"The Party And The Server" written by Paul on estrip.org

Category: stuff

12/31/07 12:51 - 31ºF - ID#42688

The Party And The Server

I hope to see everyone at the party tomorrow night. Come by around 10PM @ 24 Linwood for our annual New Years Even Party.

I worked on the new version of estrip a lot today. The flv video uploads now make thumbnails and I wrote a much better video player that lets you forward to any point in the video without having to play the video sequentially.

Permalink: The_Party_And_The_Server.html
Words: 65
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: computers

12/29/07 01:17 - 36ºF - ID#42673

The new OLPC

The One Laptop Per Child computer came today for (e:terry). I think the whole thing was a great idea but I kind of wish we donated two of them because it is so slow. The first thing (e:terry) wrote was "I am an American using a 3rd world computer" on it. It has lots of potential and hackability and actually some of the programs are fun but the processor is so slow. I forgot what that is like. It is like slower than the processor on my phone. Maybe it is a lack of ram. I will try adding a memory card and see if that helps. The music mixing and programming programs are fun - and you get a terminal and zero configure wifi, a web cam and a mic - so it does have potential albeit slowness.

Permalink: The_new_OLPC.html
Words: 147
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

12/29/07 01:17 - 36ºF - ID#42672

Food and the drain

Here (e:imk2) is a pic of what I eat now. It is really plain.

At least I can eat fish. This is a new kind of fish for me called monchong

It came from the coop. It tastes kind of like lobster a tiny bit.

Last night after work I had a family party. I have yet another family party today. This whole week has sucked. Between being sick and working ridiculous hours on this last minute projet at work and then family events with Holiday food - I kind of feel on the brink of death.

I feel like this pumkin on our porch.

Thursday night I came home from a 12 hour work day and wanted to take a shower but the tub had apparently not drained from earlier that morning. No one else ever fixes that which makes me fucking crazy considering it is a long hair and dirt from potted plants thing that I pretty much have nothing to do with.

Once I got the hairball out by prying it out with a coat hanger, I used a plunger to dredge up the dirt. I couldn't believe how much black dirt there was.

Permalink: Food_and_the_drain.html
Words: 213
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: web

12/27/07 10:21 - 34ºF - ID#42661

Gold rises after Bhutto death

I think it is kind of sick when the headline news item in the top news stories on google news about Bhutto being assasinated in Pakistan is that iit rose the price of gold.

Gold rises after Bhutto death, platinum hits record
LONDON (Reuters) - Gold hit a one-month high on Thursday as buying picked up after news that Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in an attack.

carolinian writes at 12:45:27 12/29/07 - Comment #29673: (e:mrdeadlier), I think that any time a leader beloved by some group of people is assassinated, there's the potential for riots regardless of the dead leader's stance on violence. For example, riots followed both MLK Jr's and Ghandi's assassinations in spite of these leaders' strong objections to the use of violence in any situation.

jason writes at 02:45:23 12/27/07 - Comment #29657: Oh, hehe, and I didn't mean to sound harsh. I mean, she didn't deserve to die, absolutely not. I'm saddened for Pakistan because this is one of those situations that really could blow up in someone's face (Who first, India?) given the right string of circumstances.

jason writes at 02:43:52 12/27/07 - Comment #29656: Bhutto was, above all else, a sleazy, corrupt politician, just like the rest, and also shared an affinity with Musharraf for sort of appeasing the extremist element. The situation is so fucked up that even people with the best of intentions would have a hell of a hard time getting through to them.

I really wonder who did it, if it was the extremist, Islamist element or whether it was a dirty hit by Musharraf to silence a political rival. After all, the attempt on her life in October shared certain characteristics with this one.

imk2 writes at 02:30:00 12/27/07 - Comment #29655: omg, i couldn't believe it when i heard the news this morning. i didn't even know who to talk to about this because just about everyone i know would not have a clue as to who this was. the world is full of kelly picklers.

mrdeadlier writes at 01:37:31 12/27/07 - Comment #29653: As an illustration of crazy that area of the world is, I read that her supporters began smashing windows and stoning cars after hearing of her death...

Wasn't she supposed to be a moderate/liberal politician who eschewed the radical Muslim outlook? Huh.

You know, not to sound cold but I'm surprised it took this long. Her refusal to make use of a "pope-mobile" (which I guess had been offered to her) or even to use better security made this inevitable -- in my opinion.

Still, though... Sad news. :(

james writes at 11:30:38 12/27/07 - Comment #29652: This isn't even news. The price of gold always rises during times of political uncertainty.

so, WTF Google news?

Permalink: Gold_rises_after_Bhutto_death.html
Words: 80
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: health

12/26/07 11:15 - 32ºF - ID#42650

Asacol - Will it kill me?

I really don't know what to do yet. My colonoscopy is on the 6th I think or the 9th. I need to check but the "doctor" who I have never actually seen or heard from since I first spoke with him a month ago prescribed asacol.

But no one told me what to expect. The serious side effects that should force you to stop taking th emedicine are some of the very symptoms I am supposed to take the medicine for which iis just screaming too dangerous for me.

I found this site where people talk about the effectiveness versus side effects of the medicine's for colitis and it seriously has a 3 out of 6 stars for 127 ratings. I wouldn't normally buy something with that kind of rating. I mean if that was a test I would say it was failing.

Check out the reviews

I just refuse to take it until after I have spoken to a GI doctor or at least the Colon doctor I already have.

THE GI doctor had an opening before my Feb 6th appointment. They called me this morning. I was all excited because I thought it was maybe today but instead it is on Jan 22, the day of my birthday, freakin' yeah.

