Reminder tonight ( Tues) 8 pm volunteer meeting / work party for Loving Tom Fest

Reminder tonight ( Tues) 8 pm volunteer meeting / work party for Loving Tom Fest

For those thart know and love Tom Kennedy we are having a work party and volunteer meeting tonight at 8 pm at American Steel building in W. Oakland
Map here: maps.google.com/maps

Shout out to PK, Scout, Camron, Michelle Burke, Dan Das Mann, Barbara Fried, Saucy, Brettt, and many others to doing organizing and volunteering so much of their time already.

If you can donate time or services and can't make it to the meeting email
volunteersspeakersperformers@tomkennedyart.com

All dets on the event , which is this Friday May 1 starting at 6 with a funeral procession from W. Oakland BART to American Steel , as well as the art car procession starting from Ocean beach in SF earlier in the day are at www.tomkennedyart.com

Speakers start at 7 pm at American Steel and the event goes til 4 am . With a Black Sabbath breakfast and clean up party on Sat May 2 for those that crash or wanty tpo get up early and help.
thanks!

kevin

Shoooter and Tom dead , Help the living cause I'm treading water

Damn my pal shooter is dead too. Not a good week. Need help anytime in the next 2 weeks especially in Palo Alto call for dets 415 640 3569 if you have a few spare hours. Especially tonight and Saturday.

Skip the party and do something more fun and good for your soul and khrama.

949 sycamore dr, palo alto ca 94303

thanks I'm starting to feel a bit fuckt. Helping out Tom's wiwo for 2 days this week was unavoidable. but the gun is drifting in my direction and I need some cover

kevin

March 15th lets meet up to watch a movie I'm in at the Castro : Fruit Fly

March 15th lets meet up to watch a movie I'm in at the Castro : Fruit Fly

This should be fun and I'm hoping to get a big crew of friends to hang out for. Its my first and only big screen moment ( so far) and I doubt if it lasts all that long, so lets make it an event!

Pictured above is the bar dance and song routine I'll be best known for years to come ( I bet). As well as the only one I also bet. I've circled my self in yellow to make it easy to find me.

I'm in a pretty silly sing and dance routine in the movie and if a bloopers roll happens I'm in that for sure. The blooper scene is even more fun, as I can be very obviously be seen saying " Oh Shit" as I realize a really obvious misstep and forget the words of the sing along in one dance number. All while in the front row. The director HP told me it is pretty hilarious. Which I agree. That particular dance number takes place in a bar.

Maureen Keating and my pal Larry Edelstein are extras as well. You can see Larry ( and me) in the shot I used from the trailer. Note that I am in the back row of this take. Far left. Nearly cropped out. ;-) Fame is so fleeting. Still it was fun.

Tickets info: $!5 plus 1.50 per ticket
filmguide.festival.asianamericanmedia.org

Movie trailer :
www.hpmendoza.com/fruitflyfilm

So the plan is meet up for the movie at 6 pm on Sunday the 15th, then drinks afterwards. I lean towards getting tickets early, but at $16.50 it is a little steep I'll readily admit.

I'm thinking of doing a group buy. Let me know via email for a reservation by Saturday the 7th.

Movie dets:
Fruit Fly
Centerpiece
(USA | 2009 | 94 mins | VIDEO)javascript:document.managePost.submit()
In English & Tagalog with English subtitles
VIDEO
World Premiere
Directed By: H.P. Mendoza
Exec. Producers: Center for Asian American Media
Producer: Don Young
Producer/Writer/Editor/Music: H. P. Mendoza
Cinematographer: Richard Wong
Cast: L.A. Renigen, Mike Curtis, Theresa Navarro, Aaron Zaragoza, E. S. Park

If there's one thing this festival needs, it's a toe-tapping musical, or a tribute to San Francisco, or a young Filipina American seeking her true self, or a nice tune about versatile bottoms, or maybe a crooning love-duet between a man and his Macbook image, or especially a song filled with enough unprintable slang to burn the ears off of every Prop-8'er in the state. Fortunately, all of that, and a thousand things more, is what FRUIT FLY supplies, and for that we have resident boywonder H.P. Mendoza to thank.

