Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
September 2008 Archives
Bush's Economy
Here is the data on the Bush Economy, Every essentially down. Take a look at the NASDAQ and the dollar against the Euro. This isn't the Clinton era at all. This is under Bush. Clinton left office January 19th, 2001. So again, 6 years of a Republican controlled White House, Senate and House, and the last two years, Bush has vetoed everything from the Democrats.
January 19, 2001: 10,587.59
September 29, 2008: 10,365.45
NASDAQ Jan 19, 2001 = 2770.38
NASDAQ September 29, 2008 = 1983.73
CPI, January 19, 2001: 175
CPI, September 29, 2008: 219
Dollar exchange with Euro, January 19, 2001: 1.068
Dollar exchange with Euro, September 29, 2008: .695
Category: Miscellaneous | money
Mandatory Music Monday (A Day Late)
With all the political and financial news I forgot yesterday was Monday and my new feature Mandatory Monday is going to have to happen today, Tuesday. What better song for me to share on the post than The Screaming Trees and their song Dollar Bill. The Screaming Trees were one of the grunge bands that came fromt he Seattle scene in the early 90's. They were also one of the more short lived projects though lead singer Mark Lanegan I believe is still doing stuff.Category: Mandatory Music Mondays
More Evidence of Bimbomania
Okay, so there are still those of you out there who think Palin is gold, I urge you to watch this response to a Katie Couric question about the bailout. Yikes!!! Im sorry but I wouldn't want her running a lemonade stand much less being second in command to our country.
Category: Politics
Just Remember On November 4th
THIS GUY, THIS PATHETIC POWER HUNGRY JACK OFF, HIS ADMINISTRATION AND PARTY HAD THE SINGLE BIGGEST HAND IN THIS MESS.
Once again, evidence that this guy is the single worst president in the history of this country. Why we are not as citizens on the White House lawn protesting this and calling for the immediate impeachment of this administration is beyond me.
The democrats are in a damned if they do, damned if they don't situation. If they pass this thing and it still goes wrong or there is not enough help for "mainstreet" then they look bad, if its not passed then the market crashes.
Don't let McCain fool you either by saying that he tried to save this thing. It was republican votes not democrat votes that killed this bailout so McCain has absolutely no influence in his own party. That and the genius he has as his running mate has no clue what she is getting into.
McCain said he was rushing to Washington, cancelling appearances and ends up staying in New York City over night and left the following afternoon! Then gets there and doesn't say a word!
This thing is ugly but more so on the Republican side, there is no doubting that. They put us here with their deregulation of the markets and then the markets abused the lack of oversight this administration provided them.
This thing is screaming for an independent party to emerge, someone who is honest with the people, they need a third guy on that stage in the next two debates. This is where we throw out the two party system and get a third party involved in this thing. Because as much as I am a democrat and liberal at heart, I don't trust either side, especially the Republicans.
The republicans voted this thing down because they are scared to death of voting for it and then seeing that the followed another failed Bush policy. They have been following him for the last 8 years and its finally starting to come to a head.
13 Million Digit Prime Number
Researchers found a 13 million digit prime number. The number means they will be awarded $100,000. I'd love to have that much time on my hands to be able to find that. How do you read a number with 13 million digits in it?
Its simply mind boggling. Start writing now and it would probably take you the better part of a year to get to the 13 millionth digit if you were writing or typing.
They found it using a network of 75 computers. I say if they were really good, they would figure that sucker out by hand.
Category: Miscellaneous
Why Do We Settle for Two?
Here we are the pin up boy for democratic governments and here in the United States of America we have 2 choices. I am supporting Barack Obama, but watching that debate the other night I would have loved to see Ralph Nader on that stage pushing the conversation and forcing these two sorry excuses for political parties in this country take a side.
Everything that comes out of these parties is so politically correct, they are afraid to have an opinion that heaven forbid might piss off a part of this country, whether its Obama being more upfront about universal healthcare or John McCain well, John McCain being more exposed than he already has been for being a loser.
We need a third or hell even a fourth body up there on that stage. A democracy is about choices. In this country we get 2. The one that is evil and the one that is the lesser of two evils. Obama is definitely the least evil we have seen in some time.
Lets face it, all politicians have been influenced by some lobbyist at some point. We have a two party system that features men and women arguing back and forth until you get one of two point of view in every piece of legislation.
Why can't we have a third or even a fourth party to spread out the philosophies. Two more parties that don't march to the beat of the typical Washington drum. Im not going to vote for Ralph Nader, but I do like him.
Hes an independent mind, uninfluenced by any lobbyist other than the American people and whats right for the middle and lower classes. He gets it. With out a strong lower and middle class you don't have a strong economy, you don't have to have a war in order to have a successful presidency, we need to move forward on energy and get ourselves off oil. he gets climate change.
So while I may not vote for him, I do support him. I may throw him a small donation because I think one reason he is not on stage is that he won't take money from lobbyists, he doesn't represent coorporate America and if you don't represent coorporate America they won't give you a voice.
Look at the sponsors of the debates: Target, oil companies and other lobbying coorporations that are undoubtedly dropping money at the feet of both parties.
We need parties in this country that say no to those lobbyists and are allowed in those debates. Nader, if allowed to participate probably would knock McCain and Obama over and win the damn thing. Maybe they are afraid, afraid to give up the two party power that they have in Washington.
Either way, the only real change would be a third or fourth voice. Yes I support Obama but we need that third or fourth choice that will keep the long standing ones honest.
This video is what to me makes Bill Maher more than just a comedian, he invited Nader on his show Friday night just because Nader was not invited to the debate and says that Nader should be the voice of the Democratic party. Again, I ask why isn't Nader being invited to these debates? My answer, THEY ARE SCARED OF HIM ON THAT STAGE.
Category: Politics
Jays Wishlist
Today is it, another Jays season done. It was successful even though they didn't make the playoffs. I think we found out a few things:
-JP Riccardi isn't that bad of a GM, his team has encountered some unavoidable circumstances with numerous injuries.
-Despite injuries this team has played well. Pitchers come up from the farm and pitch out of their minds. We have found that youngsters like David Purcey and Scot Richmond are here to stay and we finally have left-handers for the rotation.
-We have our manager back. I was screaming for it back in April, John Gibbons is not the man for the job, we need a manager who would bleed Blue Jay Blue, I thought it was Ernie Whitt, instead, its Cito Gaston and he has come back with great results.
So, all the above said, this is my wishlist going into the offseason:
1. Extend AJ Burnett- after learning that Shaun Marcum is out for next season and Dustin McGowan is done until at least May, we need Burnett, get it done. You don't have Frank Thomas on the books so its doable.
2. If Scott Rolen isn't going to get back to 20-25 homeruns and 100 RBIs and scare opposing pitching like he did in St. Louis either trade him or cut him and lets take our lumps with Jose Bautista.
3. Go out and get a shortstop- no offense to Joe Inglett, Marco Scutaro and John Mcdonald, but I want a legitimate shortstop who can hit. If that means trading one of you guys and maybe a prospect to get say a Orlando Cabrera or something along those lines, then do it, or go out and get the best available shortstop in free agency. Inglett, Scutaro and Johnny Mac are bench and role players who probably won't return to that full time form again.
4. Rotation insurance- go out and sign a 3 or 4 guy incase McGowan doesn't come back or one of the other guys goes down. I was watching Ted Lilly come oh so close to a no hitter yesterday thinking it would be nice to have him here still and he was relatively affordable for the quality lefty that he is.
5. With the return of Jeremy Accardo, take a long hard look at the possibility of trading BJ Ryan and letting Brandon League close. League throws smoke and he should get a chance sooner than later and BJ Ryan off the books would allow for some of the above. Just be absolutely sure BJ goes to a western team so we don't see him.
Thats it. 3rd base, shortstop and shore up the pitching. Its a doable list, its one that Cito has expressed interest in especially a hitting shortstop and if accomplished JP would impress in TO, Im sure of it.
Oh yeah, one more thing, CHANGE THE DAMN LOGO!!!!!
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
The Clangers
Here is a clip of that children's show, The Clangers, Tiny Clanger found gold while fishing for musical notes.
Category: Television
Sunday Retro
Every Sunday I pick a retro tune and this week I picked a band that seemed to just disappear. The Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock band and named themselves from a chlidrens show called the Clangers. They played a combination of punk and funk mirroring the likes of Primal Scream and memeber of the Soup Dragons have also played for alternative rock favorite Teenage Fanclub.
My selection from them is a Rolling Stones cover, I'm Free:
Category: Sunday Retro
Sabres 3 Leafs 2
Okay, a confidence booster for these guys and we found that Max can still contribute on offense contributing assists on all three goals.
Geez, for a team that isn't supposed to do much the Leafs sure play us hard every time out. In the meantime we got a win, we know we can do it in overtime, so that is good news. Keep the train rolling tonight against Minnesota.
As meaningless as preseason is, it can get you rolling going into the season and as we all know, a hot start can allow you to get into the playoffs and relax later in the season when most teams are pressing and stressing.
Back In July I Posted This
Back in July I posted these Youtube audio files of the Michael Herzong show America Awakening. He was talking about the secret congressional hearings back in March that discussed the possible failing of this economy in or around September of 2008. Well here we are, and guess what, I didn't get too many comments on it, probably because everyone thought it was liberal BS....but again here we are.
