Tim Burton's Art

Starting Nov. 22, Tim Burton's art will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art. Anyone want to take me?

I'm might just go back to church...

sometimes, you just have to side with jeebus.

The Dog Carrier

I love my dogs, but this is fucking stupid. Described as a durable, breathable backpack for your front with the dog's head coming out the top and arm, leg, and tail holes on the sides. If you want to look like a douche, you may purchase one at http://www.puptogo.com/

Name the Undead

From Chop Shop, How many undead can you name off? Buy the t-shirt here.

This Man?

Have you seen this man in your dreams?He looks kinda like the dancing dwarf in Twin Peaks.
I had a similar experience when I was in high school. Me and four other people I knew had a dream about a native american elderly man all within the same week. He had grey hair and braids.
From Neatorama:
In 2000, a psychiatric patient drew a picture of a man who appeared in recurring dreams. The picture was left out on the doctor’s desk, where another patient recognized it from his dreams as well! With a bit of investigation, other patients who saw the same face in their dreams were found. As of now, at least 2,000 people recognize the face as one they’ve dreamed about. How about you?

Link

tiled fireplace

I want to do this to my fireplace. I'm not sure I have the guts yet.

I have a new hero

please note that that is a breathalyzer machine

Vincent Price on the Muppets

Vincent sings "You got a friend" with ghostie friends.

Nothing Can EVER be "Photoshopped"

From the Adobe Website:

Trademarks are not verbs.

Correct: The image was enhanced using Adobe® Photoshop® software.
Incorrect: The image was photoshopped.

Here

WTF! I'd be honored if someone used my product name as a verb. Snotty!

Heathers: The TV Show

Yay! 80's cult classic in all it's glory. I can't wait for the remake turned into a tv show. Found on www.thefrisky.com.

WTF? Gayest Video Game Ever

on so many levels...

Stuff Hipsters Hate

a new blog to read:
http://stuffhipstershate.tumblr.com/

Kids playing orchestral video game themes

This is just outstanding!

Japan: Zombie Horror Park

Over on pink tentacle:

The Saikyō Senritsu Meikyū (”Ultimate Horror Maze”) — a 900-meter-long zombie-infested labyrinth at Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland amusement park — is billed as the world’s longest and scariest house of horror.

However, at a “press conference” staged last month, organizers announced they had temporarily shut down the facility because the zombie staff had lost their edge and were not frightening people enough. While the haunted house was closed, the undead employees were put through a rigorous training program designed to upgrade their zombie skills.

Link

Are Humans From Fish

This fish looks like it has a human face on it. Creepy.

Midway Old School Automated Haunted House Game

This is really cool. I wish there were more of these around. I hope to play one someday.

why is my blog all screwy?

Is it because I haven't posted anything in a long time? Hmmmm....

Local Passive Aggressive Note

I found this on passiveaggressivenotes.com and was thrilled to see it was a local note that our neighbors in the north of Austin don't know anything about cattle ranching.

One Glow in the Dark Puppy please!

My childhood notion of loving all things that glow in the dark has finally been combined with one of my other favorite lifetime things - puppies! Here is the article:
http://www.newscientist.com/articleimages/dn17003/0-fluorescent-puppy-is-worlds-first-transgenic-dog.html

Kanye West Humbles himself

Southpark parodied Kanye and here is his response to it:
"SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF "I TOLD YOU SO!!!" IT'S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE'S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I'M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I'M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I'M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I'M SURE THERE'S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS... THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S ME!"

