So On Thursday I went to the Bisons Opening day game. There have been changes this year. The Team's park is now Coca-Cola Field. Yes it has changed names plenty of times in its 22 years or is that seasons not sure. I think this time that name is going to stay for some time. In triple A baseball they use the "Farm System" I don't know how it works completely but it is a feeding system where people can up a level or down a level from single A to the Major leagues. Well our Major league team changed it was the Cleveland Indians and now it is the New York Mets. That takes me back to the fact that I used to be a Mets fan so many Years ago. Back when they Had Dwight Gooding (how ever he spell his last name)who then latter became Doctor K and then on some baseball cards Doc replaced Dwight. That was kinda strange. Yes I was a Strawberry fan also. Yes they are going to bring him back to the ball park for a game, some kind of promotion. But here is where things get weird. I have seen him there before. Yes it was when he was having a tough time and the fans do that mocking thing where they hold a letter of his name like maybe the R in his first name. I wonder if he remembers that and is coming back anyways or if it was so common if that doesn't matter. The Mets have a mascot called Mr. Met . Since Mets is short for Metrapolitins (how ever it is spelled see why they never use that) Shouldn't he be like a building instead of a baseball? Any Mets fans have an answer for that? Does anyone remember if they had a mascot before that and if so who? I've been going to opening day for a Long time (22 years at least) and don't remember who was before Buster Bison if anyone. For some of you, you may remember that one year in High School we had to take one of those "non graded" tests at Grover. I brought in a note that I was taking the day off with lots of time and was told NO. So over at Grover the test was half over and there was a break so I left. And now you know why that school get no funding. I will admit I haven't seen every opening day. Some got moved or canceled but I have gone to everyone of them, since the new ball park. I know I went to games at the old rock pile but not sure about opening days. Some people (assuming you are still reading this horid run on block of words) may have ran track or played football at the stadium, well the one that took its place. I have gone there for a few things but don't think I ever ran there.

Before the bisons game. I went to look at the Old Aud being torn down. Yes I do that before each Bandits game also, and did so on Saturday. There have been some people who have written some great stuff about old memories and the like. Mine won't be great just reflective. Yes the oranges where scary, oh man How did I live through that. I bet that can cause a fear of heights. I have seen all kinds of things there. I know I saw Hockey Games there. I think I saw Metallica there (not sure though). Back when wrestling wasn't live every week I saw them film a bunch of Snake Pits. That was weird cause you couldn't hear what they where saying. But then later you got to see what was said on TV. I know I went to other events there also. I think at the time Filming Wrestling there, and Having Hulkamania running wild there was a big deal. So many times they would have a Main event and Hulk wouldn't wrestle in it. But that is how things where then and now things are so different. I'm not saying change is bad, it is not good or bad on its own. It is kinda sad that the AUD will gone and that no one could find a good use for it. But that being said then if you can't find a good use for it then maybe it should be gone. The one thing that was so nice was when you where in the good seats you really knew it. They where nice and soft and a better color. But that is what is better about HSBC Arena is that all the seats are the same if you are on the glass or by the cat walk.

I kinda lost my train of thought. This sounded a lot better when the thoughts hit me last night. So I guess my point is that things change. Yes the stuff in the past was cooler, yes those where the good times. But one still needs to see how things change and go with the things they like and don't go with the stuff they don't like.

So for those that don't Know the bisons open up on thurs and I will be there hoping it doesn't snow or rain. There are some changes like we are now the Mets farm team. I just wanted to share an article about beer that I thought some might like from the paper today, before this becomes a big time crime.

Guinness touts first new stout in United States in decades
By Emily Fredrix
ASSOCIATED PRESS


MILWAUKEE - The makers of Guinness are touting a new stout beer in the United States, a maltier, fizzier version of its older, creamier sibling, the world's best-selling stout. "This is more about refreshment and zing," said Guinness master brewer Fergal Murray, who created the new carbonated brew.

