Not Sure How I Feel About This
After reading this article, I'm kind of torn as to what to think. On the one hand it was an honest human life that was lost. On the other, it was a damned clown.
I think the children might initially be traumatized, but in time, they'll realize as I do that clowns are freaky and that we really don't like them. If you feel the way I do, then you should really watch Shakes the Clown. It sums up my and Bob Goldthwait's general clownatude.
31 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: children, clowns
Back to the Bart
As I'm taking a class in Berkeley these days, I am now having to take the Bart quite often again. Ah Bart, how I missed and missed and missed and missed and missed and missed you.
Thankfully this is a rather short commute of just 25 minutes or so and that's not so bad. That Bart does run on time for the most part and is one of the more reliable systems we've got here. I have noticed though that since they've somewhat halted their renovation program for the train cars (or at least it seems like they have), the cars have gotten a sort of "distressed" smell to them. I equate to feeling like you're in an airplane bathroom. It's cold, a little breezy, and there is a septic stink of indeterminate origin all around you.
30 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: bart, east bay
Brilliance in Advertising
Well, maybe not so brilliant as I can remember the words on this billboard alongside the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, but I can't remember the company that put it up. Whatever the case, it was genius in a pure form.
Basically, all it said was, "Somewhere, someone is playing bongo drums." or something to that effect as I can't remember the exact wording. But what's awesome is that to me, this means that yes, someone is playing bongo drums (see yesterday's post) and I hate them. I want to get as far away from them as possible and thus want to travel. To those who do like bongos and the degenerates that can't bang out a rhythm to save their bearded, soap-avoiding skins, this is a welcome call to travel where these folks are.
Superb. You read it as you feel it should be, but have the same reaction--travel and thus the travel website makes money by walking the middle line. It's like what politicians do, but smarter.
29 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: hippies, marketing
Some Quiet for Once
Hey, wait, what's the sound? There's no god damned bongos around!
I realized that when out with some folks in the Haight last Friday that it was wonderfully calm and asswad free. It was only once the thought of, "Hey maybe the Haight isn't so bad anymore." had started to set in that someone pointed out Burning Man was happening and all of our caucasian dreadlocked breathren were there, not here. Thank god. Thank effin' god.
I've never been to Burning Man, so how can I malign it so much? Simple. I've met tons of folks who go (since SF is the birthplace of it and something of a nexus) and rarely if every do I get along with them. The more hardcore they are, the punchable they seem to me. Spending a week in the desert of Nevada with these folks is appealing to me about as much as falling off my roof.
Sure, it started out good and from what pics I've seen of the art from years past, it looked pretty cool. I like people trying things and experimenting. I should do more of it myself than I do. But, given what I've seen lately and the crowds that are going, it makes me happy that there is a spot where all these choads can gather and "burn" together.
So, here is to a quiet, less beardly San Francisco for a little while. And with the Bay Bridge being partially closed this three weekend, this place is gonna be awesome! Ugh, but just wait for the patchouli stank to get back in town. I better live it up in the meantime!
28 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: hippies, san francisco
Good One Croats
Ah, nothing like Linux. It appears that my peeps in Croatia have decided to adopt Linux and other Open Source technologies to drive their government systems.
After my last trip in April, you start to see that their options in Europe in general revolve around Windows or Linux. Really, no one uses a Mac. Sure, you'll see one here and there, but it's not like a cafe in SF where half the machines are Macs and the other half some kind of Windows (or Linux) setup.
I should add that there is a third choice that a lot of folks exercise, which is to just steal the software. Seems to be very popular and it makes sense, as a copy of Windows for we average schmoes is $300 or whatever and for a computer vendor is $100. What's up with that? It costs nothing to produce the disc once the system has been created.
My best wishes to Croatia. I am actually getting the nerve up to toss Linux on my new Thinkpad, but only in a virtual machine setup, since I loves my DreamWeaver so much. I suppose I could go the other way though as well. Huh, a thought to think about.
27 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: croatia, linux
The End of Summer Draws Near
You wouldn't know it living in San Francisco, but apparently there is a Summer happening out there and it is nearly at a close. Really kinda flew by for me. A film shoot and the randomness of life will do that I suppose.
I'm not really sure how this Summer rates in the big scheme of a lifetime of seasons, but overall, it's been pretty good. I like the fact that as it closes out (officially with the Labor Day weekend next week) I will have all my craziness paid off, such as the movie, new laptop, and [finally] my trip to Europe in April. Probably time to start planning the next trip, because really, that's what you do once you get this kind of thing paid off.
I probably really need to give a shout out to my kitchen because it is, in a word, "tight". The addition of my Slovenian table a few months ago really pulled the thing together. I look forward to my time with my kitchen this Fall and the parties it will fuel in foodly ways.
24 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: san francisco
Average Workday Protest
Last week, a group of janitors, unhappy at the building I'm in sometimes decided to stage a protest. I guess they weren't getting paid enough or treated fairly as is usually the case. Honestly, I didn't know what the real problem was because all I heard over the megaphone was:
"What do we want?"
"Justin!"
"When do we want him?"
"Now!"
Naturally, I spent the rest of the day running around the office trying to find Justin for them. Such a strange day.
23 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: san francisco
The Yelp 100 Club
On Yelp you submit reviews and you speak your mind. You 'yelp' essentially, thus the name. Clever, no? Yes, it is and what is great is that there are a few of us that hit a threshold of reviews most don't get to and that is the 100 mark.
I am very proud to announce that I have reached this mark. I wasn't aware of it, but when you hit this mark, you get use of the Yelp Timeshare in Sherman Oaks. Yeah, I know, I didn't believe it either. Sherman Oaks. I never thought I'd make it. At 500 reviews, you get a hug from an actual Yelp staff member of your chosing and a friendly lick from Darwin, the Yelp mascot. If you're ever to hit 1,000 reviews, you become one with Yelp and join their board of directors. It's all just so incredible, it's hard to believe!
Of course, this is all crap and you just earn the respect of your peers. You can read my pile o' reviews at jebus.yelp.com and you can read all about my favorite Yelp item, the Yelp T-Shirt.
22 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: websites, yelp
Wedding of Friends
Ah, the wedding. Tis the season I suppose. Seems like everyone is doing it, so why not? And I guess that was the hardest part about being at a wedding by yourself and single. You see all these glowing people around you who are married or engaged or expecting their first child. Anyways, I suppose that when you're approaching 30, these things start to sink in more.
But as for the ceremony, it was great. Dinko (the groom) is Bosnian and his wife Ana, is Macedonian. So, the wedding was blend of those Balkan cultures and some American bits thrown in. It was fun to see pretty much all of former Yugoslavia represented and those that were there were smart enough to leave the war conversations out of everything. A very, very good call, since I think 96% of all fights in Balkans start from such talk.
21 08 2006 0 comments
Tags: east bay, weddings
Retiring
To everybody who is reading, I must announce that I am retiring for work because I... was the proud winner of the Californian Lottery. Yes, that's right, that random chance of wealth has hit yours truly.
I think that I need to plan carefully though and I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with my winnings, but perhaps some kind of charity work. Maybe I'll just start out by getting a good lunch. I gotta say that it's very difficult to plan your future on a fortune of $10.
Yeah, it was really just the $10 prize. I've never won one that big so it was kinda fun. And obviously I'm not retiring, but I will probably still keep playing this thing because you just never know. I call it my twice a week certificate of stupidity. What are the odds anyways, 48,000,000 to 1 that I'll win? Yeah. Go, go Miho (my Croatian nickname.)
