Siegel's Droppings

Vegas for the non-gambler

2010-06-06T10:32:00.001-07:00

Paris Casino bathroom sink
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

What's a person to do in Las Vegas when they don't enjoy gambling? The answer came on walking through the themed Paris casino after dinner and in need of a bathroom. The bathrooms there are gorgeous and entertaining. French language lessons are piped into the room instead of Muzak. One can learn very useful phrases for conversation in French while visiting Vegas, such as "Wow, are those real?"

That initiated our quest to find the most over-the-top casino bathroom in town. Turns out the best was the first, though the sinks in Treasure Island were pretty cool.

We checked out the bathrooms in The Bellagio, Caesers, Venetian, Excaliber, Luxor, Mirage, Mandalay Bay. If we ever go back are there bathrooms worth viewing at the other casinos?

Couch Tater Tots

2009-10-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

I received a sales flyer today in the mail. One of the specials is a "Kiddie Recliner" Yep, a pint-sized recliner. Now Jimmy Jr. can enjoy the big game just like daddy and start developing his beer belly early.

I'd like to hope that it's on special because parents knew that their kids belong outdoors getting exercise instead of reclining in front of the big screen tv and that none were purchased at full price.

Dept. of Food and Ag putting its money where its mouth is, almost literally

2009-10-30T08:55:00.001-07:00

Dept. of Food and Ag vegetable garden
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

I walk by the California Department of Food and Agriculture every morning on my way to work. Not long ago I was distressed to see that the buildings and grounds staff had pulled out all the perennial and annual flowers, leaving empty beds.

Soon seedlings began appearing in stringed off areas. Sure looked like lettuce and radishes. Sure enough, a vegetable garden is now growing in the beds by the front entrance to the building. The beds are on the southern side of the building, however, there are very large trees directly to the south which will shade the vegetable beds most of the day. Great concept though. I wish them luck and a large harvest.

Science Fiction and Fantasy book club reading list for 2009/2010

2009-07-18T18:01:00.001-07:00

The still mostly librarians science fiction and fantasy book club met today for their annual book selection for extended fiscal year 2009/2010. We have been having troubles finding a date to meet in the middle of summer so selected enough books this time to get us to fall 2010.

Here are the books we will be reading. Read along and comment if you'd like.

2009/08 Doctorow, Cory / Little Brother (SF)

2009/09 Farmer, Nancy / The House of the Scorpion (SF)

2009/10 Haldeman, Joe / Camouflage (SF)

2009/11 Bujold, Lois McMaster / Sharing Knife: Beguilement (Fantasy)

2009/12 LeGuin, Ursula K. / Left Hand of Darkness (Classic)

2010/01 Vance, Jack / Last Castle (SF)

2010/02 Bulgakov, Mikhail / Master and Margarita (Fantasy)

2010/03 Stirling, S.M. / Court of the Crimson Kings (Alternate history)

2010/04 Turtledove, Harry / Rule Britannia (Alternate history)

2010/05 Grimwood, Ken / Replay (Speculative)

2010/06 Butcher, Jim / Furies of Calderon (Fantasy)

2010/07 Stross, Charles / Saturn's Children (Space opera)

2010/08 Brooks, Max / World War Z (Fantasy)

2010/09 Bellamy, Edward / Looking Backward (Classic)

Star Princess diverted Mexican Riviera Cruise Review

2009-05-16T15:47:00.001-07:00

On the perfect vacation
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

I traveled on the Star Princess with my sister. This was my sixth Princess cruise, first time at the Platinum Captain’s Circle level. It was my sister’s 11th Princess cruise. We traveled round-trip out of San Francisco. We chose this trip because our travel agent provided a charter bus ride from Sacramento.

Traffic in the San Francisco embarcadero area was very congested, our bus spending over an hour to go less than one mile. Once at the pier embarkation was very well organized. It didn't take very long to obtain our cruise card and go through security and board the ship.

This was the largest ship I’ve ever been on. One could tell it was designed for maximum passenger capacity and revenue generation. The Promenade deck is much narrower than older ships. There are no deck chairs on the Promenade deck, just a few benches. There is a wine bar and wine accessories shop taking up a big chunk of space on the Plaza level.

