I voted, did you? Also, customer service.

With Super Toosday fast-approaching, I completed and mailed in my California Democratic Primary absentee ballot. More and more, people choose to vote in absentia. I think it is probably a good idea, especially for busy or the mobility impaired. However, there is something to be said for going to your local polling station, waiting in line, and filling in a ballot in-person. I am a little miffed that my absentee status means that I will not be able to vote in person come November. However, I think they allow folk like me to drop off their ballots in person. But it's not quite the same thing now, is it?

Today I also experienced two excellent on the phone (OTP) customer service sessions. Dell has a feature on their web site called Click to Call feature. I wondered if it was even worth trying.



Clicking on the button, I was prompted to select a call back time. Choices are immediately, 1 min, 2 min, 5 min. I chose 1 min and got a call promptly back in 60 seconds (but was put on hold for about 25 seconds when the line was answered....but that's not too bad!). What is cool about this feature is that the person who is calling you knows what product you have been looking at on line and they are prepared to answer questions about that product genre, to assist you with an otp purchase, etc. It's very clever. The guy on the phone was also from America, as far as I could tell and seemed to be a reasonably chipper fellow. (Dell's technical support, on the other hand, usually contracts you out to India. A couple weeks ago when calling about a busted keyboard, I talked to Adnan in New Delhi for over an hour.)

Total time on phone to make inquiry and purchase two products: 7 min

Later in the evening, I had to call AT&T to set up a start-service for our phone and DSL service. After I gave her my basic info (name, SSN, DL#, address) she told me that she would call me back in 10 min to save me from having to wait otp with her while she did a residency and credit check. She called back in exactly 10 minutes and was just as helpful as I could ever hope, remembering my name and exactly where we left off when we'd hung up. She even tried to find out if I could qualify for low income land line service when I told her I was a grad student. On top of that, I also found out her and I share the some astrological sign. She was born on the 17th of August. Myself, the 11th.

Total time otp: 20 min



Totoal

The Sausalito Waterfront tour

My spring studio is spending 7+ weeks investigating design interventions along the Sausalito waterfront. Most of Sausalito is tourist central, but there are large expanses of the waterfront that are nearly impossible to navigate as a pedestrian. It will be our challenge to reveal the potential of these many spots.

Just a few pictures....most of the ones I will actually use are too boring to post here. Here are the more interesting ones.


This is a public trail in Sausalito with a rather rigid looking fence that the property owner can close or open without notice.


This is Tuxedo, the mixed lab that accompanied us on the tour of Sausalito's waterfront today.


This is an interior shot of Spaulding Wooden Boatbuilding School. Here is the current project, the Freda, built in 1885. The hull is being reconstructed. Spaulding finishes about one boat each year.


This is the hood of a very interesting set of wheels.

The good and the not so good

Today's pick: Chris Walla's new tunes
Today's punk: Another dude on Capitol Hill. Go figure....

Fred Thompson's company

Today, in step with Fred Thompson's announcement, my stepfather dropped out of the City of Beaverton mayoral race. See the full story in today's Oregonian.

Bruce cited problems relating to his health as being the main reason for stepping out. I believe he would have made a good mayor. That aside, I am actually relieved I didn't have to hear about the race antics, hob-knobbing, administrative drudgery, fundraising events, uninvited photo-opts, and all the related angst entailed in a typical municipal election.

I have a sense that the prospect of avoiding any one of those things would improve one's health...

I like it when my truck's balls get noticed....

There is a line of vehicle accessories available for purchase that allow you to give your truck or motorbike a pair of big silicone balls. Who ever came up with this shit amazes me....I'd love to meet her/him. In any case, the state of VA is considering banning those balls as they constitute a real distraction to drivers.

The add-on accessory of a pair of lipstick prints on the ball-sack of choice resolves the question of why the Muslims hate us.

But before the Muslims blow us away, they should consider these fine set of special-edition balls as an indicator of American virtue....link to video.

Best new thing to eat

This yogurt is the most delicious. It isn't diet food, but it's not full fat either. Too bad only one store I know carries it...

