So, in the interest of seeing what the blog is up against for "Best Of" category I decided to inspect the other sites to see what "we" are up against.

1. buffalopundit.com - interesting blog. I like the focus on local issues since most people don't give a shit about it around here, or at most feign interest in order to maintain "street cred." Its maintained by a liberal who doesn't mind letting partisanship get in the way of the real debate on occasion. However, I will give him credit for being consistant on local and state government corruption. This guy hates Byron Brown.

2. buffalo rising - I'd put this blog a couple notches on top of buffalopundit. Why? Because its focused solely on local issues and filters out the local political bullshit that all of us are freaking tired of. I'd even use the word "awesome" to describe the sites content and design... kudos to whoever manages that thing.

Checking out the local blogsites reminds me of how I'd love to join WNY Coalition for Progress if it wasn't so jawdroppingly, blatantly politically insane. Nonpartisan my ass... I mean really... to even suggest such a thing as they do in their "About Us" link is laughable. I would absolutely love to be part of their WNY Developent and Economic Affairs group... what a shame. Are there any REAL non-partisan groups out there to join?

The fest is on, the sign is up, and my block is taken over by a bunch of hippies and older folks buying knick knacks. Its cool though.

But seriously though, tie dye is waaaaay played out.

I'm back from California... its the only place I visit that I'm sad when I leave. I came back with some color though!

My apartment is a freakin' war zone... its in dire, dire shape. I'm never around to take care of it so eventually I have to suck it up and take like 4 hours of my precious Buffalo time to get it right. The best part of the project is going to be when I throw my old couch over the side of the porch.

I have mixed feelings on the Elmwood Art Festival. For two days my block is flooded with people and there is nowhere to park. This is why once the car is parked it ain't moving until the festival is gone.

P.S. Is now the perfect time to hang up the elmwoodstrip.com sign (e:paul)? I have no idea why Jay didn't hang it up before but I think with the festival and all it should be proper time to get some exposure.

For those of you who have never tried them - Jet teas from Spot are the best non-bean based thing on their menu hands down. I thoroughly encourage trying strawberry-banana or cran-raz. You'll thank me later with a small sack of green stuff to share... right? RIGHT?!

I think I leave again Tues. but I'm not sure. Until then I'm going to be bunkered up at 750. And no, my apt. will still probably not be clean.

So, I got paid before I expected... we are going to go to Death Valley today! its 313 miles from our hotel one way, but there is a spot there that is the lowest point in the USA - 250 feet below sea level. Its also *the* hottest part of the United States, has some totally incredible desert scenery w/mountain ranges. Supposedly it gets to 110+ degrees out there. We're going to take pictures and I'll link them here later!

- Joshy Wishy Washy (now you know what my grandma called me when I was growing up)

Little did I know that in a six hour period I was going to experience a SIXTY degree temperature difference! Oh... and between my beach time and desert time I am fucking BURRRRNED... I planned on going to the beach again today but screw that! Tomorrow our audit got cancelled so I have an entire day to myself, my suntan lotion, my book, and my beach. I am coming back to Buffalo with color one way or another... aka red or brown.

This place was one of the most beautiful and humbling places I've ever been to. If you've never really appreciated the power of nature to give and to take away (like me, for example) then you'd be amazed by Death Valley. Its amazing to think that this virtually inhabitable place once was a lush forest and part of a coastal plateau - and at that time our continent was positioned at the equator. Over the course of 570 million years this place has made and eroded away entire mountain ranges, massive lakes have vanished and reappeared, life forms have come and gone... this place was here hundreds of millions of years before and after the dinosaurs. Hell, people lived here 5,000 years before the Egyptians fully blossomed.

To start, it was 115 degrees in the shade, and at the valley floor it was pushing 125.... ouch. When somebody says "Yeah, its 125 out" I'm telling you its meaningless until you are there yourself. The most accurate way of describing it is this - if you've ever opened the oven and put your hands out, you know that heat? Imagine being immersed in it. Outside of the National Park along our way we saw signs that read "Turn of A/C for next 15 miles to avoid overheating" (lol, suuuure buddy), and my personal favorite - "No Services For 72 Miles" - I hope you filled your tank up!

My work buddy and I met the president of my company and his wife out at Death Valley. It was nice - he had the foresight to bring a cooler filled with ice and Aquafina. We bought some shit, then took a drive to Badwater Basin, which at the bottom is the both the 2nd lowest point below sea level and one of the hottest places on Planet Earth. I took some rocks from the floor - I wish I knew somebody who knew a lot about rocks - I have some really neat looking stuff.

I have 168 high resolution images taken with a 3mp digital camera on my iPod right now. Most of them would make incredible desktop images. If anybody is interested in seeing some of them in high res form all you need to do is ask, and I'll send you as many as you want. Here is a sampling from our ride there, our stay, and our ride out of the desert.

Here are the gas prices at the last gas station you see for 80 miles.



This is a cropped image showing 8-10 miles of empty road directly ahead through the desert.



Another cropped image of a rock formation showing some evidence of an ancient body of water along our way.



The desert is practially Mars in some spots!



Here is an image of some crazy bastard blowing through the valley floor in his car.



An image of the valley floor, with an up close shot of the ancient salt formations.



Here is my boss, my co-worker Julio and myself standing in the 125 degree heat!



In the center of this image you can barely make out a rectangular "SEA LEVEL" sign - hard to believe that its 300 feet in the air!



Driving through the desert and leaving the park.



Sunset in the desert, baby!