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April 30, 2007

Dignity in death

I think we've all thought about what we want done with our bodies after we die. Christy, for example, said she wanted to donate her body to science. I never could tell if she was being serious or not. Personally, I always liked the idea of being cremated and getting spread in various places that were important to me. However, an Australian scientist reckons cremation creates greenhouse gases, and suggests a more environmental but less dignified burial method:

An Australian scientist called Wednesday for an end to the age-old tradition of cremation, saying the practice contributed to global warming.

Professor Roger Short said people could instead choose to help the environment after death by being buried in a cardboard box under a tree.

The decomposing bodies would provide the tree with nutrients, and the tree would convert carbon dioxide into life-giving oxygen for decades, he said.

Posted by oz115 at 01:33 PM | Comments (2)

I'm glad he pays attention

I was talking to my boss the other day, and he noticed that I was wearing a pink tie. I've written about the attention-grabbing qualities of men in pink before, and it once again proved true. I believe his words were, "that's a very interesting tie." I then said something stupid like, "Yeah, it's pink."

Then he asked me if I usually wear ties. I said I wore one every day. After a diatribe about how it wasn't necessary that I wear ties, I left the room. My first thought was, what has this guy been doing since January? He's seen me 3 days a week for the past three months, and he just noticed now that I wear a tie in his office? I was amused, to say the least. I hope he notices his wife's haircuts better than he notices my attire, or he'd be spending a lot of time on the couch.

Posted by oz115 at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2007

Wish I had a posse

I was hanging out by the Borders on Michigan Avenue last night, and I noticed a rather large gathering of menacing people with it earpieces and shirts that said "security." I said to myself, what on earth could this be?

I soon had my answer: Russell Simmons, hip-hop impresario, was doing a book-signing at the Borders in a few minutes. I figured this was the first time in history somebody doing a book signing needed an entourage. I mean, I just don't see somebody like George Will needing a security detail.

I beat a hasty exit soon thereafter, figuring I didn't need to get involved in any of that east coast/west coast stuff. There were a bunch of girls standing outside taking pictures, so I grabbed one too:

There you can see the standard black SUV, along with some of the burly security guys. I was kind of hoping one of them would tell me "no picture taking," so I could spew some crap about me being in public and I can take whatever pictures I want, whereupon he would take my phone and snap it in half. But a boy can dream, can't he?

Posted by oz115 at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)

Whistle while I work

I read an interesting article in the newspaper yesterday. Apparently, whistling is a dying art. Some people find it annoying, or obnoxious. I had no idea. I must be unique: after all, I often find myself whistling.

I whistle while walking down the street, while sitting at my desk, while ironing. I don't usually whistle anything in particular, mostly because I am musically disinclined and can barely remember any tunes. But it's sort of a habit. I suppose, like many habits, I picked it up from my dad. He whistles a lot, but I can't tell you if he actually whistles while he works.

I used to go to this dentist, and he would always hum as he prodded my mouth with various instruments. That made me uncomfortable. It seemed semi-sadistic, like he was enjoying himself. He has a daughter who is also a dentist, and she does the same thing. So maybe whistling, like humming, is a genetic thing.

Anyway, do any of you actually find whistling annoying? Is this something I should stop doing? Does it make me look incredibly quaint? These are the pressing issues of the day. It can't be any more annoying than the girl who has TLC for a cell phone ringtone, can it?

Posted by oz115 at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2007

Oh please

I got this forward in my e-mail today, and some of the selections in it burn my britches. [Please note, I don't read the "Friend Finder" website, it just happens to be where google found the e-mail in question.]

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.

He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.

He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.

If only there were more men like him.

A "don't support the troops" shirt? Who ever heard of such a thing? Believe me, I see plenty of anti-war t-shirts. But, anti-war does not mean "don't support the troops." I don't know how many people think that exactly, but that's a pretty lame statement. Everybody I know who is against the war is pro-soldier. Yes, there are some people who think the Army is a bunch of nuts, but they are in the minority. I personally think our soldiers are in a tough spot, but doing the best they can. They need all the support they can get, but that doesn't mean being "pro-war" either.

