Operation Babstock

 

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced the arrest of 24 people in a wide-ranging drug trafficking probe dubbed “Operation Babcock."


$58,000 in cash was confiscated. WIVB released the names of the following Babylonians charged in the raid...

RASHEEM ALSTON                           Buffalo, NY, 36
MICHAEL BANKS                              Buffalo, NY, 36
JESSE BONNER                                Buffalo, NY, 38
JOSEPH BONNER                              Buffalo, NY, 26
MANUEL BRACERO                          Buffalo, NY, 20
SCOTT BUSH                                    Buffalo, NY, 50
JULIENE BYHAM                              Buffalo, NY, 29
MARK COUSINS                               Buffalo, NY, 21
JULIENE BYHAM                              Buffalo, NY, 29


MARK COUSINS                               Buffalo, NY, 21


KEVIN DEAN                                     Buffalo, NY, 21


DANIEL DRISCOLL                            Buffalo, NY, 26


PATRICK DRISCOLL                          Buffalo, NY, 25


DANIEL FINO                                     Lackawanna, NY, 26


WESLEY FISH                                   Buffalo, NY, 25


GREGORY GIOIA                              West Seneca, NY, 22


RICHARD HIMBURY                         Tonawanda, NY, 40


RICHARD ISCH                                 East Aurora, NY, 24


LAURIE KOZAKOWSKI                        Batavia, NY, 41


DAVID LINK                                         Tonawanda, NY,42


JUSTIN MILLS                                       Depew, NY, 32


SEAN RANSFORD                                Buffalo, NY, 22


ANTHONY "MUGGS" SARGENTE        Buffalo, NY, 24


MICHAEL SYLVIA                                Buffalo, NY, 25


JOSEPH SANNA                                  Buffalo, NY, 43


ROB ALESSI                                      West Seneca, NY, 29



"Operation Babcock" nets 24 arrests | WIVB.com

Miscarriage of justice

 
Appalling is really the only word to describe the verdict in the James Corasanti hit and run trial. People are outraged, and rightly so. From the second his car struck 19 year old Alix Rice, the only thing on his mind was how he could avoid being punished.


What a selfish bastard. I don't know how he could live with himself. To say, he didn't know he had hit someone is the ultimate cowardly move. He knew, and he has to live with it the rest of his life.


This simply proves what everyone already knows: There are two legal systems in this country. One for the wealthy and one for everyone else. Had a factory worker struck the 19 year old daughter of a physician, we wouldn't even be talking about this right now. It wouldn't be guilty or not guilty. It would be how many decades should their sentence be? Alix Rice's life will not be forgotten. Dr. Corasanti should leave WNY as soon as possible, as it is no longer safe for him to reside here-nor should it be.

Erie County to hire 72 more deputies

 
From today's Buffalo News...

Erie County will hire 72 new deputies and supervisors to work in the county jails by 2015 to meet a directive by the State Commission of Correction, Sheriff Timothy B. Howard said Tuesday.

As an added incentive, Sheriff Howard  has unveiled a special program for interested applicants. The first 15 people scoring higher than the politically connected kids from South Buffalo, will be given front row seats at the swearing-in ceremony. While they won't actually get the jobs, the studious youngsters can at least be there to see their drug addicted, inbred, uneducated, entitled counterparts take their formal oaths.
Sheriff announces plan to hire 72 by ’15

Buffalo News comes after white mayor for not cutting East side lots

Leave it to the Buffalo News Editorial Board to confuse the city's inability to provide basic constituent services with racial discrimination. How about this puzzling excerpt from today's paper...

Every time East Side residents turn around, they are reminded that they are a second-class constituency. These days, the most visible sign is the grassy wilderness that has been allowed to sprout on the vacant lots that checker the inner city.


Second class-constituency? The editorial Board needs to leave their East Amherst residences once in awhile before writing nonsense like this. The grass problem is not unique to the East side. The above picture is of a vacant lot behind my South Buffalo home. On a short drive through the neighborhood this afternoon, I saw several similarly overgrown lots. Because a few East side residents complained to the local media, the bleeding hearts at the News decided to turn it into a racial issue.


I know. Our white mayor hasn't been fair to certain minority sections of the city...


What's that? Our mayor is black, you say? Oh, then, what are these idiots at the News talking about? I love how they ignore the fact that the East side residents overwhelmingly elected this empty suited buffoon as mayor, who is ultimately responsible for maintaining the lots. I guess it's easier for the "white guilt" suffering editorial board members to blame the evil white man for every one of society's ills. Lots in every section of the city (white, black, and Burmese) are overgrown. The reason? Incompetence and poor planning. The mayor is more worried about getting his delinquent son out of jail than he is in providing basic public services. 

Editorial Board: You people have no clue as to what goes on in the city. You don't live there. Many of us who do live here, find your bleeding heart nonsense hysterical, albeit insulting. Today's diatribe was indeed, mighty white of you.

Mow those lots
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/buffalo-news-editorials/article877616.ece

The Clintons

Time for another study?...

 

No need to go to a local comedy show. Just sit back and watch how the mayor, Common Council, State Assemblymen, and Congressman High Pants jockey for control over Buffalo's decrepit Waterfront. What's another 50 years of inactivity and filth amongst friends?

And while the competition remains low-key, it pits Byron Brown against the harbor agency and Rep. Brian Higgins. Beneath it all simmers growing public frustration with government's inability to develop the property.

And here's a shocker: Mickey Kearns is calling for another study...

* Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns proposed a task force and further study of alternatives.


Some early names being tossed around for Kearns' task force include Baby Joe Mesi's father, Loyd the Taco truck driver, Anthony Cappozzi, the entire Scinta family, Terry Buchwald,  the guy who survived going over Niagara Falls, and Mustafa Koshinski (a deli owner/ Polish American activist).

