After picking up empty heroine bags along Niagara Street, Saturday morning, it was picture time with some local celebrities…

The mayor…

JP Losman…

Peerless Price…

Coy Wire…

Josh Stamer…

Alex Van Pelt drove around in a golf cart handing out “Round Up” for all the weeds growing out of the sidewalks, and Brian Moorman could be seen spotted brushing up stuff around the new courthouse site.

Later on in the day when the event was long over my friends and I saw JP with a couple people still doing landscaping…I don’t think I can ever have a negative opinion of Losman anymore after I’ve witnessed how much he genuinely cares about Buffalo.

Coming back to Buffalo after some time in DC, I forgot how much more…interesting…the train is here.

On today’s train, a middle aged woman who I would classify as a “crack head” talked to herself loudly for most of the ride, talking to her imaginary friend about the history of the NFTA.

No big deal, happens all the time, right?

But as she got off the train she came up to me and reached for my nose, saying “GOT YOUR NOSE!” and then did it to the guy next to me as well.

$3.50 for an all day pass takes you everywhere you want to go in the region, plus some extra entertainment on the side…guaranteed.

Do you find yourself thinking such thoughts as…

*Bills are raising parking prices. This is one of the most devastating things to happen in my life other than the fact that Briere and Drury left.

*American Axle closed which obvs means Buffalo is now as good as dead. How there are any people living in downtown apartments if manufacturing jobs are gone?!@?!

*If the Hyatt is getting $5 million in public funds to renovate why can’t I have the government pay for half of renovations I’m doing on my single family home in Cheektowaga? How ridiculous that the government fund a downtown project that they already financed to begin with.

If so…likeminded folk await you in the comment sections of each WGRZ article. Although there are some interesting thoughts and insights, I’m usually overwhelmed with the written word of the most cliche Buffalonians.

Always good times when you look at the local craigslist personals. Great one here…

Put out for playoff tix? Ohhhhhh Buffalo, you’ve got some special people.

Well although the Courtyard Mall is still undergoing renovations and doesn’t look open yet, the NYS Office of Parole IS up and running and today I got a great taste of it myself.
I was taking the Light Rail from the Inner Harbor to Theatre Station and when we stopped by “Court” Station, a young man got on, talking on his cell phone saying…

Yeah man, he got caught with the gun AND murder. That’s his third time man…
Nah man I wasn’t there, I was still in jail on my gun charge when he shot the dude…Yeah man, right in the head…

This conversation stayed on the same topic for the next 10minutes until I got off. So umm…hooray for the new NYS Parole Office on Main Street?!

Last night someone requested directions (to where, I don’t remember) so I directed them to go towards City Hall and then north. He proceeded to tell me “What the hell is City Hall?” And I told him “That really big building” he then responded…”Oooohhhhhhh the big penis! Yeah I know where that is!”

I opened up this weeks Artvoice to see an ad for Coles on Elmwood that says if you bring in your McGahee jersey, they’ll turn it into bar rag and you’ll get $20 worth of drinks.

Nice.

“People are going to cars and knocking on windows,” said North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. “They’re even hanging out around churches and hitting up senior citizens for money when they leave Mass.”

Is that Eastern Europe? No, its Buffalo.

Glad to see that the City Council is trying to do something about the panhandler problem in Buffalo although I’m not sure about ID’s doing the trick.
As someone who has spent time in DC, Toronto, NYC and 9999999999 other places I gotta tell you that Buffalo has the toughest panhandlers in America.
Where as in NYC or DC I might have a panhandler do a freestyle rap or some juggling trick, I have really upsetting experiences with the ones in downtown. I had one guy follow me and my friend for literally half an hour all over the theatre/enterainment districts trying to explain some wierd financial plan that required our investment. I have had the “Gold Chain Dealer” make me miss a metro because he wouldn’t let me pass him until he explained to me how awesome his gold chains are.
I have too many more stories to share but I’ll spare you.
It’s funny because I always assumed that since Buffalo is a poor city that the panhandlers woulnd’t even bother whereas in DC or NYC they know they can find a sympathetic and wealthy person.
I think (at least with downtown) the main problem is that so few people walk around town so when a homeless guy finds you, he clutches on to you and just keeps following you until you dissapear.

A lot of the old guard of Buffalo are vehemently opposed to the Gates Circle condos coming up (in case you haven’t noticed). Now, I’m all for people having different opinions but not if they’re supid.

Here are the biggest arguments used so far…
1. Park Lane restaurnant is an historical old building! How can you tear that down??!?!?!!
Well um…it was built in the 1970’s and designed obvs to emmulate a 18th-19th century (?) bavarian look. Sooooo you’re wrong.
2. It will obstruct the views of the residents nearby!!! How dare you take away their views!!
We live in a city. In most cities there are tall buildings…even Buffalo (!) If you live near prime real estate, you should anticipate possible growth around it.
And my favorite one…
3. “THE DESIGNS ARE UGLY!”
Uniland hasn’t release a damn thing yet. Nothing. At all. Sad thing is I’ve heard that be said by at least ten people.

Oh old Buffalo, you’re so funny sometimes when you’re not preventing the city from evolving.

Not much foot traffic on Main Street downtown these days (decades) but no matter what time of day or year, there will be two silhouettes dancing in front of “Get Dressed” obviously making you feel a little more comfortable being the only person strolling down the pedestrian mall.

Oh Buffalo, we have soooo much work to do.