Wire-tapped

TV status: Tonight marks my completion of Season 1 of The Wire. At least for this viewer. Could I get through Season 2 before next week?? It's possible, but I should probably save it for the hard times I'll see over the next few months.

Neck and headache discomfort status: worse than ever....will seek professional advice..

Work status: progress comes slow....meaning I can't take off after sunset anymore

Computer status: new keyboard, hibernation button, and right speaker. This thing is actually looking real good!

New roommate status: Arrival TBA, but this weekend is the best guess. She is quiet, and doesn't seem to answer emails. Ever. It's weird.

Happily wired

...starting episode 10 of season 1 of The Wire. I am content with this broadcast addiction.

Mavericks, couch chicks

This Saturday was the amazing annual event for the surfing world, Mavericks. I've never actually attended the event, but I usually spend a good day or two marveling over the photos that result from the competition. Here are a couple I swiped of the Chronicle.



Friday, January 11 (1/11/08) was an event for Mr. ??? at 111 Minna Gallery. It was a free event, which was nice, but it also got rather crowded. Some of the pieces I thought had more entertainment value than others....but it is all very subjective.

Hope for Hil yet

Hillary's unexpected victory in NH disrupts Barak Obama's hopes for an early sweep. I am very glad the race is still head to head. Leave it to those New Hampshire-ites to go against the popular grain.



Live free or die, you dirty Iowan scum!!! Or at least I imagine that's how it might go down in a state to state faceoff.

The next primary (So. Carolina?) will be full of tension, as it should be.



And, of course, the Republican primary in NH also delivered favorable results. The most favorable.....Still, that's not saying much!

Fun at the slide library, Apple style

Since about 1pm, I've been in the slide library. It's a somewhat dreary place. Full of old fashioned slide drawers with dusty tops.

I haven't been pulling sildes from these drawers, per se, but I have been getting some practice on an Apple computer they have in here as the patron workstation. I can't say the thing has a ton of advantages in terms of navigation. The mouse can hardly do a damn thing. So much for scroll capacity. It takes twice as much mousework to move files around as it does on an IBM computer. I have no idea why they don't incorporate a more dynamic mouse.

In other news, it is raining hard.

Update to come.

Making mom proud on the New Year

My final grades for Fall 2007 are below. My name isn't on the readout, but trust me, they are mine. And no, that is not an A- for the drawing class. It is an A+.



I slipped marking the New Year. Since I had this blog, I think I've mentioned the New Year regularly. As it stands, I am one week late to do so. But better late than never.

Here is to an exciting 2008. Looking forward to early November, when things really start to get shaking!

Until then, I will be a slave-student and shall continue to eat most of my meals out of plastic containers.

Oh dear, my tea is moving.

Ants. Ants tend to invade Bay Area homes during spells of wet weather, seeking a dry refuge and perhaps a snack. Since I've lived on Grove Street, we've suffered a couple ant attacks after seasonal rains. This weekend, the entire Bay Area has experienced more than a few days of downright damp weather. Fittingly, the ants returned to our abode, uninvited, and in great numbers.

I first noticed something awry from a distance when the cup of tea I'd left full on my nightstand appeared to be moving. Inspecting it closer, I found about 50 drowned victims inside the mug, with at least 25 comrades circling the perimeter of the cup edge. Those guys got flushed.

Along my wall, a trail of several 100 strong was homing in on my small bedside trash can. No food was in there to speak of, only some empty Reese's wrappers (Halloween candy leftovers) and a damp tea bag or two. Despite the lack of adequate food, the ants had invaded the trash bag without any hesitation to note.

The rest of the devils were given the ultimate ant treatment. Sprayable bleach. So now my room smells like Clorox, but at least it is ant free. Ants die immediately upon bleach treatment. However, it is unclear whether hardy survivors may later breed to create a super generation of ants that withstand most chemical assaults. It is the risk you take, I suppose.

I will continue to monitor the source of invasion (a crack in my wall) until I am confident the ant warriors are disbanded and in full retreat.

This is Josie, the Australian Shephard I helped dogsit over Christmas.