2006/09/25
New York hates small distilleries
When I first moved here, it was strange to see beer
... well, everywhere. In Massachusetts, a handful of
grocery stores are licensed to sell beer and wine
(beer, malts and wine are on a separate license from
booze – I think in New York only beer and other
malt beverages are separate), and until recently, only
one store in the state could sell alcohol on Sunday
(except for the period between Thanksgiving and New
Year's Day).
It never occurred to me to make a run to the gas station for a six-pack. But I can, so sometimes I do.
But if you're a small distillery – in or out of New York – trying to get your product on the shelf, well, good luck.
Local favorites Beak and Skiff Apple Farms wants to make apple vodka – a reasonable request for an orchard, I think – but Governor Pataki vetoed legislation that would have allowed small distilleries to sell their products.
The deal here is that if you want to sell booze in New York, you have to go through a wholesale distributor. So, you make the stuff, and you have to sell it to a middle man, who stores it in a warehouse until someone orders it.
This does two things: (1) It adds a step increase in the price. (2) It means you have to produce enough product to sell in bulk to the wholesaler.
That means small wineries and breweries can sell their own stuff across the counter, but not in stores. Distilleries can't even do that.
And it's only in-state vintners and brewers who can sell directly to customers. If you're out-of-state, forget about it. Which means no ordering a case to be shipped if you're touring California wine country, and no joining a wine-of-the-month club on the Internet.
You get big booze, or nothing.
Which brings us back to Beak and Skiff: Why shouldn't a small business be able to produce a product that the market can support and sell it responsibly to responsible consumers?
Oh, right. Because this is New York, and we like it bigger, faster or not at all. Small business is for sissies.
It never occurred to me to make a run to the gas station for a six-pack. But I can, so sometimes I do.
But if you're a small distillery – in or out of New York – trying to get your product on the shelf, well, good luck.
Local favorites Beak and Skiff Apple Farms wants to make apple vodka – a reasonable request for an orchard, I think – but Governor Pataki vetoed legislation that would have allowed small distilleries to sell their products.
The deal here is that if you want to sell booze in New York, you have to go through a wholesale distributor. So, you make the stuff, and you have to sell it to a middle man, who stores it in a warehouse until someone orders it.
This does two things: (1) It adds a step increase in the price. (2) It means you have to produce enough product to sell in bulk to the wholesaler.
That means small wineries and breweries can sell their own stuff across the counter, but not in stores. Distilleries can't even do that.
And it's only in-state vintners and brewers who can sell directly to customers. If you're out-of-state, forget about it. Which means no ordering a case to be shipped if you're touring California wine country, and no joining a wine-of-the-month club on the Internet.
You get big booze, or nothing.
Which brings us back to Beak and Skiff: Why shouldn't a small business be able to produce a product that the market can support and sell it responsibly to responsible consumers?
Oh, right. Because this is New York, and we like it bigger, faster or not at all. Small business is for sissies.
Banned Books Week
Also at BlogJosh.
It's banned book week. Here's a (probably partial) list of books that have been banned at some point in the last 100 years. Bold: what I've read. Italic: on my reading list. Join the fun, and give me recommendations (whether I should read something I haven't indicated is on my list, or not read something I have). The ALA explains why the books have been banned.
This post has local relevance: The Vernon-Verona-Sherill School District challenged The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, A Farewell to Arms and A Separate Peace.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Ulysses, James Joyce
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Lord of the Flies, William Golding
1984, George Orwell
Lolita, Vladmir Nabokov
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Native Son, Richard Wright
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin
All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
Lady Chatterley's Lover, DH Lawrence
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence
Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
A Separate Peace, John Knowles
Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
Women in Love, DH Lawrence
The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer
Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller
An American Tragedy, Theodore Dreiser
Rabbit, Run, John Updike
Thanks to Sassy Pants for cluing me in.
