I Am The Decider

Well, it's the Super Friday after Super Tuesday, and my, what a Super Week it's been. Today is officially Super Duper Syracuse Day - 'cause guess what folks? We made national headlines! YES! Syracuse Democrats did the unthinkable, they gave the exact number of votes to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's true - each candidate received 6,001 votes (see the story). WOW. How weird is that?
Alas, at the polls I had to vote by affidavit because my name was not in the voter rolls. Of course I voted for my home girl Hills, so guess what? I am going to decide whose side Syracuse is on! HA HA. I am the decider!!! Muhahahahaha!
Take that Obamaniacs!

Syracuse Eats: Stella's Diner

There are a few notable diners in Syracuse. It is my personal opinion that Stella's is one of the top three. One of the greatest things about diners is that although they have a certain homogeneous quality, they are also very different. Burgers, fries, fish sandwiches, eggs and toast, steaks...those are always going to be on the menu. But the kind of service varies, and I feel that Stella's is a cut above the rest. For starters the diner has a great combination of new and old, like their wickedly technologically advanced hand-held and screentouch ordering systems. Which is kind of amazing for a DINER in SYRACUSE. Then they have great old school touches like a nice counter that you sidle up to. And of course, their servings are kinda gigantic.
It's also a great place to visit after a weekend trip to the Farmer's Market.

Stella's Diner - "Eat It, You'll Like It"



110 Wolf St.
Syracuse N.Y.

Hours:
Monday & Tuesday 5am-2:30pm
Wednesday thru Sunday 5am-9pm

(315) 425-0353

One Of Us Voted For This Winner!

Joanie,
I don't know what you stand for. I don't know what you really believe. I hardly even know if you're qualified for the job. Who cares?! You're hot.

We crossed party lines for your hotness. Well, I crossed party lines in my heart, if not my vote (it was raining!).

Thanks for being!

Your biggest fans,
Syracuse Scholar & Girlfriend (The One Who Voted)

P.S. Don't suck!!

#3 Google Search for "Syracuse Sucks"

An alluring title for a blog post, no? I'm not much of a vanity googler, but from time to time I run a little analytics on this blog to see what's going on. If you really must know, I have a very high bounce rate - meaning, many people come to this blog, realize they do NOT like it, and hightail it outta here with a wee bit o' smoke nippin' at their heels.

This confused me until I realized that the Post-Standard and this blog have very similar names - "Blog Syracuse" and "Blog.Syracuse.Com". All purely unintentional, of course, as there are only so many variations on "Blog" and "Syracuse" (two at my last count).

Anyhow. Imagine my glee when I saw that one of the biggest google terms that people input to get here is "syracuse sucks". Wow. Seriously. Wow.

To think the many millions of times* those two words have been put together, passionately typed out in mayhaps frustration, despair, and perhaps, just perhaps, even anger. Yet somehow, my wee blog is now top of the heap. In moments such as this, one's soul cannot but quiver with humility.

For a blog that's pro-Syracuse, it's rather amazing I am the highest ranked non-sports related Syracuse Sucking link on The Whole Dang INTERNET.

WOOOO!!!! Yeah me! It's my birthday, I'm gonna party like it's my birthday....

So, thank you dear readers for voting me #1 (Non Sports Related) Suckiest Syracuse Website**.

And for those who got here looking for the Post-Standard - click HERE, and sorry for the inconvenience.

[*"millions" used purely for effect. an algorithmically determined, non-binding, do-no-evil google search reveals 2,170 instances of "syracuse sucks". an amazingly low incidence of 1 suck for every 67.8 residents (out of a population of 147,306 per 2000 census data). however, when compared to our closest neighbor to the south, NYC, a startling statistic emerges. a google hit of 4,640 incidences of "new york city sucks" for the approx. 8,008,828 people resulting in only 1 suck for every 1,726 residents. proving uncategorically that syracuse sucks 25 times more than NYC (figures derived by dividing 1,276 by 67.8]
[**In a non-voting, dynamic, algorithmically determined, non-binding, do-no-evil google search dated 10/27/07]

Best Apple Picking: Beak & Skiff

Fall in Central New York is a pretty fun time. The chance to look spanky in your fall wardrobe and the beauty of fall foliage makes living here kinda, sorta, maybe not so gosh darn awful. And one of the best things to do is go apple picking. Sure, there are apples, new & fresh looking, at local grocery stores. BUT, it tastes better straight from the orchard. Trust me on this.

So the best apples come from Beak & Skiff. Although I am usually one to support the smaller, less known places, I am going have to go against my usual support-the-little-guy routine and give Beak & Skiff my vote.
They are the biggest. And they are the best. I love a crowded orchard teeming with families of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A surprising number of people of color, actually, not the White Family Reunion that these places tend to attract.

I've been twice this year and will probably be coming back again this weekend.

