Does anyone remember jelly bracelets. I know that (e:hodown) does. But what you might not know is that they came out of Buffalo. Here is the thing. I don't know they were made here but I do know they were nationally distributed from my very favorite former zipcode. 14222.



I was going through the box of muppet magazine from my childhood and found this advertisement. It made me want to go pin my pants. I just might do it for tomorrow if I can find some pins.







Our air plant committed suicide. I think it is actually still fine but just wanted attention.


(e:enknot) ordered the squid rings at Kuni's To Go today.


Saw the rubble on high street this morning.




This tree in (e:holly) 's sister appartment building parking lot is really eaten up by bugs.




Clams were on sale at tops. Really, really on sale and I like those kind. I waited in line for like 15 minutes because, according to the worker, the guy who was supposed to pre-count for the sale wasn't in. I got 5 dozen. Then I dropped the bag and 20 of them jst pretty much exploded with cla juice and dripped all over me and the store. That must have been fun to clean up. I felt really bad. The guy had given my the clams in a slippery mesh net with no bag. Looking back I think a plastic bag would have been in order.


We went to that Buffalo Clearance and Supply at Great Arrow and it is really freakin' weird. Everything seems to be used. Like the stoves their were selling still had food caked on them? Weird, right - where does the shit come from. The ovens weren't very cheap either.


They had this cool looking mod furniture.


The irises finally opened. We have a purple one and a yellow one.






We ended up getting an oven for the tenants at orvilles. I will really miss the old oven that my grandmother always cooked in.




I really want this leather couch and love seat set. It is only $1099 for both. It seems like such a freakin deal that I won't even tell you where it is. It isn't new, its used but everything I always dreamed about in a furniture set.






They also had this red couch for $399.






This signature tool at the tops checkout seems so primitive.


Went with (e:lilho) to try and sell her car to one of my tenants. She is selling it for $100 and it goes. I mean it has problmes but a car that goes for $100 is a rock bottom deal and the girl buying asked if (e:lilho) had an itemized list of problems. Was she going to try and bargain. I mean an ipod cost more than $100.




This apple looked so lonely all by itself in the parking lot at Northtown Plaza. I wonder how it got there.


At tops they had personal watermelons. Is that really necessary.


Finally, as promised, the pink sidewalks in Kenmore.


I love this graffitti at the west side stores.





I have ripped hundreds of yards of wire out of our house and off our house. Used to be offices in it I think. There was one wire coming from the church that was an inch thick.

This is in response to (e:jsl,39452)

"GPL-licensed software can't be sold for profit; you can only charge enough to cover "reasonable" distribution costs." -- (e:ajay)

Can't vs Won't
Ya, if people fucking admit to using it. I can't tell you how much stuff I have seen other graphic designers and web programmer's rip off of true open source projects and projects where the source was just laying around, re-package and sell for ridiculous amounts of money.

Clients do not know the difference between open source code and not open source code, that is why they are hiring a web programmer. To freelancing web programmers, time is money and to them there is no higher authority who has to evaluate the legitimacy of their code. Simply put, people take the open source code, put a new look on it an resell it for commercial purposes. If you are a web programmer and don't believe this is happening you are crazy or in denial.

Opensourcing Tools
I am totally for open source on many things I do. Especially tools. In fact I regularly contribute useful sourcecode to other groups of programmers.

Most of the client side magic is done with my surebert flash/javascript toolkit and that is opensource. which has been used in many other projects at Roswell. I am also working on a php framework called surebert framework which estrip is created with and it will be open source - as I will most of my future tools, which there should be a ton of. I like to opensource tools that allow other builders to build bigger and better, easier and faster but I am not really into open sourcing final projects.

I feel that a web programmer should make those things on their own, as I did with estrip or use something way easy like all the yahoo community building stuff - which by the way is great. Taking the tools I created surebert and surebert framework and the tools someone else created e.g. PHP, javascript, etc. it is a simple step to create estrip.

