Yay! More Baby Pics!

Here's some new baby pics from earlier today. Does she look like she's up for a fight in that one pic?

Simon Cowell is Lost

I'm sitting here watching American Idol, and the first male contestant of the night just finished. I thought he was pretty darn good. He joined the military after September 11th, and seems like a really likable guy. Plus his voice was really good. It kindof had a Sting-like quality. Randy and Paula gave their typically banal reaction, though they were positive responses, and then Simon described him as a good karaoke singer. Hmmm... if this guy's karaoke, I'm going to start going to karaoke concerts, cause he was pretty damn good. But I think Simon has lost touch with what it's going to take to win. Apparently he hasn't been watching his own show, cause it has little to do with the best talent, and more to do with who connects with the audience, or who has something "freakish" about them that voters can exploit and force the general public to see week after week.

Simon is apparently under the impression that talent has something to do with winning. This can't be the case. Other than Kelly Clarkson (who is talented - but also a pretty hot chick who undoubtedly won on her looks too), the others are all kindof freakish. Rueben Studdard is the incredibly fat black guy (or incredibly black fat guy?), Fantasia is freakishly, uh freakish, and Taylor Hicks has GREY HAIR and is also really weird. Oh yeah, I forgot about Carrie Underwood, who won in a particularly un-exciting fashion, and is pretty darn forgetable. She also won on her looks. Who was she up against? Some ugly dude? I don't even remember!

So Simon, get a grip. This contest has nothing to do with who is most likely to be a pop star. Or a rock star. Or any kind of star, other than perhaps freak show. None of the current contestants is outwardly freakish - maybe something will show up over the next few weeks. Perhaps "Beatbox dude" will wow us week after week with his beatboxing... which might be weird enough to keep him around forever - getting rid of better singers. I think Simon believes he's still on Pop Idol - but American's like to support weirdos, and I almost guarantee that another weirdo will win this year.

Downtown Housing Developments

There've been a few stories in the local media recently about the boom in downtown housing developments. This is in the wake of such projects as the $15 million Sagamore on East project, the new condos built between Scio Street and The Little Theatre, and a ton of loft apartment projects going on within the inner loop. All really good stuff. And the new projects being planned are also fantastic - the new apartments to be added behind the project around The Little on Charlotte Street, two residential projects in High Falls - one a redo of the last old building down there, and the other a partnership with the Urban League and Kodak. Plus, my personal favorite, re-doing the old bath house building component into housing. In fact, I looked at that property a couple years ago too as a possible office building for a mix of small companies. Capron Place still needs a new buyer, as the original developer apparently went broke, but that will also be a great project across the street from the bath house.

So, I get a little disoriented when I start reading my New York Times Sunday Magazine and I see ads for new apartment buildings down there, with condos STARTING at anywhere from $1,500,000 or $1,950,000 up to $7,000,000. Wow. It makes you realize the nature of the real estate business! Here the debate has been over spending $7,000,000 on buying the Midtown complex from a NYC firm and managing redevelopment locally, which in NYC, $7 million gets you a nice place to live! For examples, check out here and here.

Not to mention, these new apartment buildings are AMAZING. They're basically giant glass towers with amazing views all around. Waterfront locations too. Now, the City of Rochester did this charette thing a few months ago - with one of the more interesting components being a 15 story residential building located on the site of the old parking garage helix. I think it's a fantastic idea - though the design sketch was kindof lame. It was very traditional and old fashioned. I wish we could be a little more forward thinking when it comes to architectural designs in the City - like the Strong Museum - but apparently design risks are one of the risks the community isn't willing to take.