Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
May 2009 Archives
Sunday Retro
By this time next week I will be raving about the 3 hours of Tragically Hip at Artpark next Saturday. Today I don't post a video, I am having fun with the ease of posting using the new Imeem that I am posting a nice version of New Orleans is Sinking I have on my Itunes.
In this version Gord basically rehearses the lyrics for what would become Nautical Disaster from the Day For Night release. NOIS is still a fan favorite and to be honest, I still go away from their shows feeling empty if I don' hear it.
New Orleans awesome version - The Tragically Hip
Category: Sunday Retro
Toronto 6, Boston 3
The nine game losing streak is over! 9 games later the Jays finally pulled one out and it was against the Boston Red Sox who started the streak.
The impressive stat is this, 9 days ago they started 3 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox, they are now just 1 game behind the Red Sox and only 1 1/2 games behind the now first place Yankees. The damage was done but considering it was a 9 game losing streak with those two teams on your tail, I'd have to say the damage was minimal.
If they had gone .500 over those nine they might still be in first place. Is it me or does it seem like every year they hit a bump in the road around mid-late May? Last year they couldn't win a game at the end of May going into early June and it led to Gibbon's firing, the year before...BJ Ryan went down in May and they lost a bunch in a row before discovering that Jeremy Accardo could save games.
There must be something about this time a year when this team hits the wall.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Humble and Fred Fridays
What better way to finish the work week than with a little dose of old school radio with some old clips of The Humble and Fred Show.
Last week I got a little toy that allows me to convert old cassettes directly into MP3 just by hooking my computer up to a tape deck witha USB cable, thus giving us access to old H&F bits and other goodies I have had on cassette for years.
This week for the first edition, we have all seen Fred's site how he has been down on Mats Sundin, well, I actually have his last comment ever on CFNY which clearly features Freddie talking Mats up a bit. Yes, Fred at one time actually liked Mr. Sundin. Now, the Sabres are my favorite team and I would say that most Sabre fans would give their right arm to have a guy of Mats Sundin's ability on our team. So I never understood getting down on the Leaf captain
Thats beside the point, here is a little old school Freddie P:
Freds Last Comment on CFNY - Humble and Fred
Category: Humble and Fred | radio
Testing The New Gadgets
I acquired a few new things to help me post music easier and to gain access to some audio treasures for you fans of CFNY 102.1...I'll say no more.
First, I came across a program that Mike Boon has been using called Imeem. Its a website that allows you to upload media files and provides an embedding code to embed in your posts. Listen to me starting to sound all geekish....damn!
My second gadget I came across Saturday, its the Tape2PC dual cassette deck. For 1/3 the price of the Plusdeck Ex it allows me to convert my cassettes to MP3s and it makes my wife Sandie happy because she won't have to look at hundreds of my cassettes laying around anymore. They will be converted to digital format and tucked safely away into boxes.
So, my test is a little Humble and Fred treat from their last show ever on the Edge aka 102.1 CFNY. Its their last ever "Song Prize Thingy" Coming this Friday I will pull more Humble and Fred moments out of my stash as I start Humble and Fred Fridays
Last Ever Song Prize Thingy - Humble and Fred
Category: Blogging | Humble and Fred | Music | cfny | radio
Definitive All Request Breakfast Volume Two
For the holiday weekend I figured I would add a volume two to our Definitive All Request Breakfast. Pete Fowler was the host back in the day on CFNY 102.1. He dropped BBM a line for volume one. Here is a preliminary list of ten new songs for volume two. I will post the final list of ten on Tuesday so between now and then, write in with suggestions:
The Clash- Lost in the Supermarket
The Specials- Message To You Rudi
Streetband- Toast
Blue Peter- Don't Walk on Past
The Box- Closer Together
Depeche Mode- People are People
Martha and the Muffins- Echo Beach
The Stranglers- Always the Sun
They Might Be Giants- Istanbul not Constantinople
Ashley MacIssac- Sleepy Maggie
Category: All Request Breakfast Volume Two | cfny | radio
Sunday Retro
Every Sunday I post some retro tune and last week and the next few weeks I will be posting some retro Hip to get ready for the Tragically Hip's string of "a night with" shows at Art Park. I am going to the Saturday show which I believe is on the 6th of June.
