine FOX (O'Reilly Factor) segment actually mentions the possibility that former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin might have lacked the experience and qualifications for the job that she (thankfully) did not get.

In fact, according to the reporter on FOX, Sarah couldn't name the North American countries in NAFTA (hint: the USA, Canada, and Mexico!) and thought Africa was a country, not a continent, and asked if South Africa was just part of the country "Africa"--basic stuff that probably would have flunked her out of a high school Geography 101 class, at the very least.

Watch Bill O'Reilly try to apologize for her, suggesting that she could have been tutored for the job ("Like, here's the world map," explains O'Reilly, trying to sound like this is perfectly reasonable favor to do for a clueless future vice president, or even a sitting governor). This video is no Onion parody, but a genuine, serious broadcast from a right-wing mouthpiece and his reporter, Carl Cameron. Hang in there for the full 6 minutes and you'll hear about how she answered the door to campaign handlers in only a bathrobe...threw tantrums...went on wild spending sprees...and more.

Meanwhile, some news articles claim that Sarah will be back to run again in 2012. Hope she takes a couple of classes at her local community college before then!

Yes We Can - And We Did

2008-11-05T00:47:00.001-08:00

I know I put this video on my blog back in February, but I wanted to see it again. Yes, history has been made, but more importantly, the USA has elected someone who might actually have the capability of fixing this broken country--it's not going to be easy. It's been under siege nonstop for eight long years.

People are partying in the streets on this election night to celebrate the changing of the tide. I sure don't remember anyone celebrating like this when George W. Bush was appointed president in 2000.

Congratulations, Barack Obama.

Meanest Republican in Michigan (maybe)

2008-11-01T16:45:00.001-07:00

This little news story is NOT a joke and not an Onion parody...but a real news story about a woman in Michigan who refused to give candy to little kids on Halloween if they --or their parents--supported Obama for president. Apparently she screened them at her door. And you can bet these kids will NEVER forget her.

The Onion: McCain Left On Campaign Bus Overnight

2008-10-22T23:22:00.001-07:00

I'm back, for those of you who've wondered why my blog has been quiet for the past week: I"m still catching up. And while there's no shortage of serious issues to talk about right now, enjoy this new broadcast from the Onion first...

Camden Market and environs

2008-10-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I walked north through London with John. We met Jayme, Tyler, and some of their friends in Chalk Hill and then went to a pub called The Stag, where we could sit outside in the backyard and enjoy the nice weather and some gastropub food for lunch. Tanja joined us. Then some of us went to the Camden Market, which was an overwhelming extravaganza of clothing stalls, accessories, food, and throngs of people everywhere. After shuffling through the crowd for a couple of hours, Tanja and I had to get out.

I met John and Jan for dinner....we went to an upscale Chinese restaurant in Soho that served really delicious food in a lounge-like environment with downtempo music supplied from a laptop using iTunes (we just happened to be sitting near it). After dinner, John and I walked around on Oxford Street, which was nice and quiet on a Sunday night, and I snapped a few more photos.

antiquities, soho, indian food

2008-10-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Tanja is here from Switzerland. We spent the day together: first coffee, then the British Museum, then a stroll through Soho...and into a French bookstore on Marlborough... and down Carnaby Street to a pub. After lounging with some wine and appetizers at the pub, we had an affordable but delicious Indian "tapas" dinner at Imli in Soho (on Wardour Street). I hadn't seen Tanja since I was in Zürich last year, so it was nice to catch up on things.

Borough Market, Spitalfields, and more

2008-10-11T01:37:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I went with John to the Borough Market-- a large assortment of cheeses, fresh fish and meat, sausaages, produce, mulled wine, and various other goodies for sale. It was in a massive semi-open-air space and was pretty amazing to see. We met his friends Jayme and Tyler (who joined us on his lunch break) and then afterwards, Jayme, her new baby, and I took the tube to Spitalfields market...more stalls of things to look at, but mostly clothes this time, not food. I saw some really cool coats that would be highly impractical back home, but looked fantastic, and even a few casual dresses that were very funky-artsy, distinctly British, and almost enough to make me wear one myself. I was with Jayme for a momentous occasion: the first time her daughter laughed. I snapped a photo of them both shortly thereafter.

Then Jayme showed me Brick Lane, a street lined with Indian restaurants, Beigel Bake (a bagel shop), and various other interesting -looking stuff, and then we hopped a bus back again. I wandered around in Soho, trying to get my bearings. However, I've found that I really need to pay attention when I cross the street, because I'm still looking in the wrong direction whenever I cross, and the London drivers seem to come from every possible direction, anyway.

That evening, John, Jan, and I went to The Red Fort for another outrageously good Indian dinner...including more Bollinger, which I'm going to miss when I return home....it's in short supply there. After dinner, John and I walked through Mayfair and looked in shop windows on Saville Row and other upscale locales. I took about 50 photos on Friday....these are just a handful.

new neighborhood, more food

2008-10-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, John and I took the tube to Hammersmith to meet his friend Ramsay for lunch. We passed through an open-air market with stands selling some of the most amazing-looking food, and if we didn't have lunch plans already, I would have bought some. Here are photos of some type of vegan Caribbean food (including ingredients like pumpkin and sweet potato) and Moroccan dishes. After a nice walk, we met Ramsay at Saigon Saigon....where we feasted on some of the best Vietnamese food I've ever eaten- and I love Vietnamese food and eat it often. Everything was exquisite and had a totally unique taste.

After a leisurely afternoon, we took the tube to the High Street Kensington stop, where we looked at the biggest Whole Foods market I've ever seen (with multiple floors), then walked home through Kensington Gardens, which was relaxing, and then Piccadilly, which was not.

For dinner, we'd had plans to go with Jan to Belgo in Soho, a Belgian place that's underground, but it was too crowded. Incredibly, we ended up at Robuchon, where they treated me to an amazing dinner. Many thanks to them both.

an interview, more london explorations

2008-10-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I interviewed Jake Paland of the ambient/electronic duo PFL (best known for their music on the German "Space Night" series). John came with us, and we had a delicious lunch and a good conversation about music. I've got about 45 minutes of discussion that I'll edit down to just a few minutes, with music, for a special podcast episode when I get home.

Then John and I took a long walk, exploring the unexpected neighborhoods while passing through the predictable ones. I prefer the ones off the beaten path, but as you'll see, I did snap a few of the usual suspects.

When I got back to the flat, I was exhausted, so I stayed in and ate some take-away from Marks & Spencer and chilled out for awhile.

art, rain, food, etc.

2008-10-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday John and I walked around from museum to museum in London. We went to an incredible Warhol exhibit that displayed his films and videos and some memorabilia in an environment that made me feel like I was being transported back to his loft in the sixties. It was really great....the ultimate Warhol exhibit.

It was raining, and we popped into the Tate for awhile and the Design museum, too, and took a walk along the south bank of the Thames. At Taz (apparently, a chain..but a really good one), we had Turkish food for lunch, and then, with Jan, a mindblowingly great Thai dinner in the theatre district, where I ate condiments like fresh peppercorns (still on the vine) for the first time.

