from the serious to the ridiculous
just a hello to anyone who’s reading. first time I’ve posted from the iPod touch. I don’t think there’s an easy way to insert links. but I’m getting used to typing on the tiny touch keys.
I guess i can’t use link for now as there are no markup options. evs.
someday i might write something engaging or funny from here.
also just figured out I can’t select categories from here because I can’t see the full list.
stay tuned …
My very scientific research completed, I am now thoroughly confident in announcing the verified hypothesis I began with. And that is this:
Cellphones have displaced watches worn on the wrist as far as telling time is concerned.
I was on BART yesterday and looked around a crowded train. It was warm, so no one was wearing a coat. Most people had on shortsleeve shirts. I could spot a single wristwatch. But, of course, many people were on their phones, and several others had them clutched, resting on their laps, ready. I even spotted a few people checking their phones, ostensibly to see what time it was.
You’re probably smarter than I am. You probably know how to do more things better than I do.
But for the life of me, I could not figure out from looking over my local elections department website whether I had to be a registered member of a party in order to vote in that party’s primary election in February.
The main site is linked in the previous paragraph. Here’s a page pertaining specifically to the primary (scroll to the bottom of the page).
For the record, I called the department and asked (and had them verify) that I in fact DO NOT have to register with a party to vote in their primary. How difficult would that be to get online? I’ll do it for them. Seriously. I can’t be the only one out here with that quesiton.
Just listed an item on eBay, and ran into some unexplainable error, so I went to the help section and, purely for shits and giggles, decided to try “Live Help,” eBay’s version of IM customer service.
After waiting about five minutes (hands-free, of course), I was “connected with a customer representative,” Shelby P. Somethingorother.
Shelby proceeded to robotically walk me through some troubleshooting questions, and I kept wondering, Seriously, is she a human? I was tempted to type a little question, one that would trip her up if she were a robot, but might make her laugh if she were human. I never did that.
Instead, I let her help me solve the problem, issue an apology for a sitewide problem they’re experience, and then I tried to quickly do the equivalent of hang up. I swear, I could hear Shelby’s voice as she sent the following message:
“Is there anything else I can help you with today, Jeff?”
My response? “no k thx bye”
A very Office Space situation occurred the other day.
I was sitting there chopping away at my work when my boss came over, and I swear he said it just like this:
“I’m gonna need you to go ahead and work a Friday in November, then have the split days off. Work Sunday, then get Monday off.”
Okay, A) Fuck that. One of the few joys of this newspaper copyediting job is having a (semi)normal weekend. I get to see my friends Friday and Saturday, and often Sunday for brunchy activities. Any disruption to that bliss would leave me most disgruntled.
B) Yeah, I always thought the so-called policy was that we’re asked to work off-schedule days when someone wants that day off. Asked, not told.
C) The answer is no, no matter what.
I happened to have the convenient excuse of not being in the country (going to Argentina soon, have I mentioned?) the days in question, so that was the end of that. But the more I thought about the whole exchange, the more indignant I got.
I’m fully prepared to politely decline any subsequent “tellings” of this nature.
That is all.
Some may deem me deprived, but one of the top five best things in life is when I’m doing whatever it is I’m doing, and my dog comes over and says hi.
Hi, Gida.
or, Things I Find Lacking on iPod Touch 1G:
* built-in camera (don’t need it, but it would be nice, and yes, I will sacrifice the thinness for that)
* built-in ability to cut, copy, and paste text
* built-in ability to record audio (been wishing for this through all generations of iPod)
* support for files such as .doc and .pdf
* more storage
* tabbed browsing
That’s all I can think of for now. A friend suggested that 2G would come out before Christmas. I’m not so sure. I’m not as cynical as to think the technology is already there, tested, and put on hold to create more demand. But then often a lack of skepticism can be equated with naiveté. We’ll see.
… like, no burritos in California.
I refuse to believe this until I see it. Er, I guess you can’t see the non-use of an execution chamber.
But seriously, how is it possible that Texas has put a stay on executions? Reporting seems to indicate that the state, deemed the “leading death penalty state in the nation” for a reason, is waiting for guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Well, even that is a revelation, in that Texas of all places is typically one of the first to flip the federal government the bird.
I’m totally following this story …
I know I’m late here, mostly due to the fact that I never drooled over nor purchased nor extensively used an iPhone. But I discovered the joy of the touchscreen keyboard the other day, as well as its limitations.
“Key” to this discovery was the ability to turn the device on its side and have the screen rotate ninety degrees with me. Thus the keyboard is larger and, once I discovered two-thumb typing, easier to use.
The limitation comes about in the inability to copy, cut, and/or paste text. I vaguely recall seeing some workarounds for that with iPhone, and they should work on iPod Touch. Details to follow …
PS still annoyed by lack of abundant free wifi in San Francisco.
Tara and I drove up to Mendocino County a few weeks ago for some wine tasting and camping. Got winery recommendations from Brad at In Bottles, someone to whom I owe just about all the little I know about wine. How’s that for a complicated grammatical expression?
After the slightly-longer-than-two-hour drive up from San Francisco, we meandered down the windy state Route 128 off U.S. 101 toward Anderson Valley. Goldeneye was our first stop. This quaint estate is unorthodox as far as its tastings go, in that upon entering, you are greeted by a host who goes over the selection that day, then you’re told you can sit inside or out (depending, I’m sure, upon the weather), and your pours are brought to you on a tray along with berries, nuts, and cheese. You get your pours all at the same time. We tasted the Migration pinot rosé, the Migration pinot noir (2005), and Goldeneye pinot noir (2004). The Migration was perhaps the best-smelling wine ever, but something was lost on the taste. Not a bad wine, just smelled better than it tasted. The Migration Pinot rosé was our favorite, and we left the winery with a bottle of it.