Today is a song that I hope they do, its easily one of my favorite to see live, it too is off of 1989's Up To Here, Blow at High Dough. I would go out on a limb and say that next to New Orleans is Sinking, this is probably the next most recognizable tune in the catalog:
Category: Sunday Retro
Beer Goggles
Category: Beer
Note To JP Riccardi
Its not necessarily panic time but the over achieving days of the pitching staff may be coming to an end. Im not saying these guys don't have talent but I am saying that they may be a little wet behind the ears to be knee deep in a pennant race right now.
So, JP, this is where you come in. We are still a half game up on the Red Sox despite being swept and our pitching for the first time this season looking human. This may be one of those series that require you and Cito to keep your fingers on the pulse of this young, yet talented club.
See where their mental make up is at, see how they come out against Atlanta and if its shaky, maybe its time to tweak things.
I have a suggestion and you listened to me last year when I asked for a managerial change and I got it the day after. So, heres the suggestion. I realize economic times are tough but sometimes you have to take risks to realize some reward. Pedro Martinez is waiting by a phone. It would be a tweak to a roster that sorely needs some veteran pitching help. Pedro has to be healthy, hes well rested and could be a good 3rd or 4th guy in the rotation and he's familiar with the AL East.
Just a thought. Don't let things get out of hand. Like I said, its not panic mode yet, but we just lost a series to the Yankees and got swept by Boston. We need a serious turn around on this road trip to maintain first place and maintain the buzz that has been building about this team. Pedro would increase the buzz and bolster a young staff. So JP you listened to me last year, will you do the same this year? Pedro will not cost you much, no one else has taken a flyer on him so strike while he is still available. The other idea is kind of radical but Alex Rios for Jake Peavy straight up sounds pretty good. It makes sense for the Padres with an aging Brian Giles to add a young talented outfielder in Rios and the Jays could slot Peavy in behind Halladay. Peavy would pay for himself by putting more butts in the seats on his nights and you'd have a great one-two punch in the rotation. So, lets see if you take any of my advice JP, you did last year and its paid off big time. BTW I would gladly accept the assistant GM position for a substantial discount say....$200,000? Let me know.Category: Toronto Blue Jays
All Request Breakfast Volume 2
Coming this weekend!
Category: All Request Breakfast Volume Two | radio
Palin Strikes Again
Sarah Palin just keeps popping her head into the political spotlight and this time its a decision that affects her state and its people/business. She turned down federal stimulus funds to promote energy efficiency..
For a state that has some of the highest energy costs its citizens and businesses ought to be demanding answers as to why she turned it down.
The answer she gave?
"Alaskans and our communities have a long history of independence and opposing many mandates from Washington, D.C."
A long history of independence and opposition from mandates from Washington? How are stimulus funds a mandate? What is it mandating other than people in your state would recieve funds to become more energy efficient and save some money on energy costs over the long haul.
As far as Alaska's independence...anyone who is a Palin supporter stay there, anyone who is not...you can leave now and if Sarah and her followers up there really want their independence you can take your state and secede from the union and we will keep your stimulus funds for ourselves. Bye!
To get the Alaskan citizens perspective US Senator Mark Begich had this to say
"nearly a third of the requests sent to his office from state communities and nonprofits were related to energy reduction."
"With Alaskans facing the highest energy prices in the nation, it's disappointing that our governor is turning thumbs down on federal funding that could help our families and communities reduce their energy bills,"
With decisions like that, Palin won't have to worry about 2012, she will have to worry about being governor still.
