"I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" written by Paul on estrip.org

Category: music

04/20/07 11:51 - 52ºF - ID#38972

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker

Okay, I don't wish I was a punk rocker and I definitely don't wishg I was born when computers were still scary, but I liked this song. It's funny how they just mix punk rocker and hippie together.

SANDI THOM LYRICS

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)

[Chorus]
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In 77 and 69 revolution was in the air
I was born too late into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When the head of state didn't play guitar,
Not everybody drove a car,
When music really mattered and when radio was king,
When accountants didn't have control
And the media couldn't buy your soul
And computers were still scary and we didn't know everything

[Chorus]

When pop-stars still remained a myth
And ignorance could still be bliss
And when God Saved the Queen she turned a whiter shade of pale
When my mom and dad were in their teens
And anarchy was still a dream
And the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail

[Chorus]

When record shops were still on top
And vinyl was all that they stocked
And the super info highway was still drifting out in space
Kids were wearing hand me downs,
And playing games meant kick around
And footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face

[Chorus]

I was born too late to a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

Permalink: I_Wish_I_Was_A_Punk_Rocker.html
Words: 272
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

04/19/07 11:32 - 54ºF - ID#38967

Asian Invasion

To try and feel a little better about asian stuff I decided to immerse myself.

I ate lunch at Kunis To Go

again. I had the Bento box. Seriously, it is the best lunch deal in Buffalo - only $8 for enough food to be full. You get everything in this box plus a miso soup.

On the way back I saw the lady in white. She definitely knew I was taking the picture and posed. I see her almost everyday on main street.

First stop was (e:tina) 's art design show which was very excellent.

Later we ate at Ming Tea Cafe
3268 Main St. (near UB South Campus), Buffalo.
833-6988.

(MAP TO: 3268%20MAIN%20ST)

I had the crustal shrimp. A little dear at $18.00 but it was tasty. They only take cash. When I went to the ATM on main street near there it dispensed the money in $10 increments. I never saw it since the 90s.

(e:lilho) and (e:tina) had the udon noodles with shrimp.

Tha spicy calamari was really good but also expensive at $9.00

Here are some close ups of the anti-war rattle at the bus stop from the last journal. I can't believe (e:lilho) picked it up to shake it.

Permalink: Asian_Invasion.html
Words: 230
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: travel

04/19/07 06:39 - 57ºF - ID#38961

On The Way To UB North

I hate traveling on public transportation. There I have said it. It's not that I would rather ride a car, it's just I would rather go nowhere or walk everywhere in my neighborhood - which I usually do.

I am also not so good around foreign people which is weird considering how I am one only once removed. It's just that I am a little scarred of arabs on busses and angry looking asian students since the other day.

Maybe I just hate UB and riding the subway to the bus is freakin me out.

Below are some pics from the camera. The can is some weird rice filled rattle that was used to protest the war by asking them to shut down the recruitment center at UB.

I didn't want to sit near it because I thought it was a bomb at first but (e:lilho) rattled it.

At work (e:enknot) and I visited the computer graveyard in order to drop off some CRTs and pick up some flat panels. I was very surprised how many monitors their were.

This woman saw (e:enknot) and I pushing the cart with the monitors on the bottom and the mouse on the top. I think it appeared that we were just using a giant push cart for a mouse.

Permalink: On_The_Way_To_UB_North.html
Words: 227
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

04/19/07 12:27 - 42ºF - ID#38951

Cooking Artichokes

First a quick shot of (e:matthew) reading a book in the living room while we cooked.

I wish I could say this was a how to cook artichokes video blog but I didn't record the cleaning the artichokes part.

Basically the recipe involves cleaning the artichokes.

Chopping parsley

::Download Flash Video::

Grinding Pepper corns

::Download Flash Video::

Stuffing the artichokes - you might recall the tune I am whistling from a previous journal

::Download Flash Video::

Then you pour olive oil on the artichokes and steam them in a pan for an hour.

Finally you chew the goodness out of them.

::Download Flash Video::

Watch out for the ghost version of (e:lilho)

Permalink: Cooking_Artichokes.html
Words: 132
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: music

04/17/07 10:51 - 39ºF - ID#38926

Webcaster royalty fee increase

A US Federal copyright panel upheld a contentious decision on Monday that would increase royalty fees Webcasters must pay to record labels.

Instead of looking at this as bad news for webcasters you could look at it as good news for non-commercial music not on labels, as more webcasters will want to play label free music. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure it just means webcasters will pay more.

How are they going to enforce this on foreign servers?

Permalink: Webcaster_royalty_fee_increase.html
Words: 86
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: estrip

04/17/07 09:59 - 38ºF - ID#38925

Purchasing estrip.com

I am so tired of chasing estrip.com. It all goes back to when it was a Korean photography site back in 2002. I wrote to them to ask for it then but they would never respond. I got this email from contact@estrip.com today.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your interest but we have the domain listed on several premium sites and are holding out for a better offer. I will however keep you on file should our situation change.

