Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
March 2008 Archives
Ric Flair Says Goodbye to the Ring
Wrestlemania this year featured the last match for one of the greatest of all time. Ric Flair, he is no Hulk Hogan but over the years, other than Hogan, no one says wrestling more than the Nature Boy.
I am a wrestling fan, I admit to it, I know its fake but its fun to watch. Ric Flair has been wrestling for longer than I have been alive. Hes closing in on 60 and despite the fakeness of wrestling there are moves that Im sure hurt a healthy young 20 something in the ring, imagine what that stuff feels like on a guy who is turning 60.
Wrestling fan or not you have to admire the guy. His style and personality will be missed in the ring.
Category: Entertainment | Sports
Meet Molson
It was unexpected, but a welcome addition. This is our newest member to the family, Molson. He is a 12 week old, pure bred beagle. He snores too as he is sleeping in his crate in front of me now as I write this.
My dream dog is a St. Bernard, however, I have said that if we were going to go smallish, a Beagle would be my first choice. Well, this guy has it all, the color, the looks and he has spunk and personality.
Naming him was a toss up between Vernon or Molson. Molson took the cake because well, I love Vernon Wells, if he ever got traded in this day and age I would be stuck with a dog named after a player from a team I don't like, Molson on the other hand, will always be my favorite brew.
Category: Miscellaneous
Prayers Do Not Replace Medical Science
Madeline Neumann of Weston, Wisconson was only 11 years old and with proper care for her diabetes would have lived a normal life. Instead her parents decided to ignore scientifc fact and medical care to pray for her health. Great choice. What did the prayers do? They killed her.
Her parents should be put on trial and serve jail time. This is a case of neglect and quite possibly murder. It should also be a case in point that maybe, just maybe there is no God. If there was, don't you think he would have answered these prayers? I wonder how much the parents believe in religion now?
This article helps prove that empirical and scientific evidence be it medical or any other field or profession that involves making informed decisions should always trump faith. The parents should have known better.
I realize these parents are in the minority religious nut jobs of the world but it is a dangerous and growing population of this country that thinks the way they do.
The daughter in this case, hadn't seen a doctor since 3 years old, she was 11 when she died. Faith can kill if put in the wrong place. The parents believe they did nothing wrong, well, look it up folks, because when you go to trial the jury will convict you of something called neglect and realistically, it should be murder. The parents, despite their intentions belong in jail and that my friends can not be argued.
Category: News | Science | healthcare | religion
More Religion and Politics
News like this is what really disturbs me about politics and relgion. There should be no religion in politics. Any news about this disturbs me. The two are totally separate.
Geoffery Layman the author of "The Great Divide: Religious and Cultural Conflict in American Party Politics," says in the article that the Republicans can't be the only religious party. I don't understand that statement. If religion and politics are separate entities why are we so into this idea of the vote of people of different religions?
The religion of voters should not matter in any political race or party, there is no religious party and the mass media of this country and Professor Layman should know that. In case all the religious people out there don't realize, we are not electing a priest, we are electing someone who can run this country.
It shouldn't matter what religion our future president supports whether its Christianity, Buddhism or Atheist, if they are a good leader and have a good plan that makes sense to our needs as a nation they can worship aliens from another planet for all I care as long as their faith does not affect their decisions when it matters.
Faith should never play a part in politics, facts and good decision making based on those facts do, something that many of the people who do vote based on faith and religion do not use when making decisions.
Again, I have posted on and stated it many times, if religions are going to continue to play that big a role in our political system, tax them, all of them. Its a huge revenue stream and the money could be used to fund universal health care and probably have enough left over to help save social security and medicaire.
Sunday Retro
Blue Peter was a Canadian band that had one hit of significance but it was a hit and still is a hit that you can hear regularly on 102.1 CFNY, just tune in Sunday nights. You don't have to wait till tonight though, I have it right here if you want to see the video.
One interesting bit about Blue Peter, Jason Sniderman was one of the band members whose father Sam Sniderman owned . Sam the Record Man. After Blue Peter came and went, Jason became an executive with Sam the Record Man which used to have 130 stores (I did not know that) with one on Yonge St. in Toronto that was always a highlight for me to go to whenever I visited TO.
Category: Music
Playing "God" Again
The Grey Wolf has been an endangered species for years now, coming close to extinction because we (humans) hunted them to the brink. Farmers would shoot them because they would kill livestock.
The Grey Wolf has recently been taken off the endangered species list with 1500 wolves in the population. So like any irrational state or states would do, they are already planning to allow hunting of the wolves because they want the population down to 900-1200. I hope the environmental groups in the article above not only sues, but gets total and outright ban on the hunting of wolves.
How sad is it that we think we can play "God" when it comes to saying how many of an animal are "okay" to have in existence. The Grey Wolf used to cover a large chunk of Canada, the mid-westeren US including Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, North/South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Alaska. It was such a huge expanse that this animal lived in that 1500 wolves in the wild should be negligible.
Losing the Grey Wolf would be almost as bad as if we lost the Bald Eagle, which by the way almost happened in the 70's. That bird is on a lot of our money and national symbols, can't let that happen, but it almost did. We should treat the Grey Wolf the same way. The Bald Eagle is off the endangered species list but I don't see anyone out to hunt them.
The Wolf should be permanently protected. Even at 1500 its numbers are probably still fragile due to limited habitat. The Wolf needs a huge range to live in and is very territorial. Its afraid of humans for the most part but can you blame them? If we infringe on their territory though, including farmers with livestock, the things have to eat. Maybe if farmers treated their livestock a little better Id start feeling sorry for them.
Until then, the grey wolf should not only be protected from hunting, they should be protected permanently as a national treasure. They are a beautiful animal that deserves better outcome than what man has given them.
Category: News | Politics | environment
Heart Shaped Box
As good as Nevermind was, I always have though that In Utero was the best Nirvana record made. It was grungy and moody record that still is one of the best records of the 90's and if not of all time.
Nirvana- Heart Shaped Box
Category: Music
Stingrays Banquet
The Stingrays Swim Club held their 43rd annual banquet and awards dinner tonight. That is why I haven't posted today. I have been busy getting some graduate work done so I could go out to the banquet.
As usualy it was a great time and my group, the Marlins, are the second largest in the club.We have our learn to swim groups: Guppies and Deepwater and then our competitive groups: Marlins, Dolphins and Sharks.
I currently have 18 swimmers. Last year I had 6 maybe. So all is well at Stingrays swimming. I have been around for 4 years now and hopefully, all things willing, I will be around for many more with the club. I really enjoy the kids I get to work with and its a sport I have always enjoyed participating in and now coaching.
Coaches got new shirts tonight which is my favoirte part of the evening, I will have to post a picture of my new shirt this week.
Category: Swimming
Slim and None
The Sabres essentially have no chance, in order to get in they have to win all five remaining games, not just win them, they have to win the two against Boston in regulation. Allowing Boston the pity point in either game could destroy their chances.
Its a long shot, assuming that they beat Montreal tonight, I might believe until they get to Boston, but they need to beat a far superior Canadians squad that is on a hot run right now, so good luck and like I said, get your tickets for SABAH.
Category: Sports
SABAH Show
If you are looking for something to do April 6th, and judging by the Sabres and Leafs, most of us will be, check out the 30th annual SABAH show (Skating Association for the Blind and Handicap) at HSBC Arena.
Through various employment situations in my career, I have had the pleasure to be associated with the shows both on and off the ice, as a performer and just a volunteer who wanted to help out a group I used to work with.
It is an amazing show and the children get so much out of it and work so hard throughout the year. Tickets are cheap too. My experiences with it were never to be forgotten and I will always remember them. Unfortunately this year, I am not able to attend, but that doesn't mean I will not remember them on that day and the special day that it is for all involved.
Category: Miscellaneous
In One Week
One week from tomorrow I will be at my first opening day in three years. I didn't go the last two years because I had other things on my plate. This year, I will be in section 216 seat 6 watching Blue Jays baseball live for the first time in a while. I can't wait to drive into Toronto along lakeshore and see my favorite city.
Most of all, I want a Blue Jays win, I am bringing my friend Bob who is a Red Sox fan, it can get ugly if he gets a big ego, so the sooner the Jays score and the more one sided the defeat, the better. Im hoping they find a way to save Doc for next Friday. Im getting pumped:
Category: Sports
Top 3 James Songs
With the new James CD "Hey Ma" coming out in a few weeks Im going to try my best to get my hands on it. Its nice that a band that is as reliable as James is, is making a comeback. They have been on hiatus for a few years now and it was doubtful whether or not they would put out anything new. Now I hope they come somewhere close to Buffalo for a show or two.
With That, these are my top three James songs of all time:
For Tomorrow:Destiny Calling:
Come Home:
Category: Music
I Should Have Invested in Oil
Oil back in 1999, just 9 years ago almost to the day was in the $13-$14 a barrel range and for the year was averaging $11.22. If I had $10,000 on me back then, I would have invested in oil. In just 9 years my $10,000 would have grown to over $100,000 and then some.
