Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show...(the opening lines of David Copperfield as written by Charles Dickens;inspired by MTM). Or at least this ACCOUNT will, perhaps, have a reflection on whether I'm going to be the hero in my own life.
So before the light
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night~~~In The Still Of the Night - The Five Satins
Hey!!! Here is a twist---nothing out-of-the-ordinary, at the workplace this week.
On Tuesday, 22 February, I had some blood-work done at Quest. The technician took four vials from me. I'm thinking that Doctor O'Neill must be trying to cover all the bases. And even though it was cold, I had to get an EKG, so I sauntered up to Millard Fillmore Suburban to have that taken care of. I literally had to park at the tail-end of the lot. Thank God for the little Scooter---that could.
Much revolutionary contagion in the news this week. What has been an everyday activity in Madison Wisconsin, has become contagious domestically. This contagion has become a catalyst in several other states, from both---the governing body, as well as the affected state-employees, standpoint. In effect, even as the state-employees have expressed a willingness to concede wage and benefit provisions, the governing bodies are hell-bent on breaking the collective-bargaining apparatus. As of this time, there appears to be five other states, besides Wisconsin, that are looking to get their budgets out-of-the-red by adopting this union-busting strategy. And~~~everybody is watching.
On the international beat, the activity that everybody is still watching is the Pan-Arabic Epiphany. Of course, whom is center-stage, but the megalomaniac himself, Muammar Gaddafi, the self-proclaimed president of Libya. From the Halls Of Montezuma, to The Shores of Tripoli!! By mid-week, he is blaming Osama bin Laden for all his woes, and he is labeling his enemies Rats & Cockroaches. Hmmmmm!!! I'm going to take that as a complement---rats and cockroaches have been around FOREVER.
I did not know this, but as huge as Libya is, it has just six-million countrymen. If the Tripoli metropolitan area(district area) has a population of 1,065,405(2006 census), and Benghazi, the population of the entire district was 500,120 in 1995 (census) and has increased to 670,797 in the 2006 census, most everybody else is living along the Mediterranean Sea coastal areas. As TIME MAGAZINE puts it, this week: Gaddafi's Last Stand---The Arab revolution confronts a dictator determined to keep power at all costs. Expect a bloody old-fashioned civil war. What is at stake?? An oppressed people taking aim at the possibility of an established Republic to be governed by legitimately elected officials in a constitutional structure.
Oh~~~wait; gasoline!!! What was I thinking?!?!? Of course it is the gasoline, that is at stake!! Why would we care about anything else. Hell!! I wouldn't be surprised if we dropped in some DESERT FOX Delta-Special-Forces Units, and just plain take over the oil production fields in the western part of Libya. And to make sure that the shore outlets for the oil were not sabotaged by Gaddafi, we would send the USMC---into TRIPOLI. Heck!! It is not like we haven't done that~~~before.
NB: Terrified residents of Tripoli said today they are barricaded in their homes, describing a city under siege where armed gangs loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are shooting people indiscriminately.
Fears are growing that a desperate but defiant Gadhafi -- who has lost control of most of the country except for Tripoli -- may also use chemical weapons and aerial bombardment, as Russian-made helicopters packed with firearms buzzed over the capital.
"I am beyond scared and my little daughters are beyond scared," a businessman -- who wanted to be referred to as Massin -- told AOL News today via Skype from his home in central Tripoli.
"We don't dare go out. We don't know what's going to happen. Gadhafi's guys are driving around in cars shooting at everyone to scare us. We are all fearing the worst."
Rahm Emanuel, formerly of The White-House Chief-of-Staff, did successfully win the election to become Mayor of the City of Chicago. Chicago has always been my~~~Second-City, so I was following this current event and wanted to include this
in my reflections.
AP - Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago, easily overwhelming five rivals to take the helm of the third-largest U.S. city as it prepares to chart a new course without the retiring Richard M. Daley.
Emanuel trounced all opponents with 55 percent of the vote - a margin that allowed him to avoid an April runoff. He needed more than 50 percent to win outright.
It was the city’s first mayoral race in more than 60 years without an incumbent on the ballot and the first in more than two decades without Daley among the candidates. Daley and his father have led Chicago for more than 43 out of the last 56 years.
