"I said I would post yesterday" written by Drew on estrip.org

02/22/08 10:26 - 22ºF - ID#43425

I said I would post yesterday

but I didn't.

Had my visit at P.S. 6, regarding T.

This kid is a good kid one-on-one with adults, but unless a grown up gives him one-on-one attention, he tends to let his life be dominated by his peers. It's a lot of bullying and stuff like that, he gets it and he gives it. And he's just been suspended for swearing at a teacher.

The teacher and principal were thrilled that I called them. It's so sad--nobody came at all for parent/teacher conferences. I know that Buffalo public schools don't have the best reputation, but this teacher and this principal knew what was up, and T's class only had 18 students. The problem is that his Dad is in Iraq (I don't think people think of what it does to families when a war happens) and Mom is, er, disengaged. So T, in 6th grade, spends a lot of time caring for his sister.

We should not act surprised when kids join gangs.

Still, there is some cause for optimism. The teachers and I are on the same team, and there is a good social worker that can help a ton, if we get Mom's signature. I'm going to lean on this kid hard to behave in school and work with him on his school stuff.

One of the things that I realized a while ago was that the number one thing that makes a difference in a kids life is if there is an adult that cares what happens to them. If you aren't working with some kid (and it really isn't "work" hanging out with a kid), I reccomend doing so. I can help make it happen, too.

Permalink: I_said_I_would_post_yesterday.html
Words: 282
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/20/08 03:12 - 19ºF - ID#43404

I bought it.

I am such a consumer. A bunch of my recent posts have been about products. Products don't make you happy. Not even laptops. Especially not laptops, since they belong to the computer family and computers generally make me frustrated.

Anyway, I won't be buying too much more stuff. Unless a ton of Birthday money comes in.

I will post again tomorrow. It will be about:

turning 30

or

visiting a kid's school (he is failing because he keeps getting in trouble)

or

My sermon, which I will hopefully finish (It's about water, fighting, and how Jesus worked for reconciliation as he made an outcast a leader)

or

leadership in general (I've been trying to figure out how to do that well)

or

hanging out with young, upscale, and gay (mostly) episcopalians for soup and discussion of C.S. Lewis (I didn't think they would like him . . .)

You can vote on which one I will post about, but I may just choose the one that strikes me at the time.

Peace.

Permalink: I_bought_it_.html
Words: 169
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/15/08 11:08 - 24ºF - ID#43342

laptop survey

I have a computer at home and a computer at work. I don't travel too much, and while I would love to work at Cafe Aroma, I don't do it all that much. It would also be nice to have a laptop for presentations, which I do now and then.

Should I purchase an inexpensive laptop?

I know many of you have them and love 'em. Does anybody regret the purchase? Does anybody not have one and definitely not want one (anyone that isn't married to me, that is)

Permalink: laptop_survey.html
Words: 89
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: tv

02/13/08 10:44 - 19ºF - ID#43320

She's going to be on!

Tina Fey hosts a new Saturday Night Live this Saturday night.

I love it.

Permalink: She_s_going_to_be_on_.html
Words: 14
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/13/08 04:20 - 24ºF - ID#43314

The neighborhood just changed a little

The gates tower project is happening.

(Please forgive my Buffalo Rising habit--(e:strip) I swear you are my first love!)

Permalink: The_neighborhood_just_changed_a_little.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/10/08 08:09 - 4ºF - ID#43269

Feels like the first time.

Well, it was the first time. Every one said, "if you move to the city, you will be a victim of crime."

I knew it could happen, but it never did.

Until last night. Somebody took our car's CD player.

Apparently, they needed it more than we did.

Looking back, we think they broke into the car multiple times to get it done. Acura makes it REALLY hard to install/remove CD players.

I couldn't get the old tape deck out when I was trying. The dealership charged big bucks if they were going to do it (long story there), but I didn't pay them.

Anyway, the car will be a little more quiet now.

We're tempted to just sell the thing--it's the type of car that attracts criminal activity, but what can I get for a dented, high-mileage, no stereo car?

fellyconnelly writes at 09:30:22 02/12/08 - Comment #31586: i feel like total deja vu... didn't you already have your car broken into? i was quite certain that i had read that you did much before this point...

metalpeter writes at 05:11:50 02/11/08 - Comment #31566: That sucks. I wish you luck with what ever you decide to do with the car.

mrdeadlier writes at 11:50:44 02/11/08 - Comment #31552: Yeah, check out the pawn shops. Maybe you'll even get your own stereo back. Doh!

mrmike writes at 09:40:05 02/11/08 - Comment #31547: I wish I could be as cool as Tony and PMT. It's almost an rite of passage for the neighborhood. When I lived on Anderson, the same thing happened to our newer car. Meanwhile, my clunker with the better cd system was left alone.

