Here's my answers to (e:Paul)'s survey...

People:
1. How did you find out about/why did you become of estrip?

Paul told me about it, relatively early on, I think. Paul was one of the first people I ever met in Buffalo (at UB).

2. How "out" are you about having a publicly accessible online journal. Do your friends know? Does your family know? Do your co-workers know? Does your boss know? Do you use your real name? Do you use your real photo?

I talk about (e:strip). I don't use my real photo, but I use my real name and link to/from the site to/from my personal website. I tell others to join. But I don't usually solicit readers for my (e:strip) journal specifically.

3. How many epeeps have you met real life?

At least 10. I haven't really made it to group functions (I'm kind off a hermit anyway).

4. How has estrip changed the way that you meet people, on and/or off line?

It gives me the FEELING of knowing people better. I'm not totally convinced I do. It is a point of discussion, a common thing when I am around people who use the site.

5. How has estrip affected you love life?

nada. My wife doesn't have a journal... But she reads the site.

6. How many of your friends have joined estrip because of your influence?

I might have been the first person to tell (e:dcoffee) about the site, but I'm not sure. I tell all my students about it, but I don't think many of them have joined.

7. Are you from Buffalo/do you live in Buffalo?

I came to Buffalo for graduate school. I think it would be fun to stay here, but I may have to go elsewhere.

Equipment:
1. What type of hardware or software purchases have you made as a result of using estrip?

none

2. Have you used the mobile version of estrip? Why or why not?

Yes. I love it. I love to share things from my immediate world, and the mobile media is the easiest and best way to do that.

Lifestyle:
1. In what way has estrip changed your Internet surfings habits? Describe the amount of time you spend on estrip, when you use it and about how long?

I check it out probably every day to every other day. Sometimes a few times a day; other times not for a week. It's a pleasure-browse for me-- when I feel like checking in on the group or I'm looking to kill time. I keep up with a few journals and occasionally read other people's journals if I see them in the latest posts list.

1a. How many journals do you usually read per day?

Two or three, every day to every other day.

2. In what ways has estrip changed the way you perceive your local community?

It's allowed me to actually learn quite a bit about what happens in Buffalo. It's good to have a community to approach about local issues, like questions about houses, services, etc.

3. How has journaling about your life affected the way you spend your free time?

I have always written a lot. I have budgeted some of my writing time for (e:strip), and sometimes I see things that I just need to share with (e:strip) friends.

4. Has estrip changed your living situation in any way?

nope.

5. Do you find that you mediate/document more of your experiences now that you share them with others?

It's been a general increase. I don't really "document my life" with estrip; the photo capabilities of my phone have done more to encourage that than the site has, but the site has helped facilitate sharing, which is excellent.

6. Has publishing on estrip affected the way that write?

No.

7. Do you have other online journals? If so, with what service and has estrip affected your usage of that journal?

I have a personal Wordpress-powered website. I have always had a website. I post on a couple of other forums and on GamesFirst.com and Alt-Games.com. I also freelance for other websites like www.intelligentagent.com .

8. Have you ever gotten in trouble for using estrip at work?

no.

9. If you have stopped using estrip, why?

I hope estrip helps me keep in touch with old friends if I have to leave Buffalo. I don't plan on stopping my estrip usage. It would be more likely that life changes would cause me to periodically neglect the site and then return on occcasion...

Last night I was hanging out with (e:Paul) , (e:Terry) and (e:Matthew) (and Sarah ), and we were talking about their new mansion. What a cool building. I must have had too much Flying Horse at India Gate with dinner because I didn't notice it at the time, but this morning as I was looking at the photos again, I thought of something Matthew was telling us about how the house was haunted.

Now, you know me, (e:strip), and I'm not one for imaginary things like ghosts and god and all that. But today I noticed something really weird. I swear (e:Paul) took some strange photos at the house. I enlarged the photos so you can see the areas I'm talking about (since (e:strip) don't allow us to zoom on images...)


OK, so here's Exhibit A, a photo of the back of the new PMT Mansion. Notice the window in the middle of the second floor?



Here's a detail shot of just that window:



So WTF is that? huh?

And then this is the one I can't believe I didn't notice last night:



Can you see? In the left window? Here's a detail:




So now I have two mysteries on the table (e:peeps): What's the deal with the Buff Zoo Gate sculptures? And is the new mansion haunted?

