So I'm sure everyone knows about the shootings in Newton.. Now the first thing that comes up is the gun issue if you are for them or anti gun or somewhere in the middle what we can all agree on is that it is a tragedy and that shouldn't happen of course how to stop it is where we disagree but this ins't really what the post is really about.....

I don't know where Webster is other then it is near Rochester some place.. This story made national news... I guess that is a good thing.....Now both Things have a few things in common.. Other then it seeming like the guy who did this was a crazy and that someone who got guns shouldn't have been able to but there is a 3rd thing and I'm not counting that one of the people shot had the same type of gun as the shooter in Newton....

I think when we look to what causes this kind of thing there are many factors but I think we need to go back and look at the news.. The glamourize this kind of thing and make people famous.. Now not saying that caused this directly.. But when news is also entertainment it does mess with people a bit.... I'm sorry but they shouldn't be doing stories on the funerals of the people who died... Leave the families alone... Don't put all there names in the paper just say how many move on... Want to call them 26 angels fine... But reading all there names is to much..... That leads into my next thing...

The Westboro Baptist Church (yes there is an online petition to make them a hate group as much as I think they are I don't agree whom is next if we allow this) Protested at The Funerals or at least some of them .. Saw a picture on facebook where a bunch of Bikers became angels and blocked the protester ... Now I can't confirm that this will happen for sure but they are supposed to protest at the dead Fire Fighters funerals this is so bad......

Now if I understand the way they think ... They think what I would call old testament... They think that when we sin.. Or go along with sin... Or allow sin... Or say sin isn't sin (Currently gay sex) ... That god Punishes us ... I know it seems a bit crazy but it really isn't... If one believes the Bible is true ... Then what happened to plagues where are they.... So it would make sense that the new way is to make bad things happen... I guess HIV fits right in with that... Now of course they could just be really good at getting their name out there and might not believe this....

But you know they do have a bit of way of thinking that kinda makes a bit of sense... What we do does cause things to happen... You don't need faith to think that way... Karma is an example you know what comes around goes around... So it is a common way to think....

Again I don't agree with them... I'm talking about a kinda way of thinking... That what we do causes other things to happen... But see I think us not treating people the same is what causes the shootings, us not accepting people... Some often Christians don't act like "Real Christians " they want to judge and hold people down but "Real Christians" may not agree with you but they don't judge and treat you any different... They with out sin cast the first stone... Again though you don't need faith for this thought tough ... I think if we all treated people better we wouldn't get crazy people like this... How many times are people mean (Think back to being a kid) and everyone laughs ... Most comedy works off of different norms of societies .... I'm not saying to ban comedy ... But there is a big part of it that here I am I'm better then that person.. Lets laugh at that fool of course you can laugh with them also....

I can't really answer the question .... Micheal Moore tried 10 years ago and really didn't... Yeah our love of Guns and Genocide and violence for sure is a factor but the percentage of people who go out on mass acts is so small... But what about other murders (not in self defense ) ... See I think we have this Idea that yeah it ok cause we are right or in some cases just... Again maybe if we treated people better this wouldn't happen?

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 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 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'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.......