Go figure

janelle writes at 08:12:26 02/11/08 - Comment #31546: Yeah, I feel annoyed that dude stole the stereo. But I also thought, dude must be desparate for the money if he's going to steal a stereo during a wind storm. So alright, fine, have our stereo.

enknot writes at 06:20:50 02/11/08 - Comment #31543: Put up ads on a college campus. You'll get interest, fast. Especially around student loan check time, and don't feel down about it. I used to really like old cars, well my old car. I kept replcing my CD player until I got a new car, but I figured something about about car crime or maybe just city crime. If you got to a pawn shop in the slummier part of the city you live in you will see a vast array of the kinds of things you should buy newer versions of or just avoid buying outright. Diffrent cities have diffrent crime markets, you just don't want to look attractive to the criminals in your area. Pawn shops are a great way to know what's selling.

On the car topic, the more I understand about how they've improved the tech of absolutely everything in a vehicle since I've gotten my steros stolen the more it's amazed me. Newer VW's as well as many other car compaines make the stereo's in them impossbile to remove without getting under the hood and they sound amazing, they have to be unlocked by the dealer once they get it out to boot. The security features on them make them completely unattractive to crimnals and worht your dollar if you ever have had to buy a part that was stolen on your car more than once.

My brother is big on after market car crap (being a mecahnic) and he lives in a higher than avavarge crime area. I cannot tell how many times he's gotten parts of his car stolen out of his car. I lived in a simlar area and sometimes didn't lock my door overnight and my car was still there with everything intact while slightly older cars next to it had their sellable parts pilferd.

If you put a new CD player in your car and you can aford antying that was made on or after 2003 sell that thing right away. Gimmie call I'll see if my bro can install it for cheap. I'm sorry for your loss. Just don't loose faith in the less than afluent parts of this city. Poor uneducated crimnals gotta eat too, it's just easier to live next to them when you don't look like food. You wouldn't get mad at all bears cause one got your pick-a-nick basket. Besides, if you live there now you now the benifits of the area, the people who aren't poor are as cool as (e:pmt) and me!

: )

imk2 writes at 10:53:37 02/10/08 - Comment #31539: i think this must have happened just to about everyone that has lived on elmwood strip.

mrdeadlier writes at 09:48:15 02/10/08 - Comment #31538: Bummer, sorry to hear about that.

Don't sell the car, though! Just buy a cheap used CD deck off Ebay or something...

Permalink: Feels_like_the_first_time_.html
Words: 142
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: 10 things

02/09/08 08:10 - 34ºF - ID#43261

10 Things I like about my food processor

1. It can slice up more cabbage than a person could ever want to eat.

2. Only two buttons: "On" and "Pulse."

3. Three choices: slicing, shredding, and chopping.

4. The shred disc and the slice disc are the same disc (just flipped over)

5. It seems to be easy to clean.

6. A 10 cup container? no way!

7. Apparently it can even make a pie crust (I'll have to see that to believe it).

8. A low, low price! ($30)

9. So far, nobody has lost a finger.

10. Unlike my deep fryer and tv, it works.

Permalink: 10_Things_I_like_about_my_food_processor.html
Words: 90
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: computers

02/08/08 10:07 - 27ºF - ID#43243

How much noise should a monitor make?

I already replaced my monitor once, and HP was good to send a new one for free. The first time we switched because.

a. it had an annoying hum

and

b. it started changing colors around the edge.

On the current monitor, the colors are fine, but today I hear the hum more than I want to. How much hum am I expected to tolerate? Or is it reasonable to expect mostly silence from a monitor? Does HP just do a crappy job with monitors?

This is what it looks like:

I haven't recorded the sound. It sounds like, "hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . ."

Permalink: How_much_noise_should_a_monitor_make_.html
Words: 102
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/07/08 11:14 - 24ºF - ID#43226

Lent

I don't always like lent (a season of fasting to prepare for Easter), but I do like Isaiah 58, which gets a lot of reading during the season. Here it is (verses 6-9), from the message translation.

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am."

Do this and your lives will turn around at once. Wow. Too bad so few people (and I include myself and a million other Christians actually choose to try it.)

This year, for lent, I am going to memorize this, and try to live it.

Too bad (for you) none of you owe me money--because it's debt canceling season!

I'll have to talk with Janelle about inviting the homeless poor into our home, but maybe we can find a way.

Permalink: Lent.html
Words: 224
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: 10things

02/04/08 10:55 - 40ºF - ID#43183

10 Things I like about Super Tuesday

Ok, so I love politics but I don't talk about them in public too much because it isn't good for me professionally. But I can say that I am happy for tomorrow. So they are, 10 Things I like about Super Tuesday.

1. My primary vote counts. This is the first time in my life that my primary vote ever mattered in a presidential election.

2. I don't feel like I am choosing "the lessor of two evils."

3. I can walk to my polling place.

4. I haven't been turned off by ugly attack ads (this has surprised me. I think maybe they are all on cable?)

5. It's a double event day, since it matches up with Mardi Gras.

6. It's the same week as the Super bowl, and really, there isn't too much else that is described as "super" any more, so we get it all in one week (if only a superman movie were released tomorrow).

7. There will be record voter turnout. The more people participate in democracy, the better it is.

8. Not having given money means not getting campaign phone calls. Ditto having vonage, I think.

9. Making punny jokes about "poll workers."

10. Listening to Derek Webb sing Savior on Capitol hill, and remembering that no matter who wins, they will likely let me down. (I guess I don't like that fact, but I love the song.)