Fazal Majid's low-intensity blog

Frequent travellers know the right piece of luggage can make or break a trip. Tumi and Hartmann have their rabid fans, as do Travelpro, but the brand I recommend is Briggs & Riley. Their designs may not be the absolute most stylish, but their warranty is by far the best – they will repair any damage, even if it is caused by the airline, no questions asked. Even Tumi does not offer such a warranty, despite the princely prices they charge for their wares.

I just bought a second Baseline 28″ Superlight from Michael Bruno on Market Street near Castro. That hole-in-the-wall shop is the absolute go-to place for Briggs & Riley, and they offer significant discounts over list prices. Most quality luggage is seldom ever discounted, so it is refreshing to get quality service from proprietor Lou Briasco as well as a very nice price (too low to advertise without incurring the wrath of the manufacturer).

In the US cable systems are required by law to reserve a certain number of channels for so-called public-access and community programs. Think crazy old cat lady ranting and raving, or cronies of local politicians, usually the left-wing fringe, pushing whatever bizarre agenda they have, whether it is nimbyism, conspiracy theories or advocacy of positions so extreme they don’t find other outlets. I passed by the offices of one of San Francisco’s public access channels on Market Street, and they certainly seem quite posh.

Reusing those channels for Internet access would serve the ostensible purpose of those programs, public participation, far better than giving a bunch of lunatics a non-interactive, one-to-many broadcast soapbox.

Even cardinal virtues can become vices when pushed to extremes. Justice untempered with mercy becomes draconian and oppressive. Courage without justice leads to the likes of Otto Skorzeny. Temperance without humility leads to self-righteousness.

It’s called Adobe Flash 10.

According to this article in IEEE Spectrum, SMS revenue alone dwarfs the entire music, film and game “industries” combined. Just another example of how Big Content occupies a disproportionate place on the public policy stage and needs to be cut down to size.