Oil is going up and up, we may get a small break here and there but for the most part, its not slowing its ascent. Cheap oil is gone and Id be surprised if it went below the 100 mark again. Of course I was listening to Rush Limbaugh base the price of oil on what he calls the Global Warming "Hoax" and that it is global warmings fault that oil prices are so high and food prices are so high. It couldn't possibly be that we are reaching a tipping point where the population of this planet is finally outstripping its ability to provide enough resources for us. We all know that oil is a finite resource, but so is food, there are 6+ billion mouths to feed on this planet and we are already seeing a lot of the warning signs in India and Africa. Prices are going up because things are scarce, and just maybe it would make sense that instead of being a society that is known for being wasteful, maybe Limbaugh and his followers should follow the definition of conservative and actually CONSERVE resources.Category: Global Warming | News
Ottawa 6 Sabres 3
I needed some time before I could comment on last nights game.The more I thought about it the more I really think that missing the playoffs this year is okay. They will either learn something from this year or they will continue down the destructive path they are on, either way I look at it this way:
For the first time in 3 years, I can go outside on spring afternoons and evenings and not have to be in front of TV as the weather gets nicer and nicer. Summers have seemed short the last few years because every other night starting in April and going till June I have been camped in front of a TV with baited breath waiting for playoff hockey.
I may tune in from time to time this year especially if Edmonton makes it, they are my favorite western team but I will not beat myself up over missing part of a game or a whole game. I will go about this spring much differently. I will get outside, get some exercise and maybe even re-introduce myself to baseball again.
After the emotions of the last two years and the roller coaster ride of this year and after watching them fold in the last 8 minutes of a game they had in the palm of their hand ready to squeeze the life out of Ottawa, I need a break. I love the Sabres, but I need a break from the emotional ride that this team takes me on. In five or six games, the season will be over, and spring will hopefully be in full gear with warmer weather.
Category: Sports
Social Security/Medicaire Meltdown
This administration has screwed up a lot of things and probably the most devastating screw up will not be the Iraq war, although that is certainly contributing to this country's financial problems. It will be how it mishandled social security and medicaire.
Before Clinton/Gore left office they left with a huge surplus, one that was there to save those programs, within a year of taking office, Bush drained it. He drained it with his first stimulus package back in 2001 giving away money at a time when the country was going broke.
And so here we are again talking about both programs being drained. How many of us would gladly give back the $600 we are all getting in May to know that those to programs would be saved? I know I would. No questions. Instead this administration is being anything but conservative. Throwing money away on the Iraq debacle which with that money, could have saved social security, medicaire and created a universal healthcare system and then throwing money around for tax rebates.
For a country that is going broke, the last thing that should be happening is tax rebate checks and spending on a needless war. The next president is going to have a lot on his/her plate, and we can add social security and medicaire to the list.
The A Team Movie?
Is there enough of a plot? Who is starring in it? If there is no Mr. T, there can be no A Team Movie sorry, scrap it and find something else to re-create.
Is Hollywood hell bent on remaking every cheesy television show into a movie? The Dukes of Hazard, The Brady Bunch, Bewitched, Knight Rider, whats next? Baywatch? Although Im sure most guys would line up to see a Baywatch movie.
This is what I remember of the A-Team:
Category: Movies | Television
Three Bands That Should Be In
These are three bands that should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but for one reason or another have been snubbed over the years.
1. Rush-They belong just on longevity alone, never mind the fact that their resume includes such favorites as Closer to The Heart, Spirit of the Radio, Working Man, Red Barchetta, I could go on and on. Each one of the members of Rush at anyone point could have a case made for them being the best at their craft whether it be Geddy on Bass and Vocals, Alex Lifeson on Guitar or Neil Peart on Drums. To this day, they are three of the most outstanding musicians you could see live.
Spirit of the Radio from 2004's Rush In Rio
2. The Cure-Still going strong with a double CD on the way and a tour starting soon, The Cure have been a staple for years of the goth/alternative music scene and have released a ton of material over the years. I would put them in in front of John Cougar Melloncamp any day of the week.
The Cure and Fascination Street
3. Joy Division/New Order- I put them in together because one morphed into the other. After Ian Curtis the lead singer for Joy Division died, New Order was formed, without one, the other would not have come to be. Joy Division has been an influence for countless artists including Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy. Alan Cross once wrote "New Order made it cool to dance again".
Joy Division doing Love Will Tear Us Apart
New Order and Blue Monday
Category: Music
Opening Pitch Just 12 Hours And Counting
Opening day is here, well okay not here, its in Japan and its at 6:05 in the morning. Bills fans who think it sucks that the Bills are playing one preseason game a year in Toronto is bad, how would you like them to play in Japan. At least you can make the trip to Toronto.
Tomorrow morning at 6:05 AM when most of us are trying to squeeze a few last minutes of sleep in before we get up for work, the first pitch on the Major League Baseball season will be thrown and no one unless they are a die hard this side of the Pacific will have a clue it is happening.
Red Sox and A's fans should be livid at not being able to see the first pitch of our pastime on our home soil at a decent hour. I understand that baseball wants to market over seas just like every other sport but do it with the exhibition games not the games that count in the standings.
Professional sports takes our support for granted and when they take games like opening day away from their fans, it just them spitting on the folks who have made those teams viable over the years. As for me, Im not a Boston fan nor an A's fan but I am a baseball fan who would be in front of that TV for every minute of the first game of the year, if it was on at 8:00 prime time here in the US. Since it is the way it is, Im not turning it on.
Category: Sports
Move Over Peter Cottontail
Here comes Peter Puck! I remember Peter Puck during intermissions on channel 2 Sabres games back in the day.
Category: Miscellaneous | Sports
Olympic Boycott Would Be Fine
It won't happen. Athletes will still show up because of the huge corporate sponsorship at stake, but if you want to peacefully protest the Chinese government and make a powerful statement towards their treatment of Tibet then nations around the world who are sending their athletes should stay home.
In addition to the Tibetan crisis, China has said that they do not intend to allow live broadcasts of the games because they don't want networks showing protesters so it would be their way of censoring what networks here in the US and around the world show. So everything you see from the games could be on a tape delay and censored before you see it.
If I am an NBC executive or an executive from any of the big television stations that are going there to cover and they are told they can not carry live, I take my stuff home and say fine, we aren't covering it at all. Think of all the endorsement money and cooperate money that is lost if that happens.
Same with the athletes. You show it live or we don't come. You leave Tibet alone or we stay home. The money China has riding on the Olympics is huge. They have invested in billions of dollars into the Olympics and everything that goes with them from green technology to reduce smog and the heavy pollution that clouds Bejing to getting the actual facilities in place to hold the actual events.
That leads me to believe that China has to back off Tibet and cut the macho censorship crap at some point because eventually if countries around the world have any balls what so ever, they stay home and say screw you China. That would make the biggest statement and would make the Dali Lama very proud. The only question is, do we have the guts to lead the way and stay home?
Category: Sports
Easter's Crappy Forecast
Right Now 21°
Today's High: 29° Low: 24°
Okay, heres the deal, when ever Jesus died or however they figured it out, they have to guarantee that its going to be warmer than 32 degrees. Check out what the temperature was at 8:30 this morning. No wonder it doesn't feel like Easter.
Easter is supposed to look and feel like spring, instead it looks and feels like we are on the verge of a lake effect snow storm. From now on, we should play Easter by ear, if its going to be crappy, we delay it a week, if that week is bad we wait until it actually is above freezing for a high and there is no chance of nor is there any snow on the ground.
They don't know when Jesus died so they can move it around based on the weather. Easter should be a flexible holiday. You can do the traditional stuff or you can light up the grill and do an early season cookout and watch some holiday baseball.
I don't care if the sun is out, the thing isn't doing anything, "the sun is out" make me feel better line is a nice one for say February, now the sun has to come out AND it has to be warmer. Id settle for 45-50. Just get to 40 consistently for a week. That would be nice. Show some signs that it is the spring/Easter season.
Category: Weather
Sunday Retro
Dexy's Midnight Runners a true one hit wonder but what a hit it was. Its still big today with all the 80's nostalgia and the song will probably still be big in 25 more years.....Come on Eileen
Category: Music
Chocolate Jesus
This time of year always makes me remember the Humble and Fred chocolate Jesus bit they always did. And I completely got the bit, though some would have it go right over their heads. They have chocolate this and chocolate that, everything from chocolate cell phones to chocolate computer monitors to chocolate sneakers, why no chocolate Jesus? Or as Fred said, Chocolate Lord.
Well Happy Easter again, and here's a chocolate Jesus for ya.
Category: Happy Easter
Happy Easter Everybody!
