http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/Telpher Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:40:00 GMT Reviews by Telpher http://www.viewpoints.com/RFM-Moving-Hauling-Services-San-Francisco-Daly-City-CA-review-f3da3 My partner finally rented a small studio space, and decided to clear our apartment of all art-related items. The lot came out to about eight boxes, one large easel, a few portfolios and canvases, and one small wooden cabinet. A small move, but still a move, since the studio is on the other side of the city. We don't have a car, and the studio is one long flight of steps up, so we decided it made the most sense to hire a mover. Seeing as we weren't even moving an entire room (the items listed had been living in a corner of our bedroom for two years) and were all packed up and ready to go, right by our front door, we figured the move from our apartment into a van should take no more than 20 minutes, if that. We do, after all, live in a building with an elevator, and there's a parking space reserved for movers right out front. — After many phone calls, my partner decided to go with RFM Moving and Hauling. Like most movers, they have a minimum of two hours. Fair enough, we figured... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:40:00 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/RFM-Moving-Hauling-Services-San-Francisco-Daly-City-CA-review-f3da3 Telpher 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/AT-amp-T-High-Speed-Internet-review-0cc42 We signed up with AT&T high-speed Internet when we first moved here. it made sense, since AT&T was our phone company, and they offered a bundle price. What a mistake! — Over the years we've had several problems with AT&T, but the problems we've encountered over the last 10 months have really taken the cake. — The Trouble Starts — One November day my high-speed, wireless internet service just stopped working. I turned on my laptop and was unable to connect to the 'net. I called AT&T customer service (after spending no less than 20 minutes on the AT&T website, where they keep their customer service phone number well hidden, in an attempt to get consumers to do everything for themselves.) I spent close to an hour on hold before finally getting through to a person. The person I was eventually connected to turned out to be a sales person, not a techie. Lovely. She transferred me to a techie. About ten minutes later, I had a techie tell me that my modem router was... Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:28:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/AT-amp-T-High-Speed-Internet-review-0cc42 Telpher 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Smooth-Fitness-Smooth-9-45-Tv-Treadmill-review-3f2f1 I'm a tv baby. The tv is on in my apartment all the time. Half the time I'm not even watching, just keeping it on for background noise. That's what happens when you grow up in a noisy house with lots of family, and end up having no kids. — I'm also working on getting healthier, and the fact that they've installed a gym right in my apartment building makes this all the easier. All I have to do is take the elevator down tot he lobby and the gym is right there. Luckily, the folks who set up the gym really thought it through. Instead of installing one tv, permanently tuned to MSNBC (as is the case at so many gyms I've gone to), they've set up the gym with machines -bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters - that each have a built-in television. The treadmills they've installed are Smooth 9.45 TV Treadmills. Private tv, with basic cable, that I can watch and listen to on my headphones, as I do my daily 30 minutes of fat-burning/cardio! — The Smooth 9.45 TV Treadmill is... Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:20:09 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Smooth-Fitness-Smooth-9-45-Tv-Treadmill-review-3f2f1 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Escape-to-Witch-Mountain-review-bf752 These days, Disney Studios bring to mind images of high-tech, computer generated animation that is almost unrivaled in terms of realism. That's all well and good - I love Shrek as much as the next guy. When I was growing up, though, during the 70s, Disney was known also for live action films that were appropriate for the entire family. My sisters and I spent many a Sunday afternoon at matinees with our parents, watching Disney's cornball, good-natured, harmless movies...usually featuring stars from yesteryear. Some of those movies were pretty awful, but most of them were entertaining to kids and at least tolerable to adults. Of all the live action films to come out of Disney's golden age in this medium, the one I remember most fondly is Escape To Witch Mountain. — The premise is one that any kid is likely to latch onto: through a convoluted series of events, two young orphans (brother and sister) come to realize that they're not human, at all, but alien children who were... Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:36:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Escape-to-Witch-Mountain-review-bf752 Telpher 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/White-Rain-Energizing-Citrus-Shampoo-review-4e803 I used to spend a lot of money on shampoo, until someone who worked for one of the large soap companies told me that many of the products we see on shelves are made in one place, packaged differently for different companies, and sold at all different prices. I also worked for an organization that marketed their own, affordable sunscreen, and I know for a fact that they bought from the same manufacturer that many high-priced cosmetic companies bought sunscreens from. So, yeah, eventually I got it into my head that spending a fortune for shampoo was pretty much the same as throwing my money away. — About a year ago I found myself completely out of shampoo, which rarely happens (I usually have a full bottle as a back-up.) I went to the closest Walgreen's and, it being close to the end of the month, realized that I only had a couple of bucks on me. As luck would have it, White Rain Energizing Citrus Shampoo was only $1 for a 20 oz bottle. I figured, "What the heck?" A year later,... Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:38:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/White-Rain-Energizing-Citrus-Shampoo-review-4e803 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/One-Life-To-Live-review-7d5b2 Soaps are among my guilty pleasures. I've watched them since I was a kid, which means I've seen actors come and go, and some really, really insane and stupid stories play themselves out. — One Life to Live is the master of the absurd,when it comes to daytime tv. Long before it became campy to cast apes and little people, OLTL was spinning nutty storylines about dual personalities, alternate universes, fictional blood types and, yes, even time travel. Over the years, this nutty show has provided some of the campiest, juiciest, most fun daytime tv, ever. Surprisingly enough, it's also offered some really fine acting and some really great, very human storylines. — During the last 5-10 years, soaps have gone downhill. Writers have catered to a younger audience, sacrificing their solid, long-standing fanbase. This has been a real shame. It's gotten so that many of the shows I used to watch are inhabited by characters that have absolutely no history. if there's one thing... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:02:11 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/One-Life-To-Live-review-7d5b2 Telpher 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Stevie-Wonder-review-5a261 Let me start this by putting it out there: Stevie Wonder is a genius. If you don't think so...don't bother reading further, because I'm just going to gush over how much of a genius he is. — I've been to lots of concerts during my life, and seen some really remarkable live acts of all types - Van Morrison, The Who, Eric Clapton, Bon Dylan, Gilberto Gil, Johnny Mathis, The Buena Vista Social Club, Mary J. Blige.....but attending Stevie Wonder's live show was like going to church. A church where every member of the congregation was singing and dancing and busting with joy. That's what Stevie Wonder inspires: joyful glee. He inspires young and old, people of all ethnicities. I looked around and saw parents and children, even grandparents. People of all ethnicities....the people in front of us were Russian, the people next to us were black, on our other side was an East Indian couple...I'm hispanic, my partner is from New Zealand. So much diversity and, yet, so much in common. ... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:19:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Stevie-Wonder-review-5a261 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hotel-Avante-Mountain-View-CA-review-7a5a1 Over the three-day weekend, we took the short train ride down to Silicon Valley to catch Stevie Wonder in Concert. We'd decided, in advance, to me make a weekend of it. Silicon Valley isn't much of a vacation region, but I always like checking out new places at least once. I found out about Hotel Avante through the concert venue's website. — — The Region — — Silicon Valley is the center of all things tech in the USA. Mountain View is home to Google. It's a town that busy as all heck during the week, with business men and women from all over the world visiting for professional reasons. During the weekend, it's a sleepy suburb. For this reason, the business hotels, which are pricey during the week, offer great rates during the weekend. — — A Quirky Hotel — — Hotel Avante is part of the Joie de Vivre family of boutique hotels. It's small, and very quirky. As soon as you walk in, you'll notice it's different. The decor is very... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:40:38 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hotel-Avante-Mountain-View-CA-review-7a5a1 Telpher 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Pasco-County-Florida-Police-Department-review-b0110 This is a strange review - and a review I never would have imagined myself writing. — I write in praise of the Pasco County, Florida Police Department. Here's why: — One day last year, I tried calling my mom, who lives in Pasco County. For several hours, there was no answer. I also got no answer when I tried her cell phone. Considering my mother's serious health problems, I got really scared. She and my dad are together 99% of the time, and they'd never just let the phone ring. I phoned the Pasco County Police Department, explained that I was calling form all the way in San Francisco, and that I was worried about my mother, who hadn't picked up the phone for several hours. Without hesitating, they sent a patrol car over to my mother's house. Turns out her cell phone battery was dead and, coincidentally, she'd accidentally unplugged the house phone. She hadn't even heard the phone ring for all those hours! The police not only paid her a visit, but they refused to leave... Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:27:15 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Pasco-County-Florida-Police-Department-review-b0110 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Savage-Grace-The-True-Story-of-Fatal-Relations-in-a-Rich-and-Famous-American-Family-review-be42 Savage Grace tells the story of Barbara and Brooks Baekeland, their dysfunctional marriage, their friendships with some of Europe's most socially significant players,  their bizarre methods of raising their son, and the terrible fate they seal for themselves by their own actions. — I won't go into detail, because, if you don't know the story, it's worth watching to be surprised. Or perhaps the correct word would be "shocked." Eveyrthing about the Baekelands is shocking: the way they speak to one another, the way they behave in front of people, the things they expose their child to, their complete lack of boundaries when it comes to all things sexual. — It's A True Story — Go into this movie with this mantra: this is a true story. It really happened. My understanding, based on reading about the actual events, is that the film doesn't even begin to deal with some of the more bizarre aspects of the Baekeland's family life. You'll find this difficult to believe, so... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:26:25 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Savage-Grace-The-True-Story-of-Fatal-Relations-in-a-Rich-and-Famous-American-Family-review-be42 Telpher 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Band-Aid-Advanced-Healing-Gel-Strips-review-5b423 My partner is a medical professional. As such, our hone first aid kit is ridiculously well stocked. A few days ago, when I got a nasty steam burn, I did what I was supposed to do: run cold water over the wound for ten minutes, make sure the burn was clean and free of bacteria, yadda yadda. I was left with a pretty nasty and painful burn, and I knew the thing to do was cover it, to keep air from irritating it. When I looked for regular, old bandages, I was frustrated by the fancy stuff in our first aid kit. Lots of gauze and triangular bandages and other stuff, but no run-of-the-mill Band Aids. The closest thing I found was a box of Band-Aid brand Advanced Healing Gel Strips. — Remember the Band-Aids your mom put on your cuts when you were a kid? Full of little air holes, they often got ripped up, and full of dirt, and the minue you washed your hands or took a shower, you'd have to change them, because the water soaked in and stayed in and invited all sorts of bacteria to... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:22:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Band-Aid-Advanced-Healing-Gel-Strips-review-5b423 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Whale-Rider-2002-review-7ea91 I was living in New Zealand when the little, low budget movie Whale Rider made its debut and shocked everyone by becoming an overnight, global sensation. My Kiwi friends were shocked that this little movie, which deals with some very specifically New Zealand Maori cultural issues, would be interesting to anyone but native New Zealanders. After watching it again on DVD, I think I can explain the movie's universal appeal. — The Story — Paikea (pronounced PIE-kee-ah) is a little girl who is the descendant of a long line of Maori chiefs, dating back to the first chief whose mythical journey to NZ on the back on a whale is the creation story little Paikea's tribe hangs their future on. Here's the rub: the original Maori traveller was named Paikea - a name reserved for male chiefs. By naming their little girl Paikea, her parents have seemingly cursed their already ailing tribe. Raised by her grandparents, Paikea's life is full of conflict: her grandfather loves her, but he's... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:43:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Whale-Rider-2002-review-7ea91 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coffee-Bean-Direct-review-ce025 My parents are from the Caribbean. It's a culture in which coffee plays a really important role. We start drinking rich, dark coffee in childhood and wouldn't think of going through the day without at least one civilized, sit-down-at-the-table cup of coffee in the morning. Growing up, I'd wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, which would get me going for the school day. When I got home from school, there was more freshly brewed coffee waiting for me. We usually had coffee after dinner. And we never, ever used a machine or instant coffee. Perish the thought! it was always really high quality Caribbean coffee, brewed on the stovetop. (I never even touched a coffee machine until I went to college) — So, yeah - coffee's a big deal for me. I love the stuff, and it's a lot more than just a hot beverage, in my book. The way some people are about wine? That's how I am about coffee. — Coffee Bean Direct sells the world's finest coffee, in it's original state: the... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:43:34 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coffee-Bean-Direct-review-ce025 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Contour-Design-RollerMouse-Pro-review-9a692 I developed an RSI about eight months ago and, to be honest, I'm surprised it took so long to happen. I spend many, many hours a day at the keyboard, and many many hours mousing around. Luckily, through the wonders of chiropractic, I've got my injury under control. I have had to make some life changes, though. — The most recent change I've made, on the advice of a professional ergonomic assessment expert and physical therapist, is the switch from a traditional mouse to the Countour RollerMouse Pro. —  What, exactly, is it??? — Ok, the RollerMouse Pro is basically a tray with a built-in wrist pad. My keyboard sits on top of it. The great thing about it, the really revolutionary thing, is that it makes a mouse or trackball obsolete. — There's a rod that runs the width of the wrist pad. The typist moves this rob back and forth and up and down - using thumb, or any finger, of either hand - to mouse. In effect, the entire tray is one, big mouse. ... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:29:30 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Contour-Design-RollerMouse-Pro-review-9a692 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Bundaberg-Australian-Ginger-Beer-review-36162 I love ginger beer, and no ginger beer is better than Australia's Bundaberg. Ever since moving from New Zealand to the USA, I've been missing Bundaberg. Sure, there are other brands available here, but only Bundaberg achieves that perfect balance between spicy and sweet. Ice cold, there's no better non-alcoholic beverage on a hot day. — Well, today we had one of San Francisco's rare hot days, and I went for a long walk. I found myself in a neighborhood I'm not really familiar with. I also found myself getting really thirsty, so I ducked into the first grocery store I spotted, and headed straight for the beverage cooler. Imagine my joyful surprise when I found it was stocked with none other than Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer! yes, they DO sell it in the USA, and it's the same delicious stuff I developed such a taste for while living in NZ. Drinking it was like going back home. Cold, spicy, sweet, refreshing. The perfect drink on this hot day. If you can find it, try it. If... Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:10:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Bundaberg-Australian-Ginger-Beer-review-36162 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Farmers-Markets-review-9dc51 San Francisco, like more and more American cities,  has a bunch of farmers' markets that are easy to get to. I love shopping at our local market for a numberof reasons, and urge others to do so for the following reasons: — 1. Supporting your local family farmer. I have nothing against grapes from Chile, but I do believe in supporting small, family-run businesses, and doing my part to give back to the local economy. Family farming is a great tradition that is in great danger of becoming more and more corporate if farmers can't make a living. Pouring some of your money into the local economy is a win-win situation. — 2. Learning to cater your eating habits towards what's in season. This is supposed to be a healthy lifestyle choice, and I believe it. Human beings, like all creatures, are meant to work with the planet's cycles, not against them. Cherries are great, but there's something special about the fact that they're only in season locally for a short time. It... Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:37:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Farmers-Markets-review-9dc51 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Grub-Hub--153960-review-22573  I live in a really out-of-the-way corner of San Francisco - no real shopping, no grocery stores, nothing to really walk to, except a mall. And not even a good mall. No restaurants, except for the mall's Olive Garden and Chevy's. I've written before about my frustration with how few restaurants deliver to my neighborhood. I've also written about a bad experience with a restaurant delivery service that overcharges and takes forever to deliver. — I believe in equal time, so it's high time I sang the praises of GrubHub.com — GrubHub.com is a website where people in several cities can type in their street addresses, and get a whole list of restaurants that are willing to deliver to them. There's no charge for using GrubHub, and the food is delivered directly fromt he restaurant, not picked up by a delivery service, left to sit around ina  car while other pick-ups are made, and delivered, hours later, freezing cold. — Using Grubhub, I've discovered a... Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:50:22 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Grub-Hub--153960-review-22573 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hotels-com-review-28bd7 I do a lot of travelling and, like a lot of people these days, I do most of my booking online. A few years ago I started using Hotels.com, and have never looked back. — My first experience with Hotels.com was several years ago when I made last-minute plans to travel from New Zealand to Florida, to spend Christmas with my folks. A word to the wise: "last-minute" and "Christmas travel" should never, ever become a reality in your life, if you have any interest in remaining sane. Anyhow, the only flights I could get in order to make it to Tampa on Christmas day involved flying from Wellington, NZ, to Auckland, NZ, to Los Angeles, and arriving in Washington D.C. late on Christmas Eve. The first flight from D.C. to Tampa wasn't until 7 am, Christmas day. I could not, for the life of me, find a vacant hotel room in D.C. that wouldn't bankrupt me. Via Hotels.com, not only did I find a moderately-priced room, but an extra $15 got me round trip shuttle service. After... Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:38 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hotels-com-review-28bd7 Telpher 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Zazil-San-Francisco-CA-review-76e49 When I think of shopping malls, I think of Orange Julius and Cinnebon. I have nothing against either of those establishments. Lord knows I've eaten my share of cinnamon buns! I just don't equate the shopping mall experience with fine dining. — San Francisco's newest urban shopping center, Westfield San Francisco Center, changes all of that. Over the next few weeks, I'll be reviewing some of the different eateries at this shopping center - one of the largest urban shopping malls in America. — A little back story — Westfield San Francisco is fairly new, having formally opened its doors in November of 2006. Even then, not every store or restaurant was up and running. I believe they were hoping to get the mall in business for the holiday shopping season, so they opened up even though construction was still going on. From the very beginning the buzz about Westfield SF was that it would be an upscale mall, with very upscale food choices. The flagship stores at... Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:44:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Zazil-San-Francisco-CA-review-76e49 Telpher 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Some-Photos-of-that-Day-review-468a4 In March 1979, when Jamie Livingston was a student at Bard College, he started taking one photo a day. Using a Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera, he began a dad-by-day photographic journal that he kept until the day he died, in 1997. After his death, a couple of Livngston's friends gathered the photographs, which Livingston had dated and filed in chronological order, and put them on exhibit at Bard, the photographer's alma mater. As one would expect, there were a few dates without photos: maybe Livingston didn't get around to taking pictures on thse days. Maybe he did take photos, but they were lost somewhere along the way. We'll never know. For the days that there are no photographs, his friends created simple date markers. The entire collection of photographs is up for viewing on a website called Some Photos of the Day. — Be Prepared.... — — Some Photos of the Day is among the most moving art websites I've ever encountered. Start at the very beginning of Livingston's... Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:06:03 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Some-Photos-of-that-Day-review-468a4 Telpher 5