Call me crazy!!!

But maybe THESE are a few reasons why my landlord finds that his $330,000 GEM of a multi dwelling is not selling so quickly.

“2 Homes on large lot! Classic Victorian character in the heart of the city with the feel of the country. Truly a unique opportunity for an home owner to become an instant investor with this two house property on a beautiful lot near Gates Circle. Great income producing property. Bevelled and stained glass windows with old world charm in the turn of the century carriage home. Two car garage atta ched to a handyman workshop, studio, or car buffs shop in the carriage house. Marvelous secluded yard with iron fences lining the drive. New roof.”

SLOWLY he sayeth. And oh, yeah…he needs MY help, maybe by cleaning the KITTY LITTER MORE OFTEN! Cause you know, when I leave to go out of town on THURSDAY and don’t change the box because I AM IN BALTIMORE or BOSTON or ROCHESTER for 3 days, guess what, it smells when they do yet another, open house on SUNDAY afternoon. Tough shit. No pun intended.

A house, also multi dwelling, just a few houses down my street is for sale by the same realtor. IT is only going for $195,000.

MAYBE THE KITTY LITTER AIN’T THE PROBLEM AFTER ALL!

In fact? MAYBE it is one of these things…

A few weeks ago, he reminded me that I should *really* scrub the shower out. Um, tell me how does one scrub THIS? THIS IS CALLED A BAD FIX UP MOLDING JOB GONE ROTTEN Mr. Landlord!

And this? This is called the fucking toilet that STILL DOES NOT FLUSH THAT YOU HAVE REFUSED TO FIX. Oh, yes, the handle works but does anything go down? Not unless you dump a bucket of water too! THAT IS JUST LIKE THE COUNTRY! Days on the farm, living with a well! And off and on the water runs and runs and runs unless you stick your little hand in to place the bulb on the bottom of the bowl.

And these are the bathroom lights. Along with one wall in Erin’s bedroom, these lights tend to just not work at their own whim. Not a fuse. Nope. Just random! And when we told landlord about it did he bring in an electrician? Hell no. Random! I mean OLD WORLD CHARM.

But then there are the track lights in my bedroom. The ones I turned on a few months ago and about an hour later smelled burning rubber and saw smoke in the room. Oh landlord? He came over and didn’t see anything wrong!!! And he turned on the lights for about 20 minutes and everything was FINE! Of course, when I TURN on the lights for about 10, I start smelling smoke. Call an electrician? Why bother? I just don’t use the lights at all. Nice, right? A danger perhaps? Cheap bastard.

Maaaaaaaybe the house isn’t selling so well because when people walk through it, on a weekend when I am away, and the thermostat is down, they feel breezes from outside when ever they open one of these closet doors! Gee, cat litter? OR WINDSTORM and realization that the house has that antique um, installation and must cost a fortune to heat! Good thing I leave the copy of the latest National Fuel bill on the refrig for all future owners to glance at.

I mean it couldn’t be because the marvelous backyard looks like this. Because landlord hired someone I think 2 times ALL YEAR to rake and pick up sticks. Ok, 3 times. I lie.
And when you enter our home…one is greeted by this in the back entrance. Broken stained tiles.

AND duct taped door handles because, the doorknobs fall off without it and lock us out!

But really? Besides the dryer door not latching. And the floor caving in where I actually have to prop things in my room on one side to make them stand straight. I think this is my favorite part. The kitchen floor is a dirty old stained linoleum. And YES it needs to be scrubbed. But trust me, on my hands and knees and with the overpowering medicinal scent of lemon filling the air…the floor still just looks bad. This is the side of our kitchen where previously we kept a 3 tiered stand. I threw the stand away this past week and never washed underneath it…and OH YEAH I FOUND OUR OLD FRIEND–THE EXPOSED ELECTRICAL SOCKET! I forgot all about thee!!! Suddenly when not hiding under the stand? It seems so raw, naked, vulnerable all alone on the floor instead of IN A WALL WITH THE REST OF ITS ELECTRICAL SOCKET FRIENDS!

But you are right Mr. Landlord. The 3 day old smell of the kitty litter in my house when I am away on the weekends is what is making the house not sell. That and my unscrubbing of the stained kitchen floor and shower.

Road Kill

I am at the end of February and at my 25th book read THIS YEAR. Of course, following with my personal 2006 Book Challenge has not been as promising (yet)

One of my *hipintheknow* co-workers recommended the ever entertaining Kinky Friedman for a quick, fun read.