Emanuel called the victory “humbling” and thanked Daley for his lifetime of service, saying the outgoing mayor had “earned a special place in our hearts and our history."
But he added: “We have not won anything until a kid can go to school thinking of their studies and not their safety. Until the parent of that child is thinking about their work and not where they are going to find work, we have not won anything.”
With his straight-forward, and sometimes in-your-face approach, Chicago will continue to hold down the reputation as the Big-City---that works.
On 23 February, 2011, the City of Buffalo had a historic development unfold at the HSBC Arena. The ownership of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team was changing hands. History has those 'moments' that define a manifest-destiny. Clinton DeWitt's Ditch, Seward's Folly, The Lewis & Clark Expedition, and the Louisiana Purchase are the building-blocks to facilitate an objective's completion. Buffalo can now be included in this sense of its own Manifest-Destiny---with the Pegula-Purchase, of The Buffalo Sabres.
The introduction of the Sabres' new owner was an unquestioned success in HSBC Arena. He laughed, cried and proved himself to be a Buffalo guy, albeit one with deep pockets.
"I can tell you one thing: I'm a fan," the 59-year-old said. "You won't find a bigger fan than me because I just bought a hockey team. That's a pretty big commitment as a fan. There's only 29 other fans in the country that can pull that off."
None of the previous three fans/owners of the Sabres was able to win a championship, but Pegula repeatedly said that is his only goal. Prior owners, notably outgoing boss B. Thomas Golisano, looked at the bottom line harder than the win column. Pegula, who became a billionaire with a Pennsylvania oil and natural gas exploration business, promised to spend whatever it takes to bring titles to Buffalo.
"If I want to make some money, I'll go drill a gas well. I don't need to make it in the hockey business," Pegula said. "Starting today, there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres' hockey department. ... I'm going to make decisions based on winning the Stanley Cup and what is right for the fan base and the team.
"We will aspire to be the best in the league at finding, developing and keeping our players in their new Buffalo Sabre family."
For a sports town that has experienced more than its share of heartache, the words were inspiring.
"He believes in Buffalo and Western New York," National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "He is probably as committed as anybody has ever been to bringing the Stanley Cup to Buffalo, so this is a great day for hockey in Buffalo."
It was a day that started back in 1975. Pegula, a Florida resident who previously lived in Olean and Orchard Park, became entranced by the Sabres during their run to the Stanley Cup final, particularly dazzling young center and future Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault. Pegula couldn't get enough. A season-ticket holder from 1980 to 1999, he said many times through the years he was going to own the team.
"There's a magazine article on me that was written in around 1991 or '92, and I said in there I wanted to own a hockey team. It was the Buffalo Sabres," Pegula said. "The genesis started a long time ago. The serious part of it was last spring."
His resources finally matched his desire. He told his friend Cliff Benson about the dream, and the next thing Pegula knew he was sitting in a Pittsburgh club talking with Sabres minority owners Larry Quinn and Dan DiPofi.
Nearly one year and $189 million later, the longtime fan is in charge.
"This is so huge for him it's hard to put into words," said Benson. "He loves this place. He loves this team. The cliche is 'dream come true,' and this has been his dream for a long, long time.
"This isn't a hobby. From the minute he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed every night, it's going to be Buffalo Sabres, and it's going to be fun."
It was clear soon after the news conference started how much the day meant to Pegula. He looked to his right, saw Perreault and broke down. With his face flush and tears filling his eyes, Pegula said, "You're my hero." Vogel/Buffalo News
The Sabres had a home game Wednesday evening against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers are coached by the onetime Sabres famous Checking-Line stalwart Craig Ramsey. And the contest has some pre-game festivities celebrating the new ownership. Included in the pre-game show, is bringing onto the ice---The French Connection. I was impressed with Rene Robert!! He still has a spring in his skate as the French Connection were making their way to center ice. In the FORTY FOR FORTY picks of the best Sabres ever---Robert is ranked; number 11(good number). I intend on getting that selection autographed. And trust me, I have the 'connection' to make that happen. Still working on number 2; Gilbert Perrault, and number 4; Richard Martin. I just may have a CONNECTION for that autograph!!