If you didn't listen to this when I posted back in July, take a listen:
Remembering My Grandmother
My grandmother died three years ago today. This past winter something little but important reminded me of her. It was the coldest snap of the year and I needed a good winter hat.
I went to Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, you name the store and nothing. They were all chincy little hats that cost $12-$20 and nothing I'd be willing to put on my head. It was actually quite comical as I played it out in my head on my journey to every respectable store on Niagara Falls Blvd.
You remember people for the little things. My grandmother was one of the greatest people you could meet, she did things she liked to do right until the very end and one of those things was knitting.
Without her, my sisters and I would have never had anything to wear on our heads. It was just one of the things she did so well that she was known for throughout our small community of friends and family on Grand Island.
And believe me, those hats were priceless compared to the store bought ones. The difference? The love she put into them.
And with the holidays fast approaching, the stockings are missed too. I could go on and on.
She was special in other ways too, but like the hat search, its the little things you think of, especially on anniversaries like today.
Another one of those things is the Yankees not being in the playoffs. As much as I dislike the New York Yankees and hate it when they win, when they lose and are not in the post season I know how much Mary would have enjoyed it. She was a Yankee fan through and through. Since it doesn't make a bit of difference, I hope the Yankees win their last two games of this season. They will finish ahead of the Jays anyway.
She would have appreciated this little Youtube video as much for the tune as for the fact that I put it on my website (sorry Jays fans) today is a Yankee day:
Category: Miscellaneous
The Great Debate
I don't have much to say about last nights debate. I think if you watched it, Barack Obama's performance spoke for itself, it was polished, he was prepared and challenged McCain on every issue and in the end Barack Obama was much more in tune to the average American than was John McCain. McCain's strength is supposed to be foreign policy and Obama stood with him toe to toe on every bit of it and in some areas just out did Grampy McSame.
If you listened last night one dwelled on what he has done, the other spoke on what he plans to do. It reminded me of a great quote and I will paraphrase it:
Losers talk about what they have done, champions talk about what they have yet to do.
I think that applies to leaders as well and if you listened, McCain stressed more of his past than the present or the future of this country. Barack Obama, spoke like a true leader, speaking only in terms of what the present issues of our country are and how he plans to lead us into the future. Two totally different people were on stage last night.
Quite frankly, I don't care about McCains past or what he did 25 years ago, I care about what Barack Obama wants to see in the present and the future of this country. Obama was more coherent and stuck to the here and now, that is the type of leader we need.
Category:
Happy Birthday Buffaloboymike.com
Today is the one year anniversary of the start of this site. I didn't know how I would do it when I started but now that Im a year into it it has been an absolute blast. Here is the first entry onto Buffalo Boy Mike from one year ago today:
I would like to thank Mr. Mike Boon for setting me up! I am new to this but have been inspired by the likes of Freddie P,, Humble Howard and Mike Boon himself and figured "Hey a little friendly competition from Buffalo would be nice". That and I always have a lot to say. A little about me, Im 34, from Buffalo obviously and i am very busy and have added this little piece to my busy-ness. I have lots of Canadian influences for regular Canadian readers of Mr. Boon's, Freddie's or Howard's blogs will see. I am a Blue Jay fan, a Sabres fan 1st and a Leaf fan distant second (don't ask how that works out but it goes back to when the Leafs were in the other conference. So you will often see me post about hockey/baseball. Im a huge music fan. I grew up on CFNY so I am actually a bit of a music snob. Im a physical therapist full time, swim coach part time and graduate special education student (so you can see where the busy parts come in. I will write about those from time to time. I have become increasingly political over the years so you will see a lot of political posts. Finally, Im new at this so if you see anything on here that you like and would like it to become a regular thing or have suggestions let me know. In the meantime, I hope everyone stops by and spends some time reading a little on here and don't be afraid to leave your comments. Talk to you all soon
Buffalo Boy Mike
Ive learned a ton about the bloggage thing since I started and the more I learn the more fun it gets!
Category:
It Was The Iceberg!!!!
This is what I mean, researchers/historians are getting government grants to research the friggin Titanic. I have news for them, no one cares. Regardless of the grade of steel or the friggin bolts. It was the friggin Iceberg. Its a hundred years later and honestly, the grade of steel doesn't matter, the ship is rusty and old and really, none of the research being done can save one life on that boat.
Seriously, I think if I wrote up a grant to research as to why the sun comes up in the morning I would get a fortune to start my research. Bottom line is, they should have built a better, bigger boat.Category: Miscellaneous
The Doc Watch
He got to 20 wins last night with you guessed it, another complete game. I don't care what Cliff Lee did this year, Roy Halladay has done this consistently for the last 6 years and deserves the Cy Young. He has 9 complete games and has pitched 20 more innings than any other starter in baseball.
His 9 complete games was good for first in all of baseball, the next closest? Cliff Lee with 4. Roy Halladay dominated.
Category: The Doc Watch | Toronto Blue Jays
McCain: Politics Over Country
John McCain is proving what a spineless man he really is. He talked Wednesday about rushing to Washington to get a deal done, lied to David Letterman about the need for him to be in Washington at the last minute, then proceeded to stay in New York at the CBS studios to talk to Katie Couric and on top of that stayed over night to talk to the Clinton Global Initiative about not playing politics.
When he got to Washington he said nary a word and actually found that no one in the senate wanted anything to do with him. He found a group of conservative congressmen that wanted to work with him and they blew up the deal and came up with one of their own: Coorporate tax cuts! After this? Is he kidding?
This guy is blowing up his campaign, between him and Palin's interviews my head is spinning. This ticket is a loser. McCain is a loser. He knows nothing about what is going on and has absolutely no concept about what to do about the economy.
Seriously, if anyone is still supporting this guy, I have the number for a great counselor. If the republicans were smart, which after the Bush administration we can safely say they are not, they would tear apart this ticket and try to save face by running Ron Paul. He might not win, but he would at least provide a legitimate contender.
Starting tonight, Obama is going to take over this campaign, McCain's hole people is being dug and by my estimates his campaign is digging itself a hole about 6 feet deep.
Category: Politics
Better Answers from a Pig
A pig could have given better answers than Sarah Palin did to Katie Couric. She truly proved why the repukes have been keeping her away from the microphone and any credible journalist.
She speaks with absolutely no organization of thought, no coherence, and has absolutely no factual knowledge of the issues she speaks of. The only people who would buy what this woman is saying are the truly ignorant.
You listen to this interview and Katie literally exposes this woman for what she is, window dressing on a campaign that is dying. She is totally clueless.
The final question in the first segment Katie asks her point blank, state specific examples of ways John McCain has promoted increased regulation on Wall Street and Ms. Palin couldn't cite one. Not one. Not only that but she stated that she would look them up and bring them to Katie Couric. Good luck Ms. Palin, there are none.
After watching part two on foreign policy, again, this woman has not one intelligent thing to say. She reiterates that she can see Russia from Alaska and that counts as foreign policy experience. Unless you are screaming back and forth with President Putin on the other side debating policy, then Im afraid Sarah, you have no foreign policy experience.
If Palin makes Dan Quayle look like a road scholar.
My Christmas Present
If anyone wants to get me something for Christmas here is my one suggestion, on November 15th and 16th there will be an auction of seats from the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. I know its cheesy to some and to be honest I have no idea where I would put them other than in my future home in the furnished basement in front of a TV I will be banished to for watching sports on.
So if you want to get me something for Christmas here it is, a couple seats from the Aud, I would prefer golds or reds but Id take blues or oranges if they were going for less. I want a piece of Sabre history to put in my future home. A place where I can sit, watch sports and remember the old Aud and the great home it was to the Buffalo Sabres. Just let me double check if its going to be okay with my wife.........Bad Research
I would love to see the actual data and research on this news that children who swim in outdoor chlorinated pools are put at a higher risk for developing asthma than those who swim in indoor pools.
First of all, let me clearly state that I have been involved in the sport of swimming with kids and myself spending hours a day next to or in chlorinated pools for close to 26 years and I can safely say I have had no children, nor myself, nor any coach or parent come to me stating that their child, themselves or me for that matter developed any kind of respiratory condition that they or their doctor would blame on swimming in chlorinated water. What this article does not mention is where were those outdoor pools and where did the individuals swimming in those outdoor pools live. Were they inner city or in highly populated areas? If that were the case maybe the children developed asthma from poor summer air quality that many cities in this country and all over the world have grown used to seeing. This article mentions nothing of the fact that maybe many of these kids had pre-existing respiratory conditions that were totally unrelated to chlorine. This is an example of how a piece of journalism can cause all sorts of issues. Here we are less than a month after the greatest swimming olympics this country has ever seen and here is an article that is going to scare people away from a sport that has no track record of this problem. The writer of this article, Michael Kahn, should really check their sources and the validity of the research they are referring to before reporting something so drastic as to suggest that kids who swim are at risk for developing asthma. Swimming actually should build up the bodies lung capacity and endurance not have a negative effect. We should all scrutinize research and reporting of this nature because what it amounts to is poor journalism on Mr. Michael Kahn's part and scaring people away from the greatest sport and recreational activity in the world.
