gerwitz › Comments

"At least the Treo popularized the external mute switch." - gerwitz

"Diverse selection and ordinary prices (if you use a loyalty card), and I love the labeling of northwest products. The staff have always been friendly and helpful when, and only when, I need them.…" - gerwitz

"Imported truffles that have been well curated, cioccolato as a Tuscan coffee shop would serve, and the perfect proprietor for such an establishment." - gerwitz

"Nice hotel with spacious, well-designed rooms and on-par Westin service. The location isn't the best if you're not a baseball fan (up along Washington Avenue would be more in the thick of things) but…" - gerwitz

"Yelp served us well in finding dinner here. The menu is thorough but safe, service is good (on par for an upscale chain). The location is dreary, but this is Houston after all so we'll give them a…" - gerwitz

"So, I was only here once, for the 2008 election night party. But that deserves commemoration before this place disappears into fire code oblivion. The vibe was great and I loved the roof. Of…" - gerwitz

"This little interactive sculpture park is way above St. Louis's pay grade. They would do well to install some wayfinding and increase tourist exposure." - gerwitz

"Uninspired store design and mundane selection. They deserve props for checking off the "mainstream grocery store" box on the usual list of complaints about downtown, but this is no substitute for…" - gerwitz

"It's disingenuous to refer to the Pike Place store as part of a current marketing plan. The 1st & Pike St store is (as are many others, e.g. University Village), but is also very branded. The Pike Place store is unique and seems to fit the new mold, but it hasn't changed much in 30 years. The new mold was cast from it. The two "stealth" stores on the hill are not branded, but also use different machines, carry different blends, and are quite different stores. "Disguise" is an odd accusation; I don't think either of the stores snuck in, and the "Inspired by Starbucks" is pretty boldly screened on the door. And I just received a marketing email from them quite clearly taking responsibility for them." - gerwitz

"Interesting side note: This "first store" is not the first location for Starbucks. Close enough, though. Did you visit the new, nearby Starbucks on 1st and Pike or either of the "inspired by Starbucks" concept shops on Capitol Hill? It's been fascinating to watch the company spend millions trying to buy that elusive quality known as authenticity, and the local debate about whether this is "fair" to the indie shops that compete. Most of them are younger than Starbucks, some aren't even locally owned, and yet the "global" quality of SBUX puts them at a disadvantage." - gerwitz

"Is there a syllabus of some sort? (I've a CS degree and some knowledge, but could certainly use a refresher.)" - gerwitz

"So, just that they're ugly? Agreed. Even so, they're slightly better as affordances for "pressable" than your first favorite." - gerwitz

"What don't you like about Twitter OAuth? I find the coloring and shapes interesting, even if they're visually ugly." - gerwitz

"These are pretty easy and affordable to make yourself: http://hans.gerwitz.com/2008..." - gerwitz

"What did Curtis do wrong, here? Mr. X committed suicide by blogger. My opinion may be a bit biased here, as large, lumbering corporations that are more enlightened than AA pay for my time, which is sometimes spent telling them what they’re not seeing but might be “obvious” to savvy outsiders. They can be both infuriating and immensely rewarding to work with. As a regular customer of AA, I’m quite certain they would only be infuriating. But also would never seek the advice of arrogant designers. Rather, their money is safer spent with the humble, khaki-clad consultants who will tell them what they want to hear while they steer their ship into irrelevance. But maybe I’m missing the point because I’m too outraged about how negligent AA is in customer experience to be much worried about Mr. X’s “mistake”." - gerwitz

"Great vibe, wonderful service, acceptable veggie sandwich. The ingredients were solid, but they need to work on balancing the flavors." - gerwitz

"Large rooms, great views, fabulous location, and well-trained service. They do seem a bit understaffed, with occasional lines at the front desk and delays answering the phone." - gerwitz

"Thus, sources said, not all Facebook updates will be included in the real-time feed to be searched by Bing, but only those its users choose to make available to the wider public. Facebook will apparently provide users with a number of new tools to do so. Am I the only one who thinks this alone is big news? Public status feeds and compelling clients for consuming them will make Facebook a straightforward and compelling replacement for Twitter." - gerwitz

"I'll take those odds." - gerwitz

"They have a laser cutter and a MakerBot. And the geekiest vending machine in the city. And they'll let you use them. The only think that could make this place cooler would be a robot to play go…" - gerwitz

"Seriously. I don't like Ayn Rand or vapid chicken soup quotes, either, but as far as affirmations go this one is pretty good. Has your need to hate Obama turned you against hope?" - gerwitz

"What a fitting choice of vehicles." - gerwitz

"OMG so tasty. Made both my wife and me think we could be happy as vegans. I had the BBQ (seitan) po' boy, she the avocado salad. The design of the place is fabulous, as well. Right down to the…" - gerwitz

"Sad that you showed up here right as we landed home after 24 hours of flying. Too out of touch and jetlagged to say hello." - gerwitz

"I love the trail, but it could be so much better compared to similar trails in other cities. Mostly in the crossings that are irregular and don't give me confidence that drivers will be aware, and…" - gerwitz

"This is one of those places where everything is so delightful you can't help but share with the table, and the only regret is that you can't sample everything on the menu." - gerwitz

"Nice selection and quite reasonable prices, despite the touristland location. But the real reason to drop by is the staff, who might analyze your wardrobe or offer a horoscope along with purchase…" - gerwitz

"I tried some crazy smoothie blend being tested before inclusion on the menu, made of stuff that sounds horrible. It was wonderful. This place probably deserves five stars, but I've only been the…" - gerwitz

"A somewhat clearer, but small and over-compressed version can be found on this crazy blog: http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009..." - gerwitz

"…until SPD came along. (The boobs were put away when it got cold. Can you blame them?)" - gerwitz