So Thursday, 24 February, I'm at this dinner that is related to activities that are part & parcel with my routines at the Board. It is a salute to the Democratic ECBOE Commissioner Dennis Ward. Plenty of fanfare, speeches, and very good food.
In getting home, I find myself having to deal with a major reparation project. Those whom know me well, know that when traversing the shorter distances, I do so using two canes. The one cane that is ALWAYS in my left-hand is the cane with the brass elephant-head handle. I was so upset. The opening of the handle that is fastened onto the nodule of the upper part of the cane~~~came apart; completely separated. After recomposing myself, I realized I had to do something to correct the problem. First of all, I need two canes; am not able to mobilize on anything less. Secondly, the cane has sentimental value. The cane has been in the extended-family for at least three decades now. I set about to remake something from nothing. Having Andrew as my 'runner', in my good clothes, using power drill tools, I am doing reparation work of this cane, on the newly-placed, kitchen floor. It was a bit tricky because much of the work was being done free-form; that is to say, I did not have any vices to grip the material that I was trying to make sure stayed aligned as I was sending the drill-bit through. The end result was magnifique!! My elephant-head-handled cane~~~is as good as new.
Friday, 25 February, is an anniversary of sorts. It was 47 years ago that my Father did something for me, that I continue to hold dearest, as a Father/Son memorable moment. On 25 February, 1964, was the first Cassius Clay~~~Sonny Liston Fight. Even at 13 years old, I KNEW THIS TO BE AN EPOCH SPORTING EVENT. And I subsequently was able to learn that even as the fight was taking place in Miami, FL, it was going to be made available to the viewing audience in Buffalo, NY via the technology of closed-circuit television at The Century Theatre in downtown Buffalo, NY. In conversations with his brother, my Uncle Pat, I had discerned that my Father was going to attend this event. I begged him, and begged him, to allow me to attend this event with him. He, of course, at first would not allow it. It was simple economics for a family that was trying to survive~~~living on the other-side of the tracks. The tickets were $25.00 a head; first-come, first-served. Come fight-night, he told me to put on a warm coat---and decided to take me!! I was excited and admittedly scared, at the same time. Keep in mind---this is downtown Buffalo in 1964, and the two world-class prize-fighters that are in this bout, are Black; African-American. In close-quarters, I had never been in such a large gathering mix of blacks and whites. My Dad and I were pulling for Cassius Clay---"What's My Name; What's My Name?!?!"
Thank you, Dad!!! I tried to make good on that memorable moment by taking my Father to the Ray Boom-Boom Mancini/Livingstone Bramble fight, in downtown Buffalo, NY at The Aud, in June of 1984. While this fight sadly, did not turn out to our expectations, I know my Father had a good time.
So Saturday, 26 February, Andrew and I go for supper at the Star of India Restaurant on Delaware Avenue here in Kenmore. It has started to snow, so the roads and walkways are starting to get slick. As I am making my way beyond the back of the van to get up the snow-cleared part of the curb that is in front of The Star of India Restaurant, Andrew hustles ahead~~~to get the door. Of course, while he is getting the door~~~I'm still---in the street. There is a 'silent-shroud-of-snow' already on the surfaces. The curb is high and there is no railings. So here goes!!! As hard as I could try, I could not make the step up the curb elevation. Being in that momentary period of suspended animation, I am now losing my balance. I have nowhere to go, and nobody, or nothing, to grab onto. So that I have two hands to break the fall, I let go of my canes and fall down back onto the street. Thank God I went down between two parked cars, and I had my thick NorthWestern University Varsity coat on. Between the arms and the coat, the fall was shock-absorbed in that manner. Andrew hustled over to pick me up and drag me over to the nearby vehicle. This allowed me to stabilize myself into an upright manner, until Andrew could pick the canes up so I could proceed again. This time, Andrew gave me his shoulder to hold onto, while I was again trying to navigate the curb and the sidewalk to the restaurant. Now being a little rattled, my legs are very spastic; very rigid. But I am able to settle into our chairs~~~and enjoyed good East-Indian cuisine, and some good, and articulate conversations, courtesy of Andrew!!
