"Wrapping gifts" written by Paul on estrip.org

12/25/08 11:34 - ID#47181

Wrapping gifts

I get better at it every year. This year I moved onto envelopes. The
gem is really my primitive use of pseudo perspective. Nothing screams
MFA like this masterpeice.

Permalink: Wrapping_gifts.html
Words: 32
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/25/08 11:06 - ID#47180

Christmas eve

We went to my aunts house for Christmas eve. The kids were so excited
about Santa Claus. I think it was the first year that none of them
were scared of him.

Permalink: Christmas_eve.html
Words: 37
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: family

12/23/08 12:28 - ID#47150

Nonna's bandaid

Last night I somehow cut the top of my toe. It was one of those really painful cuts where the top layer of skin is sliced off but not enough to bleed so there is no scab.

So today I was dreading the walk to work because we were out of bandaids. Then I found this leftover box of bandaids from nonna's medicine cabinet with one little mini bandaid in it. It fit
perfectly, kind of like she left it for this occasion. Okay, that's cheesy but I smiled on the way to work thinking about it.

Permalink: Nonna_s_bandaid.html
Words: 100
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: computers

12/22/08 08:20 - 16ºF - ID#47146

As simple as that

After about 5+ years of using the command line every freakin day, like 80 hours a week I still find myself typing ks instead ls.

Today I decided to just deal with it once and for all.
ln -s /bin/ls ~/bin/ks

I wish I would have just admitted failure and done that before.

Permalink: As_simple_as_that.html
Words: 53
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/22/08 03:22 - ID#47139

God damn it is cold

Permalink: God_damn_it_is_cold.html
Words: 5
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: estrip

12/19/08 11:07 - 24ºF - ID#47110

Estrip Holiday Dinner Party

The dinner party (e:matthew,47064) was a great success, especially considering our last minute planning. I ate enough pizza and drank enough wine for a week. I wish I had taken pictures but I couldn't find my phone. How lame is that and where (e:metalpeter) when you need him. I think it might be the first large event ever where no one took a picture. I will take a million at thew New Years Eve party to make up for it.

Highlights:
(e:matthew,47102)'s pretty christmas tree, I am sure he will post pics of it decorated
Seeing (e:carolinian)'s cute baby - too bad fern wasn't there to play
seeing (e:james)' muscular physique, god I am jealous
Watching (e:enknot) play video games
talking shop with (e:jason)
watching (e:james) and james my co-worker interact
listening to co-worker james talk about his sociology research
gossiping with robert and the other james
meeting (e:theli)
drinking a bunch bowl full of egg nog and whisky

Permalink: Estrip_Holiday_Dinner_Party.html
Words: 169
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/18/08 09:18 - ID#47105

Lobster, filet mignon pizza

(E:lilho) and (e:hodown) yum

Permalink: Lobster_filet_mignon_pizza.html
Words: 10
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/17/08 01:55 - ID#47091

Santa on a white horse on Allen

(e:mrdeadlier) and I saw Santa riding a white horse down Allen on our
way to panaros. I just wish they had dressed the horse up as a unicorn.

Permalink: Santa_on_a_white_horse_on_Allen.html
Words: 33
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: body

12/17/08 09:18 - ID#47086

Two steaks per day

(e:theecarey) left some 70s playgirl magazines at the 24 when she moved out in 2007. They barely have any nudity and talk a lot about fashion.

The best part is that the models have bodies that look realistic and attainable. Also, none of them are shaved to look younger.

Anyhow, none of that is the point of this blog. The point is that in the November 1975 issue of playgirl, the description of the cover model, Jim Glasgow, it says:

He knows a lot about self-discipline. For the past five years he
has eaten two steaks a day...

I know they meant it like he was dedicated to keeping up his protein
intake but two steaks a day sound more like someone with no self discipline. I wonder if he even survived the 70s.

I do, however, love his mustache, I want mine back now.