Easter has become a second rate holiday for me. Its kinda low key, you are going to see family and that will be fun, but really, its not about the Easter Baskets for the time being. The wife and I have no kids and well I have requested no Easter basket necessary for years now.
Ive been too old for the chocolate and crappy candy that goes with Easter. So whats left? Brunch, usually baseball but this year some how miraculously Jesus died weeks earlier than usual and Easter precedes baseball season. Im not religious so the church thing doesn't do it for me, So it really is just another day for me. But Happy Easter anyway. Im sure all that will change when we have kids.
One thing I can not stand on Easter....PEEPS! Hate them, the marshmallow with sugar over it in all sorts of gay colors is the most annoying thing on the planet. Here is a cool video for all you Peeps haters, in the mean time, Ill be getting ready for a little brunch and time with family on a holiday that has progressively meant less and less each year. I can't wait till we have kids to bring the kid stuff back into it.
Does anyone else feel the way about peeps that I do? I haven't seen any of them this year yet but I know tomorrow they will show their ugly heads somewhere.
Category: Happy Easter
Leafs 4 Buffalo 1
Last nights loss happened and really its a sigh of relief. It probably was the most important game Buffalo had to play and play well. They are now in 10th and catching Washington will prove to be more difficult than getting to 8th place. Essentially though, in order to get to 8th, Buffalo is going to have to catch Washington.
You can see the Capitals coming together as a team and Alexander the Great (not Mogilny) is leading the way. They have what Buffalo has been lacking. Leadership. Sure Buffalo is slowly finding guys to lead the way but its too little too late. The good news is Pommers looks ready to take that role full time. Another guy seems to think he can come back and fill a role too.
The big idea of bringing back Teppo is the thing that really bugs me. With all due respect to Teppo and his teammates and I know that they have been all saying all the right things, its a delicate situation and the guy has been through a lot but bringing him back at this point, is not what this team needs. It would be horrific for the team and probably not much better for Teppo.
First of all the guy is 39 and hasn't played a shift all season. He had open heart surgery last off season and who knows if he is able to play period, never mind at a level high enough to help.
The Sabres just traded away their fastest defenseman and best skater in Campbell and then you are probably going to end up sitting a faster skating, healthy, younger guy for a 39 year old, status post open heart surgery, slow footed defenseman?
I have all the respect in the world for Teppo for the time he has given this organization but realistically for the good of the team, don't come back as a player, come back as a coach or something useful. All I see are bad things happening if this comeback comes true especially if it happens this season.
Now if you want to give it a go next season in training camp and you make the team, go for it but not now, not in the last 8 games of the most important time of the season. While you are in training camp mode trying to get your timing back, every other player on the team and in the league will be in playoff mode and when you are in a situation like that, only injuries can occur and with what you just went through, Id rather not see anything bad happen. So Im saying this out of respect and admiration Teppo, don't do it yet!
Category: Sports
Updated
I spent some time today updating the Sabres link. If have tried to click on it you may have noticed it was wrong. Well none other than my mom pointed out the error to me and Toronto Mike helped me fix the glitch so the Sabres link on the sidebar will now hopefully do its job. So have at it peoples!
Category: Blogging
Is This Finally The Big Step
We have been waiting for the ressurection of the city of Buffalo for some years now. The new Peace Bridge has been talked about, the commercial slip along the canal and Buffalo Harbor, Bass Pro, Museums and all this stuff has been talked about time and time again with little or no action.
Finally though the talk may be turning into action. Yes over the last few years if you drive into Buffalo there are a few new skyline buildings but nothing significant, we have seen Labatt open its US headquarters downtown and hints of things to come.
What we haven't seen is this big movement that we have all been promised. New 4 reported on it and like all reports on the news you take it with a grain of salt around here because it seems like something always falls through. The underground Aquarium up in the Falls went no where and the Adelphia fiasco are two big things that fell apart that leave many of us critical.
However, there is something to it that this stuff like Bass Pro keeps coming up, they are finally starting work on the Aud and finally looks like they are breaking ground on several new projects downtown, so maybe, just maybe we are headed in the right direction. The event they are planning to have much of this stuff in place for is the NCAA tournament that comes back to Buffalo in 2010 that went extremely well last time. Maybe this time we have reason to think things will get done?
Category: News
Lay Off Obama
I need to make my point a little bit more here, but lay off Obama. All this talk about him and how he should not be a viable candidate because of his reverends comments is ridiculous. Check out another video of the two religious idiots who supported Bush, but no one and I mean no one talked about Bush's removal from office despite their support of the Bush administration.
They thought we deserved 9/11, what planet were they on. Talk about racist, these guys are racist beyond what ever Obama and his reverend are being talked about for.
We Made It!
Through a cold, dark, snowy winter. Today is the first day of spring! Even though it was still cold as all hell and snowing out Ill believe the calendar.
The nice part though about this time of year is that you can go from a 30 degree, snowy day like today to 70 and seeming like summer next week. So we shall celebrate with none other than The Ghandarva's and The First Day of Spring:
Category: Music
Sabres 7 Lightning 4
I will admit, I turned it off. Mid way through the second period I turned it off and then about 30 minutes later I thought, maybe just maybe they had a burst in them and they could do the impossible.
They did, 7-4 over Tampa with 6 of those 7 goals coming in the third period. Vanek, Pominville, Roy and Hecht led the way.
They still are only in 9th so there is work to do yet. One loss could end their chances.
Category: Sports
Finally Someone Sensible on WBEN
I don't listen to the above station because 99% of the time, I disagree with everything they say, however, I do like listening to one person, Ron Dobson. He is probably the only one who is not a brainwashed conservative, right wing Republican on the station so married to George W. that he will say that he agrees with George W. just for the shock value or because is really is that stupid.
Dobson actually makes sense and while I don't always believe in his point of view, he actually isn't afraid to stray from the stations rhetoric.
Tonight, he was asking, if you knew what we know now, would you be okay with starting this whole Iraq war over again? Today is the five year anniversery if thats what you want to call it. I wouldn't be celebrating because the last five years have costed thousands of lives, hundreds of billions of dollars and we have made a country that is not ours for all intensive purposes worse off than it was under Saddam Hussein.
Yes he was a bastard who had some problems with his own authority but at least he was maintaining order in his country. We on the other hand seem to have created a state of chaos. The Iraq people have seen their water become less drinkable, their electricity and other utilities are worse off today than they were and over all their standard of living has declined since we have been there. Another example is that before we went in, there were 34,000 doctors registered in the country. Since then 20,000 of those doctors have fled, so their healthcare is in shambles as well.
Top that off with the Pentagon releasing documents today clearly stating that Saddam Hussein and Iraq had NO CONNECTIONS to Al Qaida and I think that most of our answers would be that we would not do this again.
Think about the billions that could have been saved and the lives that have been lost that could have lived. Not to mention the lives that have been psychologically damaged by being there.
I honestly thought that even the monetary part of this war was going to be paid for by Iraqi oil money, there was another lie. This whole war was fought and continues to be fought on facts convenient only to George W. Bush and his administration. All we need to find out now, is that George knew that it was all a lie and went ahead with this anyway, then slap those impeachment papers on the table.
Why Are We Looking for Dirt On Her?
Seriously? Tomorrow we get to see Hiliary's papers ooooh scary, like we are going to find anything that is going to impede her candidacy. Where is this push coming from and why do we care so much? Why are we demanding this of her and not instead demanding documents from the Bush administration?
Bush and Cheney are the two that can't be trusted. We the American public has been lied to over and over again, whether its about 9/11 and the Iraq war to environmental and healthcare issues. We should be demanding that this administration releases every document and phone call that they have made.
They are going to get Hiliary's papers tomorrow and they will find nothing. Not because she is hiding anything but because she has absolutely nothing to hide. John McCain hasn't had to produce shit despite being supported in his campaign by George W. Bush and all of his corrupted cronies from Bush on over to Pat Robertson who is the dirtiest religious man in the history of Christianity.
So, take this news about Hiliary and Barack with some skepticism because it all stinks of something foul, and they are not the foul odor, it is who ever is demanding that they answer to the bullshit that they have been answering to. It takes the spot light off the good that they have to offer and puts it on minor crap that means nothing in the over all scheme of things.
Its as if Karl Rove is in the background orchestrating this, only Karl Rove is supposedly no longer working amongst the Republican Party. He always was good at getting the media talking about meaningless issues like flag burning and gay marriage prior to elections, issues that took Democrats stong points and election grabbing topics like the environment and healthcare out of the public eye. Well even if its not him doing this, its working again, we are talking about meaningless priests and papers that for most of us would be private.
Category: Politics
Pat Robertson's Rant
This is a video of Pat Robertson ranting about gays and lesbians. This shows you what a religious leader he is. He supports our president and Bush probably wouldn't deny it and he also supports McCain, yet I don't hear the outrage over him and his ridiculous and dangerous views.
