
Paul's Journal
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03/08/2011 23:12 #53790
mike beat in the mr big balls contestCategory: contests
03/08/2011 10:24 #53782
Rob, the BAC downtown scam artist salesguyCategory: gym
I don't know if every gym is like this but it seems each time I talked with Rob at the BAC downtown, it felt more like buying a used car from a shady salesman.
It all started when I was calling around to the various local gyms to find out the cost before visiting the locations. Every freakin gym could give me a price besides Rob at the BAC. He insisted I come in. I said its impossible that they have no idea what the prices are?! Really dude, give me a range at least. He still insisted he could not.
The thing is, it was the only downtown gym I could find open till 10PM (excluding the JCC) and I get out of work at 9PM on weekdays.
Last saturday I went to join by myself as (e:Terry) had it with the scamminess but I wanted to work out. I used my $250 flexfit card and then paid an additional $127. It seemed ok because I had the card. Otherwise, it would be a ripoff because the truth of it is, I will work out march ->may and then oct->feb with a huge summer gab in between.
At the signup Rob told me if (e:terry) wanted to join it would be $377. I said there is no way he will do it for $377 as he has no flexfit card and everywhere else wanted less. I said (e:terry) would do it for $300. We argued a bit and I agreed to bring (e:terry) in for $323.
So last night, several days and a million calls from Rob to (e:terry) later, we go in to sign up and work out. (e:terry) makes me go into the office with him to assure he gets the $323 that Rob said he could get. Then after all the paperwork and bullshitting, the contract is filled out and it is $377.
I say, "hey wait you said it was $323" and he now says, "that was without the $49 enrollment fee." How fucking convenient that this comes up as soon as he offers me a $50 break for recommending (e:terry).

It all started when I was calling around to the various local gyms to find out the cost before visiting the locations. Every freakin gym could give me a price besides Rob at the BAC. He insisted I come in. I said its impossible that they have no idea what the prices are?! Really dude, give me a range at least. He still insisted he could not.
The thing is, it was the only downtown gym I could find open till 10PM (excluding the JCC) and I get out of work at 9PM on weekdays.
Last saturday I went to join by myself as (e:Terry) had it with the scamminess but I wanted to work out. I used my $250 flexfit card and then paid an additional $127. It seemed ok because I had the card. Otherwise, it would be a ripoff because the truth of it is, I will work out march ->may and then oct->feb with a huge summer gab in between.
At the signup Rob told me if (e:terry) wanted to join it would be $377. I said there is no way he will do it for $377 as he has no flexfit card and everywhere else wanted less. I said (e:terry) would do it for $300. We argued a bit and I agreed to bring (e:terry) in for $323.
So last night, several days and a million calls from Rob to (e:terry) later, we go in to sign up and work out. (e:terry) makes me go into the office with him to assure he gets the $323 that Rob said he could get. Then after all the paperwork and bullshitting, the contract is filled out and it is $377.
I say, "hey wait you said it was $323" and he now says, "that was without the $49 enrollment fee." How fucking convenient that this comes up as soon as he offers me a $50 break for recommending (e:terry).

03/06/2011 20:40 #53776
ElkaliciousCategory: food
What happens when you want a cheeseburger but all you have is Munster cheese, brown rice and elk?
I cooked the elk in the broiler with a little bosari. Then I chopped it on brown rice and cut up some Munster and Cheddar to melt on top.
I paired it with asparagus, artichoke hearts, romainne lettuce and shredded carrot covered in olive oil and herbmare.
Then in the most cheeseburgerific way, I added some ketchup and mustard. It was organic, so maybe not too American.
For dessert, I had another one of those baby Thai coconuts but this time I mixed the coconut milk and flesh with hot vanilla pudding.

