I hope that there are still people out having fun now that both parades are over and that the weather stays nice. It is odd that the sun is out it feels nice then it goes away and out comes the wind and you need a hoodie or Jacket or something. It was nice to run into a few (e:peeps) at the parade also.

Here are the pictures from last night:


































Yes the car and flowers aren't from the March but I liked them so I added them into the above Photos. Now for a bunch of pictures from the Parade Sorry (e:PMT) I didn't think to get a shot of your a group shot would have been cool. (for those who don't know when you upload more then one picture at a time then that group of pictures isn't in the order that they where taken, if you want to see them in the correct order then check out my webhots page they should be up around the same time or maybe a few minutes after this is posted)















































































































I guess now is a good time to say that I think it is good to have pride in what ever or who ever you are. That being said I think that when ever you have pride you need to be careful and often check what that really means. yes there are all kinds of pride but often times having pride for who you are is just a way to hate on others but that isn't all ways true. It is very easy slide from being a proud Irish guy to turn into a rioter at a soccer (futbol) game or a skin head. That being said I don't think gay pride is the same type of pride. I'm not gay so I'm not really sure. But to me at least. This type of pride is more of, I'm willing to except who I am, and say who I am, even though I may not be excepted by society and that is why I think gay pride and pride parades are a good thing. Again not being gay myself I wouldn't know but maybe these parades also do good because people see some group they never heard of that helps them live a fuller or better life some how. Ok back to the pictures.







































































































































































I admit that Pride Weekend isn't really a Holiday but people do celebrate it so that is why I used that. The counter point could be that different Cities have Pride on Different days. So what I say is why not go visit those other places Like Toronto or maybe Boston or where ever and have a good time then. On a side note I got all kinds of Condoms If I only had a nice little cutie pie to use them on (any one want to help me out with that, HA) that would be nice, HA. I hope everyone has and had a good time and I hope you enjoyed this really long post and made it to almost the bottom of it. I have a couple non Parade Pictures. (hope I posted all of them and didn't dupe any of the pride ones).

This is on the Metro Bus Yesterday. I wonder who Put it up and when. I like the message but wonder if this is ok and wonder if the message could also have some what I would consider bad ideas that go along with what this person who ever it was did.







Yes that is a Paper Cross.

A few waterfront and AUD Pictures that if you want to see more of are on my webshots Page.

So a bit later I'm going to try and see the Dyke march or as it is also called Dykes on Bikes. It goes by pretty fast. Then come home and watch the Penguins game it should be a great game. If I can watch it all then watch some MMA on showtime. Today I walked downtown to go see "The Hangover" some of it was funny and I'm glad I went it was a good time. After it I walked down to the Aud (hopefully pictures after Pride, not sure where I want to stand, I was going to go to the circle but they moved the start point so not sure where maybe spot maybe corner of summer) and saw that The Aud has a website
I had no idea. The first thing I saw was that the AUD is dead for sure now. The roof is on top of the seating area. For those that didn't hear about this all ready they are having an Irish Wake for the Aud on Sunday. It sounds kinda cool, I don't think I'm going to make it though but here is the info for anyone who thinks they might like it . I hope everyone is having and has a great weekend.

For some of you who maybe didn't see or here this yet I thought I would post this story. What I like about it passing is that it doesn't force people who don't believe in gay marriage to perform them in a church. I think that there is a difference between a state marriage and one done by a church. Yes they are both legal contracts but there is so much more to it then that in a church.

Gay marriage bill signed into law in New Hampshire
AP




By NORMA LOVE, Associated Press Writer Norma Love, Associated Press Writer - 10 mins ago

CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage after the Senate and House passed key language on religious rights and Gov. John Lynch - who personally opposes gay marriage - signed the legislation Wednesday afternoon.

After rallies outside the Statehouse by both sides in the morning, the last of three bills in the package went to the Senate, which approved it 14-10 Wednesday afternoon.

Cheers from the gallery greeted the key vote in the House, which passed it 198-176. Surrounded by gay marriage supporters, Lynch signed the bill about an hour later.

"Today, we are standing up for the liberties of same-sex couples by making clear that they will receive the same rights, responsibilities - and respect - under New Hampshire law," Lynch said.

Lynch, a Democrat, had promised a veto if the law didn't clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services. Legislators made the changes.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Iowa already allow gay marriage, though opponents hope to overturn Maine's law with a public vote.

California briefly allowed gay marriage before a public vote banned it; a court ruling grandfathered in couples who were already married.

The New Hampshire law will take effect Jan. 1, exactly two years after the state began recognizing civil unions.

The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, elected in New Hampshire in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, was among those celebrating the new law.

"It's about being recognized as whole people and whole citizens," Robinson said.

"There are a lot of people standing here who when we grew up could not have imagined this," he said. "You can't imagine something that is simply impossible. It's happened, in our lifetimes."

Opponents, mainly Republicans, objected on grounds including the fragmented process.

"It is no surprise that the Legislature finally passed the last piece to the gay marriage bill today. After all, when you take 12 votes on five iterations of the same issue, you're bound to get it passed sooner or later," said Kevin Smith, executive director of gay marriage opponent Cornerstone Policy Research.

The revised bill added a sentence specifying that all religious organizations, associations or societies have exclusive control over their religious doctrines, policies, teachings and beliefs on marriage.

It also clarified that church-related organizations that serve charitable or educational purposes are exempt from having to provide insurance and other benefits to same-sex spouses of employees.

The House rejected the language Lynch suggested two weeks ago by two votes. Wednesday's vote was on a revised bill negotiated with the Senate.

Supporters had considered Wednesday their last chance to pass a bill this year.