In the past, he's called for studies on Fuhrmann Boulevard/Route 5, the fictitious S. Bflo.Youth Sports Complex, food truck legislation, and now the entire Waterfront. Mickey has never met a proposed study, artist rendition, or task force he didn't like. Here's an idea: Ditch the studies and make actual decisions yourself. Even Higgins has said many times, people are sick and tired of stalling. They want real progress down there. Enough with the B.S. nonsense, Mickey. On behalf of my ever growing flock, I am ordering you to cease and desist all further studies. The voters could have elected "11,000 Doors" Fahey if they wanted more useless studies and rigamarole. (Look it up.)
Dissent over outer harbor

Say it isn't so, Mickey

Mickey Kearns enjoys ice cream, while supporters are questioning how he could make a deal with the "Status-quo" Scanlons.



Some people are asking the Blogger, where the heck has Mickey Kearns been, lately? One of his closest advisers spoke to me on condition of anonymity, and said many people are unhappy with Kearns' approval of the Chris Scanlon appointment.


"Mickey likes to say Jimmy Griffin was his mentor. Well, Griffin hated career party hacks like the Scanlons and would be rolling over in his grave had he known Kearns was making deals with them. If Griffin were still with us, Kearns would have never stooped this low." the source added.


Kearns' people are trying to sell this off as good for the neighborhood, but most people can see it for what it is-baloney. I'm hearing Kearns told "Charlie" Fisher, if he did not accept the backroom deal with Scanlon (involving Fisher's $47,000/yr job), he would not "be able" to support him in a primary. And Fisher, being a guy with no real political backing himself (or balls for that matter), accepted. What does Kearns mean when he says he would not "be able" to support Fisher? I remember the days when Mickey made decisions by himself. What's the shelf life on independence around here? 


The Rooster needs to put his foot down and remind Kearns who got him there. I cannot believe a man with the Rooster's pride and toughness would allow Kearns to sleep with the enemy. Around here, you're either independent or you're not. "Pray that you might not enter into temptation, Mickey"...

Spicoli visits N. Falls Denny's

 
Only a true pothead would think they could pay for their $10 meal at Denny's with $1 and a bag of dope...


The incident occurred shortly after 2a.m. at the Denny’s restaurant, police said. The man ordered $9.91 worth of food and offered a cashier $1 and the pot in exchange for the meal. 

When the cashier refused the deal, the man tried to sell the pot to other customers in the restaurant, police said, before fleeing into a nearby wooded area when the cashier called police. 
Man tries to pay for dinner with a bag of pot

50 Run Project

I thought this was a nice article from Buffalo Rising. Staff Sergent Dan Frontera plans on running in every WNY footrace this summer with a 50 pound rucksack on his back. On it, are the names of every Western New Yorker killed in Iraq and Afghanistan...


The Operation 50 Run project is an effort to raise awareness and essential funding to erect a memorial on the Buffalo Waterfront dedicated to all WNY residents who have served our country in support of the wars in Iraq and  Afghanistan. The Memorial will pay special reverence to the more than 50 local Heroes who lost their lives in service to our country.


 To contact Dan regarding this great goal, please call him at 716-491-7901 or email him at danfrontera@verizon.net. Hat's off to Dan for trying to do something positive in the community. To see the full article, please check out Buffalo Rising...

Operation 50 Run - Buffalo Rising

The Rosa Parks of Saui Arabia

A woman stands up to religious police in a Saudi Arabian shopping mall. "You are not the boss of me, and you cannot tell me not to wear nail polish."...

Great photo

I'd like to thank James Schaefer for posting this. Apparently, the President's people were so upset by it  they are now checking people's hands before any pictures are taken. Thank God we live in a free country...

About that ultrasound

You know a guy is having a bad day when he goes into the hospital for kidney stones and comes out a woman. Kind of reminds me of the guy/girl from the World According to Garp...

Race for a cure

Good luck to Mark Schroeder and his family members. Channel 2 did a nice story on Mark running in the Buffalo Marathon in honor of his sister and his late father. It will be a great day when a cure is discovered and I think Roswell Park represents the best Buffalo has to offer...

Alfred

 

Every once in awhile, an urban legend turns out to be true. One popular story is of a man stranded at an airport for years due to bureaucratic red tape. It turns out there actually was an Iranian man, nicknamed Alfred, who became trapped in France's Charles de Gaulle Airport for an astonishing 18 years. Ironically, the last five of those years were by choice. He had grown so comfortable in his life there, he was afraid to go back to the real world...


Nasseri was expelled from Iran in 1977 for protests against the Shah and after a long battle, involving applications in several countries, was awarded refugee status by the United Nations High Commission for refugees in Belgium. This permitted residence in any European country.


Having claimed to have one British parent, although he has produced no evidence to support this, he decided to settle in the UK in 1986, but en route to there in 1988, his briefcase containing his papers was stolen in Paris. Despite this setback, he boarded the plane for London but was promptly returned to France when he failed to present a passport to British immigration. He was initially arrested by the French, but then released as his entry to the airport was legal and he had no country of origin to be returned to; thus began his residency at Terminal 1.


Alfred became somewhat of a celebrity at the airport. Flight attendants and other airport workers gave him their food vouchers. He used the airport restroom to clean himself and his clothes. In 2003, he was given permission to live in Belgium, but refused. (Who can blame him? Living in Belgium is probably worse than living in an airport.) In 2007, he went completely berserk and eventually was hospitalized. He is currently 70 years old and living in a homeless shelter in Paris. Talk about a long trip.
http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/airport.asp


Truckin', like the do-dah man. Once told me "You got to play your hand"
Sometimes your cards ain't worth a damn, if you don't lay'em down,

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me;
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me What a long, strange trip it's been...