The limited-edition Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout celebrates Arthur Guinness' signing of a 9,000-year lease in 1759 at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, still the company's flagship brewery. When it arrives in U. S. bars and stores April 24, the anniversary brew will be the first new stout Guinness has exported to the U. S. since it brought over Guinness Draught in the mid 1960s.

Guinness Draught, first brewed after Arthur Guinness decided to stop making ales and start making porters in 1779, became synonymous with Ireland over the centuries. More than 1.8 billion pints are consumed in 150 countries each year.

The anniversary stout will be available only in the U. S., Australia and Singapore, according to Diageo PLC, owner of Guinness and the world's largest liquor producer. The company's other brands include Johnnie Walker and Baileys. The beer is expected to be available for about six months, said Patrick Hughes, brand director for Diageo Guinness USA. A big marketing campaign, complete with advertisements and promotions at bars, launches late this month.

"The brand is one of sort of strength, staying power and authenticity," Hughes said. "We think consumers are really going for brands with that strength and trusted authenticity."

They also want something new to taste, which this new beer delivers with carbonation, two types of malt and triple hops, Murray said.

Drinkers like to sit back and enjoy the flavor of Guinness Draught, he said, while the anniversary stout uses carbonation, rather than a combination of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which is used by Guinness Draught.

The result? More zing. The taste is different, too, although it retains the rich flavor of Guinness Draught. Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout also has more alcohol, at about 5 percent by volume, compared with 4.2 percent for Guinness Draught.

Pouring will be simpler, too. This anniversary stout is poured only one way, at an angle, in contrast to Guinness Draught's famous two-part process, which involves filling the glass about three-fourths of the way at an angle, letting the surge of foam settle, then pouring the rest.

The anniversary comes in a rocky year for Diageo. As the global recession deepens and consumer confidence remains low, the London-based company has been cutting costs and shedding jobs to protect its profits. In January, it said it may change or abandon $1.1 billion plans to reform production in Ireland and open a new state-of-the-art brewery.

Guinness accounts for about 70 percent of stout volume in the U. S., dominating a category that makes up less than 1 percent of total U. S. beer volume, according to research firm Nielsen Co.

So Yesterday I went to go see Adventureland. The movie is about a Theme Park in Pittsburgh. I went in thinking it was going to be this great comedy. Well I was wrong, yes there where some funny parts, but it wasn't really a comedy. To me it was more a love story about smoking pot and meeting people who work at the park. Yes it was a love story. Yes it had some people from SNL in it. Maybe the fact that it took place in the 80's through me off. I think if I would have been expecting that I would have liked it more.


So then last night I went out with the family for my Mother's Birthday. I had no idea that on an early Saturday evening there would be such a long wait at the Galleria Mall for a place to eat. Bravo was pretty good, what I got was some kind of Chicken with alfredo sauce and noodles. Was it kinda Pricey? Well maybe but I'm sure not much more then going any where else. It was a good time. The food was good. They have a lot of pretty waitresses and hosts or what ever they are called. Plus I got to see a part of the mall I hadn't seen before. But there is one sad thing. I could picture that mall and all those people in the city. Yes granted when the Galleria opened it wound up killing the thruway mall, not right away it took a long time. But having two malls so close wound up being silly. But it also kinda killed Downtown also. It was new and cool and you could enter on one floor and come in on a different one. But my thought was wow if this was in Buffalo it would be awesome. Some might say oh it wouldn't bring people from the Burbs into Buffalo. That is true some people would go to other "Burbs" but I think it would bring in a lot of people. Well it is to bad it didn't happen that way.

So last night was the Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction. I started to watch the beginning of it. I admit some of the people I had never heard of. But they where really good. I wasn't able to stay up for Metallica or RUN DMC. But this morning I relived it through youtube (as anyone with a facebook page may have allready seen, if you are there hey ad me as a friend). So for anyone who cares I thought I would post some videos up here. Or it might just be better to go to you tube, since I'm guessing more videos will be added soon, but who knows.









