Paul's Journal

02/28/2009 22:27 #47912

The Boyscout and the Central Terminal
Category: central terminal

I just saw on Channel 4 news that some boy scout is cleaning up the old offices in the Central Terminal. In the article it says that the train company threw the papers on the floor. If I remember it right from childhood, the papers were in the desk and people going through the desks, in addition to weather, threw them on th floor. I mean some of the stuff used to still be in the desks when we went there as kids.

I really don't understand why individuals care about cleaning up the upstairs of the central terminal. I mean I am not a fan of the building to begin with, but upstairs seems extra unimportant. If any company is ever interested in the building they will have to do that work when remodeling. Its not like its going to be usable? Aren't there so many better things that can be done for a city, other than to clean up a weather wracked, asbestos filled crap hole.

I also don't get why they needed to wear space suits cleaning up other buildings with asbestos but the boyscouts get paper masks. I already wrote about this before (e:paul,31144) when they had the neighborhood kids cleaning it up unprotected a couple years back.

Boy Scout cleans up Central Terminal
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Boy Scout from Niagara County has returned to Buffalo to continue his Eagle Scout project.

Christopher Gurnett is cleaning up the fourth floor of the old Central Terminal.

Back in December, he coordinated the first stage of the cleanup with about 30 volunteers taking away mounds of old papers.

Christopher said, "I actually started December 6, and we got over 230 bags out, and today we came back for the second and hopefully the final day, and we removed just about as much as bags, from the last one."

Christopher says a past owner of the terminal took the railroad paperwork from desks and drawers, and dumped them on the floor, so that's what they've been clearing out.

Updated: Saturday, 28 Feb 2009, 7:42 PM EST
Published : Saturday, 28 Feb 2009, 6:21 PM EST

* Written by: Brian Tabor Posted by: Emily Lenihan

tinypliny - 03/15/09 18:10
What a waste of effort? I am sure it can be channelled into more useful pursuits.

metalpeter - 03/01/09 11:16
Ok I get that you don't like the central terminal. I myself like it but wouldn't go over into that Nieghboorhood by myself. In terms of can it be fixed and used by someone else or for more stuff Maybe not really sure. In terms of esbestos I'm no expert but my understanding is that when it just sits there it isn't dangerous. It is that when it is removed it flakes and goes into the air and does all kinds of damage. The people who wear the suites are removing it. The masks the kid wears is just for all the dirt and dust.

james - 02/28/09 23:00
Well, it will be that much easier when they demo the place.

02/28/2009 19:34 #47911

Spanish casettes

So I love this store called Tuesday morning or something over on
maple. They have a lot of discount random stuff but a lot of it is
pretty cool. The one thing I thought was overpriced was these Spanish
learning tapes for $14.99. Who buys cassettes still? I would have
thought the retail value of cassettes is about $0.10.

tinypliny - 03/15/09 18:11
Do these pimsleur tapes even work? I really want to learn Spanish. I think I started with Pimsleur and gave up because a) I am lazy and b) they were monotonous!

mike - 03/01/09 13:51
i love tuesday morning! and wow that is one overpriced cassette tape!

metalpeter - 03/01/09 11:28
But see Tapes aren't out of date. Yes they are older but most places where you go to buy a stero still sell them with casette playes. In fact there are some new players that have a Radio, CD, record player, and casette and some of the companies who make those make a high line model that you can record your records I think onto CD. Oh yeah bye the way Records are trying to make a comback. I will admit that tapes can become warped and have some problems with them but they aren't dead yet. With out being a media studdy person I think one of the problems with a CD is that it was designed to be listened to by one person. A CD is something I listen to or maybe with some of my buddies. But see a record was more about a bunch of people listening. I have heard CDs have better sound quality. But music purests say that isn't true that music has more depth on a record. I will admit I can't tell the differance myself but my hearing is somewhat damaged from loud music, concerts, yelling and Monster Trucks. On a side note there was something that never really caught on that a friend of mine had it was called A digital Audio Tape. I guess the way it worked was it was a tape but it was recorded digitaly like a cd so it was small and you could jump around like on a CD they used to sell them at Record Theatre across from Canisius. On another side note the best way to learn spanish is to find some spanish little hottie to teach it to you, HA. On a serious note learning spanish won't do anyone anygood unless you have someone to speak it with like daily. I don't think any tape will teach you conversational spanish.

gardenmama - 02/28/09 22:00
I agree - that's too much for cassetts - they're way too out of date. I bought a cool little pocket "Conversational Spanish for Dummies" book recently at Target for $.99. I believe there's also some free website for learning Spanish on-line.

james - 02/28/09 20:01
Those things are always such a racket. For a dictionary, a few cassetts of someone speaking in an outrageous accent, and some sort of instruction book you pay $50 retail.