The library has been combined with the Internet Café. There are not many books available for so many passengers, nor were there many seats for people to sit in the library and read. There were plenty of Internet terminals, there were usually terminals available whenever I wandered by.

The Explorer’s Lounge, which looked like it might be a nice place to relax, was taken over all day, each sea day for storage, set up and then auction of the hundreds of pieces of framed art. The pictures were set up along every walkway, making the entire area unusable, if not a downright safety hazard.

We decided to splurge for a mini-suite. There was a sufficient amount of storage space. However, I was surprised at how narrow the cabin is. There was not much storage space in the bathroom above the counter. It would have been nice to have a medicine cabinet and some more shelving. The bathtub shower had nice water pressure. The extra shower space the bathtub afforded was very welcome. The extra space for the loveseat and table was heavily used during our sea days for reading and relaxing. On sea days the public areas of the ship were very congested with all available seating taken. Having that extra space in the cabin enabled us to relax during our cruise and not be frustrated by the shortage of public spaces.

We tried out MUTS (Movies Under The Stars) one evening. The crew works very hard to make this venue fun. Pool loungers are covered with special mats and staff hand out blankets and popcorn. It is a very nice concept.

Even with such a large ship and 2,500 passengers, we had no problem tendering. We'd have breakfast in dining room, go back to our cabin to gather our stuff and then head down to pick up tender tickets. Each time there was no waiting so we were told to proceed directly to the tenders. We were ashore in both Santa Barbara and Catalina by 9 a.m.

Some observations and annoyances:

On board the Star Princess we signed up for an internet package. There was an embarkation day special. The $100 package is usually for 250 minutes, but the special was for an additional 30 minutes. After logging off the first time the Internet Usage Summary showed that only 250 minutes were given. We asked the gentleman at the Internet Cafe desk about it and he said it would appear the next day. It didn't. The Passenger Services Desk referred us back to the Internet manager. That day he said that the Platinum credit is only for 250 minutes. We submitted a written comment/complaint to the Passenger Services desk saying that Princess Captain's Circle benefits state that Platinum card holders receive $100 credit for Internet packages, not a specific amount of time. If this is a change of policy it needs to be communicated to all Captain's Circle members. We never heard back about our complaint nor did the extra 30 minutes appear on our balance. We then let the Captain's Circle hostess know about the problem. She said that she would look into it but we never heard anything back from her either.

When will Princess do away with the costumed photography staff? Gangways were held up while people were told to stop to be photographed with a bear or eagle. One night after dinner pirate costumed staff tried to startle diners as they exited the dining room. Not cool.

For the wonderful ice cream that is served in the buffet each afternoon, the servers are not told the flavors, so they would guess. If it is green it must be mint seemed to be the theory, at least that’s the flavor I was told one day. I put chocolate sprinkles on it to make a mint-chip combination. Wrong, it was honeydew melon, which is quite good but doesn’t work well with chocolate sprinkles. This lack of knowledge of the ice cream flavor and telling people their guess could be tragic if someone had allergies and was told the flavor was one thing when it wasn't.

We ate most of our meals in the dining room. Personal choice dining in the Capri dining room on deck 5 was never congested. The food was excellent. The plates are now plain white china, more appropriate for a dining room than the floral design of the past. We asked to be seated at tables for six or less and were always accommodated. We never had to wait to be seated. The dining room has areas a step or two up from the main floor level. I don’t understand why they seat people who obviously have mobility problems (the walkers and wheelchairs should be a clue) in these elevated areas while able-bodied people are seated on the main level. I’ve been harping about this on my final comment/questionnaire for years.

The times I stopped by the gym there were always machines available. The gym has 4 elliptical machines, 12 treadmills, 2 recumbent bicycles and 2 exercycles. There are also Paramount brand weight machines.

The wifi signal is sporadic in the cabins but can be received around the atrium. There are several nice tables and chairs in the piazza with electrical outlets nearby for laptops.