My food suggestions:
1. Apple Cider
So fresh! no cider tastes this good, ever!
2. Empire Apples
OMG! The best, the rest are crap. Sorry Macintosh, sorry Granny Smith, sorry Cortland, sorry LOOZAHS. Empires kick yo ass!!!
3. Apple bread
My girlfriend is addicted. She cries and shakes when we run out. I'm looking into a rehab for her.
4. Apple dumplings
Ooooh. With vanilla ice cream. Again, not my thing - but my girlfriend swears by it. Buy one and eat it on the spot. It's incredible.

Website & Directions:
http://www.beakandskiff.com/

Take Rt.81 to Lafayette, NY. Go west on Rt 20 for six miles, then follow the signs to Beak & Skiff.

Should I Vote For The Hottest Candidate?

Over dinner tonight at our restaurant, my girlfriend and I came to a shocking conclusion. We are going to vote Republican for the first time in our danged lives! For no other reason than Joanie Mahoney is H-O-T! Sure, by politician standards the bar isn't that high - still she's quite fetching by regular standards too. And as any lesbian can tell you - it's hard, or in our case, impossible, to resist a woman who knows how to wear a suit!

But what is her stand on anything? And do I even know who the democrat is in this race? His name is Magnarelli - but other than that, no clue. All I know is that Pirro's on his way out (thank goodness), so this is our chance, Onondaga! I voted for Driscoll- and frankly, I regret it. He sucks. I don't even know what he does except preside over the Titanic that is Syracuse's economy.

For the mayoral race, I was close to voting for her. She's smart and young. I feel that's pretty important for this area and the crisis we're in. Just the thought of Bill Magnarelli, although I enjoy what he says, but objectively - sorry middle aged white male, I'm not feeling it for you.

So, is it bad for these two dykes to vote for Joanie cause she's hot? Does this make us shallow? Like, really, really shallow?! Is this bad? Are we bad people?

Oh and I have NO freakin' idea what her positions are. Like literally, have you seen her website? She apparently likes freedom, families, and apple pie. But other than that...nada.

But you know what? She's got youth, energy, and gumption. And I freakin' LOVE gumption!

Best Corn in Syracuse : Delaney's (Marcellus)

It's unfortunate that I get so busy during the summer that I only get around to talking about things until long after they're over. Sorry, dudes. I kinda suck that way.

Anyway.

Now that it's mid-September, let me tell you about the best corn in all of Central New York. A secret corn place that only locals know about. What's the difference between one country farm stand from another? Why would corn from Delaney's be better than say, corn found at McCluskey's on Route 20?

Well, I don't know the answer to those questions. I just know that Delaney's has the sweetest, most crunchy, yummy corn in town. The particular type is called "Butter & Sugar", white and yellow and it is always amazing!

Directions:
One of the reasons why I don't ever write about some of the places I love is because I have no good way of explaining how to get there. When I'm there, I don't write down the address. I just know to take a left at that turn, go over that hill, and it's the second barn on the right. Not helpful is it?

However, I shall endeavour to give readers directions to the best corn in town. To start with, get in your car and make like you're driving to Onondaga Community College from downtown Syracuse. Usually one does this by getting onto Route 173, which is also known as West Seneca Turnpike. This is the road that Gannon's Ice Cream and the Syracuse Zen Center are on..and if you keep on going down this road you will eventually get to Onondaga Community College. To get to Delaney's you will need to go past OCC on your right, past "The Hollow" (ice cream place) on your right. When you get to Kasson Road, take a right. It will the series of buildings on your left. It really is mostly a farmstand, so a lot of the time no one is there. It's an honor system and you pay for what you take.

AGAIN:
Delaney's is located at the corner of Route 173 / West Seneca Turnpike and Kasson Road.

For more info on other farm stands:
http://www.nyfb.org/farmstands.htm

CORRECTION: i've edited this post to reflect that the actual location is west seneca turnpike, not onondaga blvd. oops.

Quickly

Trying to overcome the overwhelming negativity of the last post. Will put something up a little more uplifting soon. Perhaps I will put myself in a positive environment such as the Sugar Pearl and avail myself of its free Wi-Fi and churn out some reports on the State Fair and that Oneida Springs adventure I've been hinting at.

Syracuse Whiplash

Allow me to set the scene.

SCENE
On the streets of Downtown Syracuse at the corner of Salina and Jefferson, heading East. It's 9:00AM on a Monday morning.

A WOMAN leans over the sidewalk and loudly expectorates. She looks up and says to assembled friends-
WOMAN: "Hey, did you see that phlegm?!?! Look at that!!"
ME: GUH-ROSS!!!!

--------------

Ahhh, another glorious day in Syracuse. We've had a great run of summer weather, regularly in the 80's and 90's. But in the past few days the thermometer has dipped lower and lower, today's high being a chilly 59 degrees. Pretty cold for August, methinks. Along with the overcast sky and cooling temperatures, I am greeted by this wonderful sight on my way to work.