The composer and co-star of festival hit COLMA: THE MUSICAL (SFIAAFF '06) returns with a solo directorial debut that aims his poisoned pen and catchy Casio keyboards toward that never-dead city to Colma's north, San Francisco. Here we discover Bethesda (a radiant L.A. Renigen of COLMA fame), newly arrived from Maryland and Manila, eager to succeed in the performance art world and hoping to find her birth mother, who abandoned her as a child. ("Will that help with your show?," someone asks.) Her new flatmates, various artists united by their rootlessness (I won't be here long, is the whisper that lingers in these walls), soon whisk our young Dorothy over the rainbow and into San Francisco's alcoholic nights and hungover days, all filled with (of course) song and dance. Crawling through bars gay and straight, the still-disoriented Bethesda finds herself saddled with quite a few new identities (fag hag, homo honey, fruit fly, hack, slut, etc), but none that she actually wants; she's got plenty of places to go, but still nowhere to be for long.

Funded by CAAM, FRUIT FLY represents a new generation of Asian American filmmaking; its deceptively casual mash-up and embrace of ethnic and sexual identity politics is nuanced enough to fuel a masters' thesis, but one doesn't need a degree to understand what's going on. It's also textbook guerrilla filmmaking, a loud-and-proud, indie-Asian/gay hijacking of THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG that turns the Mission, the Castro and more into an all-singing, all-dancing whirl of performance artists, thwarted lovers, sneering sideliners, punk lesbians, fag hags, leather bears and versatile bottoms, all ready to join you, ever so tunefully, in whatever journey you're on.

In Person: H.P. Mendoza, Richard Wong, L.A. Renigen
-- Jason Sanders

On the American Apparel controversy, I support Chicken John and bash a Chonicle columnist C.W. Nevius

I just dropped a note to C.W. Nevius after reading his recent shameful column in the Sf Chronicle that decried the denial of the permit for American Apparel.

Sir,
A few thoughts on your recent column on Sat Feb 7, 2009 “ Mission residents reject American Apparel” www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi

Why should I be surprised that you refuse to consider the economic consequences of a chain store in a cultural area defined, created, and maintained by local merchants and residents?
200 people is actually not insignificant for a public meeting, but you mock that and the local wishes of a community.
Merchants and other local businesses could not possibly compete on possible rent vs. a chain store or a multinational business. A crucial fact, which you gloss and omit from your column.

I'm certain you will see this note to you as proof you are succeeding in building controversy in your campaign against value and service to your readers. In that light, you succeed in dimming the light in the room while cluttering the air with misdirects and confusion, while a real fire has just been extinguished by those braver, and more involved, then the expected role for a columnist of the local paper. They are the ones that should be lauded for caring about their local environs and neighbors and not mocked. A basic concept, which for odd reason seems to elude you.

I suppose you prefer to take the low road towards easy entertainment and controversy and prefer avoid illuminating your readers with the issues and background of a very rich full story and its implications, as well as negative possible impact on the local residents and stores. Research is hard I hear in these days of Google. And even then, the sheen on your shoes could lose their luster if you left 5th and Mission and interviewed a few residents on the street, 10 blocks down. I hear the fare on the 14 Mission is up to $1.50, possibly more then your editors or expense account would allow. Such as shame that such a situation exists.

It is noted that you seem firmly against local control, involvement, grass roots decision-making, if not the basis of democracy.
Mocking John Renaldi with his nickname "Chicken", a not so serious mayoral candidate and a Mission resident, really was a low blow and quite ugly.
Are you really so shallow? Or just play that role as an lazy and easy gimme to the powers that advertise with full page spreads in the paper?

Another thought occurs. Why do you defend an outsider firm that takes value and money from San Francisco and ships it to LA, and instead attack the locals? Perhaps you are prepping for another role or job as a national editor, or maybe laying the ground work for a national magazine such as National Review that attacks the local and defends the powerful big scale interests. Maybe Cheney has a think tank you are applying for. Is that how you desire to be thought of? A toady for those that destroy what makes San Francisco and the Bay Area unique and fantastic?