This cruise was one of those affected by the swine flu travel warnings. The second night during dinner the captain announced that all stops in Mexico had been cancelled and that new stops along the California coast were being developed. This was a situation out of Princess' control and he asked that people not take their disappointment out on the crew. There were a number of very obnoxious passengers on board who did just that. I could not understand their beef. The CDC and the WHO advised that unnecessary travel to Mexico be avoided. I think Princess went above and beyond to put together the revised itinerary which included the same number of port stops, and longer port times. The logistics of working out the schedule and permits and whatever is required for a port stop must have had people scrambling and working many hours overtime. Kudos to Princess for taking lemons and making lemonade.

Speaking of lemonade, it is now available in the buffet, but must be requested from the crew. Most of the time it was wonderful but near the end of the cruise it became water with a hint of lemon.

Since no passengers or crew were allowed off during the Passenger Services Act obligatory stop in a foreign port, Ensenada in our case, US citizens did not have to go through immigration at our first stop back in the US in San Pedro/Long Beach. However, no one was let off the ship in San Pedro until all non-US citizens reported to U.S. Immigration officials. Everyone was delayed over an hour because a few people did not show up when they were supposed to and then didn't hear or ignored the PA system announcements. Why U.S. Immigration insisted that these people be processed is beyond me and why everyone was held hostage just didn’t seem right.

I enjoyed our California coastal stops, even though I had been to each port before. The weather was fabulous, the locations we stopped at were thrilled to have us, and they were all very picturesque. Yes, even San Pedro, a working port, is quite interesting and picturesque. Also, since we did not have to travel very far we were cruising at a very leisurely pace. This allowed us to use our balcony, even while at sea and to enjoy MUTS at night.

Overall I found the cruise to be everything I anticipated. I wanted a relaxing vacation and that is what I got, with good food, calm waters, and time to leave the stresses of work behind.

The case of the shrinking cruise ship libraries

2009-05-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Back in 2001 I sailed on the Sea Princess. The ship carries 1950 passengers. The library had many sections of shelving units, filled with current titles. There were so many titles from my "must read" that I found it difficult to choose. I finally settled on The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.

Today I am on the Star Princess. The ship carries 2600 passengers. The library has been merged with the internet cafe. There are only 12 sections of book shelves. If memory serves me correctly, this is half or less than on the Sea. In scanning the shelves before the library opened for the first day of business I found no current titles, nothing from my list, and most disheartening, The Blind Assassin is the only Atwood title. Granted it is a great book, but obviously Princess no longer cares to maintain their library.

Customer service - a tale of two wireless phone companies

2009-02-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

Back in December 2002 we broke down and decided to sign up for a wireless phone plan, basically for emergency use. The "more bars" company was running a special. We picked out small simple phones at the local company store. Once home we discovered we only got a weak signal in our neighborhood. But as the intent was to have the phones for when we were on the road, that was OK. We humorously noted that we got a stronger signal at the little rural town we liked to go to for breakfast than in our city.

A year or two later we got a notice from the city about a public hearing for a request for a permit to place a cell tower in our neighborhood. Our city has quite a number of very vocal paranoids that are convinced we'll all die from electromagnetic transmissions. I knew that they'd be trying to stack the ballots as it were with calls and letters to the city. I decided to become civicly involved and wrote a letter to the city in support of the tower, stating security concerns. The local police department was recommending that residents always have their cell phones with them as they walk through their neighborhoods. My neighborhood was a dead zone.

Somehow the company got their permit and put up the tower. We finally had a strong signal at our house. That all ended around January 2, 2009. We were back to even worse signal strength than the beginning. A call to the local store confirmed that others in our neighborhood also had called in to complain. We called the national number. Call one to them ended up with them just taking a report. Call two a couple days later got them to ask a few more questions and promise to follow up. That call did provide the information that the cell tower near us was a partner tower. They promised to look more into it and give me a courtesy call in two days. A week after that call (with no courtesy call received) we got a four bar signal one night but then the very next day we got absolutely nothing, in fact when checking out the service we received an unauthorized message. Call three got them to listen a bit more and finally passed me on to a technician. That technician admitted that the partnership had been canceled. I asked if they were in negotiation to become partners again. They weren't. What was her suggestion to me? To upgrade my service. How would paying for a more expensive plan help getting a signal. I informed her that instead I would be changing carriers.

