Tops finally stops?

At one time I was a die-hard Tops shopper. Nothing could get me inside of a Wegman's- no amount of free coffee or herbal tea samples would do it (I disliked and still do the cramped aisles and lack of maneuverable sized shopping carts). Until about 3 years ago. I stopped into a Weggie's and never made it back over to the Red White and (?). The reasons: on an average shopping trip I found that I saved $10 or better. It is true that Weg's prices are lower on some things it just so happens that those things are not what I buy on a regular basis. I always found Tops to be less on laundry detergent, soda pop and chicken legs. Those are not weekly purchases. Tops is not leaving WNY just yet but I feel a chill in the meat section. Bring back Loblaws. Or ACME. Or Park Edge. Or Bells.

What accent?

he is kind of cute This is too crucial a time for the city of Buffalo and residents to allow the usual nonsensities to prevail. We know Kevin Gaughan is a guy of ideas. A few have questioned the particulars of his residency, use of campaign funds etc. There are some issues that need clarification but these are not and should not be the focus of his campaign. Some are puzzled at the fact that he refuses to get into the dogfight that his main opponent is unleashing on him. Most of us are encouraged. I think it's all the more reason to have a listen to what he says. The Buffalo Pundit and the BRJ have both written with some insight on the virtues of a candidate like Gaughan and have each stated their own persepective of what the citizens of WNY face in November. I urge you to read both articles.

Check it out

Virtual Earth

Begging for discovery( I need to do my own photoblogging)

Panoramic view of Lake Ontario and Toronto from the Olcott beach/picnic area. An old carousel horse put out to pasture. I don't regularly crow about places in WNY because frankly those of us that hail from these parts know there are lots of cool places to visit, still I was happy to find this secret. I'd never been to Olcott Beach before and on the suggestion of a co-worker, took a ride up there. With precocious, ultra-critical 10 year old in tow, I headed up Transit Road through Lockport ( you'll know you're in Niagara County when the gas prices drop from 2.37 to 2.27 in the blink of an eye) and was surprised at what I found. Views of Lake Ontario and the Toronto shoreline to die for, an amply flowered boardwalk with a few gift shops and food stands from where the lake view is prettiest. This is a stone's throw from the nicely maintained, lifeguarded beach. A little Carousel park has about 5 vintage 40's-50's era rides and an original merry-go-round and can all be ridden for a quarter apiece. I overheard someone on the boardwalk comment they were suprised it wasn't really crowded, which were my thoughts as well. This locale has mega-potential and is off to a good start. The only complaint I heard from said 10 year old was that none of the gift shops carried a charm for her Italian(?) charm bracelet. The one with the square thingys that looks llike a watch band- sorry Mom's not hip enough to know the name, but considering it was the only critique I heard all day, it's all good.

Good news

Craig's in shock over the latest biz developments in the area. Meanwhile this news came out this morning: Fiserv Lending Solutions-RSA, Fiserv Inc.'s lending technology unit in Amherst, N.Y., is expanding its work force by almost 10 percent with the addition of 50 jobs. The financial management services company attributed the growth to an increase in business with banking, residential licensed and non-licensed mortgage and home-equity lending customers resulting from new partnerships with several national mortgage originators. RSA is seeking banking consultants with one to two years experience in financial services, customer services or retail sales. A small number of technical, marketing and national sales management positions also are being filled, the company said. RSA, which was formed in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1991 as Remarketing Services of America Inc., is a business unit of Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV).

