New Years on Seneca St.

Francesca's on Seneca Street had a ball drop tonight at midnight. I thought this was a good idea. I'm not sure how many people knew about it, though. One of our reporters, Guido Sarducci, sent us this photo a few hours before the event...

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Brooklyn woman is superhero to homeless - NYPOST.com

This New York City woman calls herself "Prowler". She dresses like Cat Woman and helps out homeless people in Brooklyn. We have prowlers around here, but they don't help anybody. She's part of a group which calls itself Super Heroes Anonymous...

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Wack pack's NFL picks: week 16

Buddy the Book and the City Hall Rooster have submitted their picks for the final week of the NFL regular season. The Bills got some turnovers last week and got back on the winning track against Denver. My favorite part of the game was when Jesus Christ came down to the field at halftime and told Tim Tebow he sucked. Actually, I was one of the lucky ones not able to see the game thanks to the greedy NFL's blackout policy.

Buddy the Book

Buddy is going with Baltimore, Miami, Carolina, and San Francisco. The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.

For his "play of the week", he says to go with the Boston Patriots over the hometown Bills. Boston needs this game for home field advantage, and Buddy expects the Bills to run for the bus like Forrest Gump. "This game will be over with by halftime. Tom Brady is a terrific quarterback, but it doesn't even matter. The Patriots could start Tony Eason, or Tony Hammell for that matter, and we still wouldn't have a chance,"remarked the famous Book.

The OTB Boys (The Rooster and MacGavis)

Being our point man in city hall, it will be interesting to talk to the famous bird and find out what's really going on over there. Rich Fontana is quickly becoming the Fredo Corleone of the Buffalo Common Council.

I like it. The South District Common Councilman once told me a quote from Confucius, "To trust is good, to not trust, better." He probably didn't think I would remember, but the Blogger never forgets anything. Remember, if you work in city hall and you want a friend, get a dog.

The Rooster is concerned about the Buffalo point spread going down. Some casinos have it as (-10) leaving him confused. He wonders what the hell is going on, as he thinks this one will be ugly, early. (Everyone seems to agree with him, which makes me think it could end up being a close game). His prediction is Boston 48 Bills 27. He also points out that Tennessee needs a win but Texas doesn't. He says to "Remember the Titans"(-2.5).

The Rooster and company points out they are taking Minnesota over Chicago, but points out they have been drinking. Look for Kyle Orton of the Chiefs to play well against Denver, the team that cut him earlier this season. The Rooster says Tebow will be a Fullback within the next few years. Go with the Chiefs (+3).

The game of the day will be Dallas(+3) and the NY Football Giants for the NFC East title. The G-Men have been on a roll and Dallas has been inconsistent. But (and the Rooster points out that this but is bigger than Guido's butt) this is the NSL (No Sense League). For this reason alone, the Rooster says, "Go the Sandusky way and take the Boys."





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New year, new hope

Nice store today in the Buffalo News from Dan Herbeck about Clarence Rounds. Rounds is the homeless veteran who had been living in an underground bunker a few years ago. Several readers donated money to him in an effort to get him back on his feet...

a generous reader stepped up to pay a $590 security deposit that Rounds needed to move into an apartment that will be paid for under a U. S. Veterans Affairs program to assist homeless veterans.

Another reader gave Rounds $590 to buy furniture and household items. Six different News readers contacted either Rounds or the newspaper, offering to pay the security deposit.

Those readers could have given that money to family members, or invested it. It's great they tried to help someone they probably never even met before. As tough as Rounds has had it, he seems to appreciate the help he has received over the years to beat his alcohol addiction...

Rounds said he wants people to know that, although he has experienced violence and cruelty, he has met far more people who went out of their way to help him.

“I’ve met people who gave me food, let me take showers in their homes, helped me with my paperwork for social services . . . and gave me odd jobs,” Rounds said. “I’ve had a lot of churches help me, too. I met more good people than bad.”

Hopefully, this will be the start of something good for Rounds. Most of us are fortunate enough to not have addictive personalities. Drugs, gambling, and alcohol can be serious vices for people like this. I hope everyone has a great New Year. I really appreciate all the feedback I've received from readers during the last year, even those people who wish me bodily harm.

With help, Rounds is homeless no longer

We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change.
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange.
He asked the man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes.
Get a job you fuckin' slob is all he replied.

God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes.
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues.
Then you really might know what it's like.

