Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
April 2009 Archives
The Dynamic Duo
The 1992-1993 hockey season around here was a special one that few of us will ever forget. Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny had a season of historic measures. Mogilny with his rookie record of 76 goals and LaFontain setting up most of those with 95 assists that helped him challenge Mario Lemeuix for the NHL scoring title.
This is a little video documenting those accomplishments. No one will soon for get that, just 16 years ago.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
More Dirt
How Yankee fans can just blindly support Alex Rodriguez with all the crap that has come out on this guy is beyond me. The supposed best team in sports with all their glory and championships has the biggest loser on their team and the organization and fans are letting him off easy.
Now reports are that he indeed has lied to us all again. The steroids were being injected into him as far back as high school. At what point does the commissioner get involved and issue a nice long suspension here or threaten and thus follow through with some drug testing?
Would it surprise anyone if this "hip injury" was actually a suspension issued behind closed doors? Hes not really hurt. The injury is there to cover up a 30 day suspension. Well, here we are and the truth still is not out there, we have been lied to at least twice now. If the commissioner did suspend him, why hide it?
Kids, fans and players need to know that cheating will not be allowed in baseball. That illegal substances will not be tolerated. Say all you want about whether they are illegal or not but if they are illegal to distribute then they are illegal to take. If it had been anyone else caught in these lies they would have been investigated by law enforcement by now.
A-Rod is A-Joke and at the very least, after these new details come out should have any records he gets posted with an asterisk and his hall of fame eligibility taken away. I truly believe that the timing on this is impeccable and regardless of when he committed the crime, he deserves swift and lasting punishment from the league. Make and example of him and the rest of the players association will stand up and take notice.
We all have to question now, is his bullshit lie about quitting the juice after coming to New York a fat lie? He stated he tooke the juice in Texas because of the pressure, yet he went to NY into the pressure capital of all of sports.
Bottom line is fans need to stop ignoring the fact that hes a complete idiot and if your kid worships him, its time to tell your kid the truth and teach them that A-Rod is not someone you want to look up to. Its not about legal or illegal, its about the right thing and being truthful, A-Rod has been the poster boy for doing the wrong thing and being completely dishonest to his fans.
Again, the Yankees are stuck with this mess and Im loving every minute of it.
Category: Sports
Still Waiting for An Answer
Keith Olbermann is still waiting for Sean Hannity to accept his offer to be waterboarded for charity. Olbermann now says he will double the charitable donations if Hannity admits afterward that he changed his mind about waterboarding.
The fact is the debate on waterboarding shouldn't have to go this far. It is torture and it has been proven time and again that torture does not work.
Professional interrogators will even tell you that it does not work. Often prisoners will just tell you what they think you want to hear whether its true or not or they will say nothing at all. They are more apt to be cooperative if they are treated with dignity.
So, Sean Hannity still has not given his definitive answer. Of course you would have to expect no response for someone as cowardly as Hannity, who thinks that torture is okay. If Hannity doesn't back up his words and allow himself to be waterboarded it will show everyone just what a little chicken shit the guy is and how right Keith Olbermann and the rest of the liberal world is.
Category: Politics | Television
Capping It Off
My team in the East going forward is the Caps. Not because they are my favorite team in the East, if I was playing favorites out of the teams left I would go with Boston.
Im picking the Washington Capitals down the stretch because it would be great for the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin going as deep as possible into these playoffs would be the best medicine for a league that struggles to be kept in the big time leagues in North America.
Even with Malkin and Crosby in Pittsburgh, I think even Pittsburgh fans would admit that Ovechkin is all that and more. He is the new Gretzky, maybe he won't have 200 point and 92 goal seasons but he will excite the fan base of the league like no other.
So last nights win in game 7 while Ovechkin did not have a part in the game winning goal, vaulted the Washington Capitals into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The game winning goal also created another playoff story worth following, Sergei Federov.
So the Caps have the most story lines and superstar power going forward and to me that is good for the league. And what hockey fan doesn't love watching the guy play, when the games count, Ovechkin seems to put things to another level.
The video above is not from game 7 but its a huge reason why this guy needs to play deep into the playoffs. That is not the first goal of that nature he has scored, he is getting really good at making NHL defensemen look like pilons. The NHL now gets its dream matchup in the East, Washington and Pittsburgh. Ovechkin and Malkin don't necessarily like eachother so this series could get really interesting. I make tune into this one regularly.Category: Hockey
Rush Limbaugh Needs To Be Taken Off The Air
This clip of Rush Limbaugh from yesterday was just pathetic. He is now blaming Obama for the demise of the newpaper industry, the supposed decline in CNN's and MSNBC's viewership, the swine flu is now the Obama flu and apparently Rush now believes that Obama is responsible for earthquakes.
Folks, he is officially going off the deepend. Unfortunately for Rush, I think its the other way around. It is your numbers that are going down the toilet and you are and have been operating on desparate lies that you spread via your viral talk show.
Just in case the Rush supporters didn't get that, here is some print to go with the spoken words:Sunday Retro
One of the biggest regrets I have was back in undergraduate school I had a ticket to see Nirvana at UB literally in my hand. I turned it down. It wasn't too long after that Kurt Cobain was gone and eliminated any chances I had to see what many including myself to be one of if not the greatest band of all time. I look back on that moment when I turned that down and only with hind sight can I truly appreciate what I turned down and really after that, can I even consider myself a true music fan? That would have been not unlike my dad turning down tickets to see the Beatles in the 60's. Nirvana was that big for my generation.
This week I found an erie version of a song by the blues band Lead Belly that Nirvana covered as the last song from their MTV Unplugged. To this day, every time I watch Unplugged this song gives me the shivers. Cobain was truly amazing and lost way too soon.