--{-=@
Hickok
The Promise
Friday, February 25, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Week in the News; Personally, and Otherwise
Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show...(the opening lines of David Copperfield as written by Charles Dickens;inspired by MTM). Or at least this ACCOUNT will, perhaps, have a reflection on whether I'm going to be the hero in my own life.
...But where the f--- are they now
Now that I need them, I don't see none of them
All I see is Slim
F--- all you fair-weather friends...
I'm about to lose my mind---You've been gone for so long
I'm running out of time---I need a doctor
Call me a doctor---I need a doctor, doctor
To bring me back to life---Bring me back to life
Bring me back to life~~~EMINEM, Dr. Dre, & Skylar Grey
This one five-letter-word continues to be such a hot-button, a third-rail noun in our culture; our society. As The middle-class continues to shrink, it does so, in part, because of gainfully-employed households continuing to diminish. Gainful employment in the blue-collar sector is attributed largely to what collective bargaining units have been able to hammer out on behalf of those they represent. It is the strength of these bargaining units which have given the working man a glimpse of the middle class quality of life. As this leverage is lost, so is the working man's ability to have a chance at tasting these values; disposable income, better education for the children, recreation time and destinations, and the ability to retire with some level of comfort and peace-of-mind.
Organized Labor is trying to stay alive in as hostile an environment as it has found itself, in years. Both sides are playing for keeps. While some of his tactics were romanticized because they were dramatic, and border-line unlawful, they did facilitate him becoming a legend. And even as these actions by this legend may have been somewhat inflated, they were nonetheless, EFFECTIVE.
Whom will be the next~~~Jimmy Hoffa???
NB: Wisconsin---Governor Scott Walker is trying to break the civil service union. Watershed moment. Ironic; turn-of-the-20th-Century, it would be a Wisconsinian, Robert M. LaFollette whom, through his advocacy, would become a legend, an iconic figurehead of the reform movement; the progressive movement. He largely tried to expose abuses against the working class men, women, and children effected by the wealthy and the corporations of America's Gilded-Age. While such abuses still exist worlds away in places like Malaysia, Macao, India, and China, a Watch-dog must continue to stand sentry to assure that the working class does not get Bataan-death-marched down this same path, again.
"COUNTY WORKERS FLEE AS EXPLOSION SHAKES BUILDING"
So was the early-on assessment of how the NEWS media reported---The Incident!!
And because of this level of hysteria, The Wall Street Journal had a similar news-release, by the 12:00NOON hour.
Allow me to explain what actually happened. Of course, let me intercede here that in the uncertainty of the moment, with so many lives on the line, the protocol would call for immediate evacuation. But even as that protocol was observed, it is important to get good information to assess what did happen and what dangers do exist. It was about 09:45AM of Thursday, 17 February 2011, and we were all settled in at our work-stations, when a loud echoing boom, is heard. We all heard it; it got everybody's attention. But nobody jumped out of their seats. One of the associates did make his way over to the one doorway where the bang did seem to emanate from. There was no after-shock; no residual smells. Personally, I thought it sounded like a shelving-unit that was being carried down a set of stairs, ended up being let-go and dropped some distance. With peace-of-mind having been pretty much restored, we all went back to work.
About two minutes later, the Fire Alarm goes off!!!
We implement protocol. For me, with the passenger elevator now in auto-lock, the handicappers, and their fire-buddies, head to the freight elevator. Because it is turn-of-the-twentieth century, with none of the bells-and-whistles, we know this will get us to the ground floor. We get down & out without any problem. As Sandy, myself, and our aides are exiting, the fire-fighters are already jumping from their trucks. While I should have kept moving to get across the street with my aide, I stop my scooter at the corner curb cut-away area to take cell-phone pictures of the fire-trucks!! Yeah!! I know~~~what a moron!!
We all get safely across the street, to the rendezvous point, and wait. The various types of emergency vehicles continue to pour in. By now, so does a couple of the News organizations. In today's terrorist-riddled environment, speculation is rampant as to the possible causes.