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Standing out in the crowd

You have to hand it to North Korea. They really know how to throw a funeral. You may have already seen the doctored photo they released (uncovered by ABC News) from Kim Jong II's funeral (shown below). A few soldiers were not standing perfectly choreographed, so they were, in the words of Dr. Emmett Brown, erased from existence. Actually, they were turned into snow by the state controlled media.

In the above photo, one man appears to be twice as tall as the men on either side of him. Some believe he could be North Korea's only basketball star, Ri "Michael" Myung. Others speculate, the man might just live too close to one of their nuclear reactors.

After

Before

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Mayor Schroeder?

We always have our ears to the ground around here. A canary told me of a recent meeting at Spot Coffee between Mark Schroeder and former NBA director of Security "Weekend at Bernies" Tolbert. The topic of discussion was the mayoral race of 2013. According to my source, Tolbert has given Schroeder his blessing and backing to challenge Mayor Byron Brown in 2013.

That wasn't the only thing the two agreed upon. Both are 100% committed to having the Blogger as their chief Spokesman. Mike DeGeorge: Keep that seat warm for me you little effer! Seriously, do we need four more years of this indecisive, empty suit wearing, Steve Urkel looking, catastrophe of a mayor? He has had long enough to get some things done. What has he done, besides bring corruption to the 2nd floor of city hall?



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Western NY Grinch arrested

The judge in this case will hopefully take Anthony Mills' previous arrest record into account when it comes time for sentencing. The "Western NY Grinch" has been arrested over 42 times with at least 10 felony convictions during his long and illustrious career...

The sheriff said he could not believe “the boldness” of Mills, who allegedly recruited two teenage boys and a female friend to help him stage daylight burglaries, primarily using rental cars.

The teens fled, and one of them dropped an unloaded pistol while leaving the scene. Sheriff’s investigators have the .38-caliber pistol, Howard said.

Mills, and a 39-year-old Mills Street woman, and the two teen males, 17 and 18, from Buffalo, likely will be charged with at least four recent daylight home burglaries — three on Grand Island and one in Elma committed since early November, the sheriff said.

So, they're driving around towns during the day, when other people are at work. Work? What a novel idea. They are carrying guns in case they get surprised by homeowners or children returning home from school. If there was ever a case where the judge needs to send a message to other career minded criminals, it's this one. Who are the judges that had this scumbag walking the streets after being convicted of committing 10 felonies? That is the second crime here. The fact is, Mills and his cohorts knew that the odds were in their favor and the punishment would not outweigh the crime. Apparently, in this case, crime paid. I wonder how many robberies they committed where they weren't caught?

Image of ‘Grinch’ is raised in arrest

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Tensions flare at Common Council meeting

Supporters are calling it "right sizing" the Common Council. Detractors feel the new plan proposed by the Council's new majority represents politics as usual. Councilmember Joseph Golombek has been a vocal critic of his counterparts having a third legislative assistant with benefits...

Much of the outgoing majority's criticism over the staff reduction was directed at North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr., who has been a vocal opponent of Council members having a third staff member with benefits.

Golombek said he believes no Council office needs three staff members, adding that his stance boils down to fairness and equity.

Some Councilmembers are even questioning the amount of time their peers are putting into the job...

LoCurto took a shot back at Golombek, asking if it was now his business that some Council offices, like Golombek's, are only open until 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

Rivera said Golombek's comments were "condescending and arrogant."

"Don't tell me what's good for my district and what the residents need in my district," said Rivera, who added that this was never raised as a concern when former Ellicott Council Member Brian Davis held the office and had a third staff member.

Councilmember Bonnie Russell tried to end the debate with a conciliatory remark...

"Taxpayers don't want to see fighting and bickering," she said Tuesday before the Council meeting.

I disagree. I think it's great when the Councilmembers fight. It's the only time we ever hear the truth come out of their mouths. If they're all happy and lovie-dovie, you can bet they're ripping us off. I want to know that Joseph Golombek doesn't work a full day. Personally, I'd like to see flyweight Councilmembers Golombek and Michael LoCurto drop the gloves like Japanese lawmakers on a TruTV episode. Golombek reminds me of the kid in the neighborhood who owned the expensive football. In fact, the only reason he was even allowed to play was because it was his ball. If a call didn't go his way, he would take it and go home in protest, while everyone else made fun of him and called him a crybaby.

Please cut all the salaries. Eliminate all the jobs. We are already bombarded with too much government and very poor results. Just don't even think of cutting the City Hall Rooster's hours or salary or there will be unprecedented acts of civil disobedience all over town.