Library closings could reach 17

Seventeen libraries are on a preliminary list of facilities selected to close in 2006 as the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library system deals with a multi-million dollar shortfall in county funding. Also on the list are nine branches that are considered candidates for consolidation. The closings and consolidations together should save the library system nearly $5 million next year when county funding is expected to remain at current levels. Libraries will also be asked to reduce their budgets by 20 percent in the year's final quarter beginning Oct. 1. The preliminary closing list, reviewed by the library system's board of trustees today, will be presented to the full board during a meeting Thursday. Branches that could close are: * Alden * Angola * Blasdell * Boston * North Cheektowaga * South Cheektowaga * Depew * East Clinton, Kaisertown district in Buffalo * Eden * Kensington * Lake Shore * Martin Luther King, Buffalo's East Side * Mead, Lovejoy district in Buffalo * North Collins * Parkside Village, Town of Tonawanda * Williamsville * West Falls, Town of Aurora Others considered for consolidation are: * Elma and Marilla * Kenilworth, Brighton and Greenhaven in the Town of Tonawanda * Fairfield and North Park in North Buffalo * Dudley and Cazenovia in South Buffalo Libraries were put on the list based on a set of 19 criteria that included building condition and size, handicap accessibility, size of meeting rooms, visits and circulation. Library Executive Director Michael Mahaney stressed that the list is a draft and subject to change.

Just how dangerous are pit bulls?

I don't have a dog right now but I'd like to get one someday. I really like Boston Terriers alot. I couldn't bring myself to own a pit bull because of the facts here. They don't have a high biting rate, but when they do they have a higher fatality rate than other dogs. That says DON'T piss them off. Ever. The American Temperament Testing Society evaluated 122 dog breeds and found that the American Staffordshire Terrier, a type of pit bull banned in Denver, passed 83.3 percent of the time, just behind the golden retriever (83.6 percent). The American Canine Foundation calculated rates of human dog-bite fatalities by breed and found that pit bulls bite at a lower rate than many other dogs. The Doberman pinscher was found to bite 10 times as often as a pit bull. Still, pit bulls and Rottweilers have caused the most deaths, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States, which examined 20 years of dog-bite data. That same study concluded fatal attacks "represent a small proportion of dog bite injuries to humans, and therefore, should not be the primary factor driving public policy concerning dangerous dogs." Julie Gilchrist, a CDC doctor who researches dog bites, said many factors go into biting risk, including the health of the dog and how the animal was raised.

Footwear misstep

Would you feel comfortable in flip-flops if you were at the White House meeting with the President? I wouldn't ( I don't wear them anyway because they irritate the space between 1st and 2nd toes) and apparently some associates of this group wouldn't either. In a photo provided by The White House, President Bush stands with members of the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team during Championship Day at the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2005, in Washington. The photo shows four of the nine women in the front row wearing flip-flop sandals. The choice of footwear has prompted a mini-controversy, with family members and some other players insisting the summer footwear staple was too casual for a visit with the president. (AP Photo) But that's just the front row- I think the other team members have to come clean.

Finally

Fabulous breeze out there this morning. Let's hope it lasts.

Choose aquaintances wisely

FORT WAYNE, Ind.(AP) -- At 22 months old, Jabriona Terry is a little young to have her own phone. But her mother discovered her daughter's name listed in a phone book and soon realized an acquaintance had used the girl's Social Security number to set up the phone service. It wasn't the first time the girl has been victimized by identity theft, her mother said. Someone else using her name and Social Security number listed her on his tax return, claiming her as a dependent to get a larger tax refund, she said.

May I suggest...

If you enjoy a nice Chardonnay along the lines of Toasted Head or Kendall Jackson, you might want to try Barefoot winery's contribution. On sale these days too at Premiere for an obscenely low price, it is most worth your while. Best enjoyed chilled and uninterrupted ( the wine too).

Checked out the local corn yet?

If not get yourself to your local grower's stand and do so quickly. It's INCREDIBLE.

Lingering Questions

While it hasn't morphed into conspiracy lunacy yet, an article in the UK Mirror is asking some questions regarding the London Bombers: Why did they buy return train tickets to Luton? Why did they buy pay & display tickets for cars? Why were there no usual shouts of 'Allah Akhbar'? Why were bombs in bags and not on their bodies? The London bombers may have been duped into killing themselves so their secrets stayed hidden. Police and MI5 are probing if the four men were told by their al-Qaeda controller they had time to escape after setting off timers. Instead, the devices exploded immediately. A security source said: "If the bombers lived and were caught they'd probably have cracked. Would their masters have allowed that to happen? We think not."