Category: Sunday Retro
Buffalo Sabres History
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
More Idiot Republican Talk Show Hosts
Sean Hannity is a complete bozo. The line to volunteer to waterboard this guy has got to stretch across the country. I hope he backs up his ignorant mouth and lets someone waterboard him for charity. I hope the air it on every network and let him be seen changing his stance after he comes up for air. Hannity wins my award for biggest asshole.
The United States does not torture, waterboarding is torture. The United States on orders from Bush and Cheney waterboarded detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Therefore, this thing is as simple as this. Bush and Cheney need to be tried in a court of law.What Are We So Afraid Of?
What is it about gay marriage that polarizes people on the issue? Why do certain straight people, mostly republicans and conservative right wingers, have against two gay people getting married and having the same rights when married as any other couple?
Im straight, I have a beautiful wife and I honestly don't get the fear that some people have. Its really a great thing to see Governor Patterson finally putting this issue on the table in this state.
The arguments from the right side of the political spectrum are many and most if not all the arguments are religious in nature or they feel threatened by the very existence. The arguments for gay marriage are merely that gays deserve the same rights as any other loving couple.
One argument I constantly hear is that it would "threaten the sanctity of marriage". Okay....Sanctity of whose marriage? Not mine. There are no gay couples that will pound down my door and threaten my marriage or any other straight marriage.
Another one is that being gay is wrong or there is something not right about it. Well that argument is just flat out racist and those who bring that up should be slapped hard across their genitals a few times to make sure they are completely with it.
I hope this gets passed in New York, there is absolutely nothing wrong with gays getting married and having the same rights as anyone else and I think deep down the ones who argue against it know it, they just keep after it to distract our political leaders with an argument that doesn't need to be waged.
And that brings me to my last point. Why is this even a political issue. I understand that by allowing gays to marry that it will "cost" the system money in benefit payments it wouldn't ordinarily have to pay out, but really? If marriage is that big a burden on the system then why give anyone benefits for being married? This issue isn't a political issue, essentially, its a religious issue. If the respective church chooses to marry the couple, then the states should support the churches decision and respect the marriage.
Besides in todays world there is no sanctity anymore, couples get married and get divorced at record rates, maybe, just maybe, gay couples both male and female can teach us a thing or two, like how to stay happily married. That is after all what the word gay means doesn't it?
Category: News
NFL Draft
The NFL draft is this weekend just in case you have been living a life without news media for the last week and a half. Mock draft here, mock draft there. I can't stand mock drafts because nobody is ever right, even the experts. I suppose if they didn't talk about mock drafts then they would have nothing to talk about. Anyway, would the Bills please pick a solid defensive end to play opposite Schobel? Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denny just don't do it for them. They are okay back ups but lets face it, Kelsay and Denny are not good for every down defensive ends. Who was the last defensive end this team drafted? Eric Flowers? I find that sad. Its time to find an end. This ESPN commercial couldn't even get the Let's Go Buffalo chant right:Category: NFL Draft 2009
Obama's First 100 Days
How can anyone give President Obama a grade based on his first 100 days. For some reason its a make or break point the media have made up for presidents that is supposedly the tell all of how the rest of their presidency is supposed to go.
In this case he deserves at least a year. For all that the Bush administration screwed up Obama and his need at least a year to start to correct things. Amazingly there are signs that things are starting to improve and we are starting to turn around the horrendous "Bush" Economy.
In addition Barack Obama has allowed the administration and specifically the justice department to begin looking into the acts of torture ordered and carried out by the Bush administration, he has closed Guantanamo, passed a much needed stimulus package that we are just now starting to see the benefits of and will continue to see the benefits from, he has begun the process of overhauling our nations healthcare system which is in dire need of repair and has been promised by every administration since Clinton took office with nothing to show for it. He is addressing consumer credit protection from the credit card companies calling for no more fine print. He is pulling our troops out of Iraq. All of the above mentioned are things he promised to address.
Has he addressed everything? No, but there is only so much that can be done at once. I think he has come out aggressively and while I don't agree with sending more troops to Afghanistan ( I think they are more needed in Pakistan) I think he has done a decent job with the military thus far by ending the war that Bush and Cheney manufactured.
He has done well to address the economic issues and I think that most people have not given him credit. He has not raised taxes other than those on smokes. Most of us making less than $250,000 a year will see or have seen tax cuts this year. He has not, let me repeat, he has not raised taxes on the wealthy yet. That is coming but not for another year at least. And when he does he is raising them to Clinton era rates of 39%. Remember Clinton? Things were good while he was in office.
As I see polls on the networks I see a trend, most either love him or hate him Republicans give him F's across the board regardless of how well he is done, they are closed minded and choose to ignore the good and manufacture their biased points of view. Republicans will have you believe that the world is going to hell and the longer Obama is in office the more doomed we are. Simply not true and only inciting more hate and fear.
Democrats while more right in their assessments than the republicans are blindly handing out A's. Thats not accurate either.
I would give Obama a solid B. If I were giving him a percentage, I would give him an 85. While he has done well on the economy and done well on domestic issues I think he still has room for improvement. He needs to get back to insisting on single payer healthcare. He needs to refocus our efforts in the middle east to Pakistan, that is a much more dangerous situation than either Iraq or Afghanistan. He needs to really start putting pressure on the oil companies to start addressing energy alternatives.
I think one thing he has done amazingly well and has recieved nothing but grief for is his willingness to reach out to republicans in domestic issues like the economy and healthcare. Unfortunately, republicans did nothing but spit in his face.
The grades given in these polls show a country that continues to be divided and closed minded toward our president. Now is not the time to be this way. Now is the time to be open minded, listen to the man when he speaks and you hear nothing of what the crazy right wing idiots like Hannity and Limbaugh talk about, you hear a president willing to listen to people and work with those who may not necessarily see eye to eye with him.
That said, liberals can't just turn a blind eye and give him A's. Hes not perfect, he has had his issues but in comparison to the Bush administration relatively minor issues. Lets do this report card again after a year and see where things stand. My bet, republicans will start seeing him a little better and democrats will continue their strong support as things turn around.
