"OK" written by Jim on estrip.org

09/16/07 10:39 - 62ºF - ID#41142

OK

Three posts in a row, sue me.

I hate the City of Buffalo's website. There is a bunch of stuff there I want to repurpose and it's all in PDF form or actually it's not there at all. I hate screen scraping.

I want to map all the properties owned by the city, all properties that will be auctioned off, and in an ideal world be able to overlay city zoning and survey maps on my maps.

But no luck really with any of that. The city has it's own maps:

That's almost completely unusable, and I shudder when recalling the markup under the hood. There has to be a devious way to get what I need.

Oh, and as far as I can tell - there is no website for the Buffalo Police Department. Does anyone know what it is? I guess if they have no website it means they don't publish any information I could map.

Permalink: OK.html
Words: 168
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: wtf

09/16/07 10:34 - 62ºF - ID#41141

Councilmatic

Councilmatic? That appears to be a real word from the research I just did, but seems so so wrong.

Permalink: Councilmatic.html
Words: 21
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

09/16/07 09:15 - 62ºF - ID#41138

Progress!

Importing data from 3rd parties :) works. Now I'm working on the user interface for adding new geolocated pages.

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

Category: commerce

09/14/07 10:52 - 64ºF - ID#41107

Apple Pricing

My take on the Apple Rebate for the $200 drop in price on iPhones, in response to a question about how I could be happy to be partially refunded after being 'overcharged'.

Saying they overcharged me is wrong, it is just not an accurate description of the economic transaction that I participated in. They asked for $600 and I thought it was worth $600 *TO ME*, and so I paid. This is how a market works. What the price is two months later is completely irrelevant. Prices on electronics always drop or better models come out. I was charged exactly the agreed upon amount.

Apple is giving credit to make up for the price drop, yes. But they do not feel bad for overcharging me, because there was no overcharging. There is just a different charge now, that is lower, and they are doing partial credits to acknowledge that it was quicker then usually happens. That is good manners, in my book.

The rebate process was super easy, and I never expected a rebate or credit, so I am happy to get it.

Additionally: the price was high when initial demand was high, and now that they're heading into Christmas and have production ramped up, they dropped the price to gain market share. I'm glad I paid an extra $200 to Apple if it meant I could walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone, instead of not being able to get a phone because they were going for an extra $1000 on eBay because the prices at launch were so low that demand was out of sync with supply causing scalper scum to snatch up every damn phone in the country.

That's what happened to the Wii and xBox and PS3, to buy one you had to spend a small fortune on eBay. Apple priced the iPhone high enough that they were selling them at the same rate they were making them, thus ensuring they were stocked in stores. Sure, they made more money, but what the hell? They are a business not a commune of hippies. I am happy with how everything has gone.

(this was originally a comment on this post)

uncutsaniflush writes at 02:21:03 09/15/07 - Comment #24496: Hmmm, (e:jim) why do you feel it is important to point out that you didn't buy the iPhone to be the first on the block? Is there something wrong with being the first on the block?

Personally, the major reason I'm rarely the first kid on the block to get anything is because and I'm cheap and lazy.

By the way, I enjoyed your humorous reference to the origins of Apple's name. It is true that even though Steve Jobs came up with the "Apple" name after visiting a hippie commune, he and the other Steve chose to start a for-profit business instead of a hippie commune.

jim writes at 10:43:52 09/15/07 - Comment #24485: I want to be clear that I did not buy this to be the first on the block. I needed a new phone, and I paid extra for a phone that would be enough of a computer that I could leave my laptop at home instead of lugging it everywhere. Also, since I use a Mac, this is the first phone that has flawless Mac syncing, a big plus. So for me that is the value of the phone, not status or bragging rights.

uncutsaniflush writes at 08:32:37 09/15/07 - Comment #24479: I don't tend to be an early adoptor for variety of reasons including the high initial cost. As I said in my last comment, I am happy that you are happy with the iPhone credit situation. You are certainly right that Apple didn't "have" to do anything at all.

As to the "overcharging", since I don't have an iPhone, who am I to disagree? Personally, paying extra to be the first kid on the block with aany product just isn't worth it to me. So if I got an iPHone and two months later it was $200 cheaper I would feel "overcharged" And that is why I don't tend to buy anything when it first comes out. But is just me. I

Happy iPhoning.