Next, who tells jokes about soldiers in Iraq? I've never heard one. I think if somebody did, he'd get slapped. But then, I don't live in crazy liberal San Francisco, so maybe they do it there, in Nancy Pelosi land. Likewise, I don't know who is saying the world is a worse place because of soldiers. There's lots of people who make the world a worse place. The average soldier? Not one of them.

In short, I find this particular e-mail to contain some absurd statements. And though I support our troops, I won't be posting that particular e-mail on my blog, myspace page, or any place else.

Posted by oz115 at 09:13 AM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

If that is your real name

I caught the weather on Fox 32 tonight, and I couldn't help but notice the new meteorologist's name: Amy Freeze. Yes, the weather lady's name is Freeze.

Do you think that's her real name? I love it when newscasters have appropriate names, especially if they are stage names.

What would my stage name be? I don't know. I wish Vin Diesel never made it big, because I think Tim Diesel sounds great. Maybe Tim Unleaded? Doesn't have the same ring, does it?

Posted by oz115 at 09:36 PM | Comments (1)

My own private hell

[Picture]

I had the most stupendous thing happen to me today. I got stuck in a gate at an El station. I was getting on the Blue Line at Irving Park, and I put my farecard into the machine. Instead of the typical turnstile, there was one of those crazy "rotogate" things like they have at high school football stadiums. You know, they go one direction and have lots of bars so you can't hop it. Well, mine got stuck with me halfway in it. There was no budging, and I was stuck with my hands full of bags, newspapers and bottles of water.

I had my phone, so I called 911 and told them to come bail me out. About that time, a train arrived and people started walking outside. One nice fellow used his farecard to spring me, and didn't even take my offer of $2. I spent about 5 minutes in there, and it was the strangest situation ever. I felt like a lobster in a trap, waiting for somebody to free me and drop me in a pot of boiling water.

Posted by oz115 at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2007

Finally some sanity

It's a well-known fact how much I despise the "friendly wagers" that Mayors/Governors make when their local sports teams meet in an important sporting event.

Well, my beloved Sabres open up their second-round matchup against the New York Rangers tomorrow, and NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg has refused to take the bait:

The face-off between the hockey clubs from New York State’s No. 1 and No. 2 cities set the stage Monday for a possible friendly wager between Mayors Byron W. Brown of Buffalo and Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City. But when Brown’s office called to set one up, Bloomberg’s office declined. “I hope Mayor Bloomberg’s reluctance to wage a bet is not a sign of his lack of confidence in the Rangers’ chances against the Sabres,” Brown said.

Good for you, Mayor Bloomberg! These bets are stupid and pointless, and I applaud you for refusing to perpetuate the cycle. On the other hand, the NY Rangers are a team I have despised for a long time, and they count uber-villian Sean Avery as one of their key players. All I can really say is, let's go Buff-a-lo!

Posted by oz115 at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2007

You can't be serious

Some of you may recall the tragedy that visited me when the BD's Mongolian Barbecue in my neighborhood closed up shop.

Well, it's happened again, except this time it's the Vernon Hills location. I arose to find this in my email inbox:

Thank you for your support of bd's mongolian barbeque in Vernon Hills. Unfortunately, the restaurant recently closed.

bd's in Glendale, WI will open on Monday, April 23, with Bolingbrook, IL to follow in mid-June.

Once again, thank you for your support of bd's.

I can't really say I was surprised at this. The place was never really that crowded. But I don't understand what is the matter with people, that BD's keep closing down around here. There are three in Columbus, and that burg loves BD's. You'd think there would be similar stir-fry lovers in Chicago, but I guess not. This leaves one local outpost, way out in Naperville. Luckily that one seems to always be crowded, so I pray it will stay like that.

Posted by oz115 at 12:11 PM | Comments (1)

April 22, 2007

What an idea

I'm sure by now this site is blowing up all over the internet, but I think it's great: Suicide Food. The concept: all the food labels that show an animal eating/preparing to eat other animals just like him. It really is a twisted concept, and one I've always wondered. I mean, I like chicken, but I don't think other chickens do.

