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Chute de cheveux
Smart Braking System
David has been griping about brake lights for years. When you see brake lights, he used to complain, you can’t tell whether the driver in front of you is slowing down, or slamming on the brakes at the last second. He wanted to file a patent for smart brakes that would light up differently, depending on the intensity of the braking action. Unfortunately, about a year ago, he saw a similar system in action on a Cadillac vehicle, and more recently, some Virginia Tech students developed something that sounds much like what D described.
He should have acted sooner…
San Francisco Photo Album
San Francisco Cable Cars
At $5 per trip, the fare for riding the San Francisco cable cars is significantly more expensive than the bus. But we wanted to experience the charm of riding the iconic cars, pulled along by underground cables, and invested in a multi pass that offered unlimited access to San Francisco’s public transportation network, including the cable cars. Besides, how hokey and contrived could the experience be, considering it was run by the city’s municipal railway?
The first time we tried to board a cable car on Hyde Street, we couldn’t find one that wasn’t packed with tourists wanting a taste of "19th century San Francisco." Car after car whirred through the intersection without stopping, with visitors either squished inside hanging off the sides, the flashes on their digital cameras going off like strobes. Very hokey. I couldn’t wait for them to hop off so that we could climb on and do the same thing. We even walked to the end of the line but the queue of people waiting to board the next car was dauntingly long. I couldn’t imagine this being very efficient or practical for locals.
After a few frustrating waits, we got a feel of the best intersections to catch a cable car. We we got to hop on and off cable cars several times, and often without even waiting in line. The ride was a bit hokey and way too crowded but worth the wait. And there’s always the bus for when you need a more reliable alternative.
Seattle to San Francisco on Virgin America
We flew to San Francisco on Virgin America three days after the airline started flying out of Sea-Tac Airport. Not only were their ticketing counters clearly indicated and easy to find (I got a bit scared when the shuttle driver insisted that Virgin didn’t fly out of Seattle and that we were probably mistaken), they also had lots of check-in options – counter, kiosk and online check-in.
The first thing that caught my eye as we took our seats was the refreshing bluish-violet lighting in the main cabin. David immediately noticed the added legroom. We both liked the in-flight amenities, which included an animated safety announcement and a touch-screen access to satellite TV and free games. The pay-per-view films, however, cost up to $7, the interactive meal-ordering service didn’t impress David. He placed our drink orders using the touch screen, only to have a flight attendant take our order again when she passed by with the beverage cart. At least it’s a start and will no doubt get better. More importantly, our flight went without incident and landed on time in San Francisco.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
I wanted to remove it from the NetFlix queue. And with some 20 films on the list, what are the odds David would notice The King of Kong was missing? Pretty good; I would have been better off just moving it to the bottom of the list so that we would never get to it. But I left it in the queue – I wouldn’t want him deleting any of my Netflix selections – and this weekend we watched the documentary about two men vying for the world record in Donkey Kong. Yes, Donkey Kong: the arcade game with the gorilla and the floating ladders.
I really enjoyed this documentary. It was bizarre, moving and entertaining. A Florida man has held the record in Donkey Kong for some 25 years. A Redmond, Washington man breaks the record, starting some long-term rivalry in Donkey Kong. It’s interesting that someone would want to break the record in Donkey Kong, of all things, and I thought a lot about the hours out of their lives this passion must be taking up. These two guys aren’t just arcade geeks with no lives outside gaming. Both are professionals, with supportive families and kids who must have sacrificed a lot for them. Where’s the fun in that?
Time to Leave
I recently watched Time to Leave (Le Temps qui Reste) a Francois Ozon film about life and living, from the perspective of a young man with an inoperable brain tumor. He learns he is terminally ill at the beginning of the film so we know early on where the movie is headed: he receives his diagnosis, then goes through different stages before coming to accept his fate and making amends with the past and present and securing his heritage.
The film touched me, although it wasn’t one of my favorite Ozon films. Some of the themes, for instance, had been addressed in some of the director’s earlier films, like 5X2 and Sous le Sable, both of which stuck with me for days after I had seen them. I’m just looking forward to Francois Ozon’s next films.
V, A, A, T and D family blog 