UPDATE: Regarding my '92 Dodge Spirit ("Chuck"): I was very tempted by (e:metalpeter) 's advice (i.e., enter the Dodge in the America's Fair demolition derby...see comments below) but went with a more boring option, sort of a variation on (e:mrmike) 's advice. Instead of trying to get money for it, I donated the car to the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Cars program:

I am now officially sans auto! Carbon footprint: reduced a little bit more. And no worries about on-street parking this winter!

Of course the downside is that I'm now officially a ride-moocher. But hey, I sortakinda already was one anyway.

Chuck, I salute you! And thank you for your nearly seven years of faithful service. I'm sorry that tree fell on you during the October Storm of 2006. I hope your new owners, whomever they may be, will give you the tune-up and repairs you deserve. Or tear you up for parts...I suppose it doesn't hurt.

Hey friends,

Long time no post... have had the busiest craziest summer in terms of work, plus the typical trying-to-take-advantage-of-good-weather-whenever-possible types of shenanigans in and around Buffalo. Highlights: Spiritiualized at Town Ballroom (utterly fantastic), Sam Roberts Band at ArtPark, Babik and Latin jazz at Bidwell, and getting caught in the downpour at Taste of Buffalo, plus a long weekend in Niagara Falls Ontario. Good stuff.

In other news: after some soul searching, I have decided: I am letting go of my car. I'm sure I'll regret this sometime in January, but I live close enough (2 blocks) from the NFTA rail station to make this work on a daily basis, and my gf has a car, so groceries and occasional trips to Hertel, Amherst, etc. remain fairly easy. The trouble is, it's been a good car to me, and I hate to see it go.

That said, anyone need a "beater"? There's nothing pretty about the car... it's a 1992 Dodge Spirit, sort of a grandpa car. Well, actually, it is a grandpa car -- it's a two-owner car (my grandfather and me) with just under 100,000 original miles. It's light blue and has a relatively clean interior. It needs a little work but nothing overly dramatic. Here's the skinny:

The Good

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low miles for old car
4 cylinder with no known motor trouble
automatic transmission
good tires
reliable battery
mechanic once said, "the only thing that'll stop this car from running is a tree"
front wheel drive, good in the snow
no serious accidents, ever; clean title
"The Dude Abides" bumper sticker

The Bad

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clunking right front end, needs repair (prob tie rod) immediately
needs tune-up to bring gas mileage to where it should be
trunk leaks a little

The Ugly

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grandpa car -- see pictures below
some peeling paint
small dents in trunk lid and beat-up front driver's side fender (but all lights are intact and work, last I checked)
"The Dude Abides" bumper sticker

I'm looking to sell it for $100. I believe that after repairs it will still be a little less than what Edmunds would suggest is fair market value for the car. Obviously this is NOT a luxury car or something that will improve your social status in Buffalo. But if you need a set of four wheels, four seats, and an internal combustion engine to propel you around town, you're all set.

If interested, let me know ASAP by email.
NOTE: I am not interested in fixing the car to sell, I just want someone to take it as-is. I've got too much going on at work to spend the time fixing the car.

Here's a photo off the internet of another 92 Spirit, same color and styling, with representative wear-and-tear:


If you want to see the real thing, it's parked on upper North Pearl just north of Allen Street.

Here's a front-angle shot of a slightly cleaner 92 Spirit, same color and styling:

Interesting article in the Washington Post about some brain-imaging research. Don't know whether the study is any good, methodologically, but if there is a neurophysical similarity between gay men and straight women and between lesbian women and straight men, then... well, I don't know what exactly, but it's food for thought.

MRI and PET scan studies are showing remarkable similarities between the brains of gay men and straight women, and between those of lesbians and straight men. For example, the brains of straight men and of gay women share certain common features: both are slightly asymmetric, with the right hemisphere larger than the left, ... [while] the brains of gay men and straight women are both symmetrical.

Similar trends emerged when scientists tracked connectivity in the amygdala, the region of the brain involved in emotional learning and in activating the fight-or-flight response. They noted strong similarities between gay men and straight women, and lesbians and straight men.

rainbow brain image courtesy of stianrasmussen.com

...an ice-cold brewski out of a brown paper bag really takes the edge off of fighting for dryers at the laundromat.

Sorry I missed the party on Saturday, I was exhausted from a long week and an unexpectedly long Friday night, and was resting up for Sunday. I ended up blowing off a friend's going-away party too and I feel bad about both... Friday was totally weird, A and I went to the Hellenic Festival and lucked into free tickets to the M*A*S*H Bash on the walk home, so we drank free beers and ate free bad pizza and smoked cheap cigars with like 147,000 of our closest friends, some of who were barely clothed.

Sunday was great fun. Started the day with a bike ride up Elmwood to Cecelia's, where we sat in the sun on the patio sipping drinks and eating brunch. Nothing like mimosas, Bloody Marys, and bacon to start your Sunday!

We timed it perfectly, settling the check as the Pride parade came up the street. Checked out the parade (sorry no pics), cheered a lot (Go Bears! ha) and collected a few strings of beads.

Next we walked up Elmwood and checked out the newly relocated Shoefly. A got a fabulous pair of Fluevogs on sale and I picked up a pair of boots for $50. They're great and it was the only pair left, and by sheer chance they fit (despite being 1/2 size down for me). What luck!

We walked up to Bidwell, looked over the scene, and settled down at Caffe Aroma for beers in the sun/shade, partially under the awning. Got a little bit fried (though not near as much as (e:fellyconnelly,44611) !) and sipped Rolling Rock from little bottles kept ice-cold in a bucket of ice (just five bucks for five beers during the soccer game!). Amazing people-watching at the corner next to the big tent, wow it was just so much fun. Among the people we saw were (e:paul), (e:terry), (e:matthew), (e:fellyconnelly), and (e:lauren)... and we had seen (e:lauren) walking ralphie on Saturday but we were whizzing by on our bikes and didn't have time to stop and fawn over the cute little SOB. ;-)

I did take one picture because I couldn't resist... a woman was walking her little dog and it had a t-shirt featuring a gay-pride rainbow with, yep, a UNICORN superimposed on the rainbow. I think even dogs are watching Planet Unicorn now! (see (e:jim,40361) ) Sweet.

Little dog with hard-to-see gay unicorn t-shirt catching some rays outside Aroma on Sunday