Upgrade Rant

I'm not writing anything about Valentine's Day for several good reasons: by the time I get this posted, the day/night will almost be over; people WITH a Valentine have better things to do than read this; people WITHOUT a Valentine do not want to hear another single mention of the day. Instead, I will rant about upgrades, specifically software upgrades.

I'm not going even to pick on some small independent operation, or someone coding by themselves. You could see how they might have to make a change with an upgrade to better fit a new version of the operating system or even just a mistake. Bigger shit can happen in a smaller company. But how the hell does Microsoft and Facebook fuck up things when they upgrade? Because they can.

It really is the same theory as the banks getting to big to fail. Microsoft and Facebook have become so ingrained in our computer lives, it is too much of a hassle to switch to other alternatives.

My frustration with Facebook was exasperated today when I was accessing my friends list. In previous versions, the friends list was alphabetized. Now, the put all the names in a bucket and pull them out one at a time and make a list. Seriously, there is no identifiable method to

explain how they organize it; number of comments made? vowels in names? sexual partners? (Everything else is on the internet, they probably have an algorithm for that, too.)

Microsoft is infamous for doing the same thing. Several years ago, they did a major "upgrade" in Word and Excel and changed the basic tabs were functions are found. A function found in "File" might now be found in "Insert." For those of us who became users under the old format, this changed the familiar to the foreign.

Also, Windows 8.

This really is nothing but the electronic version of planned obsolescence. These companies have a problem when they create a program that fills a particular human need; the program must help the human in 95% of the time or more to be successful, but then there aren't enough people who help for the other 5% for it to be profitable. So they mess with the program that works.

The vast number of people who use a word processing program probably haven't even touched the functions that have been added in the last ten years. Cut, paste, save, spell chek, open, close, just the basics, ma'am.

Well that's enough of my rant. I might change the font and size, maybe even the color and spacing now. What do you think about a right justified circular table with alternating border thickness? 

Angel From Montgomery

I'm inserting a little multi-media today by linking and talking about a video. It is Jill Hennessy's cover of Angel From Montgomery by John Prine. Bonnie Raitt recorded it on her Streetlights album, an album that should be in anyone's collection who enjoys Raitt's songs. But Jill (she's responded to one of my tweets, so I am allowed to use her first name) certainly makes it her own.

I actually heard Angel From Montgomery years ago on a rafting trip run by a local company. The company operates an exciting, fantastically fun trip (screw it, I'll give 'em a plug: Kings River Expeditions) and has a campfire show after the evening meal. It features the guides and anyone who wants to do something is free to join it. I read a humorous, at least to me, poem I wrote. But the absolute highlight was a guide singing this song.

She was accompanied by a quite competent guitar player (buff river guide AND guitar player, yeah, he bought condoms by the pallet). Even discounting my infatuation with her, she did have a fabulous voice and sang an incredible version of the song.

I did a little research to find out more about the song. I was unfamiliar with Bonnie Raitt, but soon became a huge fan. Her bluesy, folk, rock elements means she is a joy to listen to in almost any mood.

I had just joined Twitter and was watching an old Law & Order episode (the original is still the best). It was one with McCoy and Kincaid, my favorite combo, and I was pleased with how well the 20 year episode held up. I saw Jill (again, she tweeted me, we're good) was on Tweeter and followed her to say so.

Now in her Twitter bio, she mentions being an actress, for the people that don't have a TV, and being a singer/songwriter. I chuckled to myself, here's one of those self-absorbed actors that thinks they can do anything. I mean, who doesn't hear "actor-songwriter/singer" and automatically think of William Shatner's Rocket Man?

I had to listen to one of her songs. I'll admit I was hoping for a dash of schadenfreude. I wanted to hear a train wreck, but as the song started, I had to admit it wasn't the auditory torture I expected. In fact, she was quite good. Whereas I had just clicked to sample a song, I bought the album (hell, while I'm giving out plugs: Ghost in My Head).

I tweeted her that I really enjoyed her music and compared her to Bonnie Raitt. She tweeted back a thanks (see, I said we're tight). She later posted this video and, damn, she cranks out a great version.

I've enjoyed this song over many years and have never heard a bad version. Now, if you've read this before listening, click the link and reward yourself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do

A Splash from the Past

Today (tonight if you want to get technical) my post is about this picture. I realize the need to jazz up this blog and this is the start. I also have no idea who this woman is.

The picture came from the family collection. To make it short, the Richerts don't throw things out. Several of my grandfather's siblings didn't have any heirs, so when they died, my grandfather stored their pictures in his garage and became the de facto Richert archivist. When he passed, I assumed conservatorship.

