"Giving Basra a Bath" written by Paul on estrip.org

Category: pets

11/21/08 02:31 - 26ºF - ID#46783

Giving Basra a Bath

Basra got his winter bath today. He was relatively clean to begin with. Its amazing how little a tortoise smells. Our previous home zoo always smelled so bad because of the freakin sugar gliders. I feel bad for basra that he had to live with them.

Permalink: Giving_Basra_a_Bath.html
Words: 48
Location: Buffalo, NY

11/19/08 10:42 - ID#46752

Too early for Christmas

When I took this picture last week, it as entirely too early for
Christmas. It still is. When will they start in the summer.

Permalink: Too_early_for_Christmas.html
Words: 29
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

11/17/08 10:27 - 29ºF - ID#46725

So stressed out about New York

In terms of the working for it part, I am very happy. Lots of stuff going on and its pretty fun right now. I love solving problems and right now I have a million little ones to solve which keeps it exciting.

So I was really into building my new wikimedia extensions when the cleaning guy came to me to say that he and his whole team are being laid off and have only a month left. Its so sad that they lay off the people for Christmas. He seemed so sad.

I overheard the older lady cleaning woman saying how the new jobs she looked at had no benefits. It made me think about what would happen to me if I lost my job and had no health insurance and now I am just sad. Seriously, I kind of feeling like crying and I know thats lame but it must be so devastating.

It also makes me think that the state job world is maybe not so secure after all. It makes me wonder if I should look for a federal job like terry. I mean if the feds go down its really over, right?

To make it even creepier of an evening at like 8:00PM someone came in our office area where I am the only person and shouted "everyone go home." Then they left before I could figure out who it was. I left right after and just finished my editing from home. It probably was just a co-worker but the moment had all the feeling of office shooting.

Speaking of which, the VPN we have is so great. Before I hated it because I didn't have a native mac client but it is so convenient to just be at work from anywhere.

Pictures
I was so busy I forgot to change my iphone so there are no pics to post. But you would have seen.
1. A squirrel's head I found on the street still bleeding. How on earth did that happen.
2. An ambulance on and vacant with the windows open and the keys in the ignition while the drivers smoozed with the gas station owner on Allen.

libertad writes at 07:41:16 11/18/08 - Comment #42293: Yeah DHL is our shipper at work and they were the cheapest contract. Now we will probably have to spend more money to ship thus being in even worse shape.

jenks writes at 06:12:41 11/18/08 - Comment #42283: the DHL delivery guy just said that the whole company is going out of business (or more accurately, is going to be international only, no domestic), so they are all losing their jobs too. And yeah, right in time for xmas. Awesome!

pmrk writes at 03:55:16 11/18/08 - Comment #42273: My hubby said that the VA Administration Offices downtown will be hiring 80 - 100 people soon including some IT positions. USAJOBS.COM will have the postings when they come out.

He's a work study down there and hears all kinds of things since no one is afraid to talk in front of the work study!

janelle writes at 10:10:27 11/18/08 - Comment #42249: Roswell gives a contract to Phoenix Frontier to do their cleaning. They didn't renew the contract. My agency supports developmentally disabled individuals who work for Phoenix Frontier at Roswell and these individuals reported that they're going to be laid off as of January, 31. We're scrambling over here to help these guys start looking for new jobs. At least our individuals will receive support in finding a new job. I feel bad for the other employees.

libertad writes at 10:02:40 11/18/08 - Comment #42247: It seems they are hired by Roswell but right now they are hiring under 20hrs a week which keeps them from getting benefits.

:::link:::

fing writes at 09:45:31 11/18/08 - Comment #42244: I think that these cleaners in our building are contracted out through a 3rd party company. I don't think they get paid from Roswell. This does not make the suck factor any less however. I know that being a State Employee has its moments but job security is pretty high.

vincent writes at 12:22:29 11/18/08 - Comment #42232: Things are going to be very tough in this state for a while. I don't want to get into a hypothetical prognostication about what is going to happen when they raise taxes at the same time when everyone's pocketbook will be contracting.

libertad writes at 10:58:42 11/17/08 - Comment #42229: I am pretty stressed about it too. Losing those hours came at a really bad time. Everyone is tightening their wallets.

tinypliny writes at 10:45:27 11/17/08 - Comment #42228

I meant to ask "You have VPN access?" but somehow my train of thought got derailed a bit...

tinypliny writes at 10:42:26 11/17/08 - Comment #42227: Hmm... dead squirrel < dead bunny NOT < dead squirrel BUT definitely < dead squirrel WITH still-bleeding head.

