"Business outings and Paul's prebirthday" written by Joe on estrip.org

01/22/15 12:51 - 21.ºF - ID#59772

Business outings and Paul's prebirthday

After a pretty productive day at work I found out that I made a dumb mistake in one of my work projects. It turns out that after we switched the portal from MySQL to MariaDB, a date comparison I was doing for appointment reminders started to fail. I literally had missed one function around the date I was looking up - who would have thought it worked anyway with one database but not the other.

(e:paul), (e:terry) and I went to the pride center business mixer at the Black Swan which was super fancy pants. (e:steve), (e:heidi) and (e:dianne) were also there. It was also super loud. When we went to leave and get Paul a birthday treat, we discovered the keys fell out of Terry's pocket. The bartender told us that someone had turned them in - and instead of keeping them at the bar, they gave them to pride center staff. How ridiculous - what if the customer who lost them wasn't at that event? So Heidi and Dianne drove us down to Hamburg to pick them up.

Anyway, we tried to go to the Butterwood dessert place, but it was closed. So Chocolate Bar it was. We ate so much dessert it was insane - they even brought out an extra for Paul's birthday with a firework in it!

Gotta get ya pics in.

We decided Terry looks exactly like this 18th century dandy. He just needs a little more shirt plumage.

Happy boy in his cocoon

Permalink: Business_outings_and_Paul_s_prebirthday.html
Words: 272
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/23/15 11:24

Category: random

01/21/15 01:45 - 10.ºF - ID#59771

Squeaky Wheel and Zucchini cakes

After work Tuesday, I headed over to Jax and Kyle's to work hammer out some of the last issues with the wordpress and move some of the content in. I also finished the registration and login system for the new site - so much of it is boilerplate from other projects but it still takes a lot of time to move it over.

When I got home, (e:terry) and (e:yesthatcasey) had done dinner night without me. They made these freaking amazing zucchini cheese patties (with a sprinkling of zucchini for yer health) and a canelli bean pasta.

Zucchini cake recipie

Cannellni bean pasta

Then I packed even more in the night by meeting up with Emily, Mike, Annie and Andy at McGarrets. Its such a bro bar but it was super cheap. I accidentally got three beers for $5.50.

Permalink: Squeaky_Wheel_and_Zucchini_cakes.html
Words: 159
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/23/15 05:57

Category: friends

01/19/15 11:20 - 23.ºF - ID#59768

Wiedersehen Roberto

After getting back from Rochacha (e:terry) and I stopped by (e:robert)'s quinceañera aka going away party. We saw (e:steve), (e:czarkazm), and a bunch of other people. I didn't grab many pictures but it was a good time. Hope you have a good time in sunny Seville with all those Spanish jungs. (I don't know what bros what that is in Spanish - hombres?).

There was a pumpkin based brownie to celebrate - yum.

When I got home (e:paul) and I estripped a little and got ridiculous. Before that I noticed that the ceiling in the dining room seemed to have more deflection than before. I took pictures before but can't find them right now, so I thought I would document them here.

Permalink: Wiedersehen_Roberto.html
Words: 132
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/19/15 11:30

Category: rochester

01/18/15 07:41 - 33.ºF - ID#59763

Rochester conservatory

Another part of Rochester I loved was their little botanical garden. It was full of quails, tortoises and turtles.

The quails are so cute. I want one as a pet, that we also could raise for ethical eggs and cuddling. (e:paul) could not eat them.

Sounds familiar... Basra.

As far as I could tell, this was their Delaware Park. It backs up on this giant forested hill in the middle of the city, almost to (e:uchina)'s house. If I were her, I would abandon the apartment and spend all my time on that hill, mountain-man style.

Scenic vista.

Permalink: Rochester_conservatory.html
Words: 112
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/19/15 01:10

Category: rochester

01/18/15 07:38 - 33.ºF - ID#59761

High Falls bridge

The next morning, (e:uchina) took us on a auto-based tour de Rochester (or Crotchfester as I learned (e:flacidness) calls it). Maybe it's being in a different city and the grass is always greener - but it seems like an awesome place to live.

First we went to breakfast at a Ayn Rand themed(?!) restaurant called Atlas Eats. The kimchi pancakes were amazing and I drank too much coffee.