It's banned book week. Here's a (probably partial) list of books that have been banned at some point in the last 100 years. Bold: what I've read. Italic: on my reading list. Join the fun, and give me recommendations (whether I should read something I haven't indicated is on my list, or not read something I have). The ALA explains why the books have been banned.
This post has local relevance: The Vernon-Verona-Sherill School District challenged The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, A Farewell to Arms and A Separate Peace.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Ulysses, James Joyce
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Lord of the Flies, William Golding
1984, George Orwell
Lolita, Vladmir Nabokov
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Native Son, Richard Wright
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin
All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
Lady Chatterley's Lover, DH Lawrence
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence
Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
A Separate Peace, John Knowles
Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
Women in Love, DH Lawrence
The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer
Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller
An American Tragedy, Theodore Dreiser
Rabbit, Run, John Updike
Thanks to Sassy Pants for cluing me in.
Coevolution
Come out tonight to celebrate the release of Coevolution: The MNP 2006 Anthology. It's being released during Monday Night Poetry at the Coffee Pavilion. Some of the poets in the book – including the three authors of this blog – will be on hand to perform their pieces and sign copies.
Here's more:
Here's more:
Just a quick reminder that Coevolution: The MNP 2006 Anthology debutes tonight at the Coffee Pavilion, 133 East Water Street, Syracuse, NY. Signups for the reading begin at 8:00 pm and the reading will begin at 8:30 pm. Everyone is invited to read their poems, included in the book or otherwise. And what better place to obtain some poets' autographs. It should be a phenomenal evening.Copies of the book, by the way, are $5 if you're in it, $10 if you're not. If you can't make it out to buy your books in person, get in touch with Jane Cassady.
We are hoping to pack the place to celebrate and support the awesome poetic talent not only featured in this anthology but also featured at the open mic every Monday at Monday Night Poetry. We also want to show our support to Senator DeFrancisco and the DeFrancisco Arts and Cultural Grants and the Cultural Resources Council. I certainly owe them a debt of gratitude.
Be sure and get to the reading early because we are hoping andplanning on it being standing room only. I can't wait to see everyone there.
Thanks and here's to the wonderful poets.
Amy L-C
(Coevolution: The MNP 2006 Anthology was funded in part by a generous grant from the Defrancisco Arts and Cultural Grants and administered by the Cultural Resources Council)
2006/09/19
More on the Connective Corridor
For those of you who missed it, I had a great back-and-forth with an anonymous commenter about the Connective Corridor.
The commenter brought up a great issue: Why use the L-shaped route from the University that takes E. Genesee into downtown, when there are more direct routes through the city's near-south side.
The commenter certainly had a good criticism that the designers were intentionally avoiding a low-income neighborhood. I thought it was really just a matter of geography; to take the more obvious route – Adams and Clinton, you'd have to change traffic flow patterns (both are one-way in the wrong direction).
In his column today, Dick Case brings forth the criticism that overall, the scope of the project is too broad, and he had trouble with the tiny drawings on display over at the NIMO building. (I saw the much-larger renditions over at the Marshall Square Mall, but I think today may be the last day they're scheduled to be on view over there.)
He also, though, explains why the E. Genny path was chosen – there's going to be something of a sub-campus over there, beyond just the Center for Excellence building, which is currently under construction. So, the Connective Corridor would connect the campus with its sub-campus, and then continue to Armory Square.
That makes some sense to me.
In terms of a longer vision, though, here's what I'd like to see (Anonymous, are you reading? I'd love your input on some of this.):
The commenter brought up a great issue: Why use the L-shaped route from the University that takes E. Genesee into downtown, when there are more direct routes through the city's near-south side.
The commenter certainly had a good criticism that the designers were intentionally avoiding a low-income neighborhood. I thought it was really just a matter of geography; to take the more obvious route – Adams and Clinton, you'd have to change traffic flow patterns (both are one-way in the wrong direction).
In his column today, Dick Case brings forth the criticism that overall, the scope of the project is too broad, and he had trouble with the tiny drawings on display over at the NIMO building. (I saw the much-larger renditions over at the Marshall Square Mall, but I think today may be the last day they're scheduled to be on view over there.)