Now you know

Figmo (gotta love him) has given all of WNY a reason to get outdoors this weekend. For folks such as myself (heat wimps), this is all contingent upon a decrease in the furnace -like humidity because if it's hot and sticky there is not a cannoli, beer , musical extravaganza, church lawn fete nor play that will seem appealing. One more freckle and I'm off the charts. I know I shouldn't be complaining. I know I will be reminded of this 6 months from now when I am driving a treacherously slippery road with zero vis but dang! I'm REALLY NOT a hot weather person. I'm an October child so I gravitate toward the temperate. However if you, dear reader venture out there in this sauna, have a wonderful time. If we all collectively visualize a strong cool breeze...

Flitting pleasures

One of my favorite sights of the summer. I planted Bee Balm 2 years ago and it has spread to a healthy sized cluster. It attracts butterfiles and TONS of hummingbirds, big ones, little one and ones in between. I just love to watch these little creatures go from flower to flower and the time just slips away too. They are out in force this evening in spite of the rumbling thunder and what appear to be threatening clouds.

Outside the Box

A new blog with a strong message- send your own and join the gallery. In response to the London bombings and the al Qaeda threat to other countries in Europe, they are posting photograph submissions of people who are not afraid... or in the market for a T-shirt or mug :-)

Shadows

Just reminiscing a little lately. It's been a while since I lived in the Elmwood/ West Ferry area, about 10 years to be exact. I am happy to see and hear some of the changes that residents are trying to make. I just can't help but miss the time when first I moved there. Cecelia's was the Bidwell Station P.O. ( I'm still a little ticked that it closed), the Feel-Rite store was Bingham-Dambach's pharmacy, one of the last family run RX's in the area, Yum-wich shop was like the best place to eat unless in the mood for Kononia which was a tad more up-scale.Rosie's was a good place to hear some good jazz. It wasn't that long ago, really. We used to have neighborhood Salon meetings monthly next door to the Co-Op which gradually died out by the early 90's. By the time I left the neighborhood had changed drastically and I must admit I kind of gave it up for dead. I am relieved to see it coming back. I hope it can be the community it once was. I think I'd consider returning when the time is right.

City of Distinction

WNY gas prices set new record Gasoline prices have entered uncharted territory in the Buffalo market, reaching a new all-time high on Monday morning. A gallon of gas was going for an average of $2.325 in Erie and Niagara counties on Monday, according to the American Automobile Association. That broke the previous record that had been set on May 4th. Diesel has also established a new all-time mark for the Buffalo area, reaching $2.57 per gallon. The only consolation for Western New York drivers is that gasoline remains more expensive in other upstate markets. A gallon of gas, as of Monday morning, was selling for an average of $2.369 in Utica-Rome, $2.351 in Syracuse and $2.341 in Rochester. All three figures are records for their respective areas.

Germany has a headache

BRUSSELS, July 11 (Reuters) - European Union states that have not adopted EU rules aimed at reducing noise in crowded cities will face court action if they fail to act soon, the bloc's executive said on Monday. The European Commission said it was initiating legal action against 11 states which had failed to incorporate the rules into national noise pollution legislation, which should have been done by July 2004. The states are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Britain. story

E-nuff already

We've gone from Bert to Ernie in the blink of an eye. Do you feel better? Have we ever been at Oscar? Haven't the events of today shown how utterly ridiculous our color coded terr0-meter has become? No one saw fit to issue any warnings in light of the G8 summit and the only times we hear of elevated "alerts" are before major holidays. Come to think of it this last weekend was the first holiday since 9/11 I can recall that we were not given the old scare-aroo. If people watch the news and know there has been an attack on a major city, it goes to follow that people will pay attention to their surroundings a little closer right? As I said earlier, I think these terrorist folks have this thing figured out. If the powers insist, why not have a cold-cut code? Salami, chicken loaf, ham, whatever. The inanity of it all, really.

the Secret Organisation Group of Al-Qa’ida of Jihad Organisation in Europe.

some calling card. Govt agencies in US and UK say no higher levels of chatter noted in recent days. Maybe because these groups are independent of one another and know by now that interception of communication is the cornerstone of intelligence. Wikipedia entry already up.