We then headed over to the High Street bridge, which seemed to be like a Canalside type district with actual old buildings. It overlooks the Genesee Rivers waterfall and also gives scenic vistas of both a Kodak and Genesee beer factory. I couldn't decide which one was responsible for more toxic products.

I love being in a city that isn't flat. Here is a 360 degree photo sphere I took on the bridge. I want to try it out on (e:paul)'s VR headset. The disembodied butt of (e:terry) and the floating Masumi head make you feel like you're really there.

A Christmas tree of beer.

The most ridiculous thing I have ever seen was this Pepsi machine, hooked up to a generator at the end of the bridge. How could this even make any money? Do people get so exhausted crossing the bridge that they need a cup full of sugar to make it back? Crazy.

I rediscovered some of the fun lens modes on the Note. Mostly useless but kind of cool

Permalink: High_Falls_bridge.html
Words: 256
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/19/15 01:01

Category: dancing

01/18/15 07:35 - 33.ºF - ID#59759

Dawn of the Plurbotz

We went out to a rave in Rochester called "Dawn of the Plurbotz" with (e:uchina) and (e:yesthatcasey).

(e:paul) and I went full on 90's with his self-made furry track pants, and me wearing his 1991 Kikwear pants. I could have smuggled several people in with the giant legs.

We stopped at Masumi's before the rave. (e:uchina) has upgraded her life in so many ways. Music was played with non-mechanical media!! CRT's had disappeared! There was a laptop! I was excited for her.

The rave was at Tilt, a gay nightclub outside of downtown. While the rave happened in the outdoor courtyard and sideroom, Marcella's style gay club was going on in the main room. It was kind of funny to see the primped up gay dudes walk into rave full of candy clad nerds. Dancing outside put me a little on edge because these massive electric heaters blasted us - what a waste of energy. I have to say I loved the last rave in Rochester but this location was not the best - not enough dancing room. Give me dive-y mexican restaurant any day (e:joe,59583). The difference in intoxication may have been a factor too.

Casey in his happy place - inside a bear

Making moves with the bot

Paul's friend Greg always raves with a CRT on his head. That's a real 90's throwback.

I kind of love the Rochester people that attend these raves. Not just because there are a few cute boys.

Permalink: Dawn_of_the_Plurbotz.html
Words: 257
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/19/15 01:14

Category: environment

01/17/15 10:04 - 37.ºF - ID#59758

Hanging out

I don't know why I usally did not before but on (e:tinypliny)'s suggestion I started hanging clothes to dry. It really is a waste of gas and electric to run a clothes dryer when with a little more time they could dry themselves. Especially when it makes clothes last longer. I guess I've always had access to one, even a "free" dryer in college, so I took it for granted.

I think I'm going to need to string more line up. I can't wait until summer and it'll be even easier.

In other news of my energy kick I took a look at the hot water heater efficiency. According to the energy star label it seems it was mid grade for when it was built but I need to find out when that was. The label's benchmark is for 1994, so maybe then. I wonder what advances have been made since then.

In my dream world it would be a green powered tankless electric water heater. I'm not sure the capacity of of solar here would support that, but even a gas model would be so much more efficient than maintaing a hot tank of water all day.

Permalink: Hanging_out.html
Words: 202
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/17/15 10:06

Category: linux

01/16/15 01:43 - 30.ºF - ID#59754

Up and running again

After going without a personal computer for two weeks, I'm finally back up and running. I really miss not having a computer - work ones don't feel like home.

I replaced my LCD screen in my 5 year old Dell when it got cracked in November. Unfortunately it started to flicker and die in the two weeks ago.

So I returned the old one, and tried to order a new one from Amazon reseller Techorbits. I wanted to upgrade from 1600p to 1080, and one with a better color gamut, contrast and brightness. The screen I ordered was this -

- pretty much the highest quality 17.3 display my video card could support (only a 40pin connector)

Despite paying for the better screen, they sent me a terrible Chi Mei panel with even worse viewing angles and colors than I had before. The resolution is better but that is all. I called the company, and their rep insisted the panel was just as good and that's why they could send it. Nowhere was this mentionedd and it's obviously not true just looking at the spec sheets.