Posted by oz115 at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2007

A steak knife would have sufficed

As far as bringing weapons to school, I think this was a little over the top:

The freshman girl told police she was "tired of getting picked on," so she took a mace to school.

Not Mace, the pepper spray.

Mace, as in a medieval weapon.

A long wooden stick attached to a metal chain with a spiked ball on the end.

The 15-year-old swung it at a teacher Thursday morning but struck a fellow student who intervened, Gary Police said. The victim, a 19-year-old Lew Wallace High School senior, suffered cuts on her hand and thumb protecting the teacher. School security detained the freshman and confiscated the weapon.

"It's heavy, and it's metal, and it's sharp," Detective Sgt. Darlene Breitenstein said after delivering the girl to the Lake County (Ind.) Juvenile Justice Center, where she is being held on battery charges.

A mace, wow. The problem with the mace, I hear, is that in order to pack a nice punch with it, you need to swing it around a few times to build up some momentum. If you're going to pop somebody with a mace, they're going to know it's coming. On the other hand, if you use a nice knife, or maybe a tomahawk, claymore or pike, you can surprise your victim. As far as medieval weapons, however, my favorite is still probably the poleaxe - which you probably can't sneak into school.

Posted by oz115 at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)

Shazaam!

Check it out. If you do a search for "Tallest President" on ask.com, this here website is the FIRST choice. In fact, it says I have the answer. How is this so? Apparently I mentioned that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president in the exciting finale of this year's Faux March Madness. Thank God I was right, because being the answer on ask.com is a responsibility I don't take lightly. No sir, not one bit. But who knew Lyndon Johnson was so tall? Not me!

Posted by oz115 at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

I think I'm in love

This, friends, is incredible. I wonder if she's single? I hope so!

REDMOND, Wash. - A Woodinville woman arrested following two car crashes last week registered a .47 blood-alcohol content on a breath test — nearly six times the legal intoxication threshold and possibly a state record.

Deana F. Jarrett, 54, was taken to Evergreen Hospital as a precaution following her arrest April 11, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday. No one was injured in the accidents.

Jarrett blew the .47 on a portable breath tester after she collided with two other vehicles in quick succession, the patrol said. A check of all 356,000 breath tests administered since 1998 in Washington turned up only 35 above .40 — and none of those was higher than .45.

Posted by oz115 at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2007

Let's go girls!

This is one of the most awful TV commercials ever, but much like a train wreck, I can't look away.

I mean, think about it. You've got the "let's go girls!" at the beginning, with the Ms. Independent vibe going, and then we have shots of the girls lustily removing what I can only assume is business attire: letting the hair down, removing scarves, donning sunglasses, etc.

Why, it reminds me of the time I rented the Mustang, except I had no girls with me, it wasn't a convertible, and it was raining.

Posted by oz115 at 12:39 AM | Comments (1)

April 17, 2007

Horror

You know what the worst part about this whole Virginia Tech shooting spree is? For me, at least, I wasn't that shocked at the whole thing. It was an awful tragedy, and it reminds me of the disgusting things people can do. But there I was, reading about it and not feeling all that surprised.

Is that what it's come to? So many shootings, bombings and suicide attacks, that an immense tragedy like this doesn't affect me that much. I was a freshman in college when the Columbine attacks occured, and that left a pretty big mark on me. But so much has happened since then. More school shootings, the 9/11 attacks, the London underground bombings. It's like, what else can possibly happen?

The fact that it happened to people like me certainly enhances it. It's more personal than when 90 Iraqis die when somebody blows up a bomb in a Baghdad market. But is it that any less tragic? It shouldn't be - and that, I think, is the scariest part. That I'm so close to being numb to all this.

Posted by oz115 at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2007

I don't get it

How, exactly, do you run a marathon in space? Astronaut Sunita Williams found a way, but I somehow doubt it's the same as one run with that pesky gravity in the way:

Astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams started her version of the Boston Marathon on Monday, running on a treadmill 210 miles above Earth undeterred by the wind and rain lashing her Massachusetts counterparts.