To see the not work friendly pics of him posing of him check out:

Also totally work unfriednly, compare this to man of the year 1995. Look how body image has changed

james writes at 10:48:35 12/18/08 - Comment #43471: I make up a lot of things. But this I did not.

It is impossible to know what motivates a change in tastes like this, but I am convinced AIDS has something to do with it. As the MSM population fails to brace itself for the coming Hepatitis C epidemic, I wonder what changes are in store for smut.

tinypliny writes at 09:23:03 12/17/08 - Comment #43451: Did you just make that up? ;-)

No, seriously? I thought it was because more models use anabolic steroids now than before, so they want to cover up the excess hirsutism by shaving it all off (and looking uglier. YUCK.)

james writes at 09:05:36 12/17/08 - Comment #43450: I once read someone theorizing on why porn went from hairy chests and mustaches in the 70's and early 80's to the hairless men of the late 80's/90's. It said that since AIDS killed off a sizable portion of the gay population, and that those who remained had vivid memories of going to funerals every weekend, we had to sterilize our fantasies. We had to make the men of porn look completely unlike the men we knew and know. So that fresh out of the box look without the mar of hair or wrinkles was fetishized.

Of course now the largest selling genre of gay porn is bareback porn. If during the AIDS crisis (it is still a crisis by the by) we fetishized safety, now we fetishize risk.

tinypliny writes at 06:54:55 12/17/08 - Comment #43435: Is it just me or have the models got uglier as the years went by. I mean. EW.

This Glasgow person, on the hand, is pretty handsome. :) And YES! its the moustache! YAY!

metalpeter writes at 06:09:46 12/17/08 - Comment #43433: Well both guys are built pretty well, neither one of them is small and you can tell they are both large (yeah I guess that is kinda unclear but it means both muscle and cock wise). The more recent guy from 95 to me looks bigger (again both ways). but the thing is that the guy from the 70's is covered in fur so that covers the Muscle, so it is hard to tell. The thing that is tough to know is, does the guy in the 90 shave all his body hair off or is he that way Naturaly. Some people aren't hairy at all and some are very. So if the people traded times would they have been able to work in the other persons time, it is hard to know really. Fashion wise and look wise what people like changes, or at least in the public and famous eye.

iriesara writes at 02:27:27 12/17/08 - Comment #43423: I told you it was a 70's gay porn mustache

libertad writes at 01:41:56 12/17/08 - Comment #43415: Darn I'm at work and I want to look at the links! James it sounds like you got a hot DILF.

theecarey writes at 12:24:39 12/17/08 - Comment #43409: Ah yes! fun times!

You and Matthew are both right. Most of the mags I have/had were from the 90's and the early part of this decade. However, I did have a few from the fall of 1975 (August-Nov maybe?), and those were definitely looked at among us. Being born in Sept of '75, I found it hilarious to own porn from my birth year. Baby's First Porn?

I think at some point you ended up with a whole lot more retro porn mags from somewhere/someone else- you might have posted about it, or maybe I was there.

In the 70's, I think Playgirl wasn't yet allowed to publish full frontal naked men. So in the meantime, lots of hair and suggestive shots. Once they got the go ahead, it all came off..

Glad the mags are still being enjoyed! ;)

james writes at 09:30:39 12/17/08 - Comment #43397: That looks a bit like my dad....

matthew writes at 09:30:36 12/17/08 - Comment #43396: I'm pretty sure her's were from the 1990's.

paul writes at 09:28:47 12/17/08 - Comment #43395: Carrey left some too, I remember her showing them to me.

matthew writes at 09:25:11 12/17/08 - Comment #43394: I think those are actually ours. I found them in an attic.

Permalink: Two_steaks_per_day.html
Words: 194
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: buffalo

12/16/08 11:32 - 23ºF - ID#47085

Getting beaten by a Gang in Buffalo

More reasons that I am thinking I need to buy a gun or tazer. Does anyone else think these sound very related and scary? If I see any gang of 10 men I am running. The first victim was only 15. It seems so even freakier that the guy form the second story wouldn't even file a complaint.