Best wishes for the future,

Daniel

I wrote back to ask the how much they are looking for. I can't find the domain name purchase offer anywhere.

Permalink: Purchasing_estrip_com.html
Words: 109
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: central terminal

04/16/07 11:44 - 39ºF - ID#38922

The Central Terminal

First of all, just want to point out that I love Buffalo and I love preserving historical architecture. However, I was reading more about the Central Terminal

on the web and I am still not convinced it is worth restoring.

Here is an interesting site on the history of it

Buffalopundit

even called it

Buffalo's unofficial convention center

.

Why dwell on a building so far removed from the downtown area and in such bad condition? After attending an event at the "neo convention center" it seems like suburbanites would be much ore likely to flee home to the suburbs than to go out downtown. Especially for some non-city people, downtown would seem downright freakin' scary if that neighborhood (e:paul,38905) was their view of Buffalo.

It seems like it was always too distant to serve downtown.

The New York Central had agreed in 1926 to build an additional Buffalo station to satisfy the city officials who believed that the East Side location was too far uptown to effectively service downtown Buffalo. This promised downtown station was never to be built.

The Environmental Question
How much would it cost not only to rehab it, but to make it hospitable, environmentally sustainable and cost effective in our winter climate. When people talk about how this type of rehab happens all the time in places like San Francisco, they fail to note that it gets to freezing temperatures here most of the year. I am just saying be realistic. According to one of the comments on Buffalopundit's journal

The building was once heated by a separate coal plant behind the terminal that pumped steam heat into the building was torn down in the early 80's.

Even then, would it even change the neighborhood around it. Why would we not invest in things closer to areas that are already succeeding and let it expand from their instead of planting seeds in this distant, broken location.

At the two events I attended there during the last week, I heard so many people say, "Wow, I had no idea it was still so crappy and cold."

What do all you rehabbers propose as a responsible and sustainable heating mechanism in a cement chamber with 100+ foot ceilings in a place where winter is nearly perpetual?

Does anyone think that if the Central Terminal is renovated, that businesses are really going to sprout up all around it and a light rail system will connect it to the city?

metalpeter writes at 05:58:16 04/17/07 - Comment #17589: You bring up an interesting point when you mention the light rail. Granted I havn't been to a lot of major cities but one thing that most of them have is a large rail system and bus system that works togather. The Metro is a great way to connect between buses and move from one end of the city to the other. But it really needs to be expandend. I think if it went down to and through to where the "New Waterfront" is suposed to be it would be a great improvement. If you where to then expand it either on the street or underground through the city the making the central terminal a place where a few trains meet might be a good idea. You could have shops there also. I'm not saying that the neighboorhood will spring back but if the waterfront grows far enough it could have some impact over there. What I want to see won't happen though. I want A new (like Cleveland and Pitsburgh I belive) Football stadium On the waterfront. I think that would be amazing and that it would bring so many people downtown or at least into the city it would be such a benefit for Buffalo and the Neighboorhood near the staduim and you could still have you small shops closer to downtown. Of course a big part of that is expanding the metro rail to both spots. Who Knows maybe the Central terminal could even be a form of a park and ride where they send trains from there that go right to the staduim .

mrmike writes at 09:40:39 04/17/07 - Comment #17570: I think the preservationists can get a little extreme. The talk of reviving the central terminal has been going on since the 80s. Personally, I think if we have to have a casino in Buffalo, it would have been the site for it as I think the Senecas the only ones with the money to rebuild. I think its too far gone.

Can you imagine the folks who posed naked in there for that photographer a few years ago?

mike writes at 12:31:01 04/17/07 - Comment #17562: I think I am not for knocking down the terminal. At the same time I couldn't believe it was still in such disrepair as it was when I first went there with (e:paul) when I was like 12. I was talking about it at work and two other people were like "yeah I thought they had like fixed it but I went there and it is still just broken windows and walls". I don't know, I think maybe they should have fixed it a little more before using it, but I guess they prolly needed the money from the events to fix it. I guess it is a vicious cycle but it has left many people not impressed it seems like.

Permalink: The_Central_Terminal.html
Words: 439
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: quotes

04/15/07 09:08 - 36ºF - ID#38907

Lilho quote to her mother on the phone

The need to be switzerland

I try and remain neutral. On one hand I could be Hitler and have ten fabulous years only to end up killing myself when I realize I killed 50% of the jewish people. On the other I could be Ralph Nader and be a great person who keeps trying to run for president and fails. I would rather be switzerland where they have great chocolate fabulous banks. says (e:lilho)

Permalink: Lilho_quote_to_her_mother_on_the_phone.html
Words: 74
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: buffalo

04/15/07 07:23 - 35ºF - ID#38905

East Side And A Little Bit Of Allen

I just posted three journals, one after the other - so keep reading down the page if you are interested.