Montreal 3 Sabres 2
Game two, same results, 3-2 loss. No sweat, its only preseason. No worries. Nathan Gerbe scored a goal, thats a positive. I'll forget about the two short handed goals Montreal netted and chalk it up to early in the preseason and playing with a roster full of rookies.
The Debate Should Go On
John McCain needs to learn how to multi-task. There is absolutely no reason why the debate between John McCain and Barack Obama should not have their presidential debate as planned.
McCain says that the debate should be postponed until the deal is done, but realistically, is a deal going to be struck at 9:00 Friday night? Is Wall Street going to crash Friday night during a prime time debate? No, its closed. They could probably both fly in and be there an hour before the debate starts and be back in Washington after only about 5 or six hours away from the capital.
Im sure 5 or 6 hours of their time, giving the American people what we have wanted for the last year and a half, insight into their plans for this country so we can all make informed decisions when we go to vote.
Of course this may be harder for John McCain to do, he doesn't use the internet therefore his only communication is by phone. So, maybe at 72 years old he is incapable of multi-tasking.
McCain, made this decision sounding as if he is unprepared to go in and debate the issues. To me, if you watch these debates, this is where Obama is going to stand head and shoulders above McCain, so it would not surprise me at all if McCain is using this as a delay tactic.
Every single McCain speech I have watched is on teleprompter. Obama may have his speech written down, but for all intensive purposes he is free wheeling.
Obama is right, this is the time we do need to hear from both the individuals who could potentially be responsible for dealing with this mess. So, McCain needs to toughen up, this debate has been planned for months, take the time away from Washington, the markets will survive Friday night without two senators in Washington and get to the issues instead of smearing lipstick on a pig.
Category: Politics
I Actually Agree With The President
Finally, something the President and I both agree on. George W. Bush will sign into law a bill that will insure that the water in our Great Lakes goes no where.
With the drought conditions and water shortages out west, there has been talk in recent years about diverting water from the Great Lakes to the western states. Its something that could have if allowed to happen, could have devastating effects on our ecosystems in the Great Lakes. The lakes were meant to supply water to one area, the Northeast and upper midwest regions, not the western states and us. The west's water problems is theirs to deal with. Thats what you get when you put millions of people in a desert. Generally populations are meant to live around water ways, the only problem is, the water in the Colorado river which supplies most of the west with water, was not meant to supply the size of the cities it supplies (Pheonix and LA). So, to protect our water source, Mr. Bush is signing it into law, that the lakes are not to be touched. Finally, some positive environmental awareness out of W.Category: News | environment
Bisons Find a New Parent
Yuck! It was between the Mets and the Jays and I would have preferred the Jays. Safe to say that this will not be a Bisons team that I can see myself eager to support.
I hate the New York Yankees, the Mets are a close third in the teams I love to hate in baseball. Their fans are cut from the same cloth as Yankee fans, just plain old annoying. They refer to their past like it is supposed to help them in the present or future.
That and really, I don't want to see minor league pitchers hit. Its bad enough seeing major league pitchers swing the bat.
Of all the teams why did we have to get the Mets? People tell me its because the Blue Jays didn't treat Syracuse well, what the hell were they supposed to do? Send down Roy Halladay to pitch for them?
The Bisons have always been a team I enjoyed watching, they had the Indians and before that the Pittsburgh Pirates as the parent clubs, two teams that were neutral enough for me to support them and not really care.
This however, I can't do. Maybe if the ticket is free I would go. But I am not going to willingly spend money on a ticket to support a team I hate more than all besides the Redsox and Yankees.
The Jays would have been a perfect fit for the Bisons, just a shot up the QEW, an hour and a half ride. The Bisons Im sure would have gotten Toronto fans crossing the border to see the up and comers and the Jays would have been able to expand their fan base.
But now, the Jays are stuck in Vegas, I know where I am going for a summer Vacation. Vegas anyone?
Mandatory Music Monday
I haven't been keeping up with this as often as I'd like, weekdays are tough right now. Tonight though I have a few minutes so what the hell.
A few years ago I saw this band open for my friend Rich's band at the time. He was playing with the Studio Apartments and they had the opportunity to open for Joy Drop, fronted by Tara Sloan. She had a wonderful voice and it was right about the same time their best CD to date Metasexual came out that included this song, Beautiful. They played Mohawk Place and that night there was maybe 40 people there, so it was a very intimate environment to witness a band with a singer as talented as Sloan:
Category: Mandatory Music Mondays
Pre-emptive Financial War on US
Wow, this is so interesting. I said it last week, this $700 billion dollar bailout will not and should not happen without regulatory guarantees to the American taxpayers.
These institutions are not federally insured like a bank. These institutions that failed are failing on their own accord, on deregulation that they wanted and this Administration granted knowing this was going to be the result. Now as Randi Rhodes points out today on her web site and during her radio show on AM 1520.
Its really refreshing to hear a voice on the radio that knows what they are talking about, this was her response today to the whole mess of last week:"Bush and Cheney allowed everything and anything in Financial Markets to occur and then after the heist do they have to return the money? Hell no. YOU put the money back into their failed businesses. Yep. This has been the greatest con job, bank heist, rip off, robbery, raping of the US Treasury in the History of the World. Even if you don't think it was grand theft, bailing out broke Financial Institutions who failed to safeguard their money makes sense to NO ONE.
The crisis isn't really a crisis either. This is PRE EMPTIVE.
One solution would be to simply negotiate with you. Too simple, and who makes money that way?
The newspapers were screaming there is worthless paper out there being sold and resold to Financial Institutions. This can't work. And then it didn't. It wasn't just houses, it was OIL too. Fake value was put on a barrel of crude by speculators. The President did nothing. The cost of everything sky rocketed. Then speculators bet the price would go down and it did. But the price at the pump stayed the same. That's because there was no relationship between the price of crude and the price at the pump. It was all just manipulation.
Now in the middle of the night, over a weekend THE BAILOUT "plan" appears. There are no new regulations attached to receiving the Bail Out money so this could happen all over again, and there are no "people" to sort through these loans so we have to "contract out" that job on top of it.
This is THE PATRIOT ACT ALL OVER AGAIN. Anything Congress RUSHES through will be THE WRONG RESPONSE and take from you all that you have. Freedom, privacy, money, credit, all of it must go!
The massive "bailout package" has to be paid for. How? Perhaps a massive tax increase, definitely very tight credit markets for you and for small businesses.
There will be bank merger after bank merger which will limit competition for loans and bank services. The Treasury will hire "contractors" through "no bid contracts" to place a "value" on valueless paper and set the price YOU have to pay to settle all the debt. NO one will really know how to price these things. NO one will know what they're doing, but everyone will get INTO THE BUSINESS of buying and selling these worthless assets.
There will be a bail out of both foreign and domestic banks with your tax dollars, and all of this will happened without REGULATIONS or OVERSIGHT . THE REAL SOLUTION IS THE ONE YOU KNOW. If the markets were regulated NOW and Mortgage holders would be permitted to renegotiate the principal on their home loans this would STOP dead in it's tracks.
Every individual with a bad loan could offer to pay 60 cents on the dollar, more or less and keep their home. If we could make deals with credit card companies to settle our debts this would stop now because we'd have more money in our pockets to prop up the Economy.
If we raised taxes on Billionaires who created this mess and forced them to pay for this, This would stop NOW. If we lowered taxes on Small Businesses and gave them low cost inventory loans THIS WOULD STOP NOW. If we lowered taxes on everyone making less than 2M a year, and raised taxes through the roof on those who had profits of over $10 Million this would stop NOW. Small businesses would pop up all over America and people could go back to work, small business would flourish and the taxes we pay at the lower rates would pay down the DEBT. If we left Iraq NOW we would add 10 Billion a MONTH to the Treasury.
This Government Bailout of banks BEFORE they fail, including FOREIGN BANKS with Taxpayer dollars is PRE EMPTIVE FINANCIAL WAR on the American People. It is the last part of Shock and Awe."
You go Randi!
I Hate It When Im Right
I said it the other day in this post. Economists needed a few days to mull it over, obviously I have more intuition than they do. They agree with my sentiments that the buy out solves no problems. You essentially have the government jumping in and taking over bad debts. The system has essentially be socialized. I think we would all agree, we would rather have socialized healthcare than this mess. You have to get to the root of the problem which is oversight of the financial sector. Absolutely no steps have been taken to protect us, the taxpayer.Bill Maher interviewed Princeton economic professor Paul Krugman who of all the so called economy experts they have been throwing on TV gave the most realistic point of view on the whole thing.
The other thing to consider, it has taken the better part of the last 8 years of George W. Bush's administration to get into this mess, he and his administration is fixing it (oh shit, oh shit, oh shit), its going to take a while and more than just a bailout orchestrated over a few days to fix the underlying problems that the republicans caused.
Category: Politics | Television | money
Quit Playing Their Song
Mike Boon dug this tidbit up today and I thought it was funny and worthy of posting across the border. Its not a real ad but Heart really is mad at McCain and Palin for using their song. Ann and Nancy Wilson in no way shape or form support Palin and her "values". Heart is now using the royalties from Barracuda to donate to the Obama campaign. They get an honorary Sunday Retro slot today for standing up to the McCain campaign who is ignoring the fact that Heart wants them to stop using the song when Palin walks on stage. Keep playing it and I'll go one step further, start calling 97 Rock, Q107, Jack FM and any other rock radio station that will play it and request it, more $ for Obama.