Before he died, my grandfather did label some of the family photos, but not all. This particular photo was from a batch from one of my great-aunts, but it doesn't look like some of the labeled pictures of her, maybe a friend of hers. But then again, if could have been a photo of one of my great-uncle's friends. I don't think we'll ever know with any degree of certainty.

The age is also in doubt. I think we can confidently say it is from between WWI and WWII. That fits the timeframe of the photos it was found with and the hair style of the woman.

I think we sometimes assume past generations were more asexual than they really were. We see films from that era that were self-censored and that visual image influences our opinions of what life must have been like. I think the photo helps show another side of that generation.

The swimsuit is not significantly different from a style some might wear today and she is not self-conscious about her body. You can just imagine the group cooling off in the water, drinking a cold one, and cuddling at night while looking at the stars. The present generation's existence is proof that past generations liked horizontal activity as much as we do today.

I have thousands of photos to organize. My first step is to scan them and create some sort of organizing system. It is a large undertaking and I've put it off for too long. But finding interesting photos like this is a good motivator. I will be sure to share.

Powerball Purchases

Tonight is the Powerball drawing for close to $500 million. Talk about a life changing amount! Lunch is on me! The odds of me actually winning, however, are about the same as Taylor Swift cooking me dinner tonight. Ah, but the fantasy...

People always love to talk about their fantasy purchases and I have a couple. But they are not the exotic Italian cars whose fender benders cost more than an average cruise for two. Hell, I wouldn't even fit in them. I want a fire truck.

It really is a cliché about little boys and their interest in becoming fireman. Watching the 70’s TV show Emergency certainly helped spark my interest. But I never seriously consider the occupation, though I've always been interested in the apparatus.

That was one of the things I loved about the show, the chance to see some sort of specific use equipment like the foam truck or the ladder truck with the solo compartment in the rear to help it steer. And the multi-station call was the cherry on top.

So I will buy an engine when I win this big one. I'll have a couple of wooden structures built to be torched and then I'll put them out with my new fire engine. You know I'm going to pull that horn and run those sirens. I even have in mind a couple addresses where to test out the volume.

But I'm not going to keep, I have enough trouble keeping my 2002 Camry clean, let alone a huge fire truck. I know the novelty would where off soon, so my new toy will be donated to a deserving community here or in Mexico.

My other transportation related purchase I will keep. It is definitely in the milieu of millionaires. No more traveling like the unsorted masses crammed together in the same compartment. I am buying my own rail car.

 Now I love traveling by train. I've ridden on almost all the intercity miles in Northern California and the major ones in LA. I can stand up, stretch my legs, get a little snack for the bar car. It really is a comfortable to travel. But my own rail car? That's straight from the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

The most common practice is to refurbish an existing single-level passenger car, usually from decades ago. Some will try to duplicate the original decor and others put a modern tint on it. My plan would use the modern bi-level design, but trick it out like an MTV show.

A kitchen is an absolute must. I might want to dabble again in the culinary arts every now and then, but I'll hire a Bourdain-want-a-be to do the vast majority of the cooking. The ability to design a private bathroom will also take traveling in comfort to a new level. 

Bedroom, sitting room, dining room, office, game parlor will also be included in the design. I'll go for a modern, clean look, which means that I can't have anything to do with the interior decorating.

Though I live in Fresno, I'll most likely have to base it in Bakersfield or Oakland, as they are the terminal stops of the San Joaquin Amtrak route that goes through Fresno. Depending how many cross country trips I take on it, the base might have to be Oakland. (Better make sure I spring for the anti-graffiti coating.)

I’ll get some other toys, but those are the most unusual things I’ll but. Plus, I’ll always be able to tip like I printed the stuff. I will love to see the reaction of some poor server that has had a rotten day when I pull out Benny and say, “Keep it.” So leave a comment on your fun purchase and remember, lunch is on me.

Communal heritage in commerce

Recently, the Silver Dollar Hofbrau closed in Fresno. It had been open for over thirty years and its closure is a net loss for Fresno. Were it a building of age or historical interest, the city historical commission would have required an assessment of its value to the community. Since the building didn't have any historical interest, there wasn't even a discussion of the business's cultural value to the community.

This is wrong. We need to open discussion about the cultural impact that local business have on the community and if can do more to save them for future generations.

The Old Fresno Haufbrau, the Farmer's Market, and Cedar Lanes are other examples of local businesses that have closed and left a hole in Fresno's collective culture. Familial and communal interactions and memories will no longer be created. The very definition of community includes a sense of "place." As we lose places were were create memories and interact, we lose what makes us a community.

