On a lighter now. We decided to do a tour of the Carapelli museum in the old Christian Scientist Church. The building seem so empty and lifeless. It looks like what would be the the government's Ministry ministry if there was one. It has a few manuscripts that you can freely look at. Currently, the selection includes hand written notes by famous criminals. The one from Charles Manson was peed on, he even wrote the word pee on the pee spot.











I do not believe that the hand written note from Gallileo, once of the only ones in the western hemisphere is sitting, unprotected in that empty building that you can just wander around in.

Their guest book seemed rather slim.

I have to say they had the nicest urinals I have probably ever seen. If they ever go out of business I would buy them. In buffalo you can actually wish for that kind of thing and have it be possible, lol.


I really love the Bemis house. I wish someday I could own a house like that one. Also, maybe could be possible in Buffalo.

Can you imagine having those bricks or those gargoyles.







The Mark Twain house was also pretty aweosme. You can't really tell how big it is till you go right up to it, or you see a picture with a person in it.



Look how big that freakin window is!


They are really fixin it up.




Three assholes on North, lol



And then there is this insane remudled house across the street. What the fuck is up with that upside down brick thing in front of the natural doorway. How did anyone decide to do that?

This is an inappropriate journal about an inappropriate incident I had with Jesus in my office cubicle at Roswell today. It is actually kind of hard to write about it because I feel like I am self censoring beyond my natural limit of self censorship. I am kind of still in shock about it. I am sure it will make everyone uncomfortable, but right now I don't care.

Preface: Just the other day I had this conversation with (e:mathew) and (e:terry) how it is so wonderful to work with a Christians who so far have not tried shoving it down my throat. Religion is such a weird thing for me, like I never think about it until someone brings it up in my face.



You know that feeling when you are about to approach a Christian and talk to them about letting atheism and sinful living into their hearts but then something holds you back, like say you are somewhere inappropriate like work... How come so many do not have that kind of boundary.

Flashback to my life two hours ago...

I knew something was fishy because this coworker always wants to talk to me about "stuff" and "plans." Its always mixed in with programming questions and some business talk so it has this notion of legitimacy but then there is this underlying, unspoken something I wasn't able to place. For a while, I thought maybe he was gay.

So anyhow, I kind of ignored the situation, combined with crazy deadlines, I hadn't had time to see him for a while and kind of forgot about the "Stuff."

Then today after his day was done, he stopped at my cubicle to ask some Date and Time functions and I was explaining that the one type of date was only good until 2036ish if used in a 10 digit format. He then informed me that it would not matter because the world is ending and that his kids would not see their natural lives out. Something like 2012 I think. I mistakenly asked him about his reasoning on this to discover the bible clearly says it.

This was the beginning of a two hour cubicle confrontation which tried to save my soul and open my heart to Jesus via his scary God and fear f Satan tactics. At one point he was crying on the floor of my cubicle. A 50 year dude, on the floor of my cubicle, across the entrance - crying.

Looking back on it, I wonder now if it was all a setup. The request for help and more literally the date/time question. All to try and get at my soul.

I am not joking it was literally the most uncomfortable moment of my life but I didn't know how to make it stop. We were able to confirm that I am a lying, thieving adulterer and that even intellectuals can be Christian.

To his credit he asked me at one point if it was making me uncomfortable. I didn't say anything but it made me more uncomfortable thinking about him maybe wigging out if I said it made me uncomfortable. I figure I should probably just never have that experience instead of having it.

He probably interpreted my lacking of asking him to leave as some form of divine intervention but really I just didn't want to experience him wigging out. I mean I clearly told him that i was not interested, that I am not into fantasy, that I am gay, that I have no spiritual inclination, that I am not afraid of dying, that I don't believe god exists, that I don't care who made the universe before evolution, that I am comfortable with questions remaining unanswered or too complex for me to understand- all hoping he would just go away with that.

I said, How am I supposed to understand the universe and evolution when I don't even understand how the sewer system works. And I don't need a mystical explanation for that. I also told him it would take a full on visual miracle where I talked to Jesus for an extended amount of time with other people present to believe in it. None, of this he came to me in a dream, or I felt his presence kind of magic.

At one point I even said that I was not interested in his heaven because none of the people dear to me would be there as Catholics seemed to be excluded as well. According to him I was too comfortable in my life, and that it is easy to convert people who are having a hard time but in order to convert comfortable people they have to experience what it is like to be uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if he was directly referring to out encounter in my cubicle or something greater.

