So I can admit that I do wish that for 40 I was able to do something that follows the over used term EPIC... But around Christmas can't really go to Cold NYC or the Bunny Ranch... Do to time and Location didn't make it to any of the Burlesque Acts.... But I thought I'd post a few pictures .....As I watch some of "A Christmas Story" as a side note saw a cool presentation of it in Buffalo Years ago.... Heard it got turned into a Broadway Musical I bet it is great.....








So There was just What I'll call the Santa Parade and it reminds me that Buffalo use to have what was the Toys For tots Parade ... It was on Grant St. but often not Advertised and over the years it got farther away from Christmas and have no idea when or if it stopped ...

So I posted Privately about how tough sometimes it is to deal with family... But did gifts at my mothers House .... Then the niece will do gifts with her mother at her house... Think that makes more sense then all of us doing gifts over there... I remember as a kid liking to go to aunts on the eve opening stuff at my place and then there was another place called down home or Open houses it was crazy but fun... See this way Maya can see her father and not worry time wise... Also if they want to do something else... So making cookies and the cat and stuff.....







Towne Above

























OH Yeah Merry Christmas it is odd that I want to put a hashtag in every where....:) Oh yeah or what ever holiday(s) you do... Even if that means you work for 7 days in a row and then go some place or take a trip or what ever enjoy.....

So two quick things

Thank You LLoyd's cause they are how I found out about this cool event, Also nice to see you (e:MrMike) ... There was some really cool stuff those who get out to either of the Art Festivals would see some stuff you've seen before like the Robots Had to get 2 Shirts and Then those little monster things those are cool I just don't have an area for them to sit on or even for a tree for the cool ornaments also someone had some great skull ones also... I didn't take pictures of anyone's artwork... That being said some photos are from elmwood here they are....














Then Inside Yes the light is a little funky turns out better to not use the flash kinda odd but.....



















As Much as I love Lloyd's I haven't had Amy's Yet so I tried their Wet Shoes it was good ......

So I can admit that I should have posted these pix on Sat. After the open Practice but not sure what happened some how ran out of time argh and then with tweeting as I watched football on Sunday then Wrestling on Monday Plus all this mass shooting stuff trying to decide if I should really write a blog about it...

So These Pictures where taken After the Event at the Alumni Plaza.. Now When it first Debuted people did go and they had an event but do to the NHL it wasn't like how it could have been with a game and very special ... I believe the Yellow blocks are the people who paid for their name to help cover the cost .......















Now Last Year thing where a bit different they had the practice and then at the end they had everyone run out with the Anniversary Jersey on but this year the players started with them on... But the Bandetes hit the floor 1st... The odd thin is the software that goes kinda with the camera I have didn't put the pictures in the exact order so here goes think these might be in the right order....
















































So From here Some more pictures of the Open Practice but I like to try and put up what I assume are the best or most important photos first in a case like this... had some Youtube issues other wise I'd post a few videos ....



































I wasn't going to get a new Jersey but at 25% off hey why not Happy Birthday to me.. Now one way to go might have been to get white with no name but didn't want to miss any of the practice and then have people sign it.. I didn't want to get a name though and then not get that person to sign it so I skipped the signing ..... Now the white ones look better then the black ones they almost look like a racing jersey or something... What looks like grey and like Bs but keeping a black one clean will be tough enough.. OH yeah 23rd is my Birthday ... Yeah 40 means I ain't young no more and it ain't so easy.. On the Day I'll be Watching what ever Football is on... Think there might be a couple of (e:peeps) that are on here but aren't on Facebook if yeah know me slide on in to Casa on Elmwood at about 8pm... That may have missed the invite... Not saying anyone has to go or anything... Of course I wish I had the money to through my self a stag with Strippers Or even just Burlesque some place... To be clear that is the 22nd.... If it wasn't so close to Christmas A vegas trip would have been great also... If I had my Papers Toronto would have been great... Now lets just hope the Team is good this Year it should be we shall see...

So I've never lived in NYC, LA, Toronto or a major city but to me Murals at least are part of living in the city... Or maybe just when I was a kid growing up poor there where a couple famous ones on The "West Side" (IN LA Voice) .. The Buffalo News has a story about a Movie that they had at a Gallery and I guess some Taggers are upset about it...