Like many a smart worker (read: someone who has been laid-off before and has vowed to never get caught flat footed again), I like to keep abreast of any job openings in my field in the region. The jobs search engine that I use for this is Indeed.com, which emails me job listings for the CNY region and some other areas in the country.

So after seeing this morning's awesome display of public hygiene, I look over my 10 emails from Indeed, listing all the jobs in my specific field for locations in Boston, Syracuse, and Southern California. My Gmail account has over 2000 unread emails due to Indeed, mainly because I got so depressed seeing the gazillions of jobs in other areas and maybe 3 jobs available in Syracuse. It gets pretty upsetting after awhile.

Thus today's Indeed job bulletin really hit it in the head for me.
A sampling of Boston's job hits:

RI / Scientist - Medicinal Chemistry
Millennium Pharmaceuticals - Cambridge, MA
candidate in this position will include independent design, troubleshooting and optimization of synthetic... 3+ years of relevant industrial experience. An in...
From Monster - August 19, 1:16 PM

Associate Director/Director Pre-Clinical Toxicologist
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals - Cambridge, MA
093 programs. Specific responsibilities include: Design pre-clinical development strategies and studies to... post-doctoral training and industrial experience in...
From Monster - August 19, 1:16 PM

Post Doctorate
PerkinElmer - Waltham, MA
to design manufacturing processes and QC protocols for new products. Requirements The ideal candidate will have >3 years work experience in an industrial or...
From bostonjobs.com - August 19, 4:43 AM

Scientist/Sr. Scientist
PerkinElmer - Waltham, MA
or pharmaceutical industries. Strong knowledge of design of experiments, hands-on experience with MALDI-MS... candidates work experience in an industrial setting.
From bostonjobs.com - August 19, 4:43 AM

Senior Designer
REEBOK INT'L - Canton, MA
training category. Reqmts: Bach Deg (or equiv) in Industrial Design, Design or a related field 5 yrs exp as Industrial Dsgnr incl 4 yrs exp in Footwear specific...
From Monster - August 19, 5:31 AM

ENGR SR, INDUSTRIALIZATION
Rockwell Automation - Chelmsford, MA
evaluate new product design for manufacturability... with design engineers to insure design for manufacturability concepts are incorporated into designs as...
From MassachusettsJobNetwork.com - August 19, 12:33 PM

And this is the lone hit I got for Syracuse:

ASSISTANT MANAGER
Rent A Center - Syracuse, NY
Obtain new rental orders via the phone and on the sales floor Distribute print materials and telemarketing to create new business Assist Customer Account...
From ConnecticutJobNetwork.com - August 19, 12:15 AM

WOW!!! Stop the FREAKIN' presses!!! There's a Rent-A-Center needing my expertise!
Keep in mind, I use the same key words for all areas - "print", "design", and "industrial design". 'Tis sad, no?

Sometimes a piece of coal is just a piece of coal.

Syracuse Eats: Tan The Ky AKA "New Century"

When I started this blog I was planning on it becoming a guide to all good things Syracuse has to offer. I wanted to support a place by posting about it, so that I could help drive business there.

Yet.

I have been planning on posting about my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE RESTAURANT for about a year. Perhaps I have delayed because this great Vietnamese restaurant is my secret, my second kitchen if you will. When I'm not in the mood to cook, this is where my girlfriend and I can usually be found.

Having gone there a zillion times, my girlfriend and kept trying to figure out why the waitstaff don't really ever act like they know us. We're pretty used to having people ask us how we are and all that stuff, but here, even after making at the very least, regular weekly visits for 4 months, nada. The barest whiff of acknowledgement.

And then we realized, it's the local diner. People show up, choose their usual (for us it's always Pho), eat, and leave. It's not a fancy place, but it is authentic (or as authentic as you can get for this area). Dishes aren't dumbed down to suit American tastes - they have *flavor*. Not as much flavor as a dish you would find in Ho Chi Minh City of course, but Syracuse isn't exactly located in Southeast Asia now is it?

The decor, service, and food are on par with that of a diner. It exemplifies the credo of a diner too : predictable food at a low price. Which is to say, for me, being an insane foodie and needing lots of freshness and flavor in anything I eat, a great relief.

And then there are days when it resembles not a diner but an honest to goodness restaurant - usually these are days when I don't want a bowl of Pho slapped down in front of me. Then the over 100 item menu will reveal to you many other great Vietnamese dishes too. It's also a great place to meet friends and take people out to dinner. There's enough pizzazz in the "exoticism" of the dishes to make it presentable to friends and acquaintances, to get a bit fancy without the hit to the wallet.

Prices:
Two bowls of Pho-12 bucks, 15 with tip.
Dinner for 5 - 60 bucks last time I checked.

Not bad eh?

Located on the corner of Kirkpatrick and Carbon, an area of the North Side that is chock-a-block with many, many Vietnamese people, this is THE place to go if you want Vietnamese food. It also follows a major rule of thumb for any "ethnic" food establishment - if the locals (the people who are local to the region from which the food comes) are going, then you're good to go. If it's filled with a bunch of foreigners - good luck and god bless, 'cause you want be finding me anywhere near such an establishment.