Already traveling at 17,500 mph, Williams started the race on time at 10 a.m. EDT with race No. 14,000 taped to the front of the treadmill. Two laptop computers were on either side of the treadmill so she could watch a live feed of the race from Boston and keep track of where the international space station was flying.

Restrained to the treadmill in a harness so she wouldn't float away and wearing Boston Red Sox socks, Williams ran at a brisk pace at the start of the 26.2-mile race. Williams' sister, Dina Pandya, and NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg were running in the race on the ground.

"Just want to let you know the team here is cheering for her and by our calculations she already has completed her 26 miles," Mission Control told her crew mate, Michael Lopez-Alegria, a few minutes into the race.

Man, I wish I was an astronaut. This is mostly because it would be cool to say I was an astronaut - I don't know much about flying space shuttles, though. So I don't know why I'd get picked. I have no science background, so they wouldn't want me for that. I don't even know how to drill holes, so I couldn't be one if an "Armageddon" type scenario arose. Oh well.

Posted by oz115 at 12:04 PM | Comments (1)

April 13, 2007

Waaay back

Everybody knows Chris Berman's shtick got old sometime during the 90's, but that doesn't mean he can't woo the ladies. Whether or not this story is true, it is one of the funniest things I've ever read:

A friend of mine just told me he's getting married. When he gave me the news I immediately thought of the time we were in Scottsdale at spring training, because it's the best pickup story I've ever been a party to. It was about nine years ago, and I actually forget the bar. But my friend was seriously putting the moves on this somewhat attractive young woman, who was wearing leather pants and had a leather jacket draped over her lap. They had been chatting at the bar for about an hour, and my friend thought he was in the house. I had never seen someone work so hard for a score.

But just as he was putting on the finishing touches, Chris Berman walks by. And without even breaking stride, Berman looks at the girl, points and says "You're with me, leather." And the girl looks up, instantly recognizes Berman, snatches up her jacket and walks out with him, leaving my friend in mid-sentence.

That's gold! Berman, whatever he does, will always have a place in my heart, because he knows all too well that "nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!"

Posted by oz115 at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)

Coffee talk

How come everytime somebody sends a funny e-mail, or makes a funny post on a message board, the recipient invariable writes back something to the effect of, "I laughed so hard, I spilled coffee on my keyboard!" Is there something about reading e-mail that makes people drink coffee while doing so, and wouldn't they not drink coffee because they have a history of snorting coffee out their nose when reading something funny? For examples, consider these widely varied discussions here, here, and here.

You owe me a new keyboard. Just spit coffee all over it. Very Happy

Holy crap, I just drenched my keyboard

DARN IT STAN!!! You owe me a new keyboard! (I can wipe the coffee off the monitor).

Posted by oz115 at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)

A most unusual painting

There's this building by my job, 120 N. LaSalle Street, that has that painted above the main entranceway. It is obviously Daedalus and Icarus. You know those two right? Daedalus built wings out of feathers, and went flying along with Icarus, his son. However, despite his fathers' cautions, Icarus was overly exuberant, and he flew too close to the sun. The wings were held together with wax, and the heat of the sun melted the wax on Icarus's wings. He plunged to his death when the wings fell apart.

So why on earth have this most unpleasant story on a painting above your building? And really, of all the types of buildings to have such a painting, is a SKYSCRAPER really the best? We have been cautioned time and again of the dangers of buildings that are too tall, such as the Tower of Babel, and even the 9/11 attacks against the World Trade Center. Isn't this just another way of flying too close to the sun?

Posted by oz115 at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2007

More picture time

Here's some other pictures I took from my weekend in snowy Buffalo!

Sleeping guy at Midway airport



Go Sabres!



Statue in the entranceway to Corpus Christi Church.



The ceiling at the church.



The Easter bunny at Broadway Market.



Typical Buffalo gas station.



I always like this building, with a great view of the skyline - on the Orange Line on the way home from the airport.

Posted by oz115 at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)

It begins

Well friends, it's that time of year again. The Buffalo Sabres are set to play their first game of the playoffs tonight. I have been waiting for this moment for 10 months. I don't know what will happen, but anything less than a rousing success will be a disappointment in my book.