Limbaugh Issues a Challenge and Olbermann Responds
Olbermann absolutely kills Limbaugh and his sissy challenge. Limbaugh can't take the heat anymore. His radio empire is losing listeners because people are seeing the light.Category: Television | radio
Humble and Fred's Podcast of Memories
On May 2nd I took off for Toronto to see one of the best morning show duos that Toronto and for that matter Buffalo radio will ever see. Humble and Fred reunited for the Humble and Fred Podcast of Memories. Its two hours of hilarity only to be matched by farting at the dinner table, belching the alphabet and spitting that thick goey mucousy stuff to see if it will touch the ground.
Seriously, it was a great time. I met Mike Boon, Fred, Humble, Dan Duran, Fred's sweet mom June and much, much, more. It really summed up 20 years of Humble and Fred and made all of us not just reminiscent for the old day of Humble and Fred on CFNY but wishing they were still on the air.
It really was a great setting and it gave them the chance to really be themselves which really, over they years, was exactly what they gave us on the air. They gave us themselves. They allowed us as fans to really get to know them as radio personalities through their insanely weird yet great sense of humors.
You can listen to the podcast by going to any of the guys sites above except for...Dan Duran's.....the man produced the show and yet....they didn't post the podcast on his site.....Oh well, I appreciate you Dan.
Category: Humble and Fred
Republicans are Nut Jobs
Someone with half a brain on the republican side of things please explain to me the purpose of the republicans insisting on having a piece of gun legislation that has nothing to do with the credit card bill president Obama signed on that bill?
The republicans want a gun provision (obviously pushed for by NRA lobbyists) that allows concealed guns in National Parks and wildlife refuges. Huh? Why is that necessary?
Why do you need to conceal a gun in a National Park? There is generally no hunting in National Parks which is a good thing because you wouldn't want to clip a tourist. And it would be obvious why you couldn't hunt on a wildlife refuge....So why the stipulation? Just in case that stray deer attacks? Maybe that salmon will jump out of the stream and try to bite your hand. The republicans complain about the democrats adding stupid pork to bills well this is a perfect example of a law that is not needed and was totally influence by gun nut jobs for the NRA. Any responsible gun owner should acknowledge that there is no purpose other than to allow more guns in more places which in my mind makes everyone in the area less safe because ultimately anyone who is carrying a gun could use it and use it on those around them. Is it not enough to pass a simple and needed piece of legislation to protect consumers from credit card companies?Obama Showed Courage At Notre Dame
Barack Obama was met with resistance and protests over the weekend from anti-abortion activists. I don't feel sorry at all for the extremists to the right of the issue of abortion. They don't want to talk at all. They want abstinence and no choice for women. They don't want to talk about resposible birth control and taking responsible measures to protect from even getting pregnant.
Obama wants to find common ground. He displayed a ton of courage to go into that setting and talk about that very issue that was upsetting to so many there. Although, it seemed like the majority of those in attendance were very supportive and booed the heckler that interrupted Obama's speech.
Category: News | Television
TO Thing Was Set Up
For all of you who are in an uproar over TO getting the "Key to the City" from Mayor Byron Brown I think you are all making a big deal of nothing.
First off, he is on a reality show and anyone who still thinks that reality shows are real needs to get their head examined. They are just as scripted as any other show. They are called "reality" because they look real and puts people into real life situations but in the end its all a big hoax.
Terrell Owens did not really get the key to the city and really, the people at the airport as he arrived were extras. Come one, the guy is famous but I don't think anyone is waiting that anxiously as to meet the guy at the airport and scream at the top of their lungs like he is the friggin Beatles. I think we would be more willing to do that for Jim Kelly or Pat LaFontaine before we make that big of a thing over Terrell Owens.
Second, why would he get the key to the city already? Seriously? The guy has done nothing yet. He has shown up at a few workouts. Thats it. Nothing more. Until he catches his first touchdown pass he means nothing to this city and he will soon find that out.
If its that easy to get the key to the city then we should all go barge in on Byron Brown right now because compared to Terrell Owens, every single resident of Buffalo and really Western New York has done more than TO to get a key themselves. Are we that media starved and desparate for the spotlight that just the mere sign of anyone of significance outside of WNY that comes here is going to get a key? I find that sad if that is the case.