He makes a ton of money and none of it is taxed. Robertson and the types of religious idiots that support him are the churches that should be taxed. Stay out of politics and preach what your religion wants you to preach, which is love and peace for all, not just straight, white Christians.
He actually agreed with Falwell when Falwell stated that 9/11 was caused by all the gays. Thats nice guys.
Easy On Obama Folks
I am getting a little sick of people getting on Obama about his priest. Again religion and politics do not and can not be mixed. What his priest said has probably been taken out of context. How many have sat through Barack Obama's full Sunday service with Reverend Wright? How many have heard any more of his Reverends comments than that 4 second sound bite of him hating America?
Is it possible to be patriotic and hate where America is going or has ended up? I think it is. I hate where this country has been headed since George W. Bush took office but it doesn't mean I hate the country. Maybe Reverend Wright did mean it the other way, maybe he didn't, none of us can know what he said or meant to say unless we were there to take it in context.
What perplexes me is how the right wingers and conservatives can go after Obama and his priest when they have the likes of Pat Robertson and have in the past before he thankfully died Jerry Falwell in their corner. They say they preach the Bible and all this yet they are anti gay and full of hate of anyone who doesn't see the world as their Christian Baptist congregations see it. So the Repulicans should can it and move on to a winable issue if there is one for them.
Falwell always backed Bush but I didn't hear anyone asking for Bush to renounce him or disown him. Fawell was the biggest racist and anti gay religious nut job of them all. Pat Robertson isn't much better only he is a little more polite about his anti gay statements but trust me he makes them.
So before anyone goes after Barack on the Republican side, you better think of the religious whack jobs you have supporting your candidates, And above all else, how many can realistically say that they have ever since this campaign has started heard Barack Obama say one negative thing about his country? Thats what I thought.
Category: Politics
Another Great Canadian Band
Sloan is another great Canadian band I haven't posted nearly enough on. I don't listen to them as much as the Hip or 5440 but I would put them right up there as tied for my favorite Canadian ensemble.
Money City Maniacs destroyed the crowd at their Thursday in the Square show a few summers back. It was my first time seeing them.
Category: Music
She La
One of if not the best 5440 song live. Its getting to be that time of year again, they usually visit Buffalo for a Thursday in the Square or a Canal Concert series show. 9 times out of ten they play the free series around here and 10,000 plus show up to see them kick ass.
This is She La
Category: Music
330 Miles Per Gallon?!?!
According to this article I read on How Stuff Works the Aptera gets an incredible 330 miles to the gallon. It is being developed by a small company of 15 individuals who are trying to design the most fuel efficient car. They have a few kinks to work out but once they do this baby could be mass marketed.
At a reasonable price, who wouldn't sign up for that? I know I would. Even with my current little rice burning Toyota Corolla I feel a pinch at current prices with fill ups now routinely costing me around $40. I fill up about once a week. Add that up over a year and im spending about $13 more per fill up than I was last year at this time. Thats over $600 more per year Im spending.
Now take this Aptera deal. With how much I drive, I had an oil change around December 14th. I am just now approaching 2900 miles. Based on an 11.5 gallon tank at 330 miles per gallon, I would get approximately 3795 miles per tank. I would have to change my oil before I ran out of gas.
Most of us would buy into that. There are those who say they would buy only Chevy or Ford or whatever car company they have been loyal to, but If someone told you that gas prices were as high as they are now and you have the option to fill your 11 gallon tank up 4 times a year, Im in. The makers of this say it was for their concern for the environment. Even if you have no concerns about the environment and don't believe in global warming, most of us have concerns about our wallet which would be good enough reason to look into this option.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Tip your pints in the air and hope ya have a great day!
Heres a little something from the greatest Irish band The Pogues with Joe Strummer on guitar.
Category: St. Patrick's Day
Im Supporting Proposition 3/17
Make sure you all get onto the Guiness website where Proposition 3/17 is being voted on right now. St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Yes it should be. Seriously, between Christmas and now, how many holidays do we have to really celebrate? Not a whole hell of a lot.
Im half Irish so Im giving it my vote. They need 1,000,000 to sign their petition. Its not the official day yet but they are at 227,000+ right now. So sign it peoples so we can make St. Patrick's Day official!
Hell even if your not Irish, fake it. Thats the beautiful thing about St. Patrick's Day, we invite everyone to be Irish for a day. All we ask is you have a pint of beer and some bangers and mash.
Category: Miscellaneous
Sunday Retro
I saw this week that Gene Love Jezebel is still going strong. Hopefully they will hit the Buffalo/Toronto area, I wouldn't mind seeing them. They meshed the Goth and Techno sounds well in the 80's without sounding cheesy and from what I have seen of their live performance, they are pretty good to see perform their tunes on stage. This is not the official video it is a remix with a background of album artwork and band photos but the sound is good.
Category: Music
Saturdays At FrizB's
I stopped at Frizb's yesterday and as always I spent some time looking around. I don't go in there looking to spend a fortune, its more looking for that needle in a haystack, that rare CD that may have slipped through the cracks and made it onto the $5 Saturday shelves.
I didn't find the needle in a haystack but I picked up a nice set to add to the collection:
Peter Gabriel's SO- a solid CD and probably his best commercial release of his career. Kate Bush duets with Peter on the beautiful Don't Give Up. Daniel Lanois produced this Gabriel masterpiece and it seems like Lanois is on every rock record that has ever meant anything.
Black Sabbath Greatest Hits 1970-1978- Im not a huge Sabbath fan, I like the Ozzy years the best and honestly can say I have never heard anything but Sabbath Ozzy and not so sure Sabbath without Ozzy is worth the listen. But this stuck out and every rock collection needs some Sabbath.
Blind Melon-The career of this band was cut way short by the unfortunate death of Shannon Hoon
Category: Music
I Know I Said I Wouldn't, But I Did
I posted on the Sabres. And this is another post about the Leafs so what about it? So I couldn't help it. I can't get the Blue and Gold out of my mind when they win games like the last two. Besides they were playing my other team the Leafs who are also going through some of the same trials and tribulations as the Sabres, though maybe the Sabres are in a little better shape.
This post though isn't so much about the Sabres win as it is about the Leafs losing. What has happened to them? Paul Maurice is a good coach, he showed it with the Hurricanes and he deserves better. He looked and acted like a desparate coach last night.
I can't remember the last time I saw a goalie pulled three goals down with 5 minutes left to play. Then again, this time of year teams are exactly what Paul Maurice was last night, desparate. Its too bad the rest of the Leafs bench weren't as desparate as their coach and the Sabres were, otherwise last night might have been a great game for both sides to watch.
Instead, it was a lop sided game. I know they played with out Captain Mats, but the Leafs didn't seem to show much passion or much smarts. I posted a little about the one play that demonstrated the smarts as Kaleta decked Carlo into the end boards and instead of staying with the puck Carlo was going after the Patrick Kaleta train that knocked him through the south wall of the ACC. Hes probably still picking up his teeth this morning off the ice.
I also saw more passion out of Buffalo which we can't say we have seen much of lately down here. Gaustad drilled Darcy Tucker in the 3rd period last night and a passionate Tucker would have at least shown some interest, instead nothing, He skated away. Thats not the Darcy Tucker that some of us here in Buffalo have learned to envy having on our team and boo when he plays us.
I don;t know what Paul Maurice's status is up in Toronto on the hot seat, but he deserves better, better players and a better attitude from his team. Yes they had injuries but they were playing a team who had two or three young rookie defensemen in the line up so there are no excuses on that front.
The Sabres in the meantime appear to have righted the ship and are inching back into playoff contention so I am going back on my previous end of post statement and will post on an as deserved basis.
Category: Sports
Sabres at Leafs A "Must Win" For Both Teams
AT 
I just turned the game on and Patrick Kaleta may have made the most energizing play for his hometown team all season. He decked Carlo Colaiacovo in the corner leading to the third goal of the game. These really are my two favorite teams to watch play eachother and to watch play period. Buffalo as my favorite team growing up and the Leafs just because I gained an appreciation for them growing up so close to such a great city.
This is a must win game for both teams. If Buffalo loses they fall right back to four points back of the Flyers. If the Leafs lose, all the work they have done to catch Buffalo and get into the 9 seed goes for naught. It also gives Buffalo a huge advantage going into the last two games these teams play against each other.
Its getting to crunch time and losing ground can be huge. There are still two periods left but I like Buffalo's chances up 3-1. Consolation after one period for Leaf fans, Buffalo is known lately for giving up these two goal leads so stay tuned.
Category: Sports
Proof on Teachers
This article and video is a great example of my earlier point. Teachers work their asses off. Yes its at the college level and some would argue that teaching at the college level is easier because the students are self motivated for the most part. But the stuff that this professor does in his classroom has to be carefully planned.
What he is doing is simply called differentiating instruction to appeal to all learners. It takes a lot of practice, experience and knowledge as well as desire and hard work to do what this guy does.