I just felt bad for him, and I know he was feeling bad for my soul - but it seemed to concern him so much more than me.

I wish could remain work related all the time. I know it sound ridiculous to essentially cut out the outside world but frankly, I don't want to ever have that happen again. I guess, I probably deserve it for being such a hardcore sinner ;)

This is something I never thought I would have happen at a state job. If (e:enknot) didn't catch me mouthing the words " help" as his wandered by, I think it might have never ended. I think everyone at work is a born again Christian which is making me feel altogether uncomfortable now that this has happened. Can such a wonderful workplace experience end so quickly, do I really need to move to a more godless place like California now? I figured instead of telling anyone specifically about it, I am going to to the world and hope for the best. It is better than having it be some weird secret. It's kind of sad because now I feel weird about talking with him and before I really respected the guy and his dedication to learning the language I am using. I wonder if it was all a ploy to capture my soul like some sort of pokemon treasure.

P.S. I am thoroughly disappointed with Satan for not shielding me more substantially from the word. Ya, if only I believed in him either.

I just got another physical where I didn't remove any clothing. The doctor was having some sort of emergency with his wife, and his kids were there.

By looking at me, he was able to determine that I was healthy. I am so over this primary care doctor bullshit.

I went to go see the Steve Kurtz documentary called Strange Culture on Saturday with (e:holly). I felt bad for him. I still think (e:paul,30948) he made some bad choice at a bad time.



I mean I support the freedom of expression in art through the use of biotechnolgy, and I especially support their project testing organic foods for GMO content, but I still think it would have been a lot more legit, if he did the science stuff at school instead of at his home. It would have been so much less suspicious in such over suspect filled times.

It's not that he would have had to censor the project so much as make the production more public, like in a lab at school. That way he probably would have been able to continue his work and spread his message further instead of having been dragged though all this drama.

It is so ridiculous what he government has put him through at this point. You can read all about it here

Afterwards, we went to the Squeaky wheel animation festival. It was outdoors and involved a theremin.

Here they are setting up on Main next to Squeaky Wheel.


Here it was in at night while th film was running. I tookt his with a long exposure.

So this journal is just the "leftover" pics from my camera while taking pictures around the city this weekend.



Has anyone been to the North Bar on North in the Lenox Hotel yet?


The skaters in the park on North are always skating.


What is the deal with these empty pipes. Are they just cheaper than fill? Do they make it bouncy. I am pretty sure this place is becomming a playground.


Has anyone ever seen potato bugs congregate. Here there were hundreds of them. I wish I could have gotten a better pic of all of them, but the flash scared them away. I didn't realize that they did big groups.


They got the sept 11th flags out at the red cross center as tribtue to the victims of the world trade center terrorist attacks.


No comment.


This "tough guy" actually stopped in the middle of the intersection to flex. I wish I could have gotten that on camera, he looked redic.


We went to FWS to get sme fabric for re-apolstry.
(e:matthew) is testing it out here

Normally, I don't like blue balls, but these ones were really cute.


As were the fluffy brown ones


I saw this trash outside a house at summer and elmwood. I didn't think you were allowed to put trash out all strewn around like that.


Is seems so weird to have the big iron fence at the psyche center. Who is is making feel safe, them or the people outside. Seeing as the gate is just open, it serves no real purpose, why not just remove it along with that gothic monstrocity - the Richardson complex. I say blow that creepy thing the fuck up. It is the one thing that I am definately not interested in preserving. What is it, a monument to cruelty?



This picture drew my attention so I took a pic of the picture hanging on the wall at underground - which I might add is really lame now. We paid a 3 dollar cover for a not so packed bar. At least (e:jim) and I got to dance a little bit. I would suggest never eating fish with white wine, drinking a chocolate martini and then dancing.



(e:jim) and (e:james) and (e:terry) hugged the biggest tree on the way home.


The next morning some people int he driveway for the church next door were freaking out about something they wanted to hit with a shovel. I think it was some animal that got in the church that they were afraid of. Maybe a squirrel.

The Winner - Ambrosia's Calamari on Elmwood
The winner is definately, the Calamari at Ambrosia. It is my favorite in the city and I have eaten just about every ethnic style and variety of calamari.