1.5 mil wedding dress

This would be an awesome wedding dress. Just a thought for people with 1.5 mil to blow

Pit Roasted Pig

I love pigs. I love pork. I can't decide whether to eat them or keep them for a pet. A friend has long wanted to have a fire pit roasted hog party. I was looking at mock duck, which is a site filled with old crazy recipes of days gone by and came upon this:

Hawaiian Pit-Cooked Pig

1 leg (10 to 15 pounds) fresh pork

Marinade:

1 can (6 oz.) frozen lime juice or frozen lemonade

1/2 gallon dry sherry

3 tablespoons seasoning salt

1 or 2 small fingers of ginger root, grated or crushed

1 cup frozen or canned papaya, or about half of a fresh papaya, mashed

1/3 cup soy

1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

Have the butcher bone and trim off all excess fat, then roll the meat. Mix together all marinade ingredients. Marinate meat overnight.

Start your fire in a rock-lined pit about 8 a.m., and by noon the pit should be full of glowing embers. Remove pork leg from marinade, wrap in ti leaves (available from florists), then in clean sheeting, then in burlap. Tie with wire, which serves as a handle. Saturate the burlap and sheeting with the remaining marinade, then bury the meat in coals. Cover the coals with sand and dirt until you no longer see any smoke.

About 8 p.m., remove the meat and serve. Makes 16 to 24 servings, depending on appetites.

If you should decide to make this in your rock-lined pit, please, please, please invite me for dinner (I'll make the Mai Tai's).

My vegetarian friends might not show up, but eh you can't please everyone all the time.

Yuri's Night in Austin

Listen UP Bacon Lovers!

Do you love Bacon? Do you love Kevin Bacon? Go to the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek on Thursday for a viewing of Flatliners and 6 courses centered around bacon.
Here's the menu: Potato Hickory Smoked Bacon Leek Vichyssoise

BLT Salad - Heirloom Tomatoes, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Spinach and Arugula tossed in a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette served with Bacon-wrapped Crackers
*served with Spaten Premium

Creamy Boursin Cheese and Shrimp stuffed Jalapeño wrapped in Peppered Bacon
*served with Brooklyn Lager

Chicken Fried Peppered Bacon w/ Bacon Mac & Cheese
*served with Coors Original Yellow Belly

Bacon Explosion Wellington!- Woven Bacon stuffed with Italian Sausage, Cheese, and Bacon wrapped in a Golden Brown Puffed Pastry
*served with Maredsous 8

Chocolate Ice Cream with Cinnamon and Sugar coated Maple Bacon
*served with 512 Porter

I know I've been away... I miss you too

I have been so busy at work I haven't had time to write. I'm ever so sorry! I wanted to slip this note from one of the customers into my blog so dear reader, you may see the quality of the service my company provides.

" In keeping with the rest of the {name deleted}, the list is just about worthless. I would have been better off to set fire to my money than exhibit at your stupid {show}...

At least you’re consistent... At no point during my whole experience with the {name deleted} were my expectations met or exceeded. As a matter of fact, you consistently under-delivered, over-charged, and under-performed.

Please keep me on your mailing list... Hopefully you’ll waste lots of time and money sending me crap for my trashcan.

I had two clients who were also exhibitors who feel the exact same way.

Your organization is a bunch of half-wit con-artists.

Thanks for nothing. {name deleted}"

Deliciousness Abounds! Grilled Cheese Invitational

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. I reallly love grilled cheese sandwiches. On March 14th Austin will have it's 2nd Annual competition. I am so there! I want to compete but I'll probably wait until next year. My friends "The Lunch Ladies" will be there SERVIN' IT UP! Check it out. Link