Council debate gets heated over 'right-sizing'

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Gingrich: Bad used car salesman

Newt Gingrich should have no chance of winning the Republican nomination for President. From what I'm reading about him, even his baggage has baggage. His ex wife says he was cheating on her with a staffer in her 20s. At the same time, he was giving speeches on family values...

In the interview, the second Mrs. Gingrich said that when she found out about the affair, her husband asked her to just tolerate it. She said she declined.

Gingrich, according to Marianne, “believes what he says in public and how he lives don’t have to be connected.” A short while after this incident, Gingrich gave a speech stressing family values. Marianne says she asked him about the disconnect. “It doesn’t matter what I do,” she quoted him as saying, “people need to hear what I have to say.”

Newt also told the pastor of his church the reason he stopped attending church services was because the church was no longer in his district (after redistricting.) But that didn't stop Gingrich from claiming to be an active deacon at the same church. So, in his mind, the purpose of the church was to serve his political goals. Now, that's a man with strong faith. Talk about a fraud...

Several years earlier, as he was approaching the end of his first year as speaker, Gingrich gave a speech to a conference of evangelical pastors at Liberty University, founded by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell. The address was heavy on God and morality and the need to reestablish a spiritual base in America, a recurring Gingrich refrain. At the time, he was having an affair with a House staffer then in her twenties, Callista Bisek.

After that speech, in response to a question, Gingrich explained that he didn’t attend religious services because a Democratic-led redistricting had put his church outside his district. As a candidate in his early congressional campaigns, he proudly proclaimed he was a deacon in that Baptist church.

And after all of this (and a lot more), Gingrich still feels he would make a good President? Would somebody get this clown off the national stage?

http://bloom.bg/twOACC

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New Council tries to rip us off already

This is nonsense and new Common Council Majority Leader Rich Fontana should no better. The new majority is trying to approve a $2,500 "stipend"(that's the word they use when they don't want to say salary) to some useless committee member. Opponents are calling it a "Christmas gift." That's real money. That's our money. Use it to fix sidewalks or towards tearing down an abandoned house.

Don't believe them when they say they have the money because they spent less elsewhere. They are trying to sell the taxpayers a bill of goods. Don't fall for it. The Blogger says, "No!" Therefore, the people will say, "No!" Get your hands off our wallets, crooks. This is the type of thing Rich Fontana fought against before he became entrenched in city hall...



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Bflo. News contradicts itself on Schroeder

The Buffalo News' editorial board/bores really came after City Comptroller Mark Schroeder today. Here are some excerpts...

The biggest offenders are the party hacks who don’t require competence of their candidates for office.

In the case of the city comptroller in Buffalo, the selection was rigged so that residents were never given a chance to vote for anyone except the party-approved nominee.

The consequence is we are stuck with Mark Schroeder as the next Buffalo city comptroller.

Not long ago, the News had Mark Schroeder as their chosen hero. Here's an exact quote taken from their endorsement of him a few years back for the NY State Assembly seat...

“If Teddy Roosevelt came back to life to oppose Mark Schroeder, we'd have to think long and hard before backing TR,” said the Buffalo News, who also called Schroeder a “perpetual motion machine” with a “solid record of achievement” who “values the taxpayers’ dollar” and “stands up for what he thinks is right.”

They are that stupid that they portray some of these politicians as super heroes from time to time, and then act surprised when they let them down.

The guys in the suits from East Amherst didn't stop there...

Schroeder, of course, has absolutely no background helpful in running the Comptroller’s Office. He is not only not an accountant, he’s weak in the entire field of finance.

His experience is being a politician, currently an assemblyman, living off the taxpayers at the public trough.

Had they done their homework, the News would know that Schroeder came to Albany from many years working in the private sector. He was involved in sales for a large company out of Dunkirk called CliffStar.

The News didn't mind when Anthony Nanula bought his City Comptroller seat a decade ago with his father's money and no accounting experience. I guess that was o.k. because he came from money. What really matters to them is whether the person does their bidding or not. I couldn't see myself sitting down with the editorial board for an endorsement interview ever again. They don't know what goes on in the neighborhoods. They already know who they plan on supporting and it's a no win situation for any challenger. I also love how they write a scathing article like this, anonymously. Whether you agree with them on Schroeder or not, do not trust the Buffalo News. None of them live near you or I. It will be interesting to see if Schroeder's camp comes up with a response.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/buffalo-news-editorials/article687021.ece


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Random thoughts from the ghetto-Volume 53

I look out my window and see the empty 40 oz beer bottles, hypodermic needles, crack pipes and abandoned shopping carts on my front lawn and begin to think. The end results have become known as my random thoughts from the ghetto...