It is no wonder the Chronicle is so often seen as fishwrap with the value-free and mocking columns such as yours the latest example.
Long ago as a kid, in the days of the Pink section and Herb Caen, I was a morning carrier for the Chronicle and had pride in the paper. Those days of pride in my locally produced media outlet are few and far between. Once again with your latest column, I am reminded of what a shift in values and quality the paper now represents.


Sincerely,

Kevin Mathieu

Benefit and party this Sat for Paul the Plumber . Just Go!

Benefit and party this Sat for Paul the Plumber . Just Go!

Its at 984 Folsom St, Second Floor ( Fulsom and 6h st ) in San Francisco
This Sat night I hope many of you guys can go.

Paul is a great pal and great artist with his fun filled dynamic kinetic creations that are play in its purest essence as you pedal away at them. Many made for Cyclecide ( many of the brilliant bicycle rides we all enjoy at Cyclecide shows and parties) .

You can check out his work here at : www.paulsrides.com/

His rails project alone is simply brilliant combination of exploration and relection. www.paulsrides.com/blog/rails-project/

The Lilly Pad and Lillies at Burning Man were a fantastic addition and was to me a key work that year.

Other years Paul created and brought the Star Wheel . Simply the most fun and insane ride on the playa.

The Rockaway video is unbelievable
pauldaplumber.blip.tv/file/749767/

Paul in essence is an artist that inspires me. And for no other reason ( even if I wasn't lucky enough to be a pal of his) I will be there .

Paul has been mentioend in the New York Times and been an awardee of the SF dump 3 month artist in residency among other things. But he still needs our support in this tough time.

Besides Big Daddy benefit I'm actually not a benefit ho or pusher, I'm only mention benefits of my real pals that have come through for me in the past and I truly think are worthy of everyones support.

See ya Saturday
-kevin


Many of you have experienced Paul Cesewski's
superlative pedal-powered rides at Burning Man, the Maker
Faire, and Cyclecide shows, Tour de Fat, Jim Macey's
easter shindig, etc. He has made the most fun, most
elegant, most brilliant human powered rides ever.

**My fave Paul piece = Star Wheel... ABSOLUTELY WORTH
WATCHING this tiny one-minute edit:
blip.tv/file/749409/

Paul has rheumatoid arthritis, a degenerative condition
that has rendered his right hand pretty immobilized. In
fact, he's become left-handed over the past few years.
Now he's totally way-laid from a recent surgery and
isn't going to be able to work for months.

Bring on the party, bring on the community, bring on the
love, bring on the $ help.

WHAT: Cyclecide is throwing a benefit party for Paul to
help with medical bills.
WHEN: This Saturday January 31st starting at 7pm and going
until 11pm.
WHERE: 984 Folsom St, Second Floor — the MonkeyBrains
office space.

**Donate even if you can't come. You can send
donations to cash@paulsrides.com via paypal.

Kevin Mathieu's 40th Birthdays party this Sat in SF ! Come celebrate and create your sash of vie

Just in case you missed the invite via tribe's system

See ya all Sat!
-thx

kevin

Kevin Mathieu's 40th Birthdays party this Sat in SF ! Come celebrate and create your sash of vie

I'm having my 40th birthday ( and party) in just one day.

Saturday January 24th 2009. The party is at 9th & Fulsom at the gallery with the neon Jellyfish 2 doors down north east side of Fulsom 1286 Fulsom st, San Francisco, CA. 8 pm til late!

I'll have a few dj's, a bar ( plus BYOB if you can), and the party goes from 8 pm to late.
I could use a hand on a few things plus bartending so if you can help do let me know 415 640 3569.
If you can kick down a few bucks at the door to help defray the rental that would rock! If not ( I know too many pals are job free don't sweat the door fee ( its optional)t and don't stop yourself form arriving). I'll even get you a couple of drinks for sure until we run out.
This is after all a party and celebration

I want you there.

And I really, really want to see you.