The law will establish civil and religious marriage licenses and allow each party to the marriage to be identified as bride, groom or spouse. Same-sex couples already in civil unions will automatically be assumed to have a "civil marriage."

Churches will be able to decide whether to conduct religious marriages for same-sex couples. Civil marriages would be available to both heterosexual and same-sex couples.

New Hampshire's decision leaves Rhode Island as the only New England state not to allow same-sex marriages. A bill there is expected to fail this year, as similar ones have in previous years.

___

Associated Press Writer David Tirrell-Wysocki in Concord, N.H., contributed to this report.

So On Saturday went up to Toronto to see a Blue Jays game. Toronto beat the Redsox. Here are a few Pictures of Canada.

























































































































On a side note with all the picture stuff I do an multiple Social Networking sites, and (e:strip) I think I really need to get my own computer and have it set up where I can do other things like watch Hockey or wrestling or something as I upload and down load pictures.

When I first read this I thought this sounds really cool. Then a little bit later I wondered how long it will stay open or if it ever will. I'm not from "the falls" so I don't know all the goings on up there. But every so often there is news of this great idea and for some reason they never happen. There was a water park that went out of Business so don't even get me started, how did that happen. I hope it works out and gets lots of people and stays open for years and gets other things in the falls so that NF USA is more like the Canada side, but different and still with that nice park.

Updated: 05/29/09 07:41 AM
Snow gets extended run
New Falls attraction to offer visitors taste of winter year-round
By Denise Jewell Gee
NEWS NIAGARA REPORTER


After failing to make money by redeveloping the Wintergarden, Joseph Anderson is giving winter in Niagara Falls another try.

Anderson, the Tuscarora cigarette and gasoline magnate, is building a 49-foot snow tubing hill on Main Street in the Falls. Scheduled to open next month, it would operate year-round. The city's newest attraction also includes a regulation-sized synthetic skating rink that requires no refrigeration.

Both are designed to capitalize on the region's chilly reputation, serve warm-and cold-weather visitors and do something scores of developers and entrepreneurs have been unable to accomplish: keep tourists on this side of the border for more than a few hours.

"That's the first new attraction here in a while that is family oriented," said Steven Fleck, co-owner of the Howard Johnson Closest to the Falls, across the street from the snow park. "Of course, you've got the Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds and all that, but once people see the falls, there's really not a whole lot to keep them down in this end of the city."

The snow park has been under construction on a vacant parcel two blocks from the Rainbow Bridge since late last year, after Anderson's teenage son came up with the idea to build a snow tubing hill on land Anderson already held in the Falls.

Anderson, the entrepreneur behind the Smokin Joe's gasoline and cigarette chain, as well as the failed Smokin Joe's Family Fun Center in the Wintergarden, hired Snow Magic, a New Jersey company, to help develop a snow-covered tubing hill.

The company has built similar hills in Saudi Arabia and Japan.

"The beauty is, we can always make the snow regardless of the temperature," said Al Bronander, president of Snow Magic.

Unlike traditional snow-making machines-which rely on at-or below-freezing temperatures to produce artificial snow - Snow Magic's units freeze water into thin sheets of ice inside the machines before pulverizing the ice and shooting it out as small flakes.

The result is tiny crystals of ice - about 0.3 millimeters in diameter-that are about three times the size of artificial snow typically made at ski resorts.

Bronander said the company's artificial snow can be groomed like other snow and can be used for snowboarding but is not as fine as snow that is used at ski resorts.

"As the sun heats it up and it warms it up, it becomes a little bit more granular, just like anywhere," Bronander said. "For snow tubing, snow play, it's fantastic."

The hill will operate in all but extremely hot weather - if temperatures peak at more than 100 degrees for several days - or in extremely heavy rain or thunderstorms, said Jennifer Pauly, marketing coordinator for Smokin Joe's Trading Post and Snow Park Niagara Falls.

The synthetic skating rink is made of a polymer material produced by Super-Glide of Clearwater, Fla. The rink includes penalty boxes and a scoreboard.

Snow Park Niagara Falls is scheduled to open to the public June 15. Tickets will be $30 for two hours on the tubing hill and unlimited access to the snow play area and rink.

The tubing hill - which has removable lanes for tubes - will host the Red Bull Buttercup snowboarding event July 9, Pauly said.

Fleck and other hotel owners hope the snow park will give visitors a reason to stay in Niagara Falls longer.

Three attractions - a tethered helium balloon ride, the Niagara Aerospace Museum and Anderson's Smokin Joe's Family Fun Center - all closed in downtown Niagara Falls before last year's tourist season. The snow park is the first new attraction to open since then.

Anderson has had mixed success in Niagara Falls development deals. He owns two hotels and controls more than 20 properties in the downtown commercial area. In 2005, he opened a children's playground and arcade in the former Wintergarden building but closed it three years later.

He recently sold the Wintergarden to the state, which plans to raze the structure to create a roadway between Niagara Falls State Park and the Seneca Niagara Casino.

A no-bid concession license Anderson struck with the city in 2004 for an outdoor pedestrian mall was largely considered a failure.

Anderson pleaded guilty in November to a federal charge of devising a scheme to deprive citizens of "the intangible right of the honest services of a public official" in connection with a series of loans totaling $40,000 to former Mayor Vince Anello. Anderson has yet to be sentenced.

Despite all of that, city officials and tourism leaders say they believe the snow park will be a success.

The project, which received a 10-year tax break through the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, was estimated to cost $5.2 million, according to information given to the agency.

Aside from the tax break, the project is privately funded by Anderson.

"We're just excited that there's anything going on, to tell you the truth," Fleck said. "And it's good to see someone with their own money coming in."

djgee@buffnews.com