It has little to do with security as it did when I wrote that so long ago and much more to do with I don't want anyone else to use surebert journals (which estrip is an instance of). It takes like 30 seconds to create a new instance of estrip for another place and that is quick enough to be commercially useful. Back in 2004 we tried this with is it even there still (e:twisted) ?

I don't want anyone to make any commercial anything out of the estrip system ever. I created as a response to all the commercial systems out there. Not to mention that the fact that it was my master's thesis at UB means that they probably would claim rights on it anyways, if it ever became anything.

Like Chicken Wings
To make it a Buffalo analogy. Call me pretentious but I feel like me giving away estrip as a single, installable source package is akin to the Anchor Bar giving away their famous chicken wing sauce recipe. Then everyone would just use it and be the original Buffalo Chicken Wings and worse yet they could make it commercial. Even if I tell them they have to put a note on it saying I made it, and not use it for anything commercial, who is to stop them from putting their own label on it and just ignoring that. I basically don't have time to taste every sauce and see if it's my flavor.

Not Just Commercial Derivatives
Frankly, it's not just commercial projects, I just don't want any derivative works created even if they were non-commercial. I hate the thought of creating publication software that can be used for communities I don't want to help. I mean what if someone made an anti-gay community using my software. I just don't even want to go there.

In fact, I really don't want it to be used for similar communities in other places. I feel it is part of what makes it unique is that it is not just another vBulletin, yahoo group, myspace friend clique, livejournal group, instance of the same thing that everyone else has.

I know people can make things exactly the same or better, and I encourage them to, but they will have to put the time and effort into that.

At Work
When roswell asked me for a similar system (I did not do the graphic design) I ended up writing it from the ground up just so that it was not the same software. Although, it has similar features none of the code is shared other than surebert.

While estrip took me several years to fully develop it took me only a month to build yRoswell because I am a much better programmer and because surebert toolkit and the surebert framework were already there. Not to mention that PHP is just so much better now than it was in version 3 and 4. Bye, bye procedural madness.

Need New Features
However, if you have feature requests feel free to email me and I can see what can be done about it. Can't promise they will be done tomorrow or ever, but at least they end up in the list.

While I did spend most of my five days off doing house work on the properties, we did end up going hiking at Zoar Valley for memorial day.

(e:terry) hiking down the gorge


Racing through trying not to drop the camera

::Download Flash Video::

The car that didn't make it down the road.


The cliffs are beautiful as always.


As is the confluence you have to cross to get to the waterfall and the island where the nudists are.


This time we crossed half the creek over a fallen tree.

::Download Flash Video::

The water fall is my favorite place.

::Download Flash Video::

Some guy was sun bathing at the bottom of the cliff when a rock slide happened. He didn't move fast enough and got covered in the fallout dust.




Here, you can see that tiny vanilla color spot in the pic above was a naked dude.



In the end we met up with a lot of naked people. We previously had heard rumors that you couldn't go naked there anymore. Didn't stop Dave and I. (e:terry) and (e:matthew) remained clothed but there are no pics of any of that this year yet.

Here I am crossing the creek on the way home

::Download Flash Video::

(e:lilho) helped me paint and cut the bushes at the rental property so I promised her I would go dress shopping to get her party dress for our party this Friday - everyone is invited (e:lilho,39406) .



At the same time I promised (e:terry) I would pick him up from work. And (e:terry) promised (e:matthew) we would go out to eat. So seeing as (e:terry) works near the galleria, we decided to try the Cheesecake Factory - big freakin' mistake. I was definitely the worst dining experience of my life and the other patrons around us.

But first the other stuff.

implosion
Did anyone hear the implosion conducted by Dykon this morning of the Kaleida Building on 50 High Street - about a block away from us. If I hadn't gotten a warning email from Roswell, I would have probably had a heart attack this morning at 6:00am when the implosion went off. It was everything I imagined an earthquake would be.



Gelatto
Here is a better pic of the Wegman's Gellato. It tastes even better than it looks and it is very inexpensive compared to the place on Hertel. The kiddie size is plenty for me and it costs only $1.79.


Ants
And onto ants? Is this an ant, maybe a queen ant? It was trolling around in our front lawn the other day. I wanted to change the film speed so I could get a better pic but it was moving so fast I had no time.