Also you have can connect via VPN? How awesome. I wish they would give at least a remote proxy-access to library resources if not a VPN for students. I am so jealous!

As for being fired, I think I get depressed about it once in a while. Even though I am just a student, it still feels scary and awful. I can't even begin to imagine how it must be really like to be laid off without a back-up. It makes me want to cry as well. :/

Permalink: So_stressed_out_about_New_York.html
Words: 361
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: television

11/16/08 10:11 - 36ºF - ID#46703

Desperate House Wives

Sadly, after the fun time dancing on friday night, I did nothing really this weekend other than some programming for work and watch Desperate House Wives series 1. I have to say I am addicted and I hope they continue the same level of entertaining throughout the series.

Bree is my favorite character.

They even have a barbie doll of her now

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

Category: dance

11/14/08 05:57 - 57ºF - ID#46691

Dancing Where?

It is crazy the next two night have a whole bunch of DJs I want to see and dance to but in places I don't really enjoy dancing at. I want a freakin' big ass dancefloor where I don't feel crowded. Its so sad that a giant space like Tabu closed down because nothing filled it and then you have places like OHM that have such tiny dance floors and have good DJs.

I really like Josh The Funky 1

I am so surprised they got him tonight at OHM. I think I am going to go anyways. Sadly, one of the local DJs I really like named Loony Toons is not playing tonight even though he is on the tour for the stop tomorrow night in Rochester.

I would much rather see him somewhere like this:

They tomorrow it is Happy Hardcore night, which I also always enjoy, but once again at Ohm. I wonder if I will even go to either. I mean its not a terrible place but I just really crave dance space.

Then there is also drum and bass at Staples. But it has the same small dance space problem.

Here is a pic of Tilt nightclub in Rochester. I haven't been there but this is the size space I want to go to. WHy can buffalo never maintain that. Thats why I miss Raves in warehouses or abandoned theatres, buildings, etc - sure there was asbestos but I would trade that for a good dance space, lol.

Permalink: Dancing_Where_.html
Words: 274
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: linwood

11/12/08 10:20 - 43ºF - ID#46668

Linwood Shooting and Street Mugging

I got an email from a member of the block club today saying there was a shooting on the Utica->west Ferry block of Linwood. Apparently, it didn't make it into the police report because they thought it was a pellet gun at first but it turned out to be a .22 calibur. I can't believe it took 12 days to find out about this considering we could have been more on the lookout if we knew. I really think the police should have some sort of a neighborhood crime information site to let people track crime in their neighborhood.

I just wanted to give everybody a heads up about an incident that happened on Linwood on 11/01. A couple were walking to their car and were held up at gunpoint. The wife's purse was stolen and the husband was shot in the leg with a .22 caliber gun. They were unable to identify the assailants to the police since it was about 1:30 in the morning and the two people were wearing hooded sweatshirts. The police and paramedics told the victims they thought it was a pellet gun that was used. The victims went to the emergency room and were informed by the doctors it was a .22 caliber bullet.

That night, 2 other shootings occurred. Both victims were shot in the leg. One of the shootings occurred on Fillmore. Interesting note, the wife's bank card, in the stolen purse, was used to buy gas on Fillmore. Unfortunately, that gas station doesn't have cameras. The police are investigating, but it doesn't look like the perpetrators will be identified. The crime did not make the Buffalo News because the police report list the weapon as a pellet gun(So I have heard)

Please be careful.. Make sure to have some outside lights on outside.... Don't put yourself in vulnerable positions...Be AWARE of your surroundings

We used to rent an apartment ont hat block back in 2003-2005 and I have to say I always felt that part of the street was way sketchier thanks to the Utica/Main street area. Nicer houses, sketchier neighborhood/apartment building scenario. I hated taking the subway home form UB and getting off there. People think Allentown is sketchy, but honestly, there are a lot more people around which makes it not half as scary.

metalpeter writes at 07:12:03 11/13/08 - Comment #42061: Yeah that Area can be a little rough I guess. I can't figure out why you would shoot someone maybe they didn't hand the stuff over quick enough or maybe one of the people thought wait if they go to there car they can call the cops or follow us or something like that.

gardenmama writes at 11:33:46 11/12/08 - Comment #42039: Thanks for this post. My niece lives in that block and had her apartment broken into. I'll definitely pass along this info to her. Craziness!

tinypliny writes at 11:24:03 11/12/08 - Comment #42035: Not to mention slavery to companies who MADE THIS EVIL gas guzzling vehicles at the expense of suppressing research and development on solar/electric/alternative fuelled vehicles.

tinypliny writes at 11:21:36 11/12/08 - Comment #42033: Brain damage (probably through an earlier shooting).