This past 15 months I've been missing a lot of people as other obligations have obscured and blocked me from what I enjoy most. And that for me is seeing friends and spending time with them making new experiences and art.

So this is to make up for being absent and to reconnect with all.

The party is about who I've met, known, experienced life with, loved and cared for. As well as what I and you hope to experience in the next 40 years.

So to honor that concept everyone gets a sash with badges to show their own experiences and to mark at least one of those events where we have intersected and a few things they hope to experience or accomplish. This is my attempt to have everyone sorta slow down for a sec and go aha, "How did I get here?", and "how do I get there? ".

I hope you can bring a few ( or a lot of ) things to add to your own sash.
Buttons, stickers, badges, patches, small pictures (duplicates or ones you are OK with gluing on to your sash), or nearly any other small momento you can think of. From keys of current or former apartments, rings from lovers, keys from old lovers flats, ticket stubs from the Paris metro or maybe SF muni, pieces of unburnt xmas trees, playa dust, to you name it.

But this is not just a sash of what you have experienced. It is a sash of what you hope to do an experience in the next 40 years. So add a toy plane if you want to earn to fly someday, or maybe a bit of paint cause you want to paint your place someday, or a headline from an exotic newspaper cause you want to read it in its native language in its far away home ( which is a twofer learn a foreign language and travel) .

I'll have half a dozen glue guns ( if you got one, do bring it) and lots of glue sticks. Plus pins, sharpies, paper, safety pins, bailing wire, twine, etc to attach whatever you bring. I'll even have needle and thread for those so motivated.

I'll have pre-made sashes of various colors and sizes with blank badges already on them. And a lot of sharpies.
The sharpies are so you can fill in the blanks.
I'll have 10+ blank badges on each sash. Which you can ink in you name, a number, location, name, person, or whatever.
Everyone gets a sash and i just hope everyone will wear one and fill theirs in a bit or a lot.
You could even make up your own sash in advance.

So the 10 plus badge categories are (and I'll update this at my blog at :)
people.tribe.net/jacktrade...085a09e873

None of them are strict all of them are silly and I hope you will add more categories and email them to me, or make it on the fly at the party.

How many schools you enrolled in ( its not degrees, and even school of life gets you a mark) Personally I've been at 2 elementary schools, one jr high school, two high schools, 4 community colleges, and one university. That makes 10 to mark on the badge! But I could count driving school, seminars, school of life, ranger training, and many other things.

How many places you have lived. Ok so the DMV has one count, and I know I will fail to properly count for myself all the places I have lived. So I figure any place you have stayed more then a month, but its up to you.

What group or solo art projects you have contributed to by attending or hands on creating? To me even attending really does count, since showing up is half the work. Write the name of the project, or maybe a number. Make a ton of badges here. For this you would have a badge for Burning Man, bicycling at critical mass, or maybe brought a tree to a Xmas Tree burn or took a picture there, and so on.
For me this could be a lot of badges since art has been pretty hard core to my life experience to date.

Burning Man and Black Rock trips. How many times have you been out to that place that has taken up 14 of my years in one way or another.

How many states you have been to. Or maybe even flown over.

How many countries have you been to?

How many loves have you had? Who raised you counts too!

How many vehicles have you owned? Cars, bicycles, skateboard all count. I can't wait to see the count from some of my Cyclecide buddies.

How much stuff is in your pocket? Money or items. Empty that pocket or purse and lets everyone know how many objects you are carrying with you.

Camping and or road trips ? How many or name some of your favorite ones.

Music. How many concerts and /or favorite ones.

Songs you can sing >? Name a song you can sing most of the way through.

Instruments you can play. This is not a professional qualification. Drums count as one. BTW whatever you do, don't don't bring drums to this party. Not that I can think of anyone that would. Exception will be made for any Extra Action performer.

Whats your favorite art to make?

Whats your favorite artist?

How many business cards have you had? Self made or printed for you.

More dets:


So bring a bottle to celebrate with, or drink from the cheap bar.


It is late notice I know.

Horribly late notice and I'm super sorry about that. Many locations have not come through and frankly I've been swamped with care taking of my Dad lately and freelancing new clients. Taking care of myself last is typical of me.