If you’ve ever ridden with a large Jewish man wearing a red cape and matching deal man’s shoes and smiling at you like the devil himself in the back of a baby blue Rolls-Royce recently borrowed from an evil, murderous cousin who currently was riding a pogo stick in hell, you can be sure it is not a spiritually uplifting experience.

And thus began my initiation of Kinky-dom. Short, choppy chapters filled with cigars and whiskey. And a little sleuthing, and a lot of gabbing. A fun read though, I have to admit the man has a way with words.

This specific passage is kinda old news around the blogosphere, but I found this line…

I knew what song it was even before it began playing. It was written by Ned Sublett and was something that had come into Willie’s hands years ago. Ever since, he and I had sent versions back and forth and entertained the notice of recording the rather sick song. The title of the piece was “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.

And although I enjoyed writing like I mention below…

The cat, who, in former life was a charismatic Episcopalian, did not respond favorably to my rather facetious fundamental fervor. Instead, she merely continued to stare with a measure of cynical feline displeasure at Rambam, who was not responding particularly favorably to the situation either.

The rain continued to fall even as the dream-woven Indian blanket of childhood night fell upon the city. The level of the bottle of Jameson fell, too. Soon the Jameson was gone, but Rambam, the cat, and myself were still there, bonded mortally together by rain, ennui, and circumstance, like desperate, disparate characters who wander lost for a lifetime, then find each other at last in the middle of a forgotten French novel.

I thought his book just kinda, well ends. At the end, I wanted it to end. THAT kind of a pull. Which is odd, cause the first 2/3 is so entertaining. I am going to try another one and see if it is more of the same. I have in my possession *God Bless John Wayne*

Best of Buffalo

Because I *heart* the people who make Buffalo Spree possible I am going to share with everyone the *Best of WNY * poll

Although, even I, a self-proclamed New Buffalo Gal and a HUGE GRANNY advocate of our fantastic city, have to scrape to come up with some answers.

Go…be one with the people and speak your mind.

Vote?

The White House project is running an online vote…

“Two years before the battleground primaries, we offer you a chance to meet eight of today’s most intriguing Presidential possibilities and then cast your vote.”

Guess who I VOTED for?

Oooh and even BETTER look at THIS! NOMINATIONS ARE DUE TODAY.

Q: What do a Protestant minister from Iowa, a violin virtuoso from Tennessee, the owner of Chicago’s first woman-friendly sex shop, and a lawyer from D.C. have in common?

A: They’ve each been nominated to the REAL hot 100! In fact, over 150 women, from over 30 states, have been nominated to the REAL hot 100. These young women are smart, savvy, and actively trying to make the world a better place. They contradict the popular notion that sex appeal is all young women have to offer. Are you a younger woman who is REALLY hot? Do you know a younger woman who is REALLY hot? Submit a nomination today!

Taptaptaptaptap…

Back in High School, I was *routed* through the college track. Which meant I took a lot of Regents level science and math classes I never will think about again and neglected to take any basic typing course.

So I graduated with the gold rope around my neck and went off to college…and had to fend for my own with the keyboard. And fend I did. I was a Political Science major. Many papers. Many typed papers. Of course I never did the ASDF JKL; fingering. I didn’t know. So I did a little hunt and peck method that served me well.

Fast forward MANY years to the present. I cannot tell you how many people walk by me at work and stop and say *Wow, you type so fast! How many words a minute* Trust me. It only SOUNDS fast. Well, it is fast, but not accurate fast.

I do know where to put my fingers and they are pretty much in the right position. I don’t really have to look at my fingers all the time (anymore) but the typos are numerous. So I am fast and sloppy and a wee bit off kilter, just like life.

If I werwe to type an intuire paragraph without looking down at the jeyboard the sentecem, without bacjkspacing, would look like this. Good thing I am fast at changing arrors as well!

So much to say

So little time to do it! I have to do WORK at work! C’mon!

Words from my stars…

“Your dreams will never come true unless you believe in them and act on them, Jennifer. No one else is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother hiding in your closet, you need to take matters into your own hands. Realize, however, that you can get there many different ways. However, the first step always is to believe in yourself and the fact that anything is possible. Today is a great day to let your imagination call the shots.”

Call the SHOTS? I call Tequila. Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! Jen(nifer) needs a good night out on the town with her digital camera and friend Katie and cousins Brenda and Lori! Woo hoo!