On the way home from the central terminal for (e:tina) 's art show (e:paul,38904) I took a picture over like 10 blocks every time my camera was ready This is not a selective or staged picture taking of all the boarded up crappy houses but rather as many shots as I could get on the way from The Central Terminal to downtown.

I can't believe people actually live there - maybe they don't from the looks of it. When did it all start looking like this? Having spend a lot of time in Love Joy as a kid (that's where my dad is from) I never realized what surrounded it until I was an adult. We always took the thruway to get there. I guess I know why.

It's sad how I always think Buffalo is getting better and then I remember that I never leave but about 20% of it to see the rest.

On the way home we stopped on Allen to buy some wine for dinner and I saw these notices on what used to be Second Skin - the building at the end of Allen next to Days Park.

Apparently, the guy who bought it wants to open a restaurant there but the neighbors are fighting him on it. I really don't see why as it is all commercial restaurants and bars there anyways.

I also noticed that Frank's has new management. What kind of bar is it?

Robert writes at 11:35:40 05/06/13 - Comment #69785: Franks was one of the first bars i went to when i was 15-16. I forgot all about it.... that place was so skeazy and gross. It consisted of either a) underagers who may have been on drugs or b) drug dealers who gave them the drugs

metalpeter writes at 05:19:05 04/16/07 - Comment #17553: Wow there are a lot of boarded up places. In terms of Allen I wonder if the dispute has something or anything to do with why Second Skin Closed. What I heard got them closed was that they got busted having a sex party in the back of the store, but not sure if that is true. If the new business would be run by the same people then that might be why they are giving them a hard time.

imk2 writes at 10:14:19 04/15/07 - Comment #17541: i lived in that area from 89-93, and it wasnt that bad yet. it really went down in the mid 90's. it's just horrible.

zobar writes at 09:22:18 04/15/07 - Comment #17538: Jesse Zuefle (Club Diablo) owns that building; I would ask Deb at work about it except that she's the president of the Days Park block club & I don't know if it's a sore subject.

15 S Putnam St is insane. We have a video of both professors talking about it and one of them pushing it open on his own. :::link:::

- Z

vincent writes at 08:10:42 04/15/07 - Comment #17536: You call that place Frank's, I call it the Jupiter Room. Read my post on 3/25 about that place that had (e:carolinian) tag along with me that night.

boxerboi writes at 07:59:25 04/15/07 - Comment #17535: There is an article in artvoice this week about a house on S. Putnam (#15 I think) that a class from UB is fixing up. Jeff & I drove past it tonight and it looks like what they are doing is pretty cool. They made the entire front of the house movable on a sliding I-beam. Afterthought, I should have taken a picture.

Permalink: East_Side_And_A_Little_Bit_Of_Allen.html
Words: 293
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: art

04/15/07 07:01 - 35ºF - ID#38904

Central Terminal Art Show

We went to go see (e:tina) 's final art thesis show at the Central Terminal. I have no idea how I end up in the god forsaken building so much.

It always looks like it is going to be great and then you realiize how fucking freezing and nasty it is in there. I think playing it in as a kid was more fun that going in it now.

The art show itself was pretty awesome.

(e:tina) and (e:lilho)

Here are (e:tina) 's prints - I really like them.

I tried to take more close ups of them but it was hard with the light reflecting off the glass. (e:matthew) might have gotten some better pics with the fancier camera.

I didn't understand the carpet puffs but I liked the visual they created

The plastic wrapped bride. I felt bad for her that it was so cold, she had a heater right on her but still.

I hate this dirt pile. It was so completely lame.

Here is the description for it.

Frankly, I thought this wood pile directly across from it was much more compelling although it was not even a display.

This one reminds me of something (e:robin) would make. I wonder if they were inspired by her work.

I really liked the look of this one but the interaction was ueber lame. It was a maya 3D scene rendered to quicktime VR, which is no where near as cool as it sound. The visuals were way too dark too.

This guy Tom

was trying to make himself famous online as his project. Being a famous online personality I could understand his desire but he was a little too cheesy.

Well TJ now that your an alcoholic celebrity its probably gonna be even harder to stop drinking.

Ironically, I got this picture of him at the beer tap.

Some of the comments people left on his site are so mean. e.g.

Cathy wrote
at 5:58pm on March 10th, 2007
TJ I miss you come back to me. I even miss the smell of your farts you sick little leprechaun. Just kidding, I hate you, die.

This one reads, "Local Internet Celebrity (e:lilho) seen in front of some anonyous man at the Buffalo Central Terminal."

The eyeballs were compelling to look at, but eyes are generally so compelling that it wasn't surprising. Still, I liked it. My favorite were these paintings made with dirt, animal parts, and hair. I know that sounds sick but they were amazing and I forgot to take a picture of them. Tom is in it too. I wonder if my stalkerish picture talking made him feel more celebtritiesque.