At work there was a flyer about state employee discounts through the "Can you hear me now" company. I sent an email to the state employee representative mentioned on the flyer. Seven minutes later I received a return email with plan details. She also left a voice message for me.

We changed plans and purchased new phones at a local authorized reseller. Both employees we dealt with there were knowledgeable about the "Can you hear me now" company's product and services. Based on our phone usage at the other carrier they knew we'd only be interested in the bare bones plan and phone. We got no up-sell at all.

Our first bill came and it showed activation fees when we were told the fees would be credited back immediately. I called the "Can you hear me now" company and within 5 minutes I was speaking to a live person. That person was empowered to resolve the issue after checking with a supervisor. I also received an email confirmation with the new balance noted.

Epilogue - two days after we switched I got the courtesy call from "more bars" It was a satisfaction survey.

25 Things

2009-01-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

There is a meme going around Facebook, 25 random things about yourself. You are to then tag 25 other people to do the same thing. I'll not put anyone on the spot by tagging them. If you wish to participate, go ahead and add a note to your Facebook profile or a post to your blog. To my two blog readers, here's more about me.

1 I'm a morning person
2 I can't stand the flavor of licorice, root beer, anise, etc.
3 Was an avid international folk dancer
4 I've collected elephant stuff since age 5
5 First job was as a summer camp counselor
6 I spent my senior year of college on the education abroad program in Israel
7 Became a librarian because I liked my roommate's homework
8 Wanted to be an archaeologist to dig up ancient tombs in Egypt
9 My cell phone is almost always off
10 Created a neighborhood lending library when I was in elementary school. Jennifer still has a book overdue
11 Have four pleasure books being read at a time, one per location: home, bus, work, walk
12 Still have my tonsils and wisdom teeth
13 Wear sensible shoes
14 My first computer was a Kaypro II
15 I've never had a pet
16 I'm extremely shy
17 I've only owned 3 cars in over 30 years
18 Never smoked, ever
19 Don't understand the appeal of gambling
20 I used to answer all the questions sent to the California Home Page, some were doozies
21 I hate eggplant
22 My idea of a great vacation is a cruise, not much planning needed
23 I miss being a cataloger
24 Walk several miles every day
25 Prefer hot weather to cold

As I was trying to come up with 25 things about me I was conscious to not reveal too much personal information about myself. I'm concerned about personal data being published on the Internet. With online banking now using more personal challenge response questions instead of the standard "mother's maiden name" is it a good idea to post your dog's name or your favorite color?

I'm finally a big girl, at least when it comes to having blood drawn

2009-01-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

When I was small I used to scream and thrash whenever I got a shot or had to have blood drawn. My mother had to practically sit on me to hold me steady for the doctor. Having a low threshold for pain and having all those traumatic experiences in my youth I've never been brave or good with having blood drawn. I passed the mid-century mark a few years back but haven't been able to get past that.

Several years ago I was found to carry the family genes for high cholesterol. That required continual monitoring of levels, which meant frequent blood tests. They were always painful and very stressful on me. Somewhere I picked up the advice to bite a finger on the other arm as they are about to put in the needle. The theory being you are causing yourself pain which will move your focus away from the needle. With some phlebotomists (person who draws the blood) that technique doesn't really do much.

Not long ago my medical office changed labs. The phlebotomist at the new lab is very kind and gentle. He's quite good at always finding the vein and causing very little pain. The last time I was in, as he wrapped the constrictor tubing on my arm, I did my usual finger bite. He commented "Oh right, you are the one who has to bite her finger" That shamed me into trying it today without any crutches. As he was getting ready I commented that I was going to be brave and not bite my finger. He said "it's not going to work, see, you are already thinking about it." But I did it, I just sat there and it didn't bother me when he stuck in the needle.

All bets are off however, if I end up with a different phlebotomist. And, I'm still a big baby when it comes to shots and dental work.