I haven't seen it yet but I guess there is a Huge Jam Session at the end so you if you like that kind of thing should check it out. I have also heard that Cliff Burton's MOther spoke for him, but Haven't seen it yet. Also Fuse's Metallica Page
. Here is fuze's current Rock N' roll Hall of fame page

Hope everyone had a great weekend, oh yeah Wrestlemania is Tonight, hopefully I'll stay awake, just have to figure out what to do about dinner.

Well if anyone read my post yesterday I had an article about a drug raid where two dogs where killed. Yes DEA is on tonight for 2 hours and maybe I'll get to catch it not really sure. The thing is though what if some breaks down a door and they don't find any drugs or they kill dogs who aren't really a threat. Well here is the other side to the story where the cop is sorry he had to kill the two dogs. Hopefully someone finds it interesting.

"I made a decision in a split second to kill both dogs, and I've got to tell you, I don't feel good about that." Detective Sgt. Daniel Rinaldo

Updated: 03/31/09 09:34 AM
For police, killing of dogs was safety issue
2 were ready to attack in raid, detective says, but residents say their animals were fleeing
By Lou Michel
NEWS STAFF REPORTER




In a split second, Detective Sgt. Daniel Rinaldo decided he had to kill two dogs that appeared ready to attack during a police drug raid Saturday, despite assertions to the contrary from residents of the South Buffalo home where the raid occurred.

Rinaldo, in a news conference Monday, explained that he felt terrible about shooting the dogs but that the safety of him and other officers outweighed sparing the animals.

He disputed contentions by Rita Patterson, 27, and her father, Daniel, 68, who said the family pit bull terrier and pit bull-boxer mix were trying to get away from SWAT team members who burst into the house about dinnertime.

"It's an absolute lie," Rinaldo said.

"The situation was regrettable, but there was nothing I could do. The dogs were initially startled and went back on their hind legs and began barking and advancing toward me. I made a decision in a split second to kill both dogs, and I've got to tell you, I don't feel good about that."

Growing emotional, Rinaldo added that he has been a police officer 26 years and has owned two dogs, both strays he took home after finding them on the East Side.

Rinaldo said that police brass regularly urge the SWAT team to find less lethal alternatives for dealing with dogs during raids but that the consensus among similar-sized police departments is that there is no alternative. He said he has no recollection of Daniel Patterson's pleading with officers to allow him to put the dogs in another room, as the man contends.

"Keep in mind, this is happening in seconds, and the alternative was for me to get bit, and there would be mass confusion in this house," Rinaldo said.

The raid was one of nine conducted as part of an operation targeting gangs, guns and drug dealers in Kaisertown and South Buffalo. Police said they arrested 11 people, confiscated 10 ounces of cocaine and crack cocaine, a .38-caliber handgun and $1,300.

During a six-month investigation, undercover police and confidential informants made purchases of illegal drugs at the locations, including the Indian Church Road residence in South Buffalo, officers said.

"Drugs were purchased at that location based upon complaints of prescription drugs. After the SWAT team executed the search warrant, prescription drugs were found at that location. The reason arrests weren't made [was] they were legally prescribed to someone at that location," said Lt. Paul R. Delano, a Narcotics Squad supervisor. "Put 2 and 2 together: Somebody's selling drugs out of that location."

The prescription drug illegally sold was hydrocodone, police said.

"Some of the houses were doing as much as $5,000 a day in drug sales for at least a six-month period," Mayor Byron W. Brown said.

Both the mayor and Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson expressed support for Rinaldo and the overall conduct of the SWAT team. Gipson said sprays and other alternatives to shooting dogs have proved insufficient in halting dogs from attacks during raids.

Dogs kept at drug houses, Delano said, are not pets in the traditional sense, but rather "tools" used by drug dealers.

About a week ago, when a search warrant was being carried out on the East Side, police encountered seven dogs. One of the dogs was beside a toddler, and police were delayed long enough that a suspect they would normally have captured had time to jump out a rear second-floor window and escape, the lieutenant said.

Police said that in the last two years, more than 2,000 search warrants have been carried out and that on numerous occasions officers will try to avoid shooting dogs kept by drug dealers. Rinaldo, who serves as a Homicide Squad supervisor, said SWAT members often try to scare dogs and lock them in a closet or bathroom.