Eating Tips:

• If you eat meat - I recommend a bowl of "Pho Tai" (noodle soup with only beef, they have about 10 options, choose beef only if you 're new to the experience). "Tai" means raw in Vientamese, so the beef here is thinly sliced raw and is cooked by the heat of the soup broth. Pile it high with the herbs they bring to the table, and remember to flavor the heck out of it. Add hoisin, chili sauce, squeeze that lime, dump in the bean sprouts, put all the basil in. Slurp and enjoy!

• If you're a vegetarian - Vietnamese food has some of the best selection of vegetarian dishes, it's very common for people to just not eat meat (either due to poverty or Buddhist reasons). There's a vegetarian section in the menu, and it's tasty.

• Order the Vietnamese Coffee (espresso strength coffee and sweetened condensed milk) - it's the only way to go.
  

It's a great place to go if you're sick and tired of Syracuse and really wish you were somewhere else, a cooler town, a more multicultural/diverse city; in essence Ithaca. The food here also works miracles when it's snowing/blowing/killing outside and you need a nice picker upper of HOT soup and STRONG coffee.

So this is my little secret. And now I have told you. But don't all rush there at once, because the prices might go up and I really don't want that. However, I must be true to the mission of this blog and tell you all about another wonderfully original, hidden gem.

"New Century Vietnamese Restaurant"
Nha Hanh Tan Thy Ky
518 Kirkpatrick Street, Syracuse, NY 13208
315.410.9999
Sunday - Thursday 10:30AM - 9:00PM
Friday & Saturday 10:30AM - 11:00PM
Map & Directions

Syracuseans Are Great Queers

If you were to ask me what a typical Syracusean is like, what their personality traits are, what really drives them, I'd say...their queerness. Syracuseans fully and unapologetically embrace their own, and others', eccentricities. More than anywhere else, Syracuse "locals" are extremely tolerant of their neighbors' esotericisms, idiosyncracies, and general nuttiness. In a word, Central New Yorkers are Queers, in the classical sense of that word.

I started thinking about this yesterday while driving back from Orenda Springs, a 130 acre adventure fun park. Owner and founder John Powers probably wouldn't call it a fun park, it's an "experential learning center," but for this grownup, racing around hilly trails in forested seclusion, climbing in and out of tunnels, swinging from ropes, crawling on the ground...well that's a lot of adventure for this Cube jockey. This is no corporate marketed, branded and forced-fed sense of adventure, it was the real thing (dirt covered clothes and scraped up knees prove this point). I'll write more about my experience at Orenda Springs in a later post, but right now I want to talk about how a place like this, a special, unusual, sweet, kindhearted, wholehearted place comes into being. From what I gather, John, who says he's been here for 30 years, had always wanted to create a place like this. And then he did. I don't know how long it's been in the planning or the making, but it's here and it's awesome.

Here a person with a dream (and a lot of gumption) found funding and created a wonderful place out of whole cloth, in the classic sense of that phrase. Despite appearances to the contrary, this post is not some claptrap about Syracuse symbolizing the American dream, although some aspects of that trope does apply. What I'm really talking about here, what I do very much love about Syracuse, and Central New Yorkers in general, a thing which I can never quite explain to my family and friends who don't understand, is that the people are insane and proud of it. If they weren't completely nutters they wouldn't still be here. As everyone knows, the poor economic conditions compete aggressively with the shit weather for dominance in the "Drive 'Em Out N' Keep 'Em Away" population contest. Any sane human would've been outta here by now.

And it is this very same insanity that makes Syracuseans the most lovable folks you ever met.

At first glance, it's easy to see only the strip malls, non-ironic NASCAR trucker caps, the occasional gun rack in the non-occasional broken down rusty truck, and the eager Wal-Mart shoppers. But if you put forth any effort to get to know the people here, well it's a lot less easy to stereotype. That NASCAR lover is most likely to invite you over to a family barbecue or Thanksgiving Dinner. And they'll invite you for the next year, and the next. That NRA loving, Bush/Cheney voting hunter will more than likely be the one to fight for the chance to change your flat tire (yes, I've had this experience and yes, it was more than a bit queer).

And it is this same queerness of character that drives the spirit of entrepreneurship in this town. These people are not Captains of Industry, nor do they want to be. More likely, they are the Stewards Of That Weed Growing In The Sidewalk.Thinking about Roji Tea Lounge, Sugar Pearl, and Orenda Springs (three disparate places whose commonality lies in risk loving founders possessing dangerous, life altering levels of originality), I was struck by this common spirit of endurance and plain stubbornness. Despite well documented financial and cultural problems, I am always awestruck when I see a new business pop up, someone with a great idea and a willingness to try. Frankly, I know of a lot more busted up businesses than thriving companies. Yet, like dandelion farmers in an asphalt sea, people like Phyllis and Nancy and John and Olga and Tommomi and Christian are pouring their hearts and their lives into making Syracuse more than I ever thought it could be.