(And of course depression at the state of affairs where the nation is doling out $700bn to people who can fill the whole country's gas tank with their wealth for a century.)

james writes at 11:17:59 11/12/08 - Comment #42032: What must have happened to an individual where they would put a bullet in a stranger to fill up their gas tank.

tinypliny writes at 11:07:23 11/12/08 - Comment #42031: This is troubling and worrisome. But mostly, I am annoyed. WHY? WHY SHOOT PEOPLE?? Ok, you want the money and the credit card (and that in itself is rotten), but WHY shoot people as well??? Not only do you rob people and harass them, you need to aim and shoot as well and probably cripple them??

This is two blocks from where I live TWO blocks that I walk on all the time. ALL the time. I have walked these streets (well not that block but from work -> home) now at almost all hours of the day (if you look at the whole ~1.5 years I have been living here).

I hate it that thia makes me feel threatened. I hate it that this will probably interfere with my work someday. I simply dread the fact that maybe I might get shot at with "pellet" gun and my bone will splinter and that I might limp for life.

This is so sickening. :/

I agree we need a neighbourhood crime watch. But really what good will come out of it?? Police won't report crimes, residents would and the police would probably go to lengths to deny it because it is yet another black mark on their anti-crime efforts. They obviously don't want to add to the crime statistics.

I hate these people who shoot at others. I hate the circumstances that have made them so heartless. I hate us all who have made this possible by causing the whole society to go out of financial whack by our hoarding and greediness so that the penniless among us are driven to shoot the well-off.

/*End of rant*/

Thanks for posting. :( I probably need to mend my erratic ways and look more impoverished that I already am by wearing tattered clothes.

Permalink: Linwood_Shooting_and_Street_Mugging.html
Words: 386
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: linwood

11/12/08 09:45 - 41ºF - ID#46655

Cleaning The Gutters

We just got new gutters a couple months back but the one side of the roof, which is being destroyed by our neighbors giant maple tree was full of leaves and crap. I always wondered why they had yankee gutters, maybe it was to prevent build up of leaves.

We bought this ladder pusher outer thing from the gutter people. It makes going up on the ladder on a house with ransoms, doable.

After we got the ladder up.

(e:Terry) up the ladder, we took turns. It was actually quite fun, although a little scary the first time.

Anyhow, the roof on that side looks about 100 years older than the roof anywhere, where there is no a tree right on top of it. Its sad because the tree is beautiful and I love it but clearly part of it has to be cut back. Does anyone have a tree guy/girl to call?

The side of the roof under the tree is also covered in moss from the constant shade and dripping the tree makes. I can't decide if this is good or bad. I mean the roof does not leak at all and considering all the damage I think the moss must have protective qualities.

Permalink: Cleaning_The_Gutters.html
Words: 217
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: blogs

11/11/08 12:21 - 41ºF - ID#46645

Buffalo News Article about blogs

I found a link to this in our referral logs. Apparently, there was an article called "Buffalo Blogs are a lot more than just bluster: College Students' Guide to Buffalo" I love how they referal to the area as the "Elmwood Village strip." You know my feelings on it

(E:strip):

This is the self-proclaimed "original neighborhood blogging community" of Buffalo - inspired specifically by the Elmwood Village strip.

A fairly sophisticated site, it allows for image, sound and video embedding, as well as a mobile/dial-up site for the blogger who just can't wait until he or she gets home to tell everyone about that squirrel fight in Delaware Park.

Blogging topics on this site are broad, including but not limited to animals (with such delightful posts as "A bird in the hand means poop on the car" and "Chinese death camp for cats") and Food ("Dave don't eat it!" and "Subway. Finger-licking Freedom").

Turns out, the Elmwood strip is a popular hangout in cyberspace, too.

Permalink: Buffalo_News_Article_about_blogs.html
Words: 181
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: computers

11/11/08 11:28 - 41ºF - ID#46643

Windows being windows, mac being windows

A fun morning of windows being windows. Oh how I miss painting with frozen windows on the mac.

And then mac decided to be windows too. Why on earth does it need a system restart in order to add RAW image file support to iPhoto? Did they forget this is a unix based OS where you can restart services, re-read config files, etc or what!