Tonight’s the night. The words on the minds and lips of Buffalo Sabres fans as their team begins the quest for hockey’s greatest prize also are a line from the song “Better Days” by homegrown rockers the Goo Goo Dolls.

The song will serve as a spine-tingling soundtrack to a video that will be shown on the Jumbotron in HSBC Arena and aired as part of MSG Network game broadcasts throughout the Stanley Cup playoff run.

“And you ask me what I want this year,
“And I try to make this kind and clear,
“Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days,” the Goos sing as a video snapshot of a game-day-in-the-life of Western New York unfolds on the screen.

“The lyrics are a perfect fit,” said Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn, who suggested using the song. “The words embody the dreams and hopes of this team and this community.”

A team generally considered among the best in the 37-year history of the franchise will try to become the first to hoist the Stanley Cup as it begins a bestof- seven series tonight against the New York Islanders.

The sold-out playoff game starts at 8, but pregame activities will kick off at 5:30 outside the arena. The festivities will include music, food and an outdoor broadcast of the game on a giant screen for fans who weren’t lucky enough to snare tickets.

More important questions: will I bust out a playoff beard this year? Does it even matter? Will I suffer another year of Sabres disappointment?

Finally, in the annual lameness test, I just discovered this:

Erie County Executive Joel A. Giambra wagered a bucket of chicken wings against a bushel of Long Island clams in a bet with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.

No! No more freaking food bets!

Posted by oz115 at 10:39 AM | Comments (1)

April 11, 2007

No deal

This guy has a lot of nerve, putting a posting in the "Free stuff" section of Craigslist and asking for something in return:

Gi-normous bag of packing popcorn
Reply to: sale-309641452@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-04-10, 7:27PM CDT
A huge bag of packing popcorn. It's one of the big black garbage bags and it can't even be twist-tied closed. Pickup available tonight or tomorrow night near Loyola University.

It's free, but preference given to anyone who'll give me a large plastic bag (like for outdoor garbage cans) to replace the one it's in because I'm running out and don't want to have to buy them just to give popcorn away.

Posted by oz115 at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2007

If only

How come we can't have girls like this at MY law school?

It was hard to ignore the front page of this morning’s New York Daily News. Reads the headline:

LEGALLY BLONDE Top law student’s crazy naked stunt backfires badly

It seems that Adriana Dominguez, a third-year at Brooklyn Law School, appeared naked in a Playboy TV series that has now made the rounds on the Internet. Dominguez isn’t shy about her exploits, posing for a News photographer yesterday and granting an exclusive interview.

“I wanted to do something a little crazy before I graduate and do become a lawyer . . . do something kind of out of character,” the 24-year-old told the News, adding, “Lawyers can be boring.” She also said she wouldn’t mind if opposing counsel saw these pictures of her.

Posted by oz115 at 05:50 PM | Comments (0)

Damn kids

This was an amusing story out of Buffalo, and it looks like it's getting closer to being resolved:

Mayor Byron W. Brown on Friday said he gave his son the benefit of the doubt, until a detective led the youth to admit what an entire city seemed to suspect: The 16-year-old, not a random thief, took the family auto and crashed it into three parked cars in the neighborhood. The mayor told reporters that he didn’t learn the truth from his son until Thursday afternoon, after the youth confessed to the detective and six weeks after the crashes.

Had the mayor been covering for his son for the past month-and-ahalf, he and his wife could have risked fraud charges.

Michelle Austin-Brown had told police that the Chevrolet Equinox must have been stolen — even though police said the driver had a key to the vehicle that was headed back to the mayor’s home when the crashes occurred.

“We believed one way or the other the truth would come out. And yesterday, the truth came out,” Byron Brown told reporters at a news conference. “And to our deep disappointment as a family, the truth of this is that our son took the vehicle.”

The mayor said that after his son spoke with the detective Thursday, he told his parents he had driven off about 5 a.m. Feb. 24 to meet a friend, with whom he discussed his high school basketball team’s loss the previous evening.