Category: Politics
Policy of Sweet Dreams
This is another one of those mashups featuring Depeche Mode's Policy of Truth Vs. The Eurythmic's Sweet Dreams. When done well a mashup can bleed new life into not just one but both songs it is done with. This is another great example of how two great songs can be lifted to a whole new level via this ingenious way to recreate something new and interesting from the already done, check it out:
Category: Music
How Is This a Fair Sentence?
Cara Dickey today got away with a perverbial slap on the wrist in my book. The judge must have been smoking some mighty fine dope before sentencing her in her case. The relationship she had with a 14 year old boy nearly had them both committing suicide, not to mention the emotional scars that this boy faces after having sex with her on more than one occasion.
The statements made today by Dickey were those of a sick and emotionally damaged woman who shouldn't see the light of day for a lot longer than the four years the judge handed down. Also she will not be allowed to teach in NY State again but what about the other 49?
Why are judges so lenient in cases like this? Its a problem that continually comes up where judges let child molesters/abusers get away with minimal prison sentences. Granted after they get out there life is a living nightmare should they even attempt to re-enter society in any sort of functional way, but really can we trust someone like Dickey ever again?
Having any sympathy for her just because she is female is totally sexist, this is no better than a male in the same situation with a girl or boy. If it were a guy to be fair, the judge would have probably been just as lenient though and that to me is a mystery, but for some reason I detect a bit of "I feel sorry for her" coming eventually whether its from the media or from some other outlet.
She deserves no remorse in this, she deserves no sympathy what so ever. She did this to herself, she did this to her family and most importantly, she ruined some other kid and his family and put them through hell for selfish reasons. The judge in this case should be ashamed for not slapping her with a longer sentence. The judge called her acts dispicable and she deserved a sentence to match her actions....four years hardly matches what she did.
I'll Be Back
Sorry for the lack of bloggage the last few days. I have had a few things going on and not much time to write anything substantial. I'll be back on tonight leaving my two cents.
In the mean time, leave any thoughts in the comments section of this post and I was thinking, its almost time for Volume Two of the All Request Breakfast.....
Category: Blogging | Miscellaneous
Sunday Retro
This week is a live version of Morrissey doing Subway Train and Everyday is Like Sunday which made the Definitive All Request Breakfast Volume One.
Category: Sunday Retro
NHL Playoffs
Last year I didn't watch a second of the playoffs, it was too painful after the two great years the Sabres had not to see them in it.
This year however, Im over it. I've picked my teams here in the early going, not because I necessarily like them, but because I think it would be huge to see these teams go far for the NHL.
In the east Im pulling for the Capitals and the Bruins. Ovechkin is a no brainer. He is the new ambassador for the league and the league would thrive with him going deep into the playoffs and would definitely generate more national attention. Granted, Washington currently is in a deep hole against the Rangers. Boston has the second best player in the east in my opinion and he goes under the radar. Phil Kessel. (Everyone thought I was going to say Chara). Kessel is just a special player and has all the tools.
In the west Im pulling for Vancouver and Chicago. Vancouver because ultimately I would like to see Mats Sundin wrap his arms around a cup. Chicago for the obvious Buffalo connection in Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell but also because they may be the most exciting and youthful team in the playoffs this year.
My ideal Stanley Cup final?
Caps Vs. Blackhawks
Goodbye Aud
With the last pieces coming down I found a video featuring one final walk through before demolition began. One of the songs in the video is "Thank You Sabres". I had the old 45 of that and for the life of me have no idea where that thing is.
I bet its in my parents basement. Time to get a record player and go digging for old 45's me thinks:
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey | Miscellaneous
The Long Season in NY
Yesterday was opening day in the New Yankee Stadium and it crashed and burned around the Evil Empire. Yesterdays loss just put an exclamation point on the Yankees early season fumbles.
They are going nowhere this season. CC Sabathia, they pitcher they paid all that money to, to win games for them and to help their pitching staff....he sucked it up again yesterday in what should have been a great, adrenaline filled performance, he blew it. He is not the pitcher they were anticipating and he is already showing that he may not be the one to pitch under the bright spotlight that is NY.
This is just the first two weeks of the season, I can't wait for this Yankee team to really start crashing. Its coming Yankee fans, they are finishing no better than 4th.
Category: Yankees Suck
The Doc Watch 2009
Last night the Doc Watch continued in fine form. If my math is correct Doc Halladay is already 3-0 after last nights 9-2 slamming of the Minnesota Twins. He went 7 innings 101 pitches, 74 of those for strikes and allowed just one run and 8 strikeouts. All in a days work for Major League Baseball's best pitcher.
Kevin Millar, the free agent JP picked up in the offseason followed up an incredible catch the night before with a grand slam last night to help the Jays take over last nights game.
Aaron Hill also went 3 for 5 giving him seven hits in two days.
I believe last nights win makes the Jays the hottest team in the AL. For those who say that they are peaking too early, we saw last year how a hot start can help a team get out in front and build some momentum early. Things are finally going right for a change minus a minor injury to Jesse Litsch.
Category: The Doc Watch | Toronto Blue Jays
The Wasted Tea Party
For those of you who attended the Tea Parties around the country today for the single purpose of protesting increased taxes by Barack Obama and his administration you all wasted your time.
The more I listen to WBEN and other conservative talk radio hosts the last few days you would think we are going to hell in a hand basket. How many people at the Buffalo Tea Party make over $250,000 a year? Guess what, you are the only ones who have to worry about your taxes going....in 2011!!
You were all out there protesting George W. Bush's tax rates. Unless you smoke, then you might be protesting the tax increase on a pack of smokes which I can't possibly see anyone protesting that because for how much smoker cost our healthcare system, smokes should be $20 a pack.