And to that, I say, thank you my queer soulmates, thank you.

Sugar Pearl Espresso Bar & Lounge

Run, do not walk, to the Sugar Pearl!

To start things off - to call it a cafe or coffee shop is a misnomer. This place is not a simple cafe - it is very much truly an Espresso BAR and completely a LOUNGE.
An espresso bar lives and dies by the quality of its coffee - and at the SP, the coffee is very, very good. The beans are from Ithaca based "Gimme Coffee" (which is also another great coffee shop). Strong and flavorful, this is way better than Westcott's "Recess" (don't get me started on their crap coffee and crappier service) and a step above Freedom of Espresso. My soy latte was very foamy, which is hard to do with soy. As my girlfriend will tell you - in Syracuse there appears to be only two types of coffee shops. Good atmosphere, shit coffee (see "Recess") or good coffee and shit atmosphere (see the now defunct "Happy Endings"). Happily, I can tell you that the Sugar Pearl exceeds expectations on both counts.
Since the closure of "Happy Endings" years ago, I've often yearned for a lounge-y type hangout place in Syracuse. Sure, you've got your pubs and bars - but for god's sake, does this town even have any culture that does not revolve around booze? With the opening of the Sugar Pearl, Syracuse finally has a cool hangout.
For starters, this is a lounge. Thus, there are lounge areas aplenty. Lounge at one of the glass topped tables, on the mod couch, or even against the pool table while you're getting your game on. A place that sells coffee and pool is just so sexy. Reminds me a little of "The Planet" on the L Word. It's hard to strike a balance between cool and inviting, but I think SP has found it.

There are lots of little details that make this place worth visiting more than once. To start with, the coffee tastes great. The bar is a stainless steel beauty that you can pull up to and chat up the barista. The drinks are awesome - there's more than just coffee and tea here. There's great experimental drinks (fresh ground ginger and pomegranate juice anyone?) and cool sodas (Boylans, etc) that's pretty unusual for Syracuse. And by unusual, I mean, totally not shitty.

Service is excellent, cups are beyond cool (double insulated glass, not old school coffee cups and handles), served on a glass plate. It's all in the details.

Being the design nut that I am, I was especially enamored by these beautiful standing fans. Another great touch. Overall, a classy experience in every way.

And by classy, I mean cool. Where else can you get an excellent cup of joe , served beautifully, and pull up to a cozy copy of "Suicide Girls"?600 Burnet Ave | Syracuse, NY 13203 | Hours: Monday-Saturday 7AM-11PM , Sunday 8AM-9PM
http://www.sugarpearl.org
Corner of Burnet and N. Crouse. Easily accessible from University Hospital and/or SU Hill.

Non-Affilication DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated (personally or financially) with the owners of this establishment, SU, or University Hospital. I'm just a resident looking for a good time.

ReInventCNY.com - Part Deux

I received an email from the folks @ ReInventCNY last week heralding the start of another new program, "Bioprocess Engineering" - which sounds REALLY cool!

This is five advanced courses in Biochemisty at SUNY ESF leading to a certificate in Biopresses. What is Bioprocess Engineering you ask? Try this definition on for size:

...a type of advanced manufacturing that involves chemical, physical, and biological processes employed by living organisms or their cellular components.
.....
Bioprocessing offers a level of specificity, predictability, and productivity that otherwise would not exist in the manufacture of these products. Moreover, when the raw materials contain certain molecules with complex structures, bioprocesses enable the synthesis of products that cannot be made by any other means. Combined, these capabilities provide for new process designs that are cost effective, energy efficient, product specific, and environmentally benign."

Ba-da-bing! "Environmentally benign". So all you science geeks out there - get on this. The program costs $4,800 in total, has classes after 5PM, and there are a total of 5 classes spread over one year @ Suny ESF. It's, obviously, very science heavy and an undergad in science or a knowledge of calculus is really a must. I suppose you could enroll without those pre-requisites if you had enough gumption and passion. Alas, the catch for me is the five thousand dollar price tag.

Oh well. The good news is after I emailed them a question about the program - I have received 5 emails back from my one innocent inquiry! One from the chair of the program, and four from the people in charge of it - all exhorting me to give it a whirl and apply. Although there is a June deadline for the applications, I believe they are still accepting it.

It's a good feeling, sometimes, to know that people are trying to lift up this sad town. You can't fault some folks for a lack of trying, that's for sure.

Two thumbs up to the folks @ SUNY ESF!

Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival July 2007

On my lunch break realized that downtown Syracuse had been transformed into an arts heaven! Happy was I...thinking about how I was going to blog positively about the amount of people, beautiful weather, interesting sights and sounds, snapping pictures...until...

I saw the most preposterous art ever. Sequined paintins. Oil paintings bedecked with the most glamorous of multi-colored SEQUINS! SEQUINS!!! And more SEQUINS!!