Arrest made in 1979 cold case

Amazingly, after 33 years, an arrest has been made in the abduction and murder of 6 year old Etan Patz. I've casually followed this case for years, and from time to time, would hear about a potential lead or a new suspect in the case. Patz was the New York City boy, who never made it to his bus stop in 1979. His body has never been found and his disappearance shocked the entire city. He became the first missing person to have his picture placed on a milk carton.


Unfortunately, there are still more questions than answers in this case. 51 year old Pedro Hernandez, whose attorney says has a history of mental illness, confessed to the crime this week. Please say he gave details that only the killer would know. In a coincidental move, he also moved to New Jersey right after the disappearance.


Today's news must come as a relief to convicted pedophile Jose Ramos. In 2004, a civil jury deemed him responsible for the child's murder. In fact, the Patz family was awarded the symbolic sum of $2 million (which they have not collected, since Ramos is in jail for another molestation). Ramos has steadfastly denied any involvement in the disappearance of the child.


It will be interesting to see what evidence, if any, is eventually made public in this case. Is there really new evidence or is an ambitious DA trying to make a name for himself? 
WSVN-TV - NJ man charged with murdering NY boy Patz in 1979

Bus crashes into house

A Buffalo Public School cheese bus ran into a house yesterday on West Woodside Ave. The driver lost control of the vehicle after she swerved to avoid a huge pile of gravel left in the middle of the road as well as four nuns who happened to be jaywalking. Parent advocate Sam Radford blamed the accident on BTF President Phil Rumore's reluctance to sign the teacher evaluation agreement.


We are told the driver has a terrific driving record and has only run into three houses and a barn since 1995...

City fails to cut vacant lots

 Let The grass in your yard go a week without cutting and you can expect a summons. However, live next door to a vacant city lot and the grass is most likely three feet high. Why would you expect city hall to live up to the expectations they have for it's citizens? Hey, somebody has to pay the next time a Comerford or a Scanlon needs a city hall job.

Public Works Commissioner Steve Stepniak apparently doesn't limit his excuse making to failed snow removal efforts. This guy has excuses ready for all seasons...


Comparing vacant lots to the backyards of occupied homes "is not comparing apples and apples," said Steven Stepniak, who heads the city's Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets.

"We started [cutting] April 30. It's a good time to get in," Stepniak said. "A lot of lots were spongy before that. Too soft for our equipment. We had a threat of a [snow] storm before April."


Wherever this guy goes, excuses seem to follow. I'd like to see all tickets suspended until the city gets it's act together. Don't hold your breath, though. One thing Byron loves more than anything is stealing your money.

Residents want city to make the cut

Scanlon had Ability Impaired conviction in 07'

 
No big deal here. When you're entitled and connected to the right people, your past is irrelevant. As long as they know you will do exactly as you're told, nothing else really matters, anyway...


South Council Member Christopher P. Scanlon was convicted five years ago for driving while ability impaired, according to court records.

The court records reviewed by The Buffalo News did not provide any further detail about the circumstances of the arrest or conviction.


Let's not forget the South Buffalo Entitled Rule of Thumb. For every time a young person from a connected family is charged, they've probably been pulled over at least three more times and gotten off. You can usually set your watch to it. No big deal here. Now, despite also being "ability impaired" in the field of leadership, young Scanlon has been given the keys to city hall.


Meanwhile, more is coming out about how the Common Council chose Scanlon. I'm told a few days before the vote, Mayor Brown met in his office with Chris  and his father, John Scanlon. In this meeting, Scanoots laid out to Brown exactly how young Christopher would be more than willing to sell out the neighborhood to the mayor. Brown must have liked what he heard. That afternoon, he called Councilmember GoLISPek and gave him the order to support Scanlon.The rest is history.


All this nonsense is to be expected from the career political opportunists like John Scanlon. You would have to be a fool to not know what he is all about. What's disheartening is that Mickey Kearns, your patron saint, approved of the deal and went along with it. Mickey wants nothing more than to be accepted by the South Buffalo political class. The old Mickey would have encouraged Matt Fisher to run and fight against politics as usual. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

New South Council member was previously convicted of DWAI

The Hugging Priest

From the Not a Good Idea Department.... A "hugging" priest in Michigan will no longer hug young parishioners during mass, after one family wrote to the Bishop and said it "looked bad." The quick thinking man of God says he's going to give them fist bumps instead. Yeah, that'll look natural and unrehearsed...

For more than a decade, Father Bill Langlois of St. Patrick and St. Anthony Parish has offered children hugs during services. "When I would hug the kids, I would say, 'I am hugging you, you are hugging me and Jesus is hugging us,'" he said. 

Priest stops hugging kids during mass: woodtv.com

 Hugging Priest Switches to Fist-Bumps | Weird News - BIG 105.9 FM -- Miami's Classic Rock Station

Random thoughts from the ghetto- volume 63

-Did you ever shake hands with someone and quickly discover they are missing a finger? Dude, let me know beforehand.


-I think everyone who's ever driven a car has come to a complete stop at a green light, which is 200% better than the alternative.


-80's South Buffalo trivia. Family members are not eligible (because we were just talking about this the other day). Who can tell me what the Silver Dungeon was?


-One time, I was at a small gathering and former Mayor James Griffin was there. We were talking about people who might be good candidates for Councilman. I told him I had heard a particular person was interested. The person was known to be a little different. Griffin's exact words were, "Yeah, I heard that, too. But he's kind of a "foul ball." You got to love when baseball metaphors are used to describe weirdos.


-We were talking about people the other day and my sister casually mentioned her next door neighbor, a guy named Dracula. Several people told him he had the look, so he started dressing up like the mythical creature and scaring kids on Halloween. Now, there's a guy who took the ball and ran with it.


-One thing people cannot stand is when they are reading a newspaper and someone stands behind them and reads it also.


-Among the many annoying parts of Facebook: When the site feels the need to announce to everyone of your friends articles you've recently read. Did any of these brain surgeons ever think of the potentially embarrassing positions they are putting people in? Mark Zuckerberg is the Antichrist.


