Figmo posts:

Today is an election day and lots of folks don’t know where to vote. Think you know where you’re supposed to go?

You’d better call 858-8891 and be sure.

Evidently, because of “District Consolidation”, not all polling places are open today and some have simply been moved.

Don’t let this election be determined by apathy. We don’t care for whom, but today please call the number above, find out where to vote, and make a difference.

As Figmo says - it’s almost as if they didn’t want you to vote.

While Ford USA scraps the execrable, uninteresting, uninspired Freestar minivan, Ford Europe releases the newest iteration of the Galaxy minivan, and a brand-new offering called the “S-Max”.

Maybe if Ford USA was half as inventive and creative in interior & exterior design as Ford Europe, it’d be in a better financial position than it finds itself today.

Even Europe’s Focus Mk II is cooler than the Mk I with which we’re stuck.

I finally uploaded the last batch of pix from Mexico.

The last few days were notable for a nasty cold & cough I got, some fun in the pool, a few trips back into town, and a last bit of shorts-wearing before returning to temps under 60 degrees.

The Malecon - the walkway along the beach - has beautiful sculpture installations every 300 feet or so.

On our last night, we had to get out of the Groundhog-Day-like sameness of all-inclusive eating and check out the unfortunately named “Pipi’s” restaurant:

If you want a dark Dos Equis, you order this:

If you want fresh guacamole made at your table, you ask for this:

If you like fajitas, but can’t decide which type to get, go for the combo:

They don’t just come sizzling, they come flambeed.

Then walk back to the Malecon to check out the sunset.

On the morning of your departure, kiss the view goodbye.

Upon departing, kiss the Pacific and the Banderas Bay goodbye.

An hour later, enjoy the choking smog of Mexico City.

And a short 3+ hour flight later, you’ll find yourself over Lake Erie, with Cedar Point in view.

And a decidedly chillier sunset.

The whole set is at Flickr.

Coming in March 2006: El Paso, Texas.

Chris Byrd posted a .pdf version of the mailer that many Amherst residents received from Wal-Mart in recent days.

Regardless of my personal view of Wal-Mart, it looks like a piece of Cuban propaganda. So, comrades - please check out the images!

The happy couple joyfully shopping the glorious people’s emporium

…the schoolteacher happily teaching the happy students, thanks to that $350k in annual property taxes Wal-Mart would pay to Amherst

…the happy, white family of four standing in front of their white Chrysler minivan - waiting with joy to quickly go and save more with every dollar they spend on Chinese crap

….the workers toiling with smiles and love for the Dear Leader whilst wearing their grey smocks and earning their average $10.00/hour.

Long Live the Glorious Wal-Mart Revolution!

(Now someone photoshop a smiley face wearing a Mao cap into a communist propaganda poster).

Kelly has something of an extended rant about the News’ coverage yesterday of what he calls the “Buffalo Prefecture of Blogistan”. Every point he makes is quite valid, indeed. David at Fix Buffalo has also pointed out that the News is just starting to notice blogs, while other papers - like the Toronto Star and the Syracuse Post-Standard actually host reporters’ blogs.

Kelly says that the News’ article and its layout belies a sort of ignorance of the web in general, and blogs in particular. Why is http in some urls and not others? Why is Erin’s site’s url never mentioned? Why no clickable links in the online edition? Good points.

But as for the criticism that the News did the story as a primer rather than actualy coverage of what’s going on in Buffalo blogs, I’ll give the News the benefit of the doubt. You can’t start covering something unless you’ve first explained what the hell it is that you’re covering, given that a good 80% of folks don’t know what a blog is, much less read one.

I know that on alternate Mondays, the News has a columnist who writes for the “Link” who’s got the “blog” beat - Greg Connors. My wish is that he’d focus on local blogosphere goings on (and there’s certainly enough to fill a column) rather than what Kos or Engadget are up to.

One site has been subtracted from my sidebar.

In its place, I have added “All Things Buffalo“. Check out their post (it’s a group effort) on the Main Place Mall.

If you live in the 60th Senate District, today is election day for you.

If you don’t know whether you live in the 60th Senate District, check here. Chances are, if you live in Buffalo, Grand Island, City of Tonawanda, and Niagara Falls - today is election day.

