Monthly Archives: May 2008

Media roundup: sci fi, electronica, the tragedy of suburbia, and public radio

And now, a brief list of things produced by fellow humans I enjoyed reading, hearing and watching in the past few weeks. Books: Larry Niven’s Ringworld I was drawn in by the concept of a ringed artificial habitable structure orbiting … Continue reading

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Station Manager of 91.7 KALW San Francisco reaches out to listeners.

During my Tuesday shift I was pleasantly surprised to hear a radio station manager speaking directly to listeners for an extended period of time about the state of the station. In the past, I’ve heard station managers speak during pledge … Continue reading

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Muni strikes again.

I wouldn’t be doing my Civic Duty if I didn’t link to yet another Municide. This time the culprit was an articulated standard coach (non-trolleybus) 71-Haight/Noriega heading inbound on Market at 6th. A 77 year old female pedestrian was struck … Continue reading

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Working Memorial Day

I started 3am Memorial Day Monday. It was more like a Sunday than a Monday, with plenty of people still partying the night away. A friend sent me a tip that there was a big after party around 6th and … Continue reading

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Examiner print daily is heaven, Examiner online is hell. Why?

The current iteration of the San Francisco Examiner — the free, tabloid-sized print daily focused primarily on San Francisco news and events — is top notch. It’s a quick read, conveniently sized and simple but effective in delivering a local … Continue reading

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June 3 voting guide: No on 98, 99, F. Yes on G.

All these propositions are really annoying. I’ve received over 15 mailers for and against state and local measures and candidates. 15 * millions of Californians is a lot of waste. I really enjoyed SPUR’s voter guide. Or, ignore it all … Continue reading

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Robots are better at space exploration than humans.

As many close friends can attest, I dream of the future human colonization of planets in our solar system and beyond. Ah, how I stew in the romance of this idea. After doing some math prompted by lively debate on … Continue reading

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I propose a new online ad metric: seconds per impression

Online ad sales reps enjoy using the term “engagement” in their sales pitches. “OurSite.com’s users are highly engaged with our content, and so shall they be with your ads!” What does “engagement” really mean? Some part is puffery — it’s … Continue reading

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More Bay to Breakers

This is a continuation of a previous post. Toward the end of my shift, around 3pm, I picked up an elderly Chinese couple hailing on the street downtown. They were heading all the way out to the deep Richmond on … Continue reading

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Driving Bay to Breakers

This weekend the City hosted its annual Bay to Breakers run. Bay to Breakers (B2B) is a 7 mile run through the heart of San Francisco. B2B starts from the east (bay) side of the City at the Embarcadero and … Continue reading

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