I HAD to take a snap.

While trying to decide between a video or a pic, the "artist" - mouth full of fried dough - informed me that photos of the artwork was not allowed.

Ugh.

Aging yuppie wanting to protect his proprietary genius of SEQUINED art - puffed and yammering with a mouth full of fried dough. FRIED DOUGH for GOD's SAKE!!!

How very Syracuse.

And to think, I almost died with exictement when I saw the 25 foot tall Soft Serve Temple.

I HEART The Nancellor

The Nancellor is the front page story in today's Post-Standard.

First of all - she's got balls the size of Texas. Though everyone pretty much doubted her ability to promote her "Scholarship In Action" initiative, she's come through more than once. She's tried to shake up the status quo in this freakin' town and I really love her for it.

For such a downtrodden city - it needs a leader from the outside with a clear, new, optimistic vision. She has the clout and the brains to bring real change to this town.

Thank God for Nancy.

Oh and yes - I once did say to her - "You have balls". She seemed a little surprised. Hey, I'm irreverent like that.

ReinventCNY.com

What: Private-Public sector collaboration to educate CNY workforce in new technologies
When: Depends
How: Failed?

Details:

The other day I ran across this website and became immediately intrigued. A collaborative effort between the growth industries of Central New York, premier educational institutions, and the workforce?! What a great idea!

And this being Syracuse - no one's ever heard of it. Unpublicized and underfunded (if there's funding at all). The biofuel processing plant in Fulton and the wind tunnels in Watertown shows that not only is there is interest and intent, but money is being put down to bring these ideas to fruition. Tying workforce education into one of the hottest industries in the world right now, renewable/sustainable energy, seems like a stroke of genius.

Except.

It's a good program, there's a great website, but apparently no takers. I called them to inquire about the Advanced Engineering Tools Certificate thinking that I had missed the 2006 deadline for admission. Turns out I was wrong - there have been NO classes due to lack of interest/participation.

WTF Syracuse?!?!

Sigh.

I put my name on a mailing list for 2007. I don't think I'm going to even BE in Syracuse in 2007 - but whatever. Hope Spring Eternal.

From the website:

Central and Upstate NY businesses and accredited academic institutions have collaboratively developed Certificate Programs in current and emerging technology fields to build mastery in the fundamental knowledge and skills required for success in these business opportunities.

Curricula for each certificate blend the latest research, knowledge resources and technologies with today’s best professional practices to provide participants with an integrated learning experience.
- Advanced Engineering Tools (More)
- Bioprocess Engineering (More)
- Indoor Environmental Quality (More)
- Strategies Series in Sustainable Design: (Overview)
Strategies for the Use of Sustainable and Renewable Energy - SURE (More)
Best Practices in Environmental and Green Building Strategies and Techniques - BEST (More)

Designed so they can be completed in one year or less, each certificate program’s schedule accommodates the working professional. Through the course of study participants will have access and will learn how to most effectively apply technology. Professional practices necessary to be effective in the field of study are taught throughout the program in a practical business setting. Academic Advisors provide guidance and continuity for those enrolled in the program.

Programs are designed with the needs of business and professional development in mind. Advanced Engineering Tools, Bioprocess Engineering and Indoor Environmental Quality require a bachelor’s degree and course work is at a graduate level offered through accredited academic institutions. The Strategies Series in Sustainable Design is offered to individuals interested in developing their professional skills. There are no degree requirements for participation in the Strategies Series.

Depending upon professional requirements, all certificate programs may qualify for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and/or Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for professional engineers and architects interested in those credits..

Battle of The Wiener Slinger: Whose Wiener's On Top?!

In order to read this post, you must first bow down to my unrelenting Ego. For I am a true hot dog connoisseur. I've eaten hot dogs in almost every place I've ever visited - and if there weren't hot dogs, I would eat the local variant. Of course I've eaten Grey's Papaya, but the best hot dog I've had was in Germany....but that's another story.

Anyhow. I am here today to tell you about the wonderous Hot Dog Scene of Syracuse, NY. You might not think there's a scene - but it's a big one, and you need to know all about it.

Today is.....

Battle HOT DOG!!!

Have you ever taken a long road trip through some American backwater and come across a little bit of kitschy Americana that just made you happy to be alive?

No? Well, don't read the rest of this post then.

Heid's Hot Dogs of Liverpool is one such kitschy place. And since you're stuck in this town, you can go back again and again. The hot dogs are good - you can get normal or coneys (white/veal). I usually get the special which is a drink, 2 hot dogs, and fries for $6.35.

The Special

It kinda makes you feel good just to sit down and stuff a hot dog down your gullet - healthy eating be damned!

For me, the only point to eating a hot dog is the garnish. One absolutely must be able to get ketchup, mustard, ONIONS!, and sauerkraut. At Heid's they also offer a special chili/red pepper relish that's hardly spicy and spicy mustard in addition to the usual boring yellow mustard variety.

