Estrip is pretty jumping lately!
I had a lot of fun at last month's dinner, so I would like to set something up in the next couple weeks. It would be a week night I think, and I am open to suggestions for location.
India Buffet again? No Chuck-o-Rama's in sight, thank god.
Do tell what your free nights are, and if you're likely to come! Once the location is finalized I'll need to know ahead of time if you're coming so I can make reservations a few days before hand.
Hope to see you all there! I know there may be an Estrip/PMT party coming up soon, so we should try not to crowd that date, lest we become sick of each other.
Jim's Journal
My Podcast Link
09/17/2007 21:00 #41164
Estrip Buffet Night Part 2Category: estrip
09/16/2007 22:39 #41142
OKThree posts in a row, sue me.
I hate the City of Buffalo's website. There is a bunch of stuff there I want to repurpose and it's all in PDF form or actually it's not there at all. I hate screen scraping.
I want to map all the properties owned by the city, all properties that will be auctioned off, and in an ideal world be able to overlay city zoning and survey maps on my maps.
But no luck really with any of that. The city has it's own maps:
That's almost completely unusable, and I shudder when recalling the markup under the hood. There has to be a devious way to get what I need.
Oh, and as far as I can tell - there is no website for the Buffalo Police Department. Does anyone know what it is? I guess if they have no website it means they don't publish any information I could map.
I hate the City of Buffalo's website. There is a bunch of stuff there I want to repurpose and it's all in PDF form or actually it's not there at all. I hate screen scraping.
I want to map all the properties owned by the city, all properties that will be auctioned off, and in an ideal world be able to overlay city zoning and survey maps on my maps.
But no luck really with any of that. The city has it's own maps:
That's almost completely unusable, and I shudder when recalling the markup under the hood. There has to be a devious way to get what I need.
Oh, and as far as I can tell - there is no website for the Buffalo Police Department. Does anyone know what it is? I guess if they have no website it means they don't publish any information I could map.
jim - 09/16/07 23:49
I can't believe the police department does not have a website. At all.
I can't believe the police department does not have a website. At all.
paul - 09/16/07 23:44
I think it is made by Algonquin (local web design company) using the same CMS that runs roswellpark.org I believe.
I think it is made by Algonquin (local web design company) using the same CMS that runs roswellpark.org I believe.
jenks - 09/16/07 23:36
ugh, yeah, as far as I can tell there is no useful BPD website. A month or so ago I had my first experience as a crotchety old lady- I was suddenly, rudely, awakened to the sound of full-on FIREWORKS being set off what sounded like in my backyard. At 3 am. Since I was getting up at 4:30 and had gone to bed at 1, this was not welcomed. I tried to ignore it, but it kept going. Finally I decided to call the cops. But it was not 911 worthy, so I figured I'd try to find the non-emergency number. After much googling without success I called a number, only to be scoffed at and told I'd reached the STATE PD, who wanted nothing to do with it. But, they transferred me to buffalo. i was very meek... said I didn't know if this warranted calling the cops, but that it appeared people were setting off like REAL fireworks (not sparklers and m-80s) in the middle of a residential neighborhood at 3am. They seemed unimpressed. I felt like a bitchy old lady, put the pillow over my head, and tried to go back to sleep.
So much for helpful, accessible civil services.
As i said in chat, it reminds me of the way i didn't vote last year b/c I didn't know where to go, and could not for the life of me, find it online.
ugh, yeah, as far as I can tell there is no useful BPD website. A month or so ago I had my first experience as a crotchety old lady- I was suddenly, rudely, awakened to the sound of full-on FIREWORKS being set off what sounded like in my backyard. At 3 am. Since I was getting up at 4:30 and had gone to bed at 1, this was not welcomed. I tried to ignore it, but it kept going. Finally I decided to call the cops. But it was not 911 worthy, so I figured I'd try to find the non-emergency number. After much googling without success I called a number, only to be scoffed at and told I'd reached the STATE PD, who wanted nothing to do with it. But, they transferred me to buffalo. i was very meek... said I didn't know if this warranted calling the cops, but that it appeared people were setting off like REAL fireworks (not sparklers and m-80s) in the middle of a residential neighborhood at 3am. They seemed unimpressed. I felt like a bitchy old lady, put the pillow over my head, and tried to go back to sleep.
So much for helpful, accessible civil services.
As i said in chat, it reminds me of the way i didn't vote last year b/c I didn't know where to go, and could not for the life of me, find it online.