Sunday Retro
This week I feature a song that got me into this band back in the day. I don't think they recieve anywhere near the credit they deserve for their place in music history. They had a lot of great songs from the 80s and are a band that is still releasing material today. For Sunday Retro, this is the Violent Femmes with American Music.
Category: Sunday Retro
Beer
We always seem to talk beer at family gatherings, it all comes down to that beautiful, golden nectar: This goes out to Al, Homer and company give you the beer song:
Category: Beer
Happy 80th Wanda
Today we celebrated my grandmother-in-laws 80th birthday and like all Buffalo Boy Mike birthday peoples she gets the traditional Birthday send off.....Heres to 80 more!
Category: Birthdays
Okay Im Happy
The Buffalo Sabres new third jersey was unveiled today at HSBC Arena with their Puck Drop event. It looks great! Im happy, I think we always get a little nervous when they do these third jerseys because as easy as it should be to make it look great, it can be just as easy for them to screw it up and do a little too much or not enough to incoorporate the past while still looking modern.
They did a great job. Now that they have the old logo back, I am thoroughly convinced that last year was just a hiccup. It had to be the logo. They needed that old logo to inspire and remind them of their winning past.
Now go win.
Band Aids On a Fatal Wound
Unfortunately this whole economic crisis has had too little leadership from Mr. Bush and his administration. Finally, at the 11th hour they put a band aid on the wound. The only thing is the wound is fatal.
Yes they used our money, tax payer money, to bail out billionaires who fucked up a system that they wanted this way.
This whole thing is due to deregulation of Wall Street by the Repukes and a vast majority of that deregulation took place because of John McCain being a champion of deregulation over the last 26 years until the last 72 hours when he flipped all of a sudden.
President Bush gave us a 120 second speech in which he said nothing other than he was going to cover up the real problem with our money.
The problem after all these bailouts is still there. The markets are not regulated by the Feds. Regulations that were put in place during FDR's terms during the Great Depression to prevent these kinds of things from happening.
So, our government will be buying these foreclosed homes with our tax payer dollars with no guarantee of getting that money back. Its a risky proposition at best with no real solution.
All these people are on now saying how McCain has this grand plan and how he wants regulation, well yeah in the last 48 hours he totally changed his position. He and his Washington buddies got us into this.
Barack Obama is being criticized for one sound byte that said that he wanted to wait and see how things played out. He said much more than that and this is more of what he had to say. Check his website for more details.
ANYONE who thinks that he doesn't have a plan at this stage of the game or expects us to think that is sorely mistaken. Both candidates have a plan for the economy. Obama's has been consistent and he has been chiming in on this stuff since he started running.
Category: Politics
123 Days and Counting
123 days, 15 hours, 3 minutes and 14 seconds to be exact. That is how much time George W. Bush has left and it won't come a moment too soon.
Remember the last 8 years him and his REPUBLICAN administration have handed this country.
Remember that he handed this country the highest energy prices ever for lack of an energy policy.
His administration has lied on everything from the war in Iraq to the environment.
He has delivered the worst educational policy in No Child Left Behind.
He and his administration are now also leaving us in the worst financial mess since the Great Depression.
Remember in November, he has essentially been giving us all the finger for the last 8 years.
Category:
Chris Matthews Rips Eric Cantor
Chris Matthews rips Eric Cantor who was on his show yesterday. Hes absolutely on point and Cantor ducks his questions every chance he gets. Its always about skirting the issues with these guys.
Cantor blames the democrats in control of congress and the senate for the last two years for not doing anything. That might be true, but what ever they did try to get through, the PRESIDENT VETOED IT!
Then Cantor tries to tell him that Bush has tried to reach out to American families? He has hardly spoken over the last 6 months. Wait till the debates people, this thing is going to be so clear cut after Obama gets on the same stage as McCain.
Category: Politics
NHL Preview: Northwest Division
1. Calgary
2. Minnesota
3. Vancouver
4. Colorado
5. Edmonton
The Northwest is a tricky division. It to me is the Northeast of the Western Confernce. Any one of the five teams in it has a shot except maybe Edmonton but even they can surprise people as they did two years ago in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Calgary is the my favorite to win it for three simple reasons, Iginla, Phaneuf and Kiprusoff. They have the best forward, best defenseman and by far and away the best goalie in the division.
Minnesota is the second place team because they have the second best forward in the division in Marion Gaborik and they play such a tight defensive system that though it bores the hell out of me to watch them some nights, it works and they win with it. There is no reason to think they won't again this year. Im glad they are not in the Northeast Division because Buffalo always has trouble scoring against them.
Vancouver is my thrid place pick. Yes, ahead of Colorado. I just think that with the Sedin boys, Alex Burrows and arguably the second best goalie probably in the entire Western Conference in Roberto Luongo they have too much talent not to finish at least 3rd. If Minnesota doesn't play their stingy system they could find themselves in third and Vancouver in second, either way Vancouver is poised to make a solid run at the playoffs and knock Colorado out.
Colorado is headed for a down cycle. I honestly don't think they have the goaltending or the manpower on the blueline to make a run this year. Joe Sakic is back but hes showing his age. Paul Stasny though impresses me probably more than any other player in the West. He is going to put up huge numbers given a solid support staff. Milan Hejduk is still there and should be good for his consistent 25-30 goals.
Edmonton is last and though they will finish last, they are young and up and coming. I just don't think again they have the goaltending or the blueline. As much as we like to see offense in the NHL it always seems to come down to defense doesn't it?
Category: Hockey
More McCain Economic Uncertainty
How can a guy one day talk about deregulating and the next day talk about stricter regulations? One day be against a government buyout of AIG and the next day be for it?
If you are John McCain, I guess anything is possible. The way this guy flip flops I honestly think the guy is senile. Do you want a senile president in the White House? Not running this economy.
Category: Politics
2008/2009 Sabres Preview
Goaltending seems to be the position that this team tends to live or die by no matter what the offense does. This past offseason the Sabres made their move on Patrick Lalime.
Lalime is a definite upgrade over Jocelyn Thibault and will allow Ruff to give Ryan Miller a bit more rest this year and possibly get to March without having to worry about Ryan Miller's stamina going into the playoffs.
Last year Miller played well over 70 games and at times looked like he needed an IV of fluids to perk him up. This year 60-65 games would be perfect for Miller and allow him to be ready when this team needs him at his best....
APRIL. Im looking for a strong season out of the Sabres duo in net, especially Miller. Its his team. Hes not the captain but he has become a strong voice in the room and there is no doubt he wants to win and wants to be counted among the NHL elite goalies.
He has to prove it and with a little help from Lalime, it should be very doable for him.
Why are Gas Prices Rising?
Gas is going up despite oil going down. Please explain that one to me. By my estimates, gas should be around $3.40-3.60 a gallon at the $92 per barrel of oil range so what gives?
Everyone is blaming the spike in gas on Ike but shouldn't oil be the first to go up? Instead its going on a nose dive and gas seems to be ignoring that.
I think its all out gouging and its pathetic. Its an excuse by the oil companies to keep gas prices artificially high. And what can we do about it? Sit here and take it up our tail pipes. We are powerless. The only power we have is to not drive or use any fossil fuels.....good luck.
Category: oil/gas
Where Does This Money Go?
I think that we as American taxpayers have a right to know how AIG got into a whole so big that its taking a loan of $85 billion dollars to help them out.
Where did all this money go? How did they mismanage this money so badly that they are in that big a hole. These people are in charge of managing our stock portfolios, our 401k's, insuring our banks and here they are with $85 billion that is missing. How did it happen? Thats about $250 for every one of the 300 million Americans in this country. That kind of buyout has happened a few times.
If the Federal Reserve, (essentially tax payer money) is going to bail them out, we have every right to know how this happened. And what guarantees are they going to give us that this isn't going to happen again? Honestly, do you really trust these people after this?
Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, all of them that have needed huge buyouts to survive or have gone bankrupt. How did they lose all that money. And when they get the buyout or the relief from who ever gives it to them, how do we know this money isn't being squandered again?
Its all because George W. deregulated it and let these big coorporate, Wall Street financials do their own thing and now we, the American public are paying to turn it around. Maybe not directly but somehow, the average citizen is paying for this.
Remember when Bush wanted to privatize our social security? Im glad he didn't because right now a lot of peoples retirement would be screwed. I believe that privatizing social security was on the mind of Mr. McCain too.
