First off, there is this hole in the ground behind HSBC on main street near Allen that sees to go nowhere. At first I saw it in the dark and it seemed to go on forever. When I saw it in the light it had an end, sadly as I was hoping it was a portal to fraggle rock.





On Wednesday night we went out to eat with (e:jenks) and (e:imk2) at Trattoria Aroma on Bryant near elmwood. My artichocke and mussel appetizer was amazing but the risotta was too crunchy (pronounced: undercooked) for me.






The next morning when I woke up, the Latina's shopping cart that was parked across the street from us at the Lin-nor was parked on our lawn with the garbage bins. Did anyone think that the garbage an was going to take the shopping cart with them. (e:matthew) moved it back across the street. I am all about the new law that would fine stores for their stray shopping carts even though I know it isn't exactly their fault that the shopping carts are such attractive possessions.

Golombek maintains that stray shopping carts have become a public nuisance and an eyesore, blocking sidewalks and impacting quality of life. He wants to ban abandoned shopping carts, and target enforcement of the proposed new statute at what Montague refers to as "the Source"-that is, the supermarkets which provide carts to customers. Golombek suggests the city ought to impound the offending carts and fine the supermarkets from which they came. In Tuesday's session, Golombek said that between 50 and 100 carts are discarded per week in his district alone. (Though Golombek would not name the principal culprit, he indicated that Wegmans on Amherst has been a "good corporate neighbor." That, of course, leaves Tops.)

The other night after the gym (e:lilho) and I saw this sign which she kept talking about. Look at the date on the billboard for the event at level. I can't believe they still bother lighting it up considering it is over a year old. Isn't it a high value spot being right at the corner of Franklin and Chippewa.



The weekend started out with an easter basket from my mother that included toxic waste and chocolate chicken legs.



Toxic waste candy - she knows me well (e:paul,30660)


Chocolate chicken legs made me want real fried ones.


That led to a day of grocery shopping with the ho and finally some fried chicken with sausage gravy which really ups the anti for the new fruit fly position (e:paul,38465)




Here she is before getting ready to go out, the after pictures are going to wait until after.

Back in 1997 I spent October in Morocco. Recently, I was saying how I did that at just the right time before it seemed especially scary but the person I was telling said, Morocco is not the middle east. After giving me a cup of mint tea and a cigarette, I remember one of the merchants in marakesh telling me that I had nothing to worry about because they had a law that if someone messed with a tourist, they would be executed. While I thought it sounded quite extreme, I guess I felt safer in a way.

That kind of law means nothing to the kind of people that actually blow themselves up as happened this week in Casablanca.

By JOHN THORNE AP Writer. © 2007 AP. RABAT, Morocco - Two brothers strapped with explosives blew themselves up near an American cultural center in Casablanca Saturday, and police arrested another three suspects - including one wearing ... explosives.

Honestly, I still felt uncomfortable there and wore one of those traditional, hooded, one-piece outfits the whole time. It was dark brown, I was really tan and had a full beard so I blended ok. It's sad to think I would never visit there again, but I really don't think it is worth it.

We went to dyngus day the Central Terminal. It was kind of a stupid place to be in freezing cold weather and I can't believe it is "safe " - I had figured they had cleaned it up more until I got inside. When I saw asbestos wrapper furnace piping all shredded up in the ceiling of the room that had food I knew it was as craptastic as ever.

I still think they should just knock it down, even though I got a death threat (e:paul,31900) for saying it before (e:paul,31144) . To me it represents one of those absurdities about Buffalo. I am all about preserving history, living in the city, preserving architecture, etc but I think you have to also learn to say when its too far gone. I still cannot believe they let kids in paper masks clean that nasty shit up.

::Download Flash Video::

Okay, on to other topics.

Like snow in April

::Download Flash Video::

The day before easter, (e:lilho) tried to kill us with a heart attack. This was the second breakfast for the day that came before noon.



Easter night I tried to punch a hotel in the wall of my office closet to see how much bigger it could be. I want to put a bathroom there this summer so that we can open up the space under the foyer stairs and return it to its free standing glory. That way (e:terry) can have a piano underneith it, but we can still have a bathroom on the first floor.





(e:lilho) tried to pretend to be Dolly Parton and (e:matthew) took pictures of it, I wish we had a video instead it would have been much more entertaining.





On the way home rfom lunch today I saw this dolly in the window in one of the closed down shop fronts on main street near Allen. What is up with that building, why are all those store front vacant and why did they leave just this doll in this awkward position and is it black or tan?