09/16/2007 22:34 #41141
CouncilmaticCategory: wtf
Councilmatic? That appears to be a real word from the research I just did, but seems so so wrong.
09/16/2007 21:15 #41138
Progress!Category: work
Importing data from 3rd parties :) works. Now I'm working on the user interface for adding new geolocated pages.
paul - 09/16/07 22:37
Cool, can't wait to play with it.
Cool, can't wait to play with it.
09/14/2007 22:52 #41107
Apple PricingCategory: commerce
My take on the Apple Rebate for the $200 drop in price on iPhones, in response to a question about how I could be happy to be partially refunded after being 'overcharged'.
Saying they overcharged me is wrong, it is just not an accurate description of the economic transaction that I participated in. They asked for $600 and I thought it was worth $600 *TO ME*, and so I paid. This is how a market works. What the price is two months later is completely irrelevant. Prices on electronics always drop or better models come out. I was charged exactly the agreed upon amount.
Apple is giving credit to make up for the price drop, yes. But they do not feel bad for overcharging me, because there was no overcharging. There is just a different charge now, that is lower, and they are doing partial credits to acknowledge that it was quicker then usually happens. That is good manners, in my book.
The rebate process was super easy, and I never expected a rebate or credit, so I am happy to get it.
Additionally: the price was high when initial demand was high, and now that they're heading into Christmas and have production ramped up, they dropped the price to gain market share. I'm glad I paid an extra $200 to Apple if it meant I could walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone, instead of not being able to get a phone because they were going for an extra $1000 on eBay because the prices at launch were so low that demand was out of sync with supply causing scalper scum to snatch up every damn phone in the country.
That's what happened to the Wii and xBox and PS3, to buy one you had to spend a small fortune on eBay. Apple priced the iPhone high enough that they were selling them at the same rate they were making them, thus ensuring they were stocked in stores. Sure, they made more money, but what the hell? They are a business not a commune of hippies. I am happy with how everything has gone.
(this was originally a comment on this post)
Saying they overcharged me is wrong, it is just not an accurate description of the economic transaction that I participated in. They asked for $600 and I thought it was worth $600 *TO ME*, and so I paid. This is how a market works. What the price is two months later is completely irrelevant. Prices on electronics always drop or better models come out. I was charged exactly the agreed upon amount.
Apple is giving credit to make up for the price drop, yes. But they do not feel bad for overcharging me, because there was no overcharging. There is just a different charge now, that is lower, and they are doing partial credits to acknowledge that it was quicker then usually happens. That is good manners, in my book.
The rebate process was super easy, and I never expected a rebate or credit, so I am happy to get it.
Additionally: the price was high when initial demand was high, and now that they're heading into Christmas and have production ramped up, they dropped the price to gain market share. I'm glad I paid an extra $200 to Apple if it meant I could walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone, instead of not being able to get a phone because they were going for an extra $1000 on eBay because the prices at launch were so low that demand was out of sync with supply causing scalper scum to snatch up every damn phone in the country.
That's what happened to the Wii and xBox and PS3, to buy one you had to spend a small fortune on eBay. Apple priced the iPhone high enough that they were selling them at the same rate they were making them, thus ensuring they were stocked in stores. Sure, they made more money, but what the hell? They are a business not a commune of hippies. I am happy with how everything has gone.
(this was originally a comment on this post)
uncutsaniflush - 09/15/07 14:21
Hmmm, (e:jim) why do you feel it is important to point out that you didn't buy the iPhone to be the first on the block? Is there something wrong with being the first on the block?
Personally, the major reason I'm rarely the first kid on the block to get anything is because and I'm cheap and lazy.
By the way, I enjoyed your humorous reference to the origins of Apple's name. It is true that even though Steve Jobs came up with the "Apple" name after visiting a hippie commune, he and the other Steve chose to start a for-profit business instead of a hippie commune.
Hmmm, (e:jim) why do you feel it is important to point out that you didn't buy the iPhone to be the first on the block? Is there something wrong with being the first on the block?
Personally, the major reason I'm rarely the first kid on the block to get anything is because and I'm cheap and lazy.
By the way, I enjoyed your humorous reference to the origins of Apple's name. It is true that even though Steve Jobs came up with the "Apple" name after visiting a hippie commune, he and the other Steve chose to start a for-profit business instead of a hippie commune.
jim - 09/15/07 10:43
I want to be clear that I did not buy this to be the first on the block. I needed a new phone, and I paid extra for a phone that would be enough of a computer that I could leave my laptop at home instead of lugging it everywhere. Also, since I use a Mac, this is the first phone that has flawless Mac syncing, a big plus. So for me that is the value of the phone, not status or bragging rights.