Teen beaten, robbed while waiting at downtown bus stop
A 15-year-old boy told Buffalo police he was approached by a group of 10 males and attacked while standing at a downtown bus stop Monday evening.

The incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. at Washington and South Division streets, according to a Buffalo police report.

The victim told police one of the males in the group asked him if he had any money, then punched and kicked him in the head and face causing swelling and bleeding from his lip and nose.

The attackers took his wallet, which contained $3 in cash and various papers, according to the report.

The boy was transported to Women and Children's Hospital by Rural/Metro Medical Services.

South Buffalo man jumped, beaten by gang
A South Buffalo man suffered a possible broken elbow and was knocked unconscious when he was jumped by seven to 10 people Sunday night.

The victim, who also suffered cuts to his head and hand, was jumped just after 9:30 p.m. at Exchange and Selkirk streets, according to a Buffalo police report.

He refused medical treatment at the scene, and told police he could not identify any of the attackers and would not file a complaint.

tinypliny writes at 01:35:04 12/18/08 - Comment #43463: I agree. It's time to change work hours and come home early.

paul writes at 01:18:36 12/18/08 - Comment #43458: Oh look I wasn't being an alarmist - it happend again and this time it was much worse (e:gardenmama,47097)

metalpeter writes at 05:28:03 12/17/08 - Comment #43430: Yes sometimes someone being attacked is because of some criminal element, but sometimes it is because a bunch of punk kids get real tough when they are together. Sometimes it is a gang. It all depends on the circumstances. Finding the people and pressing charges is all well and good everything, but see that can bring other problems. Like then if you go to court then they have a lawyer and records that say where you live. In terms of the second case it is very possible that the guy didn't want to go the hospital because he had drugs on him, or maybe no money to get fixed up anyways. I'm guessing he know who attacked him and he knows not to say anything, because they would get him back or his family or his home, they live in the same area so saying something could be very dangerous, I'm guessing.

tinypliny writes at 03:50:22 12/17/08 - Comment #43429: Great points and thanks for writing them out. I agree that undue panic is not in order but at the same time I live by the rule that being forewarned is always being forearmed. It would be slightly foolhardy to assume that you are not next. I agree that this is bad reputation for the city and not good for its economy, tourism etc. but complacence about these sort of events would be a mistake because it would encourage law-enforcers to not follow it up. If enough concern is raised, there is a better likelihood that more cameras would be put up, and arrests would be made. I am aware of all the discussion and wrath heaped on cameras recently, but if having cameras means that I can worry a little less about being assaulted on the street and no one being there to witness it, I am FOR as many cameras they can get. I am also aware of the arguments that cameras don't make a difference statistically. Well, they may not make a dent in the crime stats, but they make a huge psychological difference to the people who are actually likely to become victims of such attacks. Its unfair that people who zoom by in cars and rarely spend any significant amount of time on the street pass oh-so-mighty judgements on how a camera is so insulting to their neighbourhood and how its a waste of money etc. etc. The camera to me counts as an effort and every effort counts because it makes me feel safer.

matthew writes at 03:26:54 12/17/08 - Comment #43426: Well put (e:janelle).

janelle writes at 02:24:45 12/17/08 - Comment #43421: I meant to add:

I agree that waiting for busses probably does put you at a higher risk and I'm sorry you've experienced it first hand!

janelle writes at 02:23:14 12/17/08 - Comment #43420: It would be impossible for anyone to disagree with you Libertad that innocent people do get attacked. The youth in those reports very well could have been completely innocent. I think Zobar and I are just trying to put things in perspective so people don't have this overwhelming and often unnecessary fear of victimization.

While being involved in criminal activity increases your chance of being victimized, it certainly does not mean the reverse that all victims are involved in criminal activity.

People in the 'burbs read articles about crime in the city and are scared to ever step foot in the city when realistically they are unlikely to be in the places, times, and situations that have the highest chances of leading to victimization.