"I own three dogs myself, and in raids, it's a horrible thing," Delano said of dogs that are killed. "The blame needs to be placed on the owners."

As for the South Buffalo raid, Delano said that a day later, Sunday, William F. Hanavan, 32, the boyfriend of Rita Patterson, was charged with assault after attacking a neighbor whom Hanavan blamed for the raid. "He was trying to find out who was our confidential informant," Delano said.

Hanavan, 32, of Duerstein Street, was at the Patterson home during the raid but was not charged. Hanavan's parole from a drug conviction ended March 2, according to the State Division of Parole.

The Amherst and East Aurora police departments, state police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration assisted city officers with Saturday's raids.

Those arrested Saturday were: William Robinson, 19, and Brittaney Slisz, 18, both of Gorski Street; Ronald Frida, 24, Johnny Nelson, 23, and Timilla Taylor, 18, all of Norman Avenue; Daniel Birkmeyer, 22, of Barnard Street; Curtis Clemons, 21, of Cambridge Avenue; Nelson Rodriguez, 18, of Genesee Street; Anwar Jackson, 17, of Olsen Street; Bryan Slisz, 44, of Weiss Street; and Kadeem McWilliams, 19, of Weimar Street. Police said the charges are all drug-related but did not provide specific charges.

Gipson said two men remain at large: Anthony Cameron, 28, and Paul Tucker, 19. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the police confidential tip line at 847-2255.

lmichel@buffnews.com

The link goes to an article about cops killing dogs in a drug raid well kinda a drug raid. Yes it is cool to see on DEA (2 hour season Finale this week on Spike TV) where they come in and bust in door and draw guns and secure a house. Hey they are after the bad guys. But what about when you aren't the drug dealer. What about when the dogs are friendly and Not attack dogs. Hey when you come through that door how can you decide on what the dog will do? This is again another problem with the drug war, is some times the people who get hurt aren't the dealers. Here is an interesting buffalo news article.

John Hickey/Buffalo News

Updated: 03/30/09 08:21 AM
Police shoot, kill two dogs during raid
Family says animals did not pose a threat
By Aaron Besecker
NEWS STAFF REPORTER


A South Buffalo family wants answers after police shot and killed two of their dogs during a raid Saturday, leaving blood puddled on a living-room carpet and speckled on the wall.

Police, who were looking for a drug suspect and narcotics, left the Indian Church Road home without finding any evidence or arresting anyone, according to residents of the house.

The incident has left the family distraught and angry over the loss of the dogs, Essy and Moosey.

"It was just the most traumatizing, horrible thing," said Rita M. Patterson, 27, who lives in the house with her 68-year-old father, Daniel J. Patterson.

Rita Patterson's boyfriend, William F. Hanavan, 32, paroled last year after serving eight months in prison on a drug charge, was home but was not taken into custody Saturday.

However, Hanavan was arrested on a felony assault charge Sunday afternoon, Buffalo police reported.

When police stormed the house on Indian Church Road, near Seneca Street, at about 5:30 p. m. Saturday, Daniel Patterson was on the couch, watching the news.

"They shot the dogs for no reason at all," he told The Buffalo News on Sunday.

Rita Patterson said she was cooking dinner in the kitchen when she heard loud noises at the side door. Hanavan was upstairs taking a nap, and at first she thought he may have fallen out of bed.

Before she knew what was happening, police wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic weapons had broken through the door. They tied her hands with a zip tie and put her on the floor.

Her father pleaded with police not to shoot the dogs, but they wouldn't allow him to grab the dogs and put them in another room, Patterson said.

One of the officers started firing a shotgun at the two dogs, one a pit bull and the other a pit bull-boxer mix.

One of the dogs was shot three times: once in the throat, once in the back and the last time in the leg while trying to run away, Rita Patterson said.

The other dog was cowering behind a table. Neither was a threat to the police, the residents said.