McCain Vs. Obama on The Economy
Folks, remember when McCain uttered the words that hes not an expert on matters in Wall Street? During the debates he actually said he wished interest rates were 0%.....that my friends would destroy the economy. 0% interest on your bank accounts. Then yesterday he said the same thing he said in this video, the "economy is still fundamentally strong". Im glad he thinks so. If AIG goes down, which maybe they have to to prove a point to some of the Obama naysayers. Maybe if AIG went down and this economy went right into a full blown depression, it would convince you anti-Obama people. This economy is melting under Bush economic plans. Plans John McCain has no interest in changing. Its trickle down economics that didn't work in the 80's. Clinton raised taxes on the wealthiest and the economy flourished during his time in office. Obama does have a plan, its on his website, go read it. Lets face it, out on the campaign trail you are not going to hear their plans word for word. Neither one of them give you their plans verbatim, if they did it would bore the people listening to their speeches.50+ Lies of the McCain Campaign
This site has been keeping track of the McCain campaign lies that they have been leaving behind including those by his running mate Sarah Palin. She is already racking up a record and shes only been on the scene now for a few weeks. "Palin claims Alaska "produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy." That's not true. Alaska did produce 14 percent of all the oil from U.S. wells last year, but that's a far cry from all the "energy" produced in the U.S. Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 3.5 percent, according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And if by "supply" Palin meant all the energy consumed in the U.S., and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 2.4 percent." For someone claiming to have some expertise if she has any at all, she better start showing an understanding of the numbers and what is true and untrue. She is no better than Dick Cheney and the crap he has spewed over the years. Heres another of my favorites: "Annenberg Political Fact Check: In Repeating Their "Misleading" And "Inflated 94-Vote Figure," The McCain Campaign "Falsely Impl[ies] That Obama Has Pushed Indiscriminately To Raise Taxes For Nearly Everybody." "Republicans claim Obama 'voted 94 times for higher taxes.' But their count is inflated and misleading. ... [B]y repeating their inflated 94-vote figure, the McCain campaign and the GOP falsely imply that Obama has pushed indiscriminately to raise taxes for nearly everybody. A closer look reveals that he's voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers. That's consistent with what he's said he'd do as president, which is to raise taxes only on those making more than $250,000 a year." [FactCheck.org, 7/3/08]" I heard it again today on CNN, some republican analyst again trying to state that Obama wanted to RAISE taxes on middle income and low wage earners. It is simply untrue. Obama wants to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more which if you look back, Clinton had higher tax rates on that population of earners and the economy was running on all cylinders. Get the fact straight before you spew junk out of your mouth Mr. McCain. This is just a taste of some of the lies you can find on there and be sure, there are plenty on the McCain side. Enough to cover just about every issue this man and Miss Piggy are running on.Category: Politics
Sunday Retro
This is one of my all time favorite Catherine Wheel tracks, Black Metallic. Its melodic, yet full of raging guitars and Rob Dickinson, lead singer and guitarist of Catherine Wheel is also cousin of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson.
They named the band after a firework which also took its name from a medieval torture device shaped like a wagon wheel with downward pointing spikes. You can use your imagination as to what it was used for. Too gruesome to mention at least on this site (which is saying a lot). Anyway here is the audio only of Black Metallic:
Category: Music | Sunday Retro
Jays Take A Hit
The Jays late season push took a big hit yesterday. That said, I being the die hard fan that I am have not given up just yet. A split of this four game series today with Doc Halladay on the mound would put the Jays 61/2 back again and the Red Sox head for Tampa and the Jays at home for a three game series against the lowly Orioles.
No matter what happens, the Jays late seson push is turning heads, If they don't make it, fine, I just would hope there is one thing that JP Riccardi considers going into next season.
Frank Thomas's salary will be off the books, Matt Stairs is off the books, Greg Zaun and AJ Burnett will also be off the books. That will most likely provide the Jays with an extra $25-27 million to spend.
Spend it. Get a solid two starter, get a big bat to plug into there and maybe look into the fact that Scott Rolen will not be the same as he was in 2004 and go out and get a new 3rd baseman. Maybe a new guy at 3rd base is your bat but if you have the money, go out and get what you need to get this team the 9-10 wins it needs to get to the playoffs.
Two to three holes to plug. Thats it really. They have a solid bench, the best pitching in the league. You need two to three parts to make this thing click and get there.
1. Big bat- Thrid, first or short would be nice. It doesn't have to be all three...If you think Rolen will bounce back then a hitting shortstop who could lead off would be perfect.
2. Number two starter
3. Thirdbase- Maybe a full off season to rest and maybe another surgery for Rolen, will Jose Bautista suffice?
A reasonable goal for the rest of this season for Cito would be 87-90 wins. Anything more than that would be gravy and maybe the wildcard. 87-90 would mean winning 8-11 of the remaining 13-14 games on the schedule. High expectations but it would continue to turn heads.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Verizon Cell Tower on Grand Island
Verizon is planning to build a cell tower on Grand Island and one of the proposed sites is next to Huth Road School. Its a middle-income, quiet residential area with alot of children. Less than a mile away from my parents house and where I grew up.
Its apalling too that Town Supervisor Peter McMahon and School Superintendent Robert Christmann are not dead set against the idea of putting one of these things behind an elementary school. There is nothing taller in that vicinity than a telephone poll.
If this were to happen, Mr. McMahon should start cleaning out his desk. You can't tell me there isn't another place to build the tower. Not to mention the value of homes in the area that would take a hit with the unsightly thing in such a pristine area. The school superintendent Mr. Christmann is not leaning one way or the other which makes me wonder, how much money is being passed on here to Grand Island political and school leaders to make this thing happen. How much are they going to take to be bribed into this thing? Its a big coorporation lobbying our elected officials and its really close to home and its a bunch of crap.Category: News
Palin a Pig?
The republicans were in such a tizzy over this quote from Obama and the sad part about it is, HE WASN'T REFERRING TO PALIN! He was referring to George Bush's and John McCain's policies. Thats the problem with the "Youtube" media you hear a clip but that the whole speech in the context of which it was meant to be heard. This is such a made up controversy and the sad part is the media took it, hook, line and sinker. I hope that in the end the American public is smarter than these Karl Rove tactics. We have had to put up with them for 8 years, be wiser than that people.
So, if the republicans want Palin to be a pig, we can arrange that, take a look at Miss Piggy:
Category: Politics | Television
Im Ready for some Hockey
Im ready for some hockey. The Sabres first preseason game is next weekend against the Leafs and I can't wait. This season is going to be a return to playoff hockey for this team. Last year was just a hiccup.
Here are my five favorite Sabres moments:
2/22/07 Sabres/Ottawa: Drury Hit and followed by the big brawl and Lindy blowing his top:
Flyers and Sabres brawl featuring Mattew Barnaby suckering Garth Snow, watch Andre Trefilov absolutely tackle Garth Snow and place him on his rear: Alexander Mogilny's 70th goal: Gil Perreault's first NHL goal: Brian Campbell, need I say more?My Corolla at 120,000 Miles
For those of you thinking about buying a new car to save on gas, expensives or other economic reasons in the coming months, let me tell you about my Toyota.
My car just hit 120,000 miles the other day and its purring. The other day I had to get an oxygen sensor replaced that cost me $330 but when you think about the fact that I haven't made a car payment in 15 months, a repair like that every 6-12 months doesn't really bother me.
True things will fail on my car over the coming months and years, but overall it has lasted 7 years and will most likely get me 10-12 years with constant oil changes and a little TLC. Im holding my breath on the transmission, but even so, $1000 for a new transmission will pay for itself in 5 months without a car payment. Especially given the fact that with a new transmission, I might get another 8 years out of it. The alternator goes, its $400-500, big deal, in two months its paid for and Im making money based on the fact that I don't have a car payment.
It still gets me 29-31 miles per gallon, sometimes more on the highway for longer trips. True gas prices have been declining but lets face it, we are not going to see $50 oil again anytime soon and we probably won't see gas go below $3 a gallon again either.
If I have to I can trade it in for minimal return and get into something new that I will have money saved for. I am going to start saving after this Chirstmas season $100 every two weeks for a down payment on something new and within 2 years I will walk into a Toyota dealer and pick out my next car with a $4000-5000 down payment in cash.
Its the second Toyota I have owned and the first a 1991 Toyota Tercel, lasted 8 years and 120,000 miles and like this one was purring when I turned over the keys.
So the moral of my story, go Toyota for economy and reliability. I am getting paid absolutely no money for writing this either in case you were wondering. You can't beat the quality and reliability of a Toyota. Most don't stick with their cars long enough to realize life without a car payment. Life after car payments sure is sweet.
Category: Miscellaneous
SNL
I haven't watched SNL since the Chris Farley, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey days. Tonight though I will be there watching as Michael Phelps is hosting.
Who would have thought that swimming would get this much attention even after he accomplished 8 gold medals at Bejing. It would be nice if they could get a few more of the incredible athletes/personalities from the US swim team into a skit tonight too. They were all deserving of the big stage, not just Phelps.
Tonight will be interesting and hopefully, he does USA swimming proud. Knowing him, he will, he doesn't like to lose, in or out of the water.
Category: Swimming | Television
Why Now?
President Bush must think we are stupid. He wants Osama Bin Laden captured by November 4th. Gee, I wonder why? It wouldn't have anything to do with the election.
Realistically, this is the only thing he can do to help McCain and Palin because to have Bush come out and speak on their behalf could be a major blunder with Mr. Bush's speaking skills.
The smart people out there though, like me, should be asking themselves why now?
To do this now is a selfish and too little too late approach. This president has had 7 years to capture Bin Laden and instead of keeping the heat on him he concentrated on a pre-emptive war on a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and wasted trillions of dollars in the process.