He also, though, explains why the E. Genny path was chosen – there's going to be something of a sub-campus over there, beyond just the Center for Excellence building, which is currently under construction. So, the Connective Corridor would connect the campus with its sub-campus, and then continue to Armory Square.
That makes some sense to me.
In terms of a longer vision, though, here's what I'd like to see (Anonymous, are you reading? I'd love your input on some of this.):
- Rather than making Armory Square the terminal destination of the currently proposed corridor, make it Hanover Square. Stick some bike racks in the square; there's already plenty of parking in the area. People can always walk on to Armory Square, and I'm sure the businesses from Hanover to Armory would be happy for the increased foot traffic.
- Take down I-81 from the I-690 interchange south to the I-481 interchange. Make Adams Street two-way; taking down the highway clears up all the traffic headed to the on-ramp; people will either head down South Salina, or will take I-690 to I-481.
- Make the Regional Transportation Center the center of Centro's hub-and-spoke system, rather than the Salina-Fayette intersection – or at least supplement it, to alleviate some downtown traffic.
- Make a second Connective Corridor down the newly two-way Adams and up Salina. It could take a left onto Fayette, which would no longer have a no-turns restriction, since some traffic has been alleviated. That puts its terminal point in Armory, and the option to go two more blocks up Salina to Clinton Square and Hanover Square.
2006/09/15
The last Inner Harbor block party of the season
I made an unscheduled trip down to the Inner Harbor last night. After locking up my Schwinn, I dutifully submitted to a bag check (a copy of Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas and a not-blank-anymore book) and an ID check, bought a 24-ounce can of Blue Light (my beer standards have fallen mightily since I moved to the'Cuse, despite some great locall breweries), and cozied up to the rail.And spent an hour and a half enthralled with The Lunachik Fringe. You have to do a lot as a cover band do keep my attention for more than a couple of songs, but let's face it, if Robyn's going to sing Janis, I'm going to listen.
I didn't stick around for Under the Gun (but fantastic performers, them), but I did get to watch the crowd swell to something over 500 – and people were definitely still pouring in when as I was leaving.
Next summer, there's a pretty good chance that either the Pyramid Cos. or the Sutton Cos. will own the Inner Harbor. I hope the new owner lets this series live on. It's bringing hundreds of Central New Yorkers of all ages (and I do mean all: I stood next to an elderly woman for a little while, watching the six-year-olds dance) out to a gem in the city for what is, plain and simple, a good time.
Update: Dick Case is thinking that maybe Pyramid's waiting for a new governor (and, presumably, the opportunity to wrangle for concessions from the state on regulations and prices) before putting up some cash.
2006/09/14
Federated: If you're gonna take it, take it
The stores that are asking an appellate court panel to stop the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) from taking parts of their leases with Carousel Center were in court today.
SIDA is saying that it's only planning to take the parts of the leases that would stand in the way of Pyramid expanding the mall.
The stores, naturally, want their landlord to renegotiate those parts of the leases, or simply ask for approval, since that's really the issue.
Federated, which is the mall's biggest tenant with a Macy's store, a Lord & Taylor store, and whatever the Kaufmann's Furniture store is now that they've put the Macy's name on all the regular Kaufmann's stores, has told the court that the wording is too vague, and that if SIDA is going to take parts of the stores' leases, the agency should just take the leases.
The value, in Federated's estimate? $24 million.
And if they get their way on that, the other 11 tenants – which include large stores like JC Penney, Best Buy and Borders – are going to expect to get theirs.
And suddenly that $60 million Pyramid promised the city (well, $53 million, since $7 million goes to the county) in exchange for 30 years of tax breaks, will all go toward the eminent domain taking.
After that, the mall will be stuck with either having to renegotiate those leases from scratch, or else will be entirely without those tenants. And who's going to be the first moron to sign a lease for the expansion when almost half the leasable space in the original mall clears out?