So heres the plan.

Friday night I'm having craft party someplace in SF ( to be defined, if I can pull it off) from 5 to 9 PM to make the badges and sashes . It is still a little uncertain if I can pull this detail off. Will send out an email on it later today or ring me at 415 640 3569

Agape for all!
-kevin mathieu
kevin@infoflow.com
415.640.3569
twitter: jacktrade

The 10 plus Birthday badges / categories to think about for my 40th birthday party

The party is this Saturday the 24th Starst 8 goes late.
he party is at 9th & Fulsom at the gallery with the neon Jellyfish 2 doors down north east side of Fulsom 1286 Fulsom, San Francisco, CA

So the 10 plus badge categories are :

None of them are strict all of them are silly and I hope you will add more categories and email them to me, or make it on the fly at the party.

How many schools you enrolled in ( it is not degrees, and even school of life gets you a mark) Personally I've been at 2 elementary schools, one jr high school, two high schools, 4 community colleges, and one university. That makes 10 to mark on the badge! But I could count driving school, seminars, school of life, ranger training, and many other things.

How many places you have lived. Ok so the DMV has one count, and I know I will fail to properly count for myself all the places I have lived. So I figure any place you have stayed more then a month, but its up to you.

What group or solo art projects you have contributed to by attending or hands on creating? To me even attending really does count, since showing up is half the work. Write the name of the project, or maybe a number. Make a ton of badges here. For this you would have a badge for Burning Man, bicycling at critical mass, or maybe brought a tree to a Xmas Tree burn or took a picture there, and so on.
For me this could be a lot of badges since art has been pretty hard core to my life experience to date.

Burning Man and Black Rock trips. How many times have you been out to that place that has taken up 14 of my years in one way or another.

How many states you have been to. Or maybe even flown over.

How many countries have you been to?

How many loves have you had? Who raised you counts too!

How many vehicles have you owned? Cars, bicycles, skateboard all count. I can't wait to see the count from some of my Cyclecide buddies.

How much stuff is in your pocket? Money or items. Empty that pocket or purse and lets everyone know how many objects you are carrying with you.

Camping and or road trips ? How many or name some of your favorite ones.

Music. How many concerts and /or favorite ones.

Songs you can sing >? Name a song you can sing most of the way through.

Instruments you can play. This is not a professional qualification. Drums count as one. BTW whatever you do, don't don't bring drums to this party. Not that I can think of anyone that would. Exception will be made for any Extra Action performer.

Whats your favorite art to make?

Whats your favorite artist?

How many business cards have you had? Self made or printed for you.

Roxio Says f-off to customers - the stealth upgrade for toast 9 to 10

So if you want to get screwed by Roxio be sure to purchase their products via a 3rd party.

Roxio, who makes a DVD / CD Rom burning software called Toast, has just told all their customers and their channel to fuck off.

It took me 3 phone calls, 4 notes on their customer service site, and one stop at Macworld to discover that Roxio really wants to screw everyone who bought the product in the last 30 days.

The bottom line? I can upgrade for the next 2 days for just "$29.95" from Toast 9 to Toast 10.

Such a big generous window. If by some miracle I had perfect information on the 5th, I actually had a 5 day window starting on Jan 5th when the toast 10 was announced. Considering none of this info is on their website, or described directly when asked directly via their customer support system, it would be difficult to have perfect information.
Worse, the customer service site answer originally directed me to a different group that did not know about this policy and tried to upgrade me at full price. This is a layered scam.

The 2 day window is what inside sales guy Adam just told me today on Jan 8th. I have 30 days from the original purchase date Dec 9th.
The new version of Toast came out on Jan 5th.

The tech support people have told me that I have a 60 day window. I'm going to attempt to get this upgrade on CD and skip the shipping costs when I go to Macworld, or call worse case pay for it in Friday by phone.

This is for an electronic copy, so I am paying $30 bucks to subsidize their ftp servers. Toast 9 weighs in at 361 megs. Not a tiny download. And at that size and cost, I want a CD.

