"My Elephants Worship Mary" written by Mike on estrip.org

04/06/08 02:55 - 60ºF - ID#43921

My Elephants Worship Mary

So after cleaning my room i decided to rearrange all the figurines on my dresser which from past journals you have seen is quite an amount of figurines. Well this started as an accident with the placement of of one gigantic orange and gold elephant placed next to a statue of Mary and from there soon all of its elephant brethren had come in to worship also. She must be some woman!

The first believers arrive...

Then some of their friends get curious and stop by....

Soon the whole herd is there in admiration......

This isn't sacrilegious right? its not like its a Simpsons manger scene or something right?

Permalink: My_Elephants_Worship_Mary.html
Words: 115
Location: Kenmore, NY

04/04/08 05:14 - 43ºF - ID#43903

NKOTB (New Kids for those who don't know

It's Official! The New Kids on the Block are releasing a new album and going on tour 20 years after their hit album "hangin tough" I am most definely going, i don't care where I have to travel to see them. And I am going to bring my towel and trading cards and oversized pins and what nots!!! They make their debut May 16 on the Today show with old hits and new hits! I can't wait!!!

Permalink: NKOTB_New_Kids_for_those_who_don_t_know.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

04/01/08 07:52 - 38ºF - ID#43867

I QUIT RITEAID AND FOUND AN APARTMENT

APRIL FOOOLSSSS! happy april fools day

everyone!

Permalink: I_QUIT_RITEAID_AND_FOUND_AN_APARTMENT.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/30/08 10:20 - 47ºF - ID#43833

The 5 Buchanans

Does anyone remember this show? It was a great show with this old woman who had 4 daughter in laws and their crazy antics. The old woman was so mean and funny. I found some clips on youtube today. It wasn't as funny as i remembered but seriously i loved that show and forgot about it until today when i randomly remembered it.

Permalink: The_5_Buchanans.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/30/08 12:21 - 26ºF - ID#43826

Linwood House Tour: What a Scam...

So the Linwood Home Tour is $22. I think that seems a tad outrageous. I did the Linwood Tour like two years ago and it was really kinda crappy. It was like 12 houses and part of it was the stupid Mayfair apartment building which was really an ad for the apartment building cuz you go in and see an empty apartment. RIDICULOUS!!! It was really seeming outrageous. The houses were not exactly like even the best ones they were just houses that were on the tour because they wanted to be.

It just seems totally ridiculous. So my question is...where does the $22 go, is it some worthwhile charity, maybe for kids? maybe to help a homeless shelter? maybe to feed the hungry? or help rehabilitate older Victorian homes in poorer areas? OR is is for the rich people to get richer and spruce up their already rich and fancy neighborhood? Why should I pay for them to make their lives even fancier and separate themselves from the rest of the neighborhood? Maybe they can take the money and build a moat!

tinypliny writes at 05:53:29 04/05/08 - Comment #33556: A gate sounds like more maintenance money to me. If they build a gate, they need more money to maintain and where will that money come from?

mike writes at 05:02:40 03/30/08 - Comment #33271: TO clear up a few things:

1. I never meant that the people's houses who are shown benefit financially from this. I meant that the money goes towards say building a fancy gateway at the beginning of the street. And while yes most fancy streets have those stone gateways, Linwood does not, don't you want to preserve it how it was. I always found those gateways to serve as a warning like you don't belong here and as a separation from the rest of the community, like now you are entering the nice place. It seems a bit pretentious to build one.

2. I just took a quick look online and things like the Parkside Tour the money goes to an association that yes does use money to spruce up the neighboorhood but also creates a summer arts program for kids and gives loans to poorer members of the area to help spruce up their homes. I can't find anything about Linwood doing this but i can't find anything saying it doesn't, so I guess I would like to know if it does.

3. Clearly there are lots of people willing to pay the $22 to see it and I guess that is why I think you could take something like that, where you know you have an asset people want to see, and use that to raise money for something other than just beautifying your own street. (e:paul) even had a suggestion which was like helping fund restoring old homes in parts of the city that are not so well to do and could use more improvements.

paul writes at 12:18:09 03/30/08 - Comment #33263: The tickets are only $17 in advance. The idea is to preserve this district and beautify it. People really spend a lot of time strolling down our street in the fashion of a park. It is definately a community resource in terms of public space.

