The Tao Of Paul

Another department at work had some training going on last week with participants from around the country. During a break, there was a gentleman out in the hallway on his phone.
“Yeah, I can’t believe this place. You should see the architecture”
“The parks are amazing. I’ve never been here before, but it is beautiful”
“No, no. I’m staying in the Falls. I’m talking about Buffalo”
No prodding, no cheerleading from the locals. Just went out to see the sights, and came back impressed.
Nice to hear, eh what?

Tough week, glad it’s over.
The crappy weather forecast bothers me not.
Agenda? Of course my favorite, grocery shopping. Weather gets too crappy I can make Lasagna, meatless of course. Music is Art, or UB football depending on the weather.
After the Big Sunday Breakfast, the Bills game. Any suggestions on a good place to watch?
I used to go to Slick Willy’s on the Boulevard, but when they bring out the free halftime buffet, the crowd becomes a plague of angry locusts, pretty risky.
And a Happy Birthday tomorrow to Jason from Buffalo Homecoming!

I understand that they relay on our donations for their livelihood, BUT….
I rushed like hell to get stuff done so I could park my butt in front of Channel 17’s special about Crystal Beach. 20 minutes, then on come the hucksters. Begging for money, offering postcards, DVD’s, suckers, even refrigerator magnets. Stratton trying to talk over Eileen(?) trying to talk over Stratton. Worst part? he’s not from the area. So every sentence is prefaced by”And somebody else told me” WHY CAN”T THEY JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME WATCH THE SHOW?
Now it’s back on. So up I go for 15 minutes more of show, then more shameless begging.

30 years ago I lost a good friend in a single car accident. Straightened out a curve and hit a utility pole. The passenger side was crushed, driver’s was intact. If he was wearing his seatbelt, he would not have slid over to the passenger side and would have lived. The law passed in 1984 probably wouldn’t have helped, because he just didn’t wear belts.Same with this law. Use of a phone while driving without “hands free” is illegal, but when I come home from work and drive near our high school, 4 or 5 cars out of 6 have a driver with phone in hand, glued to the side of their head. Adults, not kids. Laws like this make some feel better, like something is being done. But there are those who will still engage in texting while driving, being idiots, and no amount of legislation, no penalty will stop them.

I don’t live in the 26th district. I am but a bystander when it comes to the shenanigans there. I don’t have a “Wonderboy” Higgins running against a tanning salon owner like in the 27th.
Nope.
I got Louise.
Front page of her site was updated last in January. You would think that she would be a little more current considering she’s up for election.
She’s running against a real upstart one with radical ideas, one who is grabbing headlines with his platform and dynamic personality, I give you Mr. David C. Crimmen . At least he has something posted in the last month.
I have seen a few lawn signs for judges, DA’s, and that’s it on the Island. I don’t even remember seeing anything in the presidential vein. As for these two wily combatants. they are showing fiscal restraint by not purchasing any signs.
Good on them.
Politics out here can be boring as hell. I’m jealous.

Sunday mornings, A hearty breakfast and the morning paper. Front section, sports, comics, ads, in that order, every morning. Big pot of coffee. Breakfast? Has to be on this plate:

Eggs over easy, 2 vegetarian sausage patties, home fries (normal, sweet potato, or combination thereof)

If you’ll notice the toast is on the side because the potatoes take up all the room.
Breakfast. The most important meal of the day.

And apologies to the new guy for not posting it sooner… I”ve been running a day late all week.
Anyhow - Straight at you stuff, the kind you like to hear from friends at the local pub.
The Irish is there, check out Nihil Obstat.

Not the lawsuit.Honest.
One day after Skretny’s ruling, one day after they claimed it would be business as usual. Construction and expansion at both the Buffalo and Salamanca sites have come to a halt.

In announcing the construction halt, Seneca Gaming cited the economy, capital market conditions, greater demand on the company’s cash, increased competition and growing construction costs.

And from the Citizens for a Better Buffalo?

Lippes said it would be speculation to say why the decision was reached, whether it was the economic conditions the Senecas pointed to in the SEC statement, or because their lenders were nervous about the lawsuit.

What do you think the delay on this one will be. Month, two months? Year? Or will it become an Issa-esque saga to be continued at a later date?

When a simple post on Pundit’s site garners over 60 comments, it’s a sure bet that it quickly devolved into a fecal flinging fun fest.
I hate to sound like the old guy on the park bench complaining that the world is going to hell in a Longaberger, but can’t anyone stay on topic anymore? Wishing families would “eat shit and die”?
Makes me long for the days of Hank & Haterade. At least they could go at it without sounding like the angry drunk at the corner of the bar that spits when he yells incoherently at you.

Dancing for Budget cuts. You know, the “Save the schools, slice the social programs” tango. Lots of posturing, just a tad light on substance. Of course you expect little else from our reps at this time of year.
But this I found almost funny:

Paterson and Senate Republicans wanted a cap on the growth in annual property tax levies. Assembly Democrats want relief for only lower-income and some middle income residents. The stalemate produced no agreement.

What the hell should my income have to do with a property tax cap? This is pretty much pandering, or to use the more technical term, Bullshit. I would qualify as being eligible, but a cap based on personal wealth is a stretch.