(this was originally a comment on this post :::link:::)

jenks writes at 01:28:42 09/15/07 - Comment #24474: Couldn't say it better myself. People keep asking me if I'm pissed the price went down. I said no, that's just how it works. The price you pay for being an early adopter.

I am a little sick of people bashing iphone to me, though. Saying I'm stupid for paying all that money, that ATT sucks, that THEY would never pay that much...

Whatever... I paid almost $400 for an ipod before. Several times. I paid $400+ for my Treo.... Whether or not it's "worth" it- I was willing to spend the money.

But apple announced that they just sold their one millionth iphone. After 74 days on the market.

I don't know crap about sales or marketing or business- I don't know if selling a million in 74 days is a big deal- except that they said it took almost 2 YEARS to sell a million ipods.

So apparently I wasn't alone in being willing to spend money. And to switch to att...

And honestly, I've heard plenty of people say "i would never buy an iphone. it's a rip off, it doesn't do x y or z." But I have never heard anyone with an iphone say they don't like it ore regret buying it.

wow, sorry, long comment.

Permalink: Apple_Pricing.html
Words: 360
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: photography

09/14/07 09:54 - 64ºF - ID#41104

I've Seen The Light

It came to me all at once, a blinding light. I'd always mocked it, thought it was for losers and people who wouldn't aim for a better.

I now love Flash. I just hated the one on the camera. Now that I've got a nice external one that I can bounce off walls or ceilings and make the light indirect, I am so excited. No more deer-in-headlights portraits, or trying to hold the camera so steady in the middle of bad light so it might just come out not too terribly blurry because the shutter has to stay open too long.

Flash is the way to go! I know I keep talking about it, I am just very excited and I'll try to refrain from any more photos of my dog or of (e:James) for a little while.

Permalink: I_ve_Seen_The_Light.html
Words: 139
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: fluffy

09/14/07 04:42 - 78ºF - ID#41097

Puuuppppy

He's the only one I can get to model for me.

Permalink: Puuuppppy.html
Words: 13
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: commerce

09/14/07 11:23 - 74ºF - ID#41091

The Way Rebates Should Be

11:12 AM - Go to Apple's Site
11:12 AM - Click, '$100 Apple Store Credit for iPhone'
11:12 AM - Enter Serial Number and Phone Number
11:13 AM - Get text message with claim number
11:13 AM - Enter claim number on Apple's site
11:14 AM - $100 Credit in hand

Seriously, every rebate everywhere should be handled like this. Not like the crazy Best Buy ones that take like 3 months to find out that they lost your paperwork and you're out of luck.

jenks writes at 12:28:12 09/15/07 - Comment #24490: I guess it just shows that "worth" is determined by the market. Do I think ANY professional athlete is "worth" millions and millions of dollars? Hell no. But, people will pay it, so I guess I'm wrong there. Is a phone 'worth' $600? Who knows, but people pay it...

uncutsaniflush writes at 08:25:00 09/15/07 - Comment #24478: I don't tend to be an early adoptor for variety of reasons including the high initial cost. As I said in my last comment, I am happy that you are happy with the iPhone credit situation. You are certainly right that Apple didn't "have" to do anything at all.

As to the "overcharging", since I don't have an iPhone, who am I to disagree?

Happy iPhoning.

jim writes at 10:41:26 09/14/07 - Comment #24466: - Saying they overcharged me is wrong, it is just not an accurate description of the economic transaction that I participated in. They asked for $600 and I thought it was worth $600 *TO ME*, and so I paid. This is how a market works. What the price is two months later is completely irrelevant. Prices on electronics always drop or better models come out.

- Apple is giving credit to make up for the price drop, yes. But they do not feel bad for overcharging me, because there was no overcharging. There is just a different charge now, that is lower, and they are doing partial credits to acknowledge that it was quicker then usually happens. That is good manners, in my book.

- The rebate process was super easy, and I never expected a rebate or credit, so I am happy to get it.

The price was high when initial demand was high, and now that they're heading into Christmas and have production ramped up, they dropped the price to gain market share. I'm glad I paid an extra $200 to Apple if it meant I could walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone, instead of not being able to get a phone because they were going for an extra $1000 on eBay because the prices at launch were so low that demand was out of sync with supply causing scalper scum to snatch up every damn phone in the country. Like happened to the Wii and xBox and PS3. Do you really think that's a better situation for people to be in? I do not.

uncutsaniflush writes at 10:07:27 09/14/07 - Comment #24464: Let me get this straight:
- Apple overcharges you $200 for an iPhone
- Apple decides to give you a $100 store credit because they feel bad for charging you too much.
- You are grateful because they give you the store credit quickly and easily.

