Rude behavior continued
A correspondent in Australia reminded me this morning about the people (usually women too) who will take an escalator and step off and STOP. What do these people expect those behind them to do? Jump over them? Oh, I am sure if you bumped into such a person and he or she fell down you would get sued for this or that.
I still haven't quite got used to headset cell phones which are so small that you have to look for them to see them. With so many crazies running around the streets of San Francisco talking to themselves, I am never sure who is nuts and who isn't, no matter how they are dressed.
Friday at last. SF Symphony tonight with the featured work being a Chopin Piano Concerto (Horacio Guttierez) and tomorrow night I will see Verdi's Don Carlos once again with a cast that is very uneven. Only the mezzo was a stand-out on opening night. A correspondent told me one time that Verdi put the "grand" in Grand Opera but I am afraid that this cast takes it out. It is one of my favorite operas too. Grrr...
Friday, October 31, 2003
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Customer Relations
Why are some people even in business of serving the public? Why is it that I can walk into a store I have never been in and be greeted by a worker and/or owner in a friendly manner whereas in another store I am treated to minimal service? That is, I am sold whatever I am buying with a minimum of talk. No hellos, no thank yous, no good-byes. Just some sort of grunt from the person behind the counter. That is certainly what I experienced a short time ago at a convenience store on the lobby level of Embarcadero Center #4. I just went in to buy a lottery ticket and a candy bar and the woman made it seem like I was disturbing her. I would not have gone in there however my usual choice (Eastern Newsstand) in EC #3 is waiting for delivery of a new lotto machine so I could not buy a ticket there.
While I am on the subject, the really offensive greeting is the one "Is there something you want" uttered in a disdainful voice. Yes, you shit head, I want to buy (whatever it is I am holding). These type of people clearly need professional help for their attitudes if they intend to stay in retail sales.
Why are some people even in business of serving the public? Why is it that I can walk into a store I have never been in and be greeted by a worker and/or owner in a friendly manner whereas in another store I am treated to minimal service? That is, I am sold whatever I am buying with a minimum of talk. No hellos, no thank yous, no good-byes. Just some sort of grunt from the person behind the counter. That is certainly what I experienced a short time ago at a convenience store on the lobby level of Embarcadero Center #4. I just went in to buy a lottery ticket and a candy bar and the woman made it seem like I was disturbing her. I would not have gone in there however my usual choice (Eastern Newsstand) in EC #3 is waiting for delivery of a new lotto machine so I could not buy a ticket there.
While I am on the subject, the really offensive greeting is the one "Is there something you want" uttered in a disdainful voice. Yes, you shit head, I want to buy (whatever it is I am holding). These type of people clearly need professional help for their attitudes if they intend to stay in retail sales.
Monday, October 27, 2003
Pet peeve
I thought I was the only one with this problem until a neighbor complained about it to me this morning. This is the matter of people who do not look where they are going (as pedestrians) and either expect YOU to move out of THEIR way of seem surprised or angry that there was a near collision. What really gets me is the person who will walk out of a doorway looking to the left but walking to the right forcing you to do some fancy footwork in order to avoid a collision. I sure hope these people don't drive like they walk! Related to that is the one in which a group of people will stop in the middle of a sidewalk to chat leaving no room on either side to pass. Hellooooooooo...there are other people out here folks.
I thought I was the only one with this problem until a neighbor complained about it to me this morning. This is the matter of people who do not look where they are going (as pedestrians) and either expect YOU to move out of THEIR way of seem surprised or angry that there was a near collision. What really gets me is the person who will walk out of a doorway looking to the left but walking to the right forcing you to do some fancy footwork in order to avoid a collision. I sure hope these people don't drive like they walk! Related to that is the one in which a group of people will stop in the middle of a sidewalk to chat leaving no room on either side to pass. Hellooooooooo...there are other people out here folks.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Sunny & Hot in San Francisco
Herb Caen always used to remark about how the tourists would freeze in short at Fishmerman's Wharf in July but then after Labor Day when many returned home it would warm up for the local people. Well, such as has been the case during much of September and October which are traditionally the best months of the year here. Today is it is 72F in the shade on my patio deck and probably at least 80 in the sun.
Last night's opera, while well sung, used a new modern production from Germany again in which a very ordinary house looked like something from 1950 to some, or from the 1930s to others. It was certainly not what Rossini had in mind when he wrote the The Barber of Seville especially the Vespa motor scooter used to transport the Barber into town. The heat in the opera house did not help matters either. I will never forgive them for not installing air conditioniing when they had a chance a few years ago. They continually used the lame excuse that the couldn't do it but would never explain why. I could live with "we don't have the funds" but to make a statement such as we can't do it, is beyond belief. Most theaters of any size, including many of the remaining movie palaces in this city have AC. Why not the opera house?????????