Permalink: Asacol_Will_it_kill_me_.html
Words: 220
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: housing

12/26/07 10:17 - 28ºF - ID#42649

Fixing A Light On Christmas

At around 10:30 last night I had my phone off because I was ready to go to bed. At the same time my tenants decided to play landlord by putting up a new light fixture that (e:terry) and I had bought and left there to put up when we got a chance. They tried to pretend the old one was bent and hanging off the wall which seems impossible considering I have recovered the old fixture and it is metal.

I think what happened is that boy tenant tried to play toolman. When he got confused because of the old wiring, they had to shut down the electricity for the whole apartment. They tried to call me, no answer, so they got ahold of my Dad who insisted on helping and called me at (e:matthew)'s phone. He came to pick me up and we ended replacing the light from 10:45 to 11:45PM on Chirstmas Day. I was so mad, seriously, I wanted to kill them.

This is what it looked like when we got there. There is no way it fell off the wall, lol. It was clearly and totally taken apart.

My Dad is so nice, he insisted we put the new light in. I just wanted to cap it off and deal with it on Friday. It was really nice to ave his help. I know how to do the electrical part, but I think if it was just me and the tenants, someone would have died.

Permalink: Fixing_A_Light_On_Christmas.html
Words: 257
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: holidays

12/25/07 11:25 - 30ºF - ID#42642

Chirstmas Eve 2007

It was nice to spend time with the family at my Aunt's house. It was weird to not be able to stuff myself full or eat chocolate or nuts but I am thankful that I could at least eat when some people don't even have food. So basically, what I am trying to say is that I didn't take pictures of the food. I think I am going to just stop with that.

I miss (e:terry) - I can't wait for him to come home.

My cousin Christina now had a fourth child named Nathan. He is really cute. That is Santa Claus in the back with my Aunt, their Grandmother. I wonder how my cousin does it - it must be so hectic having four little kids. She always seems so put together as do the kids. Her husband had nine brothers and sisters so I guess it is doable. I guess my grandparents both had a large amount of brothers and sisters too but they both kind of lived the farm life with lots of work to do and lots of space to do it on - which is a little different

I didn't get (e:mike) the name you own star thing because everyone thinks it is a scam and I agree. One astronomer said, "Its like selling name your own air particle." No one really owns it. Then I thought why not start a site to sell other things you can't really buy and give people fancy certificates. I am kind of thinking it might be worth it. What about a piece of elmwoodstrip in a test tube like they did with the Berlin wall. Just fill it up with some street rubble from elmwood? I think I have a winner!

Paul

Permalink: Chirstmas_Eve_2007.html
Words: 299
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

12/23/07 07:07 - 33ºF - ID#42627

Elmwood Winter Farmer's Marke

I was reading on Buffalo Rising

that the Elmwood Farmers market found a winter home in the presbyterian church on Elmwood. Isn't that Drew's church?

I am happy to announce that many of the vendors from the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market, along with a few others, will kick off the opening of the Wintermarket on Elmwood on January 13th. Located inside the Presbyterian Church at the corner of Lafayette and Elmwood, it will be open on Sundays from 1 - 4PM until the Elmwood-Bidwell Market re-opens in May.

Permalink: Elmwood_Winter_Farmer_s_Marke.html
Words: 96
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: holidays

12/23/07 04:28 - 43ºF - ID#42624

Christmas in Japan

I was reading this site about some Christmas urban legend which later told of some real holiday trivia from Japanese adoption of western holidays. The Buffalo News is even featured as a source on this article in snopes.

As you'd expect in a country where less than 1% of the population is Christian (the rest is primarily Shinto or Buddhist), Christmas is a purely secular occasion, with shops and businesses remaining open for the day ... The elimination of the religious aspects of Christmas and its hyper-commercialization have led to some unique (and, to us, bizarre) ways of celebrating it ... What we do find unusual is a custom of young couples exchanging presents of expensive jewelry, heading out to high-priced hotels, and being directed by scantily-clad female elves to rooms complete with Christmas trees, where the lovebirds spend their Christmas Eve in romantic bliss. The co-optation of familiar Christmas figures - both secular and religious - in the service of mass merchandising has produced some rather curious blendings: Colonel Sanders dressed in a Santa suit (as KFC tried strenuously to promote fried chicken as the "traditional" Christmas meal) ... Santa in a graveyard accompanied by the Virgin Mary on broomstick, elves plastered on sake, and a Christmas revue featuring "stripping nuns and three lecherous Wise Men."

Permalink: Christmas_in_Japan.html
Words: 221
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: health

12/23/07 11:19 - 50ºF - ID#42621

Bye Bye Tooth Peice

I slept though it pretty much the whole thing. I just thought if I kept on sleeping I wouldnt have to deal with he stomach drama, which kind of, a tiny bit, improved.

Bye bye, little tooth part
Then this morning I woke up after a 20 hour nap because my back was starting to hurt from sleeping and was brushing my teeth when a part of my tooth fell out on a sunday. Now there is a hole in the tooth and new
little pieces keep falling out.

I just hope it can hold off until tomorrow before it really falls apart because no dentist seems to be open today. You can see from the picture that not much of the tooth is real. Most of it is the white filling. I had all my amalgam metal fillings taken out and replaced with the white ones in 1997 in Canada. They said it had a 5-10 year life span so I guess I am about to have a dental emergency considering I had 12 fillings replaced at that time. Maybe I should have just kept the freakin metal ones but I couldn't get over the idea of mercury getting into my body.

It's all my fault for the amount of candy I ate as a child. Like I used to (pre-stomach thing) eat a lot of candy as an adult - but it was way worse as a child.