The candidates are Democratic Buffalo City Councilman Marc Coppola and Republican member of the Buffalo Board of Education, Chris Jacobs.

It’s not my district, and it’s for state legislature. If you’re a Democrat, remember that it’s very possible that, come November, there’s a shift in the state Senate over to our side. If you’re a Republican, you probably don’t live in the 60th to begin with, thanks to gerrymandering.

But either way - no matter whom you vote for - please vote today.

One thing I didn’t expect about Mexico was the decidedly Euro variety of cars that was available for sale there that you and I couldn’t dream of driving here.

Some of you may know that Renault and Nissan have formed an “alliance”. Nissan’s ex-CEO, Carlos Ghosn - a guy who practically single-handedly rejuvenated that marque - is now setting out to do the same thing for Renault. I spotted a Megane on Puerto Vallarta’s Malecon, as well as several Renault Clios. What was also interesting was a plethora of Nissan-badged Clio sedans, called the “Platina“.

Back in the day, SEAT (pron: SAY-aht) was to Franco’s Spain what Lada was to Soviet Russia. Since bought by Volkswagen, SEAT makes some downright sexy cars.

Here’s a couple of SEAT Cordobas I spotted in Vallarta last week:

UPDATE: I almost forgot the antithesis to the Ford Explorer/Expedition/Excursion monstrosities we see here with some frequency.

The Ford Ka 1.6:

In the US, BMW’s smallest car is the 3-series. Abroad, they sell a subcompact called the 1-series. Here’s a 120i registered in Jalisco State:

Finally, Peugeot is sold in Mexico, as well. Here are a couple of shots I got of 206s. I especially love the gold one on the bottom.

One thing that’s missing from the whole parking enforcement issue is a strong statement from Mayor Byron Brown on the issue.

I’m not really all that concerned about the content of that statement - just that he picks an opinion and expresses it unequivocally.

Last night I attended a thing Artvoice put on called “Geek Meet”. The first batch of presenters involved technical aspects of the web and “Web 2.0″ in which I’m not particularly interested. Paul Visco from elmwoodstrip.com gave one of those presentations, and you can check out his impressions here.

One woman spoke for about 3 minutes about using blogs for non-profits, and she pointed out that the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House’s site uses a modified Wordpress platform, which looks pretty good.

I caught the tail end of Cynthia Van Ness’ presentation on using the web for research. Unbelievable amounts of stuff there. I especially love the old maps of the City to which she links.

Schneider Digital, which is behind Buffalo Rising, (among others), gave a super-cool presentation on web design.

3 Created, of which I’d never heard, and which runs the “Buffalo Fly Girls” site, and others, gave a super-lame presentation using powerpoint, which was little more than a half-baked sales pitch. Bzzzzt.

David Coffee talked about blogs and politics. But by that time, it was getting pretty late and the crowd had thinned out. While David made some good points, there were few I didn’t already know. It was the standard spiel about how blogs can affect politics. I don’t know that they can, frankly. Not yet. All this is still in its infancy, as far as local politics is concerned.

Once we get a local politician who actually runs a blog on his/her site, then we’ll talk.

UPDATE: Christina reminds me in comments of her own campaign’s daily blog, which I read and linked to. I guess what I was getting at was “endorsed, big-party candidate” running a blog. I definitely think that unendorsed and minor-party candidates could make a big splash by blogging, and I think they would recognize that more readily.

And I don’t know why more haven’t.

I think voters want politicians who speak up and out. I think they want politicians who have strong opinions and aren’t afraid to voice them. I think people don’t always like having their news filtered through the paper or the radio or the TV, and want rapid reaction straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth.

Anyhow, the Geek Meet was interesting, but a bit disorganized and, to what I do, mostly irrelevant. But hopefully they’ll reorganize it and do more of them. Perhaps future ones can have a central theme or focus. Because I won’t spend even a few moments sitting through a presentation on some new web language or other obscure backend thing.

The Beast’s current issue has a field day with the whole Muhammed-blasphemy-cartoon rioting.

My absolute favorites are “Cathy” and “Fatwah Circus”.

The Buffalo News’ story on blogging is in today’s City - Region section and online here.