Had brunch with Donn at The Village Cafe this morning. It was the first opportunity I had to talk with him since returning from Italy. After that I stopped at Cala foods to pick up some necessities for the next few days. Now my laundry is in the dryer in the apartment's laundry downstairs and I have the fan running in the living room which is the only way I can get any air circulation in the apartment.
Next on the agenda? Sort through, re-size, and add more photos from Italy to my website. I think this would be a good time to do that so I will sign off for now.
Ciao!
Herb Caen always used to remark about how the tourists would freeze in short at Fishmerman's Wharf in July but then after Labor Day when many returned home it would warm up for the local people. Well, such as has been the case during much of September and October which are traditionally the best months of the year here. Today is it is 72F in the shade on my patio deck and probably at least 80 in the sun.
Last night's opera, while well sung, used a new modern production from Germany again in which a very ordinary house looked like something from 1950 to some, or from the 1930s to others. It was certainly not what Rossini had in mind when he wrote the The Barber of Seville especially the Vespa motor scooter used to transport the Barber into town. The heat in the opera house did not help matters either. I will never forgive them for not installing air conditioniing when they had a chance a few years ago. They continually used the lame excuse that the couldn't do it but would never explain why. I could live with "we don't have the funds" but to make a statement such as we can't do it, is beyond belief. Most theaters of any size, including many of the remaining movie palaces in this city have AC. Why not the opera house?????????
Had brunch with Donn at The Village Cafe this morning. It was the first opportunity I had to talk with him since returning from Italy. After that I stopped at Cala foods to pick up some necessities for the next few days. Now my laundry is in the dryer in the apartment's laundry downstairs and I have the fan running in the living room which is the only way I can get any air circulation in the apartment.
Next on the agenda? Sort through, re-size, and add more photos from Italy to my website. I think this would be a good time to do that so I will sign off for now.
Ciao!
Friday, October 24, 2003
What a difference a few hours make. At lunch today it seemed rather cool and not what I expected. Upon leaving the office at 5:30 PM it was rather warm...too much so for the jacket I was wearing.
Well, now I have done it. Comcast Cable has started offering high speed cable internet service in my area so I have ordered it. I hope this works. I could not get DSL into the apartment so that ended in failure apparently due to faulty wiring or some interference with the signal. I hope the cable deal will be successful as there would be no other choice in this building which is suprising for a building constructed in the early 1960s.
On what may or may not be a related matter, I am receiving an inordinate amount of
interference on AM radio in this apartment which is strongest in the kitchen area but even now effects my clock radio in the bedroom. It is next to impossible to listen to 50,000 watt KCBS at times as a result. Somehow I need to locate the source and/or report this to the FCC.
Well, now I have done it. Comcast Cable has started offering high speed cable internet service in my area so I have ordered it. I hope this works. I could not get DSL into the apartment so that ended in failure apparently due to faulty wiring or some interference with the signal. I hope the cable deal will be successful as there would be no other choice in this building which is suprising for a building constructed in the early 1960s.
On what may or may not be a related matter, I am receiving an inordinate amount of
interference on AM radio in this apartment which is strongest in the kitchen area but even now effects my clock radio in the bedroom. It is next to impossible to listen to 50,000 watt KCBS at times as a result. Somehow I need to locate the source and/or report this to the FCC.
So ends my first week back at work following my vacation in Italy. It went by fast as there a ton of paperwork left over from the previous weeks. We made significant progress so I feel good about that.
Now, the month is almost over and then begins the home stretch. There are a number of things to do and to look forward to during the next two months. I expect there will be obligatory parties but mainly I am just looking forward to the time off and setting my own schedule.
After my flights to Thailand in January I should have sufficient frequent flyer miles for a free international flight. I already have enough for a domestic flight (pre-Italy) but Italy combined with Thailand should really push it up there. If so, I would like to return to London. I was only there two days in 1999 on the way to Paris so I only saw the bare essentials.
Oh, there are so many places I would like to go. I will have the time but I'm not sure about the money right now. High on my list is Portland, Oregon as well as Seattle, Washington, and a return to Vanouver, B.C. I have not been there since sometime in the late eighties.
Soon we will have a new governor so things could get interesting in Sacramento. I'm not sure Arnold or anyone else can fix things however. The state is too obligated to spend money on certain programs due to the approval of a number of ballot measures in recent years and there is little or no wiggle room in the budget the governor.