This guy may be the extreme and realistically science may be one of the easiest areas to differentiate learning to all students but I had teachers throughout my career that made learning fun simply by being creative in the classroom. I respected that as a student.
I remember in high school my chemistry teacher almost set the classroom on fire, whether by accident or on purpose I will never forget that day/lesson that he taught. Its simple things that teachers do that take them time and energy but make the learning experience more accessible to students that make learning stick.
Category: Miscellaneous
With Baseball Quickly Approaching
One of the best all time baseball songs is this one, which weaved a great tune with lots of baseball history:
Category: Music
Yes Was Simply Great
I never saw Yes live, though I had a chance to at the Seneca Niagara Casino a few years ago. I wish I had, I am still hopeful they have one more go at it left and return to the area because I would like to see them.
One of my favorite Yes albums was Big Generator, some of the old school Yes fans will probably shoot me for saying it but lets face it, like every great band, Yes morphed itself to be successful in the 80s and it was a great example of that. 90125 was much the same and Big Generator to me took what they did on 90125 and expanded on it.
Jon Anderson Trevor Rabin and Chris Squire and company were simply amazing back in the day. This is one of my favorite songs from that record live, Rhythm of Love:
Category: Music
Teachers Work Their Asses Off
I started my pre-student teaching the past couple of weeks, and I knew going in it was going to be crazy busy. But I want to pass this on to everyone out there who has caught themselves saying that teachers don't work.
They do. I have learned and done more this week than I have ever done in a PT position. I am working in the classroom, granted most right now is observing with the exception of actually doing my lesson that I have scheduled to do. I also have been jumping in and helping with individual students and small group work.
Teachers have a ton of work both in and out of the classroom. The actual teaching is the easy part. It is the behind the scenes stuff that really gets things busy. Not only are teachers responsible for the 15-30 kids in their classrooms but they have meetings at inconvenient times, prep time, they shop for their classrooms, they bring the work they don't get done while staying late in their rooms and do it at home.
My point is that over the years, I have seen what teachers do close up and believe me and premonition that I had that the job was easy was wiped out of my head years ago. The time off is spent catching up and prepping for when they get back to school. It doesn't stop. Even during the summer, there is prep work to do and students files to review for the following year. So summers off doesn't mean that teachers stop working for two+ months.
This week I have been busier than I have ever been. My current physical therapy job, I take no work home, I leave it all at work. Its manageable to leave it there. Even as a pre-student teacher and the five lessons I have to teach, I am bringing home bags full of materials to prep for the next day. So lay off the teachers do no work thing, its an ignorant statement until you go to a classroom and see what teachers have to do on a daily basis.
Category: Miscellaneous
Hip For The Hell Of It
I purposely went looking for this song. The first time I saw the Tragically Hip was at UB's springfest in 1992. They left the stage early because someone was idiot enough to throw a boot at the stage and it figured, it was right in the middle of New Orleans is sinking.
At the time, the Hip were touring in support of Fully Completely, their fourth studio record and this song was my favorite off the CD. Locked in the Trunk of a Car, crank it and enjoy!
Category: Music
Its Baseball Season!
Well the Sabres are done. Its baseball season in my book. It will actually be a normal spring and a long summer. Think about how much time you spend indoors watching playoff games when the weather is absolutely stellar. I feel like I didn't get enough spring and summer the last two years.
So since the Sabres are not making it, Im making a pledge to get outside and enjoy. The Sabres will try to say all the right things after an ugly what ever the score ended up being after 60 minutes, I turned it off after it was 7-3. It simply was not meant to be.
I am still going to watch, though, I am done posting on them until the last game of the season unless they win 10 of the next 11 they are not making anything but tee time in April. Toronto has caught them and honestly I can see the Leafs actually making it especially after a 3-2 win over Philly tonight. The Leafs have something Buffalo has lacked all season. A leader. Mats Sundin. Fans in Toronto can get all over Mats but let me tell ya, the Sabres needed a Captain Mats this year.
The Sabres failures this year were not due to management making poor decisions. It is the economics of the game post lockout. If they sign either Drury or Briere after or prior to the end of last season, they can't keep Vanek and probably lose Roy because they would have been over the salary cap. I would much rather have Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek for the long haul than Briere or Drury.
Lets face it, Vanek may have had a rough start but he is amongst the league leaders in power play goals and has turned it around in the second half to where he has a shot at 30-35 goals if he gets hot again. Roy has been the same Roy and then some. Leading the team in points, he can score and I think we have still only seen the tip of the iceberg with Derek Roy. Both Roy and Vanek are still only 23-24 years old.
:Letting Campbell go was the same deal. Sign him and Ryan Miller, probably the most important part of the team probably doesn't get signed next year. Id rather have a potential All Star goalie in net than Campbell. In addition they would have to worry about how to sign guys like Pominville and Stafford in another year as well who will both be due contracts. So while they may suffer in the short term, the long term is looking rosy because the talent is there, its just incredibly young.
Other guys I see leaving this offseason include:
Dimitri Kalinin- We have been waiting and waiting and waiting, but we cannot wait anymore for the talent in this guy to come out. Hes a mammoth guy but plays like hes skating on glass some nights. Not worth resigning although I equate Kalinin to when they let Richard Shmelik go, Shmelik was always on fans hit list but the season after we all missed him on the blue line.
Max Nation- Sorry Max but you have run your course. I always thought you'd be the next Pavel Bure, you showed it in flashes but flashes for your talent is not good enough and frankly not worth $4 million a season. So if there is a trade available at the draft, Bye bye and we will all wish you luck.
Jaroslav Spacek- I would consider moving him if you could net either A) a high draft pick, B) a young stud prospect defenceman or C) A young prospect power forward/center.
Tim Connelly- Any takers? if so bye.
Teppo Numminen- mid way through they year there was talk he'd be back, where did he go? Where ever he went, hes not coming back. Thanks for your service Teppo, maybe when Lindy makes changes on the coaching staff you could step in behind the bench.
Thibault- He has been unreliable at best, lets bring up a young kid from Rochester to get some experience incase we can't sign Miller. Rumor has it there is a kid from Finland in the farm system that was lights out at Juniors.
Andrew Peters- For the love of all that is good in this world, no more Andrew Peters. Let Patrick Kaleta stay up and play. Kaleta can provide grit, toughness and he checks like a sledge hammer. He has also shown he can drop them too but he usually draws guys into penalties.
Free Agency: Go out and use some of the extra money and find a leader. Find the next Drury. Find anyone who can step in and calm the youth of this team down. A Mike Grier or Jay Mckee type would be nice.
Captaincy: STOP ROTATING THE DAMN THING AND PUT IT ON PAUL GAUSTAD'S JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, Id like to see Dylan Hunter up with the team next year. If he is half of what his dad used to be, he should suffice.
Sorry Im a little long winded but there was a lot to say about the disappointment that this season was. The positives are many still and if they make the right moves they should be better come next season.
Category: Sports
The VU
The Velvet Underground were the start of the alternative movement back in the late 1960's. Lou Reed and company wrote songs about sex, drugs and rock and roll that were painfully obvious to the listener. They weren't hiding it in their lyrics, it was their lyrics.
The first record The Velvet Underground and Nico according to legend sold just 1000 copies of its first printing and all thousand who bought it, went on to form a band. The likes of REM, The Cure, David Bowie and virtually every single rock band since the late 60's from Aerosmith to ZZ Top probably owe some of their existence to The Velvet Underground
This is Waiting for My Man, a song literally about waiting for a score of drugs. Heroin was frequently the drug of topic in many VU songs.
The other interesting tidbit about the VU was the late Andy Warhol was their manager. In fact there are some Syracuse ties to the band.
Category: Music
Chacin Out
After a horrible spring start, Gustavo Chacin finds himself in danger of being left off the big league roster. If the Jays knew his career would take this kind of down turn do you think they would have resigned Ted Lilly? I really wanted to see Gustavo make the team. I thought he was a good pitcher going into last year who had the potential to be one of the best lefties in at least the AL if not the Majors.
I don't know about any of you Jays fans but my only concern right now is there is no lefty in the starting rotation. With all due respect to Jesse Litsch, if there is a trade to be made I would trade him and Reed Johnson to someone for a mid-rotation left hander.
Its either that or if any of their left hander prospects are ready for starting duty like David Purcey or Davis Romero. One thing the Yankees and Red Sox have that the Jays don't is leftys in their rotations. The Red Sox have John Lester and the Yankees of course have Andy Pettite. All playoff teams have at least one go to lefty in their rotation.
It doesn't have to be a 20 game winner, just a guy who can change up where teams are seeing the ball from. Righty after righty is going to provide teams with no change from day to day when hitting agains Blue Jays pitching. That kinda scares me when you get to Marcum and Litsch in the rotation.
Category: Sports
Resign Already
What is the lying, cheating bastard waiting for? Resign already so that this state, its politicians and its citizens can move on without you as our dirty piece of crap governor.