The Loser - Zhang's Chinese Buffet on Union
One of my co-workers suggested we all go to Zhang's Chinese Buffet on Union in Cheektowaga. I would give the place a 10 out of 10 for presentation and selection and about a 0.6/10 for food quality. To me it tasted so disgusting, which is weird because it looked so good. (e:enknot) would not even touch his food. (e:jim,40968) got a pic of the wall decoration of a cat, made of cat hair - in a chinese restaurant - a little creepy.

They have this fancy floor to ceiling fountain wall, chandelier, and tons of food choices, every one of which I tried was bad.



This dumpling looked delicious but the red bean paste inside was really sub par.


I tried some vegtables, which I might add, they had very few of compared to their extreme meat selection.


Here is another plate, (e:enknot)'s maybe? THe bacon wrapped fake crab looked lik it would be good but I can tell you it wasn't and that is as a seafood and bacon affectionado. It actually made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.


Kuni's - The runner up
(e:mrdeadlier) loved Zhang's for some reason - I think it was because you could eat an endless amount of sushi. I really did not like the Sushi. The next day, even wanted to go back but instead I convinved him that we should get he bento box at Kunis, which was as usual - extremely delicious.



What are these things, are they waterchesnuts or lotus roots?

Oh my freakin' god. Today was such a great work and programming day. First, we had our man shower for (e:enknot). At least that is what my co-worker called it.

(e:enknot) and I hooked up our new fancy user server program to our new programs, (e:jim) presented some fun MVC stuff at our team meeting and I did some crazy ass javascripting with surebert.

Work is just fun recently as we are all kind of vibing off each other.

Getting Old In Fractions
Then when (e:enknot) and I were testing serving users off the user server I was examining the packets and realized that I was 30.6202 years old! That is closer to 31.00 years old. Oh how time flies. It seems like only yesterday I turned 30.00 years old. We should set retirement timers.

(e:lilho)'s beauty melted away when I saw he teeth melting out of her head and her lips falling off. It is so freaky to see your friend breaking up into a million pixels.

it started around her lips getting all droopy and her teeth falling out.


Then she got full blown bandwidth leprosy.

I didn't take so many pictures at the party yesterday because I knew (e:jim,40889) and (e:metalpeter,40890) each were taking hundreds. Needless to say, the event proved to be a success. We even managed to give away like 20 of the porn magazines (e:paul,40612)

Even (e:lilho) was able to attend the event via video chat, where she and Nameless Bitch discussed her many Craig's List conquests.

::Download Flash Video::

Namless Bitch managed to spill beer all over the house. I am glad she lives somewhere else now, lol.

Thanks Namless Bitch for spilling a 40 into my couch. Next time you can only have a sippy cup like the kids.



(e:mike) got a hicky from this girl.


He also managed to do a live porn magazine reading

::Download Flash Video::

We took good ole jim up on the roof to party. Not (e:jim) but Jim Beam. There is nothing like having drunk people 4 stories up on you 2 story roof.


When we were shopping earlier for the party I saw these new 3D gummi candies. I just don't get it. Has anyone even sen a 2D or 1D gummi candy. Now that would be radical.


I saw this kids cartoon that looked like me if I was a cartoon and hadn't shaved my head.


These flowers at Wegmans are a little over the top in the color department.

For (e:mike) 's birthday dinner last night we went to The Viking Lobster Company which he refers to here (e:mike,40877)

This is what it looks like from the outside


And here is their menu


It was really hard to decide what to eat. Last night The Viking Lobster Company had a lobster bake special which was corn on the cob, clams, mussels and a 1 1/4 lb lobster for $29. My mom, (e:matthew) and I got that. (e:terry) got fish fry, my brother got steak and shrimp and my dad got baked fish.

The food was delicious, including the clam chowder and The Viking Lobster Company clam infused house salad dressing I had on the house salad.

Here is a pic of the special with flash and without. I couldn't decide which one to post because the flash one had richer colors but the lobster was hidden. So you get to see both.



My only complaint was that it was not as piping hot as I would have liked. My fries were kind of cold. Other than that it was totally awesome.

Afterwards, we went to my mothers for dessert and to open gifts.



My mother is obsessed with her lamination machine. Every cake has custom laminations these days.


(e:matthew) even got a gluten free treat


Here is (e:mike) vigorously cutting the cake.