The is considerable controversy recently about the underperforming BART extension to the airport. This does not surprise me as large groups or families with lots of luggage are going to use some sort of door-to-door van or taxi service, not rapid transit. The other problem stems from the fact that the two destinations in the same vicinity (SFO & Millbrae) leave some people confused. We can thank Quentin Kopp for this mess. The better and less costly alternative would have been to build the Sky Train so that it connected with the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station. But NO, Quentin wanted to go into the airport. He said it would be a one-seat ride as well as other things. Well, it isn't for those living along the Richmond line and the Bay Point Line, or those on the Fremont line south of Bay Fair Station. They must transfer most times unless the get lucky and some trains are being run past Daly City Station. Those runs are not part of the regular schedule however. One curiosity though. When I returned from Italy, there was a Bay Point train on one track in addition to the Pleasanton train I boarded which was run express all the way to Daly City. (I assume the Bay Point train made all stops.)
Clearly BART officials have got to re-think how they handle the scheduling of trains to SFO and to Millbrae.
Now, the month is almost over and then begins the home stretch. There are a number of things to do and to look forward to during the next two months. I expect there will be obligatory parties but mainly I am just looking forward to the time off and setting my own schedule.
After my flights to Thailand in January I should have sufficient frequent flyer miles for a free international flight. I already have enough for a domestic flight (pre-Italy) but Italy combined with Thailand should really push it up there. If so, I would like to return to London. I was only there two days in 1999 on the way to Paris so I only saw the bare essentials.
Oh, there are so many places I would like to go. I will have the time but I'm not sure about the money right now. High on my list is Portland, Oregon as well as Seattle, Washington, and a return to Vanouver, B.C. I have not been there since sometime in the late eighties.
Soon we will have a new governor so things could get interesting in Sacramento. I'm not sure Arnold or anyone else can fix things however. The state is too obligated to spend money on certain programs due to the approval of a number of ballot measures in recent years and there is little or no wiggle room in the budget the governor.
The is considerable controversy recently about the underperforming BART extension to the airport. This does not surprise me as large groups or families with lots of luggage are going to use some sort of door-to-door van or taxi service, not rapid transit. The other problem stems from the fact that the two destinations in the same vicinity (SFO & Millbrae) leave some people confused. We can thank Quentin Kopp for this mess. The better and less costly alternative would have been to build the Sky Train so that it connected with the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station. But NO, Quentin wanted to go into the airport. He said it would be a one-seat ride as well as other things. Well, it isn't for those living along the Richmond line and the Bay Point Line, or those on the Fremont line south of Bay Fair Station. They must transfer most times unless the get lucky and some trains are being run past Daly City Station. Those runs are not part of the regular schedule however. One curiosity though. When I returned from Italy, there was a Bay Point train on one track in addition to the Pleasanton train I boarded which was run express all the way to Daly City. (I assume the Bay Point train made all stops.)
Clearly BART officials have got to re-think how they handle the scheduling of trains to SFO and to Millbrae.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Back with who knows what.
Yes, I was on vacation in Italy for two weeks. Rome, Florence, and Venice to be precise. There were interesting sites to visit and I am glad that I got to see them but it has left me rather exhausted to say the least. I think that my digestive system is getting back to normal after eating too much bland and/or greasy food. Italian chefs should go back to culinary school but in France. It wasn't soo much what was served as it was the presentation and they need to learn to incorporate green vegetables into their menus. Greasy friend potatoes just don't get it.
Rome is a fascinating city but the traffic and the way some people drive, especially taxi drivers, was too much. I did not know if we would make from the airport into the hotel in one piece or not. Rome's two subway lines are overly crowded and the trains look like NYC in the sixties with their graffiti. Graffiti, however, seems to rampant in the big cities.
Florence is smaller and easily walkable if you stay at a hotel in the central part of the city. The Duomo is very impressive as is its campanile. We climbed its 400+ stairs without any apparent cardiovascular problems other than getting a little winded.
Pisa, an hour train ride from Florence, is well worth the time to see its cathedral and its campanile, popularly known as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa". That church was one of the most spectacular and beautiful we visited.
Venice is a magical city and one which we felt might disappear if we closed our eyes but Brigadoon or the Flying Dutchman it is not. The central city is very user friendly. That is, you walk and you walk and you walk, but without the hassles of cars, buses, trucks, scooters, and motorcyles getting in your way. There is the water bus system (vaporetto) which traverses a number of routes up and down the Grand Canal and other waterways connecting floating dock "bus stops" with many points of interest around the city and outlying islands. Since we had taken the train up from Rome via Florence we arrived at the Venezia Santa Lucia terminal where we took the #82 boat to the San Marco vaporetto stop which was the closest to our hotel. Upon departure we took the Alilaguna boat from the same stop to the airport which involved a very relaxed ride of an hours duration. Soon I hope to have some photos posted at my photo website.