Osama Bin Laden should have been the focus from day one and should never have left the public spotlight. Instead, it morphed into Saddam who was never connected to the attacks of 7 years ago.
Some aggressive diplomacy immediately following the attacks of 9/11 and you might have had Saddam helping the US track Bin Laden. Saddam didn't want Bin Laden around anymore than we did. Bin Laden was a threat to Saddam's Power as dictator of Iraq.
There is no excuse for this administration not capturing Bin Laden. They blew it and capturing him now will create a cynic out of me and many others Im sure. The reason why this is happening now is for the sole purpose of propping up John McCain and the republican party as the ones who caught Bin Laden.
This could have been done years ago and it was not. There is no telling me that the most powerful and sophisticated military in the world couldn't track down one man. Instead they wait until now, before the most important election in the history of this country and probably the direction of the free world.
Remember this was a President who as he was promoting his little war in Iraq stated that he really didn't think about Bin Laden:
NHL Previews- Pacific Division
Well, a new season is upon us and what will change in the Pacific?
Not much. Besides losing Brian Campbell the San Jose Sharks come back the team to beat in the Pacific but one surprise team I think is Wayne Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes.
Yes, the Coyotes I am going to go out on a limb and pick them for a strong second place finish ahead of Anaheim. Talent wise, the Coyotes have the tools to compete. They are lead by veterans Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski who btw I wanted to and still want to see in a Buffalo uniform.
With any kind of decent goaltending in Phoenix between Mikael Tellqvist and Ilya Bryzgalov this team could be dangerous. The addition of Olie Jokinen gives Shane Doan a legitimate number one center to feed him the puck and should increase scoring on the number one unit and power play.
The Dallas Stars are probably the other team that could challenge for the top two spots in the conference and with a full season of Brad Richards, that could very well be the case. Sean Avery could give them the toughness needed and the sand paper to draw plenty of penalties. So, with my second place pick of Phoenix, Dallas I am picking for third, however, if Phoenix or San Jose falter, Dallas could easily be a top two team in the Pacific.
Anaheim, I think is due for a third place finish. They really don't have the fire power up front to support a somewhat aging defense. Ryan Getzlaf is their only real threat. Beyond him is dicey with unproven forwards. Teemu Selanne is gone and Doug Weight is gone which will ultimately hurt any offense.
The LA Kings are last but certainly not least. Of all the teams in the NHL I can honestly say I know the least about the Kings but one look up and down their lineup they have a solid base of good, young talent. Patrick O'Sullivan, Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov and Dustin Brown all provide solid offensive support. The defense is an unknown and unproven bunch and the goaltending that featured 7 different starters last year is a huge question mark. I give the Kings another year to get their defense and goaltending in order.
So for the Pacific Division:
1. San Jose
2. Phoenix
3. Dallas
4. Anaheim
5. LA
.
Category: Hockey
Mike Boon's Terry Fox Run
Anyone who reads my site knows that Mike Boon is the one who helped me create this site, including coming up with the Buffalo Nickel. Well, Sunday, my friend Mike will be running in the Terry Fox Run to help raise money for cancer research.
Terry Fox is one of the most inpirational figures for people suffering from cancer not just in Canada but in the world. Please, if you are not a regular Toronto Mike reader go to his Terry Fox link and donate to his cause this Sunday. Even if its only a dollar, it would be greatly appreciated. His goal is $500 and he could surpass that with a little help from South of the Border. Good luck in the run Mike and the best part is, it goes to a great cause!
Category: Miscellaneous
Sabres Preview '08/'09
Every Wednesday between now and opening night I will preview a different piece or phase if you will of this Buffalo Sabres team.
Tonight I start with the farm. The Sabres lost long time farm team Rochester and gained their full farm team in Portland. I say full because the Portland Pirates will not be a shared farm team. For the last few years the Sabres shared the Rochester Americans.
The move gives Buffalo more depth and allows them to run their system. They lost a great coach in Randy Cunneyworth, but inherit a great coach in Kevin Dineen.
The Sabres will be in a much better spot when calling players up knowing that they are not going to have any concerns over who or how many they call up and they are free to add to the roster in Portland as they see fit.
What is a negative is that it will mean less exposure for the Sabres down the I90 but realistically how many from Rochester are making that commute for Sabres hockey?
Next week I'll preview the Defense as we head toward a new hockey season in Sabreland. On Thursdays I'll preview my predictions for the NHL.
Atom Smasher a Good Thing?
This atom smasher sounds great on the surface and the scientists who are working on it are giving it glowing reviews about how much it could tell us but realistically, is it a good thing? Look, Im all for science. Science explains a lot of things from evolution to medicine, biology to zoology, and ultimately I think science explains away religion and creationism, but there are certain things like cloning, controlling the weather with rockets and chemicals and atom smashers made to tell us about the beginning of the universe that maybe should be left untouched. I understand what they want to do, but hopefully their quest for knowledge isn't blinding the potential negatives. They are not going to turn it on full blast for a few months to a year but when they do there is concern that this thing could trigger a black hole on Earth, that doesn't sound good. Now the negatives that are brought up are probably Y2K in nature, they will probably be hyped up and turn out to be nothing really, but if they are right, I think a lot of us would be wising Y2K were true instead. The article got me thinking of a Jeff Goldblum exchange in Jurassic Park:Category: Science
KFC Recipe Moved
The news about moving the KFC recipe shouldn't be that it was moved, it should be their CEO, listen to the thick southern accent (HES FROM AUSTRAILIA how the hell did that happen to a great American institution?)......It should also be that only two other people know the recipe besides the Colonel himself. If thats the case, HOW THE HELL DO THEY MAKE IT IN ALL THEIR STORES???????? I Think its all a big ass hoax to get attention and thus get much needed press for a product that is dying.
Their product is dying, their stores are rat infested and the recent health inspections here in the Western New York area alone probably seriously hurt patronage to their stores. Its a heart attack in a bucket. CPR instructions are included on the bottom of the bucket and when you get done eating you can see them through the bottom because the grease made it see through:
Category:
Obama Responds
Obama responded to the Republicans jabs at his experience as a community organizer. Suffice it to say, he shreds their jabs at him and its refreshing to hear a democrat fire back.
Rudy Gulliani laughed and poked fun at what a community organizer does, Palin did the same thing. Totally unprofessional. Obama has not once poked fun at anyones background or livelyhoods. If thats what the Republicans intend to make this campaign about I think the majority of the American people will leave them in the dust.
What job is more noble than a community organizer. Helping those in need fight for jobs and improving their lives is as noble as you can get and as Obama says in the video, what job could provide better experience than working with those who are fighting to better their lives, neighborhoods and communities.
Category: Politics
Agreeing With Chris Wallace
As a Democrat I A) don't watch Fox News very often and B) Don't very often agree with Chris Wallace.
listen to this interview he does with Rick Davis and quite frankly, I have never heard Chris Wallace this critical of ANY Republican.
He was asking Davis when Palin is going to do media interviews and when she is going to have an opportunity to be asked some of the tough questions that are out there.
He grills Rick Davis who is once again playing the Republican spin game from the last 8 years. "She will answer questions to the media when she has time and we think she feels comfortable doing it".
Come on Rick, she is going to be VICE PRESIDENT. There is no comfort in the second highest office in the land and if she wants to be in that position she should have to answer the tough questions. No one wants to ask questions about her personal life, they want to ask questions about her questionable dealings as Mayor and Governor.
Respect and Deference? Americans should want to hear her answer the tough questions. They don't want her to answer questions because they want her to continue to look like the cutesy, putesy little dolly they have standing next to Grampy. Well, Cutesy will not cut it in the White House.
Watch as Wallace just flattens anything that is coming out of Rick Davis's mouth, good for you Chris:
Category: Politics
Mandatory Music Mondays
Here is my first Mandatory Music Monday's. I'll even take requests (assuming I have the MP3. Today though, its my choice. The Barenaked Ladies are back and performing after some interesting summer events for the leaders of the group. They are playing Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls later this month.
One of my favorite songs from the Ladies is probably only a song that long time listeners of CFNY will remember. Its called McDonald's Girl that to the best of my knowledge was never officially released on any album proper. This is a recording from CFNY that was leaked onto the file sharing networks and at the beginning you can actually hear a clip of an old CFNY ID check.
Category: Music
Say Hello To The Third Place Jays
The Evil Empire looks a lot less evil from 3rd place which is exactly where the Blue Jays sit today. With a David Purcey performance that cements his place in the starting rotation the forseeable future in a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Jays sit 1/2 game ahead of the NY Yankees.
8 wins in a row, now 7 games behind the Red Sox. Im not saying playoffs, but 1987 in reverse is certainly in the back of my mind.
Category: Sports | Toronto Blue Jays
Too Much Celebration?
Yesterday BYU vs. Washington was mired by a terrible call by the official for unsportsmanlike conduct for celebrating too much after a Washington two point conversion. It made Washington have to kick an extra point from 35 yards that ended up being blocked.
Im sorry but the emotion and excitement in college football and the kids can't celebrate a little after a touchdown. Watching the play, that was not excessive celebration. It was really no more than what happens after a goal in hockey. The kid that this happened to yesterday should bame no one but an official eager to make a call just for the sake of making a call.