I cooked the elk in the broiler with a little bosari. Then I chopped it on brown rice and cut up some Munster and Cheddar to melt on top.
I paired it with asparagus, artichoke hearts, romainne lettuce and shredded carrot covered in olive oil and herbmare.
Then in the most cheeseburgerific way, I added some ketchup and mustard. It was organic, so maybe not too American.
For dessert, I had another one of those baby Thai coconuts but this time I mixed the coconut milk and flesh with hot vanilla pudding.

tinypliny - 03/07/11 18:18
It tastes so good, it could have been illegal? :)
It tastes so good, it could have been illegal? :)
paul - 03/07/11 16:14
Oops, I meant olive oil.
Oops, I meant olive oil.
paul - 03/07/11 09:17
Ya, its from that same store. Everything I have had from there is good.
Ya, its from that same store. Everything I have had from there is good.
jbeatty - 03/07/11 06:46
Yum, you are such a healthy eater. Did you get the elk from that Alaskan seafood store in Eden? I tried some salmon from there and was really amazed how delicious it was. I would never have expected a store like that outside of the city.
Yum, you are such a healthy eater. Did you get the elk from that Alaskan seafood store in Eden? I tried some salmon from there and was really amazed how delicious it was. I would never have expected a store like that outside of the city.
03/06/2011 18:13 #53775
The plow at the church of the ascensionThis morning, when the plow ripped up the grass that it not only tore up the other side of the grass by the sidewalk, it even hit and riped up the brownstone.
How can this damage be worth it?
When we approached the church worker about this she said, "How can we expect them to handle the plow issue when they don't even have a priest."
If you can't even get a priest,maybe it's time to give up being a church. It kills me that they get tax free status. Its such bullshit when its like 10% church, 90% business. They don't even hold mass in the church anymore.






How can this damage be worth it?
When we approached the church worker about this she said, "How can we expect them to handle the plow issue when they don't even have a priest."
If you can't even get a priest,maybe it's time to give up being a church. It kills me that they get tax free status. Its such bullshit when its like 10% church, 90% business. They don't even hold mass in the church anymore.






johnallen - 03/08/11 22:52
We indeed have mass every Sunday and Holy days in the church, and careful what you wish for, soon enough we will be boarded up and there will be no maintenance done to the property at all except by the City. I hope you will be happy then.
We indeed have mass every Sunday and Holy days in the church, and careful what you wish for, soon enough we will be boarded up and there will be no maintenance done to the property at all except by the City. I hope you will be happy then.
03/06/2011 17:54 #53774
shrimp and seafood chlorine tasteCategory: food
Its the first time I had pink gulf shrimp since oil spill. These ones looked yummy so I tried it. I got the idea from (e:hodown) who made springrolls a couple weeks back.
They did have a slightly weird taste but not a taste of oil it gasoline. Its like a chlorine taste that seafood has sometimes.
The taste often occurs in shrimp these days yet I remember were in Monterey eating a clam dish, at the viking lobster company in buffalo for My moms birthday one year, another time eating lobster in cape cod.
I looked all over the internet and people attribute it to three things.
The thing is shrimp/lobster doesn't always taste thus way nor do I remember it ever tasting this way years ago. I have yet to have the ones from Belize at Wegmans have that taste.



They did have a slightly weird taste but not a taste of oil it gasoline. Its like a chlorine taste that seafood has sometimes.
The taste often occurs in shrimp these days yet I remember were in Monterey eating a clam dish, at the viking lobster company in buffalo for My moms birthday one year, another time eating lobster in cape cod.
I looked all over the internet and people attribute it to three things.
- thawing in tap water too long the meat can absorb chlorine and get a bitter taste
- antibiotics in farmed sea food but these were wild caught
- chlorine used in the processing
- exposure to plastic in packaging
- iodine
The thing is shrimp/lobster doesn't always taste thus way nor do I remember it ever tasting this way years ago. I have yet to have the ones from Belize at Wegmans have that taste.



I would never, ever sign up at the BAC again. We ended up spending so much money and going like 10 times last year.
Honestly I think the thing to do is just sign up for the 3 months.... Now I have heard (again I bet each sales guy is different) that if you aren't happy at the end sometimes you can cut a deal for another 3 months.... Again I don't belong to a GYM and won't join one.... Yeah it would be great to be part of one but I don't have the time any ways.... My guess is that the sellers get a cut so that is why some of them will work with ya but not sure....................