Barack Obama and the feds haven't raised taxes on anyone yet. This is how brainwashed the right wing people in this country are. I do however agree that we need a tea party for New York State so instead of focusing on Obama, redirect your attention to governor Patterson who has threatened us with taxes to our utilities, haircuts and other New York State services to close a budget deficit that he inherited yet the lawmakers in this state have no idea how to fix.
To be out there today protesting Obama though is just flat out stupid. You have all been misled by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other dickheads that like to think they know what they are talking about and get good results getting their followers to listen to them like sheep.
Last paycheck I got I actually noticed a decrease in the federal taxes that came out of my check. I make less than $250,000 a year. My wife did as well. She makes less than $250,000 a year as well. Together we make less than $250,000. So overall we saw a tax cut in our latest checks, not a tax increase.
I have been rather insulted as should all liberal, democrats by comments made by Rush and Tom Bauerle on WBEN as well. They both were insinuating that the only ones at these "Tea Partys" would be liberals because we don't have jobs. We have no responsibilities and so we have time to get up and go to these things. Well, Mr. Bauerle, and Mr. Limbaugh, I am a liberal and gainfully employed and I can tell you that I had no way of getting down there to our Tea Party here in Buffalo, I was too busy working.
Besides that, the only ones stupid enough to attend these parties and believe in the crap that they represent were all right wing, anti Obama people anyway so you contradicted yourself as you addressed your hick audience today.
We democrats are smarter than that, we know that our current president is not the one who got us into the economic mess that we are in. Where was the outrage in the fall when George W. Bush and Hank Paulson stole $700 billion? Where was the outrage when Bush stood by for his last year in office and did next to nothing to ease prices at the pump or to maybe, just maybe address the housing crisis earlier, before it became this economic mess we are in?
So, your little tea parties today meant nothing, it was a waste of tea and when the price of my iced tea goes up because you right wing assholes dumped it into Lake Erie, I know who to blame. If this is what the republican party has been reduced to, spreading false claims that Obama is ruining the economy and spending too much to fix what George Bush screwed up, then its time to fold the party and start over.
Gun Control
Most Americans are in favor of gun control. This post is directed to those who are against further gun control laws. The above picture is one of an assault rifle. This is not a gun used for hunting, the only form of recreation that should involve a gun. Its used for assault, thus the name assault rifle.
Same with pistols and hand guns. Those are also, not used for hunting, they are used primarily for killing other people. Recently we have had more mass shootings of police officers and innocent victims not too far from home in Binghamton, NY. That is only 3 hours away from Buffalo by my math. In most of these shootings, including the Virginia Tech shooting the weapons for the shootings were acquired legally. Let me repeat that, legally. They filled out the application, paid money for the permit and bought the gun.
Okay, now, how intensive a background check is when purchasing a gun I don't know, but what I do know is, if it prevents a Virginia Tech or a Binghamton, Im all for making the purchase of a gun just a little more difficult.
Barack Obama wants to make gun control laws just a little stronger. He doesn't want to take guns away from people, he just wants to make sure that those guns go into the hands of the sane and responsible, not the clinically insane and depressed.
How much is it asking to take an extra week or two weeks in the acquisition of a gun to insure that that gun isn't landing in the hands of someone with a background of mental issues or a history of clinical mental illness. Checking medical records to make sure that you aren't handing the gun to someone who has a screw or two loose.
How about also banning the sale of assault weapons to the general public? That might help too. After all, why does the average person need an assault weapon? There is no use for one. You don't hunt with them if you are a self respecting hunter....or Sarah Palin. Assault weapons are for the military. If you are purchasing a shotgun or rifle for hunting go for it, no one is trying to stop you, we just want a few extra days to weeks to check your background to make sure your not nuts. I think the responsible gun owners out there would support that and understand the need for safety with any weapon, especially guns and especially after mass shootings like that in Binghamton.
Category: News | Television
Remember This in 2012
According to Rush Limbaugh 65+% of this country is ignorant and stupid for voting for our president. According to the head of the republican party 65+% are inept.
First off, this was the first time, documented by Keith Olbermann on MSNBC that a caller has actually called the Rush Limbaugh and disagreed with the guy. That is a person who called and disagreed and actually was allowed to disagree because lets face it, no one who disagrees with Rush is allowed to get through because he screens his calls. That my friends is the complete opposite of AM 1520 and the national hosts on the voice of progressive talk radio, you will and do hear callers who disagree all the time and the hosts allow them to have the conversation without insulting them.
The disagreement was about the use of torture, which Rush obviously thinks is okay. The caller who is a veteran feels opposite that torture should not be allowed to occur in this country citing the Nazi's and the Nuremberg Trials outlawing torture. Not to mention insulting a veteran of the armed services in the process. I thought that the military was one of the few safe havens for republican support, obviously not.
Rush just proved how big of an A-hole he really is and the lack of answers he really has to someone who disagrees with him. All he could come up with were insults back to the caller. Insulting someone who disagrees, not having a semi-intelligent conversation, because that would be too difficult considering Rush just ain't very intelligent:
WTF?
Next to right wing wacko in the dictionary you see a picture of Glenn Beck.....we simply must have him and Rush Limbaugh get together for tea and then....beat them senseless,....oh wait.... they already are senseless. The first video is Beck talking up some factless, baseless nonsense. The second is a video of a guest on Becks show fainting to which after the guest apologized and Beck actually replied by stating that the ratings would go up.....OMG.....how do morons get on television news networks? See Glenn Beck. He proves that the claim that Fox News is fair and balanced is complete BS.
Category: Television
Yankees Suck
The Yankees last night lost 15-5 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Yes thats right 15-5. What makes things even sweeter just 8 games into the season is that the Jays at 6-2 are currently sitting atop the AL East. Granted there is a lot of baseball left and this is no time to get over confident but if things continue this way Jays fans will be flocking to the Roger's Centre to see some very entertaining baseball.
The real news though is not that the Yankees lost, it was the way they lost. They went out in the offseason and spent $423 million dollars, more than 4 times the Blue Jays payroll on big names like Mark Texeria, CC Sabatical or what ever his name is and the ever so fragile AJ Burnett.