Then, BYU gets called after blocking the extra point for the same exact thing, only theirs was deserved. Players came off the bench onto the field. Washington's celebration had no players come onto the field, it involved only those on it.
Have a look at this horrible call, which makes you wonder, is there money in the officials pocket to make a call like that to help BYU?
Category: Sports
Sunday Retro (Early)
I am going to give you Retro Sunday a day early. Tomorrow I am going to the Buffalo Bills game. It is my second regular season Bills game that I can remember.
My mother got two tickets for the Seneca Casino Box seats. The nice part is we get a bus ride to and from the game. No worries about driving, parking or getting home after a few pops.
Apparently they have the biggest box in the stadium so I am looking forward to it. It will be a completely free day.
So with that, I am posting Sunday Retro today as I probably won't be around for much of the day tomorrow. Todays Retro Sunday is Jane's Addiction featuring STOP! Something that kicks for the start of football season!
Category: Sunday Retro
Hockey Night Theme Contest
A former producer for the Humble and Fred Show, "Scary Bald Headed" Pete Cugno has entered into the CBC Hockey Night In Canada Theme Song challenge. The challenge is to come up with the best theme for Hockey Night.
For those of you who haven't heard the theme can not be used by CBC anymore due to complications with the writer of the theme.
Pete is wicked funny and talented and did many interesting characters on the Humble and Fred Show as well as one of the most popular commercials for Edge 102.1.
Here is the link to go vote for his theme: Hockey Night.
Edge 102.1 commercial:
Category: Hockey | Television
Protect The Twinkie!
All Im going to say is, Will Ferrell is awesome, check out this football skit:
Category: comedy
The Doc Watch
This is more than just a Doc Watch, its a "Bird Watch". The Toronto Blue Jays continued their late season push last night and while it may be too little too late to capture a playoff birth, I think its safe to say that no one in the AL in contention for a playoff spot wants to see the Blue Jays in the opposite dugout.
Cito Gaston said a few days ago that he wants to make a statement closing this season and let other teams take notice. Well, here it is and the team is responding to that.
Roy Halladay last night was lights out again in getting his 18th win, giving up just one earned run over 7 innings. Lets compare that to the Joba Watch, 4-3 on the season and only one win since July 30th. Not much to watch there Yankee fans. Again, the bandwagon is driving by again, hop on board before the train passes.
Speaking of passing, that could happen tonight, a Blue Jay win and a Yankee loss and the Toronto Blue Jays will over take the New York Yankees for third place in the AL East, at which point we can look for a volcano to erupt in NY as the members of the Steinbrenner family all simultaneously combust with anger.
The Jays have now won 6 in a row, they are 8 games over .500 and have turned the competitive corner under Cito Gaston.
Say what you want about JP Riccardi but by bringing Gaston back he brought back a guy that I was looking for earlier in the year, a guy who bleeds Blue Jay Blue. Gaston does that and the players love playing for him.
He has developed Brandon League who is now throwing 98-100 mph smoke again coming out of the bullpen, thats before you get to BJ Ryan. He has gotten guys to hit who were not hitting, pitchers to pitch even better than they were before and most of all, he has gotten the attention of the fans of Toronto.
Lately, attendance has been up consistently at Rogers Centre. Its been hovering around 30,000 a game, with over 32,000 last night against the Rays who despite their winning record is not a huge draw. Slowly but surely, you are starting to feel a buzz about this Toronto team, Im here in Buffalo watching games on TV and I can tell the crowds are bigger, the announcers are more excited and there just seems to be more optimism about this team.
Instead of going out and trying not to lose and hoping the pitching holds up like was the case earlier in the season, the Jays are finding ways to win. There is a difference and it makes watching the games more exciting. If they pass the Yankees this weekend, I have a feeling there will be no looking back.
The playoffs may be mathematically out of reach, but realistically there are still four games to play against the Red Sox and four games against the White Sox. Its not unheard of to go into the final two weeks 5-7 games out of a playoff spot and overtake a team or two. It happened to the Mets last year, we all know and try to forget about 1987 with the Tigers, and Oakland did it a few years back when they went on their monster late season streak and got in by winning 20 something in a row.
No matter what happens, Cito wants to make a splash and make something happen. Regardless of what happens, they are turning heads and JP's job for now is safe in my book.
Category: The Doc Watch | Toronto Blue Jays
Superbowl Picks
VS. 
What other sport gets experts skipping predicting the standings and playoffs and going right to the championship game more than the NFL?
Well with the season about to begin I am going to give my two cents (If I didn't I wouldn't be a blogger now would I?)
In the AFC Im going out on a limb. The Cleveland Browns last year were one of the best teams in the league offensively. With no changes to the offense and all weapons returning there is no reason why they shouldn't be as good if not better, especially with another year under Derek Anderson's belt. Even if Anderson fails, Brady Quinn will be there and he already this preseason looks like if the job is up for grabs mid-season he may be capable of taking over and taking this team far. So Cleveland is my pick out of the AFC.
In the NFC the Giants would have gotten my calling but since they lost a lot of guys during the off season on the defensive side of the ball Im going to go with the Dallas Cowboys. This is their chance and Tony Romo will shake the Jessica Simpson curse. TO is set for a big year.
Cleveland with any kind of Defense will beat Dallas in the Superbowl. So go ahead, make your bets, Cleveland will be the 2009 Superbowl Champions, you read it here first on Buffalo Boy Mike.
Category: Sports
All I Got Out of McCain's Speech Was.....
McCain is a POW did everyone out there know that? No? Well if you didn't already, which if you didn't you have had your head buried in a bunker, you know now. Did he really have to dedicate so much of it to boring ass POW stories. No one cares about you as a POW grampy. What we care about are issues. We already know you are a POW. How could we not know? You bring it up every friggin chance you get. You are like Kramer in My Fellow Americans, the same damn speech over and over again.
Were was the speech about the economy? Did you know unemployment hit 6.1% today as more jobs go overseas and get cut? By the way, the Bush tax cuts for coorporate America have had 8 years to do what they were going to do and guess what...ITS NOT WORKING!
The economy sucks. No mention of healthcare.....again, No mention of education.....which that No Child Left Behind thing needs to be obliterated.
So as I sat there last night, all I got was this:
Category: Politics
I Can Keep Going
Anyone who wants to really learn about the Republican VP just check out this stuff also off the Randi Rhodes web page. A ton of stuff on Sarah Palin that contradicts every word out of Dolores Umbridge's mouth. She is as crooked as the current administration with all her crap and not to mention last nights speech featured not one word about the healthcare, not one word about education and not one word about the economy out of the little witches mouth.
Check out more from Randi's collection of articles on Ms. Goody Two Shoes Palin that includes information about the meth labs in Wasilla, the pork barrel spending that she supposedly opposes yet took every opportunity to rely on as mayor and then as governor, reducing money to programs for pregnant teens of which she is now a mother of, banning books from the Wasilla library!, and her involvement with the loser Jack Abramoff, read up everybody this is must know stuff:
"THE PALIN PICK seemed crazy at first, but now it’s CERTIFIABLE!
Tonight is Sarah Pork Barrel Palins’ big night!
Will she tout her record as Governor? While Alaska is seeing soaring revenues from ridiculously high oil prices (Alaska is due to have a $9 billion surplus) Sarah Palin as governor cut spending on fire stations, emergency services and needed road improvement projects.
http://www.adn.com/legislature/story/415749.html
Alaska’s Governor has a line item veto and Sarah used it to reduce the amount of money that Covenant House a charity that gives pregnant teens a place to live, rehabs drug addicted teens etc needed to expand.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/02/palin_slashed_funding
_to_help.html?hpid=artslot
Do you think she’ll include the title her little town won? “METH CAPITAL OF ALASKA” That’s right, in 2003 the Mat-Su area (Wasilla Alaska) authorities uncovered 9 Meth labs. By 2004 the number of meth labs in Wasilla jumped to 42! http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/030805/sta_20050308002.shtml
Meth Lab Cleanup in Wasilla IS BIG BUSINESS
http://homemethtestkit.com/index.php?q=99629
Meanwhile the Wasilla police were conducting raids with automatic weapons on POKER GAMES?
McGregor knew many of the people arrested in the Wasilla raid two weeks ago. He said he's been told that there were as many as 20 police officers - armed with automatic weapons - involved in the bust. He said he can't understand why police are using valuable resources to arrest otherwise law-abiding citizens for gambling with their own money. Aren't we the meth capital of Alaska?” he asks. “Why are we busting poker games? No one is going to Gestapo-style raid your house on Super Bowl Sunday” '
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/news6.txt
And Sarah was BANNING BOOKS in the Wasilla library.
Mayor/Dictator
Sarah Palin brought Rovian tactics to a small town Mayor's race. Once in office, she governed with an iron...far right, Christian conservative....fist. Right down to the books she wanted banned from the Wasilla library
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html?
imw=Y
OR THAT SHE REFUSES TO PAY HER TAXES??