-Regarding the dispute between Time Warner and MSG and the Buffalo Sabres: I am willing to pay more money each month to whichever provider does not show the games. I'd rather watch reruns of Magnum P.I.than this boring team.

-The Visa commercials of the 1980's really taunted American Express mercilessly.

-One person in media who has absolutely no talent is Adam Corrola. Seriously, if somebody told me they're a fan of his, I'd have to think considerably less of them. He is terrible. I'd love to know who he is related to to have gotten his break in show business. The average person at the corner bar is funnier than and has more of a personality than Corrola.

-When did employees start becoming known as Associates? Who does management think they're fooling? They want the average person to think they have some kind of stake in the company, yet pay them scraps. Employees are not associates. Why don't they just call them slaves or indentured servants? It would be a more accurate description.

-You can always tell how bad Karaoke singers are when the DJ takes a break and plays a real song (with the actual performers). You notice the difference right away and your ears seem to say, "thank you God."

-You can always tell how tough a family is by the number of relatives they have who are missing fingers or limbs. Even tougher are the ones born with too many fingers or limbs.

-I used to think the worst job in the world belonged to Saddam Hussein's body double. He was the guy Saddam's handlers trotted out whenever they thought someone was going to try to assassinate the former Iraqi leader. I recently heard about a US Postal worker whose job it was to examine suspicious packages destined for Pat Robertson. He described holding such a package at arm's length as it blew up in his face. As he suspected, it had been a bomb intended for the controversial minister. If you think you might be holding a bomb, it might be time to look for a new assignment. Could you imagine his supervisor on his first day of work? OK, the guy who held the job before you. His name is Lefty.

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Crimes against the elderly

A 26 year old woman strikes a 70 year old WalMart greeter on Christmas Eve in Batavia, sending her to the hospital. There is no excuse for this type of crime. I'd like to know if the suspect has a previous arrest record. If she does, I hope the judge throws the book at her. If she doesn't, I hope the judge throws the book at her...


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Glad the holidays are over. I value the normalcy that comes with everyday life. Had a nice Christmas and I hope all 12 of you did also. Not much in the news today. I think most of the mainstream media is still celebrating the holidays.

I'm on my way to work this afternoon. For some reason, the Google ads on my site have become more popular, lately. It's pretty cool to actually get paid for something I would pay to do (even if it is only a small pittance). I'm looking to raffle off some gift certificates to those who share my posts on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Would like to turn 200 readers a day into 1,000. Please let me know if you have a business you'd like to publicize. I definitely will be raffling things off some restaurant gift certificates soon, even if I have to buy them myself. Hope everyone has a great day. Was going to publish some random thoughts but they were fewer and slightly less interesting than usual.


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Liquid courage

Lots of crazy people running around Florida these days. You may have heard about this one. A man ordered a beer, left to rob a nearby bank, and returned to his beer as if nothing had happened. I suspect stuff like this happened all the time in Florida for years. The internet has just made people more aware of it...

Deputies received a call at 1:42 p.m. that a white male entered the Wells Fargo Bank, 8994 State Road 52, Port Richey, and left with an undisclosed amount of money. Shortly after, deputies encountered a man fitting the description of the suspect at the Hayloft Bar, 8954 State Road 52.

A bartender said Whittle had ordered a beer, disappeared for about 30 minutes, and returned to his drink.

Deputies: Man orders beer, then robs Port Richey bank


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Wack pack's NFL picks: week 16

Christmas is here and the NFL regular season is winding down. It's the time of year when other cities talk about playoff possibilities and Bills fans dream of future draft busts. Buddy and the Rooster both got me their plays this week, as they have every week.

Buddy the Book

Buddy is coming off a 3-2 week. He got into his slay and headed south for Seneca Street. Although his new address is top secret, he did meet me this week by the Mineral Springs train trestle with this week's picks. He thinks the Bills are going to Tebow Denver. He likes the Raaaaaaaiiiiiiiiders, his beloved Patriots, Seattle, and Hotlanta.


The OTB Boys (The Rooster and MacGavis)


The Rooster says Hark the Angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. And that king is Tim Tebow. He says to take to take Denver over the hometown Bills. Ralph Wilson gave his QB a vote of confidence this week, which is akin to a kiss of death. This is more proof that Mr. Wilson is out of his mind. The Rooster is begging Ralph to sell the team, so he can see a Super Bowl winner in his lifetime. The only thing taking longer is the development of the Buffalo waterfront. He also says look for the teams that need a win this week: New England(-10), Baltimore(-12), Pittsburgh(-13), and Detroit(-2).