Last night the Yankees found out that they for got to spend some of that $423 gagillion bazillion dollars on relief pitchers. Of course they were probably hoping that AJ and CC would get them to Mo. Not the case there Yankee fans, obviously management didn't do their homework on the two guys they picked up and on the guys they have. Ching Ching Meng Wang (I added to his first name because it sounds like a cash register... get it? Ching Ching...okay) are either injury prone like AJ or due for an injury like the over worked CC Sabatical who seems to have taken one in this early season.
Last night, Nick Swisher, firstbaseman/outfielder had to come in and pitch the 8th inning. How could a team that spends more than every other team in baseball, hell, they spend more than any team in all of professional sports, need to count on a position player to come in and pitch in relief? Poor management, thats why. poor management by Joe Girardi in the dug out and Brian Cashman in the front office. They Yankees suck. plain and simple.
I may not be sitting here talking about the Blue Jays in first place in the AL East in a month or two but the other team that I won't have to worry about talking about being in first place is the New York Yankees. Im sticking to my guns, its going to be a lonnnng season in NY.
Category: Sports
Sunday Retro
What would be a better song on Easter than East at Easter by Simple Minds for this Sunday Retro. This is a live version posted on Youtube, no video, just audio but pretty good quality audio:
Category: Easter 2009 | Sunday Retro
Kill Your Peeps
Last year I provided an instructional video on ways to kill peeps. Like many people, I can't stand them and the urge to destroy them is strong. This is another video featuring ways to kill peeps that I found today. Among other ways was using it as a launch pad for a large firework.
Happy Easter Everybody!
Category: Easter 2009
Billy Bob Cancels Canada
For someone whose music isn't that good to begin with, Billy Bob Thornton should watch his mouth. In an interview with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC's "Q" Billy Bob was a complete and utter asshole to the host Jian and made remarks about Canadian fans. When the band was supposed to play on the show, Billy Bob bailed out like the big prick that he is. Whether its extremist Fox News talk show or mediorcre musicians/actors, we have really had a hard time making nice with our friends to the north. Hopefully Buffalo Boy Mike can repair some of the damage because Im sure there are Canadians out there who are beginning to think we are all a bunch of arrogant pieces of crap. That is not the case and you can check out the interview that shows Billy Bob being a complete loser. Jian said absolutely nothing wrong in the interview. If Jian's name sounds familiar he is from the band Moxy Fruvous that gave us some far superior music to anyhting that the hick ass Billy Bob ever gave us. Billy Bob also looks totally high in this interview as well.The Beach Boys Vs. Nirvana
I haven't really been too much into the so called Mash-Ups but this one really works for me, it is the Beach Boy's Sloop John B. mashed with Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit....Yeah I know, you have to hear it to believe it but it works in an erie sort of way:
Category: Music
Real Time 4/10/09
Last nights Real Time with Bill Maher was probably his best show yet. Last night Bill featured two huge names in legendary actor and director Ron Howard and writer and intellect Gore Vidal. Bill did separate one on one interviews with both and was just absolutely great with both. Of all the Real Time episodes so far, this one is most worthy of posting the full episode, check it out:
Category: Television
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PETA Strikes Again
PETA has got to be the worst organization ever founded. They rank right up there with the biggest hippocrits of the world in my book. They show their insensitivity once again by attacking a breeder of german shepherds, Linda Brown for selling one of her pure bred German Shepherds to Joe Biden.
She has had death threats, had her business threatened and investigated. Joe Biden has also recieved death threats as well. Where does it end with PETA? What does it matter? Shelter dogs, which they prefer people buy shelter dogs over the route Vice President Biden took because apparently it saves those dogs from being killed....So its better to ruin a human beings life over this one instance?
And really what difference does it make where the dog is purchased first off and second, its not like the dog that was purchased from this breeder is going to a broken home or is going to be in any danger of being mistreated. Its going to the VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIGGIN UNITED STATES!!!!. He is not the type of person PETA needs to worry about.
PETA should be worrying about Michael Vick who recently got our of prison and is looking to resume his life again when he should be in jail for life instead. Go send Vick death threats and ruin the rest of his life. Not Joe Biden or this woman.
Regardless of where the dog was purchased its saving one dogs life. I guarantee you that Joe Biden will not allow the dog to go to some animal shelter. The dog that Biden bought will be treated like royalty. So who gives a shit if its a shelter dog or not. Besides, shelter dogs often come with baggage and if you are ultimately going to be happy with the pet that you buy isn't that what is more important?
I will say right here and now that our beagle Molson was store bought. He is a pure bred beagle and that is what I wanted. I didn't want a previously owned mutt, I wanted a beagle to raise from a puppy. I care about the shelter dogs and if thats your cup of tea go ahead and buy from there.
Eventually, I really want a Saint Bernard and I can guarantee you that we are going to a breeder, so bring it on PETA, come after me for making that decision I don't give a shit. I think its slightly worse to be sending death threats to people who choose to go through a breeder as oppose to the PETA preferred method especially when no animal has been mistreated as a direct result. Any dog bought no matter where they are bought from is a dog saved as long as its going to a good owner.
Category: News
Sabres 5, Hurricanes 1
I'll comment about this one. I will give this team credit, when it was on the line this team clawed and fought down to their last out. Tonight. Despite the odds, this team didn't give up.
Despite the win, the New York Rangers spoiled things and did exactly what I have been predicting for the better part of the last three weeks. Eliminated the Buffalo Sabres.
No matter what happens in the last game of the season I can see it coming after that game. The following lines will be spewed and we as fans and media need to take it for what it is, useless banter.
"Well we fought to the end and really I think if we have this group back next year we can make this thing work"
"We have the right guys in the dressing room to do the job"
and more crap will spew out similar to that.