The physical media shipped to me cost an extra $7.45, I'll pay for it without a doubt.

So basically I pay $38 for an upgrade for software that is less then 30 days old.

Or if you don't know about this stealth option you can pay $80 or $130 for the upgrade. Officially, if you do not follow the convoluted refund policy and receipt requirements then it is really $100 or $150.

Or maybe if you call in to inside sales direct ( if you qualify within the 30 day window) , the premium copy toast 10 pro upgrade is $99. Plus shipping.

Which includes Blue-Ray burning, a photo application called Lightzone ( don't need I have photoshop), a slideshow application ( don't need I have flash), Sonicfire ( a sound track application Not sure about this one but I do have a sound application just not sure if it is as good) , and a noise reduction app ( called soundsoap which is of iffy value to me)

Now I can get the blueray burning as a plug in for just $20. Which I think makes sense down the road when I get a blueray burner.
So I really don't need the "pro" version today.

I just got an email from Roxio this AM offering this promotion. As well as on email on Jan 5 promoting the upgrade. So I am in their system. They did not send em an email saying that I could upgrade for $29.99 for the next 4 days.

Where as their direct customers can upgrade for free.

When I made a purchasing decision about this product I could not find out about this policy in advance.

Is this the wave of the future?


At the end of this post is my customer service notes/ record from the Roxio site requesting more information about this stealth upgrade policy. You can't find info on it anywhere on their web site.

This all started when I asked at Roxio's booth at Macworld if there was an upgrade path. At the booth they told me that their was 30 day upgrade policy, without qualification.

I plan to try and get an upgrade at their booth on Friday.

The funny thing is that when you call inside sales to order the upgrade, one of the it says logon to the roxio site for an immediate solution.

Having now made 1 stop at Macworld, and four postings on the customer service support ticket system, and now three phone calls I have a full answer and solution. But this is bullshit.

I recall at a time when one could go to the vendors booth at Macworld, they could / would look you up their customer records ( or would call their home base to confirm I was a recent customer) , and just give you a copy of the software if you were due it.

In this day of wi-fi and iphones why is this more difficult not easier?

Why didn't I get the right answer and solution on the 1st contact?

-kevin
+++++++
WebTicket ( from me sent wed eve jan 7)
1/7/2009 I have a copy of toast 9. I received it around Dec 9th and registered it. I was told at the MacWorld booth that I should have received a copy of toast 10 for free since I purchase version 9 within the 30 days of toast 10.

Supposedly I should have received an email notifying me of this policy. As far as I know I have not.

I just updated my registration information with my physical address ( something that was missing til today) .

I do not see a way or option to get the version 10 via the website. How do I get my free copy? And do I have to pay for shipping for the upgrade or can I somehow pick it up at MacWorld from the booth? If I go back to MacWorld.

Thanks!
kevin@infoflow.com
kevin
================


srizzo ( from Roxio)
1/8/2009

Thank you for Contacting Roxio Technical Support



Please call 1-800-656-5443 to discuss the matter with the Customer Service Department

www.roxio.com/enu/company/contact.html

Regards,

Roxio Technical Support

support.roxio.com
=========


WebTicket ( from me this am Jan 8 before I called the sales phone # as directed)
1/8/2009 This is some what of a useless and non specific answer.

I am not satisfied with this answer or the quality of this answer.

What is the point of using this system if it just tells me to call customer service?

It did not answer any of my questions.

-kevin
===========

WebTicket ( from me Jan 8th )
1/8/2009 I have called the phone # I have just been told about and was not able to be helped. I was told that the phone # is only for online orders. I was told that I need to call 877-769-4601 m-f I am going that now
===========================

WebTicket ( from me after I spoke to the tech support guy phone call # 2)
1/8/2009 I am happy with the phone technical support I just received. But unhappy with the policy I was told about.

As well as that I am now required to make a 3rd phone call to get this resolved.

I am really surprised by the stealth upgrade policy that penalizes customers for purchasing the product from 3rd parties such as Amazon.