Video Game Review: Tales of Vesparia XBOX 360

I hate RPGs for the most part, they seem tedious and long winded to me. Tales of Vesparia satisfied my need for button mashing punch-kicky and that seems to be what I craved when it came to this genre of gaming. I'm more interested in action and reward then hunting around, grinding and leveling up when I play video games. I loved this game, although I personally don't give it much replay value. The colors are fantastic and the graphics are beautifully illustrated. The creators really seemed to delve into stylizing the characters and giving them emotion and their own personalities. The storyline was good but could be quite long winded and a tad bit confusing at times. The monster illustrations show imagination and the bosses are fantastic. One of the best parts of this game is the local multi-player function. J and I got to play it together. I played as Yuri, the hero; and he was Repede, his faithful canine companion. Although you could choose to play as any of your party's members at before any battles, we often stuck to the same characters. I'm sure it was just because we had memorized our character's special moves and had their preferences set just right. Another great feature about this game is that the members of your party level up even if they aren't involved in battle. One downfall of the local multiplayer feature is game acheivement points can only be gained by the main profile player. J is currently playing his own profile just to get those points he missed out on. I had rented this game through Gamefly and we were a little confused without the manual about some of the features in the game. We purchased it and much was cleared up after having access to the instructions. Cooking in the game is a great way to save your player's potions. I underestimated it's value until late in the game. Recipes are hidden throughout the game and released to you by a chef disguised as a different item in each city. Overall, I highly recommend this game if you are looking for something to immerse yourself in.

Food Labels Explained

What does light really mean? What can Fat Free do for me? Here's the skinny on why it's not as great as you think:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows the following definitions on food labels:
FAT-FREE: The product has less than .5 grams of fat per serving.
LOW-FAT: The product has 3 grams or less of fat per serving.
REDUCED or LESS FAT: The product has at least 25% less fat per serving than the full-fat version.
LITE or LIGHT
:
# The product has fewer calories or half the fat of the non-light version.
# The sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food is 50 percent less than the non-light version.
# A food is clearer in color (like light instead of dark corn syrup.

CALORIE-FREE: The product has less than 5 calories per serving.
LOW-CALORIE: The product has 40 calories or less per serving.
REDUCED or FEWER CALORIES: The product has at least 25 percent fewer calories per serving than the non-reduced version.

This Bulldog Is Partied OUT!

I NEED a house pig

Kingsford Goes to the Beach - Funny bloopers R us

Butt Lickers... I mean Butte Liquors

This is a liquor store by my house. Maybe they should get their sign fixed. :)

Movie Review: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

I've written about Miyazaki before, here Link.
I have not seen this classic animated film until last Sunday. I was drinking imitation Trudy's Mexican Martinis and laying on the couch. This film was awesome. Here is the wiki. Studio Ghibli is Miyazaki's animation company. I highly recommend this film. One of my favorite aspects of Miyazaki's stories is that the heroes are girls most of the time. The drawing and character design is both classic and original. The dialogue is complex without being too heavy. The story is engaging, and the voice acting is spot on. There are a ton of famous actors in Nausicaa such as Cameron Diaz and Shia Lebouf. My only regret is not seeing the film sooner. Watch this, you won't regret it!

Leptin- I will balance you

My best friend is a personal trainer and massage therapist. She looks great, so she has to have the answers. I've been complaining about my overeating and general malaise and she told me about this book. Here's a tidbit about Leptin:

The Five Rules of Mastering Leptin

1. Never eat after dinner. Never go to bed on a full stomach. Leave a gap of 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast as the best fat burn zone occurs 8 and 12 hours after eating. If you snack before bedtime, the leptin tells your brain that no energy is required and therefore no fat burning will occur during the night.

2. Eat 3 meals per day. Allow 5-6 hours between meals with no snacks inbetween. Snacks would only stimulate the relase of insulin and while that happens, the body is not burning fat. If you find it difficult to eat only 3 meals per day, start with 4 per day. In time, with regular exercise, it will be easier and easier for you to leave 5 hours between meals.

3. Do not eat large meals. If you provide your body with more fuel than it needs, leptin and insulin resistance can result. You can learn to reduce meal sizes by eating slowly and chewing properly, also by putting the fork down from time to time. This will give your appetite the chance to catch up with your food intake.

4. Eat a high-protein breakfast. This supports blood sugar levels throughout the day and will minimize afternoon energy crashes. These energy crashes in the afternoon are often due to eating a breakfast with too many carbohydrates and too little protein. People who eat a high carbohydrate breakfast and who are leptin resistant are more likely to overeat.

