The week in review

Posted by admin on October 9, 2010 No comments

This week sucked of epic proportions. Last weekend I was in Austin, Texas for the big Android BBQ. While I had a fantastic time there, from the moment I left I experienced a steady stream of stress-inducing events, the biggest of which was losing my bag after I was forced to check it due to lack of stowage space on the plane.  To make matters worse, once I did get my bag back, I discovered some thieving piece of shit decided to take some of my possessions.

Now, I’m not going rehash all of the details. I’ve spent the whole week being extremely stressed out, and most of this weekend replacing my stolen property. I’m finally starting to relax and feel like things are getting back to the normal ebb and flow, and just want to move on.

It was however, a jarring reminder that when it comes down to it, you should always look out for you own interests, as the world cannot be counted on.

Form follows function

Posted by admin on September 20, 2010 No comments

I’ll just say it off the bat; I could give a rat’s ass about fashion. For me, fashion only extends far enough to find flattering pieces at affordable prices and dressing to such a degree as to not give the impression I got dressed in the dark. With one hand tied behind my back. Sometimes though, my needs force me to search outside my comfort zone.

The above photo is my current daily bag, a Timbuk2 XS messenger bag. I love the compartments, but the exterior is getting a bit worn, and with the buckles I never use, it sometimes feels a bit too bulky. The hunt is on for a replacement. The checklist is as follows:

  • Must have multiple compartments with zippers or secure closure.  It makes no sense to me to see the huge purses that are in style now come with maybe a pocket or two. You might as well just carry a grocery bag around.
  • Must be able to be worn across the body, handles are optional. Hands-free FTW.
  • Exterior embellishments must be minimal. No fringe, no decorative zippers, buttons, chains, or other dangly apparatus meant to catch the eye.
  • Large enough to carry a wallet, a book, and a netbook, as well as organizational compartments being filled, yet be smaller than a backpack.
  • Cost under $100, though I’m willing to go up to $150 if the bag in question does an outstanding job of meeting all needs.

So far, I have yet to find a good contender, though I am eyeing the customizable Timbuk2 Eula bag, seen below, as a possible replacement. I was hoping to try something news, but if I can’t find it elsewhere, then c’est la vie. I’m open to suggestions.

Tipping

Posted by admin on September 6, 2010 No comments

I recently got my hair cut, and that got me thinking about tipping. For the longest time, I was not aware that it was common practice to tip for a hair cut. Once I made the discovery, I of course felt bad for all the times in the past when I did not tip, but that is not to say I necessarily agree or even understand the protocol. I just don’t want to seem like a cheap bitch.

I understand and agree with the custom of tipping; a small gratuity in appreciation for services rendered.  What boggles my mind are all the situations where one would be expected to tip. Let’s start with the basics; a restaurant. In a restaurant, you pay for the product, which is the food and drink you order, and tip the service you receive with the food. In addition, it’s common knowledge servers make very little in hourly salary; in New York state the minimum is $4.75. The rest of their income is supplemented by tips. This is very straightforward and I have no problem with this. It’s other areas that confuse me.

Let’s take getting a haircut as an example.  When you get a haircut, you pay for the service of someone cutting and styling your hair for you. The more the haircut cost, the more one can reasonably expect professional and quality service. So, why do you have tip on a service you’re already paying for?

Another confusing area is with food delivery. Here in Buffalo, many places will tack on a $2.50 fee if you want food delivered. Again, why do I need to tip the driver when I’m already paying for the service of having the food delivered?

The girl with the open mind

Posted by admin on August 30, 2010 No comments

When I first heard about the millennium trilogy, the series that begins with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I wasn’t the least bit interested in reading them. First of all, I don’t base my reading choices solely on what makes the New York Times best seller’s list, ahemTwilightahem. Secondly, crime novels never really interested me, not that this reason was a real deterrent, which brings me to my third reason. Every time I saw or read anything to do with the books, I couldn’t understand what the plot was supposed to be about, not that I ever paid much attention to begin with.

Then one day The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was on Netflix streaming, so I figured why not. I ended up really liking the movie. It was dark and gritty, the plot was interesting, and the acting solid. So naturally, I wanted to find out what happened next, so I got the next book in the series, and am currently making my way through the third.

The one thing I do find disappointing in the series it that the author, Steig Larsson, died of a heart attack shortly before the book were published. A major theme and occasional plot device revolves around extreme Misogyny. In the books, women are often viewed with disgust and commonly referred to as slut or whore. Given the author’s background as a journalist and anti-racism/anti-right wing extremism activist, I have to wonder how close some events are to reality. Certainly, if the author were still alive it would be interesting to hear his comments on the matter.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet and like crime dramas, then I recommend you watch it. I should mention though, the movie is subtitled as it’s filmed and casted in Sweden, where the books take place. If subtitles aren’t your thing, you can always wait for the Americanized version to come out. Why there is an American version, I have no clue; only guesses.

Anyway, the moral of the story is; always keep an open mind. Unless it’s about an Apple product.

Singles, or how I long for the past.

Posted by admin on August 15, 2010 No comments

This afternoon, while browsing through Netflix for an interesting movie to watch, I came across the film Singles. I immediately added it to my streaming queue and watched it. Singles was a movie that came 1992. Directed by Cameron Crowe,  Singles is an ensemble film about the dating lives of young twenty-somethings in Seattle.

The plot of the movie is fairly standard and nothing extraordinary or awful. It’s the movie’s setting that resonates with me.

In 1992, I was just entering high school. Grunge was huge, the the world that was captured in celluloid is burned into my memory was one of the better times in my life. Here’s why:

Kyra Sedgewick played Linda. Notice anything? Need a hint? Even though her hair is styled, it’s a completely natural color. No artificial coloring to be found. Her eyebrows aren’t immaculately plucked. Her makeup is extremely minimal. She is a complete 180 from extremely manicured and made up look today, and yet she looks just fine. I would even say she looks pretty.

The clothes. The women in the film almost always wear pants. Why? Because they are more comfortable than skirts. The clothes are loose fitting and comfy looking;  not the short, tight, bullshit “aspirational” crap that gets shoved down your throat today. Even the shoes are comfy, and I will still take a pair of boots over heels any day. Again, I would say Bridget Fonda looks perfectly find and cute in these clothes. In such a movie today, only the women deemed unattractive could get away with pants and flannel.

The world before mass-market chain coffee establishments. Don’t you wish you could go back in time and slap the person that thought it would be a good idea to rename small, medium, and large?

The music. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden versus Justin Beiber and Jonas Bros? NO CONTEST.