I'm just an unfrozen caveman linux geek and your modern Apple ways frighten and confuse me, but one thing I know for sure, if someone overcharged me $200, I wouldn't be happy until got $200 cash money back from them.

That being said, I'm happy that you're happy.

Permalink: The_Way_Rebates_Should_Be.html
Words: 77
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

09/13/07 09:48 - 70ºF - ID#41084

A Message From The President

(see also)

Permalink: A_Message_From_The_President.html
Words: 10
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: photos

09/13/07 07:50 - 71ºF - ID#41081

It's like that...

Seen at Wegmans today.

Permalink: It_s_like_that_.html
Words: 6
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: meta

09/11/07 11:32 - 55ºF - ID#41057

What's your estrip story?

So, I was wondering today how everyone came to find this site: tell your story if you don't mind, doesn't have to be too long, but I'd love to hear it. And, you can read about everyone else... see the comments below!

james writes at 10:14:20 09/13/07 - Comment #24405: five minutes. I started writing a story and scrapped it twice and then wrote that one. I am king of bullshit.

fellyconnelly writes at 10:08:39 09/13/07 - Comment #24404: james how long did it take for you to come up with that?

james writes at 10:02:37 09/13/07 - Comment #24402: I was living in a tiny apartment on the fault line between the nice west side and the horrible west side. My kitchen was the largest room in the house, and the most useless room. The linoleum floor and the drafty windows made sure that the floor was cold in the months with no t-shirt weather.
The most obnoxious feature of that kitchen was the sink. On top it was all aluminum, new and flashy, the sort of think that keeps you from checking underneath it before signing a lease. I had many problems with my life while I lived in that apartment. I love of whiskey and opium would turn out to be lesser problems than the perpetual leak from that sink. Leaking, leaking, always leaking like 16 year old cock in the woman's department.
As it leaked it collected into a old brown plastic bucket, cracked from the years of wet and dray, bleach and vomit. It was a storied bucket, epics are written in some indecipherable language into it's chewed corners, in the filth stuck to the chalk outline of where a price tag used to be. Well, the drip, drip sound continued and was then accompanied by the sound of water overflowing.
I kneeled down on that cold December floor and opened the cabinet to dump out the grey, viscous fluid in the tub. And that is when I saw them. Little KGB agents.

The had been bread by Kremlin scientists to fit between the walls of heads of state's homes. To use their tiny stature to go where no man could. Thy had been waiting for years for a response from the Premier with nothing. Too small to leave and travel home they were stranded. The Cold War ended, the Soviet Union fell. And they were forgotten.

I would bring them food and vodka. We would try and talk but they spoke no English, peculiar as they were spies. Mostly we would laugh and nod our heads as we ate and drank. But when we were done I would see them hide their sadness behind a stoic face and close the cabinet door. I am sure they saw the same face on me.

Seeing them like that would make me feel helpless, a bug on a windshield. To cheer myself up I would masturbate. Estrip wasn't the porn-acopia I was looking for, but it makes me not think about the men stranded in my old kitchen.

libertad writes at 09:30:11 09/13/07 - Comment #24398: comment #23 WOW! I wanted to include a pic in my story so i made my own journal about how i found estrip. :::link:::

jenks writes at 09:24:27 09/12/07 - Comment #24351: Well, I may not be *THE* reason he (they) left the site, but the child-bride definitely WAS in the picture at the time.

mike writes at 08:46:44 09/12/07 - Comment #24347: my story is boring, (e:paul) made me do it. ISn't that the story of so much of my life? I was here back in September '03 when estrip was merely a blog of a few people! adn wowsa (e:jenks) I never knew your story!

theecarey writes at 08:44:42 09/12/07 - Comment #24346: my story is more or less similar to (e:jenks) and (e:ladycroft). Then I lurked for quite awhile before officially joining. I remember initially thinking (and actually being kinda turned off) that it had something to do with "forever elmwood". Obviously I was wrong and rather delighted in what I did see here- the chat was fun, the local/community relevance, the get-togethers, etc. In that sense, it was LadyC that finally pulled me in to making my first post.
haha, LC, I forgot about the anorexic lady!

jbeatty writes at 07:42:19 09/12/07 - Comment #24342: Mine is boring. I am the 2nd degree of separation from (e:carolinian) the first being my sister-in-law (e:lizabeth).