Updated: The full story this morning lists the parts of the leases SIDA wants to take. Basically, it's all the parts that give the tenants the right to voice concern over the expansion (such as a loss of parking outside anchor stores). Federated says they want to keep their stores in Carousel – but Pyramid is going to have to negotiate with them to keep them there.
SIDA is saying that it's only planning to take the parts of the leases that would stand in the way of Pyramid expanding the mall.
The stores, naturally, want their landlord to renegotiate those parts of the leases, or simply ask for approval, since that's really the issue.
Federated, which is the mall's biggest tenant with a Macy's store, a Lord & Taylor store, and whatever the Kaufmann's Furniture store is now that they've put the Macy's name on all the regular Kaufmann's stores, has told the court that the wording is too vague, and that if SIDA is going to take parts of the stores' leases, the agency should just take the leases.
The value, in Federated's estimate? $24 million.
And if they get their way on that, the other 11 tenants – which include large stores like JC Penney, Best Buy and Borders – are going to expect to get theirs.
And suddenly that $60 million Pyramid promised the city (well, $53 million, since $7 million goes to the county) in exchange for 30 years of tax breaks, will all go toward the eminent domain taking.
After that, the mall will be stuck with either having to renegotiate those leases from scratch, or else will be entirely without those tenants. And who's going to be the first moron to sign a lease for the expansion when almost half the leasable space in the original mall clears out?
Updated: The full story this morning lists the parts of the leases SIDA wants to take. Basically, it's all the parts that give the tenants the right to voice concern over the expansion (such as a loss of parking outside anchor stores). Federated says they want to keep their stores in Carousel – but Pyramid is going to have to negotiate with them to keep them there.
2006/09/13
Inner Harbor photos
I've been meaning to get these up for a while now. I took about 20 photos last month on a lazy Sunday morning (when there was nothing going on), and I just threw a few of them up on flickr, so go take a look.2006/09/12
$19M in actual investment
For those of you still waiting to see if Pyramid gets the OK to go ahead and consider possibly investing some money in Syracuse, I want to direct your attention to Southern Wine & Spirits, a company that has been renting two spaces – one in Clay and one in downtown Syracuse – will invest $19 million to build something they own over in Lyncourt, near Syracuse China.
The company's 135 local employees will move there; target date for shovels is Nov. 1, and for opening, Sept. 1, 2007.
The new building will displace three little league baseball fields, so the company is donating money to the city to replace them.
Holy crap! Investment and responsibility. These are the companies we want here, folks.
The company's 135 local employees will move there; target date for shovels is Nov. 1, and for opening, Sept. 1, 2007.
The new building will displace three little league baseball fields, so the company is donating money to the city to replace them.
Holy crap! Investment and responsibility. These are the companies we want here, folks.
Primary Day
If you're a registered Republican or Democrat, or with the Working Families Party in the 25th U.S. House district, get thee to the polls. You have some voting to do.
After the polls close at 9, the AP ticker results for local races will start working.
After the polls close at 9, the AP ticker results for local races will start working.
2006/09/10
Connective Corridor
One fantastic piece of work that's going on here is design of the Connective Corridor, a proposed project that would connect Syracuse University with the city's downtown.
This is different from the project examining whether to tear down I-81.
The designs are touring the city over the coming months. I saw them at Marshall Square this week, and there are some great ideas. Each plan has some sort of mixed-transportation built in; in addition to the existing roads, bike and walking paths are on the designs, and some designs include rail service.
One of the designs also includes an LED wrap of a highway overpass so that the underside would be lit, with the possibility of light shows and anything else you can put on an LED display.
Above that, though, the corridor utilizes existing parks and public cultural centers like the Everson Museum of Art, Jazz Central, The Erie Canal Museum, and the Downtown Writer's Center, among others.
Some designs also create outdoor performance spaces for the warmer months.