Don't buy it folks. This team needs a change. The players need to be changed. Not the coach. If anything the last few games have shown that it is the players and not the coach that needs changing at the end of the this season. The players proved that they are capable and have spent the majority of the this season short changing themselves and the fans.
How many games has this team blown third period leads, come out and had lack luster efforts in games that really meant something, played soft on defense.
Tonight they showed that those games that they left us wondering their minds went and how they could play that bad were all BS. They had it in them and they chose to lay back sell themselves short.
We need some leadership in that dressing room and there should be several players that just don't come back.Lindy however, will be back. Tonights game showed that if this team plays the system, they can play with anyone.
They didn't make the playoffs and the rightfully so. For their effort some players are going to have to face the reality that no matter how tight knit they say they are, this team has to see some faces go bye-bye.
I just hope the fans, media and management don't buy into the crap at the end. of the season a few nights from tonight.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Jays 12, Tigers 5
The return of the Doc Watch last night at Roger's Centre (AKA Skydome) and the Jays didn't disappoint on opening night as they crushed Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.
Doc went 7 innings and allowed 5 runs but really, it was over by the time he gave up those runs, he was coasting. He threw just 99 pitches nearly 70% went for strikes. A masterful first outing for Doc.
For those of you not familiar with the Doc Watch, it was my response to the Joba Watch in NY. Yankee fans have their Joba Watch as they watch a mediocre, unproven pitcher do average things. While we Jays fans watch the best in the game Roy Halladay, thus the Doc Watch was born.
Adding to last nights great first outing, Adam Lind and Travis Snider were both sensational. Lind had a 4 hit game and 6 RBIs, Travis Snider had two hits and a home run. Vernon Wells and Rios each had two hits, Rios scored 3 runs, Wells crossed the plate twice as well.
On the disappointing side of things....I was at the home opener last year when fans got a little out of hand at Roger's Centre (AKA Skydome) and my response was, it was just a one time thing, this won't happen again, Toronto fans after all my years of going up for Jays games are too good.
Last night I was proven wrong. I know its just a select few, but really, why can those select few not control themselves during a home opener? After all the years when Toronto filled Skydome and The Ex, there were very few problems and Skydome was sold out for years during the World Series years. Why are there problems now?
Seeing what happened last night on TV and listening to the Detroit announcers on the satellite dish, lets just say Toronto fans can do better. Granted that as of tonight there will be about 20,000 fewer fans in attendance until the Jays prove that they are for real and in a playoff run, but come on, throwing baseballs at players on the field? I was disappointed as someone from the States who talks up about the fans at Jays games and what great fans they are to have to see the Tigers pull their players off the field.
More security? Less booze at the games? At this point, I wouldn't blame the Blue Jays if they cut off alcohol after teh 5th inning from here on out.
What was an all positive night was briefly ruined by a few nut jobs. Hopefully this is the last time I have to post about the behavior of Jays fans because it hurt to see and Im not even from there.
Category: The Doc Watch | Toronto Blue Jays
Opening Day 2009
Its official, today is the big day for most Major League teams including the Jays today. Im not going to make predictions here only to say that I think that most fans who have written off the Jays forget who is managing them and I do think that whats on paper will not necessarily match whats on the field. This team will be better than expected. Maybe not a playoff team, but they will be better than people think.
As long as I can remember I have been a Jays fan despite what others tell me. My earliest memories are of 1985 against the Kansas City Royals in the playoffs, 1987 and the late season drop off with the Tigers.
My favorite player is George Bell, watching him hit was just amazing. If it was close to the strike zone the guy had a chance to hit it out of the park and his MVP season in 1987 was one few Jays fans will forget.
I've had my years where my interest tailed off especially after the strike shortened year, but I never lost total interest. Despite the steroid scandals and the crap that is in the sport, I can't put baseball aside. Its in me. The World Series ends and I start thinking about opening day.
Here are some Blue Jay/baseball tidbits to celebrate opening day 2009:
Our first division title 1985: Cito in 1989: Dave Winfield after the 1992 World Series on Arsenio Hall 2009 Version of Okay Blue Jays: Where Amazing Happens: Jays Vs. Tigers 2009 Opening Day:
Category: Opening Day 2009 | Toronto Blue Jays
Old School Jays
Tomorrow is opening day! Finally, as a diehard baseball fan and Blue Jays fan tomorrow can't come soon enough. As soon as the World Series is over I usually start counting the days till tomorrow.
Here is a little old school Jays from Coca-Cola, haven't seen this since my first trip to Sky Dome AKA Rogers Centre in 1994.
Category: Television | Toronto Blue Jays
Sunday Retro
Today for Sunday Retro I picked something off the top ten ARB list that Pete sent over in his comments. Its one of my favorite Specials tunes, "A Message To You Rudy". It was released in 1979 and the album it was on was produced by Elvis Costello. Of course, we can't play that without giving a nod to the original done back in 1967 by Dandy Livingstone:
Category: Sunday Retro
All Request Breakfast Host Checking In
The other day I got home from work and had a comment from none other than the former All Request Breakfast host himself, Pete Fowler. What a treat that was to have a former 6 year host of the All Request Breakfast on the site checking out our little tribute to the show. He was checking out Volume One of our Definitive Collection.
"Great List. There is only one song on there that I never played ( Gowan ) as I have never seen it in the old Brampton music library. I'm sure it was in there at one time, however someone might have lost/damaged it sometime in the early 1990's."
I was surprised to see Pete checking us out and hopefully he can give us his input into Volume Two that I want to do either later in April or May.
This was a list of the most requested songs as provided by Pete Fowler or as Brother Bill called him "Feet Powder":
"And here is the top 10 most requested ARB tunes for the 5 or 6 years I hosted the Brekkie.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood " the Power of Love"
English Beat " Mirror in the Bathroom"
Blancmange " Dont Tell "
Peter Gabriel " In Your Eyes" 12 inch Version
The Box " Say to Me "
Blue Peter " Dont Walk Past"
Images in Vogue " Lust For Love "
Talking Heads " And She Said"
The Clash " Lost in the Supermarket "
The Specials " A Message to you Rudy "
I think we picked some of those just didn't make our cut. Thanks Pete for checking into Buffalo Boy Mike!