99 Things Meme

2008-12-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain. (if Lassen peak counts)
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. (I'd like to see someone italicize this one)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (I think I did as a kid)
18. Grown your own vegetables. (nothing beats the flavor of home grown tomatoes)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. (long long long ago in a prior job)
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run. (hah, couldn't even hit the ball, let alone out of the park)
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (but I'm frugal so I'm pretty satisfied)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. (another one that probably isn't on many people's must-do list)
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. (ithe back seat in our PJ's)
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. (Camp Fire Girl mints were my thing)
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. (it sure seemed like he was speeding to me)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. (but current car was bought used)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

Nearest book Meme

2008-12-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

"Here it was, blocked by the chance falling of a tree!" Earth Abides, George R. Stewart

Rules:
* Grab the book closest to you.
* Go to page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Write that sentence as your status in Facebook.
* Copy these instructions as a comment to your status.
* Don't go looking for your favourite book, or the coolest one you have - just grab the closest one.

Fuzzy Math or Creative Advertising

2008-11-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

Perhaps someone can explain this math problem to me.

I just received a flyer from a nearby department store. It is promoting their MVC (Most Valued Customer) program. Here is the exact wording on the flyer:

MVCs (Most Valued Customers) can pick a day to save even more on one day's
purchases in store and online - six times a year. That's a total of 18
extra savings opportunities!

Here's my calculations of the total savings opportunities: Six days in store plus six days online equals 12 extra savings opportunities, not 18. What am I not seeing?

Take paradise and ...

2008-10-25T10:02:00.001-07:00

Replacement tree
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

Back in January the large stately street tree right outside my cubicle window fell down in the wind. City workers promised me that they would replace my tree.

About six months later they did, with a parking station.

Oh Joni, you had it so right.

Memes and reading

2008-09-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

A meme caught my fancy so I'm passing it on for the one reader of this blog. A meme is idea or behavior that passes from one person to another.

This is a list of the top 106 books most often marked “unread” by LibraryThing users. The rules: bold the ones you’ve read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin (gripped me from the first paragraph)
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera (on my shelf waiting to be read)
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

School was so long ago that I probably have read most of the classics, but honestly do not remember. I have kept a list of every book I've read since graduate school days. My list is now in a database with over 1,200 titles.

So many books, so little time.

Mostly librarians SF/F complete list of books discussed

2008-08-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

I've just published a Google spreadsheet of the books that have been discussed since mid-1996 of our nameless science fiction and fantasy book club. I've been a member of the group since late 1998. I'm hoping other members of the group will add comments. Annotations came from the NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) catalog, a nice source for brief descriptions of books.

For your reading pleasure: The list Note, there are two tabs/pages as there is a limit of 100 rows per tab.

Memory check with the help of serendipity

2008-08-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

My sister has been concerned about my mother's memory so when I visited my folks last weekend I observed her with that in mind.

My folks had just moved from one senior independent living apartment complex to another three days earlier. My mom spoke of the manager of the old place, how Ms. Manager choses favorites of the residents and had already found a new favorite to replace my parents. The newly blessed resident became that because her son is a member of a rock band and he came by to have lunch with her. I asked my mom (who has never had an interest in anything musical after the Tijuana Brass stopped recording) if she knew the name of the band or the band member's name. She said she thought it was something like Eagle. "The Eagles?" we asked her, they are pretty big. Was the son about our age or very young? About your age she said, but long hair. She thought his name was something like Schmit. I really don't know rock music and S.O. couldn't remember the band members names so we just filed it away as a maybe true, maybe confused story.

The next day I was at my athletic club and walked by the magazine rack. Usually it just has old issues of Time magazine and various trade journals left by other members. This time, front and center, was an issue of Rollingstone and who should be on the cover, you guessed it, The Eagles. One bandmember's name sure enough is Timothy Schmit. Guess my mother's short-term memory is pretty good. Her long-term memory is legendary, so I'm not concerned about memory issues.

Mostly librarians science fiction/fantasy book club

2008-07-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am coming up to 10 full years of participating in a science fiction and fantasy book club. Established years earlier by a group of state agency librarians, the group has been meeting monthly for lunch and book discussion at a downtown location near most of our workplaces.