Im sticking to my guns though, it was a hoax, acted out for his "reality show" and nothing more. Don't read anything into it.
Category: Buffalo | Buffalo Bills | Miscellaneous | News
Sunday Retro
This week is a retro song but a recent performance. With the Tragically Hip shows at Artpark quickly approaching I figured the next few weeks I would do some retro Hip.
This is 38 Years Old off 1989's album Up To Here which also featured Hip stand outs like New Orleans is Sinking, Blow at High Dough and Trickle Down.
This version of 38 Years Old was performed in 2006 at the Historic Fort York.
Category: Sunday Retro
Kenmore is one of the higher taxed municipalities in Western New York so when something needs to be done you would hope the Village of Kenmore would get on their horse and do the work in a timely fashion.
Well, in this case, there has been a small sinkhole in the middle northbound lane of Elmwood Avenue on the Kenmore side of Kenmore Avenue. It has been there now for at least 3 weeks now. Everyday I drive by wondering why the hell no one has gotten off their ass with a truck and a few men to fill in the damn thing.
Instead the northbound lanes of Elmwood Ave. at a relatively busy intersection is down to one lane and they have this sinkhole surrounded by orange cones, barrels and wooden blockades. No work yet.
You would think a sinkhole in the middle of Elmwood would be something that would take on a high priority. 3 weeks. Its probably a couple hour job if that. Whats the delay?
Category: Buffalo | Miscellaneous
The First Mosh Pit?
This may be video of the first ever mosh pit. Iggy and the Stooges performing live in 1970. The television announcer who keeps interrupting is disturbing an historical moment and has no idea. Iggy also spends some time throwing and rubbing peanut butter on himself. He was the "Godfather of Punk"
Category: Music
Pilot Ineptness
Watching the news this morning Im surprised that the airlines and investigators were so forthcoming with the transcripts from the cockpit of flight 3407. The ineptness of the pilots was just unbelievable.
What transpired on that plane and the fact that those people on board had to fly with a crew that poorly prepared for those conditions and that situation is just mind blowing.
How can an airline let pilots with the records that that crew had get on board a plane with anyone. Its sad that the crash happened, what's even sadder now is that it was preventable. The pilots should have not been flying live passengers, they should have still been training on simulators on the ground.
Im surprised we haven't seen more in the way of lawsuits, Im sure that is coming though, many are probably still getting over the initial shock of hearing and seeing what they have over the last day about the pilots.
This crash is going to have far reaching effects not to mention that those who are not keen on flying in the first place will be forced to reconsider as they wonder about the training of the pilot in the cockpit. In addition there needs to be much stricter standards for pilot training. The pilots of this flight weren't qualified to drive a car much less a plane in those conditions.
Category: News
The Doc Watch Continues
Now, onto baseball. The Jays increased their lead over the miserable Yankees to 6 1/2 games and Roy Halladay schooled AJ Burnett.
The Doc Watch continued as Doc Halladay went to 7-1 on the season. Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada were all out and injured for the Yankees who only had 30 batters come to the plate.
Toronto meanwhile starts their run against the big dogs in the AL. This week and next will go a long way toward showing their true colors. Cito has this team brimming with confidence and doesn't let them get too high or too low and you can see it on the field. They play for him like no manager they have had since he left in 1997.
For the next three nights Jays fans should be rooting heavily for the LA Angels as well.
Category: The Doc Watch | Toronto Blue Jays | Yankees Suck
Damn Blackout Rule
WTF! I get three different YES Networks but none of them carried the Blue Jays/Yankees game tonight. I pay $179 for Major League Ticket package on the satellite dish and they don't show it. Why? Because the Yankees are considered to be our home team, thus, they blackout Yankees games in Buffalo.
Bullshit! I pay the money to get those games, they should light up every god damn game from here to Japan and back again.