Finally, he says, it's Christmas so go out and do something nice for someone less fortunate than you.


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Strange sequence of events

A Utah man sees a mouse run across his kitchen floor. So he does what anyone would do in a similar situation. He pulls out a 9mm handgun and tries to shoot it. You guessed it. He missed. The bullet then went through a wall and struck his 28 year old roommate in the chest.

The story just gets weird from there. Police arrived on the scene and found a 13 year old girl hiding in a closet. She claimed to be the girlfriend of a 3rd roommate, 34 year old Paul Kunzler. Kunzy was charged with statutory rape. Surprisingly, police say alcohol may have played a role in the initial shooting incident...

During an ensuing search of the house, officers found a 13-year-old girl hiding in a basement closet, Wyant said. The girl told police she had sneaked out of her house without her father's knowledge to see Kunzler, according to a jail report.

After further questioning, investigators learned Kunzler and the 13-year-old had been having a relationship for four months. The two had met through a common friend, Wyant said.

Man shoots roommate while firing at mouse; police arrest 3rd roommate in rape of teen | Deseret News

Oh! You're a loaded gun, yeah
Oh! There's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name...


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Three explosions in Lancaster

A bizarre story out of Lancaster. Three large explosions took place behind a Tops Supermarket on French Road. From WKBW...

"We do have one witness that said they saw a white male between 40 and 55 years old, 6 foot, heavy set, walking away from the scene before anyone arrived. He did have a facial injury," said Lancaster Police Captain Timothy Murphy."


Police have released this composite sketch of a man seen fleeing the area...


Oh, wait a minute. That's the wrong one. Here's the one of the Lancaster bomber. I hope it's not Russ Salvatore's son...






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A new low

A new low. It's usually funny when you hear stories of grandmothers singing rap songs or beating up would be muggers. Not so funny when they take their grandson's Christmas gifts down to the neighborhood crack house and exchange them for drugs. It's good to see the Christmas spirit is alive and well in Albany.

Grandma got pulled over by a police car
Walking home from the crack house Christmas Eve
You can say there's no such thing as Santa
But as for me and Grampa we believe...

ALBANY — A 44-year-old woman stole her 3-year-old grandson's Christmas gifts and sold them for crack while she was supposed to be baby-sitting him, police said.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Police-Grandmother-sold-boy-s-Christmas-presents-2417690.php#ixzz1hOKnKIs3

UPDATE: Grandmother accused of trading gifts for crack

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Gender bender

A Niagara Falls High School student was ordered to take off the high heeled shoes he wore to class today. No word yet on whether they made him take off the pimp style hat as well. In an apparent show of solidarity, channel 4's Don Postles wore high heeled shoes under his desk while reporting this important story...

High heeled boy prompts protest at school: wivb.com

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Bad judgement?

I don't see what the big deal is here. When you're in the heat of battle, you have to do whatever it takes to win...

A fifth grade teacher at Voorheesville Elementary School was arrested and placed on leave for allegedly biting one of his female students during an arm wrestling match.

The bizarre incident unfolded on Dec. 13 when Michael Guerette accepted a male student’s challenge to arm wrestle, according to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Guerette then bit a female student who was yanking against his hand on the forearm, Apple said. The bite didn’t draw blood, but left deep teeth marks that caused significant bruising, Apple said.
Sheriff: Teacher bit student during arm wrestling match - Crime Confidential - Capital Region cops a



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Random shots from the ghetto

This happened at the corner of the Blogger's street this morning. Talk about a lowlife. Doesn't this fool know he'll shoot somebody's eye out?...

A school bus was struck by BB gun pellets this morning in South Buffalo, but it is believed no students on board were injured, police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said.

The incident occurred at about 6:45 a.m. at Houston and Hopkins streets. Though no arrests have been made, South District police are in the process of questioning "a number of individuals," DeGeorge said.

Buffalo man charged after buses hit with BBs

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40 hour week?

I went out for lunch today as I picked up a 3-11 shift at work. Around 1:30PM, I drove by Housing Commissioner Lou Petrucci's house and noticed he was home. I hope everything is ok? Perhaps he was inspecting his own house. Is it time to put a GPS on Lou to make sure he puts in his 40 hours? Where is Citi-Stat when you need it? Mayor Casey, the taxpayers are calling on you for an investigation. Lou might make donations to entrenched politicians, but that doesn't mean he is entitled to rip off us taxpayers.

If a news camera was within 100 yards of city hall, I'm sure the self-promoting Petrucci would find his way there.




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