We walked so much that my legs got sore....and I will probably do the same today.

a drive to the (north) sea

2008-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hilde and I drove to her favorite beach along the North Sea ... and I snapped a few photos along the way. Those white bundles are bales of hay. You see them on every farm. The IKEA in Norway is apparently not blue and yellow ...but the building has rather muted tones. This fort along the North Sea was a lookout/security point during World War II. All the new construction is like something out of Dwell Magazine. The old construction consists of the wooden houses, often painted in bright shades of red, green, burnt yellow, blue, or green. And this little house on the North Sea is sitting on an island every time the tide comes in.

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Slow Sunday

2008-10-05T03:59:00.000-07:00

Last night, my friends Hilde and Sissel made a delicious dinner for four of us, including a colleague of Hilde's. We stayed up most of the night. I forgot how that happens sometimes in Norway. So I'm moving very slowly today, and didn't get enough sleep, because I was awakened by thunder so loud that it sounded like the house was being blown up. Anyway, here are a few photos I snapped on Saturday while we were out shopping. The tank is a sculpture called the "peace tank," the sign that you see by the car denotes a "women only" parking space in a public garage, and of course, I have another photo of reindeer meat in the supermarket.

Jeg er i Norge

2008-10-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

I know you thought I was in London, and I was...and I will be again. But right now I'm in Norway, visiting some friends. Wow, it's green here. I could see healthy-looking cows just grazing by the road as we drove from Sola Airport. Last night we went to a supermarket ... and I thought I'd snap a few photos to share (because I love to look at food). This includes reindeer meat, and a large gluten-free section. There's a lot of gluten-free food here, even in a "normal" supermarket.

stumbling upon things

2008-10-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

Today I wandered around with the intention of exploring some things that my friend John showed me yesterday, and I was heading in the direction of where he was having lunch so we could walk afterwards. However, I took a wrong turn somewhere and instead of going to the Covent Garden market and then to Soho as I'd planned, I ended up walking through Chinatown, Leicester Square (awful), and then finally stumbled upon a route that led to something more interesting.

Here in these photos, you see the Marlborough House on Pall Mall (do the names make you want to light up a cigarette?), a hat shop on a passage near Pall Mall, a contender for the Smart car that only took 1/3 of a parking space, the Chocolate Bar at Harrods, and a window display at Harvey Nichols.

This evening, I saw an amazingly great Palestinian-themed play in East London with my friends John and Jan, and met one of the playwrights, as well. A pretty terrific day, overall.

wake up, sleepyhead

2008-10-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

I finally caught up on some much-needed sleep...like 10 hours of it...but this is not the town where one should be sleeping her time away. I don't even know what's going on in the world right now--especially with politics--which might be a blessing. However, I just opened up Yahoo/UK and saw a headline story about Britney Spears. Even here, I guess I can't escape from the same banal, useless news items.

Last night I had a fantastic dinner at Moti Mahal. I've been wanting to come here for a long time, and it lived up to its promise.

Now I need coffee. Dare I go to Starbucks?

Why many Americans don't have a clue...

2008-09-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've noticed that whenever I go to my gym--where I'm faced with a wall of flat-panel TVs--I'm absolutely inundated with nonstop broadcasts of Sarah Palin. The worst offender is CNN, who seem to have suspended most other news or information in favor of repeating endless video loops of this woman's handful of speeches and public appearances since she was nominated for this slot by John McCain a few weeks ago.

Sarah Palin is the Britney Spears of 2008 and her function is probably to serve as a distractor from real issues. CNN is not much different than FOX News, after all. Which is why I don't normally watch TV. I can find out what they're showing and saying easily enough, without letting it stream into my brain without resistance.

However, as some of us know already, the more you watch TV, the less you know. Increasingly so in the past few years. Why? One theory, which I find plausible, was put forth about four years ago by Robert Kennedy Jr. in this video, which I'm unable to post directly on this blog. He talks about the overturning of the Fairness Doctrine under President Reagan in 1988. Until then, television and radio programmers had an obligation under the Fairness Doctrine to report the daily news at a certain time and act in the public interest. So instead of the Fairness Doctrine, we got FOX "Fair and Balanced" News.

After this legislation was dismantled, it released some of the oversight on the media owners: corporations and a new group of religious extremists who began to consolidate the number of media outlets and gave birth to extreme radio talk-show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, who use the public airwaves to vent their personal prejudices in the name of news. The problem became exacerbated in the years that followed: not just under Reagan and Bush Sr., but under Clinton, who basically disarmed the FCC, and allowed the media ownership to consolidate to the point where we now have just five owners, but thousands of outlets owned by them (newspapers, radio, TV, and Internet providers).

None of this is news to many of you, but 20 years later, a lot of Americans don't have a clue what they don't know, and some of them might not care. This is why they can repeatedly vote against their own best interests: they receive their information from only five corporations and religious groups. Nothing else gets in, and they're either not curious enough or they don't know where to look for an alternative news source. As Kennedy points out, the changes in legislation and ownership basically got rid of a generation of investigative reporters, and in previous eras, it was the investigative reporters who "connected the dots" to trace the origins of situation--exactly the kind of information we've sorely needed in these past few years, and especially now, with the stock market crashing and a pivotal presidential election ahead.

Now what we have is a riot of useless video loops (Sarah Palin, celebrity gossip, bloopers, and so forth) interspersed with guests on talk shows who represent a particular ideology--usually the one that the network's owners favor. It's easy to see the results on Internet bulletin boards: anonymous web posters who blame people like Democratic Senator Nancy Pelosi for the Wall Street meltdown or who claim that Barack Obama is an Arab, and a Muslim. And then, quite possibly, settle in front of their 50" flat TV screen for another evening of "infotainment."

Through the Past, Darkly

2008-09-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

With all the turmoil going on in the stock market... and the tires popping on the financial institutions every day... I decided to go on a treasure hunt for the "Savings and Loan Scandal Trading Cards" that I bought back in the early 1990s. I wanted to get a refresher on this financial crisis from the early days of banking deregulation to see if it would give some background on what's happening now. And it sure did.

So who were the players? Let's start with card number 1, which had Ronald Reagan on it. He signed the Garn-St Germain Act in 1982 -- the legislation that deregulated the savings and loan industry--and he allegedly said it was "the most important legislation for financial institutions in fifty years...I think we have hit the jackpot." And indeed, his friends did.

Card number 14 was Neil Bush -- George W's brother, and George H. Bush's son. In 1985, he started his own savings and loan called "Silverado Banking." Heartwarming name, isn't it? He also had his own oil company, "JNB Exploration," which benefited from millions of dollars of loans from his savings and loan. His oil business didn't go well, and he didn't have to pay back the loans. And his two business partners (who were also investors in his oil company) got $90 million in loans from Silverado, which they defaulted on. According to the story, his father (then the vice-president of the USA) protected him with a team of legal specialists, and Neil got away with "a slap on the wrist."