The project stems from one of Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Kantor's ideas. Her first year, it didn't appear that people were doing anything more than humoring her in her ideas for getting the university more involved with the city. But now, at the beginning of her third year, it's starting to take shape.
And it's a lovely shape.
This is different from the project examining whether to tear down I-81.
The designs are touring the city over the coming months. I saw them at Marshall Square this week, and there are some great ideas. Each plan has some sort of mixed-transportation built in; in addition to the existing roads, bike and walking paths are on the designs, and some designs include rail service.
One of the designs also includes an LED wrap of a highway overpass so that the underside would be lit, with the possibility of light shows and anything else you can put on an LED display.
Above that, though, the corridor utilizes existing parks and public cultural centers like the Everson Museum of Art, Jazz Central, The Erie Canal Museum, and the Downtown Writer's Center, among others.
Some designs also create outdoor performance spaces for the warmer months.
The project stems from one of Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Kantor's ideas. Her first year, it didn't appear that people were doing anything more than humoring her in her ideas for getting the university more involved with the city. But now, at the beginning of her third year, it's starting to take shape.
And it's a lovely shape.
This week: Mall, development, harbor, bloggers and Bruce
We've been loaded this week, and there's a lot to talk about. Let's get to it.
Mall expansion
About two weeks ago, the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) asked a court to lift a stay that was holding up the expansion of Carousel Center.
The stay was put in place because 12 of the mall's tenants have asked a court to require their landlord, Pyramid, to negotiate the terms of their leases, rather than allowing the company to run to SIDA and take the leases by eminent domain.
SIDA is apparently more interested in having a bigger mall, not the stores to fill it.
Friday, though, the court declined SIDA's request. The 12 stores are due to have their hearing this upcoming Thursday.
The bad news on this front, though, is that the Common Council folded. Faced with an impending battle with the mayor over paying the outside lawyers it hired to continue its appeal, the council agreed to stop fighting and the mayor agreed to sign the check.
Never mind that the mayor also hired outside counsel – despite the fact that he already had someone on the city's payroll to represent his interests.
Way to stick to your guns, there, councilors.
Development: Downtown and south side
The Pioneer Cos. own two lots in Armory Square, on either side of The Warehouse, which houses the Syracuse University School of Architecture and an art gallery. The company is planning to spend $70 to $90 million to build housing, retail and office space on those lots.
And even better than the fact that the company is planning the development project, CEO Michael Falcone has put up some money to sponsor a class this fall at the architecture school. The course objective: Students will design buildings they hope will meet Pioneer's needs, and the company will consider actually using a design or two that comes out of the class.
In other downtown news, there are more people living in downtown Syracuse, and there is more residential space being built.
The furniture company Dunk & Bright this week opened a new 25,000-square foot retail space on the city's economically depressed south side. D&B has been down there for a long time, and Jim Bright, a member of the eponymous Bright family that owns the business, has been very active in economic development, including sitting on the board of the South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project, a cooperative effort between Syracuse University's Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises department and businesses to help revitalize the area.
Inner Harbor
Post-Standard columnist Dick Case continues his call to action for development at Syracuse's Inner Harbor. I'm afraid, at this point, there may be some shady dealings taking place between the Canal Corp. and Destiny.
Bloggers
I wrote last week about meeting other CNY bloggers at the fair, along with P-S columnist Sean Kirst.
Ellen found a post over at The Blogging Journalist declaring this meeting to be wonderful – the writer believes that reporters and local bloggers should meet regularly.
Well, of course they should, but not just bloggers. Columnists should be out in their communities talking to people. That's what makes Sean a much better columnist than Jayson Blair, who invented his meetings with people.
Bruce Campbell: Support independent theaters
Actor Bruce Campbell made an appearance this week at the Palace Theatre, and spent a fair bit of time urging attendees to continue to support independent theaters. Angela's got more here.
Mall expansion
About two weeks ago, the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) asked a court to lift a stay that was holding up the expansion of Carousel Center.
