The Tao Of Paul

Geek wants your story.
You know, the warm fuzzy “Why I left Buffalo but came back, I never lived here before but just had to come to Buffalo” type stories. And as Buffalo Homecoming (FKA Old Home Week) approaches, we will see a slew of these.
But I would like to hear the other stories. You know, the “I never left WNY/Buffalo because” stories. And I count those who returned to the area immediately after serving in the military in this category.

What I would like to know:

Why did you stay? Family? Loving the 4 seasons? Had a Great job? A general sense of belonging?

Were there any hardships you faced by staying? Any opportunities that you willingly passed on in order to stay?

I would like to hear from the people who stayed to keep the lights on so Chris could find his way back. The ones who formed a welcoming committee for pundit when he came here to settle.

The best thing about working with Chris, Marti and the others on Buffalo Homecoming is that I get to meet people that fit in all the categories. It is great to be a never left working with transplants, repats, whatever you want to call them. And every single one is there to celebrate today’s Buffalo, to promote Buffalo, and share Buffalo.

Oh yeah, my story? I’m here because a higher power has pushed me here:

I joined the service right out of Williamsville South high school to “See the world”. My first duty station was in Pennsylvania. Pretty close to home. So I put in a volunteer statement for overseas, still trying to “See the world”. I received orders shortly thereafter.
For a small radar site located in Lockport NY.
20 Minutes from my family.
Where I met my wife.
I got out of the service and almost immediately found a decent job with decent salary and benefits. Next year I will be eligible to retire from said job.
Sometimes when you try to leave, you just get closer.

Or the weekends of Dub..
Last weekend my 15 year old Pom that looked more like a Black Spitz (Same basic breed actually) pretty much fell apart. He has had Addison’s for years - costing me $120 a month in pills. So we felt he has been on borrowed time for a while. Anyhow, he stopped chasing the cats, eating, drinking, lost control of most of the body functions, you get the picture. So on Monday, we took Duncan to the vet and he went to sleep. Kind of sad, but it was time. But I always can see the upside of life changes. Such as being able to stop somewhere after work without having to rush home to make sure that the dog is alive, and he goes outside.
We get new carpeting for the living room now.
I save 120 in cold cashola a month.
What does this have to do with bowling balls? Nothing. The next part does.
THIS WEEKEND:
Gonna look at carpeting of course and Sunday is special. Why? Because:
On Sunday, February 24, 2008, Manor Lanes, 150 Grand Island Boulevard, Tonawanda, will host the Fourth Annual Tonawandas USBC Strike Out Breast Cancer bowling and lunch event from 12-3 p.m. Bowlers and friends will participate indrawings for prizes in this event to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s initiatives to defeat breast cancer. Over $700 was raised toward the fight against breast cancer during the 2007 event.
Some come join me on Sunday for some cheap bowling, basket raffle, and food, all for a good cause.

My name in print media!And it’s not even the police blotter! Thank you fellow Williamsville South Alum Jen!
3 Sentences, 3 exclamation points. Very excited. My week is on the upswing.

Part anyway.
Very little out here has an adverse effect on me. Nothing on any of the sites that I visit can physically harm me or my family. Nothing out here has the capability to have a negative impact on my ability to provide for my family.

If someone has a negative opinion of my writing, so be it.

If a site chooses to censor my comments, their site, their call. And any anger or disappointment that may temporarily wash over me will not affect them at all.

I appreciate a joke, even if it is at my expense. Humor is something desperately needed in this world today.

And as far as I’m concerned, people can write what they want about who they want. Their choice. If they want to get into the entanglements involved with falsehoods they will reap as they have sown.

And in this manner I keep the stress level down,
and that smile on my face.

From the Buffalo News: we bring you the Buffalo School Board.

In just 3 weeks, they have:
Voted to have an investigation.
Come up with a weak plan.
Voted again to have an investigation, this time omitting the incident which started it all, the dismissal of Stiles. (Guess they don’t want to give her attorney any free ammunition in case she decides to file suit.)
Referred to committee a motion to find out who spilled the beans about the rumor mongering at the executive session.

But that isn’t the joke.
This is:

Complicating the situation, Superintendent James A. Williams has asked the board not to rely on the school system’s staff to help put the probe together. Ordinarily, staff members work out the details of issues before the board, but in this case, Williams says he wants to avoid the appearance of exerting undue influence.