-Did you see where Pakistani officials sentenced the doctor who gave up Bin Laden to American officials to 33 years in prison? That seems fair.

Abuse of power

 
Talk about abuse of power. City of Berkeley, California police chief (Michael Meehan) dispatched 10 detectives throughout one Oakland neighborhood in search of a stolen IPhone. Oh, yeah. Did I mention it was his son's phone?...


It cost the city of Berkeley about $740 in overtime pay to have 10 detectives search for Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan's son's missing iPhone.

I'm sure he'll be hearing about this one. The same thing happened in Buffalo a few years back. Only, it was eventually concluded that the mayor's son had actually stolen someone else's IPhone...

SHOCK: Berkeley Police Chief's Latest Abuse Of Power

People who are different from us

A man, a parrot and a zebra walk into a bar. Believe it or not, this is not  the beginning of a joke. An Iowa man actually did try to walk into a bar with a parrot and his pet baby zebra. (With a picture of a man who looks like he might own a baby zebra)...

A Cascade man was arrested outside of a Dubuque bar on Sunday night with a pet zebra and a macaw parrot in the front seat of his truck.


Officers charged Jerald Reiter, 55, with OWI. Police reports say officers stopped him in the parking lot of the Dog House Lounge as he drove away in his truck. According to police, field sobriety tests showed Reiter had a blood alcohol level of .14. The legal limit in Iowa is .08. 


Man Arrested for OWI with Zebra, Parrot in Front Seat of Truck*

In her own words...

 



No deal has been brokered. Yeah right! Here are the before and after words from Matt Fisher's wife on Facebook commenting last week on the appointment of Chris Scanlon...

-I can't believe with this interview, this resident (Chris Scanlon) will be appointed to the council before my husband Matthew Fisher  Hope to see you all during campaign season.... First party will be Thursday June 7th 6-8pm at Griffin's pub. 5/15/12


-It'll all come out.... remember to vote your conscience, not your connections. (On the Sins of the Father- an Artvoice article on the corrupt John Scanlon) 5/17/12


-I appreciate Mr. Beseker at least calling to get the facts, instead of others who "think" they know what the "deal" was. It is true and hopefully be a Win-Win for residents of South Buffalo.  (today)


Hahahahahhahhahahhahahahha! Last week, Scanlon's interview was terrible and "it will all come out" about his father. Now, it's a Win-Win for the neighborhood. Which is it? Spoken like a true politician. It's funny how one's perspective changes once a $47,000 deal is brokered. Outrageous!

cuckoo - clock

Scanlon buys off Charlie Fisher

 
Why can't Matt Fisher simply tell the truth and admit he is taking the sure money and compromising his principles? To deny the fact that a deal was brokered is comical and an insult to everyone fighting against the status quo...


Fisher, who previously said he would run for the seat in the fall whether or not he got the appointment, now says he does not plan to seek the elected post later this year.


Fisher said the combination of starting a new job and also being a family man with a wife and six children led him to decide not to run for the seat.


So, Fisher didn't know he had six kids and a wife when he announced his candidacy three months ago? This is right up there with "I'm leaving office so I can spend more time with my family" in the world of political cliches. Just look at the first comment underneath the attached article by career tool/Higgins yes-man Kevin Horrigan. That's all you need to know. Fisher has sold out to the neighborhood cockroaches for his big pay day. To deny that a deal was made is an insult to everyone's intelligence. Hey kids! What time is it?...
Scanlon hiring Fisher as senior legislative aide

Fisher prostituting himself to Scanlon?

 

For months, Matt Fisher has been saying that he's going to run for Council regardless of whether he gets the appointment or not. Well, I guess it was just talk.


Rumor has it, Chris Scanlon's people have offered him a $47,000/year job (paid for by you and I), in exchange for not running this September. From what I hear, Fisher is going to accept. I'm also told the deal was brokered by former Councilman Mickey Kearns and local developer Carl Paladino. If this turns out to be true, it's a slap in the face to every taxpayer living in the district. If it's true, Mickey Kearns has officially abandoned his principles and is now one of "them."


Kearns should remember the people who got him elected (the Rooster, Rick Hall, Kevin Comerford, Mike DiPalma, etc.) The Rooster got Kearns more votes in one day than Fisher could in a lifetime. Fisher spoke for months about wanting to make a difference. Obviously, he was just another guy looking for a job and a secure pension off the backs of taxpayers. The Rooster crows.

Politically incorrect words

I don't see what the big deal is here. This is how I was described in my high school yearbook...


Officials at Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas, have recalled their recently distributed school yearbooks after it was discovered the books described some students with special needs as mentally retarded. 

Hey, 25 years ago, they could have used those words, and nobody would have even noticed...

Rev. Charles Worley

This is pretty funny. This pastor from North Carolina has an interesting approach to gays and lesbians. He says we should put them inside a confined space, with an electrical fence, and drop food into it from time to time. I think I read about that idea in the book of Mark. Not exactly what most people would consider a rational approach...


"Build a great, big, large fence -- 150 or 100 mile long -- put all the lesbians in there," Worley suggests in the clip, reportedly filmed on May 13.
He continues: "Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals and have that fence electrified so they can't get out...and you know what, in a few years, they'll die out...do you know why? They can't reproduce!"


It's hard to believe men of God can have so much hate in them. The best part is at the end, when he says, "Can you imagine kissing some man?" Hahahahhhahhaha. I can't believe, with all the problems facing the world today, there are actually people who get up every morning worried about stuff like this...

Move over Nik Wallenda

 
For only the 4th time in history, a man has survived a plunge over Niagara Falls without the aid of a barrel. The 41 year old man, who was attempting to take his own life, is in serious but stable condition at a Hamilton hospital. The craziest story in history has to be the 7 year old boy that survived wearing only a life preserver in 1960.