Suicide Bombs

Fox reports suicide bombs are suspected which would answer the time coordination question. Some guy named Clark Kent on CNN suggests IRA? What's in this coffee?

Bringing it Home (again)

I'm watching CNN - 6 explosions in London's subway system in the past few hours. Devastation at a most opportune time for a terrorist cell. G8 up north, Olympic announcement yesterday. The world is riveted once again. As I try and shake off the nausea I am feeling, and it feels alot like 9/11, I try to remember that this is the country that survived the Blitz and IRA attacks over 3 decades. They are better equipped psychologically and physically to deal with this than we Americans were in 2001. Still, how six pretty much simultaneous attacks occurred during a time when security should have been tightest is disturbing. Another moment in history where the British fortitude and efficiency will shine through, but I fear my 10 year old will know this same horror in her adult life and I pray I am wrong. LONDON, July 7 (AFP): At least six blasts rocked the London subway and tore open a packed double-decker bus during the morning rush hour Thursday, police said, killing at least two people and injuring nine, prompting officials to shut down the entire underground transport network. The near simultaneous explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G-8 summit was getting underway in Scotland. Initial reports blamed a power surge, but officials were not ruling out an intentional attack. One witness, Darren Hall, said some passengers emerging from an evacuated subway station had soot and blood on their faces. He told BBC TV that he was evacuated along with others near the major King's Cross station and only afterward heard a blast. A witness at the Russell Square blast said the entire top deck of that bus was destroyed. "I was on the bus in front and heard an incredible bang, I turned round and half the double decker bus was in the air," Belinda Seabrook told Press Association, the British news agency. She said the bus was packed with people.

Bush involved in bike crash (again) in Scotland

July 6, 2005

GLENEAGLES, Scotland --President Bush collided with a local police officer and fell during a bike ride on the grounds of the Gleneagles golf resort while attending a meeting of world leaders Wednesday.

Bush suffered "mild to moderate" scrapes on his hands and arms that required bandages by the White House physician, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. The accident occurred on asphalt, McClellan said. It was raining lightly at the time, and Bush was wearing a helmet.

Police said the officer suffered a "very minor" ankle injury.

The officer was on a security detail. He is a member of the police department of Strathclyde, McClellan said.

The president talked with the officer to make sure he was all right, and also asked White House physician Richard Tubb to monitor the officer's condition at the hospital.

The presidential bike suffered some damage, McClellan said, so Bush rode back to the hotel in a Secret Service vehicle.

The fall did not affect the president's schedule. Dressed in a tuxedo, he attended a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth at the annual Group of Eight economic summit. He showed no signs of distress.

A year ago, Bush was cut and bruised when he sailed over the handlebars while riding a mountain bike at his Texas ranch.

In 2003, he tried out a Segway, the standup, motorized scooter at the family's seaside estate in Maine. It went down on his first attempt, but he stayed on his feet with a flying leap over the machine. Undeterred, he got on again and cruised around the driveway with his father.

Neanderthal Revivial

Personally I'd rather see Cro-Magnon brought back. FRANKFURT, Germany -- German and U.S. scientists have launched a project to reconstruct the Neanderthal genome, the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said Wednesday. The project, which involves isolating genetic fragments from fossils of the prehistoric beings who originally inhabited Europe, is being carried out at the Leipzig-based institute. "The project is very new and is just at its beginning," said Sandra Jacob, a spokeswoman for the institute. U.S. geneticist Edward Rubin, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., is also participating in the project. In an interview with the German weekly Die Zeit, Rubin said the research would amount to more than just a spectacular display of science. "Firstly, we will learn a lot about the Neanderthals. Secondly, we will learn a lot about the uniqueness of human beings. And thirdly, it's simply cool," Rubin said. Neanderthals were replaced by modern humans in Europe only between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago. AP.

Proving Ancient Origins a Racist Endeavor?