If games two and three of this series are blacked out I am calling Dish Network and demanding a full refund and cancelling my service. Blackout rules are ridiculous. The fact that they can consider Buffalo a part of the Yankees home market is ludicrous. We are 7 hours away from New York City. Whats even odder is that we are also considered part of Clevelands and Pittsburghs home markets. So I almost never see Indians and Pirates games. Yet both of those teams are 3-4 hour drives.
Toronto meanwhile is considered out of market because they are in a foreign country yet I would argue that Buffalo is more in Toronto's market than any of the other above mentioned teams. We can easily get in our car and attend any Blue Jay game during the week or on weekends and they are our closest geographical major league team.
They need to do away with the blackout rule altogether. Not to mention the fact that the game was essentially soldout tonight so what harm was there in letting it on TV?
I wish there was a Dish Network representative who read Buffalo Boy who could comment on this and explain why this is the case. If I switched to Time Warner, the game would be on the YES Network for sure, but for some reason, the Dish turns it off.
Category: Television
Sunday Retro
This week I found one of my favorite songs featuring the word "mother". Mother's Talk by Tears For Fears off the 1984 classic "Songs from the Big Chair". It was full of gems from Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Shout and Head Over Heels.
Category: Sunday Retro
Happy Mother's Day
This Mother's Day is a little different around these parts. My wife Sandie is a mother-to-be so there is a little more hype around the day this year. Its well deserved too. Our first child hasn't even been born yet and my wife already qualifies as a great mother. She teaches preschool and puts up with me and two pets, those things have given her lots of practice and she is great at all of them..
Then there is my mother who put up with me for 30+ years, hell, she still puts up with me sometimes but in the end, looking back my mom had a purpose and I think we all realize that no matter what, in the end our mother's want the best for their children.
Today is about celebrating exactly that. The effort that all of our mom's put into making their children respectable human beings and in today's world that is becoming a much more difficult task given the obstacles that both families and kids encounter in the world. We give them shit growing up not realizing that in the end all they had was our best interests at hand.
So Happy Mother's Day to my wife and mother-to-be and to my mom and to all the other mothers out there.
Category: Mother's Day 2009
Rowdy Gaines Giving Inspriation to All
Rowdy Gaines is a special story in the swimming world. He never started swimming until he was 17 after being cut from basketball, football and other sports. He eventually went on to becoming a world class Olympic swimmer and to this day he is stillactive and swimming at the master level having just broken 3 masters national records including the 200 and 50 freestyle making him the fastest 50 year old ever in both those events.
This video is of Rowdy swimming Lucky's Lake Swim in Florida. Truly an inspiration to all of us regardless of the sport, Rowdy continues to do great things in a great sport.
Regrets?
Anyone wish they had gone with the Blue Jays as their parent club yet? Unless you are a biased Mets fan, I can imagine there are probably some Bison fans thinking maybe they should have considered the Toronto Blue Jays as a parent club instead.
After last season it was essentially between the Jays and Mets for who would be the Bison's parent club and the Mets won with people saying how "well" the Mets treat their teams with players and other benefits. Well incase you haven't noticed the Bisons season is all but flushed down the toilet with the worst Apirl in team history. They are 4-19 right now.
The Blue Jays farm club is not much better at 7-18 but I bet Bison fans would take those 3 extra wins and one fewer losses. And really, 7-18 while still a long shot, can still be a recoverable record down the stretch. 4-19 is ugly, especially the way they have been playing.
I refuse to go to any Bison games as long as the Mets are affiliated or to say one supportive word about them. I saw this coming. Everyone always thinks the grass is greener because its a NY team, well, not always the case and if you think about it, they are more likely to overstock the big club because its more important to win in the pressure cooker of NY City than it is to win in Buffalo.
Category: Buffalo Bisons
Ray and The Jays Win
Not This Rob Ray:
The Robert Ray of the Blue Jays made his major league debut yesterday. The 6'5" 195lb kid from Lufkin, Texas threw 5 2/3 solid innings giving up 3 runs and hanging in there for his first MLB start. He didn't get the win but hes worth another look. The win puts the Jays at 17-9 and off to their best start in franchise history. Go Jays Go!Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey | Toronto Blue Jays
My Return from Toronto Story
So, I left the Dominion yesterday in Toronto after the Humble and Fred Podcast and oh what a perfect day. Some brief showers during the podcast cleared and it was relatively nice out and the sun reappeared.