So let's talk about the father. George H. Bush is on card number 16. As vice president, according to this card deck, he chaired the Presidential Task Force on Deregulation. They didn't just work on deregulating the banking system, but also on issues that affected things like consumer safety. But he allegedly had close ties to some of the other players in the savings and loan scandals, too--not just his son--receiving a $100,000 gift to his 1988 presidential campaign from Charles Keating himself (as in "The Keating Five," which John McCain was part of). There's speculation, not proven, that he delayed the seizure of his son Neil's Silverado Banking venture till after the 1988 election. The day after he was elected president, the bank was seized. It could just be a coincidence...

Now here's a blast from the past. Card 21....Don Regan. He was first the Secretary of the Treasury under Reagan and then Chief of Staff. But before he became part of the Reagan government, he was the head of Merrill Lynch, which is back in the news again now. According to the chronology, while heading the Treasury Department, he used his treasury position to try to deregulate the savings and loans even further. Later, he was linked to the Iran-Contra scandal and forced to resign.

Oh, but here's one more card of particular interest. Card number 35 is Alan Greenspan, former chair of the Federal Reserve. Another proponent of deregulating the banking industry, he used to work for Charles Keating. According to the card, he also pressured Congress to abolish the Glass-Steagall Act, which was created in 1933 to keep banks out of "risky businesses like stock market and real estate." How ironic that the Glass-Steagall Act created the FDIC, the very entity that is set up to rescue the failing bank institutions (and presumably our deposits) today.

Looking backwards at stories like these help to form a bigger picture of the financial debacle now, and I thought I'd take a break from rearranging my deck chairs on the Titanic to share them with you.

"The Savings and Loan Scandal Trading Cards" are copyright 1991 through Eclipse Enterprises in Forestville, CA. I don't know if they're still for sale today.

Landfill for sale

2008-09-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was running an errand when I saw this pile of garbage for sale in a retail shop. While these absurd McCain versus Clinton dolls are out of date by several months already and largely irrelevant, they were already worthless crap when they were manufactured.

It's a perfect example of some of the useless merchandise that's for sale everywhere and basically needs to be discarded soon after it's purchased. In fact, these awful dolls are a bargain compared to the action-hero figures you can buy on this website. But all of these useless items will end up in the dump, along with the pet rocks, sea monkeys, and chia pets of yesteryear.

I'd love to see the numbers for the sell-through on this junk. Whoever made it thinks that people (or at least Americans) are idiots. Whoever actually buys it proves that my worst fears might be true.

Painfully Bad.

2008-09-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

I was at the gym last night and saw this dreadful new Microsoft ad on TV. It was so bad I couldn't tell if it was the new commercial itself or the outtakes. Criminy....hire an editor! Hire a script writer! This thing seemed endless ...and pointless.

New Orleans, Part Deux

2008-08-30T22:49:00.001-07:00

As Hurricane Gustav draws closer to the coastline....and just days before the Republican National Convention begins, I'm getting angry all over again when I think about the government response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.

Never before has this country allowed an entire city to be destroyed: this government turned away planes bearing foreign aid of food and supplies, and banned the Red Cross from entering New Orleans. They left the people sitting in crowded stadiums for days without food and water. They left the dead lying on the streets. When Bush finally took an interest to what was happening in New Orleans, he told his FEMA director "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" (he wasn't), and talked about how sorry he was that Trent Lott's vacation home was damaged in Mississippi.

Instead of helping the people in New Orleans who were under water or swimming for their lives -- they shot some of them. On TV, we watched Louisiana state troopers turning people away from a bridge....their only escape out of town. Even today, we don't know how many people died there. We never had a memorial or a public commemoration. By some accounts, 1,600 people died. Others estimate the death toll as much higher.

Now, in an election year, with another hurricane barreling in, we can't forget what happened -- we shouldn't dismiss the images we watched in horror on TV just three years ago. Barack Obama nailed it in his speech the other night when he asked if we wanted a US government that "sat on its hands while a city drowned."

We can't control natural disasters. But we *can* control how we respond to them. To the evacuees from New Orleans in 2008: my thoughts are with you. And I hope you're not abandoned by the government this time.

"Our government should work for us, not against us. "

2008-08-29T20:52:00.001-07:00

In case you missed Barack Obama's monumental speech at the Democratic National Convention....or you just want to watch it again and feel empowered for a change....here's the speech in its entirety.

Livin' la vida local

2008-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

During the past few years, I've spent part of my summer in Paris. This year, however, I couldn't do it logistically or financially. But I realized that -- in some ways, anyway -- I can live in my own hometown in a similar way that I can when I'm in Paris.

So I took the metro to the local farmer's market on Saturday (the open market at the ferry building downtown) and loaded up on produce and goodies...then made a feast for myself at home of local dry-farmed tomatoes (the most amazing tomatoes you'll ever eat!), fresh basil, mozzarella, garlic curd (from the local Spring Hill Creamery...garlic curd sounds weird, but it's delicious), olive oil, and balsamic glaze. The result? Delicious.

I live in a cool city, too, and there are lots of local things to enjoy. For now, if I'm missing Paris, I can just turn on TV5 Monde and pretend...

A little night music

2008-08-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a news story about the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) and a judge's ruling earlier today about "fair use." The case in question: a 29-second YouTube video of a dancing toddler that had a Prince song playing in the background. The record company said it was a copyright violation; the creator of the offending video said it qualified as "fair use."

In this case, the judge ruled in favor of fair use and not the record company. And thank goodness....because at this rate, we might have to start wearing special earplugs to avoid accidentally overhearing music that we didn't pay for...like, from that open car window, for instance.

I like this statement from the court:

"A good faith consideration of whether a particular use is fair use is consistent with the purpose of the statute. Requiring owners to consider fair use will help “ensure that the efficiency of the Internet will continue to improve and that the variety and quality of services on the Internet will expand” without compromising “the movies, music, software and literary works that are the fruit of American creative genius.”

And not just American creative genius, I might add. The issues of copyright are challenging, and that's why my own downtempo music podcasts focus predominantly on artists and labels who offer Creative Commons-licensed music as much as possible...except in a few cases where the musician or the label gives me permission to include their work.

Curious? Check out my latest podcast episode. (There's only a brief voiceover intro followed by 50 minutes of uninterrupted music, then a summary of artists and track names at the end.)

There's a lot of great, independent music out there that's not signed with the big labels, so some of this brouhaha can be avoided altogether....

MuniMe

2008-07-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've had to take the Muni Metro system during rush hour, but today I needed to go downtown at the height of the commuter hours. And with the increased use of the transit system over these past few months -- that is, with people finally figuring out that public transit is a saner option than driving a gas-guzzling automobile around the bay area -- I was hoping that Muni was stepping up to accommodate the growing masses. You know, decreasing the time between trams, increasing the number of cars attached together during heavy commute hours...making the system more tolerable, rather than a chiropractor's dream come true. I'm a huge advocate of using public transit, having used it most of my life--I'm practically a cheerleader for trains, trams, and buses. And I want San Francisco to rise to a higher standard. (Think: Zürich.)