I saw this online tonight and thought seeing as my mother is the director of Call for Action, I should probably also advertise their call for volunteers here.

Call for Action is seeking volunteers for one day a week commitment from 10 am to 1 pm. Volunteers are especially needed on Monday. Basic computer knowledge is necessary. Call for Action is a non-profit network of consumer hotlines affiliated with local broadcast partners. Contact: Maria Visco at (716) 879-4968

On another note I have no poctures of easter food this year. I forgot to bring my camera ;( I think it is the first holiday I haven't taken pictures of the food in like 5 years. We celebrated at my cousin's inlaws and had traditional polish food, yum.

Is anyone else going out for Dyngus Day tomorrow?

I was just driving by Computers for Children on Delaware on the way to Easter Dinner at my cousins inlaws and saw that it had a "space for rent" sign.

I wonder if that means they closed, or moved or just have some space for rent. Does anyone know?

(e:lilho) and I went to Europa Bistro (464 Elmwood Ave) for dinner last night.

The food was pretty good and the waitress was seriously like gay guy turns straight hot - at least I thought so.

While we were there with some random girl and I played this game where I would shout out an emotion and then give her like two seconds to pose for it. Sorry the pics are dark, it was dark in there.

"Serious" Face on a Nameless Bitch


I also recorded a bit of the ambient conversation. It gave you an idea for what it was like. It had the Gemutlichkeit of a german Kneipe which I enjoyed.

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

At the end we ordered an order of esgargot to go for (e:matthew). He loves those little bugs.

I got squid croquettes. I never had anything so squidy and good.


I was reading the review in Bill Rappaporte's restaurant and saw this review from 01/07 and I have to agree, they should construct a little door way around the entrance like they have at Betty's.

The cons are a chilly room, because the tables are near the front door, which opens directly to the outside. Too bad the huge bar could not be put in the front so diners could sit more warmly and more relaxed in the back. We might accept the tight quarters, but a cold room has to be fixed.

The study, published online in the journal Science, predicted a permanent drought by 2050 throughout the Southwest - one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation.

The data tell "a story which is pretty darn scary and very strong," said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate researcher at the University of Arizona who was not involved in the study.

Fuck you southwest. Let's see how much everyone extols your virtues and copious opportunities when you are dried up and crunchy from lack of water. I am never going to agree to ship water down from the great lakes if that is what you are thinking.

The prospect of a drier Southwest is particularly troublesome because the region has some of the nation's fastest growing cities, including Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Richard Seager, also from Lamont-Doherty and a lead author of the paper, said the region will have to rethink how it uses water. Governments "need to plan for this right now, coming up with new, well-informed, and fair deals for allocation of declining water resources," he said.

Yes, It snowed today. I am over it. I have a video when it snowed on April 19th. While it does tend to snow between october and april, it by no means snows everyday. But here it is, the way I saw it this morning.



While at the Washington Market. I saw these enormous pork rinds (WIKIPEDIA - Chicharrones). I have never seen such a freakin disgusting snack which just re-enforces my feelings that Mexican food is disgusting food. I mean I am alergic to Cilantro and Avacados to start out with and I hate beans. I know that everyone will hate me for that, but I really don't like it.

Like if you have seen tony's hands, that should give you an idea. Each individual piece was enough to wrap a football.


Look how disgusting they are.


Yummy

I was reading about club drugs during my day of recuperating and pop culture and found all these references to 5-Methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine it is also called foxy (WIKIPEDIA - 5-MeO-DIPT) - which has been illegal since 2003.

It was listed along side GHB, LSD, ecstacy, and crystal - I never ever heard of it. The article I was reading was about sindergarten, some sort of druggy school bus for elite high school students in NYC. You can read the whole article on radar It sounds insane.

Here is some more info about foxy on erowid and some medical info

Lesbian Straight guy thing.
While sick today I was reading pop culture articles instead of programing for once and came across this article written by a lesbian about the bond between straight guys and lesbians Call me closed minded but I always kind of thought lesbians hated men. I guess I was wrong. She also mentions the lesbian shift from owning cats to owning dogs in the 90s. I never thought about that either. My favorite part of the article was her way of describing the hetero-female homo-male relationship as, "The love that never shuts up."

San Francisco recap
I still cannot believe (e:jacob) was there and we did not see each other.

(e:matthew) really likes escargot


I really like everything else


This fish was so fucked up. I guess they all flip like this as the grow up. Probably still tastes good with garlic butter.


Scared (e:matthew)


Here is some ice on Lake Erie as seen from the plane.


Here is sheridan park


And strawberry island


Some more pics from the trip.