I just hate to think that people read these stories and then think that the next time they step foot out of their door, they're next.

libertad writes at 01:52:44 12/17/08 - Comment #43417: Take it from someone who was nearly stabbed on Elmwood while I was working, you can be an innocent victim of these attacks. Also, I would not press charges against the people who attacked me because I was so afraid that if I had done so they would find me and kill me.

When people have to wait for buses they put themselves at a higher risk than those who drive everywhere they need to go. You also could refuse medical treatment because you don't have any insurance and don't want to be slamned with thousands of dollars worth of medical bills just so somebody in the E.R could put a bandaid on you. You could both be right that it was somebody on drugs but I have been attacked several times and I am sure it had nothing to do with drugs.

janelle writes at 11:57:06 12/17/08 - Comment #43405: You're dead on, Zobar. One of the interesting things learned in my studies of criminal justice is that many times (not always) the victims of crimes are people involved in a criminal lifestyle. Being involved in a criminal lifestyle substantially increases the likelihood that you will be victimized.

I don't sweat it too much when I read those stories of someone on Elmwood avenue getting mugged for $200 (or some absurd amount of money), because I know chances are good the individual is a known drug dealer, pimp, or some other person whose known to carry money on his person b/c of his criminal activities.

I've only been nervous once on Elmwood and that's when some guy trying to bum bus far grabbed my hand and paid too much attention to a ring with diamonds that I was wearing. But I just walked away and took a few looks over my shoulder to make sure he wasn't following me.

zobar writes at 11:48:38 12/17/08 - Comment #43404: If he refused medical treatment, could not identify any of the attackers, and wouldn't file a complaint, my bet is he's a drug dealer.

- Z

theli writes at 10:29:30 12/17/08 - Comment #43402: I understand the fear. But I'm not really sure about the hyperbole...
1. They probably didn't even know that it was just $3.
2. One incidence, or even a couple, does not make an epidemic.
3. Some fuckers just think its cool to be able to get away with this shit. The possibility of a few months in jail doesn't much matter. And if they can get a few people to overreact and cause a lot of shit to go down, then probably all the better.
4. The ages of these guys aren't mentioned. I have my own suspicions that they were a bunch of high school pricks, or just out of. They may be minors themselves and feel that they can get away with it.
5. That south buffalo guy probably doesn't live in a good neighborhood and he knows it. It's probably his own fear that made him avoid filing a complaint, sadly.

Final: No, none of this excuses anyone with regards to what happened. But letting your fear take over you just plays into what these guys are trying to do.

When I was younger, I actually got jumped once by a similar number of even younger guys. It was a lot later. And in a lot worse of a neighborhood. But I got through it mostly unscathed with some messed up clothes, a lost jacket, and $100 still in my pocket.

Yeah, I was a stupid kid. And a lucky one. Anyway...

I think it's better to give an appropriate response to this. Somehow make sure that the police follow up on it. Encourage basic policies that reduce crime in general. And those that help get people out of poverty. And do what you can to keep yourself safe. Just don't give these pricks more credit than they deserve. They broke the law. And hopefully they'll get caught. But if not, hearing about some kind of overreaction is probably just going to give them more of the thrills they're looking for.

paul writes at 09:33:22 12/17/08 - Comment #43398: I think Tazers are illegal. I was going to buy one when in California but I didn't want to get in toruble flying home. I think you can drive to PA and buy one.

fellyconnelly writes at 06:53:45 12/17/08 - Comment #43392: maybe there weren't enough 'spy on buffalo' cameras up along that street...

tinypliny writes at 11:38:14 12/16/08 - Comment #43390: !!!!!!
I am speechless. Can you please take me with you when you get a tazer?!!

Are these news snippets for real???
6:30 PM and NO ONE REPORTED IT OR CARED?? Is this happening in DOWNTOWN where I frequently wait for buses???! Are these victims known to these gangs?? Why would ANYONE assault a KID for $3??!! Would they also commit murder and rape for $3??!

Is anyone listening and investigating these reports????!!!

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