I learned some important things: Lamaze is crap and Petocin doesn't speed your contractions, it makes labor one big long spouse's hand-crushing contraction.

My eldest arrived on June 2, 1991 after 23 hours of "sheer bliss." I think there is a file on my former spouse and me because the experience really molded us for when we returned for the other two kids.

But despite it all, she arrived quite nicely.



We were feeling pretty good about a year after. She's continued to age quite nicely. I can't do that beard anymore without there being "Santa-like" connotations.

Seems to have a sprung a leak again...

After awhile, you just got to say the hell with it and go. I stopped in Target and while I was finishing my transaction, the downpour started.

Yeah, I jumped in the puddle right by the sidewalk.

On the way to buy train tickets for my daughter's birthday, nothing like being reminded that your eldest is turning 20 to remind you of the passages of time. The big occasion is next week, but she and a friend wanted to visit a friend of theirs in Montreal. So, the former spouse and I, in keeping with our reputation of as cool parents, sported her to passage to quebec.

At some point, I'll have to find one of the pictures from that merry day. It's funny as tonight's dinner is already forgotten, but I can tell you every little detail from that day.

Hell, there is probably still a file on us at Sisters

I love the idea of the water taxi on Buffalo's waterfront. I think going from the wharf to Dug's Dive via the taxi is a great idea. It is reasonably priced and all that, but somebody needed to rethink the press release as the noon news quoted it as saying you can take the Water Taxi from the wharf over to Templeton Landing. That isn't exactly a journey that is harsh on the footwear as that might be faster to walk (they are pretty close when traveling by land). (Psst, more beach type stuff would help too)

45-50 and rain can actually make 25 and snow seem okay.

As a former resident of the area now covered by the NY #26, I cannot wait for this election to be over. It is a huge amount of money being spent by three campaigns and as many political action committees and all the voters in the #26 know is that each candidate is in favor of winning and against losing. It seems like every television commercial break features ads from at least two of the three candidates. While I'm all for our leaders talking to us, none of these candidates are actually saying anything.

Remember last week when it was sunny, and just right on the temp scale? That wasn't a dream right?

Other annoying advertising sticking in my craw at the moment include the radio spots for actor Al Pacino's upcoming appearance at the Seneca Casino. I'm sure he is a fascinating dude to just get talking but whoever wrote the script for the radio ad that reduced his last name to sound effect status. You hear the announcer scream "Pacino!" and I'm half tempted to duck to avoid some imaginary object richocheting off a nearby surface.

"PA-CINO!"

Made you blink.

It's been a busy week. Here's what is mulling around in my brainpan after our first week of spring.

There are a lot of folks in a dither about the "Buffalo: For Real" slogan. I am not one of those guys. I don't dither. We have been searching for the "big thing" forever to turn the region around and that is plenty silly, and the same goes for campaigns of any kind. Any promo campaign needs a bunch of components. This is just a step. Much like people are reluctant to scroll down a web page or click a second time, it is just a way of showing off some nice photos. It's a slogan and the world will revolve at the same pace regardless of how many car chases make what was probably the first of many youtube videos. Remember "Talkin Proud"? Well, the milk still went on your cereal the same way then too. Perceptions and realities shift at a snail's pace and to expect one tag line to do alter that is silly. so the complainers, whiners (and folks who have waaaaay too much time on their hands on the forums on media sites) should chill. It's a tag line not a miracle cure.

That said, this is pretty funny.



The Sabres are raising prices and that has some of the folks still living their moms' basements upside. It is a buck a game on average, folks, settle down. Were you going to go anyway?

I'm getting a kick out of the people and firms who represent themselves as social media consultants. Sure there are things I would like to do to my company's web pages and other things we can add to the facebook page, but in this age, when the internet has made people even lazier, if you are going to tell me what is wrong with my corporate facebook page perhaps, you should be looking at it. Doofus assessed my social media presence on the basis of an abandoned group and the 200 folks who are still there. Yeah, there is a consultant I'll bring in, chucklehead.

Has there been a more poorly run matching set of campaigns than what is happening in the New York 26th election? Everybody is so poorly representing themselves and flinging mud at each other, you have no idea what anybody actually stands for. If I could enact one election law for advertising, it would be for a mandate of "what would you do?" if you got the job.

Long Day on Wednesday and a couple of colleagues stopped for a chat at the end of the day