In response to Jim's comment on my last journal:

I would like a reasonable upload rate >1mbps with a static IP. The cheapest quote I could get without a two year commitment or an insane installation fee was through adelphia which quoted me at $99/month.

Verizon would be alright if we had a phone line but we don't as we all have cell phones. They refuse to sell me a static IP with a reasonable upload rate without first buying a business phone line which too much extra with the three mobile lines we already have through sprint. The last time I checked they wanted to charge me about $120-30 per month plus taxes and a $100 installation fee along with a contract. Maybe things have changed as that was last semester.

Any other ideas? I tried some other DSL companies that offered to sell DSL without phone service but none of them serviced the area.

I am a little depressed but I am sure it's the weather. I really can have no complaint in life. I got love, a great job, good food, cute pets, and almost too many friends. I guess the problem must be the weather or the server. or the weather's affect on my feelings for the server.

Sometimes I find myself really hoping for global warming. Like in that movie, Where in The Hell Is North Tonawanda . I suppose it is almost here because it has barely snowed yet and here we are approaching mid January. Its the greyness that really kills me. I don't want to leave Buffalo. I love it here in tems of the people, the size of the city, the housing, food, etc. It is just that I spend so much time sitting inside thinking about how horrible it would be to go outside. Maybe I should just try and get into freezing rain and mud. I mean if I could just overcome my aversion to those two things, I gues soutside could be funside.

I slept really crappy because I was up till 6am updating the server. That last thing I saw before I fell asleep was that PHP 5.1.1 and all the extensions I needed had finally compiled. Thank god that's over. I had to upgrade to the new version of PHP so that the server was compatible with the new site code.

Honestly, I am so sick of maintaining the site from afar. I really need to get my server at home connected. (e:terry) doesn't want me to pay for it to be here. At least not yet because it costs around $100/month. There are many days where I spend 5 hours doing a 2 hour task because I have to do it across the network. I mean there are ways I could offset the cost, for exmaple hosting other sites. The thing is that I don't have time for another job at this point and the thought of being responsible for more sites sounds sickening.

I think so far I spent about ~$5000 and way more than 3000 hours of work on this site. That is assuming that I only worked on it 20 hours a week. While recently, I have been holding true to that, before I definately spent many more hours than that. Especially during the time when the site's abse code was being developed. There are so many things I had to redo because of lack of experience in 2003. The 20 hours are not just programming. I do server maintence, graphic design, PR, testing, answer customer service questions, deal with optimization of the database, fix old bugs, and make new stuff. Its pretty much like being a one man volunteer company.

The remember bufflao site is just going to die unless I get a connection and more importantly some serious volunteers because I can't afford to spend more time on another long distance internet project at this point. I think the idea is so great but I have yet to score even one committed volunteer.

I was going to try and work with artvoice but I am too afraid I will get dragged into a lot of other stuff and I can't afford the time right now and having the server across town is frankly just far away as having it in Vancouver. At least that is my thinking at this point. I also cannot manage to have a daytime business appointment with anyone.

The dinner party looks like it is going to be a success. (e:matthew), (e:terry) and (e:lilho) have done a fantastic job. Now it is my turn.

we made it to the ball drop. I put a video of the Bufalo, NY 2006 New Year's Ball Drop on paulvisco.org

It is definitely only a myth that First Night is alcohol and drug free.

I hope we make the ball drop.

So we get to my mom's house and she is cooking the giant scallops I saw at wegman's. Of course thy are wrapped in bacon, yum!

We went shopping at wegman's for the family dinner party tomorrow. Once again we saw (e:shawnr) and sarah. Tbere must be something that draws us here at the same time.

I bought Calamaris and edamame. I have become obsessed with making calamaris the way they do at Kostas. Roasted/grilled with roasted red peppers.

Terry is making shrimp and chicken enchiladas. I don't think my parents ever had them so it should a yummy surprise for them. Growing up, ortega was as mexican as my family got.

Wegmans's had that yummy raspberry granola cereal that they used to carry over the summer.



Everytime I have been here they said it was discontinued. I am glad to see it is back. I bought 3 boxes and suggest everyone does the same.

The shrimps they had today were almost as big as the lobster tails.



Those scallops they are next too are the large ones that are almost two inches wide. It gives you an idea how big those shrimp are.

Buffalo is so grey that this pic looks like I took it in black and white. I do wish it would be sunny again.



This firestation on hertel used to be a mcdonalds.



Back in our vegan warrior days, (e:hodown) and I made it so that the life size ronald mcdonald statue had fake blood dripping out its mouth and was hold a knife. It must have really terrified the people who found it, lol.

That was actually nothing compared to our other 'vegan terrorist' activities.

It's amazing how many views people get when they write journals. It looks like (e:kat) got 98 views for the one entry she wrote. I remember back in 2003 that would have taken a month.

I was searching on the web to find stuff out about the site when I found the tempreal project. It was an offshoot of the estrip engine used to teach a 3D environments class about second life. Does anyone remember when the site looked like this?



I also learned that (e:jim) hates the yellow color scheme. Believe it or not, it is one of the most popular. You have 12 others to choose from and using the API, you can make the site look however you want.

Yesterday, my coworkers and I went to Ted's hotdogs in the galleria for lunch. No I did not eat a hotdog, even though (e:enknot) kept telling my how yummy they are. I left hotdogs back in the early 90s for good. However, I did have a really good double cheeseburger. Such an event would normally make it on my journal, but I forgot to bring my stupid phone.

The people who work in the food court at the mall are really amazing. I don't think I could ever deal with that as an adult. (e:terry) and I were talking about how retail and food service jobs of that nature are really the harest jobs in the world. My newer jobs have involoved much more mental excercise but in reality the stress of working at an icecream store is unbelieveable. He worked at Baskin Robin's and I worked at Parfait, which used to be on Sheridan and Niagara Falls Blvd where the cingular store is now.

The guy at Ted's who was the cook was so into it his job. My cowrokers thought that perhaps he was Ted himself but then we saw pictures from the 30s on of the Ted's family empire of store, so I doubt it is Ted himself.

Well we still haven't made plans for tonight. Well, accept for my mother's dinner party at 7PM. That is usually my favorite part of new years. She makes all kind of seafood usually in conjunction with some sort of steak and bacony thing. It is really quite an extravaganza.

Tomorrow night the family dinner party is at our house for the first time. I think (e:terry) is going to make enchiladas. The party will be sans (e:mike) who is having his own dinner party at my parent's house.

I will definately post some pics of the evening tonight. I have been so busy that my journal has suffered.

Contrary to popular belief I am not jewish but I am in love with these matza treats my italian catholic mother makes. They are the yummiest thing ever.

I am excited about the holidays ending so that I can back to my everyday life. I have a whole bunch of stuff that got put off by visitors, holidays, switching jobs, etc.

Most of all I miss (e:shawnr) ;)