The TV Is On The Fritz, Circa 2011

When I was my son's age, we didn't have color television (yes, it existed — we just didn't have it in our home). We got a color tube in 1980, and other amenities, such as cable or a remote control, didn't come until I was a teenager.

So I spent much of my childhood staring at swirling snow. In the best-case scenario, there were four or five channels. Worst case, we were watching "The Fall Guy" for the dialogue alone, because the picture wouldn't come in.

Elliot and Alice won't experience any of that, but they have their own challenges.

We're moving to an Internet-streaming world, which means the kids can only see their shows if the broadband connection (and the Wi-Fi to our Roku box) is working properly. We now rely on Netflix and Hulu Plus for programs — along with whatever we can pull out of the air with our HD antenna.

I imagine someday Elliot will tell his children about how long he would have to wait for the Netflix red bar to load.

Given how slow it is sometimes, I'm hoping this teaches him patience and how to cope with adversity.

I'm not exactly sure what I learned from trying to make out "The Golden Girls" in poor reception, but I think it was character-building.

BART Protest Effective, If Unglamorous

The hacker group Anonymous prodded protesters to take over several BART stations tonight. Demonstrators were encouraged to wear Guy Fawkes masks (like the ones in "V for Vendetta"), but it only looks like a handful of people actually did.

That made for a less stylish protest than I had expected.

Whatever the tactics, the protest managed to shut down Embarcadero Station (along with several others). So I had to make my way to the Transbay terminal, where lines were long and buses were short.

As I was waiting in line for a Berkeley-bound bus, the guy next to me opened a gigantic bag of sour-cream potato chips. I guess we all knew it was going to be a while.

He didn't share.

The 1990s Are Dying Before My Eyes

I just posted a clip that made me nostalgic for the 1990s, an era that doesn't feel that long ago to me — until I'm confronted with the video evidence. (Though in fairness, the last clip wasn't really shot in the '90s. Hello, Chrysler 300.)

Now I learn that the lead singer of Warrant is dead at the age of 47.



Do you think Jani Lane knew in 1990 that the most famous words he'd ever utter would be:

She's my cherry pie
Cool drink of water such a sweet surprise
Taste so good make a grown man cry
Sweet cherry pie, yeah.

If so, I hope he was OK with that.

UPDATE: Somehow the fact that he died in a Comfort Inn manages to demean both Jani Lane and the Comfort Inn. Sad.

Is Somebody Reading My Mind?

Back in the mid-1990s, I was obsessed with gangsta rap AND I was a major consumer of Lunchables. So it's hard to imagine who this video is aimed at other than me.

Folks, behold the (possibly apocryphal) banned Lunchables ad from 1996. It pretty much sums up everything worth remembering from that era. (Warning: This might not be safe for work, and it's satirically misogynistic.)

Banned 90's LUNCHABLEZ commercial - watch more funny videos

Berkeley Spelling Controversy Widens

Check out the Berkeley Patch site today, which takes up the topic of local misspellings:

A quick search shows that there are a range of documents on the city's website where Berkeley is misspelled. Perhaps, for example, you'd like to apply to be on the Mental Health Commission? Just fill out the Application for Appointment to Berkley/Albany Mental Health Commission. Maybe you want some information about the classes available at the Berkely High Warm Pool? If you need the number for the City of Berkley Refuse Collection or Berkley City College, check out this Statistical and Economic Profile on the city's website.

The instances of misspellings extend throughout the online sphere. Despite spelling Berkeley correctly on their Cal gear, Ebay sellers seem unable to add the extra 'e' in the listings — selling, instead, a UC Berkley coffee mug, UC Berkley kids hoodies, UC Berkley tees and a UC Berkley bumper sticker. How about a UC Berkely blanket or UC Berkely flip flops?

On Twitter, the assault on Berkeley's name is perpetuated in real time. Berkley and Berkely are everywhere. Even @Cal_Politics tweets about "UC Berkley" Law Professor Goodwin Lui's nomination to the California Supreme Court.

I'm glad to see Patch's Emily Henry seize on this issue. However, I'm sad to report that none of my activism has convinced South Berkeley's Maxwell Anderson to spell pertinent correctly.

Folks, you really can't fight city hall.

More Golden Gate Bridge Mayhem

Over at The Poop blog, Peter Hartlaub weighs in on the Golden Gate Bridge's frequent cinematic peril.

“It Came From Beneath the Sea”

These are his choices for the worst attacks on the bridge — and the rest of San Francisco. Note: "Movies that involve a natural disaster ('10.5,' 'The Core') or real-life events ('San Francisco') were excluded. So were films that star Nicolas Cage."

5. "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006)
4. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011)
3. "It Came from Beneath the Sea" (1955)
2. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978)
1. "Terminator Salvation" (2009)

What, no "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus"?

Sim Simma, BART Got the Keys to My Bimmer

BART suffered a major service disruption tonight, stranding thousands of passengers. (I made it home just before it happened.) The event marred a day when the transit agency had exciting news: BMW has designed new cars for the rail system, and they're ready for public feedback.

The new cars are coming none too soon. BART says it has the oldest fleet of any transit system in the country. (I'm assuming Muni's cable cars are excluded from this ranking.)

The designs look pretty cool, but you have to wonder about the implications of going with BMW.

Some questions:

1. Will BART be pressured to service its cars at the dealer, even after its warranty has expired?

2. Are urban youths going to start stealing BART medallions to wear around their necks?

3. Will BART riders use this to pick up women? "Hey ladies, I came here in a BMW."

4. What, BART is too good for Volkswagen?

5. How soon before the jokes start? "This BMW rides like it's on rails." "What's the difference between a BART BMW and a porcupine? The pricks are on the inside."

I hope transit officials will take these issues into consideration.