The police had a warrant for the home, but it named no suspects. It said only that investigators were looking for a white male and Hydrocodone. Information that led to the warrant, according to the warrant itself, came partly from an informant, Rita Patterson said.

Hanavan was paroled in February 2008 after he served more than eight months of a one-to three-year sentence for fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony.

Hanavan was arrested Sunday following an assault at about 3:30 p. m. on Indian Church Road near the site of the raid.

Hanavan and a second suspect are accused of pinning down a man and punching and kicking him repeatedly, said Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge. The man suffered numerous injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital.

It's not known how or if the incident is connected to the previous day's raid, DeGeorge said.

Police did have a warrant for the address, DeGeorge said, though he would not comment on who the target may have been or what police were looking for.

"It's part of an ongoing undercover operation," DeGeorge said.

Rita Patterson said she will be talking with a lawyer today.

"There's not even a word to describe the pain I feel," she said.

DeGeorge, the police spokesman, said the Pattersons have a right to request an investigation through the department's Professional Standards Division.

DeGeorge did point to the inherent danger police generally face when raiding a home.

"Executing a search warrant, police never know what they're going to find on the other side of that door," DeGeorge said. "In most cases, these can be life and death situations."

News Staff Reporter Stephen T. Watson contributed to this report.

abesecker@buffnews.com

Oh yeah this is my second post of the day, I posted about Metallica before this, and drugs and Metallica have no connection really.

So if I post this correctly yes there will be two ads but they feature the worlds greatest band ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck all the other bands, HA. Metallica is coming to Buffalo in Nov. 10th I think and tickets go on sale on the 4th same day they go into the Hall of Fame. Awesome. These ads are for their new Guitar Hero Video game. The second one is kinda based on the first one. I'm not sure maybe there will even be a third one who knows.



Yes those are Famous Basketball Coaches I think all from College and not the pros.

Well Hopefully the second video works also.




Turn The Page

Yes I did have a good time at the Bandits game, even though they lost. Since they are played the Titans who are in the same what ever you call that it is an important game, I guess the teams are pretty tight. With out being a sports writer I would say the Bandits played better then New York and at least sure out shot them but sometimes that just isn't enough you need goals. Well here are some pictures from the game.





































I should mention that the above pictures where from warmups and not the game them selves. Here are some from the game.











































































After the game they played the Sabres on the big screen and people could stay and watch, I headed home. Before the game though I took some downtown shots. I didn't see any of the Tea Party protest thingy though.

So Hopefully that link leads to an interesting story about drugs in Vancouver . I would really like to read a follow up about the BC Bud, but I'm guessing there won't be one about that, it just gets a quick mention. The other day on Facebook I mentioned that I like the show DEA. I think there is a Marathon from about 1pm to 8pm on spike TV. It is a pretty good show. I also said that I don't agree with the drug war. I figured out why I like the show. First of all it is pretty good. Second of all since drugs are illegal there is all this crime and gangs and all the nasty stuff that goes along with things in the street. If you want to kill people over drugs then you should go to Jail and that is why I think the DEA is good. But on the other hand I think the drug war is wrong and drugs should be made legal. I think it would take a lot of the crime out of it and make a lot of people much safer and then you get tax money. In any event for those that don't like to follow links here is the article.

Guns seized by police in Vancouver, Canada, were displayed during a news conference about the city's rising crime rate.
Associated Press

03/29/09 06:35 AM
Increased crime plagues Vancouver
Drugs are source of the problem at 2010 Games site
By Jeremy Hainsworth
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Story tools:


VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With its spectacular bay and stunning, snowcapped peaks, Vancouver ranks as one of the world's most beautiful cities. But in recent months, the people of Canada's Olympic city have been living in fear.

As Vancouver prepares to host the 2010 Winter Games, its crime rate is going up. Since January, there have been 45 shootings in the region, 17 of them fatal. There were 58 homicides last year in this region of 2.7 million people, up from 41 the year before, according to the regional Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

"It's terrifying," said Doris Luong, who lives near the scene of a March 10 double homicide. "This used to be the best city in the world. . . . I fear for my children."