Little to my knowledge what I had done. I made my way down Queen Street and eventually to Front St. to hit the Rogers Centre (AKA Skydome). Got a polish sausage from the street vendor for dinner (oh what a treat that always is) and headed up to the Roger's Centre Blue Jays Gift Shop which I figured since they played a 13 inning game would still be open.
I was wrong. I wanted to get a new leash for Molson since he broke his Sabres leash and I wanted to see what Blue Jays baby clothes they had. That will have to wait till my next trip.
So, yes a disappointment but so far not the worst of the trip home. The traffic was good, got going at a good pace on the Gardiner and there was no trouble getting out of the city and made really good time. I left the city at around 6:30 and was to the border by 7:45.
Well, I decided to stop at the Duty Free Shop for some quality Canadian beverage. Sleeman's Honey Brown. I grabbed a 12 pack and got some other goodies that for whatever reason you don't find 5 minutes over the border (Coffee Crisps and Aero Bars). Luckily I had the cash in my wallet.
As I went to pay I noticed that holy crap my credit card (bank card) is sitting behind the bar at the Dominion! Damn, the only bad thing that happened in an otherwise great trip to TO.
Losing your credit card, no losing any major piece of identification must be the single most deflating feeling in the world initially. As it turns out, not a big deal, I called the Dominion, they still had it, they were going to put the charges on it and cut up the card, I have to call the bank Monday and get my new debit card.
Category: Miscellaneous
Jack Kemp Passes at 73
Jack Kemp despite being a bleeding heart conservative was still one of those figures that came to bat for WNY over the years. He was a former Buffalo Bill quarterback and represented our area in the political forum with pride.
He was a former vice-presidential candidate and served as congressman for nine terms. He was a 17th round, yes 17th round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. I don't mean to get off target here but imagine if todays drafts went 17 rounds? Some of the players would be dead before the draft was over.
Mr. Kemp will be missed. Despite his political agenda, he was one of the few who you knew stuck up for this area in the larger scheme of the US political system. He ranks up there with Jimmy Griffin and Tim Russert in terms of WNY politicians.
Category: Buffalo
Sunday Retro
Today's Sunday Retro goes out to Humble Howard, Fred Patterson, Mike Boon, Dan Duran and everyone else yesterday at the Dominion at 500 Queen St. in Toronto. It was awesome seeing them doin' their bit and rehashing the last 20 years of greatness and not so greatness. The 20th Anniversery Podcast will be up early in the week, see Mike Boon for details.
I picked two songs for this week, the first is one of Howard's favorites from the BNL Christmas shows:
This one goes out to Freddie, he did a version of this about a snow thrower, "Snow Removal Machine", this is the original, nothing on video, maybe Freddie could do a video next winter for his version:Category: Sunday Retro
Humble and Fred
Today I take off to Toronto to hang out with a coupld of crazy bastards. Humble and Fred to be specific. Mike Boon will also be there along with many other special Humble and Fred guests throughout the years. Dan Duran will be there producing the show.
Mike Boon will be Twittering or Tweetering away, Ill probably try to get a lesson web design or two from him while I am there and I am going to buy him a cola for helping me design and maintain Buffalo Boy Mike.
The big thing though is Humble and Fred. This is going to be a live recorded podcast which will feature these two at their finest and funniest. Mike will post the podcast for download early next week. This event is celebrating 20 years of Humble and Fred
Though they are not on the radio any more together at least, the spirit of the show lives on via the internet. Going to Humble and Fred's page every day is like getting the show in print. You have to read and in some cases you get Freddies sound bytes and youtube clips.
Afterwards I will shuffle off to Roger's Center and check out some Blue Jays memorabilia.
Category: Humble and Fred