metalpeter writes at 07:25:28 09/12/07 - Comment #24341: I will admit I'm not sure why I was on Elmwood, if I had a guess it was to go get concert tickets at new world records not sure. So in front of a couple stores I saw the chalk ads (oh bye the way Those on the streets during a festival might be a good way to advertise the site). I will admit I had no idea it was an internet community I figured that it was a way to go online and find out about stores and things along the strip and maybe even see what stores different people liked. That is correct that I thought it was store sponsored. I'm not sure how much I posted or how often back then I would have to go back and look at the dates. I won't really get into the parties or get to gathers here, all I'll say is the first (e:peep) I met in person was (e:ladycroft) and for those that I didn't and I should have met or meet earlier I'm sorry (you rock, and that may have been a factor).

tinypliny writes at 07:05:00 09/12/07 - Comment #24339: Believe it or not, my greatest concern about moving into Buffalo was not the lack of suitable apartments, potential muggings, grocery shops, the weather or the transport. It was finding a dirt-cheap friendly Hair Cut place. Googling turned up one major hair-cut-rambler - (e:lilho). Her google snippets had about a million exhortations to "get a haircut" and I clicked right through and landed on (e:strip).

Quite ironically, she left town as soon as I arrived. :/ ...and I haven't found a nice haircutter yet. I am going for an experimental one today.

drew writes at 05:33:10 09/12/07 - Comment #24335: When I was researching the job I now have, I hunted around on the internets for everything I could find out about the Elmwood strip. I found this place, read it for a while, posted once or twice once I decided to move, and a bunch once I got here.

jim writes at 05:32:11 09/12/07 - Comment #24334: I was over visiting (e:Matthew) one day years ago and he and (e:Paul) told me about the site - the page's background looked like notebook paper I remember. I am not sure why I didn't sign up back then, but couple years later I took the plunge and here we are :)

lauren writes at 05:14:41 09/12/07 - Comment #24327: Well, my lovely partner/lady friend (e:fellyconnelly) started doing buffalo research and found this group. I picked on her extensively for blogging with strangers but was ultimatly curious about what it was that she was doing. I signed up and made one post and that was that. After about 2 weeks of living in Buffalo I joined her for an (e:strip) gathering at India Gate and found that the people were actually kinda cool and so I signed up and now I come here more often then myspace!

paul writes at 05:05:21 09/12/07 - Comment #24325: It was the server's fault. Should be back now.

jim writes at 03:26:26 09/12/07 - Comment #24317: I didn't touch it! I'll ask Paul.

ladycroft writes at 03:24:10 09/12/07 - Comment #24315: what happened to my comment- it disappeared?

fellyconnelly writes at 03:20:36 09/12/07 - Comment #24312: wow what excellant stories!

when lauren decided to attend UB for grad school and I started doing online research for neighborhoods and places to live and all, I found that Elmwood was the hip and happenin place. So I googled it and (e:strip) was there! the rest is history!

lizabeth writes at 02:37:59 09/12/07 - Comment #24299: In my case, it is all (e:carolinian)'s fault. I really just joined so I could comment on his journals. But I'm trying to be more involved here, 'cause y'all are cool, and I wanna be one of the cool kids, too.

p.s. - I can think of at least 5 people who have joined this site because of (e:carolinian) (even if only 2 of us blog regularly), so (e:paul), give the boy a commission or something. ;)

jason writes at 02:18:42 09/12/07 - Comment #24297: PS - (e:Jenks)!! GASP GASP GASP GASP GASP. Excellent story.

jason writes at 02:17:05 09/12/07 - Comment #24296: I think I saw the sidewalk chalk advertising. I signed up to try to connect with neighborhood peeps. I knew nobody on the site. Personally, I think without my brave decision to step into the arena, I think e-strip would be far too homogenous. My value is immeasurable. I mean, you guys would get pretty fucking bored just agreeing with each other all the time about everything.

=P

Josh is right about my hesitation to see him join. I at least make an attempt to temper my rhetoric. Certainly I think I've gotten MUCH better about that. He pretty much will say whatever, whenever, however, which is respectable in its own right, I guess.

hodown writes at 12:42:36 09/12/07 - Comment #24292: Paul is my BFF, he signed me up when he first started the site it was me, mike, paul and then lilho and Terry and Matt. Basically he created accounts for everyone and then we caved in and started blogging. Im still a little bitter about my user name. It reminds me of a rodeo.

ladycroft writes at 12:10:40 09/12/07 - Comment #24291: Hahahahahahahaha....skeletons in the closet. Oh my, my - if you only knew......