At the Mall
I ate apple gum balls outside the apple store. They were yummy but ine dropped on the floor and some Police laughed at me. I hope (e:Carolinian) is right about the macbook pro upgrade at the WWDC, I cannot wait to own a new one.


The mall is so freaking full of gay porn looking advertisements. I was drawn up this guys short legs and into Hollister.


Where (e:Terry) got a cowboy shirt. So I guess it worked.


(e:lilho) got a dress at a store called "Forever Under 21", they had these crazy plastic shoes.


I had a conversation with someone (can't remember who) last week about seashell balls and they didn't know what I was talking about - this is what I meant whoever you are.



Back to the Cheesecake Factory in the Galleria



First of all it's not worth it to go to an expensive restaurant that serves like 300 people. There are so many expensive restaurants that can give you really great food and service and that is bound to suffer when trying to serve so many people. I hated it so much there are no pictures of the food!



proximity
I also don't like how close you have to sit to other people. I felt like I was in a cafeteria, even though it was visually pleasing to look at.

Waiting to Order
But still I think our waitress was probably the slowest, deafest, rudest, most incompetent waitress I have ever had. When we first got there, the girls next to us ordered cheesecake. After waiting what seemed like an eternity they got the wrong flavor. I thought, okay no big deal but after another 20 minutes went by with no water or drinks I was getting really irritated.

The menus
Then came the menus. Now you all know how I feel about advertising but this is sent me over the edge. At a place where a meal costs ~$20 per plate, it is outrageously tacky to have every other page of the menu be a full page color advertisement. Now lets pretend for a second they were advertisements for other restaurants owned by the same people or even food, or even the mall - but they were not. There was an advertisement for plastic surgery and cruises. Plastic fucking surgery. Who is like, "yes I would like a double order of chocolate fudge pie - and honey maybe we can schedule me an appointment for a face life tomorrow?"




The people on the other side
As we go over the menu, the couple next to us freaks out because the guy ordered pork and it was raw in the middle. Raw, I saw it, it was raw - it was pork. I think we learned in home economics in middle school that pork should never be raw because of trichinosis.
The girl's brocolli was also not cooked. At least that is safe. The manager comes over they get comped.

The Appetziers
They were delicious at least something worked. At this point (e:terry) order a second beer ($6.50 each)

The food
So the food arrives and all the pasta is really overcooked. Like so overcooked it is a ball of dough again. (E:lilho)'s was definately the worst. I mean if you paid like $5 for it you could overlook it. But when you paid $19.50 for a pasta meal and it is disgusting, that is actionable. So (e:lilho) requeste dthe waitress who requested the manager. He gave us this whole spiel about how at the cheesecake factory everything is of utmost quality, blah blah. Then he offers (e:lilho) a new meal. She agress but says, just don't have them spit in it. At that point he goes into disaster recovery mode and kneels down to tell us about ho there are camera everywhere and that could never happen. She is like, it happens everywhere and he leaves to go get her a new meal.

The Water
Finally, the water comes. I am almost done with my meal at this point. She also says to (e:terry) - "let me check and see if that beer is ready." As if it had to brew.

Dessert
So she brings us the fucking advertisment leaflet again to see if we want any dessert at this point. Seeing we are at the cheesecake factory, eLilho wants cheesecake but the waitress never coes back for so long that (e:lilho) just went up and ordered it for herself at the dessert counter.

The Waitress
So the waitress finally comes back with the bill and get this. The beer (e:terry) ordered before the meal came. But what made that even more fun was that the beer was on the bill 4 times. Yes 4x $6.50 even though he only had two and one had just arrived after the bill. When he questioned the woman, she says - I at least brought you three. We were indeed very angry at this point, so the manager came back and the waitress left crying and with a $5 tip on $120 meal - and that is with (e:lilho) getting her meal comped and the 2 beers being removed - and minus the cheesecake which was paid separately.