We have members from a number of agencies, including the state library, the secretary of state's office, corrections, and now several lucky retirees. Some members are extremely well-read and knowledgeable about SF and fantasy, for others each author and book are a new experience. We gather once a (fiscal) year for a pot-luck on a weekend to choose the books for the coming year. We try to have a nice mix of genres, with at least one classic and usually a vampire book for one fan of that genre. One member is an expert in horror, so his suggestions are highly valued.

Here are the books we will be reading this fiscal year (thank you RF for compiling the list.) Read along and comment if you'd like. I'm hoping to soon create an online spreadsheet or database to list all the titles that have been read in the last eleven years.

8/08 Chabon, Michael / The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (alternative history)

9/08 Miller Jr., Walter M. / Canticle for Leibowitz (classic post-apocalyptic)

10/08 McDevitt, Jack / Seeker (space opera, archaeology, mystery)

11/08 Zelazny, Roger / A Night in the Lonesome October (fantasy)

12/08 Stirling, S.M. / Dies the Fire (post-apocalyptic)

1/09 Adams, Douglas / Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (comic sci-fi)

2/09 Robinson, Kim S. / The Years of Rice and Salt (alternative history)

3/09 Hill, Joe / Heart-Shaped Box (horror, ghost story)

4/09 Huxley, Aldous / Brave New World (classic dystopia)

5/09 Scalzi, John / The Android’s Dream (interstellar diplomacy, satire)

6/09 Maguire, Gregory / Wicked: the Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West (fantasy, cautionary tale)

7/09 Meyers, Stephenie / The Host (alien invasion)

Exploiting the Gullible

2008-07-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've seen it on TV, an exclusive offer to purchase (limit 5 per customer) a September 11th commemorative "coin"

They include their website: http://www.911twenty.com/

Here's part of their description of what they are selling (my emphasis):

Today history is being made as National Collector's Mint releases this Government Authorized Non-circulating Liberian legal tender September 11th Commemorative. This $20 Silver Leaf Coin-Certificate is payable like a Silver Certificate in coin-of-the-realm.

Its giant 3-1/8" inches by 7-3/8" inches size dwarfs every U.S. legal tender note in circulation
Struck in .999 Pure Silver Leaf!
Each is individually numbered!

On the front, the frosted Twin Towers stand out against a mirror-like background, much as they did in the gleaming sunlight of that fateful morning, double dated 2001-2008 with our promise - "We will never forget!"Another historic first: This Silver Leaf Coin-Certificate displays a standard $20 denomination on one side. But on the other side, it's the first time ever that two separate numbers have been used to add up to the full $20 face value - it uses 9 and 11 to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy.
The final issue price was to be set at $39 but during this special release, it can be yours for its face value of just $20.00!

Now, let's not forget that this is Liberian legal tender. The U.S. dollar is worth approximately 57 Liberian dollars, making the face value more like 35 cents.

Please folks, DON'T buy one. Oh, lest I forget, you can purchase a box for your "coin" for $9.95. And wait, there is shipping and handling too.

Caught on Google Street View

2008-07-26T06:38:00.001-07:00

Me on Google Street View
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

Wouldn't it be cool to see the vehicle used to photograph Google Street View we all thought when the service was announced.

Little did I know that one of those vehicles was following behind me as I rode my bike to my athletic club (score a point for me for actually going to the athletic club.) I wish I had eyes at the back of my head, what a big missed opportunity.

I came across myself on Google Street View quite by accident. Of course I checked out my house and my block when the local newspaper announced that Google had added our city to the Street View locations. Not a soul on the street.

But, the other day I was checking out a real estate listing and wanted to make sure the address listed was the house I was thinking of. I thought it was pretty cool that they seemed to have captured a bicyclist on three or four of the waypoints. Looking closer I realized it had to be me. Confirmed by my S.O. and my sister (who else would recognize my backside)

Anyone else find themselves on Google Street View? My S.O.'s middle brother was out gardening when the vehicle came by his neighborhood in Los Angeles. Nice butt shot of him too.

He brings home an award

2008-07-15T10:09:00.001-07:00

Datsun Roadster Meet 2nd place award
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

S.O. won a 2nd place award for his category of car. He was jazzed that his dented Datsun roadster got any award, let alone 2nd place. His elation was tempered by the realization that only three cars were entered in his category. But, at least he didn't come in dead last. Could be the 3rd place finisher was there by himself and didn't have a spouse to vote for him.