Palin failed to declare a business she owned. The business was dissolved by the state for non payment of fees owed. She also started a failed Marketing Company named Rouge Cou. Translated from THE FRENCH it means “Red neck”
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/02/palin_scrubbing
_car_wash.html
The letter advising her that she failed to pay States fees owed on her business (a car wash) was written on her own letterhead?blank">
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/pdf/warningletter
20070211.pdf
Even John McCain criticized Sarah Palin’s addiction to PORK
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-earmarks3-2008
sep03,0,284198.story
Frozen Pork Barrel: $27 Million in Fed Funds For a Town Of 5,000
Despite their oil wealth, Alaskan pols are experts at dipping into federal funding. Ted Stevens mastered it. His protégé' Sarah Palin was getting good too.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/
AR2008090103148.html?hpid=topnews
3 Degrees of Separation: Sarah Palin-Steven Silver-Jack Abramoff
In addition to being Ted Stevens' chief of staff, Mayor Palin's lobbyist Steven Silver was an Abramoff confidantblank">
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/palins_lobbyist
has_abramoff_t.php
Alaska #3 on The Federal Spending List.......
For every buck they send in taxes, the get almost two back.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html
WHAT ARE THE ODDS FOR A PALIN PURGE?
According to Bloomberg Odds makers are betting McCain drops Palin from the ticket
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080902/pl_bloomberg
/azjwbcginwsg;_ylt=AvTTfx8Sb.nQiKspjlrUEhOs0NUE
Category: Politics
Lies From the RNC
Randi Rhodes website on Air America radio which is on AM 1520 here in Buffalo is one of my favorite shows to listen to especially after you get a speech like last night that blamed too many liberals in Washington and thats why we need to elect John McCain and Sarah Palin. Mitt Romney is aware that George W. Bush has been in office for the last 8 years and we have had a Republican congress AND senate for the last 12 out of 14 years right? Maybe instead of listening to the brain wash machine that is the Republicans if you read and become educated we will all see through the pile of crap being left in St. Paul. These are some of the links and articles on Randi Rhodes website, see she backs up what she and democrats know to be true, not just some stump speech by a third rate politician like Romney. She provides actual articles with the facts on her site. Check them out below
"BLAME THE 'LIBERALS'.
Yeah, it was those damned liberals, wasn't it....????
- George W. Bush inherited a $128 Billion Dollar Budget Surplus When He Took Office. REPUBLICANS have posted a deficit every year since. 2009? A RECORD $482 Billion Dollar Shortfall.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/28/2009.deficit/
- It was REPUBLICANS who sat in a secret briefing on August 6th, 2001 we’re told in detail that Osama bin Laden planned to strike the United States with hijacked airplanes. AND DID NOTHING.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090303210.html?hpid=artslot
- It was REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST Supreme Court that somehow magically squeezed the termination of legal recount of votes in Florida out of the Fourteenth Amendment...
http://www.iefd.org/articles/rightwing_judicial_activism.php
- A REPUBLICAN, not a liberal, has FAILED to kill or capture the man who was responsible for 9/11
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Bush-regrets-edict-to-get-Osama-dead-or-alive/323453/
- It was REPUBLICANS who lusted for, planned, and executed the biggest military blunder in American history
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1181629,00.html
- ...lied about the justification for war...
http://www.alternet.org/story/16274/
- ..helped themselves to tens of billions of taxpayer dollars...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/politics/main575356.shtml
- ..ordered our soldiers into harm's way disgustingly unprotected...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-03-26-body-armor_x.htm
- ..ignored the wounded who returned to squalid care...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html
- ..spent...over half a trillion dollars on this sad aventure....$2500...a second.
http://zfacts.com/p/447.html
We could go on....and on....and on......
It's all Barack Obama's fault, right Rudy? It's all Bill Clinton's fault, right Rush? It's Hillary, and Biden, and Dennis Kucinich and Randi Rhodes....they did it!"
Category: Politics
More Global Warming Evidence
Here is another article that highlights the recent warming and depletion of the necessary glaciers in the Arctic and Greenland. Significant melthing has continued this summer and much of what has fallen off is not replaceable due to warming temperatures. The piece in this article is the size of Manhattan and over 4500 years old.
Once the Arctic sea ice is gone we lose the "air conditioner" for the northern hemisphere. The ice that reflects sun light and prevents warming gives way to water which absorbs more of the suns warming rays. Every time a piece like that breaks off its a piece of a valuable eco-system and contributes to more warming by opening up more heat absorbing water. There is also algae in this ice that helps in reducing CO2 by absorbing CO2 out of the atmosphere. All this and yet here is Ms. Palin suggesting we drill, drill, drill up there. Great. Yet another example of this woman's intentions.Category: Global Warming
Palin Looking More Like Umbridge
Mrs. Sarah Palin is beginning to look more like Dolores Umbridge. Has anyone even looked at her, under that smile and fake exterior she kind of looks like a witch. Under that cute lil speech tonight that I am sure she needed help on 75% of it, she is really an evil person.
The more dirt that comes out on her, the more Im beginning to think she really is. The abuse of power and firing of her former brother-in-law is just the tip of the iceberg.
She is a woman who is going to stand up today and talk about reform yet as mayor of Wasilla she worked with the dirty Ted Stevens to acquire $27 million in pork barrel spending. Thats obscene for a town of 5700 people. What does a town that size need $27 million for? Top it all off with the fact that she was actually in favor of the bridge to nowhere.
Add to that, under her watch, Wasilla was found to have 42, count them, 42 meth labs in a town of 5700 people. Thats about one meth lab for every 125 people. There were children living in dumpsters there.
Also, she wants to cut spending on government programs that would support pregnant teen mothers and is not in favor of teaching teens sex education. Instead, abstinence. I see that really worked for her daughter.
No her daughter shouldn't come into play, Obama is right, but when the candidates own moral values go totally against what she says and what has happened with her daughter, to me its fair game.
This woman is crooked. McCain doesn't know her, she doesn't know McCain and realistically we are looking at electing a crooked woman to sit alongside a man who obviously has no judgement whatsoever.
This woman couldn't manage a town of 5700 and didn't even get through half her term as Governor
Im sorry but there is no way that anyone should give this ticket their vote. Unless you liked that bitch Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter.
Category: Politics
Fantasy Baseball Update
The Bluejays (my fantasy team Bluejays) finished the season with a 201-87-42 record tops in the league of 8 teams by 37.5 games. Dominant comes to mind when discussed this team. Unbeatable perhaps?
Since the midway point of the season the boys have not lost. 12 weeks without a losing week in the head to head league. Therefore for the first round of the playoffs I get a bye week.
Leaders on the year included:
Aubrey Huff and Josh Hamilton sharing the lead in home runs to this point with 30 a piece.
Josh Hamilton with the lead in RBI's with 117
BJ Upton with the lead in stolen bases with 40
Aubrey Huff with 161 hits and Michael Young close on his tail with 160 lead the team.
Batting average leader goes to Matt Holiiday hitting .334
Pitching numbers were awesome:
Rich Harden leading with a 1.99 ERA
Roy Halladay leading in wins with 17, complete games 8 and shutouts 2
Ervin Santana leading with 183 strikeouts
Kevin Gregg leads the team in saves with 29
All things point to a clear sweep of the playoffs, updates will start in two weeks after I roll up my first opponent.
Category: 2008 Fantasy Baseball
2008 Fantasy Football Team
I actually have two teams I will be keeping track of, Dogpound and Dogpound2
Dogpound is in a 12 team league called Powerhouse on Yahoo Fantasy Sports and I have actually been a part of this league for about three years now, here is how Dogpound looks for this year:
Quarterbacks: Starting QB's are Tom Brady (NE) and Drew Brees (NO), Backup QB's are Trent Edwards (Buf) and Chad Pennington (Mia) both of whom will probably only see action during a bye week or if there is an injury to one of my starters.
Running backks: Starters are Reggie Bush (NO) and Lendale White (Ten), Back ups are Ricky Williams (Mia), Justin Fargas (Oak), and Jerious Norwood (Atl)
Wide Recievers: Starters are Braylon Edwards (Cle), Greg Jennings (GB), and Reggie Williams (Jac) Back ups are Vincent Jackson (SD), James Hardy (Buf), and Robert Meachem (NO)
Tightends: Starting are Owen Daniels (Hou) and Dallas Clark (Ind) Back up is Donald Lee (GB)
Kicker: Jason Elam (Atl)
Defense: Buffalo
Dogpound2 is in the Primetime League that I set up. Its a ten team league and this is what DP2 will look like going into the season:
Quarterback: Starters are Peyton and Eli Manning from Indy and NY respectively. Back ups are Jay Cutler (Den),and Philip Rivers (SD)
Running backs: Starters are Ryan Grant (GB) and Darren McFadden (Oak) Back ups are Selvin Young (Den), Ricky Williams (Mia), Jerious Norwood (Atl) and Leon Washington (NYJ)
Wide Recievers: Starters are Larry Fitzgerald (Ari), Bernard Berrian (Min) and Nate Burleson (Sea). Back ups are James Hardy (Buf), Vincent Jackson (SD) and Robert Meachem (NO)
Tightends: Starters are LJ Smith (Phi), Back ups are Desmond Clark (Chi)
Kickers: David Akers (Phi)
Defense: Denver
Category: 2008 Fantasy Football