The youth has no driver’s license, only a learner’s permit. Returning home about 7 a.m., he turned onto the family’s street and crashed into two cars parked end to end. He hit a pickup truck with such force that the truck swiveled 90 degrees.

Young Brown then proceeded down Blaine Avenue, intending to park in front of the family home on Blaine near Jefferson Avenue, but he couldn’t find a space.

Spewing car parts, the Equinox went around the block and was abandoned after denting another parked car in front of 121 Loring Ave., in view of some Canisius College security cameras that showed a dark-skinned — but unrecognizable — teenager get out and walk toward the mayor’s home.

That, friends, is a terrible mess. Not only did some kid take the parents' car, crash it and then drive off, the kid happens to be the son of the Mayor of Buffalo. Mind you, this is a city where incompetence is the norm, so I can't say it comes as a surprise. I think the car in question was also owned by the City of Buffalo, as well. And you thought the Bush twins were shameful political children!

Posted by oz115 at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2007

Polska!

If you aren't out celebrating with a bucket of water and twigs, what's the matter with you? Happy Dyngus Day, everyone!

Posted by oz115 at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2007

Strange story

[Link]

I bought this interesting book, City on the Edge, about the history of Buffalo yesterday, and I started reading it last night. It begins with the Pan-American Exposition, which is famous today mostly because it's where President McKinley was assassinated.

In the book, I read a story which literally made my stomach churn. I'll let an online excerpt of the book speak for itself:

Frank C. Bostock, "The Animal King," reported trouble, too. Earlier in the summer, Regal, one of his largest African lions, had died of heat prostration. Now, on the last day of the exposition, Jumbo the elephant, his star attraction, became unmanageable. For several days Jumbo had refused to eat. Then, on the morning of Buffalo Day, he attacked Bostock. That afternoon he knocked his keeper unconscious. Bostock decided to destroy his prized animal. He told the press that he was going to hold a public execution at the stadium on the exposition grounds. Tickets, at fifty cents a person, would be available at the gate. He said: "It is likely that Jumbo will be hanged, or choked to death with chains, in which case other elephants will be used."

There was immediate opposition. Mayor Diehl, John Milburn, and William Buchanan issued a joint statement condemning Bostock's plan. The method of execution, they said, was simply not in accord with the ideals of the Pan American and therefore must not be permitted to occur on the fairground. They had, however, no objection to electrocution.

On Saturday afternoon, November 3, over seven thousand people filled the Pan American stadium to witness the electrocution of Jumbo. The mammoth elephant was chained to two large wooden blocks in the center of the stadium. Long electric wires connected him to a transformer several hundred yards away. Bostock stood in front of him and made a short speech. He told the crowd about Jumbo's military career. He recalled the long voyage from the kingdoms of Africa to the Niagara Frontier and how hard it had been for Jumbo to adjust to life along the Midway. These events, Bostock said, had completely altered Jumbo's sanity. He had become a killer and death by electrocution was the only solution. With no further delay, Bostock gave a signal and Lewis Mills, the electrician, pulled a lever and eleven thousand volts of electricity were shot into the elephant.

Yet nothing happened. The electricity didn't work and Jumbo was still alive. The crowd, almost spontaneously, started to laugh and Bostock, himself incredulous, promised over the din of the laughter that he would refund the tickets. Only later did he realize that Jumbo's hide had the effect of rubber and was impossible to penetrate. Jumbo's execution was stayed.

The book goes on to relate that Jumbo enjoyed many more years of amusing crowds, which while not so nice as roaming the wild or being in a zoo, is probably better than being electrocuted. Can you imagine the outcry that would occur if somebody tried to pull that stunt today? There'd be a riot. I don't think it's right to kill an animal unless it's absolutely necessary. Yes, I know, I eat meat, but that doesn't count.