Here's a photo of what I was greeted with today when I entered the metro station....mind you, the tram cars were already full with passengers on arrival...let's hope there was a good reason for this.

Electionitis

2008-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday in California, we're having the second primary election so far this year. I'm not sure why we're having another election before the November election -- why couldn't they consolidate them to save money?

The star of the show this time seems to be a big, nasty ballot measure that's supposed to wipe out all forms of rent control in the state. I guess some political groups decided that it wasn't enough to have the highest cost of housing in the country, so they're trying to push through a ballot measure to enable the costs to go even higher...even faster.

We've got other ballot measures to sort through as well...there's always one for "affordable" housing and city workers' pension plans and near-identical regional politicians running against each other and keeping the Photoshop artists very busy doctoring up their images on the flyers and posters. And anyway, why am I often voting on things like workers' pensions, which should be decided on by my elected officials?

Another election, and still not the big one that we've all been waiting for since November, 2004.

Whatever happens on Tuesday, I'll be relieved when I stop getting a mailbox full of electoral propaganda every day and the annoying, pre-recorded phone blasts (with poor audio quality) in my voicemail. Here's just a sampling of what I've been tugging out of my mailbox and dropping into the recycling bin lately.

meet me @ casablanca

2008-05-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I went with my friend Alain to a little cafe that we saw on Polk Street: Casablanca Café. You can almost miss it when you walk by: it's next to an North Beach-style coffeehouse between California and Sacramento streets.

The café is a small operation run by a friendly Moroccan man and his wife. There's only a few tables, a small bar area, and a deli counter that separates the cooking area from the eating area. It's not "upscale" looking.

Only the man was working last night--which means he waited on tables, poured drinks, and also did all the cooking. We settled into a corner bench with some pillows, drinks, and appetizers, and just waited patiently. And the wait was worth it! Alain ordered chicken tagine with prunes, and I ordered lamb tagine with lemon, artichoke, and olives...both were delicious, and cooked fresh for us while we waited.

Casablanca Cafe is no frills, but the food is good....and it made me feel like I was in the 10eme arrondissement in Paris...or perhaps in Belleville. If you like Moroccan food and you don't mind visiting a small place that doesn't have waitpeople...and you want a bit of authentic ambiance in a distinctly urban environment, then check it out: 1609 Polk Street, San Francisco.

And now ...for a little music

2008-05-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

Enjoy this 10 minutes of psychedelic chillout from Aleph Zero Records. This is Shulman live on stage in Tel Aviv. I love watching musicians play live on stage alongside laptops. Nice little video....too bad it doesn't fade out at the end.

A Tale of Two Torches

2008-04-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

2004:
I was walking from my flat near the Voltaire metro station down rue de la Roquette, when I came up to the busy, multi-pronged intersection at the Bastille. I noticed a huge crowd of people standing on the curb--but not crossing the street-- waving French flags. I was on my way to the really friendly post office that's right off of rue St. Antoine and was lost in my thoughts. But I stood for a moment at the intersection with the crowd, wondering what was going to happen.

Then I heard sirens...followed by a crowd of people walking down the street, accompanied by police. And in the middle of the crowd, almost unnoticeable, was the Olympic torch runner. It wasn't impressive, really. The torch runner seemed lost in the crowd, and the flame itself was more like a can of Sterno on a stick. It looks so much better on TV. But I have this story now of how I accidentally stumbled across the Olympic torch runner, amusing only because other people had planned their whole day around trying to see it.

2008:
Once again, I was somewhat oblivious while the Olympic torch passed through my city. I had a head cold and a lot of work to do...but at lunchtime, I headed out for a quick errand. I took a shortcut through the Muni metro station. Over the PA system, they were making loud announcements in Chinese, which is not typical. When I emerged from the station, I saw protesters making phone calls to each other on cell phones.

I've watched the coverage of the protests in London and Paris, too, and while I agree that China's record on human rights is abysmal, I don't think the demonstrations are going to make an impact on China's policies any more than the annual demonstrations at the World Trade Summit have stopped globalization. And the USA is unlikely to boycott the games any more than it did in the 1930s in Germany. The world we live in today is powered behind the scenes and en route to a destiny that we are not likely to influence with handwritten placards or email petitions, and this is certainly true with both the USA and China.

Why does Safeway hate their customers so much?

2008-03-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Safeway. I normally don't shop there, but sometimes it's the only option after 9:00 at night. In fact, there's little at Safeway that I want to buy: not its vast array of pesticide-sprayed produce, nor its dribbling packages of hormone-fed meat. However, I do have pets, and I needed supplies for them.

So there I was....and so were about 100 other people, all waiting helplessly on line for approximately three numbed-out cashiers. Then I remembered: this is how it ALWAYS is when I go to Safeway. It has about 30 checkstands, but Safeway deliberately keeps most of them closed and purposefully understaffs its stores. Instead, the burden is placed on the customers to waste the better part of their evenings while they wait on long lines like caged animals. Safeway is the anti-customer experience, a hellish glimpse of a day in the life of an apocalyptic future that I hope never materializes.

The experience is usually not complete unless, when you finally make it to the front of the line, your cashier is relieved from duty and replaced by another, who arrives -- slowly, begrudgingly -- with her own cash drawer and has to get set up by the manager, thus prolonging the agony even further. And Safeway trains their cashiers to make an effort to address you by name when they hand you the receipt, always mangling the pronunciation with great insincerity, and basically delivering the coup de grâce to yet another painful episode.

Last night I never made it to the cashier. I waited on a long line for 20 minutes, only to discover that at least 10 more people around the corner had formed a second branch of this line for the same cashier. This ensured at least another 20 minutes of waiting. Just then, a man walked by, muttering "Hell, I've been on line here so long that I thought I'd left the store already!"

That did it. I left my basket standing in the aisle and left the store. Sorry, Safeway...if you want my business, you have to treat me like a customer, not a prisoner.

How low can you go?

2008-03-08T00:34:00.000-08:00

You've probably never visited the LowerMyBills.com website. But their ubiquitous ads most likely appear on some sites that you do visit.

A year ago, they were known for the happily dancing silhouettes...the frenzied dancers who were celebrating the fabulous mortgage rates they could enjoy without otherwise qualifying for any kind of credit in the real world.

Just think: a few months ago, this Barbie-waisted dancer was still celebrating the mythical falling interest rates that LowerMyBills could presumably offer. No doubt, this joy was supplied through subprime loans.

Then the news of the mortgage crisis began to surface. The dancing woman--and her identical best friend--decided to get out of real estate altogether and go back to school. Let's face it: mortgages were becoming a tough sell. But these dancing animations told you all you needed to know: even hardcore spammers were getting worried about the future.

But then the interest rates started dropping again--multiple times-- in an attempt to boost the US economy. LowerMyBills.com is back, but now it looks like they need to take their meds. Look at this recent ad for mortgage rates: the dancing women have been replaced by a hideous, screaming, bug-eyed zombie with a deadly spider crawling up her blouse. Sorry, but it's not very compelling! Is it supposed to be?