5. Reduce the amount and glycemic index of carbohydrates eaten. This doesn’t mean that you can only eat very low or very restricted carbohydrates, but that you should match the amount of starchy carbohydrates with the same portion of proteins. You may eat fibrous vegetables in abundance. There’s an easy way to find out if you are eating too many carbohydrates. Weigh yourself in the morning and at bedtime. If your bedtime weight is more than 2 pounds over your morning weight and if you followed rules 1-4 during the day, then you consumed too many carbohydrates that day.

The authors developed these five rules after making an in-depth stuy of all the leptin research studies so far (approximately 9000) and combined this with experiences with clients. The aim of these rules is to restore the body’s sensitivity to leptin and by that re-establish the body’s ability to efficiently produce energy from food which will lead to weight loss and better health.

Giggle Giggle

And now a picture of someone's ass smoking:
that's all

Being Thankful

From for jrg

One of my weekly rituals is to visit Free Will Astrology. Here's Aries for the week of January 29th "Don't tell me you have nothing to be thankful for, Aries. Your parents could have named you "Hooligan" or "Lightsaber" or "Flu," and they didn't. There are no photos floating around the Internet that show you riding a pig in the nude. No one has ever broken up with you via text message. Now please keep going in the direction I've pointed you. Count your blessings up to at least 101. Create an ongoing list of all the things in your life that work pretty well and make you feel at home in the world. Why do this now? Because it's Massive Explosions of Gratitude Week for you -- a time when you can attract even more good fortune into your life by aggressively identifying the good fortune you already enjoy. "
This week gave me some advice to be thankful for what I have. I don't do that as much as I should so here goes.
Things I am thankful for:
1. J, beanbag
2. I am healthy
3. My dad and stepmom
4. My Mom
5. My Brother
6. Lindsay
7. Michelle
8. Manny
9. Jana
10. Pazuzu
11. Leela
14. The rest of my friends and family that It would take forever to list here
15. I have a home
16. I have food to eat
17. I have an education
18. My dogs
19. My car - it'll be paid off this month!
20. My sense of humor
21. I am employed
22. I live in the United States - it is flawed but we have it better then most.
23. My eysight
24. My computer
25. Teh Interwebs
26. Birth control
27. love
28. showers
29. my bed
30. sillyness
31. fun
32. Videogames!
33. Pizza
34. Hot wings
35. Music
36. Rock Band
37. David Sedaris
38. Ghost Stories
39. Laughter
40. Intervention - the show
41. Muppets
42. Coffee
43. Cigarettes - disgusting, I know
44. Epicurious.com
45. Cuteoverload.com
46. boingboing.net
47. Vodka
48. Radiohead
49. The Sea and Cake
50. The Shins
51. Elliot Smith
52. Rufus Wainwright
53. Shoes
54. Cheese
55. Alamo Drafthouse
56. Adobe products (photoshop, dreamweaver, illustrator, and indesign)
57. My guardian angel, grandma Freida
58. Pandora. com
59. gmail
60. microwaves
61. my garden
62. art
63. Over the counter medicines... tylenol
64. the discovery of antibiotics
65. Electricity
66. email
67. bread
68. science
69. sex
70. Beck
71. Anthony Bourdain
72. Freedom of speech
73. Understanding
74. compassion
75. Hugs
76. Anger, yes anger is motivational for me
77. President Obama
78. Hope
79. Sarcasm
80. Ben Folds
81. Cartoons
82. cucumbers
83. french fries
84. zombies... not actual zombies just the fake kind you can shoot in video games
85. Honesty
86. Truth
87. Jelly Belly jelly beans
88. Puppies!
89. baby animals of all kinds
90. Jolly Rancher gummies
91. Jokes
92. Parties
93. water
94. refrigerators
95. air conditioning
96. naps
97. good books
98. Green eyes
99. learning from past mistakes
100. optimism
101. the end of the workday

Seahorses are cool!