Hopefully, the man will get the help he needs. It's sad when life's stresses get so bad that people think they have to resort to suicide. A friend of mine took his own life this past winter. None of us saw the signs until it was too late. If anyone is reading this with similar thoughts, there are always solutions out there. Please reach out and make a call if you're having these feelings (Crisis Services (716) 834-3131...





There was another rescue last week, which someone filmed with their camcorder...

Tavern Manager?

 
I have to be honest. I have no problem at all with a Councilman working as a bartender. It's an honest job. It's hard work. And bartenders are close to the people. It's no different than a coach or a teacher running for office if you ask me. 


What I find funny, is the same people who judged Paddy Burke and Kevin Lafferty for being bartenders are now perfectly fine with Chris Scanlon being a bartender. And don't be fooled by the fake title of "Tavern Manager" they are trying to give him. It's just more lies from the status quo coat holders. But, like I said, being a bartender is a job. Around these parts, there aren't that many high paying jobs for people without college degrees. And most young people with degrees, have bolted.


Finally, I don't have a problem with Chris Scanlon personally. I've known him since he was 8 years old. I think he's a good guy. My problem is in the way he was anointed and will be expected to do whatever Byron Brown, Rich Fontana, and Damone Smith tell him to do. And just look who has gravitated towards him like a fungus, the McKinley Circle Lady. Being led to meetings by political types is the Kiss of Death in these parts. We all know where her interests lie. That's a bad first start, Scans.

Idaho robbery

 
 I guess this is how they conduct hold ups in Idaho...

BOISE, Idaho -- Police in southwest Idaho say a man chose briefs over boxers to wear on his head as he held up a coffee shop and stole a safe.


Coffee shop owner Jason Wilson tells the Idaho Statesman says he believes the man was likely not prepared when he entered Big Star Coffee in Fruitland with an accomplice on Tuesday morning.
Wilson asked: "Who robs something with underwear on their head?"
BRIEF DISGUISE: Robber Wears Underwear On Head During Idaho Burglary

This is actual surveillance footage taken from the incident... "Do you know karate?"  "No."  "Good."...

School sends boy home for 'black face' | WIVB.com

This 8 year old Colorado boy had a dream. He was going to dress up as Martin Luther King for his class project, even going so far as to paint his face black.


Of course, someone was offended. I don't feel sorry for him or his parents,though. He has one of those rat tails growing off the back of his head and the family appears to be speaking in the dialect of the unwashed. It is funny watching the little brat holding a press conference dressed as Dr. King, though. Lots of questions here. Why did the faculty member complain? Why did the kid's family have to go to the news and respond to the complaint? Hey mom: Get the little brat a haircut, give him his Ritalin, and buy him an Abe Lincoln costume next time...

School sends boy home for 'black face' | WIVB.com

The new Detroit

What a beautiful day it was today. The basketball courts at Cazenovia Park must have been filled with young people. Oh, wait. Somebody stole the rims a couple of weeks ago and they haven't been replaced. If it were Delaware Park, Mayor Brown would have had them up the next day. But we thought "Mayor Brown's been good to the Comerfords, Lewis',Scanlons (insert career political family here)"...

Help Wanted

 
In a few weeks, we will be looking for people to help collect signatures for the September primary. I believe the going rate is $1 per valid signature. This is an opportunity to make upwards of $15/hour and get some great exercise. You can go to your friends or door to door. The first 50 people going door to door will receive complimentary bullet proof vests. Interested parties need to be at least 18 years of age and  registered Democrats. Please email me if interested. The petition process starts in early June. The district includes most of the city of Buffalo, Lackawanna, and parts of Cheektowaga.

Sisters of Mercy

 
An opinion expressed in Today's Buffalo News by a Farrell, and believe it or not, it wasn't from Marty. Marty's sister, Patty wrote this well written article about the Sisters of Mercy. Or as Buddy the Book calls them, No Mercy. Patty is right. The Catholic Church is a way of life for many. And much more than what some in the Vatican have tried to turn it into...

Whenever I get fed up with the archaic actions of the Vatican and its backward sexist leadership, I have to ask myself what causes me to remain a Catholic? Some days this answer does not come easily. The Vatican’s teachings against homosexuals, suppression of women, chastising the divorced, favoring the wealthy, prohibiting birth control and other atrocities make me wonder why I choose to be a member of such a closed, dark, judgmental society. 

But then I remind myself, this dark cryptic tomb is not my church! My church is not the rules, the fundamental teachings, the incense or the rote prayers. My Catholic Church is a spirit burning bright and warm and is welcoming, loving, cheerful and hopeful. It is not a building but a way of life. Who wouldn’t want to be a member of my Catholic Church? 

My enlightened view of the church is one that was instilled in me by the Sisters of Mercy, who taught me the Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule by example and led with songs of joy and happiness. The good, dedicated sisters who, in grade school at St. Teresa’s, organized canned good drives and bake sales for Catholic charities and collected change and clothing for children in countries we could never pronounce. The sisters who, later at Mount Mercy Academy, gave us our voice and taught us to stand up for social justice.

One of the greatest points in history was around 1983, when the maniacal parent finally crossed paths with the sadistic nun.  Up until that point, it was considered an honor for your kids to get beaten across the head in the name of God. What were you going to do, go to the police? Even they were afraid of them. Nuns were the only group exempt from common law. They were like an organized crime syndicate. Even the Blogger was wacked across the head in 2nd grade by a nun (because I wasn't writing fast enough for her). Some were great people. Others, from another planet.