Just who is LowerMyBills.com? Their website says they're an Experian company. And Experian is one of the Big Three companies who maintain credit reports on every American. Do these ads make you feel comfy about letting them keep YOUR data?

Nigerian Car Warranty

2008-03-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

You know The Call by now. It comes when you least expect it. You get it on your home phone, your mobile, and at your office. The area code doesn't look familiar, but you pick it up anyway. And then: "This is your last warning. Our records show that your vehicle's warranty is about to expire," says the prerecorded voice.

The first time I got it, I thought it was a wrong number. My car is very, very old. There's no warranty on the planet that could extend this far.

Then I kept getting The Call. It came from different numbers. I filed complaints with the Do Not Call List people, for what it's worth. I did a reverse lookup for the source numbers on the net and found the whocalled.us site. Obviously I was not alone. Many other people received the same annoying call from the same numbers, often thinking that their car's warranty HAD expired.

Most of today's annoying phone solicitors are prerecorded. They're much easier to hang up on, but annoying, all the same. This call, however, supposedly offered two options: the first, to talk to a live operator (press 1), and the second, to be taken off the phone list (press 2). I tried pressing 2, but it disconnected me.

When The Call arrived yet again on my internal office line yesterday, I decided to press 1 instead. Indeed, I got a "live operator." The phone rang and a guy picked up. "This is Jeff," he said. "May I have the make and year of your car?" And I replied, "Hi Jeff...may I have the name of your company?"

Jeff was obviously trained in dumping curious call recipients like me. No way was he going to tell me the name of his enterprise. He immediately put me on hold without saying a word, and after some music played, I heard a pre-recorded announcement about how to get on the Do Not Call list. Of course, I'm already on that list, but that's no deterrent.

This phone spam seems to be the telephone equivalent of the emailed Nigerian bank scam.

Does anyone know who these people are and what they're really after?

Just Say "Noe"

2008-02-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

On the main drag of San Francisco's Noe Valley, occupying a prime retail location, sits a bizarre little "real estate" office that's been displaying a window full of oddly disturbing memorabilia for as long as I can remember.

I've never seen it open for business. The only real estate property actually advertised in the window is an old, hand-lettered sign for a home that sold for $37,000 -- most likely 50-60 years ago. Quite likely, this office has been locked shut for almost as long.

The proprietor, if he is still alive, is obviously some kind of fanatic. The shop functions as a broadcast center for his opinions: Ronald Reagan was a hero, the renaming of Army Street to "Cesar Chavez Boulevard" is something he'll never recover from, English should be the only language spoken, etc.

He's probably been tormented for decades: after all, he keeps a shop on an upscale street that features a large Aveda shop, a boulangerie, several clothing boutiques, several nice wine shops,and plenty of trendy and often useless ways to unload your disposable income.

But seriously...is this shop ever open? Who owns it?

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

2008-02-12T22:34:00.001-08:00

Though I know I'm a cynic -- and it's hard not to be cynical these days -- this YouTube video really got me. It puts some of the words of Barack Obama to music.

I want this long nightmare in the USA to end...and this made me feel positive that it might. Dare to dream...

the recession that dare not speak its name

2008-02-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I've been reading stories every day about how we're "almost" in a recession and how the US Congress might issue checks of anywhere from $300 to $600 to eligible Americans in hopes that somehow this will resolve the problem.

I believe we're all supposed to go out and buy something new when the checks arrive. And America will be saved.

But...$300 will not buy much in 2008. I'm guessing that many people will put the money in their checking account as a buffer against bounced checks. It's simply not enough to do much else. Pity.

Meanwhile, the phone robots are very busy. They won't be getting rebate checks and they can't go shopping to save America from its destiny. But they're hard at work, and their job is to keep us from talking to other people.

A call to my credit-card company today began with a robot and ended with an attempt to sell me a more-expensive card, which I declined. Following that, a tech-support call to my ISP never connected me to a human -- they apparently had too much "call volume." Before disconnecting me, the robot informed me to seek "live" online help. The online help was most likely a robot as well, and it attempted to sell me a virus-protection program that had nothing to do with my problem.

And so ...we're in a recession. I'll keep talking to robots, and they'll continue working tirelessly so that real people don't have to. My email box will fill up with offers of mostly useless things to buy. My rebate check will arrive and fade away. The Pottery Barn down the street will probably stay in business, even though no one ever goes inside it. The war against....somebody...will continue sucking down precious funds. And in the next few months, millions of dollars will be spent on the battle for the next president. Want to put more real money into our economy? Give the candidates equal and free air time rather than wasting money on raising and spending campaign funds.

Bollyhood Cafe

2008-02-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last night I met some friends at a new lounge space that's starting up in the Mission. Four longtime DJs and scenemakers have started a new, cozy space called Bollyhood Cafe on 19th Street near Mission...the cafe will feature downtempo/eastern fusion music, Bollywood movies on a big screen, things to nosh on (I had coconut chicken and roasted corn with lime sauce), good beer on tap (Chimay, microbreweries) and wine from Kermit Lynch -- all at reasonable prices. It's right next door to Baobab Cafe, so there should be an interesting back-and-forth between the two when Bollyhood really gets going.

DJ Giamma is interested in featuring live music as well as DJ mixes, so if you know some musicians who perform in this genre....

Bollyhood Cafe is at 3372 19th Street.

Got "Milk"

2008-01-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

It started last night. I was taking the bus home from work...drowsy, only half-paying attention...anticipating my stop. I took notice of a colorful, retro record shop passing by from my darkened window. "Where did that record shop come from?" I wondered. "I'll have to check it out.....wait a sec....what neighborhood am I in? Am I on the right bus...?" But then I saw the pet food shop and realized my stop was indeed coming. I got off the bus and forgot all about it.

Today, I worked at home. I had to go to the bank....but when I got there, the ATM machines were blocked by some very large plants. A lot of people were standing around. "What's with the plants?" I asked. "They're filming a movie," said one person. I stepped around the plants to use the machine.

On the way home, I ran into a friend. She told me that they were filming a Gus Van Sant movie and only then--after she pointed out the old signage that now appears on a hip new wine-tasting shop -- did I start to notice how the street had been transformed with fake, rather drab 1970s storefronts and big, old cars and people who looked like 21st-century hippies. And there was that record shop again..."Aquarius Records," which was actually an existing shop that normally has something else inside of it (what, I can't remember). Everything looked a little bit different and more dilipidated than it's becoming already in 2008 with the current homeless problem.

Someone asked us to step across the street and they filmed a take while we watched. I think I saw Sean Penn, dressed up to look like Harvey Milk, standing in front of a shop that looked like an old campaign headquarters.

Cool! Was I the last to know about this?

stop the clowns!

2008-01-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Recently, I read an article that revealed that children are terrified of clowns. Apparently, researchers in Britain did a study, and it turned out that 100% of the children in the survey said that they disliked clowns and thought they were scary. Whoops! That means we've been traumatizing generations of children by forcing them to interact with annoying, badly dressed, creepy-faced grownups....because someone assumed they'd like them.

