Posted at 01:21 PM in People | Permalink | Comments (0)
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via www.yatzer.com
This is a write up on a cool house in Japan that just finished construction. Its meant as a weekend house rather than a permanent residence. Sitting on a hillside, its got an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. I'd definitely love to spend my weekends here! Click through for more pictures.
Posted at 10:25 AM in Art | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I had a friend in NYC that I thought could use a little pick-me-up this week. There's a service in NYC called Max Delivery that works like Kozmo used to back in the day and I thought it'd be fun to give it a try. It only works in Manhattan, but you can get food from the grocery or a number of restaurants delivered in under an hour.
I found a bakery that had tasty looking cupcakes, added them to my order and checked out. After checkout however, I got a message that I would need to be physically present with my photo ID in order to receive the delivery. If I wasn't there, they wouldn't deliver.
However, it went on to say, I could click the live chat button and talk to someone if I knew I wasn't going to be there. So I clicked:
All customer service representative are currently assisting others. Thanks for your patience. An operator will be with you shortly.
Ugh. This message repeated itself every 5 minutes for the next 20 minutes. My delivery window was approaching and I was worried that my order would go out and then be returned. Not cool. Finally after almost half an hour I got a response:
You are now being helped by 'Miguel'
Miguel: Hello, can I help you?
Garth: hi my order will go out soon and I won't be there. It says I need to talk to someone here to get this ok'ed
Garth: What do I need to do?
Miguel: Can you hold one minute while I check your account?
Garth: yes
Miguel: Since this is your first order we can't leave it with someone else
Garth: Really? its 6 cupcakes
Miguel: It's is ok
Miguel: we will send it
Garth: Thanks, it would really make a friends day
Miguel: it has no alcohol or cigarettes
Miguel: No problem
I'm glad I didn't try to brighten her day with a 40oz or a carton of Parlaments.
Posted at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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From Naoko Ito's Urban Nature 2009. This is one of those really neat ideas I wish I'd thought of myself.
Posted at 03:55 PM in Art | Permalink | Comments (2)
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via shop.nationalgeographic.com
Time to toss all those saved issues of National Geographic in your basement; the complete set of National Geographic (back to 1888) is now available on 160-GB Hard Drive!
Posted at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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I saw this ad on the ABC news site today:
The key here being "Obama Asks Moms..." I'm left asking, who calls this mom? Or, maybe, if you're a mom and you don't go back to school, they'll send this guy after you. I'm guessing the tag-line "Obama Asks Moms to Return to School once nicely, but Don't Make Him Ask Again or Else" was too long.
Posted at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I rode my motorcycle into work today knowing I had a haircut appointment at lunch. It would be the fastest way to get there and back again. On the ride in, at a stop light, the guy in a truck next to me rolled down his window to ask about the bike. "What year is it?" 1975. "Wow, antique! Must have to put a lot of work into it". I do, it takes a lot of attention. "Well, looks great."
Lately, I thought to myself, it hasn't taken too much attention, it has just run. I felt good about that. Which is why, when I left work 15 minutes before my appointment, I was so dismayed to find the back tire completely flat. Bike-stand up, sit down and blah, a mushy, rim riding mess.
Time to make a decision; abandon the motocycle and steal one of the many orphan bicycles in the 6A office for 45 minutes? Or ride to the gas station and pump it with enough air to get where I'm going? I decided on the air, riding the sad, wobbly motocycle at 5mph to the nearest station.
With the back tire filled up, I rode carefully to the Lower Haight hoping the leak was slow enough to not require another fill on the way out. After my appointment I found the answer was no, the leak was not slow enough. It was eager, and wanted to show what it could do. So again, the tire was quite flat. There was another gas station about 8 blocks away, and again I rode the rims at 5mph to the get there.
Fill with air. This time I could just hear the leak over the loud hum of the station's air compressor. Not good, shouldn't be that loud. Stupid show off leak.
I figured I had just enough time to ride the bike to SF Moto where I had bought these tires earlier in the summer. Likely I could get them to plug the hole for free. Hop on. Push the starter; whum whum whuuuu. Out. Of. Juice.
So now, mysteriously, my battery is completely dead, my tire is quickly losing its shape and I'm halfway across the city from home. If I could just get it to the shop! So I put it in gear, hold the clutch, push push push! Pop the clutch out, baRUUuumm; started.
Riding carefully towards downtown, I know if the last of the air leaves the tires it will probably drop the bike about 2 inches rather quickly. Not good for stability on two wheels. Of course the best, fastest way back is via two major roads. I take them, keep minimum speed and manage to get downtown without any major incident.
Finally, I roll up to SF Moto. It is shuttered. Gates over windows, garage door shut, closed on Mondays. Closed on Mondays?! What's going on here? I keep rolling; need to at least get it home.
Luckily I roll into my driveway as the last of the air leaves the tire. I have to charge the battery and get some puncture goop to spray into the tire so it will make it to the shop tomorrow. However, after this is fixed up, I think everything will be juuuust fine. It just takes a lot of attention.
Posted at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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