The woman in the foreground is Erin. I don’t know who the bald guy in the back is.

The Amazing Race returns in all its globe-trotting glory tomorrow (Tuesday the 28th) at 9pm. The last iteration was a family-of-four romp through North America. I.e., a snoozefest. Except it did end up in Lewiston.

TAR 9 will visit more…exotic locales.

And, evidently, “BJ and Tyler” are this season’s Kevin and Drew.

Disclaimer: I write for Spree.

Quick: Where’s the best place to get a manicure in Western New York? Which of the region’s many outdoor festivals is the most fun? Who’s got the best radio voice? What is THE spot to catch a perfect sunrise?

Buffalo Spree is giving its readers the chance to weigh in on those urgent questions—and nearly 200 more—for a survey to run in its May/June 2006 issue. There’s a ballot listing all the categories in the March issue, available now, and on our website (www.buffalospree.com). We want to hear everything: not just who’s got the best chicken wings and pizza (though of course we’re asking about those and two dozen other dishes and drinks), but where to people-watch, why to head downtown, and whom to turn to for local news. We want suggestions on how to make the most of $5, how to blow $100, where to be snowed in, and which arts organizations in town are doing the best work these days. We’ve got questions about nightspots, sports teams, neighborhoods, doggy day care, even the most promising vacant lots in town.

We’re so eager to find out what Western New Yorkers think about our community, in fact, that we’re going to be giving away prizes, including a drawing for a $300 night on the town with dinner and theater tickets (for a randomly selected entry) and $200 in gift certificates (for the best write-in category and answer).

The deadline for submitting ballots by mail or online is March 16, 2006.

We’ll be combining reader votes with recommendations by specially selected panels consisting of Spree writers and local experts in each field (food/drink; arts/culture; sports/outdoors; retail/services; WNY life). And we’ll be revealing the winners at a gala event at Shea’s Performing Arts Center (646 Main St.) on Thursday, April 27 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., complete with fabulous fare from some of the area’s best restaurants, live music, raffles, and more. The event will benefit Carly’s Club of Roswell Park, supporting kids and cancer research in WNY. Tickets are $30 in advance (call 634-0320 ext. 2202) and $40 at the door.

We know you’ve got opinions about what makes WNY such a great place to live. Now it’s time to share them with the world!

Thank God. I missed the news, but the news is good. Every single important issue in Albany has, evidently been solved. Taxes are at the US average. Medicaid fraud is being aggressively combatted, and our most-generous-and-expensive-in-the-nation program has been whittled down to a level that still provides essential services to needy people, but does so in a more cost-effective way.

How do I know this?

Because State Senator Dale Volcker has time to turn his attention to such important, pressing matters of state such as…

…video games.

What’s that you say? New York’s legislature is still hopelessly dysfunctional?

Think I’ll fire up the ol’ PS2 and play some GTA: San Andreas. Or The Getaway 2

How to get your server shut down:

Get someone at Fark to link to an image, video, or audio file on said server.

Congratulations to wnymedia.net for their first Farking.

Jen’s dad was in an accident, and he was too tall to squeeze into her mom’s Mini Cooper. So, Jen’s driving it. Hope he’s doing well.

The Mini Cooper S is still the car for which I pine. But Jen sums up my dilemma nicely:

And the baby seat factor is a major pain in my ass. Will doesn’t exactly climb on into his carseat on his own so I have to flip the passenger seat all the way forward, kind of step into the car with one leg, twist around to grab him if he has not yet run away into the street and then plop him down into the seat. Picture him squirming and flailing his arms about as I strap him in. One or more of his trains will hit me in the head as he squeals. Then I step out of the car, straighten out my broken back and wipe the baby footprints off my leg.

That’s verging on Houdini-esque.

But it’s tempered by this:

Other than that, driving this car is fun fun fun!

Cooper S. Black. Green top. Union Jack mirror covers. Oh, and make it a ‘vert. Should be easier to deal with the car seat if there’s no top on the car.

“Haw haw.”

A few weeks ago, the news broke that the Buffalo cops were going to be super-ultra vigilant about that scourge or Western Civilization, and the single most important law enforcement issue facing the City of Buffalo.

The parking violator.

