Different San Francisco Links.

Well, it's been nearly two days since my last post, please forgive me. First day I've not posted since two weeks ago. Well, usually I feel like customer service (CS) departments don't really care about me- I don't matter to their big corporate engines. Luckily, I've got a few great experiences to share.

First, Technorati. I wrote a couple weeks ago about my posts not refreshing on their link lists and in their engine. After e-mails during two weeks, I called. I got a live person and transferred to a live tech rep. Wow, great start. She promptly requested I forward me e-mails which I did. Problem fixed that same day. And a nice e-mail apology with detailed explanations about prob and fix. Gives me great confidence in their integrity. Technorati link, search box, and badge will go back up here soon.

Pretty much the same issue with BlogDigger, a search engine I really like. They responded to my e-mail within 36 hours, and it was fixed. Again, acknowledging there was a problem- and a personal e-mail (not computer generated) saying thanks for using them and notifying them.

CS surveys are very clear in proving that customer loyalty is not based on the smooth transactions, rather how a company resolves a problem. I am indeed very pleased with both services now.

I want to write about the Treasure Island proposal, since I've been hearing fireworks here in SF several nights (supposedly from T.I.), I don't know the occassion. The newest proposal that is moving ahead involves a "self-sustaining residential neighborhood of about 5,500 housing units, 20 acres of organic farmland, and a ferry building on the west (San Francisco-facing) waterfront.

Now, not to get up on my soapbox (oh, alright, if you insist- hey this is me own blog, eh?)... Is still think T.I. should be the next great casino resort area. Could outdo Las Vegas in a matter of years (or not). I mean, it's already even appropriately named. Just think, the BILLIONs (well, lots of cheddar anyways) it could generate could actually pay for our bridge project, our Central Subway project, help our school system, and maybe even give a few bucks to get the 49ers outta (I dare say) astlay aceplay. Okay, maybe not the last one, but the rest. I say cah-seen-ohs baby! Oh well, I had my meeting with Gavin a whiles back and somehow this slipped my mind. doh!

Now, I started searching Technorati's blogs focused on San Francisco and found some clear winners that I like. Here are a few. Maybe more next time.

Burritophile.com. With a name like that, burritos become a serious business. And the ratings seem fair, accurate, and highly descriptive. Hey, I just went to Taqueria Los Coyotes tonight and had a great burrito. The guy made it so big, he couldn't wrap it- had to use two extra sheets of foil. It was very, very good. Maybe not my fave but right up at the top. Last week I went to Ocean Taqueria on Divisadero based on the review and also the recommendations of several peeps I know. Maybe not the greatest, but convenient enough that I'd have no problem going back for another. And hey, when I walked in the guy was actually scrubbing stainless steel food containers... I thought they were closing, nope not even close. So bonus points for cleanliness there.

SFist.com has more about San Francisco online than I think San Francisco actually has live in person. I mean, it's packed with SF news, events, topics, and goodness. Great site, worth a looksee.

LifewithoutBuildings.net has an ecclectic mixture of modern architecture- mixed in with a bit of industrial design. Some wonderful pics pulled from other top mags and sites. Can keep you in the know pretty quickly with some burning topics. Really not SF based topics, but worth a look.

I'm not sure where MAKEzine.com is located, but they came up in my search. This site is pretty unique (I do know there are others though). Learn how to MAKE all sorts of gadgets and projects, like McGuyver would've ... uhhhh... if he was a domestic husband instead of a day-worker (well, mayyy-be). This site reminds me of hack a day which deals pretty much exclusively with technology products for all you techies. Also a very cool site. 'Specially if you are looking for something specific, chances are one of these two has it!

Alright, I'm gonna add a blurb about a film project I am excited about. The Brazilian Job is in production now, the sequel to the 2003 hit The Italian Job. I loved the Italian Job for its use of music, characters, and overall direction by F. Gary Gray. Who said music video directors can't cross over into films? And don't e-v-e-r say he looks like Gary Coleman, he'll never invite you on set (okay, ... I made that up, but I'm willing to bet it's true). I know Italian Job was based (somewhat) on the 1969 classic starring Michael Caine, but that's not the topic here. The Brazilian Job has been slated to hit theatres late 2007 (wide release), but I am also seeing a 2008 release date on various sites. Cheers.

image credits: F. Gary Gray and Gary Coleman pics from imdb.com