Comments on: A grievance http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html thoughts, questions, original art and content and links to stuff we think is of interest; a group blog dedicated to pretty much everything. by people you would like to meet at a party; proof of intelligent life on the planet; inhabited by Internet hunter gatherers in the pre-apocalyptic realm; a destination that offers constellations of stimulating links to popular (and not so popular) culture; a group blog dedicated to culture: art, design, music, food, architecture, science, travel, movies, books, typography, politics, etc.; inclusive of geezers!; a delightful mixture of orange words and pictures of well, the insides of a stuffed animal–delightful all the same; the social network I never thought I’d join. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:16:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-542782 Sheila Ryan Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:54:28 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-542782 Yikes. Thanks for the tip. I put a $2.00 Made-in-China Casio watch in a microwave once, and it shot pretty sparks before it died. Fucking thieving hippies. Yikes. Thanks for the tip.

I put a $2.00 Made-in-China Casio watch in a microwave once, and it shot pretty sparks before it died.

Fucking thieving hippies.

]]> By: India http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-542775 India Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:44:37 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-542775 The microwave treatment leaves a telltale scorch mark. Fucking hippies. The microwave treatment leaves a telltale scorch mark.

Fucking hippies.

]]> By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-542746 Sheila Ryan Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:19:19 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-542746 Or give it the microwave treatment. I hate this. A couple of years ago, I absentmindedly set down my wallet on a stack of something-or-other in the River Forest, Illinois Whole Foods. Minutes later, I returned to the stack; my wallet was gone. In vain did I seek help from the customer service chick. No well-heeled upstanding aging hippie had turned it in. I was pissed because the wallet was a rather lovely, quite sturdy paper affair a friend had bought for me on a trip to Japan -- and because the thief did not have the decency simply to extract my $200 in holiday-weekend cash and leave the wallet and ID behind for me. So I lost my driver's license and credit cards et cetera et cetera. And my passport. Lord knows why I was toting my passport around River Forest, Illinois. And Lord knows why I did not replace it swiftly. Maybe I had fallen into a funk and thought I would never again travel outside the United States. But there you have it. And I am really really really angry at the thought of shelling out at least a hundred bucks for a new passport that is in every way an abomination. Or give it the microwave treatment.

I hate this.

A couple of years ago, I absentmindedly set down my wallet on a stack of something-or-other in the River Forest, Illinois Whole Foods. Minutes later, I returned to the stack; my wallet was gone. In vain did I seek help from the customer service chick. No well-heeled upstanding aging hippie had turned it in.

I was pissed because the wallet was a rather lovely, quite sturdy paper affair a friend had bought for me on a trip to Japan — and because the thief did not have the decency simply to extract my $200 in holiday-weekend cash and leave the wallet and ID behind for me.

So I lost my driver’s license and credit cards et cetera et cetera.

And my passport. Lord knows why I was toting my passport around River Forest, Illinois.

And Lord knows why I did not replace it swiftly. Maybe I had fallen into a funk and thought I would never again travel outside the United States.

But there you have it. And I am really really really angry at the thought of shelling out at least a hundred bucks for a new passport that is in every way an abomination.

]]> By: India http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-542727 India Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:41:11 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-542727 Aaargh! And, just as a reminder, if you already <em>do</em> have one of these <acronym title="piece of shit">POS</acronym> new passports, do yourself a favor and <a href="http://www.brepettis.com/blog/2009/2/28/protect-yourself-from-remote-rfid-theft-on-paypass-credit-ca.html" rel="nofollow">smash the</a> <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/start.html?pg=9" rel="nofollow">RFID chip</a>, which <a href="http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2009/07/14/what-a-shock-your-e-passport-isnt-secure-after-all/" rel="nofollow">does absolutely nothing except broadcast your Americanitude to potentially hostile strangers</a>. Aaargh! And, just as a reminder, if you already do have one of these POS new passports, do yourself a favor and smash the RFID chip, which does absolutely nothing except broadcast your Americanitude to potentially hostile strangers.

]]> By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-530514 Sheila Ryan Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:01:58 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-530514 Or maybe I'll review designs for personalized checks -- sunsets, rainbows (not the LGBT kind), puppies, kitties. Or maybe I’ll review designs for personalized checks — sunsets, rainbows (not the LGBT kind), puppies, kitties.

]]> By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-530508 Sheila Ryan Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:57:18 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-530508 Okay, I say we each get to choose our own personal, individual passport design. We're Americans, right? So I am going to the greeting card rack over at the Rural King and finding me some inspiration for my own design. Git 'er done! Okay, I say we each get to choose our own personal, individual passport design. We’re Americans, right?

So I am going to the greeting card rack over at the Rural King and finding me some inspiration for my own design.

Git ‘er done!

]]> By: SC http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-530487 SC Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:32:05 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-530487 So, when the passport is opened at customs it plays something like this: http://rosemck1.tripod.com/god-bless-america.mid It complements the current design and it shows off our American technological prowess and sense of aesthetics, and, hey, every passport checker in the world will be humming God Bless America in their dreams. So, when the passport is opened at customs it plays something like this:

http://rosemck1.tripod.com/god-bless-america.mid

It complements the current design and it shows off our American technological prowess and sense of aesthetics, and, hey, every passport checker in the world will be humming God Bless America in their dreams.

]]> By: SC http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-530482 SC Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:22:43 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-530482 If the State Dept. ends up sticking with the current passport design, I recommend they add one of those little audio chips that come in greetings cards. I'm sure they can find one that plays a midi version of God Bless America. If the State Dept. ends up sticking with the current passport design, I recommend they add one of those little audio chips that come in greetings cards. I’m sure they can find one that plays a midi version of God Bless America.

]]> By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2009/07/a-grievance.html/comment-page-1#comment-530462 Sheila Ryan Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:21:52 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=27164#comment-530462 Oh. Oh. Oh. Fugliness undreamt of in my worst nightmares. People. We must take to the streets. I'm serious. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Fugliness undreamt of in my worst nightmares.

People.

We must take to the streets.

I’m serious.

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