There is also another good hot dog place in Syracuse called Hofmann's Hot Haus which is newer but also serves a lot of hot dogs. Both places have separate condiment stations and both can get pretty busy. The Hot Haus has okay hot dogs but there's just something missing in the flavor. It has two locations and a website (which I'm not going to link to cause it makes my browser crash and maybe yours too but google it if you must). The location I usually go to is the one on Bridge Street, a little bit past Wal-Mart. It also can be usually seen if you're driving on 690 heading from the West towards Fayetteville. What makes this place pretty awesome is the DRIVE -THRU! You haven't lived until you've experienced the extra-special level of born-n-bred Americanness that is a Hot Dog Drive-Thru.

And now...my super secret story about Syracuse Hot Dog History. Ya see - the Hofmann's used to own Heid's in addition to making famous Hofmann's Hot Dogs (served at both establishments). At some point they sold Heid's and opened up the Hot Haus (which is owned by the Hofmann Hot Dog Conglomerate). However, something happened and Heid's is owned by the Hofmann's again. Now THAT'S a Syracuse story.

To sum it up - in the Hot Dog Battle Heid's is clearly the winner. Although the premises of the Hot Haus is cleaner and more modern - there's taste in that there greasy spoon.

If you're looking for something to do, I suggest having a hot dog day where you go to both places in one day and see which place is the better Wiener Slinger.

Hats off to Heid's, Syracuse's Best Wiener Slinger!

"Could this be it?"

"Could this be it?"
This is the last line of Post-Standard columnist Sean Kirst's blog entry for November 15th, 2006.

What he is referring to is that heavy feeling in your stomach that tells you "this is the time to hope". Hope for Syracuse's resurrection that is - which is why it's a heavy, sack of metal in my stomach kind of feeling instead of the usual infusion of bubbles and rainbows that such positivity usually creates.

'Cause hope in this town is in short supply and sometimes it's a little poisonous. Sometimes if you hope this place is going to turn around and you get dissappointed, it's even more damaging than not having gotten all stupid-n-hopeful in the first place.

But there's hope hereabouts - and it's kinda scary:

After a lifetime of living in Upstate cities with lots of talk and not much thoughtful action, after lifetime of wondering why one of our Upstate downtowns can't evoke the vibrancy that draws us to so many other places, I listen and think: Just once, could this be it?

Great post. Thanks, Sean.

Kid - I've got my eye on YOU!

If you are not yet aware of this, it will not take you long to realize--I have an immense [perhaps sometimes overboard] passion for the city of Syracuse. I was born here; I grew up here; I live here; I am being educated here. The city has provided me with a forum of interaction, a place to form a wealth of experiences. I am as equally enamored with the wonderful existing urban fabric of Syracuse as I am alarmed by its current apparent state of despair. I can sense, and see, the amazing potential that the city and region is poised on the edge of--just waiting for a little push, for some people to stir things up a bit, for the dialogue to become concrete action.

----first paragraph from the blog "SyraJason"

So there's this kid named Jason. He is a fourth year architecture student at SU. Not only does he have his own blog, but he's even had an article written about him in the Post-Standard. If that doesn't make you an up-n-comer, dunno what would.

Anyhow - kid, I'm lookin' at ya. Jason appreciates and understands Syracuse in very much the same way I do. To start with - he loves (loves? really? I guess...) the architecture here. You can tell because his blog is full of pictures of all the great buildings.

In addition - there's this thing - this "Compound Project" he's involved in. It's pretty interesting. I've often admired this "compound" myself and have driven around this particular block many times just to enjoy all the old warehouses. I'm glad there's someone out there who is thinking like me.

Too bad I'm an anonymous cartoon character and he's just a student. 'Spose one's gotta start somewheres.

HELP! We're Fucked! [Part 2]

Further adventures in community development party crashing....


Well, there I was at the big shindig. Yep, it was pretty darn exciting. The room was not exactly filled, there were many empty seats but since people have a tendency to not sit next to each other, every fourth or 3 seat had an ass in it - filling out the space nicely.

Of note:
- lots of white people (70-80%)
- smattering of African-Americans (10-20%)
- some latinos, didn't see any myself
- 60% over 40, a lot of gray hairs in the audience
- The Superintendent of the City of Syracuse School District was there, and posed some education related questions
-Bea Gonzalez was there (yo Bea! 'Sup?)
- a lot of interest groups, insofar as Syracuse has interest groups, such as neighborhood associations, disability rights, education, westcott-y socialists....

[Frankly, it boggles MY mind that I know so much about Syracuse and I don't go to school at SU, study government, or am employed by anyone with a direct interest in these things. It's my freakin' hobby!!]


The panel of experts consisted of 5 people, two women, three men. They were there to field questions on a dais while one of the panelists wrote everyone's complaints on a big piece of paper on a stand. Kind of like what you did in Second Grade when your teacher would ask you how you felt about cows and the sky and Charlotte's Web and such. The writing part was a smidge wierd.