When I went to share the movie it gave me link and so copy pasted it not sure where it takes you ....



You might need an account to the service to see It?

The Link to the Buffalo News Article



Now the next thing I'm doing did Is doing the copy and Paste thing and then put it in " " cause last time the box thing didn't work ... My mother pays for the Sunday Paper someone at work gets it every day so....

'Nickel City Vandals' stirs controversy on Buffalo's graffiti scene
December 6, 2012 - 2:09 PM

Nickel City Vandals from Aaron Ferguson on Vimeo.

Last night, I stopped by Daddy's Garage (a sweet new graffiti gallery and shop on West Ferry Street) for a packed screening of Aaron Ferguson's new film "Nickel City Vandals." which Ferguson was kind enough to let us embed above.

(I had to miss this panel on the future of culture in Western New York at Daemen College in order to attend the screening. But this look at a small subsection of Buffalo's active street culture that's just beginning to inch out from the underground turned out to be well worth it.)

The documentary project, completed as a part of Ferguson's studies as an MFA student at the University at Buffalo, considered this moment on Buffalo's graffiti scene. The filmmaker and many of his subjects -- including the hilarious and insightful legit graffiti artist known as Brakes as well as Sam Lunetta, director of the city's anti-graffiti task force -- painted a picture of a graffiti scene in a kind of holding pattern. The scene lacks the artistic sophistication of some years ago, the film suggested, but was beginning once again to pick up steam as a crop of new graffiti artists with unique styles beginning to rise through the ranks.

But not everyone agrees with Ferguson's portrayal of the Buffalo scene. At the screening, which drew a large, diverse and curious crowd, representatives of the hard-core BF (or Buffalo's Finest) graffiti crew handed out a strongly worded statement calling the film's integrity into question. Below is a scan of the letter, which was handed to me in an envelope by a very serious-looking girl after the screening ended. At the bottom of the sheet is a graphic representing legendary Buffalo graffiti artists known by the tags "ATAK" and "HERT." The latter of these has been claimed by Buffalo-born Ian Deeber, a graffiti world cause célèbre who pleaded guilty to graffiti charges in Pittsburgh and was sentenced to prison in 2010.

The distribution of the flyer created a bit of a stir at the screening, but the filmmaker and the subjects in attendance seemed relatively nonplussed. "The graffiti scene can get wild sometimes with others trying to hate on and degrade people who are trying to do positive things for the community," Brakes wrote after the screening.

Controversy and all, the night seemed to both signal and encourage a new and broader appreciation for graffiti, as has the recent mural tribute to the late Spain Rodriguez painted near Buffalo's Central Terminal. We're entering a new era when it comes to how the public views street art and graffiti -- whether legal or illegal. And from where I'm standing, films like "Nickel City Vandals," which will always raise the ire of underground artists who would prefer to remain so, are a welcome addition to the city's broader culture.

--Colin Dabkowski

So my take is kinda this I've gone past the trains and them past me more times then I can count (Work near the tracks so)... I've seen the out line bubble letters and some bad tagging in my hood just hand written names that sorry isn't art... The stuff on the trains is... Of course there are different styles (People who type would call them Fonts) so with shadows some with pictures.. I saw one that was amazing (Wish I had my camera) where the person as part of their name had bricks it was really cool... Of course everyone has a different version of art.... I can see why if I had a nice building and someone tagged it I would be pissed... But Again there is another movement that they just touched on that to me is different and that is Street Art... Some of that is really amazing... They didn't show it directly they showed pictures of it in a gallery.... Maybe if I get my papers together when it gets warm I can go to like Toronto and look for some and try to get photos and not get killed... Cause I know I'm not treking around not only bad areas but some of them are with a camera to take photos....

Again comments by those who know much more about this then me would be very nice.......

1. This Is a blog I've been meaning to write for a bit of time so sorry if it isn't what it should be... I'm sure no one will agree with me and that is fine... this isn't face book so you are allowed to tell me so (If anyone who read this one read the last one)

2. I honestly am not sure how much I can say with out getting into trouble or at least where the possibility of that starts or If I'm even high enough in the food chain for that to be an issue.. So I will say this.. Where i work we send product to many places Target, CVS and so on and so forth including Wal-Mart... No I'm not a pro writer but Need to toss that out there so anyone reading this or anyone whom you never know could share this knows....

