Went to the grocery store and loaded up. No problems on the way there or on the way back, though the bike was real heavy and tougher to control on the way back. I also cut my finger unleashing the bungee cord with the S hook that was holding on the panniers. That thing is tight and snaps back fast if you don’t have a good grip on it.
On the way to the store I took little detour and cruised along the coastline for a bit looking at the fog overtaking San Francisco. Better weather is definitely a perk of being in Alameda versus the city. I might also point out that it’s 101 in Dallas right now versus sunny and 65 in Alameda. I do not miss the Texas summer.
With all that said, I like the bike and enjoyed taking the bike out rather than the car.
As of now it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve driven the car. Let’s see how long I can go.
This is a really cool bike that’s fun to ride. I’m going to use it to cruise around the island. I’m tired of driving a mile or two. I’ve already decked out the bike with a front basket and panniers on the rear so I’m ready to hit the grocery store. WooHoo!
Here’s what I was using in January 2007. Not a lot has changed. The major change is that I’m using a lot of these apps on my iPhone instead of a PC. Here’s the update.
Flickr (new, much heavier usage these days, primarily on PC)
Read It Later (new, I use it on my iPhone and PC)
Google Maps (new, use as default on iPhone)
AIM (new, use it on my iPhone only)
Facebook (new, much heavier usage these days on both PC and iPhone)
PB Wiki (new, prior wiki – Schtuff – was bought by PB Wiki, use on PC)
Delicious (no change, primarily on PC)
Google Personalized Home Page (no change, primarily on PC)
Linkedin (no change, primarily on PC)
Meebo (no change, use on PC only)
Microsoft Outlook Web Access (no change, PC only)
Wells Fargo Online Banking (no change, primarily on PC)
WordPress through Yahoo Web Hosting (no change, primarily on PC)
Yahoo Mail (no change, though also using on both PC and iPhone)
Yahoo Maps (no change on PC)
Deletions from the list:
Match.com and Yahoo Personals (I haven’t used any online dating apps in over a year.)
Yahoo Briefcase (killed by Yahoo, I miss it)
One obvious omission from this list is Twitter. I don’t like Twitter. I don’t see the necessity to tweet everything I do or to see what everyone else is doing at all times. It seems like a waste of time. Anything good eventually ends up in the media, in someone’s blog, or on Facebook. I have the patience to wait for this to happen.
OK, I get it. Data centers use a lot of energy. Google has a lot of data centers. The energy they use is allocated across the searches performed. So what am I supposed to do about this? The Times Online which published this story was pretty short on answers. Thanks for nothing…and the guilt trip.
After holding steady for most of 2008, Yahoo’s share of all search engine advertisers dropped like a rock in October, November and December — plummeting from 30.4% to 19.4% at the end of Q4, according to search marketing firm AdGooroo.
How do you explain this? Everyone else is gaining share and they’re losing it. This is very sad to see. I’ve always liked Yahoo!
Google Blogoscoped has an elaborate chart of all the google products and how they are monetized. It’s very confusing. So lets make this simple:
Google has 10 products that are relevant – search, adwords/adsense, maps, gmail, toolbar, youtube, analytics, doubleclick, their affiliate network, and news. Everything else is an also-ran.
Of these 10 products, the only ones making any real money are search/adwords/adsense, doubleclick, and their affiliate network. You could also say the toolbar makes money since it drives revenue through search.
Perhaps chrome, apps, android, and reader will matter one day soon, though this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll make any money.
If this is true, it goes a long way towards explaining why my service has degraded so much. I have a 1st gen iPhone on AT&T. I’m in the Bay Area. Here’s the story:
…Open for Business has learned that AT&T has been quietly sacrificing 2G signal strength in an effort to speed up the build out of its next generation 3G network…
…While previously the company had been primarily relying on the 850 MHz band that offers a more robust signal, including superior indoor reception, company technicians confirmed to OFB that transmitters for the 2G signal used by the original iPhone and most other handsets, including most AT&T offered BlackBerry and RAZR models, have been shifted to the weaker 1900 MHz band in some areas.
Dad and I went to Fisherman’s Wharf today. It’s always nice to get fresh Dungeness crabs and clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. Yummy!
The sea lions were out making a bunch of noise at Pier 39.
And out in front of the In-N-Out Burger was The Bushman. This dude sits on a milk crate holding branches he cut off of a tree. He hides behind them and pops out to scare people walking by. He got us when we walked by. We wondered how he kept from getting his ass kicked. Turns out he hires a body guard. Claims to make about $60k a year. You can read about him at the link above. Pretty interesting stuff. He’s been doing this for years. It’s hilarious watching him. We sat in the In-N-Out burger watching him while we ate. BTW, In-N-Out Burger kicks ass!
Alcatraz was just as impressive the second time around as it was the first. The island was opened up so we could walk around more. The place is much smaller than you’d imagine and the cells are depressing. They’re small, damp, and cold. Few get any sunlight. It must have been terrible to have been there so close to the city, being able to hear all the life going on around you, yet knowing you were stuck in your little cell on the island.
After checking out Alcatraz, we saw the entire Miami Hurricanes football team waiting in line for their chance to see Alcatraz. They were in town to play Cal in the Emerald Bowl.