I know it is hard to believe now, but before this neighborhood was pretty run down and some of the houses were in serious disrepair. People who really cared about historical preservation (in a recognized historical district) put a lot of time and money into their homes to change that.

You have to look at it as the money is going to maintain and preserve this historical neighborhood and the unique architectural character of Buffalo which is the whole point of the tour.

I agree that the gateway is a little pretentious but what fancy street doesn't have one? And (e:lilho), you actually live in a gated community, so whatever.

As for the price, I agree that cheaper would be more appropriate - like $15 - especially considering that some of the venues are not even homes such as artspace. It is only $17 in advance.

I think that was definitely a big mistake to include artspace, possibly a bigger mistake was last year with the free advertising that was the apartment building tour. Whoever thought that was a good idea made a big mistake. On the other hand they sold 800 tickets last year.

I have a feeling it can be much better in the future and hopefully we can hopefully change that.

lilho writes at 11:28:58 03/30/08 - Comment #33262: "maybe they can take the money and build a moat." ahahahahaha. i actually laughed out loud, more than once. you make my day mike. if they charge $22, they should make the people with the best houses participate, by force. then, it would be more worth it. and people should put on a show or, provide drinks or snacks, right?

metalpeter writes at 11:16:59 03/30/08 - Comment #33258: Question? Can you take pictures inside the houses? I can see why people wouldn't want pictures of there home where they have family pictures. But if they are showing off the insides of there houses you would think they would want their hard work to be shown other places. Yeah $22 dollars does sound like a lot but if you can take pictures of all the great homes with great wood inside of them. Well from your house with that cool entrance way and the wooden sliding doors I assume the rest of the houses would look great inside. Another question when is the tour and how would tickets be bought. You might as well let people know that.

matthew writes at 01:03:27 03/30/08 - Comment #33252: i guess i should have mentioned that i live on linwood, i am a member of the linwood association , and my house will in fact be on this years tour. so i probably took it too personally.

matthew writes at 12:56:43 03/30/08 - Comment #33251: wow mike, this is the most misinformed journal entry ever. "OR is is for the rich people to get richer and spruce up their already rich and fancy neighborhood" You already know the answer to this question. I agree the price is very high for a home tour, but regardless the money is not going into linwood's private residents pockets like you suggest. It's being used to beautify and enhance the street. Like replacing trees, fixing potholes, building gateways, recognizing buffalo's architectural history, and reminding people that there are beautiful neighborhoods and communities to live in in the city. (things you'd think tax dollars to the city of buffalo would take care of...but they rarely do)(and things that benefit all of the neighboring residents) I know the linwood association isn't doing anything purposely selfish or wrong by putting on a home tour. They really put a lot of their time, effort, and work into events like these.And they are truly proud of their homes and want to share them with others Also, the tickets always sell out. So obviously some people are willing to pay. And they don't seem to be bitching about where they spend their money.

Permalink: Linwood_House_Tour_What_a_Scam_.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/27/08 05:40 - 42ºF - ID#43808

Risking My Life For Movies: Regal Style

So the Regal on elmwood has gotten sketchier and sketchier over the years. Like i don't love going to a movie theater where there are like 30 police at all times checking everyone's tickets. While i see why that should make you feel better it makes me way more terrified like something bad is about to happen at all times! So we went to see Shutter the other day( a pretty good and very scary movie in my book, though Willy WOnka is also a really scary movie in my book and Alice In Wonderland television version, but i digress). Anyway, in the back of the theater there are this group of teenagers just like yelling things out and being obnoxious as all get out. (and like trust me I may talk a bit at movies sometimes but they were clearly doing this to be annoying) Other people started to get angry and saying things and this riled the kids up more. The tauntings got somewhat racially charged just making it all the more ready for an explosiion. Of course I am already as tense as can be because of the movie and now with all the fighting among the crowd and the police presence outside and the past history of riots at Regal , I was sure there was a gonna be a knifing at any moment and I would be caught in the crossfire. Then this huge man in the front stood up and said something like "YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE" to the kids who had something like his girlfriend was ugly. Then the police came in and escorted the kids out and the audience cheered. I don't understand why people would go just to be annoying and get kicked out, it is like 10 dollars a ticket , just so you can get kicked out?!?