OK, who in (e:strip) land knows about the Buffalo Zoo gate sculptures? I know others are familiar with the sculptures; at each of the old gates of the Buffalo Zoo there are these cool sculptures of different animals. The sculptures are pretty cool, and mostly intact. We've always wondered about them, so Sarah decided to take some photos (she's still playing with the Lensbaby a lot ). She posted up a bunch on her site. Check them out here:





I mean, c'mon, how tough is that sculpture? What is that, some kind of mountain lion? Couger?

What do you know about these sculptures?

I saw this bot contest online and I thought I'd post it up here for anyone toying with chatterbots on (E:strip). Or interested in doing such a thing...

Robots or "BOTs", are software programs that you can add to MSN® Messenger and Windows Live™ Messenger. If you add a robot to your contact list, it can chat, give you customer service support, perform searches, make suggestions, play games and more.

We're looking for the best new robot ideas for Messenger. And $40,000 in fantastic prizes go to the top BOTs!

I might try to work something up later this summer if I get out from under my pile of stuff I need to take care of...

And I did receive my Jesus Pans, like two days after I ordered them. I sent a phonecam pic to the 'Strip, but I think my messages are still being flagged as Spam. Damn anti-spam tools... I'm sure (e:Paul) will eventually rescue it.

I made a site using Ning. It's a Buffalo Restaurant Reviews site . Rappaport's site is good, but clunky. And I don't know of another site that allows user-reviews. So here is one with user-reviews and Google mapping built in. I have only added one restaurant so far, but feel free to sign up and pitch in!

I am so blown away by Ning. You can use it to make so many different kinds of site. It's the ultimate modular site and the ultimate Web 2.0 website. haha Really amazing stuff. Check it out. And review some restaurants. All the Natalie's fans on the site say "YEAH."

Wow, Two posts in one day, what a deal!

I want this. I want two.

Watching TV today, I saw Lloyd Kauffman and the Troma crew at Cannes promoting Poultrygeist. For those new to the 'Strip, my wife and I were extras in the protesting crowd scene, and we got to do a song-and-dance number, too. It was a lot of fun. I wish Troma made a movie in Buffalo every summer -- it was like a day camp for freaky adults.

The trailer is up on the movie's My Space site:

When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protestors aren't the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take possession of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat!

Film lovers have been starved for sustenance. The relentless diet of predictability and pretense Hollywood has been serving up just doesn't cut it. Poultrygeist is hearty food for thought. In Poultrygeist, Troma takes on the the fast-food industry-skewering the soulless restaurateurs-in the worlds first horror-comedy film to feature zombie chickens, American Indians and a bit of singing and dancing!

Its Poultrygeist! In theaters this fall!

Check out the trailer:

Calling all Alternative Gamers!




I just started a new webzine called Alternative Games. You can view it at (that's Alt - Games.com) and I welcome you to be among the first to browse around and offer some feedback.

I created Alt-Games because I really want to read a publication focused on the non-conventional, experimental, fine arts, and indy / student games that are continually released online. It is very easy to find mainstream gaming coverage, and occasionally those outlets cover all kinds of things I'd personally classify as "alternative" (Katamari Damacy is an obvious example, as is Shadow of the Colossus, Seaman and any of the other "cult" mainstream games).

As a gamer, I feel a bit torn. On the one hand, the conventionalization of gaming genres and forms has really done a lot to solidify the form, providing a transparency of convention that allows certain elements to be explored. However, I also don't think we've really scratched the surface of what is possible in the game medium, and I'd rather play a dozen "kinda-crappy" experimental student projects over a single "pretty good" sci-fi FPS any day. But give me excellence in either category and I'm very, very satisfied.

So here we have Alternative Games, founded in May 2006. We're currently looking for writers. Several of the GamesFirst! staff have signed up to participate, so I know there will be a core of some very good writers. We're pioneering a new idea in shared ad revenue: Each author directly earns a portion of the ad revenue generated by their articles.

I'm hoping this revenue-sharing proposition, along with a general love of games and interest in the less orthodox elements of game culture, will entice some great writers to step up and get published.

If you're interested in writing for Alternative Games, contact me at feedback@alt-games.com or send a writing sample to submissions@alt-games.com

Butt paste on sale at target...

Josephine and sarah performing a vr drama at the epoetry symposium