You're not from South Buffalo unless you heard stories of at least one nun who "left the convent" and ran off with a priest (see Fr. Art). In any event, I miss seeing the nuns walking up McKinley Parkway. It's funny how the young kids in the schools today only have heard the stories of these penguinlike people who walked around with rulers as their weapon of choice. Who was the craziest nun ever to come out of the neighborhood? I would have to say Sister Kateri from St. Agatha's. Sister Theresa Kelly comes in at a close second. (Kelly, at Outside Linebacker, was a member of the Bills practice squad in 1981.) If you have any other nominees, please feel free to comment.
 Nuns are the lifeblood of the Catholic Church

Come out Virginia, don't let me me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
But sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one

They showed you a statue and told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done...

Attention KMart shoppers

Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to. 
-Mark Twain


I thought this next story was interesting because it deals with social norms we take for granted. Like wearing clothes in public...



A nude woman who calmly walked into two New York businesses this week shocked employees and attracted the gaze of more than one startled shopper.

Temperatures may have only been in the 60s in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, but that did not stop 49-year-old Barbara Lafleur from stripping down to her birthday suit while she went shopping along Route 67, authorities said.

"The clerk said, 'Excuse me, ma'am, did you know you have no clothes on?' and she said, 'Oh yeah I'm totally fine with that,'" Murphy explained.

Authorities have deemed her not mentally ill. It makes me wonder when is being crazy not considered crazy?  Our first instinct is to try and help somebody like this, but the experts are saying she does not need help. I don't know about that. If she was in fact, simply shopping, where would she keep her money/credit cards? OK, don't answer that. 

I like people who march to their own drummer and I think they are often unfairly looked down upon. However, there are certain social norms I think are in place for a reason. 
WATCH: Naked Woman's Impromptu Shopping Spree Attracts The Eyes Of The Law

RIP Disco Queen

 
 
Sittin' here, eatin' my heart out, waitin'
Waitin' for the Blogger to call
Dialed about a thousand numbers lately
Almost rang the phone off the wall...

A step backwards

 


Some people are questioning whether new South District Councilmember Chris Scanlon should be judged by the actions of his father. Hell yes.


Especially since Scanlon was not elected by the people, but appointed by the Common Council, whose reputation for incompetence is well documented. My job here from time to time is to inform people by using other news sources. Here are some excerpts from Geoff Kelly's column in this week's Artvoice Magazine. Much of the information here came from past Buffalo News articles involving John Scanlon written by James Heaney and Michael Beebe. In his heydey, Mr. Scanlon felt that he didn't have to follow the same rules as the rest of us. And these were only things that could be proven...


He has a full-time city job as a watchman but calls in sick on average once a week—frequently Mondays and Fridays and the day before holidays and vacations.

He has a city car for round-the-clock use—and is supposed to pay taxes on it, but doesn’t.

And he has every adult in his immediate family on the city payroll.


Then Beebe pointed out how outrageous his work schedule was while he was in his late 50's...


John P. “Scanoots” Scanlon, like the lyrics from that old Cole Porter song, is there night and day, beneath the moon and under the sun.

On the job, that is.

By night, Scanlon is a parts clerk in the city’s Broadway Garage.

By day, he runs County Legislator Michael A. Fitzpatrick’s new district office in South Buffalo.

He starts the day at 8:30 a.m., working in Fitzpatrick’s district office in the South Buffalo Community Development Association center. He works through lunch and finishes up at 4:30 p.m.

At 10 p.m., he’s due at the city garage, where he works until 4:30 a.m.

Four hours later, he’s back on the job for Fitzpatrick. Then back with the city. And then again with the county and so on.




Scanlon's reputation for deceit is well deserved. Guys like Paul Flanagan, Ron Anthony, and Fred Langdon stayed loyal to Griffin during his later years. Not Scanlon. He was the first one to jump off Griffin's ship. People in the neighborhood despised those who supported the likes of Tony Masiello and Byron Brown. Scanlon and the rest of his entourage looked like helpless orphans as they marched with Byron Brown in his race against a South Buffalo
Democrat in 2009. It may have given them short term gains, but the damage they've done to their reputation is irreparable. 

Expect to see more articles like this in the coming months from the mainstream local media. Don't worry, I know. I'm crazy for standing here and telling you the truth. The Scanlon name represents the same old tired, status quo politics that have haunted this city for years. If you think his son is going to be any different, you are naive.

The Sins of the Father

Do you mind if I take it around the block?

 
Not since Pee Wee Herman has a man worked so hard to retrieve his stolen bike. Dan Lesh had his bike ripped off from in front of his Washington D.C. Apartment. Later that day, he noticed it for sale on Craigslist for $100. he had paid $600 for it back in 1998.


He called the police, only to have them say they would "look into it." He knew he didn't have time, so Lesh posed as a prospective buyer and responded to the ad. The thief let him take it for a "test ride" only Lesh kept on going. The best part came when the lowlife called him up on the phone and threatened to call the police on him.
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/241594/186/Bicyclist-finds-stolen-bike-on-Craigslist-steals-it-back

Plunked by a scammer

 


Geoff Kelly of Artvoice has an eye opening piece this week on John Scanlon. I will be publishing it in the next few days. In honor of Chris Scanlon's appointment to the Buffalo Common Council, I thought I'd share this story on my former committee partner (his father). I don't have anything against Chris. He's not a bad guy at all. I just think the way the whole thing went down this week is going to have a lot of people talking...


Years ago in a past life, I was a democratic committee member. My partner in South 25 was none other than John "Scanoots" Scanlon. For those of you who don't know, each district is represented by two members (the top two vote getters). I actually lived in the district I represented. Mr. Scanlon's neighborhood was already represented by two other political hacks, so he was forced to go elsewhere, specifically to a neighborhood where most don't rely on government jobs to get by.


Unbeknownst to either of us, we had a challenger. A third person, unhappy with an endorsement letter I had sent out in favor of his opponent, had decided to challenge my seat. Mr. Scanlon knew that he only knew about six people in my neighborhood. He knew he could be in jeopardy of losing his seat. If he lost the seat, he also lost his Zone Chairmanship. I received a phone call from him telling me that we needed to work together to defeat this villain, who dared rock the boat.