All around the room very large pieces of paper with the collected work of the charrettes has been taped up using Duct tape. Apparently Syracuse has A LOT of problems.

The Gist:

I got the sense of the people who attended were members of the very same Establishment that has been useless up to this very moment. I didn't see many young people, nor anyone who represented such organizations as 40 below. A lot of neighborhood groups were there advocating for their cause.
Although I'm new to this, apparently there have been other studies done of Syracuse and the result has always been the same: inactivity.
The panel didn't shy away from this and said straight out that although they have the ability to recommend changes, they do not have any enforcement capabilities. The desire to change must come from Syracuse itself (great, we're REALLY fucked) and the most effective method would be partnerships between the public and private sector.

At this I was somewhat heartened knowing that SU and the Mayor's Office are certainly collaborating. The Connective Corridor has at least opened up a new busline, which is a collaboration between SU and Centro (this being a private sector-private sector partnership).

Overall there was a sense of negativity and despondency coming from the attendees that could not be shaken. There was a lot of doubt raised and well....why not right?

Well, it was definitely on the agenda. Sadly, the SDAT team is being taken to Dinosaur BBQ to thank them. That's pretty Syracuse for you - nothing like thanking your future saviors with a swift poisoning.

Part Three - coming soon.

HELP! We're Fucked! [Part 1]

When: Monday December 4, 2006 to Wednesday December 6, 2006
Where: OnCenter
Who: Architects, City Planning Types, & The Establishment

Today's news item is about the visit by the Sustainable Design Assessment Team, a public service/community development effort by the American Institute of Architects.

To sum it up - Syracuse is fucked; psychically, spiritually, economically, socially...you name it, we've got the shits in spades. So what to do? Apparently some people who work for and with the city are reaching out to national organizations, be it private or public resources to seek a solution to this mess.

One such group that has heard our siren's song is the Sustainable Design Assessment Team. A group of professionals ready to analyze and rectify.

How did I find out about this? A nice little article in my local Sunday paper (Post Standard article here). For all the lameness that is in Syracuse, the Post-Standard is still a standard bearer of quality for this city. Shocking, innit?

Anyhoo. So with article in hand, I crashed the party at the OnCenter (much like my Democrat party crashin' for the election). Apparently it was "Open To The Public" which in Syracuse translates to "Only For Those In The Know, And YOU Are NOT On The List". People who showed up without RSVP's needed to sign in, I arrived late and saw that I was the fourth, 4TH!!!!!, person from The Public.
Christ! Four fucking people? In a town of over one hundred thousand people, 4 townies gave a shit to show up? No wonder we're fucked.

Anyway, on the way in I grabbed a copy of the agenda and a copy of a letter that was sent by Mayor Driscoll, Chancellor Cantor, and County Exec. Pirro. It asked the recipient to volunteer their time and join in "charrettes" to discuss problems with the specialists of the SDAT.

Huh.

I wonder who got this letter? I sure know it wasn't me. Or anyone not in some position of power.

Call me and old-timey radical if you must - but what THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS TOWN?! You are going to invite the same lame people in charge who can't get us out of this to participate? This is out of the box thinking?!

Eh.

Makes me mad. Obviously.

Those were my thoughts walking into the event. In Part Two I discuss the ultra exciting event itself. (Hint: Lots of complaining and negativity)

Special Note: I discovered that if you wish to participate, and as a citizen of Syracuse you are allowed, parking is free. Park at the Murbro lot across from the OnCenter and get your ticket validated inside.

MONDAY Nov.13th Through SUNDAY Nov. 19th :SU International Education Week

The worst, most ugly time of year for Syracuse is November. The double punch of unrelenting rain, no snow, cold, and early nightfall is quite a shock after a fun, sunny summer.

Here's an event at SU that is good for the doldrums:
International Education Week.

As noted on that website -
ALL EVENTS EXCEPT THE SUNDAY THANKSGIVING DINNER ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

PLEASE, I BEG YOU, ATTEND THESE SURE-TO-BE SPARSELY ATTENDED EVENTS. MEMBERS OF THE SYRACUSE COMMUNITY SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PARTAKE IN THE LARGESSE OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES LIKE THIS ARE NEW DEVELOPMENTS UNDER CHANCELLOR CANTOR. WELL ATTENDED EVENTS ARE A SIGNAL THAT HER EFFORTS ARE NOT GOING UNNOTICED AND UNAPPRECIATED.

Some highlights that I find interesting (NOT an all-inclusive list of events):

Monday 7PM - Czech Please!
No dialogue Czech film in which "...there isn't a moment when the spectator isn't laughing or crying." Interesting.

Tuesday 5 to 7PM - SUSHICUSE!
"Japanese Food Festival". 'Nuff said.

Wednesday - BIG DAY
Of interest to me is the learn to assemble and play your own pan pipes (!!!) and the panel on:
"WHAT’S INTERNATIONAL ABOUT SYRACUSE, NEW YORK?


Thursd