Just think of the many assumptions that determine our available options -- from fashion to entertainment to lifestyle choices. For example, the assumption that women prefer the color pink for their clothes and accessories, while more tasteful color options are reserved only for men. Or that the only kind of music that Americans probably want to listen to fall into these four categories: Rap/hip hop, rock and roll, religious, or country-western, so radio stations and retail stores should follow accordingly. Or that everyone would rather drive a big, gas-guzzling car, making truly alternative vehicles impossible to find. We're defined and managed by other peoples' assumptions. Can't somebody just say "no" to the clowns?

You can't always vet what you want

2008-01-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

If you haven't noticed, it's rather difficult to live in the 21st century without getting sucked into a cycle of wanting things that you might not need, or needing things that you might not want. Welcome to the system!

I like to think that I'm different...that I'm not as susceptible to the endless pressure to buy new things and discard the old ones. But the cycle of shopping and upgrading is built into most of the products we buy and the culture we live in.

For example, my main computer is pretty old. I bought it in 2001. It's got plenty of hard drive space left because I upgraded the internal hardware several times. But now it's getting slow and soon it will be a dinosaur, because its processor is already extinct. It has all the software I love to use, but soon those applications will be useless, too, because surreptitious updates will render them inoperable.

So now I find myself wanting a new computer....again. I don't want to want a new computer. They're expensive. My kitchen appliances are cheaper and they last forever in comparison. And until recently, televisions were the same way.

Imagine a world where every appliance, when plugged into the wall, gets delivered an update from its manufacturer that makes it stop functioning properly. "Hey, what's wrong with the coffeemaker this morning? It worked fine yesterday." "Sorry. The latest version of the coffeemaker brewing system requires you to update the wiring in your home. And also the shape of the outlets are going to change, so you'll need new plugs."

And televisions. I have a really old TV that won't die. It's square. It has a huge, bulky tube. I don't really want it anymore. But I'm trying to avoid the obvious next step: the flat-panel, widescreen TV. It's not that I don't think they're gorgeous and sleek: I do. It's not like I don't look at them often and wish I had one....are you kidding? It's that I'm trying not to get rid of yet another thing that isn't broken just so I can buy it again in a new package.

I don't want to spend my life shopping. I want to spend it enjoying what I have. Sure, I like to browse...but I want to do it on my terms ... not because I'm a puppet.

I've spent enough time living in Europe to enjoy simplicity in life. To not waste things. To not even want things. To expect change to unfold over time. But in American culture, it's hard to find a niche to accommodate this perspective.

Christmas was for the birds

2007-12-27T22:10:00.000-08:00

I've been really busy and haven't had much time to write anything down. But I wanted to tell a story of two birds: the one I tried to save on Christmas, and the one I ate that same day.

First...I was walking to my flat in the middle of the afternoon, when I saw a crowd of people gathering in front of a driveway, snapping photos. What were they looking at? A bird. There was an injured hawk sitting in the driveway with a possibly broken leg. Everyone wanted a photo op with the bird and expressed sympathy for it, but as far as I could tell, nothing else had happened. So I called 411, got the T-Mobile operator, and asked for some kind of animal rescue phone number.

She patched me through to Animal Care and Control. Don't confuse them with the SPCA, who rescues, rehabilitates, and finds new homes for animals. However, the SPCA does not deal with hawks. Anyway, first the Animal Control person told me to pick up the hawk and put it in a box and bring it to her. But, as one of the bystanders said to me afterwards, "Isn't that their job? To pick up animals? How many city dwellers know how to pick up a hawk, anyway?"

Finally I got them to come out and get the bird, who had now figured out how to fly across the street, just to complicate things. It was hiding in a bush near a real-estate office. I hate it when hawks do that.

I waited till the Animal Care van arrived....the crowd of photo-takers left, expressing their regrets as they sped off to more important engagements, cell phones in hand. Eventually the woman arrived in the Animal Care van, and though she picked up the bird very gently and cradled it to her, she told me that the bird's leg was badly broken and that it was unlikely they could rehabilitate it. Which meant that I was sending it to its demise, which was not my intention. Perhaps it's better than dying an agonizing death from a voracious dog nipping at it or kids tormenting it or whatever....but I did think they'd make some effort to help it. Do they ever save an animal? Or should they be renamed "Animal Euthanasia and Control"?

Now, here comes the contradiction: I went to a Christmas dinner with some friends who invited me to share a dinner of goose with them. And I must say the goose was quite good....it tasted like chicken, only the meat was darker. It was delicious and as far as I'm concerned, if you're going to eat a big bird: skip the turkey, and go for the goose.

Yes, I know....it makes no sense. I spent my afternoon trying to save a bird, and then I ate one. But that's the paradox of the 21st century. We live in a world where people drive Hummers to the organic food shop. I am no better, I guess.

Diary of a Bad Housekeeper

2007-12-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of stuff. It's everywhere, crammed into every available nook and cranny in my 700-square-foot quarters. And I have reason to believe that if I had twice the space, I'd accumulate twice the stuff.

No, I'm not one of those crazy people who stacks the walkways with six-foot-high newspapers and other trash, nor do I bring home found objects from dumpsters or anything like that. I'm a keeper. I buy something, or someone gives me something, and if I'm not using it, I decide not to waste it (after all, I might have a need for it someday), or I feel guilty about getting rid of it (if it's a gift), and then after awhile....if I keep it long enough....it's so obsolete that it becomes a collector's item and then I feel like I really can't get rid of it.

One of my worst violations is hardware and software. I've kept an 11-year-old Mac 8500 and all the accompanying software to install on it again in case-- for some reason-- I feel like I need to go back in time to simpler (and often more functional) software, or retrieve a long-lost archive from one of my many hundreds of stored floppy-disk backups. Yes, my old Syquest drive ($500 when I bought it in the early '90s) is still stored in my closet, somewhere. My 10-year-old SCSI color scanner still sits on a cabinet, waiting for me to find an old photo to scan. And until recently, I had an army of stiff cardboard boxes filled with old software disks and manuals for software programs that dated back to when George Bush's pappy was president.

I'm trying to mend my ways. Really I am. I've been breaking down boxes and recycling them and those old software manuals. But I'm still hanging onto all those disks and installers. Somebody....talk some sense into me....please.

smile doctor

2007-12-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

I have a new dentist. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but I went to the same dentist for years and years....and then, when I changed jobs, I was far from her office, which was in the east bay. And my new job is in the opposite direction.

So....I went without a dentist for awhile. Then I started to search for one. But here's a tip: never, never pick a practitioner just because he or she is listed as a "preferred provider" by your insurer (or is the term "in network"?)! The people I contacted through my insurer weren't up for the job...they just charged the right price, apparently.

Finally I got a great recommendation for a dentist. He was downtown...in one of those big buildings filled with dentists and doctors. And I have to say....he was awesome! He showed me my teeth on a big flat-panel TV...in scary HD detail...did a complete exam, and even mailed me a comprehensive summary of the state of my gums, teeth, overbite, and more. I can get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time. And his staff seems to love their jobs. Not only that, they're hilarious.