Mister Micro Manager? Doctor “I’ll decide personally who goes where, gets what suspension, who gets off, trust my judgement” Williams? He’s worried about the “appearance” of undue influence? Bit late for that in his life as far as I’m concerned.
If you want to listen to someone, listen to this gentleman from the Buffalo affiliate of the Millions More Movement:

“Jayvonna is symbolic of a whole class of students who are consistently the victim of this,” said Samuel Radford III, the group’s co-chairman. “This is just an indication of something else going on. How is it you don’t have a system of checks and balances on a seven-week suspension?”

His group is seeking an investigation into what they consider a long-dysfunctional system of student discipline.
I would tell them “Don’t worry, Dr. Williams is in charge”.
Does all this inspire parental confidence in the system? Do you believe that the School Board has a handle on the problem? Or even a grip on reality?

I have a bowling tournament on Sunday. Saturday I have to go to the AKAG and pick up 2 copies of “The Marvelous Sauce” by Vibert. One for my dining room, because it is a very neat picture, and one for a friend for his office. I also still have to put up the microwave at the in laws, but I don’t know when. Maybe the Holiday Monday. I hope that I don’t come home to an expired dog today. He’s 15, and acting real dodgy lately.

Anyway, what exciting plans do you have for the long weekend?

Anyone out there blowing a few hundred on flowers, candy and dinner today?

We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Neither does Lildub and her husband. To see what goes on besides candy and flowers, check out Bloviator’s piece on this subject.
While I was waiting for my wife to come out of the store, I saw guy after guy coming out of the card shop with valentines. Women? Hell no. Why is that? Why are the guys supposed to buy the stuff? And why is this declaration of our affection only once a year?

“Hi hon, here’s the obligatory card with pithy phrases, flowers that will be dead in a couple days,, and candy that is not good for you”.

This morning my wife will get what she does every morning. Her coffee on the nightstand when she wakes up. When will she get flowers? The next dismal day perhaps, or a day when nothing at work is going right, or maybe a day when everything is going right. But it won’t be on a holiday when it might possibly be construed as an obligatory gift, instead of an expression of affection.

I will however probably send her a suggestive email with references to Wesson oil and Plastic sheets.

I will wait until this evening to comment on the new WNYM Front Page. Hopefully by then they will have put it back together (Navigation aids?) and removed the white on lime green stuff that blinded me.

For some reason Pundit cracks me up.

Upon reflection, I should know that the availability of the internet at work is in direct inverse proportion to the urgency of the project I am working on. Perhaps today will be better.
Speaking of work, the crankiness quotient better be significantly lower to day, or I will have to start beating people.

I can’t find my Matrix soundtrack CD and I could really use it at work today.
Time to start thinking about a Bloggercon.

And best of the day to all of you out there. May your car start, your roads be clear, and may everyone you deal with today be in a fine mood.

In an incredible flash of brilliance, the Spitzer Administration has determined that the economy is going south. Are they slashing the budget to compensate? No, they are going to “rearrange” it.

The governor’s budget office said the financial sector, which accounts for about 20 percent of state revenues, has declined steeply since the governor unveiled his budget last month.
Financial companies alone have unveiled write-downs of $30 billion, largely because of the subprime mortgage crisis affecting many families.

Question to Budget office: This was starting almost a year ago and you’re just catching on?

So here’s the plan.
Do we freeze the State workforce that has been growing sine he took office?
No.
We look at “reducing nonessential activities” and “managing overtime,” “maximizing federal revenues” .
Oh yes and “Cutting reimbursements to hospitals and other care facilities for treatment of Medicare patients” and “raising assessments on health insurers(raising our premiums).
It’s like a bad joke, getting worse with each telling.

He fits in with the rest of the clowns in Albany.
Can anyone give me a list of anything positive he has done for this state?

In 1977, I had a second floor flat off 18th, on Lasalle in the Falls. $150 a month, quiet and affordable. Seems like times have changed.

A few blocks away from the site of the proposed substation, Hometown Grocery — at the corner of 17th Street and Pierce Avenue — does a steady business during the day selling groceries, hair care products, sneakers and hoodies.
But at night, said manager Abdo Salleh, the neighborhood falls quiet.
“When it gets dark, everyone is afraid to walk in that area,” Salleh said. “At nighttime, after 6 o’clock, if you come in this area you won’t see anybody.”

I used to walk to the laundromat across the street from this store. I would sit outside on warm nights while waiting for the dryer to finish. No problems on the street.
Now when I read the morning paper, I see my friends old addresses listed as the residence of someone being arrested. You used to be able to walk from City Market to LaSalle ave pretty much any time, day or night, but I guess not anymore.

Dyster has his work cut out for him….