The stay was put in place because 12 of the mall's tenants have asked a court to require their landlord, Pyramid, to negotiate the terms of their leases, rather than allowing the company to run to SIDA and take the leases by eminent domain.
SIDA is apparently more interested in having a bigger mall, not the stores to fill it.
Friday, though, the court declined SIDA's request. The 12 stores are due to have their hearing this upcoming Thursday.
The bad news on this front, though, is that the Common Council folded. Faced with an impending battle with the mayor over paying the outside lawyers it hired to continue its appeal, the council agreed to stop fighting and the mayor agreed to sign the check.
Never mind that the mayor also hired outside counsel – despite the fact that he already had someone on the city's payroll to represent his interests.
Way to stick to your guns, there, councilors.
Development: Downtown and south side
The Pioneer Cos. own two lots in Armory Square, on either side of The Warehouse, which houses the Syracuse University School of Architecture and an art gallery. The company is planning to spend $70 to $90 million to build housing, retail and office space on those lots.
And even better than the fact that the company is planning the development project, CEO Michael Falcone has put up some money to sponsor a class this fall at the architecture school. The course objective: Students will design buildings they hope will meet Pioneer's needs, and the company will consider actually using a design or two that comes out of the class.
In other downtown news, there are more people living in downtown Syracuse, and there is more residential space being built.
The furniture company Dunk & Bright this week opened a new 25,000-square foot retail space on the city's economically depressed south side. D&B has been down there for a long time, and Jim Bright, a member of the eponymous Bright family that owns the business, has been very active in economic development, including sitting on the board of the South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project, a cooperative effort between Syracuse University's Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises department and businesses to help revitalize the area.
Inner Harbor
Post-Standard columnist Dick Case continues his call to action for development at Syracuse's Inner Harbor. I'm afraid, at this point, there may be some shady dealings taking place between the Canal Corp. and Destiny.
Bloggers
I wrote last week about meeting other CNY bloggers at the fair, along with P-S columnist Sean Kirst.
Ellen found a post over at The Blogging Journalist declaring this meeting to be wonderful – the writer believes that reporters and local bloggers should meet regularly.
Well, of course they should, but not just bloggers. Columnists should be out in their communities talking to people. That's what makes Sean a much better columnist than Jayson Blair, who invented his meetings with people.
Bruce Campbell: Support independent theaters
Actor Bruce Campbell made an appearance this week at the Palace Theatre, and spent a fair bit of time urging attendees to continue to support independent theaters. Angela's got more here.
2006/09/04
Bloggers at the fair
OK, so I'm three days late on this. Forgive me, won't you?
Sean Kirst invited some of us CNY bloggers to dinner at the fair Friday (invited, lured with the offer of Dinosaur on him, same thing). It was like a coming out party for people who have keyboards but, until Friday, not faces. In attendance:
Wow, I do have to say, it didn't feel like we said all that much in two hours – it really just felt like a getting-to-know-you session, which it was, sort of – but I guess we did get a lot of ideas out there. I didn't take notes, but if you want more info or want to share ideas, leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail.
You can read Sean's story here, and check out Steve's take here.
Sean Kirst invited some of us CNY bloggers to dinner at the fair Friday (invited, lured with the offer of Dinosaur on him, same thing). It was like a coming out party for people who have keyboards but, until Friday, not faces. In attendance:
- Steve Balogh, of BaloghBlog and GeddesBlog
- Ellen Edgerton of NYCO
- Phil Prehn of Racing in the Street
- Jesse Harasta of York Staters, who is 23, brilliant, and will probably be famous someday
- Sean Kirst, a columnist and blogger for The Post-Standard, and
- Josh Shear, of BlogJosh and Alive in CNY, who occasionally likes writing about himself in the third person
Wow, I do have to say, it didn't feel like we said all that much in two hours – it really just felt like a getting-to-know-you session, which it was, sort of – but I guess we did get a lot of ideas out there. I didn't take notes, but if you want more info or want to share ideas, leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail.
You can read Sean's story here, and check out Steve's take here.