From there it was on down 128 to Scharffenberger, makers of fine sparkling wines. I finally learned why Scharffen Berger chocolates uses two words in its name, despite the fact that John Scharffenberger’s name is, ahem, Scharffenberger. He used to own the winery, but sold it to make his now-famous chocolates. Because the wine’s label was trademarked, or what have you, he simply split the name for the chocolate into two word. Yep.
Scharffenberger’s sparkling wines are amazing, and that’s coming from someone who’s not crazy about sparkling wines. We left with a 2004 syrah, and a bottle of extra dry sparkling to save until New Year’s Eve.
Then we headed over to Handley Cellars. a quietish estate between Philo and Navarro. It was late in the day, and I’m relying entirely on my notes now. A “fair” viognier from Dry Creek in Sonoma County seems to have started things off, followed by a “good” Anderson Valley pinot noir. Zinfandel grapes grown above the fogline on Mendocino Ridge go into a bold wine that I appreciated. Never had “fogline” wine before, to my knowledge. My notes for the zin say “good, but …” The chardonnay was “2/3 oaked, and you can tell. I no likes.” From your sophisticated wine reviewer.
It sounds worse than it was. We left with a bottle of the Mendocino Ridge zin (2005) and the Anderson Valley pinot gris (2006), which I don’t remember tasting, nor do I have notes for (who snuck that into my box?).
We drove from there down a sleepy 128 to 1 and up north to spend the night in a tent at MacKerricher State Park. A nice little park, with beach access.
Next morning, we stopped for breakfast at Eggheads in Fort Bragg, complete with its Wizard of Oz theme. When asked to be pointed the bathroom there, I was told, of course, to “follow the yellow brick road.”
We started Saturday off at Husch, whose surrounding vineyards were beautiful.
Husch was offering 12 wines for tasting that day, so we meandered our way down the list, getting alternating pours of every wine. From the notes:
2006 Sauvignon blanc: fruit. One bottle taken with us.
2005 Renegade SB: earthy.
2005 Special Reserve Chardonnay: medicine.
2006 Gewürtzraminer: juice.
2006 Vin gris of pinot noir: eh
2005 AV (Anderson Valley) pinot noir: metal, but good, sharp.
2005 Reserve AV pinot: flat, better than previous pinot. tastes more like the grape itself.
2004 Cabernet sauvignon: bold, clove.
2003 Grand Oz (an odd coincidence, considering our breakfast?): best red, tastes like good wine (but costs a prohibitive $55 per bottle.
2006 Chenin blanc: subtle, delicious. One bottle taken with us.
2006 Muscat Canelli: round, sweet but not too.
2005 Postre late harvest sauvignon blanc*: yum. One bottle taken with us.
* It was with this wine that I learned what botrytis is. Namely, it is a so-called noble rot that sucks moisture out of the grape, leaving behind a more sugary taste.
We left Husch with our three bottles and headed down the road to Navarro, perhaps the best winery I have ever been to.
We ended up leaving with six bottles, including (in no certain order) a white Riesling, 2005 pinot noir, 2006 pinot grigio, 2005 muscat blanc, a 2005 late harvest riesling, and 2005 late harvest muscat blanc. I’m sorry, I don’t have notes and it’s been too long. I just remember being blown away by all the wines we bought, and fairly impressed by those we tasted but didn’t buy. There had to be a limit to what we left with, after all.
The grounds surrounding the winery were the most lush and gorgeous I’ve seen.
We finished the trip off at Roederer Estate, a place very proud to have had its wines served at several White House events during the Clinton years. We tasted several of Roederer’s sparkling wines, including a magnum, and I was happy, but not blown away. I did think their pinot noir was the best I had tasted in the valley, and I told our pourer as much. At this, he instructed us to visit Esterlina Winery, off the beaten path, and appointment only. He claims Esterline’s pinot is the best in the valley. We never made it to Esterlina (we’ll save that for the next trip), but we did leave Roederer with a bottle of their 2005 pinot noir.
My overall thoughts on AV wines: Though the valley is known for its pinot noirs, I was less-than-impressed. The Oregon coast remains my preferred pinot region, and Central Coast of California would be second preference. Between Scharffenberger and Roederer, I do like sparkling wines from this region. And based on the quantity of bottles we left with, Navarro still holds the distinction of most well-liked winery I’ve ever been to.
The scenery is also breathtaking in Anderson Valley. The people are down-to-earth and most tastings are free of charge, always a bonus.
And, at a mere two hours from San Francisco, I can see myself going back time and again.
* I’m having trouble sizing photos right now, but I hope to have some up to accompany this point in the near future.
I see now how easy it can be for someone to quit their job and pledge themselves fully to what once was a pet cause.
Mine? Worldwide free internet access.
My biggest gripe with Day One of iPod Touch was the spotty internet reception walking around San Francisco. San Francisco?! I know!
Once I got back to the home of some friends, everything worked and was spiffy and sleek and high-res and amazingly adept and wonderful. Away from “home,” I could find a single accessible network, password-protection or password-protection.
Day Two ensues …