While East Side gangs whooped it up and West Side heroin dealers chuckled to themselves, Buffalo’s finest were making sure that your Hyundai would pay - PAY dammit! - if it was parked at a meter for a minute overtime.

And when I posted, there were not a few people who took the view that, well, tough shit. Obey the rules & you won’t get a ticket.

Fair enough.

So, why is it that the police themselves can park illegally all throughout the downtown core - within a few blocks of such high-trafficked areas such as the courthouses - with complete and utter impunity?

You. Guys. Got. Pwn3d.

Every day, scores of vehicles park in the “No Standing” and “No Parking” zones in front and around the headquarters building - and don’t get ticketed.

Just seven tickets have been issued on cars parked on Church Street so far this year.

More than 11,000 parking tickets have been issued this year in other locations around the city.

Last year, between Jan. 1 and Feb. 10, there were 2,472 tickets issued citywide.

Here’s a pleasant anecdote:

Kristina L. Mack, 55, is one Buffalo motorist who is fed up with the apparent double standard. She got a $35 ticket earlier this month when she and her husband parked on Walden Avenue. She said the “No Parking” sign was so far down the street that she never saw it.

A few days later, she was driving downtown along Church Street when she saw a law enforcement officer getting into his car, which was parked right under a “No Standing” sign. She said she rolled down her window and asked why he didn’t get a ticket.

” “Luck of the draw, lady,’ ” Mack said the officer told her.

They love to make you feel like shit.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week, News staffers found 27 to 29 cars parked illegally in those zones during normal business hours.

The cars - all of which would be visible from the police commissioner’s office window - were never ticketed while News staffers were observing.

On Wednesday, a parking lot attendant on Church Street eagerly pointed out to a reporter a row of cars parked on Upper Terrace, a dead end street that runs alongside the on ramp to Route 5.

“Come see,” said the attendant, who did not want to give his name.

A large portion of Upper Terrace was designated “No Parking Except Official Police Vehicles,” and the rest was “No Parking Any Time.”

Three of the cars in the official zone appeared to be unmarked sheriff’s cars, but the remaining 20 vehicles were registered in individual’s names.

“These are officers,” the attendant yelled. “They’re supposed to follow the law.”

Supposed to. But who’s gonna make them?

The News spoke with Bob Meegan. He complained that they can’t get free parking into the police contract. Because it’s not enough that a City cop doesn’t have to live in the City he serves - he shouldn’t have to pay to park there, either.

Police officers get parking tickets, too, said Meegan, who added he pays to park in a downtown lot. He pointed out that a $30 ticket is a hardship to a rookie cop making just $30,000 a year.

Also to a hairdresser making $26,000 a year. Or a *insert occupation here* making *fill in an amount* a year.

When the News pointed out to Meegan that cops park illegally on Church Street,

“I do know there are some judges that park on Church Street,” he added.

You should remember to use that, too, next time you get a ticket. Two wrongs make a right.

As for the lack of ticketing on Church, Meegan said, he “didn’t know why they wouldn’t be ticketed, but that’s not my call.”

He dismissed civilians’ complaints about unfair ticketing practices.

“Those are the same people that get mad at the police for going through a red light on their way to a murder or rape,” he said.

Riiiight. That’s just the type of respect for “civilians” you want to see from the head of the PBA. How reassuring.

And when informed of The News’ investigation Friday afternoon, Meegan said, “I guess we’ll have to check the Buffalo News,” which is located downtown as well.

Because the only currency that’s legal tender with some local officials is “payback.”

I want to sincerely thank Christina Abt, Chris Grant, and Buffalo Watchdog, who contributed in my absence. While I confess that I didn’t read every post and follow every comment thread while I was away, what I did see impressed me. Not only were the posts insightful; not only did they offer a perspective different from mine in many ways, but they also generated a great volume and general quality of discussion.

And for that, I thank you, my readers. Without you guys, this site would be a lot less fun to read, and pretty damn boring and unfullfilling to write.

I also had a phantom admin running things from the backend during my absence. Buffalo Girl didn’t post, but comments were moderated, formatting issues were addressed, and everything operated properly.

Now? Ever onward.

I thought that this post was pretty gracious. Considering.

