One of the better feelings in the world is when the Bills play a game in which you know its all locked up early in the 3rd quarter.

Today was one of those games

McGahee did his usual number on the Jets with his 1st ever big touchdown run in the NFL…the ones we used to see when he was at the UofMiami.

Defense got really strong as the game went on and thats a great sign for a unit that has had some tough times all year.

Techinically speaking we’re still in the playoff race. We do own a bunch of tie-breakers but we need to win out and get a lot of 7-5 teams to lose a bunch. Don’t get to hopeful

6-7. Hosting Miami next week. Let’s sell it out before the blackout deadline!

Seeing the Sabres wear their retros on the road for the 1st time really gave a feel of authenticity to them that I haven’t felt while seeing them at any point this season.

If you’ll remember, the road team used to always wear the dark uniforms until 2003-04. I hate the change to this day (move made to increase jersey sales only).

I remember as a 7 year old watching Mogilny and LaFontaine and Hawerchuk skating down the ice of the Montreal Forum in these jerseys…and that made me very happy.

But there was a game too last night. Sabres played a real solid game, leaps and bounds from their Florida performance. Montreal came at them with one of their best efforts and still only got a point out of it.

Kudos to Vanek for the slapshot in the shootout. No one saw that coming.

Next game is Tuesday where (according to Rick Jeanneret) Jimmy Hoffa lives…the Meadowlands.

I know it’s a bit late but I felt the need to let my opinions be known on this matter.

Lou Dobbs had a “special edition” of his CNN show at the Ashbury Church about the dying middle class of America.

BuffaloRising had a post about it called “Lou D O DOUBLE B S” [ooooh clever!].

It was crap. And so were most of the comments. I have no problem with people being very optimistic about Buffalo and wanting to make sure we’re portrayed in a positive light but pick your spots and don’t deny our faults. We are what we are!

I got to watch it replayed at 11:30pm Thursday night and I thought it was a perfectly fair show. It discussed the increasing medical insurance costs, and the rapid loss of manufacturing jobs in the US. Dobbs chose Buffalo because we epitomize the old concept of the American middle class. Good neighborhoods, lots of manufacturing jobs to go around, strong public schools, and an affordable way of life. Outside of the last one…we’ve lost the others and it reflects perfectly the decline of the middle class in America.

The truth is the truth. We’re a city that struggles more than most.

Lou Dobbs did not come here to talk about our architecture or how cool Elmwood Ave is or about Bashar Issa’s proposed skyscraper or New Era’s new store and headquarters. And there’s nothing wrong with that fact.

He took a minute to talk about the Ashbury church and said it was a great example of giving back to and being involved in ones community.

Buffalo has lots of good stuff, true. Buffalo also continues to lose jobs and population…also true.

We’re never going to get better unless everyone can accept the problems we have.

Earlier this week, Russell Pawlak of the Central Terminal Restoration Committee came into our architecture class to tell all 375 of us about the story that comes with the infamous East Side structure. Showed us some construction photos taken by a German man who was studying in America in the late 20’s, and told us the neglected history of it.

He’s your typical outgoing, happy, funny, passionate Buffalonian and since most people in my class aren’t from the area they seemed taken aback by his personality.

He mentioned a couple interesting things. One was that he tried to get the Seneca Gaming Corporation to look at the terminal but never had the slightest interest. And something even more interesting was that when the pumped out the million gallons of water that was in the terminal, they had it tested, it was proven to be perfectly clean, and so Russell tried to brand the product “Terminal Water” but I guess that didn’t fly.

As clean as it could be, knowing you’re drinking water from a train station that hasn’t been used since 1979 doesn’t scream out “Thirst Quencher” to me.

After listening to him I’m even more amazed and impressed with the efforts of the CTRC. It takes a lot of love and patience to take care of the Terminal for no money.

I think a lot of the kids were really impressed with the building and were astonished with its’ collapse. If Russell wasn’t invited to come to this class I don’t think 300 of these UB architecture kids would have ever known about this amazing building…and that’s pretty ironic…and sad.

But anyways, visit the terminal and if you’re really really rich, donate about 8-15 million for the complete renovation of the building.

A guy in my architecture class said that “by the time this exam rolls around we’re gonna smell like library.”

It’s true.

Architecture exam tonight and then I can be a blogger again. Oh and I have a really interesting one too, I promise you’ll enjoy it!

Back to the cramming…

As I’ve said before, I lived in Suburban Maryland/DC for 10 years and I have my opinions about that place for sure. Came across an article on SabreFans.com that sums up Washingtonians perfectly. And it’s one of the major reason I came back here.

“Washington D.C. is a bit different. This is a town full of docile people whose indifference needs to be doused with a few well-thrown beers, as was the case on Saturday night. Nobody in D.C. is going to threaten you, but they do come off as whiny metrosexuals, and that might be more reason as why a few beer showers commenced. The thing with D.C. is, it has no regional identity. Nobody besides conservative columnist Pat Buchanan was ever born in the D.C. region. It’s transplant heaven…or hell. Outside of the Redskins, nobody can truly identify with any local team in Washington. That is why you see 50% of the arena filled with Sabres fans when the team comes to town. That and it’s such a woeful hockey market. If you’re looking for good hockey discussion, you may as well head to Raleigh or Atlanta. Hell, at least those cities have legitimate excuses as somewhat recent arrivals on the NHL scene. Washington D.C. has had a team since 1974, if they are aware of that. Washingtoners, Washingtonians, whatever they are, don’t have to put in much of an effort to Balkanize at all… Also, these are some of the most unfriendly, spoiled, silver spoon types that you will encounter.”

Buffalonians, you have no idea how special you guys are. I missed the passion, the obnoxious behavior, the abnormal amount of pride, the amazing ability to take a joke no matter how personal. That’s one of the reasons I’m back here. To be real with real people. Don’t ever change (Or become a Washingtonian)

Last week I got a bit excited when I came across this article in the BizJournal about o2 opening up above the Bijou Grill in the Theatre District. Then this morning,
BuffaloRising did a closer look at it and now I’m even more excited! Although Main Street could probably be better off with o2 in the YaYa’s place, this itself will be good too, in fact it’s kind of cool to have two very different and very awesome restaurants above each other like downtowns with *gasp* DENSITY do.

This is absolutely huge. o2 will definitley bring in the wealthy from Clarence and everywhere else because Sushi in Buffalo is hard to find and this one sounds like it will be on the cutting edge of it.

It’s just amazing how the momentum downtown is so strong. Little things like the upscale Chez Ann Salon, to o2, to the new cobblestone Irish Pub, are coming downtown because they see the trends, the new office buildings, the new lofts, just the whole momentum that downtown has right now. It’s amazing.

Now if only I could convince my parents to finally step foot in downtown Buffalo for the 1st time in about 15 years.

When someone googled “Nick Carter’s beer gut” they were referred to my blog.

That makes me happy.

Stumbled accross this interesting blog called Outside.in. It has about 50 different city pages and keeps a blog roll for each city (I’m on there but not Pundit? Oooookay.) Lacks content but it looks like it has a boat load of potential to be something pretty cool.

I saw this photo on BuffaloRising and couldn’t believe it…

Um I knew we had a lot of surface lots, especially south of the HSBC Tower, but that is embarassing. Makes me want to give Patrick Hotung a glove slap for fighting Paladino over 50 Court to build a parking garage.
And according to the article written by WCP, I think the Mayor hismelf, has also earned one of my famed (or soon to be famed) glove slaps.