Returning to work on Monday was easy until I saw how much was leftover from the previous two weeks of hell. My co-worker welcomed me back to hell also. October 15th produced it usual flurry of tax department activity but then other matters came down which only made matters worse for her. With any luck we might get back to normal by the end of the week or early next week.
A friend in the U.K. complained about the way the baseball playoffs went and that the people of California elected a retarded chimp for governor. I agree. Yah...!
Yes, I was on vacation in Italy for two weeks. Rome, Florence, and Venice to be precise. There were interesting sites to visit and I am glad that I got to see them but it has left me rather exhausted to say the least. I think that my digestive system is getting back to normal after eating too much bland and/or greasy food. Italian chefs should go back to culinary school but in France. It wasn't soo much what was served as it was the presentation and they need to learn to incorporate green vegetables into their menus. Greasy friend potatoes just don't get it.
Rome is a fascinating city but the traffic and the way some people drive, especially taxi drivers, was too much. I did not know if we would make from the airport into the hotel in one piece or not. Rome's two subway lines are overly crowded and the trains look like NYC in the sixties with their graffiti. Graffiti, however, seems to rampant in the big cities.
Florence is smaller and easily walkable if you stay at a hotel in the central part of the city. The Duomo is very impressive as is its campanile. We climbed its 400+ stairs without any apparent cardiovascular problems other than getting a little winded.
Pisa, an hour train ride from Florence, is well worth the time to see its cathedral and its campanile, popularly known as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa". That church was one of the most spectacular and beautiful we visited.
Venice is a magical city and one which we felt might disappear if we closed our eyes but Brigadoon or the Flying Dutchman it is not. The central city is very user friendly. That is, you walk and you walk and you walk, but without the hassles of cars, buses, trucks, scooters, and motorcyles getting in your way. There is the water bus system (vaporetto) which traverses a number of routes up and down the Grand Canal and other waterways connecting floating dock "bus stops" with many points of interest around the city and outlying islands. Since we had taken the train up from Rome via Florence we arrived at the Venezia Santa Lucia terminal where we took the #82 boat to the San Marco vaporetto stop which was the closest to our hotel. Upon departure we took the Alilaguna boat from the same stop to the airport which involved a very relaxed ride of an hours duration. Soon I hope to have some photos posted at my photo website.
Returning to work on Monday was easy until I saw how much was leftover from the previous two weeks of hell. My co-worker welcomed me back to hell also. October 15th produced it usual flurry of tax department activity but then other matters came down which only made matters worse for her. With any luck we might get back to normal by the end of the week or early next week.
A friend in the U.K. complained about the way the baseball playoffs went and that the people of California elected a retarded chimp for governor. I agree. Yah...!
Saturday, October 18, 2003
Back in the U.S.A.
Oh, where have I been? Well, on vacation in Italy where I walked and walked and walked and climbed stairs by the dozens in Rome, Florence, and Venice. It was a great adventure and I am glad that I saw the historical sights of those cities including the Vatican which brings me to the latest excellent column by Mark Morford in today's SF Chronicle. In a related event, I am reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which involves a plot by the Illuminati (a group which may or may not have ever existed) to destroy the church. It is fiction however one can wonder sometimes about some events such as the untimely death of Pope John Paul I who died within a month of being elected Pope.
So now I have hundreds of photos to review and file away somewhere. I also have lots of other post-vacation duties to catch up on, and yes, I may even make some comments about the cities I visited in subsequents blogs. I need to get organized first and back to a normal routine.
Until then...
Oh, where have I been? Well, on vacation in Italy where I walked and walked and walked and climbed stairs by the dozens in Rome, Florence, and Venice. It was a great adventure and I am glad that I saw the historical sights of those cities including the Vatican which brings me to the latest excellent column by Mark Morford in today's SF Chronicle. In a related event, I am reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which involves a plot by the Illuminati (a group which may or may not have ever existed) to destroy the church. It is fiction however one can wonder sometimes about some events such as the untimely death of Pope John Paul I who died within a month of being elected Pope.
So now I have hundreds of photos to review and file away somewhere. I also have lots of other post-vacation duties to catch up on, and yes, I may even make some comments about the cities I visited in subsequents blogs. I need to get organized first and back to a normal routine.