This morning I had a filling done that I knew I needed before I found him. It took him 15 minutes...and he even gave me the novacaine I prefer....the kind *without* adrenaline in it. (For those of you who wonder why you feel so stressed in the dental chair: it might not be you. It just might be in that injection.) The nice thing about non-adrenalined novacaine is that it wears off in about an hour, so you're not slurring your words all day and trying to talk with a frozen face or crooked lips that feel like they're on someone else's face.

So....I'm happy with my dentist. My mouth will be in great shape, even though the rest of me is falling apart.

Album-buying fun

2007-11-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

I recently bought two brand-new CDs...in shrinkwrap and everything. I don't do this as much anymore...first, I don't like what's in the brick-and-mortar stores, and if I buy physical CDs, I buy them used....otherwise, I buy them as downloads off the internet. And finally, I spend a lot of time looking for music online that I can legally put in a podcast.

But every so often, I order some CDs from Soul Seduction in Vienna. I got two CDs this time--and I could have bought them as downloads--but actually wanted the physical product this time. And I wasn't disappointed.

The first was the latest release in a compilation series that I like from Musicpark Records in Austria. This latest is called "Coconut"....previously there were releases like "Melon," "Lychee," etc. I don't always like every track on them, but there are enough that I do like. This was a nicely put-together collection of largely European downtempo-to-midtempo tracks from some artists I know already (Deep Dive Corp., Sofa Surfers, Waldeck), and some that I don't.

The second CD was really fabulous, in my opinion: Karuan's "Pop Arif," from Sunshine Records in Austria. This had lots of stuff I like in one package: subtle beats, downtempo with a hint of eastern fusion, and a nod to '70s-style soulfulness in the melodies and vocals...you know, the kind of soulfulness that pretty much became a dinosaur after rap and hip hop came along to dominate the culture. I liked this one so much I even posted a happy review on their site!

I notice that both Coconut and Pop Arif are also available as music downloads from Amazon now, too. Check them out.

That Turkey Thing

2007-11-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

This Thursday is the most peculiar of American holidays: Thanksgiving. Inescapable, palate-deprived, and perhaps the only American holiday (except for the possibly socialist Labor Day) that doesn't celebrate either war or Jesus... celebrating Thanksgiving is a requirement if you live in the USA.

Rule #1:
You must have dinner with other people at their house -- not in a restaurant! -- and if you're being truly proper, they should be members of your family.

Rule #2:
You must eat turkey and bread stuffing and gravy, and then some other kind of starch, and maybe a vegetable, and then pie for dessert. No other food is acceptable.

Rule #3
There has to be too much food, the air has to be too stifling, and you have to feel heavy and full and basically disgusted afterwards from over-indulging.

Rule #4 (NEW!):
Go shopping the next day. Apparently the day after Thanksgiving, which is also a holiday, is the biggest shopping day of the year, and many stores offer slightly-lower-than-usual prices for those who are OCD enough to wait in the parking lot at 5 a.m. to get inside.

But let's get back to the Thursday event. It struck me a few years ago, when I was sitting in my car in a traffic jam on Thanksgiving, that everyone in all the other cars was also on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner somewhere and that they would be eating the exactly same distasteful food as I was consigned to eat: turkey and starch. How creepy is that?

Don't get me wrong. I love having dinner with my friends, and I do like to reflect on the things I should be thankful for (a practice that has largely disappeared from Thanksgiving), but menu options would be great. How about some cracked crab and champagne? Or rack of lamb? Why not creme brulée for dessert? And listen to some new electronica tracks while we're making dinner?

Really, we should be thankful that we're not like the pilgrims who allegedly launched this tradition. We could dress up like them and do some role play, like tossing a female guest into the nearest river and accusing her of being a witch. That might make the time before dinner a bit more interesting.

But seriously. I will be going to the home of some friends on Thursday to eat the required items ....the only twist to this is that the other participants aren't Americans....and they're probably far more into this tradition than I am!

The seven-year ouch!

2007-11-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading an article about OPEC, and I saw a mind-blowing dollar figure for the price of oil in the year 2000....just seven years ago. It said that the price of oil per barrel in the year 2000 was just $10 per barrel. Today it's $100 per barrel.

Holy cow! Really? I knew it was creeping up and up, but I hadn't looked backwards to compare and contrast. It went up 1,000 percent since the year 2000?

Just think about it...seven years ago this month, Al Gore ran against George W. Bush for president of the United States. We all know how that turned out, and I'm sure this slightly elevated oil-price thing is just a wacky coincidence.

So I decided to search the net and look up a few other financial factoids from the year 2000. Looking backwards at November, 2000, exactly seven years ago this month, I found:

Value of the British Pound Sterling versus the US Dollar:
November, 2000: $1.42
November, 2007: $2.05

Value of the Euro against the US Dollar:
November, 2000: 83 cents (note: the Euro was only a valuation at this point)
November, 2007: $1.47

Value of the Canadian dollar against the US Dollar:
November, 2000: 46 cents
November, 2007: $1.02

Median price of a home in San Francisco:
November, 2000: $417,000
November, 2007: $827,000

National debt (in USD billions):
November, 2000: 5,674.2
November, 2007: 9,007.7

Green begets greenbacks

2007-11-11T09:52:00.001-08:00

I spent Saturday afternoon at an indoor event: the Green Festival. I'd never been to one before. It was packed wall to wall with booths and upscale "sustainable" goods for sale, and a crush of shoppers carrying organic sacks filled with stuff. Because everything is about shopping, after all.

It was the usual suspects and then some: hemp clothing, books on various political and environmental topics, "safe" household cleaning products, toxin-free mattresses, green building materials, recyclers for all the old materials that people rip out of their homes when installing new "green" materials, alternative health practitioners, etc.

As you might expect, the solar panel groups were there. I basically think that PG&E should just install solar panels on everyone's roofs in California, but they're so expensive, and the financial burden (a 15-20 year payoff) is still on the homeowner, even though the energy companies benefit most from the power.

Every time our lifestyles change, new markets spring up. For example, San Francisco recently passed a ban on those awful, crinkly plastic bags that you got whereever you shopped, so there's a new market now for reusable shopping bags, and companies are starting to make them from recycled materials and personalizing them, which of course we all love to do.

I got very "glazed" from wandering amongst the crowd, and did my best to not get stomped on by eager planetsavers.

Goodbye, energy pig!

2007-11-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

So, you were expecting something different from that headline? Thought you missed an impeachment or something? Nope. The big news is that I finally replaced my horrible, 18-year-old SUV of a refrigerator.

To make a long and boring story as short as possible, this refrigerator came with the condo when I moved in almost 9 years ago. It's been costing me $40-$50 per month in electricity, and it took me awhile to figure out it was the refrigerator.

I finally confirmed it when I found this website where you can find out your old refrigerator's energy rating, and it turns out mine used over 1,300 kwh! These days, most refrigerators are in the 400 to 500 kwh range.