Category: All Request Breakfast Volume One | cfny
Lindy Should Stay
Lindy Ruff irregardless of how this team finishes should stay in Buffalo. Yes, this year has been a disappointment, yes the players have under achieved and yes they have made some stupid undisciplined plays this year that at times could have been blamed on poor coaching.
Im still not a fan of just replacing the coach. I have come to have the mindset that the players get paid millions to show up and play the system that their coach puts in place for them. Lindy has shown over the years that if the players play his system, they will have success. He has used defensive systems, offensive systems and everything inbetween and had success with all things hes done at one time or another.
If anything I blame Darcy Regier for not keeping certain players to help Lindy maintain some semblence of a team that would play his style. No, Im not talking about keeping Drury and/or Briere and Im sick of people screaming about them not keeping one of if not both of them. It couldn't have happened and kept Roy and Vanek. I'd rather have Roy and Vanek for the next 4 years or so. (Thats what's left on Roy's contract)
The players Darcy could have kept were guys like Mike Grier instead of resigning Teppo Numminen after the first playoff run. JP Dumont instead of Jochen Hecht or Max Afinogenov. Jay McKee instead of one of the above.
Lindy though has been his same old self and has worked with the players he has. Watching last nights game against Washington I noticed at one point after a stoppage in play just how small the Sabres fowards are. The Connolly line was out after a stoppage and the Washington players were man handling them. This team is undersized. JP Dumont and Mike Grier had some of that size that we so sorely lack now. Yes there is Paul Gaustad and Patrick Kaleta and they are emerging players, but Grier and Dumont provided leadership and in Dumont's case scoring that has not been replaced.
Next year this team will be different, Max Afinogenov will not be here, Jochen Hecht will hopefully have a new home. Replacing those guys with players like Mark Mancari at 6'4" and 225lbs should help with the size and scoring factor. Mike Weber is in Portland and should have been up with this team this year instead of resigning Teppo Numminen. He will be here next year. There are changes on the way. I would say there are a handful of about 4 players that are untouchable in terms of trades as well, not even.
What ever happens change wise, Lindy should not be the fall guy. I know everyone is looking at Ruff thinking that the message is getting stale, however, there is another team in professional sports that knows they have the right guy for the job and is keeping him for the long haul, the Anaheim Angels. Mike Scioscia signed a 10 year contract to manage the Angels. He was a former Angel himself and has a vested interest in them from his days as a player.
Lindy is no different. He bleeds Sabre blue and gold, what other guy would you rather have behind the bench that has the best interests of this franchise in mind. The players are on the hot seat in this particular go round. They have been down the playoff road, they have played at a high level before and they have not done it for whatever reason. The players will be the only ones changing and on that front, there should be and better be many changes going forward or Darcy Regier is going to be on the hot seat if he isn't already.
As far as the coach, he stays, you are not going to find a better coach for this team, period.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Sabres 5, Capitals 4
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
More From The Blow Holes
Jon Stewart's farewell to Rush Limbaugh:| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M - Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Rush Limbaugh Leaves New York | ||||
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Category: Television
Pathetic Blow Hole
Whenever Fox wants to take this loser off the air be my guest. Is he kidding with this crap? The 9/12 project? Really? The crying? Is this the best the Republican talk shows have to offer?
They really are getting desparate to be coming up with something almost 8 years after the fact. It took Glenn Beck 8 years to come up with the 9/12 project? Values and principles to solve problems? Values and principles don't solve problems, actions do, this guy is all act and a lot of BS, but I suppose its with talk hosts like Beck and his pathetic evangelical approach that they can brain wash the ignorant of the world out there to follow him:
What a contradiction the guy is too:Category: Politics | Television
Settle Down!
The season hasn't even started yet and I already can't wait to see the excitement and hopes of Yankee fans crash and burn. Tonight is their "first" game at the New Yankee Stadium. Its an exhibition game.
This morning I turned on ESPN and the national guys are already going nuts over tonight like its going to count. First of all, it doesn't count, second, when they do count it won't matter what stadium they play in, this team is going to disappoint every fan of theirs out there.
The New York Yankees will not come close to the playoffs this year. You are all in for a disappointing year starting with tonight, which is little more than an exhibition game that is going to be rained out anyway.
1. A-Dog is already hurt with a hip injury that is probably going to keep him out longer than even the Yankees are willing to admit. Your so called best player out for a minimum of a month to start the season.
2. Jeter is getting old.
3. AJ Burnett is money the Yankees would have been better off setting on fire. He will be hurt by May.
4. Ching Meng Wang has not been impressive this spring and is coming off an injury plagued year last year.
5. Joba has been screwed up to the point where he doesn't know what his role is on the team...starter, reliever, all I know is last years "Joba Watch" was a Joba Joke.
So, go ahead Yankee fans, get excited, get your panties all wet over this "first" exhibition game at the new stadium because the hope and optimism is going to be short lived. The Yankees will finish no better than fourth in the AL East this year.
BYE!!!!!
Apparently Rush Limbaugh doesn't want to do business or be a part of New York State anymore. GOOD BYE!
Apparently, Governor Patterson raising taxes on the rich is too much for Limbaugh so he is taking what ever assets he has out of New York. For the first time in a while I agree with Patteron. If this would have gotten Limbaugh out of New York sooner he should have raised taxes on the wealthy earlier.
Federal Budget/Deficit
I've been avoiding politics at the federal level lately because I think for all intensive purposes with the exception of the insanely ignorant, the majority of Americans see whats going on. Barack Obama stepped into a mess left by an inept administration that for its last 12 months in office did about as close to nothing as it possibly could.