Posted by oz115 at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)

April 06, 2007

Photo time

Easter in Buffalo means one thing: a trip to the Broadway Market. It's a big, indoor market on the East Side of Buffalo, in what used to be the largest Polish neighborhood in town. Down the street are the houses where my grandparents grew up, and the church where they were married and my mom was baptized. My great-grandma lived there until she was 96. Of course, that was a long, long time ago. Now the neighborhood is broken, run down and infested with gangs. But on Good Friday, the neighborhood and market returns to its old ways, as every person with an ounce of Polish blood in them comes to pick up hams, cakes, and flowers for Easter. I figured I'd take some pictures - these are just a few, because I could only get one of my smart cards to download to the computer.

I'm not the most religious person, but I love old, ornate churches. They're so pretty, and filled with history. I can deal with that. But new, sterile churches are just no fun to be in. Luckily this church is one of the former.

I've also taken an old-fashioned approach to remembering where the heck all the pictures I take come from: writing it on a piece of paper, and then taking a picture of the paper. It's what photographers through the ages have down to document where they are, and I figured I should start to get into the habit before I actually end up somewhere I won't recognize. Anyhow, here's my pictures.

My ghetto note card.


Corpus Christi Church, where my grandparents were married.


The inside of the church, behind the altar.


Sign in the empty lot across from the church.


Dick's East Side Inn. I like the old lady standing outside.


Abandoned liquor store, next to the tavern and across from the market.


Broadway Market sign.


Crowd inside the market.


It wouldn't be Buffalo without a Bills sign.

Posted by oz115 at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)

April 05, 2007

Shuffle off

[Picture]

I've been wanting to use that picture for awhile, so why not now? Today after work I'm headed off to that other city by the Lake, Buffalo. I'm going to see my family, indulge in some Easter eggs, eat a lot of wings, and absorb the Sabres craziness. Yes, that's right, it's almost time for the NHL playoffs, wherein I will become a hermit every other day, until there are no more Sabres games. God willing, that won't be until June. Also, it goes without saying, I'll be celebrating Dyngus Day!

Have a great Easter, all you out there in Internet-land.

Posted by oz115 at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

That's nice and all

There's something wrong with this story:

TEHRAN, Iran - Fifteen British sailors and marines held captive for nearly two weeks left Iran early Thursday aboard a commercial flight bound for London, ending a standoff a day after Iran's president announced their surprise release.

The British crew sat in business class on the British Airways flight that departed Mehrabad International Airport around 8:30 a.m. local time (1 a.m. EDT), an Associated Press reporter at the scene reported.

No first class for these guys? Come on! They only got abducted and threatened with execution. I'm pretty sure American hostages get flown out on, like, Air Force One or something.

Posted by oz115 at 12:07 AM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2007

Could be trouble

I wonder how this latest flag-burning case will turn out:

Three Yale University students, including a Briton and a Greek national, have been charged in a case involving the burning of a U.S. flag outside a Connecticut house, a court official said on Wednesday.

Said Hyder Akbar, 23, Nikolaos Angelopoulos, 19, and Farhad Anklesaria, 19, were arrested on Tuesday and charged in New Haven Superior Court with reckless endangerment, arson, breach of peace, criminal mischief and other offenses.

Police said the three torched a flag hanging from the porch of a house in New Haven near the Ivy League school.

Anklesaria is British and Angelopoulos is Greek. Both are freshmen. Akbar, a senior, was born in Pakistan but is a U.S. citizen, according to police and court documents. Anklesaria and Angelopoulos turned over their passports.

Police gave no indication why they set fire to the flag. The trio acknowledged it was a "dumb thing to do" when questioned by police, the New Haven Register reported.

A "dumb thing to do"? No way! Now, I'm all for free speech, and I think burning an American flag, like other forms of political speech, is worthy of Constitutional protection. I personally don't believe in burning flags, but I think it shouldn't be illegal either, just like other forms of unpopular speech shouldn't be illegal. On the other hand, these guys are in trouble for a number of reasons. It wasn't their flag, they had to trespass on private property to get to the flag, and they could have burned a house down while lighting the flag on fire. In short, it wasn't an act of political speech, but, as the police said, arson. This is exactly how not to make a political statement, much like the famous Rick Monday incident. Yet I still bet this thing gets turned into a Supreme Court case.

Posted by oz115 at 02:25 PM | Comments (1)

April 03, 2007

Why not buy a castle?