Oh i forogt the biggest travesty of all, i could have prolly survived it otherwise but I HAD NO POPCORN CUZ IT WAS GOOD FRIDAY AND I COULDN'T SNACK BETWEEN MEALS! That is the biggest travesty of all really!>!>!>

you know what they say a movie without popcorn is like a pipe without crack....

tinypliny writes at 05:32:47 04/05/08 - Comment #33552: How about the movie theatre downtown? Do you ever go there? Seems like a good one in general. You know what I don't get - the popcorn prices! I mean, come on, how can you expect any sane individual to pay nearly $7 for friggin popcorn. Agreed its like crack for pipe but last time I checked its only $1 for 1/2 a silo of popcorn - real price. Its like the theatres are making a bazillion% profit from popcorn alone. It just seems a little unfair. If they price it right I might buy $7 worth, just don't give me a one pack and charge it at $7.

jenks writes at 02:54:04 03/29/08 - Comment #33241: sara, that boat in the tunnel scene still scares the crap out of me, and I've never even seen it on acid, so you're not alone.

and- this is the regal on elmwood, by home depot and target and stuff, right? That's like the only theater I ever go to, and I've never found it at all sketchy. In fact I've always thought it was pretty nice Hmm. Maybe I live under a rock? I wonder what I'm missing, if that place is super scary... Where SHOULD I go then? I like that one b/c it's close.

iriesara writes at 11:42:08 03/28/08 - Comment #33213: I love the original Willy Wonka, but saw it on acid once & that boat through the tunnel scene scared the hell out of me! The to the point when I watch it with my son even, I get a little jittery at that part. And that was like 12? years ago.
I remember the TV Alice in Wonderland from when we were kids and I remember thinking that was slightly frightening also. Kind of like an acid trip in itself, although obviously now I realize that's fitting. I didn't know that when I was 9 though, so to me it was just....off, in a really peculiar way.

mrdeadlier writes at 11:41:47 03/27/08 - Comment #33208: I will only go to that theatre if I have absolutely no choice because of incidents like the one you described. I almost got in a fight (me... in a fight) with some guy behind me like 5 years ago while seeing some Hugh Grant/Sandra Bullock movie. Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock! Typically I'll willingly waste the time and drive out to Transit Regal just so I can avoid the frustration. But even that has been going downhill over the past several years.

Permalink: Risking_My_Life_For_Movies_Regal_Style.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/18/08 08:46 - 40ºF - ID#43724

Ill Punch Your Heart Out Haha

This is my favoritest clip from Golden Girls of all time. Too bad Sophia isn't in it! I seriuosly laugh hysterically for hours everytime I see this episode!!! I love dorothy's face during the parade!

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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/17/08 10:46 - 31ºF - ID#43711

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILL!!

Today one of my bestest of friends , (e:jill) turns 25! Quarter life folks! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILLIAN JIGGS!!

Permalink: HAPPY_BIRTHDAY_JILL_.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/13/08 06:39 - 37ºF - ID#43654

2 Years on The Toilet

OMG there was a story today in the Buffalo News about a woman who has spent the last two years on a toilet and her boyfriend who was bringing her food and water finally called the police. I guess she refuesed to get up for two year and now her legs have atrophied and her skin has literally grown around the toilet seat! UNBELIEVABLE ...HERE IS THE LINK...no this isn't the national enquirer this is the real news here...

Permalink: 2_Years_on_The_Toilet.html
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Location: Kenmore, NY

03/04/08 05:38 - 27ºF - ID#43553

Losing Touch With the Estrip

So our computer smells like really burning plastic and so you can only use it for like 5 minutes at a time. So as a by product I only use it like a little every other day ish. And so i never read estrip and i feel so out of it, i can't keep up. It is weird how much free time you find you have though when you dn't check facebook, estrip and myspace endlessly every day...