So I have been watching and listening to the banter out there and its comedic really what is coming out of the republican side of things. They want to do literally nothing. The only thing that have done is bitch, but in terms of helping the economy, they want to spend not one penny to fix what their president left us.
Their latest proposal wanted to leave spending flat for the next 10 years, while we do what? Watch the economy tank? They want more tax cuts and less spending. That didn't seem to work under George W. who provided lots of tax cuts for the wealthy and over spent every step of the way.
Remember who started this bailout and stimulus thing too, it was George who started the TARP fund with the first half of the $700 billion. Giving all that money to the Wall Street bankers was okay back then, but since Obama created a budget that would work for average, middle class citizens of this country, forget it.
Mitch McConnell helped show his party's true colors today:
"The administration's budget simply taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much at a moment when we can least afford it," said the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
My how out of touch he is. Check your pay checks this week, there should be a little extra in there for us all, what is that? Oh, its a tax cut for all of us making less than $250,000 a year. Who spent us into this mess? Your guy, W. by screwing up the invasion of Iraq and not knowing that you can not wage war against a tactic...Terrorism.
Yes, after Obama's budget is laid out we are $1.2 trillion in the hole this year, with in five years depending on who you talk to, its cut about in half. So, unlike George, he has us going in the right direction. You have to spend in order to fix. So a slightly higher figure this year should surprise no one.
Eight years was spent by the republicans screwing things up, finally, this last two weeks or so by the reaction of the markets things might be starting to trickle in the positive direction again, no thanks to the "no idea" republican party. It has everything to do with Barack Obama and the democrats willing to stick their necks out and spend a little to fix the broken mess left behind.
As this market corrects and the stimulus money keeps flowing, the republicans are going to have no choice eventually but to fall in line because what the democrats are doing is ultimately working and the American people are no longer listening to right wing blabber.
2009 Blue Jays Preview: Pitching
I waited till last to preview the pitching because there has been a lot for Cito Gaston and the coaches to choose from headed out of camp.
Today, the last two spots in the rotation were decided upon. The Jays will head north with a rotation that looks like this:
Roy Halladay
Jesse Litsch
David Purcey
Ricky Romero
Scott Richmond
Ill talk about each one in turn starting with Halladay. Halladay needs to be healthy and good, no he needs to be better than good, he needs to be his dominant self. Another 20 win season, no less, for this team to have any chance of competing for the postseason. As long as Doc is healthy, which was not a problem last year, there is no reason to think he can't continue being the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball, bar none. Since 2003, no pitcher has thrown more complete games and shutouts than Roy Halladay, he is simply the best starter in the AL, if not the majors.
Jesse Litsch has to be more consistent this year. Last year Jesse had some trouble into August and was sent down for a few starts, after coming back up he figured things out in September. Maybe thats all he needed. Despite that, he won 13 games last year. It would be nice to see him be a true number two guy and have that consistency needed to get over the 15-16 game hump. That would be a nice total for him. Hes not a big guy, hes a pitcher that is going to finesse a little and hit the corners. He has to have good location. 15 wins is not out of the question.
David Purcey, I picked in all three of my fantasy leagues. If you are in a salary cap style league, take a chance on him he will come cheap but I think the risk is a good one. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people this year. He has had a dominant spring with an ERA well under 2.00. Hes a big lefty that should complement Halladay and Litsch well. He showed glimpses of his stuff last year and hes going to get a shot to show it all this year. He could be a potential rookie of the year candidate if he qualifies. He could easily win 15 or more, he has the stuff and being a big 6'5" 230 pound lefy doesn't hurt, but again, consistency is the biggest concern with this kid.
Ricky Romero, former first round draft pick and hes finally going to get his shot in the fourth slot in the rotation. I can't wait to see this lefty throw. Hes only 24 years old so again, hes got to be consistent. Anything in the 10-12 win area would be nice.
Scott Richmond is the Canadian of the staff from Vancouver, BC and so he will definitely be the fan favorite in Toronto. Its always fun seeing a young Canadian with the Jays because the fans really do pull for them and give them they extra mile. Scott was picked to be on the Canadian Olympic team but bypassed it for an opportunity to pitch with the Jays last year. He showed some good stuff last year and again, it will be interesting to see how he pans out as the year goes on. 10-12 wins is possible with him too.
The relief staff looks like this:
Closer: BJ Ryan
Setup: Scott Downs
Jesse Carlson
Shawn Camp
Jason Frasor
Brian Tallet
Brandon League
BJ has had a rough spring and has lost some velocity, only hitting about 86-87 on the radar gun. Cito seems to think Scott Downs could fill in should BJ Ryan not be ready. Apparently Ryan is not hurt, has no nagging injuries since his Tommy John surgery, hes just lost some velocity.
I wonder why Brandon League wouldn't be considered with the upper 90's to 100 mph heat the kid brings but Ill trust Cito on this one. Jeremy Accardo could be in the mix if Ryan struggles as well, he was sent down to triple A Las Vegas.
As Cito said though, this is the same relief staff that led the majors with a 2.94 ERA last year so why not give them a chance to duplicate that.
Other notables for the staff:
Casey Jannsen will not be available until May due to some shoulder issues which is why Ricky Romero gets a chance in the rotation. So if there are holes to be filled, Jannsen could provide some help come May.
Dustin McGowan will be ready by June or July. If they are in the race at all by then, McGowan will be a big help stepping into the rotation.
Matt Clement will not make the opening day roster but he is going to Las Vegas, if one of the kids at the back end struggles, Clement may get a shot.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays 2009 Preview
Simpson's Stamps
The US Postal Service will be releasing Simpson's stamps this year as part of the Simpson's 20th anniversary.
I don't know about others, but I don't physically mail a lot of stuff anymore unless I absolutely have to, like our rent which is like once a month.
For this little event though, I may have to get a few books, one to keep as a memento and one to, well, snail mail stuff with
Category: Miscellaneous