Kennewick Man I am I am... direct decendant? Much ado about the Kennewick man, discovered 9 years ago in the Columbia River. An article in the July Harper's Magazine has an article accusing the scientific community of racism in determining the skeletal origins. Archeologist K Kris Hirst has this to say: " the main thrust of Harper's contributing editor Jack Hitt’s argument is that scientists who are looking for pre-clovis in the Americas are... white supremacists. As proof, he discusses in depth the public discussion over Kennewick Man's supposedly Caucasoid appearance. Hitt argues that the discussion is clear evidence that scientists desperately want to prove that European guys settled the New World before the Native American guys. What Hitt misses (if you’ll pardon the pun) is that the interesting thing about the Kennewick Man (or the Ancient One as his probable descendants refer to him) is that he looks very similar to just about every skeleton of the same age in just about every place in the world. In other words, it may be that 10,000 or 20,000 years ago, there were no major ethnic differences between anyone. Nina Jablonski points out (and Hitt cites her) that skin color changes quickly, and 20,000 years ago or so, all Homo sapiens had little pigmentation. It was only after they had settled in a region that skin color and the other ethnic characteristics that we recognize developed. In other words, 10,000 or 20,000 years ago, humans hadn't settled down yet, and were still roaming around looking for places to live. These folks were not Europeans, Mr. Hitt, they were Homo sapiens ancestors in our original state—-and if you want to get technical, in fact, as mtDNA studies have proven, we are all Africans."

WHY.

Is the monster who killed this girl now free?

Hungarian Speaking Parakeet Escapes

JAMAICA, Vt (AP). -- A search is on for a Hungarian-speaking parakeet that escaped its owners' summer home last week. Peetuka is a 4-year-old blue parakeet, said owner Carol Mezofi, of Queens, N.Y. "It was a hot day and we were sitting on the porch. My mom opened the door to go inside and he flew out," she said. "We tried to lure him back in and we stayed up all night but he didn't come back. We cried for a few days I don't think we'll find him now unless we get lucky." Mezofi and her husband Laszlo said the small blue, white and gray bird, whose name is the Hungarian equivalent of "Steve," wasn't valuable, but was important to the family. "It's been heartbreaking for us; he was like a member of our family," Laszlo Mezofi said. Laszlo Mezofi said his 86-year-old mother-in-law, Anna Boehm, would sit and talk to the bird in her native tongue for hours. Boehm loved the bird a great deal, he said. "She talks to him all day long, we can hear her downstairs teaching him Hungarian words and phrases," he said. "He's really not a bird to her or us. He's a little person and part of our family." The Mezofis searched the area near their home in Jamaica and put up signs asking people to call if they saw the bird. So far, no one has called. The family is offering a reward.

Good Robby

From the Denver Post today...

Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac may call Los Angeles home now, but he's never far from his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.

He is in the schools supplying donated instruments collected by his Music Is Art Foundation. He's at the Albright-Knox Art Museum curating an exhibit. He's helping an HMO raise awareness of lead-paint-related illnesses. And he's brainstorming with his alma mater, Medaille College, on music-teaching ideas.

Takac's not about to give up his day job. The Goo Goo Dolls - Takac, Johnny Rzeznik and Mike Malinin - are at work on a new album.

"I don't consider myself any kind of, like, philanthropist or any sort of weird, self-righteous savior of the universe or anything like that," Takac, 40, said with a laugh. "It's just, coincidentally, I'm having the time of my life and great things are happening, so I may as well keep it rolling."