I honestly couldn't have cared less. My family had lived in the neighborhood for over 40 years and we knew most of the voters personally. I agreed to go door to door with Mr. Scanlon the week before the election. I asked my neighbors to vote for myself and Scanlon and we passed out cue cards. Most people said, "Sure, Mike. no problem." Most wouldn't have known John Scanlon from John Lennon (just like most people in his neighborhood wouldn't have known me). Like I said, he did know 5 or 6 older neighbors from the Griffin era. We stood outside School #28 all day reminding voters to support us. What I didn't know, was that Scanlon had told his 5 or 6 loyalists to vote  for HIM only. What a loyal friend. The results came in. The challenger received less than 10 votes. John ended up with around 61 votes to my 58. I had been "plunked" by a scam artist.


Revenge is sweet, however. Two years later, myself and the City Hall Rooster ran a whole slate of candidates against Scanlon and the rest of the "tourists" he had pretending to represent our neighborhood. In my race, my neighbor and I worked as a team, and we asked the people to support the two of us who actually lived in the district. I even worked with Brian Higgin's people to get all the lists we needed. At one point Scanlon said "You better pull out. Brian will be mad that you are running some of your people against his people." I said, "Really? He's the one who gave me the lists to run against you!" Classic. We trounced Scanlon and the rest of his stooges, winning 7 out of  9 seats.


For every person that sends me a negative comment for telling the truth in this post, I'm going to write a new post describing more scams I witnessed him perpetrate. There's plenty more where this one came from. Believe me.

I want my money back

What the hell is? "Daredevil" Nik Wallenda now says he might have to wear a protective harness because of pressure from sponsors...

"A lot of them have threatened to back out if I don't wear a line. So we're working on that diligently and I'm telling my managers I don't want to wear a line and we need to figure out a way around it," Wallenda said.
Without naming them, Wallenda said that certain sponsors have indicated they might be inclined to disassociate their names with the event unless they can be reasonably assured that their names won't be forever associated with a tragedy should one occur.

 A true daredevil wouldn't give a rat's behind what his sponsors thought. Walking with a harness is about as risky as one of Mitt Romney's investments. This doesn't pass the smell test. I'm not saying I want to see him plummet to his death, but the whole appeal of the event is the risk factor.


My belief is that Wallenda wants to wear the harness and is using the sponsors as an excuse. I know it's easy for me to say. My life isn't at stake. But, then again, I don't claim to be a daredevil. If he wears a harness, his stunt will pale in comparison to the men and women who have gone over the Falls. If I was Wallenda, I would either admit I was nervous or refuse to do the stunt with a harness.
Wallenda May Have to Wear Safety Wire During High Wire Walk Over Niagara Falls | wgrz.com

John Scanlon buys son Council seat

 
I guess it pays to be a political prostitute. All the donations (accumulated from years of taxpayer funded no-show jobs) finally paid off for former Griffin disloyalist John Scanlon, as he was able to buy a political position for his second youngest son, Christopher. Christopher went from Bishop Timon to ECC and straight to City Hall. Like a Saudi Prince, he was born into a life of privilege.
 
 Despite being given more opportunities than most of his peers, it looks as though education has never been much of a priority for Chris. And despite this outrageous comment from today's Buffalo News, everyone knows the last thing synonymous with the Scanlon name  is independence...


"The people of the district are looking for a young, independent thinker devoid of ties," Scanlon said during his interview with the Council, "someone not looking to appease political factions, but looking for someone who can think on their own, vote their conscience and only do what's in the best interest of South Buffalo."


At least one out of three aint bad. He is young. This move is a temporary victory for the status quo. We all know the reason Matt Fisher was not selected is because he is close to Mickey Kearns and not close to Tim Kennedy or Lord High Pants Higgins. We also know Scanlon will be a rubber stamp for Byron Brown (how pathetic). 

I just hope the Fisher supporters remember this, this summer when he runs against Scanlon and I run against Tim Kennedy. Don't be fooled either. Kennedy would never support a pro Kearns candidate, because he doesn't have a brain of his own. If you want to support politics as usual this summer, support Chris Scanlon and Tim Kennedy.


One saving grace for Scanlon's primary opponent in September: It should be an easy victory for them. The only people Scanlon will have in his corner at the end of the summer are the South Buffalo Byron Brown contributors. We all found out this Spring with the Kearns/Fahey rout that none of these South Buffalo White Trash will work for anything. They are so used to buying their power or having it presented to them on a silver platter. They have nothing in common with the average person on their street. The word is already getting out. The respectable people will see the derelicts/cowards (Ray McGurn, Lou Petrucci, Tim Whalen, Paul Sullivan, Rick Finnegan,etc.) with their Scanlon signs and know to vote the other way. These people are so predictable in their mediocrity, you could set your watches to them.
Son of legendary S. Buffalo political figure likely to fill Council seat

Perkins Restaurants to close locally

 
It's a sad day for WNY. Perkins Restaurants are closing all their local businesses. I always thought Perkins was so much better than Denny's as far as food quality, cleanliness, and price. It seemed like the last couple years, they made no effort locally to stay in business. Friends and I wondered why they always closed so early. 

Some of the comments under WIVB's story had bad things to say about them, but I always had good experiences at the Perkins in Hamburg and the one on Transit Rd.  The local owner (Phil Gelsomino-no relation to Phil Viliapano) feels as though they might have been thrown under the bus by the franchise...

In a statement, Gelsomino said, "We were stunned at the franchisor's decision to put us out of business after 12 years of operations. We had paid them over $7.5 million in fees, stuck with them through good times and bad times - and what did they do? They put the brand into bankruptcy! It was just unbelievable. The franchisor had filed Chapter 11 in June of 2011. They filed due to the recession and a decline in sales nationwide. The brand was later bought out of Chapter 11 by an investment group who in my opinion has shown no loyalty to its franchisees and their customers."


