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The first Movement Party jumps off tomorrow night (Friday) at 8 PM, and what a party it promises to be. Here's why you should be there:

1. We've got the best DJ's in Buffalo. If you like real hip-hop music, rooted in the best of the jazz-soul-funk tradition, then Cutler and LoPro are your people. They've proven they can get a crowd moving without sacrificing their creativity and originality.

2. You'll be joining the fight for social justice in our city. The proceeds go to the Partnership for the Public Good--a network of community-based groups working on issues like poverty and the urban environment--as well as Massachusetts Avenue Project, which teaches urban youth about the fruits of urban farming and the beauty of eating local. What better setting than Langston Hughes for a movement party. PPG affiliated groups include Ujima Theater, ReUse, the WNY Homeless Alliance, Buffalo First, PUSH, CEJ and MAP.

3. There will be crumpers and b-boys on the scene to lead the way.

4. There will be a puppet parade led by Buffalo's creative collective (Kyla Kegler, Pat Cain, Gabe Guttierez) at some point in the night.

5. Russell Pascatore, a leading light on the local poetry scene, will bless us with an ode to the absurdities of late-late capitalism. No better way to respond to the financial crisis than with a prayer by Russell.

6. We will DANCE and Flying Bison will flow.

"The Movement"
Friday, October 3rd, 8 PM
Langston Hughes Institute
25 High Street, near Main and High
$5 at the door
This is a 21+ event

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This app allows you to visually map the connections between rich, powerful & famous people (note the examples of Katherine Graham's funeral attendees and um... Ozzy vs Slayer


(making my contribution to the 25K posts goal.)

Moving & starting school created a big mess of technological problems and needs which I think I finally got all resolved today... (and now I'm going to avoid reading homework by telling you about these important things!)

I handed down my dear old Sony Vaio to A before I left home, knowing it wouldn't serve much purpose for me, but he'd get a lot of use out of it. I showed up here with a 2+ year old Toshiba Satellite that's been very serviceable, but was definitely too heavy to carry to class everyday (down apartment steps, short walk to Metro, down steps, metro ride, up steps, up more steps, crowded bus ride, class (sometimes up & down more steps), crowded bus ride, down steps, metro ride, walk, up apartment steps... my knees are really noticing that seven pounds.) So I got myself an Asus EEE PC 900 (Linux variant OS) - 2.2 pounds of sweet surfing & notetaking machine.



Here it is next to my 15.4" toshiba and a 17" monitor. Hat is there to show scale for non-techies. I also got myself a bottom-of-the-barrel refurb desktop with a big fat harddrive. The toshiba is now serving as only a work machine and school is based on the desktop with the EEE serving as an access point. So sweet!

The other major tech issue (besides electric, which has been resolved) was my Palm Centro... I bought it at the end of July, used "local number portability" to keep my Tioga County phone number (which means it's a local call from there to me for all my poor and long-distance averse friends). I had been using a nifty Palm Tungsten C for several years to manage contacts & datebook and was using CompanionLink for Google Calendar to synchronize the Palm with Google Calendar. This allowed friends, coworkers & family to keep track of me - a fairly difficult thing to do with my notorious lack of communication and inconsistent schedules. When I bought the Palm Centro, I didn't realize the essential CompanionLink software hadn't been updated for that version of Palm desktop... I was lost!

Companionlink released the GCal link yesterday and I finally got it all installed and configured today (several calls to Palm tech support later) and now folks in at least three states are able to figure out where I am. Yea!!! It really is a very cool piece of software to integrate all kinds of mobile apps with GCal.

Oh, the EEE needs decoration - could I score an estrip bumpersticker? It has a little Tirade-the-broccoli sticker from Looney Labs a game design & publishing firm created by my friends at Wunderland but could use more.

(Just so (e:tinypliny) doesn't go around thinking that I believe reproductive issues are unimportant...)

(e:Drew) suggested last night that I need to post more often. I haven't thought of a topic but then I realized I could just answer the question(s) most frequently asked when I meet someone.

1. How's the transition to Buffalo?

I think this might be obvious already, but I love Allentown. I'm very much enjoying Buffalo, all the cool stuff going on and the friendly people. Last night, I went to the ElmwoodJesus fundraiser at Cole's and hung out with (e:Janelle), (e:Vincent), & (e:Jason) while (e:Drew) served as happy hostess. We watched the presidential debate afterwards at the Obama campaign watching party at Cole's - very convenient!. (Thanks for the ride home, (e:Vincent)!)

Thursday night I went to Nietzsche's for a fundraiser for the WNY LGBT domestic violence committee that works with Haven House (domestic violence shelter).



I met some very cool folks there, including Reg and her partner Liz. Reg works for Haven House. I won some cool prizes in the raffle. Does anyone need a copy of Candyland? Kristen Becker hosted the event - she was very funny, definitely a professional, polished comedian. She hosts comedy night at Nietzsche's every Tuesday night. I want to go, but Tuesday's are in the middle of my work week so that might have to wait until break. Ava LaFey, burlesque goddess, did a fantastic sketch (? not sure of right word - it was extremely funny without a lot of skin) where she, as Sarah Palin danced for a lifesize cardboard cutout of John McCain to the Pet Shop Boys Opportunities ("I've got the brains, you've got the looks, let's make lots of money!") When she unbuttoned her conservative red suit jacket, her bra was stuffed with money. Too funny.

Last weekend, my friend A and my puppy Nisha visted. A and I went to see the Pointek/Michaud Jazz Trio (yeah, Nietzsche's again... I love live music.) and saw a Grateful Dead cover band Saturday night. A and I see our favorite local band pretty often in Tioga County but there's always a 30-60 minute drive involved. Live music 500' away? We're there.

Nisha got her hair cut at Pawprints by Penny... cutest poodle cut ever!!! Penny really listened to how I wanted her hair cut and did a fantastic job. The atmosphere there was very friendly. The dogs in doggie day care like to "help" ring up customers.




I'll also give a shout out to Patrick at East End Salon. The grad program I'm in had class pictures taken and I desperately needed a haircut quickly. He gave me a great cut and totally listened when I said I don't use product and the only "styling" I do is combing out my wet hair after a shower. This is a very difficult concept for most stylists to understand.

I would not have been able to find such a fantastic location and some immediate social contacts without all the advice and information I've found on (e:strip). Thank you so much for helping make this transition about as easy as it could possibly be.

(Update from (e:heidi,45556) : my apartment electric situation got resolved and my stuff is now well protected. Thanks, Tim!)

Great set of articles about what issues in housing & community development the next president needs to address:

Housing, transportation, urban policy... geeky geeky! I used to work for Moises Loza and Leslie Strauss, two of the authors, at the Housing Assistance Council in Washington, D.C. HAC is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving rural housing.