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Mrmike's Journal

mrmike
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08/07/2011 15:32 #54898

Exploring the Canals
Category: random
While waiting for the B52s to join us in Lockport, my main musical partner in crime and I took a wander in the nearby locks.

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And there was lots worthy of further exploration, but the Iphone is only so smart. Point being, go play tourist and wander.

You find cool stuff that way.
tinypliny - 08/09/11 16:55
That's interesting. I never gave a thought to why lockport was called lockport. For some crazy reason I thought it was a port city like Buffalo which was later locked down. lol

08/07/2011 10:42 #54893

Roam
Category: music
Happily, and as per usual, made a bit of a fool of myself at the B-52s show in Lockport. They are still a lot of fun after all these years. I read a little of some band grumbling about the perfomance space and really couldn’t care less. They played a nice set of music and the majority seems to have a blast. I know I did.



I couldn’t help but laugh as there were a few folks watched the show, with an either a stonedfaced expression or a little peeved. What you see is what you get with the B52s and seeing those folks with such zombified expressions, made me laugh even more.
tinypliny - 08/07/11 11:20
hehe @ zombified expressions at concerts. I went to this concert with my friend (her favourite band, no less) and she was just sitting there with no emotion and I (who had no idea about the band till that evening) was up in the mosh pit rocking out. I guess it is very individual-preference based on how people enjoy their music visually. Coming from a heavy-metal-laden past, I find it extremely hard not to get up and move around when I am at concerts. :)

08/03/2011 20:57 #54852

The Summer Wind
Category: ranting
So, spanning the world…..

Really disappointed in the President and pretty much Congress in general. All the theater, the stupidity, yes, Tea-Party led foolishness around the debt ceiling produced a crappy bill, defunded the FAA and 70-80,000 construction workers on FAA projects as well as infrastructure projects are out of work. Who are these people all these guys are claiming to represent? Bet all of the legislators made their vacation connections on time as the Speaker does need that tanning time.

Over 100 teachers got laid off in Buffalo this week, but we are shopping for an administrator? um, wha? If there are underperforming schools, you’d think the superintendent might take a direct interest in that. That shouldn’t be the kind of thing you farm out.

So, WNED bought WBFO this week as UB sort of lost interest in the radio station. Jeff Simon repeated in the Buffalo News his old laments about the death of jazz radio in Buffalo. As my Dad and I discussed, that story is so dead, it has a tombstone. I’m a little more interested in keeping the great blues shows they have on now. Sure, it would be great for jazz, big band, oldies all to find a place on the airwaves, but WBFO’s audience share bounced up when they turned into a NPR repeater. Since it is public, perhaps a little thought would go into what is next. And, while I’m at it, perhaps WNED might attract a greater listen share if the on-air staff wasn’t so reserved. I’m not saying morning show antics for a classical music station, but perhaps if the announcers weren’t seemingly talking down to people, teaching them, more people might tune in.

I think we ought to have an NFL lockout until this time every year. It was a little more exciting seeing all the compressed movement and actual news, maybe just a ban on reporting next spring. The splurge of news made the Bills seem interesting. Let’s not kid ourselves folks. It ain’t a playoff team in St. John Fisher this year either, but it could be fun. At least the uniforms have improved.

Took in the “Outer Harbor Fest” over the weekend and it was a noble effort I suppose. I found myself lamenting all this great space, all this potential for water access (A Beach in the City, For the the LOVE OF GOD, that is the big project!! make that happen and stores will trip over themselves.), and that made the lame band, food and lousy rides seem even that more pitiful. A well-intentioned sound guy tried to pep us all up with tales of the thousands who were there Saturday evening, but the 30 or so of us there Sunday afternoon were a little skeptical. My son did give the fried dough high marks, so I guess that is something to build on. It bugs me as that space has sat for years now and something could happen. Witness the wharf, mimic that and good times can happen.

Here’s the view from adjacent the temporary Tilt-A-Whirl. Maybe Gallagher Beach ain’t the space, I’m sure there are engineering issues, but could you imagine if there was more water access for those of us who don’t own boats? Could fix a lot.

As this week has shown, there is plenty in need of fixing.
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metalpeter - 08/06/11 11:23
There are a couple problems with the political system in this country.... Not sure how to fix this.....