All Perkins in WNY to close this Sunday | WIVB.com

Most Perkins in WNY to close on Sunday: wivb.com

Timon Rowers win championship

Congratulations to Bishop Timon's newly formed rowing team. The Tigers recently won the John Bennett Regetta at the West Side Rowing Club...


Heading into the four boat final, the Tigers were determined to pick up were their fellow alumni left off years ago and they did.


Right from the start Timon jumped into the lead and never looked back, they finished first in the finals, winning a Gold Medal. With a time of 5 minutes and 7 seconds, Timon shaved 14 seconds off their preliminary time beating St. Joes (A) by 13 seconds.


This boat consists of Sean Overdorf, Conor Gilson, Matt Eagen, Steve Moran and Coxswain Wil Welsby.


It goes without saying that the team was led by my cousin, Sean Overdorf. Not only did he single handily lead the team to victory, he also stopped halfway through the race to help a six year old Somali refugee, who appeared to be struggling in the water. Members of the West Side Rowing Club said they had never seen such heroics and composure from a high school student before. Overdorf has been entertaining offers from such prestigious rowing powerhouses as Harvard, Yale, and E.C.C. but has not yet verbally committed to any school. 
Bishop Timon-St. Jude wins gold | Sports | Metrowny.com

The Steele brothers- born to raise hell

 
Growing up in South Buffalo, I remember hearing stories from friends and relatives about the legendary Steele brothers. They lived in my neighborhood behind the old Mahogany Bar on Abbott Rd. and Bailey Ave. The clientele at the Mahogany resembled those from the bar scene in the beginning of Star Wars...
 
Like the Beatles- everyone knew the Steele brothers by their first names. There was Howard, Albert, Merle, Michael, and David. The last two always cracked me up because I have a younger brother named David and we lived three blocks from them(and Michael and David were the youngest of the Steele family). To this day, I've never heard of anyone else in WNY with the name Merle, except Merle Steele's son, the aptly named Merle Jr.


The Steele brothers were hardcore thieves. They were like the Manning brothers of their chosen profession-criminality. In fact, as a kid, I always thought they spelled their name Steal, which would have made more sense. My favorite comment underneath the attached Buffalo News article has to be from my sister Teresa, "Hey Albert, I want my bike back!" 
Mr. Demolition Man

Rumor has it that Albert did in fact steal her bike from our driveway on Spaulding St. He also escaped from the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden an astonishing four times in one 13 month time period. One time, he held onto the bottom of a baked goods truck to gain his freedom. (They don't mention in the article whether he stole any cookies off of it before he fled.)

These days, Albert is doing pretty well for himself. He is in charge of demolishing all the vacant houses in Buffalo. I'm glad he has turned his life around, and I hear he does very good work. However, he's one millionaire you probably won't see hanging around with Bob Rich or Terry Pegula any time soon. Move over Warren Spahn, Tim Russert, and Patrick Kane. There are more stories going around South Buffalo involving the Steele brothers than those three guys combined...

Although never named as a suspect, Michael Steele was dating Patricia Scinta-Rodriguez, a 21 year old woman who was savagely stabbed 108 times and murdered in Lackawanna's Holy Cross Cemetery in 1979. According to this story from WKBW, Lackawanna Police do have a suspect and are hoping new DNA evidence will eventually lead to the killer. Dana Britton, a high ranking Lackawanna police official, believes Scinta-Rodriguez was murdered by her estranged husband, Michael Rodriguez...

A murder most brutal: by whom?

Some highlights from the Bflo News article:


-Jan. 14, 1978 — David Steele and three companions are charged by Buffalo Police with beating a South Buffalo man with shovels, guns and a police "billy club."

-July 7, 1994-   Years later, Steele's companion, John Jacobson, testifies in a federal trial that the car, driven by Michael Steele, reached speeds of 115 miles per hour. Jacobson says the car nearly hit a bus, a truck and two police cars.

Steele testifies that he took off from police because he didn't have a license and didn't want to get caught. He claims he is a "good driver."

"What lane were you using?" an attorney asks Steele.

"All of them," Steele answers.
Criminal History — a look at the Steele Brothers

Catholic chauvinism?

 
Whenever you hear "a separate branch" of the Catholic Church, be ready to deal with wackjobs. One such school was supposed to play in the Arizona State baseball championship last week, but forfeited because the other team had a girl on it...

Officials at Our Lady of Sorrows declined comment. In a written statement Thursday, the school said the decision to forfeit was consistent with a policy prohibiting co-ed sports.

The statement also said the school teaches boys respect by not placing girls in athletic competition, where "proper boundaries can only be respected with difficulty."

Our Lady of Sorrows is run by the U.S. branch of the Society of Saint Pius X. The group represents conservative, traditional priests who broke from the Catholic Church in the 1980s.


The forfeiting school believes in a strict separation between boys and girls in education. To the young girl's credit, she chose to sit out the first two times the teams played during the regular season to avoid controversy. With this being the championship and it being played on a neutral field, she chose to play. The other school chose not to. Their loss.


I'm against girls playing high school football (with the exception of kicker). However, this situation is completely different. Baseball is a non-contact sport and this young woman's school does not offer softball. She also is clearly good enough to be out on the field (she is the team's starting 2nd baseman). The school also has no reason to push their outdated policies and rigid beliefs on other schools. This story is troubling, but hardly surprising. But what do you expect from a group that broke away from the Catholic Church because it wasn't conservative enough?
Girl player, 15, cited for baseball team's forfeit

The crazy Catholics need to fire their coach and hire this guy tomorrow.

"Jews, spics, n$*ge#s and now a girl?"...



Freakin' Idiot!