There was a time when I thought Wal-Mart was evil and they may have done some bad things... But that isn't what this blog is about really Again this is a blog not a research paper or a piece that is running in the news in some form.. But I Like Wal-Mart and I do shop there... But also after work it is quicker to get to them then to Target and I can get home quicker also....

---Kinda a tangent but... The Reason I thought Wal-Mart was Evil is that they would show up in some small town. Then in these towns local places couldn't compete and they would close. Hey why go buy food then go buy wood then plants when you can get everything you need in one place..Not a new Idea Sears did this a long time ago... But see it isn't Wal-Mart's fault that people in town also think about prices and go there instead of the local flower shop or local record store... Price is a huge factor in where people buy stuff some times it is a choice and sometimes not... As a quick example that is why people go to Pricerite and not Wegman's ....

BLACKFRIDAY! Oh no we are all going to die Or get 3 TVs for the price of one depending on what facebook status you believe .... This is what got this post inspired was posts I saw after that... Now hey if after thanksgiving instead of sleeping or watching football you want to go get that huge Wal-Mart tv or what ever fine.... But posts (Something in the news i missed also) about low wages at Wal-Mart .. I didn't share them cause guess what I'm for them ...

Yes I support Low Wages for Wal-Mart workers... Again this is were research would be great to have the numbers to compare but would it be a blog any more? Target Doesn't have Lay-a-way and Wal-Mart does there is a reason for that... If you have the money to shop at Target you don't need lay-a-way (Or atleast during christmas not sure about all year like K-mart did)... So I'm saying Target it costs more or at least appears to at Target then at Wal-Mart and that is ok...

Yes some people just go where they think things are the cheapest.. But I believe that most people who go to Wal-Mart have to cause they don't have enough money to get stuff at Target or other high end places in the mall..

Now every business has a profit margin.. Now if Wal-Mart just went up and raised the starting wages of every worker and brought everyone else up accordingly since they would be paying out more money in wages they have to make that up someplace.. Now yes they could be nice with all the money they make and still have killer profits just not as killer .... But there are people who make money off of how much profit they make so.. The Natural thing to do is raise prices on everything.. Now what happens to the person who shops there for say food .... What bill don't they pay... Do they not do Christmas this year... Go Hungry ?

Now Granted there might be some places where there is only Wal-Mart and not Target so I'm not talking about those places... If you are a stock boy or Cashier or even management and you could pick a place to work Where would be better Target or some high end Retail place or Wal-Mart I doubt it is Wal-Mart .... Now I have no idea how they decide whom gets a job... But if it is true that places pay higher then those jobs must be tougher to get or should hold one to a higher standard .... The Wal-Mart near where I work is Near the Galleria Mall and Target also... So I'm contending that the people who work there couldn't get a job at Target so it is good they have a job if not for Wal-Mart they wouldn't .........

As an Example I've been to a few Targets and you all ways see people working and me at least (They think I'm a cowboy who is going to steal I guess... What never heard of a Metal band or watched Wrestling :) )They even come up and ask if you need help... But all wal-mart the people are talking to each other and you have to find someone one and half the shit has Keys so if you want to buy a memory card you have to get every thing else first... Yes Wal-Mart is aimed at the poor and that is ok....

Example 2: Back in my old days before the (e:strip) I was a stock boy at what is now 7-Eleven when we where owned by tops... Yeah you do pay for things being a block away from your house and short lines... But again back then Wegman's was the Premium Brand.. Think the non management route after about 2 years there you still made less then to start at Wegman's ... I loved most of the people I worked with they where great.. Now granted that and a Grocery Store is different but a few people tried and Never got hired there... One Manger did but he got an entire section and it was a bit over his head even for the more money so think he came back... Great guy buy the way... Wonder how that crazy mother fucker is doing... Yeah I admit I wonder how a bunch of those people are .. No facebook back then... Ah good times man.... But it goes to the same point the high end places some people just can't work there...

So I think I kinda made my point that if Wal-Mart paid people more.. some of the people who work there wouldn't have a job there.... And with prices up what would people do who can't shop any place else go what would they do.............................