03/19/16 02:46 - ID#60442

Ban the bag

Last week the county executive announced that he was going to pursue a ban or tax on plastic bags in Erie county - finally. Sometimes I feel like we live in an open air trash dump with the amount of plastic that blows around - down the street, stuck in trees, clogging up the storm sewers, floating around in the water at canalside. People throw their bags out the window, stores forcing you to take bags for items that don't need it. I know (e:libertad) says his 7-11 makes him put a 6 pack in a plastic bag - WTF, it's already in a container? This is how everyone ends up with a plastic bag full of bags in their house.

I would 100% support an outright ban, if not a tax of $0.50. If they tax it I think all the money should fund a litter pick up program.

I went out to the backyard today and picked up some of the trash that blew in/was thrown over the fence this winter. Just 11 plastic bags alone, plus the usual chip bags, Tim Hortons cups etc. That's not even counting the 5+ bags I pick up a week on our front lawn.

You can email your county legislator and the executive and tell them that you want the study on the ban funded, and a law passed.

If you live in Allentown or anywhere on this map

your legislator is Barbara Miller-Williams at BMW@Erie.gov

Mark Poloncarz can be emailed at countyexecutive@erie.gov

You can find all the rest of the legislators on this page:

Permalink: Ban_the_bag.html
Words: 296
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/19/16 02:48

Category: going out

03/17/16 01:53 - ID#60440

Deepfried at Underground

It's weird to see Underground so trendy and crowded. the last time I being there was with (e:Paul) after Exicison last year, when some junkie knocked a picture off the wall, and two patrons called the stressed out bartender a faggot.

It was cool seeing so many people out though. I think it may also be spring fever.

Or maybe Underground will be popular again. (E:Paul) claims that one time Underground was popular, and be won an underwear contest there.

Permalink: Deepfried_at_Underground.html
Words: 85
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/17/16 02:37

Category: movies

03/14/16 01:34 - ID#60439

Downtown walk with e:Mike

On Saturday we walked around downtown with (e:mike)

Down to canalside

And over to the Irish Famine memorial, in the Synacor parking lot

And over to the railroad tracks.

This section used to be double tracked but they removed them about 10 years ago. I wonder what used to be in that concrete bunker? Paul thinks it's a station because there's windows and stairs down to it.

Keine Selfies im Gleis!

The tracks make a convienent dumping ground.

Permalink: Downtown_walk_with_e_Mike.html
Words: 86
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/15/16 01:34

Category: movies

03/12/16 12:17 - ID#60438

The Witch

(e:paul) is obsessed with satan and witch based movies, so we went to see the move "The Witch" last night at the regal.

It was mostly about a 1630's farming family in America being tortured by some witch in the woods. There was a little too much Jesus praying in the movie for me, but I guess if you're going to have a Satan-goat worshipping witch you need something to counter it with.

It made me appreciate not living in colonial America. It also reminded me of what I think brushwood ladies would love to live out.

Permalink: The_Witch.html
Words: 99
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/12/16 07:45

Category: food

03/09/16 02:33 - ID#60436

Dragonfruit (dragonegg)

Have you ever had a dragonfruit? It looks like I would expect a dragon egg to look like. It makes me want to incubate it and have a cute dragon pet.

We got on at PriceRite for $1.99 a pound. It has a very mild creamy taste and the coolest looking seeds on the inside. From the look of it I really thought it would have a stronger taste.

Apparently it's from Mexico and related to the prickly pear cactus. Now I know what Basra's favorite fruits taste like.

Permalink: Dragonfruit_dragonegg_.html
Words: 96
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/09/16 09:22

Category: tech

03/09/16 02:32 - ID#60435

Apple design

As seen on (e:Paul)'s desk.

The moment when your USB rechargeable mouse battery dies, but you can't use it while it charges because the plug is on the bottom (?!). so it's back to a much cheaper corded mouse which never dies.

Magic mouse for real. Why would Apple not put it in the front or make it inductive? What about when the battery life is reduced?

Permalink: Apple_design.html
Words: 69
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/09/16 02:32

Category: tech

03/09/16 02:25 - ID#60434

Faceswapping

I went over to my parent's house for Latvian food and dog walking.

My sister and I discovered the snapchat faceswap filter while I was there. I think (e:xandra) is the best at these, but here's Mary swapping faces with the high school pictures of Daniel and me.

Permalink: Faceswapping.html
Words: 54
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/15/16 01:37

Category: hiking

03/01/16 11:56 - ID#60432

Chesnut Ridge hike

We took advantage of the warm Sunday to go hiking down at Chestnut Ridge. From the look of the parking lot we thought it was going it was going to be packed - but they all must have been on the eternal flame trail because we didn't see too many people. The shale-y creek beds remind me of Hunter's Creek.

I hadn't been to hike at Chesnut Ridge since elementary school, when a bunch of hippies showed us what weeds we could eat, and we had lean-to building contests. During (e:paul)'s time Ken-Ton elementary schools had camp outs - but at some point that became too risky for schools, and it turned into county park day trips.

My favorite part about the weather was the watching the snow melt run off into increasingly bigger streams. We walked through a path that basically became a creek.

At some point we came across this old chimney backing up to a creek. Nothing else was around it - I wonder what it was for. I climbed the top and looked down - it was full of garbage.

My photos for the day came out pretty good. I wish I could post a bunch of the time lapse pictures I took because I felt they get the streams the best, but they're in mp4 format and I don't feel like uploading them to youtube. Maybe estrip should support small file-size HTML5 video.

On the way home we stopped at Curly's for late lunch. It was expensive but amazing - I had the jerk tofu with sliced grilles vegetables and Terry had a mushroom mac and cheese. I need to figure out how to cook tofu that way.

Permalink: Chesnut_Ridge_hike.html
Words: 296
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/02/16 01:57

Category: consumerism

02/29/16 11:37 - ID#60431

Outlet mall

On Saturday (e:paul) begged me to go to the mall with him, (e:mike) and (e:dave).

First we went to the Como restaurant on Pine Avenue Niagara Falls. My meal wasn't a decent deal - salad, cheese ravioli entree and a cannoli for $12. An old Italian man in the bathroom asked me if I was trying to hide my gun.

(e:mike) had the pops all lined up.

The outlet mall is as expected - pointless. Even Paul agreed that there's not much he actually wanted to buy. But I managed to block most of the consumerist orgy out by hanging out with Paul, Mike and Dave. Plus I got to do a lot of walking, even if it was inside.

(e:paul) trying to bring back the 90's

This sweater was $1395 marked down to $595. WTF?!

Permalink: Outlet_mall.html
Words: 142
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/01/16 10:54

Category: party

02/27/16 07:51 - ID#60430

Boat party

We went to a going away party for (e:keitht) and his buddy Miranda at the Maritime Center last night. She's built a boat they're taking down to Florida with them. It's pretty awesome.

There was an after party house party in West Ferry. We hung out a lot in the amazing attic with a loft/bed. (e:terry) wouldn't let me take his picture for some reason but I snuck one of him and Paul up there.

Good luck down south (e:keitht)!