Go make peace with your family and live the rest of your life in shame.
Spitzer should have done it yesterday and to be honest, his wife looked like a champ and a saint for coming on there with him yesterday. I could only imagine what she was thinking there next to him.
Category: Politics
Clayton Kershaw
19 year old Clayton Kershaw is the top pitching prospect in baseball. He is so good that arguably the greatest announcer in the game Vince Scully, gave his curve ball a name the other day in spring training. After watching this curve ball tell me he doesn't look like a left handed Greg Maddux.
Its amazing a kid so young can throw off speed like this:
Category: Sports
Old CFNY Commercial
Though I don't listen to it as often as I used, CFNY is still my favorite radio station. I find myself listening more to talk radio. But when I do listen to FM, I split time between 102.1 and the Mighty Q 107.This is an old CFNY commercial I found:
Category: Music | Television
Drugs in the Water
I've heard of Smoke on the Water but drugs in the water? Thats according to a report that traces of prescription drugs are being found in our nations water supply.
Basically, we piss it out and our trusted water authorities obviously just finding out now have not been filtering that stuff out of our water.
Yet another reason to stick to good old fashioned spring water out of a sealed bottle. I know they say that it is not in harmful amounts but if you are drinking it over years and years it probably builds up.
Is nothing sacred in this world? Nothing left untouched by humans?
Category: News
What a Shame
The news today of Elliot Spitzer came as a shock to all. The unfortunate thing is the timing. He has close ties with Senator Clinton and unless she comes out and obliterates the guy and dismisses him as an endorser of hers she is going to get frowned upon.
This unfortunately could hurt the Democrat's general presidential election in NY as well, though it shouldn't. You can't hold a whole party responsible for the actions of one man and if you can then the entire Republican party should have been shit canned long ago.
I think the one question that needs to be asked of Spitzer is, how could he? Hes young, got a nice looking wife, how could you just go and throw close to $5000 around at some slut you didn't know.
He has to resign at this point and the sooner the better. I think the difference between this and Slick Willy Clinton is the fact that Spitzer paid for his booty call and from the description she was probably better looking than Monica. Thats not the point though, the point is, Slick Willy though wrong in his actions was consenting adults, he didn't pay for Monica. What Spitzer did, was illegal by law, you can't pay for or recieve money for sex, nor cross state lines for booty.
So the comparisons to Clinton should stop with they both have cheated on their respective spouses. You can tell already that Republicans are going to be all over that connection though and try to make it out like its a party wide thing.
The Republicans should bite their tongues though because we all know that they have a few skeletons in their closet that Clinton and Obama would like to rehash if it goes anywhere beyond that Spitzer should resign and be put on trial for his actions. End of story. Lets not make it out to be anything more than what it is and try to move on with our lives, Yes its disappointing that a politician as young, vibrant and his entire political future in front of him had to turn out to be a dirt bag but we can get through this in one piece.
Buffalo Schools Closed
I was scheduled to continue with my student teaching experience today however, the Buffalo Schools are closed? I looked out the window and we didn't get anymore snow. So why?
I am taking valuable time off from work to be there and now this? Have the street crews become that obsolete around here that they can't clean up a simple 12-18 inches of snow? They had all day yesterday to get things in order, it wasn't that bad Saturday night after say, 9:00. So they have had well over 24 hours to get things right.
Kenmore has school, Cheektowaga has school, Lackawana has school, they all border Buffalo, yet some way, Buffalo, the king of snow, can't get its streets clean enough for students to return to school today? We really have gotten soft around here.
Category: Miscellaneous
Fantasy Hockey Update
My fantasy hockey team just completed possibly the greatest comeback in history. No it wasn't a worst to first but it was an 8th to 2nd come back. It included coming back from a below .500 record just 9 weeks ago to finish with a 135-100-41 record. I beat the second place team Firefox owned by my friend Hank who can not be happy this morning.
I won the last 8 weeks to come in and get the bye week this week. The job isn't done yet, now that we have the bye week, its time to go after the championship. No prisoners will be taken, this team is out for blood now.
This weeks leading contributors included:
Joe Thorton with 7 points, (2 G, 5 A) and a +6 and Eric Staal with 6 points, (2G, 4 A) and a +2
In goal:
Henrik Lundqvist had 2 wins and a 1,26 GAA with a shutout.
My guys are getting hot at the right time, hopefully this bye week won't cool them off.
Category: Fantasy Sports
Paying Tribute To New World
New World Records will be closing its doors soon. For those of you who have been big music fans here in Buffalo and even into Canada, you have probably been to New World Records at some point over the last 24 years. For years for the indie music lover in Buffalo it has been Home of the Hits which closed down last year and NWR.
Recently, NWR announced they will be closing this month. They originally moved from the Elmwood strip to Delaware Ave. and Hertel saying that rent was too high and it would be cheaper to be in their current location. However, the music industry isn't what it used to be. Fans are getting the music from other places and soon, NWR will leave music fans with one less option to buy music in Buffalo.
Many who frequented NWR over the years weren't going for the Mall record store or the Media Play/Best Buy big store experience, they went because they could get music that wasn't always easy to find. The independent scene is huge here in Buffalo and there is a huge influence from Canadian artists that increase demand for imports here as well. For my Canadian readers who have never been there, its probably the equivalent of Toronto losing Sam The Record Man.
In a few weeks when NWR closes its doors it will take with it a huge slice of the Buffalo music scene. If there is a silver lining, one record store owner who I talk to frequently said that he is doing well with used CDs. Frizb's for many here in Buffalo may fit the bill as a cheap and logical replacement. However, I think even the owner of Frizb's would agree, we would rather have NWR and Home of the Hits back than not at all as they both tended to make the music scene a little more interesting.
Category: Music
The Boy Who Could Fly
As long as we are retro music, Im watching a retro movie right now. The Boy Who Could Fly. I used to have a crush on Lucy Deakins the actress who plays the girl in this. She was also in the Great Outdoors.
The Boy Who Could Fly, a little cheesy but thats what the 80's was about, cheese.
This is a scene from the Great Outdoors, Lucy is in this but the focus here is on John Candy's appetite. Akroyd talks him into it.
Category: Movies
Sunday Night Retro
Tonight's song makes me think of high school and just being young again. It was one of the anthems of the late 80's/early 90's from New Order. New Order has quite a history as a band, they were previously known as the legendary punk band Joy Division.
When Ian Curtis the lead singer of Joy Division committed suicide the rest of the band made a pact, they would reform under another name. Thus New Order was formed. This song is one of my favoite retro tunes that I don't listen to nearly enough. There are certain songs for everyone that just takes you back to when you were young, this is one of them for me:
Category: Music
Officiating Is Getting Worse and Worse
This season has not been as fun to watch any NHL game. Nevermind the fact that the Sabres and Leafs are out of the playoff picture but any real hockey fan who pays attention can say that the officiating has been downright awful lately.
Tonight for the Sabres was no different. I was happy to see Lindy Ruff in his post game interval show a little fire. He basically said it all in a nutshell when he asked the reporters if they missed the Sabres one and only powerplay.
Meanwhile, Paul Gaustad took a horrible penalty that should have been called the other way around. How do you avoid running into the other teams goalie when you are being cross checked into him by a Carolina player? Even Harry Neale was mystified at the call.
Im not blaming the Sabres problems on officiating but there have been numerous no calls and calls that all should have gone the other way. The other night Tallinder got boarded from behind and was injured and there was no call.
The game was supposed to be called and called by the rules, clutching and grabbing, holding, interference all of that and yet as the season has gone on, you can't help but note the decline in scoring.
This is the time of year when the officials usually swallow their whistles, which is fine, but in a game like tonight, don't screw the other team when you do decide to take your heads out of your asses.
So after the bush league officiating tonight Buffalo gets a point but a point is not good enough. Tomorrow has to be two.
Category: Sports
My Choice for a Vice Presidential Running Mate
Who ever wins the democratic nomination, be it Hilary or Obama, I hope both of them consider Bill Richarson as a running mate. I was really hoping Richardson would make it to the nomination but the "star" power of Clinton and Obama won out and may have cost the country the most qualified person to hold the presidency.
Lately, a lot the media have talked about a Clinton/Obama ticket which to me would be too much even for democrats like me. The longer this primary goes on the more I think that neither Hilary or Obama are truly liberal candidates. Richardson would actually provide some left wing muscle and some much needed personality to the ticket. He would also be a potential voice of reason to help unite the two parties on various issues because the guy has a great sense of how to talk to people and present good point/details.
Richardson impressed me with every word out of his mouth during the debates and unfortunately because the mainstream media that runs these debates chooses who gets the air time, Richardson and others suffered.
That said, he would make a great vice president who could contribute in a variety of ways including on energy policies, environmental policies, homeland security, immigration seeing as his state borders Mexico he should be considered an expert in immigration, healthcare and education.