At a nearby elementary school, pupils' movements were immediately restricted as word of the killings spread.

The root of the problem seems to be drugs, or rather a shortage of them.

The Mexican cocaine supply line extends through the United States, especially Los Angeles, up to Vancouver, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Pat Fogarty.

But the Mexican government of President Felipe Calderon has mobilized 45,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to curb drug cartel activity. That has driven up the price of cocaine in Vancouver from $23,300 per kilogram to almost $39,000, Fogarty said, and gangs are killing each other.

"People are nervous . . . and so are the police," said Fogarty, head of the regional gang task force. "The public's outraged. The government's outraged."

Vancouver social activist Jamie Lee Hamilton, who lives in Vancouver's seedy Downtown Eastside, said she no longer has much faith in the justice system.

"I'm really apprehensive about going out in the evening," Hamilton said. "We've turned into an American city."

Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan recently called Vancouver the country's gang capital and said the violence is the worst in Canada.

Canada's largest city, Toronto, has seen only 11 homicides this year in a population of 5.1 million, almost double that of the Vancouver region.

On a visit to Vancouver earlier this month where he met with family members of victims, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper proposed a new law that would label gang killings as first-degree murder with a prison sentence of at least 25 years and no parole. The law would also create a new offense with a minimum four-year jail term for drive-by shootings.

Harper has said people planning to attend the Winter Games should not worry about violence, since 15,000 police officers, private security and military personnel are expected to provide security.

Local authorities say they have stepped up actions to curb the gangs and their violence. Police announced the arrests of 10 gang members recently, and four more were arrested on drug and weapon offenses earlier this month.

Police Chief Jim Chu acknowledged the city is in the middle of a "brutal" gang war and said the strategy is to detain gang members on as many charges as possible. However, some of those arrested are being released on bail by the courts.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has said police are fighting a losing battle.

Vancouver may in part be paying the price for some of the very features that help make it so attractive. Rob Gordon, director of the criminology school at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University, noted that the city has a laid-back attitude, easy access to the U. S. border and a vast backcountry with a climate ripe for growing potent marijuana. Police say British Columbia marijuana, known as B. C. bud, is often traded for cocaine, and Vancouver is known for marijuana growing operations.

So I feel as if lately I really haven't had much to say. Yes I have done picture posts and put up some articles about drugs and about how I'm not for the war on drugs and stuff like that, but It still seems like I haven't had anything to say really. So I thought I would post about how I get to sleep in for once. I have a much needed day off. I all ready see that I need to go to a Walgreen's that isn't near me to get my pictures done. I may go to Radio Shack and buy a card reader. As long as I keep things low key I will be happy. Then I will be going to see Lewis Black at Shea's. He is pretty funny and I hope it is a great show, I'm sure it will be. I still don't know what to do about dinner though I really don't. On a side note I'm looking at this mail from Royalcaribbean and there is a cruise I might be able to go on, with tax return money if I ever file. But I don't have a passport so that is kinda out, oh well. On another side note there is a new South Park on tonight, maybe I'll still be up when it is on. Well maybe if I do a review of Lewis Black it will be more exciting then this, I know it will at least be like not as dull.

So first things first I want to say thanks to (e:PMT) for hosting a nice party. It was a good time. I didn't get all of (e:lilho)'s out fit changes. I think you look good in all your pictures so I guess they are all getting posted. I wish when I woke up I knew how to tackle the cleaning of the kitchen I had no Idea where to start to I left. It was so weird when I left because I forgot that price right was opening today. So because of that the lot was packed even cars at the bank and some huge thing. I was not with it enough to deal with everyone. There where lots of (e:peeps) that it was nice to see and talk to it was a good time. Well here are the pictures.















































































































































































































I feel as if this blog should be more then just pictures but other then that I'm not sure what to say really. Well of course Happy Birthday Matt Hope you and everyone else enjoyed it.







































































Well it looks like at the end there is a bonus picture of City Hall Not sure why that is the last shot but oh well. Hope everyone had a great time.