02/28/2009 18:27 #47910

Drink holders in furniture

I'm sorry if this offends anyone but I think drink holders in
furniture is the tackiest thing I have ever seen, no matter what
material the rim is made out of.

metalpeter - 03/01/09 11:06
Well the way that one is made it looks wierd. But when it is done right they are pretty cool. What I mean is that in the center piece the holders are covered and you can't see them. The only way you know they are there is by flipping that cushion or what ever it is up. Some couchs also have that built in reclying stuff and those if made right are pretty cool to. Sometimes the cup things are on the ends instead of the middle. Sometimes when you buy sectionals they will come with that piece and you can either use it or not. All that being said that looks preety comfy. If you are serious about the cord I wonder if that is so that hot drinks can stay hot?

james - 03/01/09 00:05
oh dear god that offends me!

paul - 02/28/09 23:21
There really was something electronic, because there was a electricity cord coming out of that part. I thought maybe its an ice box?

james - 02/28/09 19:53
Under that center cushion is a microwave.

02/28/2009 11:10 #47906

Blocking the driveway

There are two cars parked in front of the driveway right now- both
don't even have people in them. The one guy that is double parked in
the actual driving lane is blocking traffic.

Oh great and since he came back, he us having a five minute cell phone
conversation, parked in a lane.

This is like six cars in a row. Why even bother with the sign.

james - 02/28/09 15:50
I know some people in the ticketing department and I know people with good relations to that districts police chief. Let me know what days and times this happens and I will forward the information.

gardenmama - 02/28/09 15:41
Maybe you could let Parking Enforcement know this is a chronic problem and at what basic times and see if they can send thier folks out for a few weekends in a row to hand out tickets. That might get peoples' attention. Of course, there's always throwing handfuls of nails in the street at the end of the driveway. You would have to clean them up before you could go anywhere but that's what a giant magnet is for.

drew - 02/28/09 15:12
These are my favorite posts. I feel bad for what you have to go through, but I love reading about it.

trisha - 02/28/09 14:29
these things suck, don't they? i want so badly not to be a crotchety neighbor, but my neighbors are forever doing things similar to this that just SUCK! therefore, despite so not being fence people, we're putting up a fence this spring. sucking begets sucking, mf'ers!

zobar - 02/28/09 14:29
The parents at St Joseph's Collegiate Institute of Kenmore/Town of Tonawanda are phenomenally inconsiderate as well [which is funny, because the students - hormonal high school boys - are much better behaved than the parents]. Usually what I do is walk out of my front door, go up to their car, compose the shot with my camera so it clearly shows license plate, car, and driver, take a couple pictures, and walk back inside. Only one person ever left.

One person actually pulled into my driveway and sat there. I came out and asked her what her deal was. She sympathized and prattled on about how she used to live across the street from Lindbergh Elementary and people used to do the same thing to her all the time. So I said great, can you leave? She seemed astonished that I wouldn't let her stay. Finally I told her I was going somewhere and needed to get my car out [I wasn't, I didn't, and I had no intention of pretending]. Then she asked if she could use the driveway after I left. I told her no. So she pulled out and blocked my neighbor's driveway instead.

A guy who lives down the street from me - even closer to the school entrance/exit - has a 2x4 that runs the width of his driveway with nails sticking out of it.

Maybe go outside and put the sign directly in front of their driver-side window and read it to them.

- Z

metalpeter - 02/28/09 13:05
to bad you don't know anyone in ticketing department. I wonder what would happen if you walked down there took a picture that showed both two plates then walked down to Tupper and walked into the police station and asked to speak to someone in the traffic divison if they would write those two car owners a ticket each. Here is the way I look at it. If you can use cameras to give tickets who run red lights or don't pay tolls why should this be any different? I do know that there are some things that people can be ticketed for but you need proof like a picture. For example a dog shits on the lawn or sidewalk and the person doesn't pick it up $50 fine. Not sure if you take a picture or video it how you prove who they are, well if you know who they are you can tell the cops. I'm not saying to do it but it might be a good idea. You did notice I said walk, how could you drive with the drive way blocked. Also if someone walks out of the house with a phone or camera they might not notice and someone who doesn't even live there could do it.

02/27/2009 18:53 #47904

The new sony imac
Category: computers

I loved sony products for years. From the pen like mp3 player I first got back in the late 90s to the mini vaios and phones, to the playstation 3. I would say I actually prefer the brand image of sony to that of apple. It was always sleek and futuristic looking. Sadly, the sony laptops I want are always just in the luxury class priceline or on dynamism

If you are a gadget freak - don't go to that site or you will go broke. I think I have written about it before.

Then today I got this mailing from sony with all their new stuff in its glossy black chicness. I am really loving the hardware that is the xperia x1 slider phone but I am not willing to go back to windows mobile. I want a flavor of unix phone. Then I flip to the inside and I see the imac. Or at least sony's ripoff knockoff of the imac

. I can't believe it. What happend to their design team. Not everything has to look like an apple product, sheesh.

I hope they keep their more unique style, like this sony vaio g series laptop.

imk2 - 02/27/09 19:26
you're just now seeing those sony imacs? they've been out on the market for quite a while. i've seen them at best buy for at least a year or so now, i swear. i too remember thinking to myself that that vaio sure looks a lot like an imac.