Buffalo blogosphere

——————————————————————————–
Web loggers build a wired community

By STEPHEN T. WATSON
News Staff Reporter
2/27/2006

Eric Levinson wanted to open a vegan-friendly restaurant in Buffalo, but he didn’t know where to put it or how to publicize it.

His boss put Levinson in touch with the folks at the Buffalo Rising blog, who put an article on the Web site asking readers where Levinson should go.

“What I was looking for was feedback from the community. The people on there commenting are very involved in the community,” said Levinson, a Rochester native and University at Buffalo graduate.

Blogs such as Buffalo Rising, which is an outgrowth of a magazine founded by Newell Nussbaumer, have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, and their numbers are reaching a critical mass in Buffalo.

A blog – short for Web log – is an Internet site where people regularly post comments, links to other articles and pictures or video clips.

Though still in its infancy, the technology is building a social network and providing a new, freewheeling forum for political debate, bloggers said.

“Martin Luther was able to get the word out because of the invention of the printing press. Bloggers are able to get the word out because of this technology today. It’s the same thing,” said David Torke, 42, a student at Buffalo State College who hosts the Fix Buffalo blog.

Blogs combine the online diaries or personal home pages that became popular in the 1990s with the technology to make them more interactive, including feedback from visitors.

The Technorati Web site reported this month that it currently tracks 27.2 million Web logs, and this “blogosphere” doubles in size every 51/2 months. The site tracks about one new blog created every second.

A Gallup Poll from December, however, found that just 20 percent of Americans read blogs frequently or occasionally.

“It provides for a chance to enter into a new level of conversation,” said Alex Halavais, a UB assistant professor of communication and a blogger. “It gives you an opportunity to form and maintain communities.”

Buffalo ranked 63rd among American cities in blog density, according to research conducted by Halavais and graduate student Jia Lin in late 2003. Berkeley, Calif., ranked No. 1.

The Buffalo and Western New York Web ring, founded by Jennifer Smith, lists 41 locally based blogs, though that is an incomplete number.

They started blogging for a variety of reasons and tackle topics ranging from the war in Iraq to boosting a new business in Buffalo to an odd dream they had the night before.

One of the earliest bloggers was Smith, 32, the switchboard receptionist at a local nonprofit, who has hosted her All Things Jen(nifer) blog since late 2002.

One fellow blogger calls Smith the “grandmother” of Western New York bloggers, because she worked to set up a network of local bloggers who read and link to each other’s sites.

“I think it is here to stay,” Smith said. “Every other person I meet has a blog or seems to know someone who has a blog.”

THANK YOU! (and Last Call!)

To all who ordered Daffodils for the American Cancer Society Daffodil Days. Thank you so much!

All together we raised $300, which is actually significantly less than my lofty SPRING goal of $1000. Buffalo? Where are you? Tis not too late to place an order online if you forgot.

Each of us know somebody who has been affected by this disease…whether a friend or a family member. Please, please help make a difference and donate in remembrance of someone you love…and/or all the brave survivors still fighting the battle today. Thank you so much for supporting the American Cancer Society.

Buffalo blogosphere- News Article!

——————————————————————————–
Web loggers build a wired community

By STEPHEN T. WATSON
News Staff Reporter
2/27/2006

Eric Levinson wanted to open a vegan-friendly restaurant in Buffalo, but he didn’t know where to put it or how to publicize it.
His boss put Levinson in touch with the folks at the Buffalo Rising blog, who put an article on the Web site asking readers where Levinson should go.

“What I was looking for was feedback from the community. The people on there commenting are very involved in the community,” said Levinson, a Rochester native and University at Buffalo graduate.

Blogs such as Buffalo Rising, which is an outgrowth of a magazine founded by Newell Nussbaumer, have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, and their numbers are reaching a critical mass in Buffalo.

A blog – short for Web log – is an Internet site where people regularly post comments, links to other articles and pictures or video clips.

Though still in its infancy, the technology is building a social network and providing a new, freewheeling forum for political debate, bloggers said.

“Martin Luther was able to get the word out because of the invention of the printing press. Bloggers are able to get the word out because of this technology today. It’s the same thing,” said David Torke, 42, a student at Buffalo State College who hosts the Fix Buffalo blog.

Blogs combine the online diaries or personal home pages that became popular in the 1990s with the technology to make them more interactive, including feedback from visitors.

The Technorati Web site reported this month that it currently tracks 27.2 million Web logs, and this “blogosphere” doubles in size every 51/2 months. The site tracks about one new blog created every second.