I guess why I merit this shit:

Whatever. You know? What-the fuck-ever.

I am a moron. I’m a moron for paying that guy a stitch of attention.

He can walk his crooked mile and keep his crooked sixpence.

Having the chance to help run the joint while the CEO vacationed (not sure he exactly gets the the meaning of that term) was a blast!

I enjoyed bearing the momentous responsibility with Chris and Mark and interacting with all the great bloggers who wrote in to debate/discuss the issues.

So welcome back Alan and thanks for sharing!

There will be a public hearing held on the question of removing the tolls at Black Rock and Ogden Street on Thursday, March 2 at 10:00 in the Buffalo and Erie County Library Auditorium at One Lafayette Square.

The Chairman of the NYS Assembly Committee Transportation will hold the hearing, and the whole thing was organized by Erie County Clerk David Swarts, with the help of Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.

Vacation was wonderful, and I’m home in snowy WNY.

As you could tell from the Flickr set, we stayed at quite the nice resort near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - and for the first time, it was an all-inclusive. Which is to say that the resort charged you a small fortune every day for the privilege of eating and drinking all you wanted.

While at first glance, that seems like a heavenly proposition - it has its downside, as well. We basically had to eat the same food in the same place every day. The selection seldom changed, so it was a bit groundhog day-esque.

The first day, I went batty, trying a little of this and a little of that, and I was rewarded with a stomach issue that laid me out that night and the whole next day. By Tuesday, I was well enough to join the family in town, and that was quite rejuvenating and fun. Puerto Vallarta is a great little town indeed.

But by Wednesday, I had sinus pressure to beat the band and was feeling like I had a flu, complete with low-grade fever. Thursday the sinus was gone, but I had a bad cough and still felt a little shitty. Friday, the cough sounded like the hack of an 80 year-old smoker, but I was otherwise ok.

We went into town both Thursday and Friday evenings, and you’d be amazed at the pollution in the air. Every dilapidated diesel bus and 25 year-old Nissan cab was spewing God knows what into the air, which also contained emissions from just about every other thing within the bowl in which Puerto Vallarta lies. Plus dust - lots of dust. That pollution didn’t help my cough.

Yesterday was smooth sailing. Picked up a flight from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City. It was a 1 hour hop, and we had a great view of the center of Mexico City as we landed. It’s simply enormous. The air there, too, is a mix of smoke, diesel particulate, and haze that makes lungs hurt.

And, BTW - if you sit in row 9 on a Mexicana A319, ask to be moved. It’s in front of an exit row, so the seatbacks don’t recline.

Mexico City’s airport is long and not very well laid out, but it’s got shopping - some of which is world-class. We got two world-class Toblerones and a second-class sandwich. For drink, try Manzana Lift - an apple soda.

Yes, we were in row 9 of a Mexicana A319 for the flight from Mexico City to YYZ, but it was only about 3.5 hours long. After we reached the Gulf Coast, it was thick cloud cover all the way to the unmistakeable terrain of Cedar Point and Point Pelee towards the western part of Lake Erie. We arrived at YYZ at some terminal of which I had never heard (the gate number was literally something like 523), and had to take a bus back to passport control at Terminal 1. But the bus ride took a good 20 minutes because we were clear on the other end of the runways, and planes (at the busiest time of night for transatlantic departures) have right of way.

Which leads me to conclude something.

While I certainly enjoyed my vacation, despite even being sick during most of it, and had a great time with my family, sitting-around-a-resort vacations are decidedly not my cup of tea. I just can’t sit still like that for a week at a time, and I can’t look at the same pool and the same princesses from Scarsdale and Caldwell and the same princes from Lexington and Larchmont day in, day out. I can’t eat the same food at the same place every day, either.

Every day of your life falls into a routine. I don’t want to replace one routine for another.

I much prefer having a hotel as a home base and exploring a city or region on my own - eating at restaurants recommended in a tour book or an issue of Gourmet. I also enjoy having no home base, and just a car. Drive and explore and figure out where you’ll stay when you get there. It’s out of the routine and there’s an element of the unknown in that.

So, it’s been 10 years since I last did a “sit around the beach” vacation, and it’ll probably be another 10 before I do one again. And next time, I might rent a car and explore the area.