Datsun roadsters come to Mt. Shasta

2008-07-12T13:52:00.001-07:00

Neil's 1966 Datsun 1600
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

This was our 5th year attending the annual Datsun Show and Shine in Mt. Shasta. This year S.O. stands a good chance of walking away with the prize in his category, even though he has not put any work into restoration. We'll find out tonight at the awards dinner is he won on charm, cause he won't win on looks.

This year, probably due to the price of gas, only 20 roadsters came to the event. That means less competition,in fact there was only one other car in his category.

Yesterday Mt. Shasta city was beautiful with blue skies and clear view of the summit of Mt. Shasta. Overnight the winds changed and the smoke from the many northern California fires are obscuring the views.

Isn't the minimum drinking age 21?

2008-07-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

My local supermarket is promoting a brand of flavored vodkas. Nothing much wrong with that but I wonder who the vodka company is trying to attract with their new flavors.

Three Olives brand's new flavors are: cherry, root beer, and grape.

Enough said.

Unclear of the concept, or is it very clear?

2008-06-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

I received an email from Redmond Magazine, the self-proclaimed independent voice of the Microsoft IT community. The magazine covers all things Microsoft.

The email invited me to participate in a survey. As an incentive to participate they state "all completed surveys will be entered into a drawing for one iPhone." Looks like they realize that no Microsoft products have that wow factor that many Apple products do.

To the rescue

2008-06-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

Marvelle the rescued basenji
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

The other day I took some time off to help my sister transport a rescue dog on her penultimate trip to her forever home. I was amazed by the dedication and coordination of all the volunteers that helped bring Marvelle from Texas to her new home in Chico.

Marvelle (who has probably already been renamed by her new parents, which is fine since she didn’t respond to Marvelle) probably started life in a puppy mill in Texas. She is probably about seven months old. She is a beautiful tri-colored basenji.

A volunteer from BRAT (Basenji Rescue and Transport http://basenjirescue.org) drove her from Texas to southern California. Another volunteer took her from southern California to Harris ranch (about 400 miles round trip up I-5.) Another volunteer then drove from San Jose to Harris ranch (again about 400 miles round trip) to bring her to his home. We drove from Sacramento to San Jose and brought her to Davis (200 miles round trip) where her new parents met us to take her to her new home in Chico (200 miles round trip) A lot of time and gasoline, and a whole lot of love went into bringing her to a family that will cherish and understand her.

Basenjis are often abandoned or given up for adoption. They are beautiful dogs but do not make good pets for families that do not understand the breed. Years ago my sister wanted a dog and did a lot of research into what breed to get. Basenji it was. Dollar was a pound puppy, twice rejected but then my sister came along and gave him a good home. Dollar passed away a number of years ago. My sister got involved with BRAT, first fostering dogs, then helping coordinate adoptions. She also helps write the first doggie (person) descriptions of the dogs awaiting adoption. Makes one want to adopt each and every one of them.

A salute to my sister and all dog rescue volunteers.

All systems down - UPS replacement ahead

2008-06-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Computer room emptied of racks and equipment to replace UPS system
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

Friday the 13th we had to bring all our network systems down (websites, internal shares, email and Internet access) in order to clear out the computer room for a UPS system replacement on the 14th.

The big gray box in the back of the room is the old 4,000 pound UPS (battery back-up) system. It started failing a few months ago. Turns out they have an expected life span of 10 to 12 years. Ours lasted a bit longer, but not by much.

The UPS system provides short-term emergency power in event of a power failure. It gives us enough time to gracefully shut down all the servers in order to prevent corruption of data. It is not designed as a long-term backup system.

If all goes as planned, Saturday the 14th the old UPS system will be hauled out and the new rack-mounted system will be installed. Time permitting, the equipment racks and computer room furniture will be rolled back in.

Sunday the 15th will be a frantic race against the clock to reattach all the power cords and cables and then power on the network and equipment (in the correct order) to bring everything back up.

As it took over 3 hours on Friday just to pull out all the cords, Sunday will be a very full day.