It mostly isn't about doing what is right in one's opinion it is about getting re-elected and I think a lot of that is the entire party thing..... Now some of the Obama hate is that he is black and that he bashed "W" ..... But what I think most of it is that parties want to control the checks and balances.... Now you have multiple parties and there all ways have been but the problem is that the voting is set up for two parties..... Just cause one sees the world Liberally doesn't mean they have to be a deem and just cause someone sees things Conservative doesn't mean they need to be the bad guys and hijack the country... The way the voting system works needs to change....
metalpeter - 08/06/11 11:18
Guess I'll do the two comment thing....
I think the Bills could be a playoff team and might have the talent in some divisions but AFC EAST and NFC EAST? (Cowboy,Eagles,Redskins,Giants ?) Have all ways had some really good teams... Pats and Jets currently so it is really just playing for a wild card.....
tinypliny - 08/04/11 02:33
And you know what is more disgusting. All these political scum (some more scummier than others) are back to "campaigning for re-election" with billions of dollars as campaign money, like nothing just happened. Does the loathsomeness ever end? First, get elected with public money, completely forget about whom you represent, stall and derail the government job responsibility by petty, greedy and downright evil behaviour (republicans), behave in a spineless irresponsible fashion and buckle to every old extortion racket in the book (democrats), and then shrug it all off because the next election is the ONLY one that matter.

Appalling. VERY VERY disturbingly appalling. All these scum should be thrown in jail for life for the this level of negligence at their what is supposed to be their job - welfare of the country and people.
tinypliny - 08/04/11 02:22
I read this editorial: :::link::: It sums up exactly what is wrong with your President. The republicans quite clearly could not care less about whether the country goes to hell or not, and does not give two hoots about anyone EXCEPT ridiculously big capitalists firms who CONTINUE to make money in spite of any depression whatsoever. They are not just "making money", they are extorting our tax money into their grotesquely high "profits" and easily getting away with it. All this while the president is weak enough that he cannot take a stand against the evil lot.

This sounds so much like 1946 in India. In this case Obama = Gandhi. Weak, glorified and totally leading the country into one of the greatest menaces ever just because he did not have it in himself to take a stand and wanted to just please everyone (an impossible task always). In India's case, it was the concoction of Pakistan. In US's case, it soul-crushing back-breaking national debt and publicly visible capitalist embezzlement while the rest of the country dies and starves. Who cares? Definitely not the politicians. All of them deserve the most nasty medical fates beyond what science can do to alleviate these fates.
paul - 08/03/11 23:39
Its gotten to the point where I don't even read the political news anymore.

As for the waterfront, I kind of love the outer harbor as is. I mean I know its not great for business or swimming and is clearly not maintainable but it somehow combines industrial and natural in a beautiful way. I hope the festival was at least better than citybration.

07/25/2011 08:55 #54785

Gelato Astley Style
Category: random

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tinypliny - 07/26/11 18:13
hehe funny you say that (e:vincent), that's hitting very close to how I feel about the 2 latin american, 1 starbucks and 3 european blends in my freezer right now!
vincent - 07/26/11 13:09
(e:tiny) Just Burn something, Add water and that's what Lavazza tastes like. It's Italy's favorite scorched ash tasting coffee!
tinypliny - 07/26/11 02:42
I have tried LaVaZZa before... but I can't remember what it tasted like. I need to taste it again. They have it at Guercios. I think the coffee was good, or maybe not?
paul - 07/25/11 23:58
I didn't get it the first time. Then all of a sudden the song popped in my head when I read it aloud.
libertad - 07/25/11 17:32
That is so clever, I wonder if they thought of it.
metalpeter - 07/25/11 17:08
Not sure if that is bad or good but it is funny......

07/24/2011 22:30 #54782

First Picture of Me that I've liked in awhile
Category: random
From last Wednesday's night moe show.

My friend and I are in the lower right of the picture

Caught my best side....lol

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mrmike - 07/25/11 06:47
Nope, I'm in white, she too is in white, and a sercurity guy is on the other side of her
tinypliny - 07/25/11 00:22
You with the superbly white shirt and your friend with the Kiwi yellow shirt?