Apparently if I bought Toast directly from Roxio then I can get a free upgrade.
But if I bought Toast from a 3rd party I have to pay $29.99. And I only have a 60 day window.
This stinks and is unfair.
All customers should be treated the same. No matter where they purchased your product.

Note as one example that Adobe does not note where one purchased a product from them. If it is within 30 days one gets the upgrade for free. Shipped to the customer in a box.

Since there is no documentation on your website about this stealth upgrade, or any of the previous phone calls, or customer help notes, or via customer service I now need to make a 3rd phone call.

And this is only possible since I asked at Macworld. If I had not then I would be screwed out of the cheaper upgrading option entirely.

Now I need to call inside sales at 877 697 6946 to ask for the chance to purchase version 10 at $29.99 for a download version.
===================

The reply from tech support after I spoke to them
sploppert
1/8/2009

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support

If you purchased the software form Roxio within 30 days of the release of a new version you would be able to request a full refund and then purchase the new version. If purchased from a third party vender within 60 days of the release you can upgrade to the new version for $29.99.

If the information provided does not resolve your issue simply update your webticket with a detailed explanation with the steps you have tried and any error messages you receive.

Regards,

Roxio Technical Support
www.roxio.com/enu/support


Thank you for your comments and we appreciate the feedback


===============

Just spoke to insides sales. The inside sales person told me officially I only have a 2 day window to purchase upgrade. Today and the 9th. Though if I ask nicely next week I can likely still upgrade at the low cost.

That is pretty irritating. As well as in conflict with notes / policy from tech support and info from my talking with your people at Macworld expo.

I fell lucky ( not) that I have made a contact at Macworld booth, four posts on this customer service site, and 3 phone calls to get to the "right" answer.

I've dropped emails to david pogue of nytimes and daniel terdimen of cnet to let them know about your stealth upgrade policy and confusing customer service.

I do hope you guys can get your act together and are not so confused, unclear, as well as unfair with your customers that purchased the product via 3rd parties.

Hiding the upgrade options on your website, and sending out emails imploring me to upgrade at full price, when you could just as easily send an email to all customers registered in the last 30 days that lower cost ( or better free) upgrades would be a much better experience and build my trust and loyalty.

Being able to get a copy of Toast 10 for free at the macworld booth, if your lookup records confirmed I was a legit customer from the last 30 days would really been a good solution as well.

Thanks with hope that Roxio reexamines it upgrade policy, and notification program for its 30 day customers.

-kevin

Benefit at Kal Spellitches for Big Daddy this Friday. You Must Go! You never ever regret it. Unless you don't go.

Should be a great old time with a great set of friends for a pal of mine, Big Daddy, whose knee injury has been plaguing him for a year and just took a real turn for the worse due to a cycle accident.

If you have never been to Kal Spellitichs' shop this is an unique opportunity to see his works and a chance to play with them, and see a show or two.
www.seemen.org/
Kal's shows at his shop have been pretty rare as of late as Europeans seem to be mobbing his time, so he has a whole new set of robots, kinetic sculptures, and interactive bits ( likely slightly to mildly dangerous ) that I just can't wait to see and experience. Lets all hope he breaks out the spinning fire shower / cage again.

Many of you may not know Big Daddy but he is one of those few that set the SF scene with his presence, help, and auditory skills. If you have ever been to the Power Tool Races, Cyclecide event, the Life Size Mousetrap, or a million other events you have been influenced by his skills.

He's a great benefit to all around whenever you see him, so lets all try and help him manage the basics of life and its expenses while he is down with this gnarly knee injury.
For those that don't know Big Daddy is a stalwart at events in creation and helping from DJ'ing great mixes at various events such as the Power Tool Races, to setup with the Life Size Mousetrap, to being one of the bedrocks of what Cyclecide is www.cyclecide.com/, as well as linchpin in the ever amusing Los Banos, and actually a highly respected old timer ( which does crack me up) with that DPW thing.