Grave Hunting in NY State

Millard Fillmore Grave in Forest Lawn Cemetary,Buffalo ALBANY, N.Y(AP). -- Here lies President Chester A. Arthur, amid the tall trees and tousled grass of Albany Rural Cemetery. A dribble of people still visit the Victorian-style grave of the little remembered 19th century president. More than a century after his death, Arthur is something of a cemetery star. Consider Patrick Weissend, who traveled hundreds of miles to see Arthur's grave _ twice _ as part of his quest to visit all 38 presidential graves around the country. "This kind of thing gets you off the expressways and you get to see America," said Weissend, a 37-year-old museum director from Batavia, N.Y. Weissend is part of the thriving community of people whose idea of fun is checking out lonely roads and rows of granite. They are sometimes called "gravers" or "grave hunters." They are an odd assortment of history buffs, celebrity hounds, military aficionados, amateur genealogists and the occasional Goth kid. They like the tranquility, the connection to the past, the beauty, the thrill of the hunt and the buzz of being close to famous people _ albeit dead ones. "People initially think it's this morbid, weird fascination," said Jim Tipton, proprietor of the popular Find A Grave Web site. "I'm not there thinking about what their decaying body looks like or anything like that, you're thinking about their life." Cemetery tourism is nothing unusual. Visitors flock to Arlington and Gettysburg national cemeteries, as well as to the handful of star-packed graveyards around Hollywood. Grave hunting is a bit different. Gravers typically seek out individual plots of specific people, be it megastars like Marilyn Monroe, less lustrous lights like Gen. George Custer or their great-uncle. Then there are the specialists. Weissend began focusing on presidents after a visit to Millard Fillmore's grave in nearby Buffalo, N.Y. He has since crisscrossed the nation visiting the graves of 30 dead presidents, often notching more burial sites on side trips to things like Kiwanis conventions. Find A Grave Political Graveyard Hollywood Underground

The Warmest Water

What the article does not address is how long it takes to cool back off in the fall/winter months, or rather how much wicked lake effect snow flurries will we get before it finally freezes? Oh well, don't trouble yourself with such issues during these warmest of days.

Back to the Tub

Regular showers may cause brain damage Taking regular showers could pose a health risk and even result in permanent brain damage, it was claimed today. Scientists believe that breathing in small amounts of manganese dissolved in the water may harm the nervous system. The damage may occur even at levels of the naturally occurring metal normally considered safe, say the US researchers. Although manganese levels in public water supplies are monitored, regulators have not considered the long-term effects of inhaling vaporised manganese while showering, they claim. "If our results are confirmed, they could have profound implications for the nation and the world," said Dr John Spangler, from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, New Carolina. "Nearly nine million people in the United States are exposed to manganese levels that our study shows may cause toxic effects. "Inhaling manganese, rather than eating or drinking it, is far more efficient at delivering manganese to the brain. The nerve cells involved in smell are a direct pathway for toxins to enter the brain. Once inside these small nerves, manganese can travel throughout the brain." Spangler's team calculated from animal studies the amount of manganese people would absorb by showering for 10 minutes a day. After 10 years of showering in manganese-contaminated water, children would be exposed to levels of the metal three times higher than the doses needed to leave deposits in rats' brains, the researchers found. Adults with a longer history of showering could be exposed to doses 50 per cent higher. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and patients with liver disease were at the highest risk from manganese. Some of these groups had suffered from manganese poisoning even at low doses in their water supplies, said Spangler. Everyone is exposed to small amounts of manganese, which is found in food and rocks, and enters the air, soil and water. But in sufficient doses manganese damages the brain and spinal cord, leading to learning and coordination disabilities, behavioural changes, and a tremor condition similar to Parkinson's disease. "Studies should be carried out among populations that have experienced high levels of manganese in their water supplies over long periods of time," said Spangler, whose research is published in the journal Medical Hypotheses. "Regulatory agencies may one day need to re-think existing drinking water standards for manganese. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US has set an upper limit for manganese in water supplies of 0.5 milligrams per litre.But according to Spangler, this limit does not take account of the risk of manganese accumulating in the brain through showering. His analysis indicates that levels well below 0.5 milligrams might lead to brain injury. Unmonitored wells and private water supplies contain the highest levels of manganese. Another potential danger highlighted by the scientists was the addition of manganese to petrol to protect vehicle engines. "The manganese, as it settles from car exhaust onto streets and highways, may enter the water supply, increasing manganese levels in the water we drink and bathe in," said Spangler. The same limit for manganese in drinking water used to be adopted in the European Union, under World Health Organisation guidelines. It was reduced to 0.05 milligrams by a new EU directive issued in 1998. However, prior to that time Britons and other Europeans are likely to have been exposed to the same levels of manganese as US citizens. story-register site