The problem was, the previous owner built custom cabinetry around it, and then added a tile floor around it afterwards. It was bricked in, and there was no way to get it out than to demo part of the tile floor. And I couldn't find another refrigerator that fit the space without having to brick it in again. All American refrigerators are more or less the same spec...humongous. My choices were to either brick in a huge machine again, or destroy all my cabinetry and rebuild it.

Finally I started searching the web--isn't it great when you can search the planet from your own apartment? -- and found a Fisher and Paykel fridge that fit the space with room to spare in height, depth, and width. It was short enough for me to build a platform for it to sit on so that it was level with the tile floor....no more bricking it in! So I tracked down an appliance store that sold this model and then bought it. In 10 minutes.

The old one has been hauled away, leaving a pool of slime in its wake. The new one sits shining, clean, and quietly cooling in my kitchen. The shelves are clean and spacious....not like the crowded bacteria pit that I've lived with for 9 years. It even beeps at me if I leave the door open for too long. I can't believe I've finally solved this problem!

new fridge, with energy sticker

old fridge (side by side doors)

Words for dinner...I hope

2007-11-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to -- hopefully! -- eating my words. I've posted two entries in my blog about the transit initiatives that were on the ballot in San Francisco: one to give more money to public transit, and one that would suck the money out of private transit and give it to private developers to create more parking for cars.

I thought it would win, that San Francisco might repeat the debacle of the long-departed, but very well-loved Key Route system in the Bay Area, which was bought by GM in the 1950s and destroyed.

But so far, so good. Early reports say that the transit system is winning and the parking measure is losing. However, I've also heard that -- for reasons I'm unclear about -- it will take a whole month for San Francisco to count the ballots. That's plenty of time for some ballot boxes to disappear into yesterday's oil spill in the Bay...but I hope not!

The disinformation campaign continues

2007-11-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is election day. You might recall that I blogged about a pair of confusing ballot initiatives: one which would increase funding for public transportation, the other which would suck money from public transportation and give it to developers to "create more parking spaces." Guess which ballot initiative has more money behind it, and, as a consequence, is mailing 4-color brochures of disinformation to my mailbox every day?

Cloaked under happy-sounding names like "The Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods" and "The Mission Group for Neighborhood Rights" (the Mission is a traditionally working-class neighborhood which intentionally makes this name particularly misleading), the anti-public transit people are sending mailings every day with soul-clutching headlines like "San Francisco Neighborhoods Need REAL Muni reform" and "If They Get Their Way, The Only Means of Transit Will Be Your Two Feet." Of course, this coalition is comprised of republican businesspeople and developers who want the money for public transit to go into their private development projects.

Their argument, which strikes at the heart of every self-interested, short-sighted modern citizen, is that we'll get more parking spaces "at no cost to the taxpayer" if we vote against proposition A and FOR proposition H. The reality is first, that if we used public transit more, we'd have less need for the parking spaces, and second, that we're losing neighborhood street parking all the time because private citizens are refinancing their homes and building garages under them....thus eliminating street parking in front of -- and adjacent to -- their buildings. The spaces between each garage are seldom large enough to park more than a Smart car in them, if that. In fact, my neighborhood is constantly under construction, and even now, another homeowner is digging a hole in front of his otherwise-rickety building to create a garage for himself (see photo).

As an increasing number of people from the suburbs move here, there's been a tremendous increase in the number of super-sized cars on the streets, it's true. I've seen people move to an apartment building next door to a major Muni Metro station with a Cadillac Escalade parked in front....go figure! That's how I know the disinformation campaign will likely succeed. People tend to be lazy, clueless, selfish, and attracted by shiny objects. As proof, the people in my state elected Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor, throwing out the guy they elected the year before, because a group of people in southern California suddenly started a ballot initiative to take him from Hollywood to the state government in a non-gubernatorial election year.

Here's the scoop, San Franciscans:
YES on A (money for public transit)
NO on H (sucking money from public transit and giving it to private developers)

Off the air

2007-11-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight I finally did something I've been wanting to do for a while: I cancelled my satellite TV subscription. That's almost $800 per year I was paying for television that I rarely watched. It felt good. But is it over yet?

The clerk at the other end of the phone line asked me why I was cancelling. Then she offered me a horrible-sounding "family pack" for $19.95 per month, which consisted of children's shows, religious programming, and FOX News! No wonder the USA is in the condition it's in right now. I declined.

Then she told me that they would ship me some boxes in which I had to ship back the DVR and other assorted equipment. She wanted me to retrieve a card from the satellite dish (a three-story climb on a rickety ladder....no thank you!) and she told me that somehow I still owe yet even more money for my final bill. And she asked me if I wanted to end it today. I said "Yes." But I can see the little red recording light on right now, recording The Daily Show...so is it really over?

It felt great, but it will be strange to have these two dead screens in my house. I might plug my iPod into them to watch podcasts of foreign news that I download from iTunes. Doesn't that sound great, actually?

The art of deception

2007-10-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

After my trip home yesterday, I started thinking about how much effort we put into deceptive messaging in my culture.

Everywhere, we have signs or announcements that inform and disinform us at the same time. For example, on my flight home yesterday out of Washington D.C., the flight attendant cheerily told us that we had a "short flight....just five and a half hours." That's not a short flight at all...it's exactly the opposite!...especially with an additional hour spent en route for takeoff...or the additional two hours we spent queueing up for ticketing and security checks.

After that, as a "courtesy," they provided us with "food" that we could buy in flight. The food was, yet again, an assortment of pre-selected boxes of junk food packages from vending machines, grouped by theme, with absurd names. They also supposedly offered "fresh" food (pre-packaged salads and sandwiches), however, the "fresh food" sold out quickly and wasn't available anymore. Even that message ("we're out") was conveyed to us in an indirect, weirdly positive way.

The messaging at the hotel/resort was the same. There was an alternate, more-expensive food establishment next to the resort's canteen, with similar food in it to the canteen, but slightly better service. "For your convenience, we are open from 4 to 11 p.m." Of course, this actually meant "Sorry, we're closed until 4 p.m. every day."

Another one: "Sorry for our dust! For your enhancement, we are making additions for your future enjoyment" (or something like that) was the sign that meant "Under construction," telling the diners in the canteen to feel good about the construction noise while they ate.

Then I realized how disinformation has gone beyond politics and become a part of our everyday life. In the USA, companies don't just post a sign or make an announcement anymore that states the facts. They tell you how to feel about it. And the feeling they want you to have is completely dissonant with the one that you're actually feeling at that moment.

I think this is a part of US culture that might not exist in other countries. In France, for example, the signs are straightforward, leaving you to have your own feelings of outrage or indifference. "On strike." "Closed on Sundays." "Under construction." They don't try to tell you what it's not. They're not afraid of people having an attitude about it.

Most of us also know we're being lied to...but we shrug it off. We're surrounded by deceptions, where the meaning of the phrase is exactly the opposite of what it sounds: a good example are the "privacy policies," which are statements that tell you how a company (like your bank) is selling your name and the data they collected on you to other companies, for example. The danger comes when we start to believe them.