A Gallup Poll from December, however, found that just 20 percent of Americans read blogs frequently or occasionally.

“It provides for a chance to enter into a new level of conversation,” said Alex Halavais, a UB assistant professor of communication and a blogger. “It gives you an opportunity to form and maintain communities.”

Buffalo ranked 63rd among American cities in blog density, according to research conducted by Halavais and graduate student Jia Lin in late 2003. Berkeley, Calif., ranked No. 1.

The Buffalo and Western New York Web ring, founded by Jennifer Smith, lists 41 locally based blogs, though that is an incomplete number.

They started blogging for a variety of reasons and tackle topics ranging from the war in Iraq to boosting a new business in Buffalo to an odd dream they had the night before.

One of the earliest bloggers was Smith, 32, the switchboard receptionist at a local nonprofit, who has hosted her All Things Jen(nifer) blog since late 2002.

One fellow blogger calls Smith the “grandmother” of Western New York bloggers, because she worked to set up a network of local bloggers who read and link to each other’s sites.

“I think it is here to stay,” Smith said. “Every other person I meet has a blog or seems to know someone who has a blog.”

Those bloggers include Smith’s housemate, Erin Nappe, whose site is Erin-Go-Blog.

“There’s a group of people who say, “I live here, I like it here, and I want other people to know why,’ ” said Nappe, 31, a substitute teacher and part-time college professor.

Some grew out of a sense of social activism.

Paul Visco started his Elmwood Strip blog in September 2003 after watching an employee at the Wilson Farms at Elmwood and Auburn avenues berate and threaten a homeless person.

Visco’s first post was a copy of a letter he wrote that urged the company to discipline the employee and called for a boycott until officials took action.

Tops, which owned Wilson Farms at the time, investigated the complaint and later fired the employee.

Elmwood Strip has grown into a site that allows nearly 300 registered users to document their lives – using words, photos and video clips – while connecting to and interacting with others on the blog, Visco said.

“I think it documents an important part of what it means to be a Buffalonian that previously was undocumented,” he said.

The Fix Buffalo blog is an effort to preserve the city’s architectural heritage, particularly overlooked and undervalued structures on the East Side.

Every month for the last two years, Torke has taken pictures of the Woodlawn Row Houses, located near Traditional High School. The photos on his blog illustrate what Torke contends is the deterioration by neglect of the city-owned houses.

“It’s a good communication tool for people who really love the city and are trying to make things better here,” said Alan Bedenko, the Clarence lawyer behind the BuffaloPundit blog.

The political debate on blogs can be raw and freewheeling.

Blogs and message boards are taking the place of the public square, or the office water cooler, where information spread in the past, said Kevin R. Hardwick, a Canisius College political scientist.

“Obviously, the politicians are looking at this stuff, and it can influence policy,” he said.

SpeakUp Western New York, for instance, is a magnet for anti-county government rhetoric. A petition started on SpeakUp collected 5,000 signatures opposing an Erie County sales tax increase for 2005.

The site, which started in April 2003 and is the passion of Anthony Fracasso, owner of Online Media, had 87,878 posts on 6,356 threads (a string of comments) on the message board as of last week, Fracasso said.

“Sunlight, someone mentioned, is the best cure. And that’s what SpeakUp is about,” he said.

As for Levinson, the prospective restaurateur, nearly 20 people responded to the Buffalo Rising posting, plugging spots on Hertel Avenue, the Elmwood strip and downtown.

Levinson found a spot he likes near Lafayette Square, after the leasing agent read the Web article and contacted him. He plans to open his restaurant, named Tammuz, by late May.

e-mail: swatson@buffnews.com

Top 10 Cities, eh? Try Mardi Gras BUFFALO STYLE!~

Um…MSN, you forgot BUFFALO!

Really, Raleigh-Durham is listed but BUFFALO isn’t? I lived in Raleigh-Durham for a year. Trust me, the city doesn’t hold a candle to Buffalo. Oh yeah and our bars are always open until, um 4 am thank you. Party anyone?

THIS is what a REAL city offers!
The 11th Annual Artvoice Mardi Gras is the biggest Fat Tuesday charity event anywhere and the third biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. Our parade boasts more than 40 floats, the 7k Big Fat Race and Big Fat Bike Ride, all wending a tipsy path from the Albright-Knox, along Elmwood, through Allentown and Chippewa and ending at Cozumel.