Until then...
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Don't do that, part 2
If you are still considering voting for Arnold Schwarzenegger, perhaps you should read
Joan Ryan's Column in today's Chronicle. Mark Morford's column from the Friday Chronicle is worth reading too. (See entry for 10/3/03 below). I voted early yesterday as I am leaving for Rome in the morning. My absentee ballot got lost in the mail so I went to the elections department at City Hall. I was surprised by the number of people voting at that time. I wonder what it will be like on Tuesday. Anyway, I hope most people get out to vote on Tuesday and do the right thing - TERMINATE THE TERMINATOR/b>.
Hasta la vista baby.
If you are still considering voting for Arnold Schwarzenegger, perhaps you should read
Joan Ryan's Column in today's Chronicle. Mark Morford's column from the Friday Chronicle is worth reading too. (See entry for 10/3/03 below). I voted early yesterday as I am leaving for Rome in the morning. My absentee ballot got lost in the mail so I went to the elections department at City Hall. I was surprised by the number of people voting at that time. I wonder what it will be like on Tuesday. Anyway, I hope most people get out to vote on Tuesday and do the right thing - TERMINATE THE TERMINATOR/b>.
Hasta la vista baby.
Friday, October 03, 2003
Don't do that
If anyone in this state is having a problem with Gray Davis and is considering Arnold for governor, I wish they would read Mark Morford's column in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle. He lays it on the line about what a disaster it would be to elect such a person. I think the best bet would be a NO vote from everyone but I am worried that not enough voters feel that way and chaos will reign as a result.
If anyone in this state is having a problem with Gray Davis and is considering Arnold for governor, I wish they would read Mark Morford's column in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle. He lays it on the line about what a disaster it would be to elect such a person. I think the best bet would be a NO vote from everyone but I am worried that not enough voters feel that way and chaos will reign as a result.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
TGIF?
I suppose I could say I am glad that it is Friday except that I am taking the day off so perhaps it should be TGIT. Anyway, I have a zillion and one things to do this weekend in preparation for a vacation in Italy. I will be going to Rome on Monday to pick up my red hat, or so I have told some co-workers. Some give me a blank stare. Those who are Catholic sort of laugh a little. I guess they are not sure if it is appropriate or not.
I have been disenfranchised, sort of. Several weeks ago I applied for an absentee ballot but it did not arrive. I called the elections department this week and they assured me it was mailed on the 8th of September and to the correct address but for some reason I never received it. So now I will go to City Hall and cast my ballot early for this stupid recall election that rich boy Daryl Issa started. It is nothing but a case of sour grapes which is costing the state millions of dollars. There is no reason to recall Gov. Davis. Disagreeing with his policies is handled at the ballot box at election time, not by calling a special election to throw him out. If he has committed some sort of crime it would be different. Seems to me that the word malfeasance was always a requirement for recalls in the past. Does anyone know what that word means? I have looked it up and I still am confused.
I feel very tired tonight. My body has apparently been fighting off some sort of cold or flu bug and so far has done a good job at it but is has left me feeling tired so I think I will try to catch some extra snoozes tonight. I am not sleepy at the moment so this will present a problem as I hate to go to bed and just stare at the ceiling. Oh well...c'est la vie.
I suppose I could say I am glad that it is Friday except that I am taking the day off so perhaps it should be TGIT. Anyway, I have a zillion and one things to do this weekend in preparation for a vacation in Italy. I will be going to Rome on Monday to pick up my red hat, or so I have told some co-workers. Some give me a blank stare. Those who are Catholic sort of laugh a little. I guess they are not sure if it is appropriate or not.
I have been disenfranchised, sort of. Several weeks ago I applied for an absentee ballot but it did not arrive. I called the elections department this week and they assured me it was mailed on the 8th of September and to the correct address but for some reason I never received it. So now I will go to City Hall and cast my ballot early for this stupid recall election that rich boy Daryl Issa started. It is nothing but a case of sour grapes which is costing the state millions of dollars. There is no reason to recall Gov. Davis. Disagreeing with his policies is handled at the ballot box at election time, not by calling a special election to throw him out. If he has committed some sort of crime it would be different. Seems to me that the word malfeasance was always a requirement for recalls in the past. Does anyone know what that word means? I have looked it up and I still am confused.
I feel very tired tonight. My body has apparently been fighting off some sort of cold or flu bug and so far has done a good job at it but is has left me feeling tired so I think I will try to catch some extra snoozes tonight. I am not sleepy at the moment so this will present a problem as I hate to go to bed and just stare at the ceiling. Oh well...c'est la vie.
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