Conclusion
I a never eating in a chain restaurant like that again. If I want to drop that kind of cash on a meal, I will most certainly choose Left Bank, The ChopHouse, Hutches, frankly anywhere else.







They can't even bother to have their website set up.

Registrant:
Saeed, Amir
5520 west 190th St # 210
Torrance, CA 90503
US

I just watched this american express commercial where this slightly post skater-looking slaker kid gets bored in San Diego or wherever and looks up skiing on the net. He then decides he need to go where it is snowing to go skiing and flys to utah, where he meets some people who tell him to go to Canada where there is even better snow. The canadians say the real storm in Japan - so off to japan. The japanese tell him the real skiing is in Norway, then off to go to italy where he gets a text message that the surfs up in maui. Each time he flys to the location and skiis.

Each time he flys with "points." At the end he says I need a card that gets me places - and thats why my card is american express. Mind you, the ad was playing during final American Idol episode.

Is this not a way of luring in young people to spend a fortune on credit cards and rack up ridiculous debt.

Holy crap. I would never think I would see the most tacky rendition of a beetles medley on American Idol where they got together and sang Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. I wonder if that is what people thought when they heard the beetles sing it.

Followed by:

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends

I feel like (e:mike) 's Dare censor must be going off.

American idol had a record 74 million votes for Jordan Sparks who won this moment.

Maybe it is pretentious but I love sitting on the porch wacthing people go by while pointing at the house and smiling. It almost makes the $6000 in taxes/year worth it.



Wegmans has gelato now. It is delicious.


The new baby squirrel likes the porch too.

I just saw thi on google news:

Nine US warships in Gulf for show of force

Reuters Canada - 38 minutes ago
By Mohammed Abbas. ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS (Reuters) - The largest daytime assembly of US warships in the Gulf since the 2003 Iraq war prepared on Wednesday to hold drills off Iran's coast in a major US show of force that unnerved oil markets.

What is the war now if not the Iraq war. I wonder when they study this in History class how they will explainhat George Bush declared the war over at least 4 years before the troops were done fighting. It seems like a holdover from the past that if you capture the leader of another country, the war is over. Did that ever ean anything?

Still looking for the right tenants of the upper apartment of our house over on Prospect. So many people have called but I refuse to bargain down below $575. It is right next to D'Youville and I feel like if the people can't pay $575 - I don't want them as tenants. We have had such bad experiences renting to poor students. I am just so tired of begging for the rent money each month. Plus I want to recoup fro having it painted. Last year I think we invested back more than we made.

I figure if the difference between $550 and $575 per month for 3 people in a 3 bedroom puts them over the edge, then I just don't want to risk having them as tenants as they won't be able to pay rent.



We removed the rug in the dining room and painted. Before:


My mother said that is how it was when she grew up. After:




The living room - we are still painting this and the bathroom.



Holy Angels looked pretty today. I took the picture waiting for (e:enknot) to drop some stuff off for his girlfriend megan. I can't go in his house anymore because he has a cat. I love how he like to pretend it doesn't make him sick. He must really love it.


Why does this nicely painted house on Porter have newspapers blocking the window?

For lunch today (e:nknot) and I ate at Niagara Cafe On Niagara Street. The food was pretty good, especially considering the lunch specials only cost $3.99 I think everything they server is red and yellow colored. I would suggest trying it out.

Yummy friend plantains with garlic dipping sauce.


Some sort of yummy chicken stew.







Check out the rest of the prices

I finally finished painting the porch after working on it for like 3 weeks. The house looks so much better without the shitty red peeling porch paint. Tomorrow I might do a third coat.



I freakin' love this house - I cannot wait to paint it.


Matthew also cleaned up the rose bed.


It seems like we barbeque everyday now.



I hate raw chicken. Here it is swimming in chivettas in a punch bowl




These are the clams I talked about in the last journal.


We even bought cherries to go with the sangria, which two buckets later - is almost gone.


(e:lilho) oven baked some veggies. They are really tasty, I recommend roasted artichoke. I just covered it in olive oil and oregano.


What is hilti?


In Japan you can get a 24k gold facial. That sound so ovver the top ridiculous.