When the guy spoke he didn't spit out campaign nonsense he spat out issues and gave great detail on what he proposed. Not to mention the guy was organized when he spoke. Im not saying the others weren't but when he was asked questions he stayed on topic and didn't stray. He gave you what you needed to hear. Which again said to me that he knows his stuff and he had a great plan.
So for me, I would utilize him as Vice President. The one other major bonus would be they would all but lock up the Hispanic vote come general election time.
Category: Politics
Freddie P Got It Right
Freddie P wrote a post on his blog the other day about the state of our primary/election system here in the US, and I can say that I agreed with every word of it. The system is broken on so many levels, at the very least as Fred states in his post, the length of the primaries needs to be cut down.
His main point was that the primaries for both parties carry on way too long. Why can't the whole country have one primary day and stop dragging it all out? All dragging it out does is gives the dumb ass mainstream media too much time to dig stupid and meaningless shit up, talk about things that have nothing to do with whether or not the candidates will be any good as president and it ends up boring the American public with the whole process in general. These candidates get more dirt turned up on them, some fair and some of it not fair, some true and some a big fat lie. Of course, if you did shorten it then some of these asshole media guys might not have jobs which, wouldn't be such a bad thing in some cases.
Also, you shorten the primary season and you reduce the cost of campaigning. You hold all this stuff on the same day and guess what, it doesn't matter that Obama and Clinton and McCain all have licenses to basically print money during a campaign. They won't have to spend as much because they won't have to criss cross the country 500 times over the 6 month process it is now. Think of how much money would be saved by all parties. It might actually level the playing field so that Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson, three guys who I thought all had great ideas that deserved more attention than they got.
Did anyone particularly care that Wyoming's primary was today? I didn't know until I saw it on CNN. Why can't we do all 50 states and Puerto Rico on a Tuesday in say June. 6 months into the election year. They can still go out and do their thing until June but at a more comfortable pace.
On top of that, one point that Freddie didn;t make is this whole delegate/electoral college system. Ditch it. Popular vote should reign supreme. By using the delegate system and more importantly this often talked about "super" delegate system, all it does is takes the choice away from hard working Americans who have earned a right to be heard.
In the current system the average American isn't heard, the average American is hardly acknowledged in the whole process. We vote, our votes only decide how many delegates from each state choose which candidate, then the super delegates don't care what the popular vote says, they go with who they want to and that decides who will be the nominee?
Meanwhile, my vote and every other vote in this country has lost their voice in the perverbial ballot box. We can only hope that eventually the system will be fixed by someone with some balls. Someone who recognizes that our contitution is a big lie, "We the people" do not get heard, when we eliminate the delegates/super delegates and electoral college and implement a popular voting system, then and only then will "We the people" be heard with equal voices.
I could go on and on about how the system is broken and needs to be fixed. What do you all think?
Category: Politics
Captain Obvious's Idea?
I just got my IRS "Alert" in the mail today notifying me that our $600 rebate is "almost in the mail.
For a "conservative" president/administration, they have been anything but conservative when it comes to spending money we don't have. $42 million to send me something that has been plastered all over the news/newspapers and on internet news?
Im sure few Americans have missed the talk about this failure of a stimulus package. Sure we are getting $1200 per couple and $600 per individual but why is our government wasting our tax dollars on reminders/alerts?
The decision probably came from Captain Obvious (President Bush). The more he waves this in our faces the more he is hoping and his party is hoping it will turn into "vote for McCain".
Hopefully, we have become much smarter since the last "buy your vote" checks were issued in 2001.
More White Shit
Come on already, enough is enough. Next week I have to teach a unit for pre-student teaching on.....Spring? Please let it warm up slightly next week so I can at least plead the case that its around the corner.
They are 5 year olds but I guarantee when I tell them we are learning about spring they are going to look at me cross eyed and wonder what the hell Im talking about if its still a winter wonderland outside.
Category: Miscellaneous
Worst Movie Sequels
This morning I got up at 4:30 AM and I happened to catch the end of Revenge of the Nerds 2. I got up to grade my PT students final evaluation because I didn't have time to last night.
That got me thinking about worst movie sequels of all time. We discussed it today as my student is a movie buff too and we came up with this list:
1. Jaws 3 and 4: Apparently they are in a box set with 1 and 2, they don't even belong in the same package. I remember actually liking Jaws 3 when I was younger but then I got smart.
2. Revenge of the Nerds 2-4: Awful, should have left it at one and been happy with taking a theme too far the first time. The first one owed a lot of its success to Betty Childs simply yummy she was.
3. Austin Powers-Goldmember: I know there are probably worse sequels, but none was I more disappointed with than this one. I was expecting big things but I didn't laugh out loud once and the first two I didn't stop laughing.
4. The Godfather Part 3: Most would agree. I was never a Godfather fan but I did watch them all and 3 was horrendous most would say they should have left it at one.
5. Ace Ventura Pet Detective 2 When Nature Calls: The first one had some realism, not that Carey was trying for the role to be real but the second movie just got carried away and went way overboard. One of the few that Jim Carey had bombed.
Category: Movies
Captain Obvious Strikes Again
Here we go again, after stating he was unaware gas prices were going to get higher, Captain Obvious (I think thats what I am going to call him from now on, if the name fits use it right?) stated another painfully obvious thing to Americans again: "It's clear our economy has slowed".......You don't say!
The dollar has been dropping against all currencys for the last year plus, the housing market has been sinking for the last year, unemployment is approaching record highs, the stock market is going haywire and gas prices have the cost of everything going up and again, our president states the obvious.
Better late than never, only problem is its going to take the idiot another year to come up with his dumb ass solutions. A year to recognize what is going on and another year to mismanage it further. Hes either this stupid or hes screwing this country on purpose, either way I am nominating George W. Bush AKA Captain Obvious for our worst president in the history of the United States. Whos with me on that?
Category: Politics
From The Edge of The Deep Green Sea
The Cure on their Wish tour was one of the best cd's and tours of their career. From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea is one of my favorite tracks of that disc and favorite to see live.
Even today the Cure are putting out some pretty good stuff and show no signs of slowing down despite thoughts that each release could be their last. Essentially in the end it is frontman Robert Smith's call as to where the band goes. Over the years the Cure has made more line up changes than probably any band in the history of music besides maybe the Ramones.
This is From the Edge of The Deep Green Sea live on the Wish Tour:
Category: Music
Freddie Back on The Air
For all of you Buffalo area readers make sure you check out Freddie P's site today. He was back on air today on The Mighty Q and CFNY.
He has all the audio there with him checking in and let me tell ya, it was nice to hear his voice on the air again. Like going back in time. I do wish it was the full team of the legendary Humble and Fred though.
Category: Freddie P
Best Post Workout Drink
This may interest those of you out there searching for a post workout drink. Studies are showing that the best drink for post workout is in fact chocolate milk?
Thats right. It has double the carbs and protein as regular milk and is just the right combination for recovering muscles after a workout. In addition the calcium, sodium and sugar help to replenish the electrolytes in your system after a workout.
Gatorade, Propel, Powerade what the hell do they know, they have spent years coming up with sports drinks, and it has been "udderly" right there all along.
Category: Miscellaneous
Nothing Left
Im losing faith in this team. The more they play this run out the more I am doubting their ability to be a playoff team. I don't understand how they can come out so flat in such a clutch situation.
The Capitals are hot on their tail and truthfully if the Leafs keep winning they may overtake the Sabres as well. This season is quickly shifting to baseball for me.
Where is Lindy getting his lines from? When They traded away Campbell they may have traded the fastest and best skating defenseman in the league. Since he left the defense has looked slow and confused. Hopefully the trades will pick up a little on draft day because defensively they need a new speedster.
I can say now that if they want to let Max and Kalinin go, Im not going to be disappointed.
Category: Sports
Public Restrooms
Last week I started my student teaching and at the end of day one, I had to take a dump. Well I knew I wasn't going to make it home so I found the closest faculty restroom.
To protect the innocent Im not going to name the school, but I will say it was in the Buffalo district. There was generally nothing wrong with the bathroom in terms of cleanliness though it was a small bathroom that had a door that opened directly into the hallway.
In a bathroom such as that you would hope there is a loud fan or something droning out the loud gas if you are gassy, I was. No loud fan. Negative number one. Someone walking by probably heard me shooting out bombs of gas.
The second thing that made this experience an uncomfortable one was the fact that the toilet paper was one of those single ply rolls and the rolls didn't "roll" easily. So pulling ripped one sheet at a time. I was there for about 20 minutes ripping enough to take care of business safely.
Seriously, is it too much to ask for a smooth pulling roller? More importantly have we become that cheap that we can't provide two ply TP in the public restrooms in the Buffalo Public Schools?
Everyone has had that experience where the TP wouldn't rip. Those are some of the worst experiences.