I want to be clear that I did not buy this to be the first on the block. I needed a new phone, and I paid extra for a phone that would be enough of a computer that I could leave my laptop at home instead of lugging it everywhere. Also, since I use a Mac, this is the first phone that has flawless Mac syncing, a big plus. So for me that is the value of the phone, not status or bragging rights.
uncutsaniflush - 09/15/07 08:32
I don't tend to be an early adoptor for variety of reasons including the high initial cost. As I said in my last comment, I am happy that you are happy with the iPhone credit situation. You are certainly right that Apple didn't "have" to do anything at all.
As to the "overcharging", since I don't have an iPhone, who am I to disagree? Personally, paying extra to be the first kid on the block with aany product just isn't worth it to me. So if I got an iPHone and two months later it was $200 cheaper I would feel "overcharged" And that is why I don't tend to buy anything when it first comes out. But is just me. I
Happy iPhoning.
(this was originally a comment on this post :::link:::)
I don't tend to be an early adoptor for variety of reasons including the high initial cost. As I said in my last comment, I am happy that you are happy with the iPhone credit situation. You are certainly right that Apple didn't "have" to do anything at all.
As to the "overcharging", since I don't have an iPhone, who am I to disagree? Personally, paying extra to be the first kid on the block with aany product just isn't worth it to me. So if I got an iPHone and two months later it was $200 cheaper I would feel "overcharged" And that is why I don't tend to buy anything when it first comes out. But is just me. I
Happy iPhoning.
(this was originally a comment on this post :::link:::)
jenks - 09/15/07 01:28
Couldn't say it better myself. People keep asking me if I'm pissed the price went down. I said no, that's just how it works. The price you pay for being an early adopter.
I am a little sick of people bashing iphone to me, though. Saying I'm stupid for paying all that money, that ATT sucks, that THEY would never pay that much...
Whatever... I paid almost $400 for an ipod before. Several times. I paid $400+ for my Treo.... Whether or not it's "worth" it- I was willing to spend the money.
But apple announced that they just sold their one millionth iphone. After 74 days on the market.
I don't know crap about sales or marketing or business- I don't know if selling a million in 74 days is a big deal- except that they said it took almost 2 YEARS to sell a million ipods.
So apparently I wasn't alone in being willing to spend money. And to switch to att...
And honestly, I've heard plenty of people say "i would never buy an iphone. it's a rip off, it doesn't do x y or z." But I have never heard anyone with an iphone say they don't like it ore regret buying it.
wow, sorry, long comment.
Couldn't say it better myself. People keep asking me if I'm pissed the price went down. I said no, that's just how it works. The price you pay for being an early adopter.
I am a little sick of people bashing iphone to me, though. Saying I'm stupid for paying all that money, that ATT sucks, that THEY would never pay that much...
Whatever... I paid almost $400 for an ipod before. Several times. I paid $400+ for my Treo.... Whether or not it's "worth" it- I was willing to spend the money.
But apple announced that they just sold their one millionth iphone. After 74 days on the market.
I don't know crap about sales or marketing or business- I don't know if selling a million in 74 days is a big deal- except that they said it took almost 2 YEARS to sell a million ipods.
So apparently I wasn't alone in being willing to spend money. And to switch to att...
And honestly, I've heard plenty of people say "i would never buy an iphone. it's a rip off, it doesn't do x y or z." But I have never heard anyone with an iphone say they don't like it ore regret buying it.
wow, sorry, long comment.
If it isn't on Wed oct 3rd I'm in. Other than that any Wed should be good.
usually wednesday are best for me. as i missed the first one I want to try and make this one
orchidiamond, here is a post with photos from the last dinner: :::link:::
There are a couple dozen regulars on the site, and probably a ton more casual people who post more infrequently. I think the total number of registered users is around 400
you have group gatherings? interesting, how many people are on this site?
I like Wednesdays too. I'm think the pre-Halloween party might be better than the post. some people we know are already claiming the weekend after.
You should have the party the weekend before Halloween. That is my extra-valuable 2 cents.
Wednesday is my preferred night.
(e:Drew) and I are in. Tuesday and Thursdays are generally not good nights for us.
The three of us are definitely in. The party is either the weekend before or after Halloween so we still have a while.