Apparently somebody out in Aurora is building a fortified home:

It will be able to withstand tornado-force winds, earthquake tremors and hailstorms.

It will stand up to flying debris, with a roof designed to stay in place under the worst conditions.

That is a profile of what is to be the first "fortified home'' in Aurora, built to specifications of the Institute for Business and Home Safety for protection from the elements.

Walls will be built from pre-cast concrete; protection for windows and doors will increase resistance to natural disasters.

It will be Illinois' second fortified home -- a similar one was erected in Bolingbrook in 2004.

The Aurora house is a collaborative effort of Safe Home Illinois, a partnership of more than 20 organizations brought together by the American Red Cross. Representatives from those organizations made their way to Aurora's near east side Monday morning to watch as ground was broken and walls were erected.

That's a nice idea and all, but who wants to live in a fortified home? Why not just live in a bunker? Sure there isn't much sunlight, it's ugly as sin and is not very friendly, but it can take a direct hit from an artillery round. I hear they have a lot of those in Germany. The only way I'd want to live in a "fortified house" was if I turned into Timothy McVeigh or Randy Weaver.

Posted by oz115 at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)

April 02, 2007

Faux March Madness, the Final Game

Well, we're down to the final game here in the 2007 Faux March Madness. We started with 64 contestants, and that has been whittled down to two: Chewbacca and Abraham Lincoln. Who will prevail in this titanic struggle?

Let's review how they got here first. Abraham Lincoln was the #2 seed in the History Region. He coasted through the bracket, bumping off #15 U.S. Grant, then #7 Genghis Khan to reach the Swell Sixteen. In that round, he disposed of #11 Johannes Gutenberg, then dumped #1 George Washington to win the region. In the Penultimate Four, he dispatched Studs Terkel. But now he faces perhaps his most formidable opponent.

His adversary, Chewbacca, was the #1 seed in the Pop Culture Region. He beat #16 Short Round, then #8 Maxwell Smart, followed by an efficient defeat of #5 Danny Ocean. He beat #7 Marty McFly to win the region, and then vanquished Frank Sinatra in the Penultimate Four.

But only one can be champion... Let's find out who! To answer this burning question, I've broken down my analysis into several categories.

Area of Influence. Lincoln: The United States of America. Chewbacca: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. Advantage: Chewie. A galaxy is pretty large, compared to the puny USA.

Key quote. Lincoln: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Chewbacca: "Wah-ah-ahhh!" Advantage: Lincoln.

Important work. Lincoln: Guided country through Civil War. Chewbacca: Kept Millennium Falcon in shape, allowing Luke to destroy Death Star. Advantage: Lincoln. Luke had the Force, probably would have destroyed Death Star anyway.

Relationships. Lincoln: Mary Todd, who may or may not have been a raging bitch. Lincoln also may or may not have been gay. Chewbacca: Best friend Han Solo, who allows Chewie a life of adventure in space. Advantage: Chewbacca. Chewie seems more fun to be around.

Physical aspects. Lincoln: Tallest president, made beards stylish. Chewbacca: 8 feet tall, but average for a Wookie. Too hairy, described as a "walking carpet." Advantage: Lincoln, by a hair. (Ba doom boom.)

Style. Lincoln: Carried important documents in top hat so as not to lose them. Was gangly, and wore ill-fitting clothes. Chewbacca: Wears some kind of ammunition belt, and nothing else. Advantage: Chewie, Wookies don't need clothes.

Personality. Lincoln: Often described as melancholy, but also possessed of a folksy sense of humor. Chewie: Loyal, obviously good company for Han Solo on long space voyages. Advantage, Chewbacca.

Skills. Lincoln: Writing and oratory. Chewie: Ace mechanic, exceedingly strong. Advantage: Tie. These are both important skills.

Overall winner: it was a closely fought contest, but Chewbacca comes out in the end a 85-84 winner. This was as close as could be, but Chewie barely pulls it out. Congratulations to you, Chewbacca! You are this year's champion!

Stay tuned for more on this exciting event, and click here for the full bracket!

Posted by oz115 at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)