Some friends of mine showed this to me over the weekend. It's hilarious! If ever a reason to do drugs, it's to bring out this delicious kind of funny. No way, No way :)

Free Makeup, One Week, While Supplies Last!

Hey Ladies! and some men out there. There's a class action lawsuit the entitles you to free makeup.

As part of a class action settlement, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed to members of the class (see below to determine whether you are a member of the class) for a maximum of seven days, while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, beginning on January 20, 2009. No rainchecks will be issued. The products will be distributed at stores owned by the Retailer Defendants (see list immediately below).

The stores owned by the Retailer Defendants that will be participating in the settlement product distribution are the following:

• Bergdorf Goodman
  
  
• Bergner’s
  
  
• Bloomingdale’s
  
  
• Boston Store
  
  
• Carson Pirie Scott
  
  
• Dillard’s
  
  
• Gottschalks
  
  
• Herberger’s
  
  
• Macy’s
  
  
• Neiman Marcus
  
  
• Nordstrom
  
  
• Parisian
  
  
• Saks Fifth Avenue
  
  
• Younkers

A class member will be eligible to receive, while supplies last, a maximum of ONE free cosmetics product from one of the Manufacturer Defendants from which he or she purchased Department Store Cosmetics¹ during the class period, May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003, from the list of products below. If a class member has only purchased products, during the class period, from one of the Manufacturer Defendants listed below, then that class member is only entitled to receive a free product from that Manufacturer Defendant. If a class member has purchased products, during the class period, from multiple Manufacturer Defendants, then that class member must choose the ONE free product he or she wishes to claim from one of those Manufacturer Defendants. Again, these products are only available while supplies last, and no rainchecks will be issued. If your store has run out of settlement products from the Manufacturer Defendant(s) from which you have previously purchased Department Store Cosmetics during the class period, then you may claim a product (again, while supplies last) from another Manufacturer Defendant.Link

Rules of Thumb

Here's a cool site: Rulesofthumb.org
It's a great reference site for any kind of rule of thumb that exists.
Some examples:
WORK RATING
You can have it cheap, fast, or good. Pick any two.

MARKETING TO THE ELDERLY
For marketing purposes, elderly consumers think they are 15 years younger than they actually are.

BUYING AN APPLIANCE
Any gadget that does many things will do none of them as well as a single-purpose device.

It's Yours for $32,500,000

I frequent itslovelyilltakeit. This blog is all about the horrible pictures of realty listings people take to "sell" their properties. This listing is out of New York. I just could not understand why you would live in this place. The patterns and decorations are just awful. It's like someone gave grandma a ton of money and let her loose in Tuesday Morning.

The Meat Sweats

Have you ever had "the meat sweats"? Last night was the second time I have had the experience. I partake in eating meat whenever possible. It's almost always a good thing - bacon, cheeseburgers, steak, brisket, sausage ... you get the picture. Before Christmas I went to visit some relatives in Dallas and they kindly introduced me to Fogo de Chão. Dinner was delicious and expensive. I couldn't help feeling guilty about eating an insane amount of animals while other people in the world are starving. I'm glad for the experience but I will probably never go again. I encountered the meat sweats that night. For those of you unfamiliar, here is how the urban dictionary defines "the meat sweats"-
A condition experienced during sleep characterized by significant discomfort, sweating, and delusional dreams that is triggered by the consumption of large amounts of cured or smoked meats. Condition is related to the high levels of nitrates and salts in the cured meat.
That worries me a little. What do nitrates do to a person when consumed in quantities? I'm not sure yet, but I'm guessing it's not good. Last night my parents were in town and they took James and I out to dinner to Rudy's Barbeque. It was glorious, but again the meat sweats. The conclusion is that I really just need to not eat so much but I can't help myself. It's MEAT!