Beyond all that, by trade Big Daddy is a fantastic skilled carpenter, so this knee injury really has got him stuck and challenged for work. He has been an incredible help and source of knowledge for me in the past year as I've struggled to remodel my Grandma's house, which I am incredibly, incredibly thankful for.
So if for no other reason, if you don't even know Big Daddy, or have a clue what Kal's fantastic works are, go and support because I ask you to.
I promise you will not be disapointed.

Thanks!
-kevin


From: Jason Broemmel <slouchcycles@yahoo.com>
Date: January 5, 2009 10:22:12 PM PST
To: core@cyclecide.com
Subject: Big Daddy Fundraiser With The Seemen & Guests


Howdy
Many of you know my good friend Big Daddy. He's a stalwart of Cyclecide, Old Skool BRC-DPW, DJ Deep Fry, & he played the Lord Humungus in that local movie nobody ever saw. What was that called..? Anyhoo, while BD could not be considered a stupid person by any stretch of the imagination he did a Very Stupid Thing in the form of buying a motorcycle. While said motorcycle failed in it's primary mission of killing it's pilot, it did manage to tear all 4 ligaments in BD's right knee. It will probably only get the motorcycle Bronze Star from it's Demonic Overlords. As you probably guessed he has no insurance to cover the upcoming Major Surgery & needs a little help from his friends. Below is the info for the event from Kal. Hope to see you there this Friday 1-9-9 8pm-midnight. 1043 Marin St. SFCA. Tell some friends but please don't forward to any gigantic lists cause it's not that big of a space.
Also don't miss the Cyclecide segment on MakeTV Saturday January 10th: KQED ch 9 at 8:00 am and then rebroadcast on KQED WORLD (Digital 9.3 & Comcast Cable 190) Sat 2pm & 7:30pm.



I am hosting a fund raiser for my good friend Big Daddy. He was hurt in a terrible motorcycle accident and cannot work and, can hardly walk with crutches.
So, time to pull from our resources.

I will be operating my machines and robots, they are all interactive and well, fun! Pauldaplumber will also have some of his interactive pedal-powered amusement devices there.
We will have tamales and BB-Q for sale and a bar. A how to get rich seminar and performance or 2 by MOSES and SPY, RAT-TAT-TOE, tic-tac-toe with....rats and, well, some secret surprises!

Hope to see you all there, it is for a good cause since our taxes don't seem to go to helping injured people.

all the best,
kal


Directions:
From the freeways
Cesar Chavez (Army St.) exit from 101 or I-280 North or South, take Cesar Chavez East, go about a mile from 101, 2 blocks from 280, go through intersection of 3rd St., immediate right onto Illinois St., go one block, building is kitty corner, on your right.
Look for the red light, ya can't miss it.


FROM DOWNTOWN
Or, South on 3rd. Left on Cesar Chavez, immediate right onto Illinois St., go one block, building is kitty corner, on your right.
Look for the red light, ya can't miss it.


FROM THE MISSION
Or, East on 16th street from Portrero St./the mission, take a right on 3rd., go south a couple of miles, Left on Cesar Chavez, immediate right onto Illinois St., go one block, building is kitty corner, on your right.

Or, go East on Cesar Chavez FROM THE MISSION, go through intersection of 3rd St., take immediate right onto Illinois St., go one block, building is kitty corner, on your right.

Xmas Tree Burn images are up

www.flickr.com/photos/418...2113273991/

Danger Ranger's 20th annual Yule Christmas Tree Recycling program in San Francisco. With a merit badge for the 1st time to those that brought a tree. The event is often held on the 1st Saturday of the new year. Great for for all ages. And the my chant to all those entering the beach of " No Flashes ( as in camera) , No Flashlights" worked out well to keep the crowd on the DL from the park police til it was too late.
Or at least it gave the Park Police a chance to ignore us 1/2 mile from where they were stationed. Despite a few hundred dragging trees in plain sight across the Great Highway ( at the stop light) .
This motto also added a sense of underground to the event. And, as an unexpected and unplanned bonus, kept the sometimes incessant and jabbering photography to a minimum pre-tree burn.
This policy forced people to work on talking to each other and sharing in a old school away while building excitement instead of concentrating on documenting and working with their digital gadgets. Thats my theory at least.