Resolution | Response Time | Contrast | Brightness | VIewing Angles | NTSC Color Gamut | Backlight
AUOptronics
B173HW01 V4
1920x1080 8ms 600:1 300 140/120 262k (6-bit) 90% B+RG LED

Chi Mei
N173FGE-L21
1600x900 8ms 650:1 220 90/65 262k (6-bit) W-LED

I'm using it for the time being and not reassembling the computer because I want to this up with Amazon - completely false advertising. Techorbits of Aliso Viejo, CA, what a shitty way to run a business.

In the mean time, I also needed to replace my wifi card, as it had died, and the LCD LVDS cable as it was starting to lose contact. So now everything works fine again, besides the old battery. Maybe one day I'll buy a new computer but with an SSD this does everything I need.

I also finally got around to upgrading to Fedora 21 via FedUp- look, transparent terminal windows!! I never knew how much I needed them. Not too many obvious changes but I haven't poked around too much.

Permalink: Up_and_running_again.html
Words: 359
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/16/15 02:25

Category: allentown

01/14/15 01:24 - 1.0ºF - ID#59751

Allen Street Anonymous

Paul and I were at lunch and picked up a copy of the Allentown Association newsletter - it was all about the Allen Street reconstruction meetings. Apparently the assocation, city engineer, and design consultant all voted to remove parking for a pedestrian friendly and better streetscape (versus widening the road and removing feet from the sidewalk). Despite this fact their going to back to the design phase - more money spent on consulting, less on the actual construction :(

It turns out I was semi-anonymously quoted in the article about the debate as a Roswell employee!

Anyway if you believe at all in a sustainable future for Buffalo and making Allentown a nice place for people, not cars - write Peter Merlo, City Engineer at pmerlo@city-buffalo.com, and Stephen Stepniak, DPW Commissioner at sstepniak@city-buffalo.com and let them know what you think

Allentown Association doesn't put out an electronic version of this :( So i took a picture.

Joe Herzig said...

A Roswell Park employee also said a walkable, attractive Allen Street was essential for merchants to gain customers from the BNMC. He reminded the crowd that they could potentially get a lot of patronage from students, staff and visitors to the new UB Medical School and the new Children's Hospital now under construction. ...
Another suggested shuttles from BNMC lots at night when they are underutilized

Just to be clear I never actually said anyone needed a shuttle from BNMC to Allentown (unless you're disabled). Not sure where that came from. Walk your butts a block or two!

Permalink: Allen_Street_Anonymous.html
Words: 262
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 01/16/15 02:14

Category: ring

01/13/15 11:57 - 4.0ºF - ID#59750

Eragem.com's customer service

So (e:Paul) broke his ring. I thought it was ridiculous that Paul wanted us to buy him a new ring. I don't understand jewelry and I never will - even cracked, the ring was still very beautiful. But in true Paul fashion, he constantly browsed eragem.com looking for other rings, and once he found one he wanted and made sure (e:terry) and I knew about it. Non stop. For weeks. Through every method of communication we use, including dance.

The price was $1600 for a diamond band in gold. Terry and I broke down and decided we might as well make an offer to negotiate - not having any idea of what a band like that is worth. I emailed the owner via his site yesterday, offering $900 for the ring and linked to Paul's post explaining his situation.

Less than a half hour later, the owner of the site, Michael Michael, called me at work. He wanted to let me know he felt terrible that Paul's ring cracked - that sometimes it can happen with a heavy ring like that due to the occlusions in the gem, but he wanted Paul to be happy with his business.

I was mentally preparing to haggle when he mentioned the diamond band. Before I even said anything, he offered to send it out next-day free of charge. I couldn't believe it. I don't think I've ever seen awesome customer service like that before.

The only thing I wish I would have done was to have asked him to not contact Paul about it so it could be a surprise. I was so shocked I forgot. As soon as he sent the both of us an email, Paul flipped out with excitement.
So (e:Paul) broke his ring. I thought it was ridiculous that Paul wanted us to buy him a new ring. I don't understand jewelry and I never will - I thought his cracked ring was still very beautiful. But in true Paul fashion, he constantly browsed eragem.com looking for other rings, and once he found one he wanted and made sure (e:terry) and I knew about it. Non stop. For weeks. Through every method of communication we use, including dance.

I'm so happy that Paul is happy.