Art Cars

artcar.blogspot.com
is a collection of artcars from all over the world. This is one of my favorites because of the reflective stickers.

Million Dollar Idea: Fluffy Puffy Puppy Kitty Baby Bunny Little Baby Deer Land

I'm a big fan of all things cute. Here's the plan. Create a petting zoo with a modern twist. Bingo! Instant profit. Think cute overload in the flesh.

Local Austin Jewelry Designer

I like stuff. Do you like stuff? Here's a link to a friend's jewelry design website. I have a pacman necklace made by her. It's good to support local people trying to make it. So buy this stuff!
Ilovefatcats.com

People R dum!

The site Not Always Right is a collection of people that are dumb. Customers who need LOTS of help.
The most relevant example for my life so far:

Because Insurance Is Such A Scream

Graphic Design | Las Vegas, NV

Me: “So, let me get this straight. You want your insurance website to look like the Walt Disney World site?”

Client: “Yes, because [the Walt Disney World site] seems so happy and fun. When people visit our site, they should feel like buying insurance is fun!”

Me: “Um, okay …… so is there anything else you’d like?”

(client thinks for a few moments)

Client: “Rollercoasters! I like rollercoasters!”

*face palm*

Funny stuff.

Jack Skellington a la Lego

Artist: Cooksey - Talbott

This artist studied under Ansel Adams. I love the natural landscape in this format. Here is his website. This work is similar to Japanese ink on silk paintings - which I am huge fan of.

How to: Build A Mobile Bar a.k.a. BAR2D2

This is necessary - oh so necessary! I had posted before about a mobile bar, but now I can build one! Instructables has provided humankind a great service by giving us step by step instructions to create this wonderful behemoth. Link

For The New Year...

I should learn to f'ing relax. For reals. Some meditation advice from Motherearth.com:

How to Meditate

To elicit the relaxation response via meditation:

• Find a quiet place with a comfortable chair.
• Sit with eyes closed.
• Select a word or phrase — one, peace, ice cream — whatever. That’s your “mantra.”
• Silently repeat your mantra. Begin with a minute or two. Work up to 20 minutes once or twice a day.
• While meditating, try to empty your mind of other thoughts. Assume a passive, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude. When distracting thoughts intrude — they’re inevitable — notice them, accept them, then dismiss them as you refocus on your mantra.

In another type of meditation, breath meditation, there is no mantra. Practitioners focus on their breath. The other steps remain the same.

There's Probably No God So Stop Worrying About It.

I often feel shame for the way I believe. It's a natural response of humans to shun those who do not look, act or believe the same as themselves. That does not make it right. Many christians feel threatened or pity me if I speak of god not existing. It automatically makes me a devil worshiper. Quite the contrary. I have more compassion and understanding than most of the people who claim to be children of god. I have my moments and I'm not perfect, but Christians as a whole project more hate then most other groups I come across. Here's a cause I can believe. I am now a humanist.

The Urge To Win, Why Men Get More Reward From Video Games Then Women

I noticed a difference between the way I play video games and how my male friends play. When I play the same game as my male counterparts, it seems they want to win every time on the first try. It doesn't bother me to get a lower score or lose every once in a while. I'm in it for the experience. Finally, someone chose to investigate the matter.Here is an article from the Telegraph in which scientists explain male drive to conquer as triggering a reward center in the brain.

"Playing on computer consoles activates parts of the male brain which are linked to rewarding feelings and addiction, scans have shown. The more opponents they vanquish and points they score, the more stimulated this region becomes.

In contrast, these parts of women's brains are much less likely to be triggered by sessions on the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii or Xbox.

Professor Allan Reiss of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford University, California, who led the research, said that women understood computer games just as well as men but did not have the same neurological drive to win." Link

Monkey Bread

My mom used to make this when I was little except with garlic and butter. I can't wait to try it and add the bacon and cheesy goodness. Here is the link from Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York.