Category: Public Restrooms
Jays Logos 1977-Present
One of my favorite things about the Blue Jays when I first started liking them as a kid was their uniforms. I didn't care who played for them, I liked the colors and the logo's. Even now they have the best jerseys in the league though I would prefer they bring back the maple leaf into the logo somehow.
These are their logos from 1977 to present:
1977- 1996
1997-2002
2003
2004-present
Alternate Logo 2004-Present
Category: Sports
These Guys Can Write Great Rock Songs
Anyone who lives here in Buffalo usually gets treated to these guys at one of our free concert series during the summer either at the Canal or at Thursday in the Square. 5440 is a Canadian gem and today I was listening to their latest CD This Is Here, This Is Now and one of the stand out songs on it, Golden Sun. They are easily one of my top 10 favorite bands of all time.
If they are great at anything, its the ability to write catchy guitar hooks, this is Golden Sun. Check it out.
Category: Music
Sabres 5 Flyers 2
Last night was a bitter sweet night considering the Sabres will most likely be missing the services of Henrik Tallinder. Since trading Campbell this team is painfully top heavy in forwards and extremely light on defense. They lost a significant amount of speed that set them apart from the rest of the NHL when they traded Campbell.
Despite the win I still have questions like why Bernier is not on the Roy line where he saw so much success his first game and I really think that the officials last night should be fired if not suspended for allowing that dirty hit on Tallinder. It was an obvious hit from behind.
Here are the highlights from last nights game.
Category: Sports
Catch Me
This is another clip from the now cancelled Lucky Louie that used to be on HBO. He is one of the funniest comedians out there. I have posted on him before and thought this one was a funny one especially as I continue in my journey to lose weight:
Category: Television
Fantasy Hockey Update
I did it, my team moved into second place last week and defeated the first place team overall. This doesn't get me anything yet though as this week I face the team I just overtook for second and the bastard is only two or three points behind, so lose this week and Im in third, win and I have a bye week. So Firefox is standing in my way this week and so far so good, Joe Thorton had a four point night last night.
Top performers last week:
Jason Pomenville had a 5 point week and Vesa Toskala, yes the Leaf netminder had 3 wins and a shutout. Good for him. At the pace the Leafs are going they may catch the Sabres.
Category: Fantasy Sports
Proving His Idiocy
George Bush proved his idiocy yet again with his obscene statement that he had not been aware that there are predictions of $4.00 gas. Who the hell is he kidding? He can not possibly be that out of touch with the American people can he?
His response in the linked article: "Thats interesting, I hadn't heard that."
Immediately after, he made reference to the mistake of the $18 billion in taxes on the oil companies is and that we should be investing that in finding sources closer to home.....WHAT SOURCES? WHERE? The easy stuff is gone!!!!!!!!!!!! Does he really think we are that stupid? $18 billion in taxes on the oil companies is pennies compared to the $400+ billion they take in.
He truly doesn't give a shit about the American public. He is so tied in with big oil that the high prices really don't phase him. He gets kick backs from oil lobbyists and of course after the new taxes that were put in place on the oil companies recently he is probably content to let prices go where ever without government intervention to ease the burden on the lower and middle classes so that oil companies can make more profit off the American people to make up for the $18 billion in new taxes on oil companies. .
He is an oil man and if this doesn't show that we can't believe a word out of this man's mouth then I don't know what does. Both him and Cheney should be fully aware and with where enery prices and this economy is headed, any other president would be jumping up and down screaming ideas about how to help this country get back on its feet. Its as if he is living in the cave. If you read his statements in the article linked above, he is so aloof about the issue and thinks that tax cuts will solve all.
Instead the quick fix is to hand out $600 checks that will be gone the second most of us get them. So, as we head down the stretch Im just going to assume that our president is living in a god damn cave because every US citizen can pick up the paper, watch the news or look at where oil prices are heading, any news related to the topic of energy and see that we are headed in the direction of $4.00 gas. Add to the fact that prices haven't eased in non peak travel season which is quickly approaching in May and you'd have to be totally clueless not to see it coming.
Of course that might be expecting a lot out of President Bush because, he is too dumb to understand it all anyway. Here is to 10 more months of his stupidity.
Sunday Night Retro (On Monday)
Sorry Im a little late with this one. I was beat after our meet last night and I had a lot of graduate work to do so bloggage was slow. It will be this week. So this week I had a song all picked out. It is the Cure's In Between Days.
Kind of appropriate with this warm spring like day inbetween two freezing days....Enjoy!
Category: Music
I Can't Believe I Agree With This Guy
Televangelist John Hagee who's controversial endorsement of John McCain was dead on when he stated that the Catholic Church is the "great whore". Only one problem, he forgot to make it a blanket statement.
All religions are great whores. Think about it, what do all religions including evangelical christians ask you to do? Give money to an invisible being or donate your hard earned money to some invisible thing in the sky. Some even ask that you do crazy shit like die for your cause like the crazy bastards in Al Qaida or the crazy shit the Scientologists of the world believe in. Either way religion asks people to donate to something that may or may not be true.
Any religion asks you to give of your money, time and life to follow their calling. To me that makes all of religion including Mr. Hagees one great big whore.
This whole thing of Hagee endorsing McCain is yet another example of if Religious leaders are going to get invloved in politics then they should be fair game for local, state and federal taxes. If you are a church and you don't want to be taxed, stay out of politics. Its also a reason why I don't support republicans because thats what that party is all about. Mixing religion with politics.
Religion is one big money making machine. Your money doesn't go to God or Jesus or who ever it is that you worship. It goes to paying for giant churches that look more like businesses than churches, take a look at the Chapel in Amherst. The thing is more like an arena. So, when Hagee goes and makes that statement, he should look in the mirror.
Parents Who Want to Second Guess
This weekend is our home meet and one of the most frustrating things as a coach is when parents feel as if they have to second guess or worse yet, down right tell you how to coach.
I have been involved in competitive swimming as a swimmer for 10+ years and as a coach now going on 8 years. Today, I was totally disrespected by not only a parent but also by a fellow coach on our club.
We were putting together relays and generally the fastest kids go into relays. Makes sense right? As a coach I am responsible for putting together the fastest group of kids to put them in the best possible place to succeed.
Well I did that, we discussed three relays, requiring 12 swimmers. Well as it turned out, 2 of my kids were not present which did not allow for the three relays. So one relay had to be taken out.
Most of you would agree as did our senior coach on the club with me that you swim your two fastest relays and the other kids will have to wait for their day. Well that didn't happen.
Instead, in front of multiple coaches and officials from other clubs and our senior age group coach (who by the way was on my side) the parent and the other coach on our club who coaches the group under mine made a scene on deck. Yelling in front of other coaches that this meet is fun and we should let the slower kids swim.
I had already changed our relays once and was not planning on doing it again. I argued the fact that the relays we had in place were our two best relays. Instead I was put down for that and was told that these kids were crying because they were left out.
I stated that they should have to earn their spot in the relay. Myself and every other coach worth their weight, puts kids in based on who has the fastest 50 freestyles. You don't make the cut you don't swim the relay. So I sat there embarassed for them making the scene and for myself that I was being so disrespected.
I have a level 4 certification throught the American Swim Coaches Association and here I am being talked to like I have no idea what Im doing.
So, I looked at them after their outburst and said fine, you change it, Im not dealing with it, and by they way, let the kids who deserve the spots know why you are changing it.
I had it in me to up and leave for the day at that point but I didn't for not wanting to let my kids down. A word of advice to any parents out there, let the coaches do the coaching. Kids need to learn that in any competitive sport they have to earn what they get and sometimes what is best for the team is what has to be done.
So for the rest of the day, when ever I got the chance myself and our seniors coach sat there and said oops a disqualification? oh well its all about the fun! who cares. (joking of course, but just within ear shot of the two who questioned me).
This meet while yes a very fun meet and kids do have to have fun, counts for Niagara District Championships. I am a true believer that if you are not there to better yourself, you should go home. I want to have fun with my swimmers as much as anyone in our club, but I also expect results and for them to focus on what they are doing, otherwise the time and effort that myself and they put into it is a waste of time.
Category: Swimming
Questioning The Lineup Decisions
Watching what little of the game I caught last night, what was Lindy thinking? After coming off a decisive 8-4 victory just a few nights previous, Lindy Ruff goes and totally up ends the lineup against Montreal.
There are very few decisions that I have questioned Ruff on over the years even when this team was in the dumper but last night playing Max and Stafford was a huge mistake. I could see playing Stafford, he has some grit to him but Max has been a train wreck all year.
Last night Lindy said as much after the game and left me wondering about his decisions because unlike some coaches in the league that blindly play the veteran over the younger players, Lindy usually bucks that trend.
I would have taken Clarke MacArthur over Max any day of the week at this point. In addition to that after Bernier was successful skating with Vanek and Roy and having the night he had, Lindy goes and takes him off a line he had instant chemistry with.
More went wrong last night than just the lineup but lets face it, at this time of the season, you go with the hot hand.
Category: Sports