Not every business is culturally important to the community. National chains are very popular and successful for their consistency of product and brand recognition but do not add to a local sense of "place" or community. So any business worthy of special consideration should be local. This also makes economic sense as local ownership guarantees the greatest portion of the economic gain will stay in the local economy.

The business needs to be a place where people interact not only with themselves, but others. In our modern cities, the concept of the civic square has been lost. As we grew to live outside close proximity to the traditional downtown, common gathering areas have become more dispersed, smaller and commercial.

The business should also be multi-generational. I remember having lunch at the Farmer's Market with my father and grandfather. It was very special to having lunch with just the three of us. A business that caters to a specific age, like a video game store, does not create cross-generational memories and is more susceptible to changing fads or technology. A cold beer will always be desirable.

To protect a significant historical building, the city historical commission can require a building owner to meet and maintain certain conditions and even protect its removal. But how to protect these businesses? What can be done to save them?

The first step, like in the physical building, is to create a registry of culturally import businesses. In Fresno, the Gateway Ice Center is a perfect example of what I'm discussing. The building is a converted cold storage and not worthy of traditional historic preservation, but losing the last place to ice skate, especially for an area that tops 100 degrees in the summer, isn't in the best interests of the city.

Once a registry is completed, a marketing campaign could be run to promote these businesses. Often these favorite businesses suffer an economic slowdown as they get older. Often, it is difficult to compete with national chains that have huge marketing budgets for prime time ads and such. The city or chamber of commerce could remind people of these business and do more to encourage their patronage. Again, with the local businesses, more money spent here, stays here.

Even more active economic support could be given. Businesses on the registry could be excluded from city taxes, perhaps on a sliding scale in terms of years opened. Reducing or eliminating the fees when the business wants to upgrade by putting in a patio or expanding a warehouse. Even just giving them priority service on things like city inspections or approvals could them reward them for their value to the community.

And when circumstances dictate the the owner sells the business, every effort should be maintained to have new ownership maintain the business and not close it. This could be done through zoning and CUP process. These requirements could be part of the agreement the owners agree to when they accept the fore mentioned perks.

There are businesses that are part of our community's culture. They are worth saving for ourselves and future generations. When a Silver Dollar Haufbrau or Farmer's Market closes and is replaced by a chain store selling pencils or another T. Applechiligan's, we lose a part of Fresno.

500 Free Form Words

This post is more of a free-form monologue, rather than a cogent post. I will do very little editing and the goal is to reach 500 words as quickly as possible. I have been dragging too long in creating a new post. And this is my penalty, posting something like this for all to see.

So far, I've failed in my quest to create a daily post of something. So here is another attempt. I am also doing this by dictation in the iOS on an iPad and, quite frankly, the technology still has a way to go. I will definitely be doing more editing, then I initially imagined. Actually looking this over, I'm having second thoughts on whether it would just be quicker to type it in.

Okay, I'm going to type this paragraph manually and try to judge whether or not I will do the rest of the post this way. There is a definite difference between typing and pure dictation. Dictation is a real skill and I remember my dad just spitting out the stuff. He would always have a dictaphone on hand, especially when the technology made them smaller. It got to the point where he actually had a secretary just doing his tapes.

Since I'm watching the Top Chef finale, I've decided to not use the dictation and try to listen and write at the same time. Of course, this guarantees that I'll neither catch all of the show nor write anything worth reading.

Having worked in the restaurant industry for many years, I like the cooking shows. Top Chef focuses more on the food and less on the false interpersonal drama than most of the others. I do think the judges are a little pretentious at times. They sometimes look down on simplicity. I really laugh of the concept of "deconstruction" in the attempt of originality. You're not going to eat it with tweezers, so don't use tweezers to plate it.

Getting back to the blog, I feel bad about failing in the everyday effort, but I only compound it by not trying again and again. So this effort is being thrown together and will be posted tonight, no matter how late I have to stay up. "Tomorrow" is a word that has killed so many of my past tomorrows.

I decided that I'll use reposts (when I get enough), post something by another (with their permission), or link something and make a comment, rather than miss a day again. In addition to making the blog readable, adhering to this goal will improve my writing, and quite frankly, my organizational skills outside of writing.

I also have a bunch of family photos that I will use when I think they are of general interest. Most of the ones that I've seen are people, but if any recognizable local features are photographed, I'll share them as I come across them. (Organizing the family letters and photos archive is another big project that I've started and stopped too many times.)

The next post will return to a more cogent, logical argument about expanding the concept of historical protection.