Let's see. I met drchlorine. We were watching a movie one night and he wanted to make a quick post. So I said, "don't forget to burn me that cd, and what are you talking about a post?" So he gave me a tutorial and I signed up. Remember the days of radio and song dedications....

Yes leetee, he was an avid enthusiast of tonsil hockey and massages.

And I must lay to rest once and for all jenks, you are not the reason he left. Teen queen alison wasn't the gf yet,it was that anorexic girl from arkansas.

zobar writes at 10:20:21 09/12/07 - Comment #24290: One day (e:paul) came into the office and convinced my boss that we wanted to host his site in our basement. I don't really know why we agreed, except maybe that my boss was trying to be cool and digital. Around that time I was sort of trying to blog vicariously through (e:dragonlady7), but I secretly harbored the feeling that she was mangling my humor. I met (e:paul) and a couple (e:strip)pers at the underplanned Geek Meet [thank Christ there was only one] and decided to start up one of these, how you say, 'blogs.'

- Z

leetee writes at 09:44:55 09/12/07 - Comment #24288: I had no idea that *he* was the guy, (e:jenks)! I vaguely knew the story, and found out months later that it was about a guy. But until just now, i didn't know it was him. He got around with the makeout sessions, didn't he? I always thought he was kinda creepy...

The story of how i became an (e:strip)per isn't really all that interesting. But, since you asked, (e:Jim), here it is.

My husband, (e:Uncutsaniflush) told me about it. He joined back in '05 shortly after we moved to Buffalo. He might want to tell the story, but i think he found (e:strip) through a Google search.

Our first (e:strip) gathering was the going away for (e:Ajay). At the Old Pink. Of course, still being relatively new to Buffalo and not the barfly types, we had no idea where it was and could not find it. Only through walking up and down Allen and a process of elimination did we find it. We also found out that 9, 10 or even 11pm does not mean that is the time people will arrive, at least on (e:strip) time.

After meeting a few (e:strip)pers there and talking to what i now know was a drunk (e:Paul) telling me i simply *MUST* join (e:strip), "like totally, now" outside, i signed up. I think the next day.

joshua writes at 09:40:46 09/12/07 - Comment #24287: Oh hahah! Damn (e:jenks), that is one juicy skeleton! Fucking hell! Anyway that is a great story.

My introduction to (e:strip) was through my brother. At the time he begged me not to sign up because it was around the '04 election and he thought that I'd embarrass him by being too impolite to his new friends. I told him to fuck off and that he couldn't censor me, thus proving that I'd only be impolite to him - haha! His reasons... that was true but I am only kidding about the last part there. I then signed up and couldn't log in. A month later (e:paul) wrote me a random e-mail asking if I were trying to sign up - I told him my issue, he fixed it, and that was that.

You know I don't even know why or how (e:jason) got involved with (e:strip). Maybe he'll post.

My story is far less cool than (e:jenks) and hers!

jenks writes at 09:19:19 09/12/07 - Comment #24286: haha, I've never told mine publicly- guess i might as well since it's kind of a funny story.
Bottom line- a guy started flirting with my on myspace. We talked back and forth a little. He made the comment that 'anyone who's anyone is on estrip'. I didn't know what estrip was, and figured I'd check it out. Then this guy told me that he had a girlfriend, and we can't talk anymore. Yet somehow came over to my house later that night, and we made out a little bit. Then I signed up for estrip, using my first name. Well he got in a big panic that his GF would figure everything out... he called me, but said I can't call him, and asked me to quit estrip. So I sort of did. Then decided that was stupid. I was not going to censor myself b/c a 30yo was afraid his 17yo girlfriend would figure out who I am [yeah- you all know who I'm talking about]. So I signed back up, under a new name- my middle name. Took me a while to really 'identify' myself, though- I kept things really vague and anonymous for a while. But then I met ladycroft for lunch one day, and was 'outed'- and the rest is, as they say, history. ;)

museumchick writes at 11:45:57 09/11/07 - Comment #24282: I found out it randomly about a year and a half ago as a link from one of the Buffalo-related sites. I noticed that one or two people I knew was on the site, and started to follow different journals. I enjoyed reading all kinds of journals on here and joined. I'm glad I did!