After everything is all said and done, here is what happened. SOMEBODY set off an M-80 type firework-piece in one of our hallways, between the fifth and fourth floors. Other than the shock-factor of the noise, the only damage was an estimated $50.00 for burn marks on a portion of the wall-plaster. My theory on whom the 'SOMEBODY' was?!?!? From what I'm to understand, our building has its maintenance crew. The crew has a complement of ECDSS welfare-to-work persons that assist with some of the general housekeeping chores. I'm thinking a disgruntled welfare-to-work client set off the M-80.
A loud M-80 firecracker was ignited Thursday morning in a stairwell at an Erie County office building in downtown Buffalo, prompting the evacuation of about 100 Board of Elections and Sheriff's Office employees for an hour, authorities said.
Sheriff's fire investigators collected fragments from the "pyrotechnic device" and were attempting to determine who put it in the southwest stairwell between the fourth and fifth floors of the old, five-story brick building at 134 W. Eagle St., between Delaware and South Elmwood avenues.
"Preliminary indications are that someone had placed and ignited a pyrotechnic device, what some people would call an M-80. It is not a consumer type of firework, but for all practical reasons, we want to make it clear it was not a pipe bomb," Erie County Sheriff's Lt. Sean Simet said.
He urged anyone who might have observed anything suspicious shortly before the 9:45 a.m. explosion in the publicly accessible building to contact investigators at 858-2903.
Damage to drywall in the stairwell was estimated at "less than $50," Simet said.
Employees evacuated the building when a fire alarm sounded seconds after the explosion.
Buffalo firefighters inspected every room of the building, including an attic crawl space and the basement. Air quality tests also were conducted, according to Fire Division Chief John Mogavero.
Employees were allowed to return to work at 10:45 a.m.
"I was sitting in my chair, and I thought I would be knocked out of it when I heard the explosion. It sounded like an M-80," said Michael Licata, the Sheriff's Office's coordinator of substance abuse.
Licata, whose office is on the fifth floor, said he ran into the hallway, began checking on the welfare of other workers and was met by a deputy emerging from the southwest stairwell.
"There was a haze of smoke coming from the stairwell," Licata said.
As workers began heading down that stairwell, Deputy Anthony Giglio said, he detected the odor of sulfur.
"When we were in the stairwell, there was white smoke with a sulfur type smell. It was concentrated on the fourth and fifth floors," Giglio said.
Outside, workers began speculating as to what had caused the explosion, which frightened and upset many of them.
Some guessed it might have been an M-80; others thought a wrecking ball hit the structure; and still others thought a wall of filing cabinets might have toppled or that the blade of a snowplow had slammed onto the street pavement outside.
The building is one of the most decrepit county-owned office buildings. County Executive Chris Collins has proposed tearing it down to allow for an expansion of the Erie County Holding Center. lmichel@buffnews.com
Friday, 18 February 2011, by appointment, I meet my new PCP, Dr Elizabeth A. O'Neill. She was very thorough; very attentive. I feel very comfortable in the choice top replace our retiring PCP. Being a good day weather-wise, I just had to get the van washed. It was begging~~~Wash Me!!!
From there, I went to my AIRBORNE/D H L Express, now barber-friend, Bill Linton, to get my ears-lowered. I have some week-end commitments, and I want to look my BEST!!!
--{-=@
Hickok
The Promise
...But where the f--- are they now
Now that I need them, I don't see none of them
All I see is Slim
F--- all you fair-weather friends...
I'm about to lose my mind---You've been gone for so long
I'm running out of time---I need a doctor
Call me a doctor---I need a doctor, doctor
To bring me back to life---Bring me back to life
Bring me back to life~~~EMINEM, Dr. Dre, & Skylar Grey
This one five-letter-word continues to be such a hot-button, a third-rail noun in our culture; our society. As The middle-class continues to shrink, it does so, in part, because of gainfully-employed households continuing to diminish. Gainful employment in the blue-collar sector is attributed largely to what collective bargaining units have been able to hammer out on behalf of those they represent. It is the strength of these bargaining units which have given the working man a glimpse of the middle class quality of life. As this leverage is lost, so is the working man's ability to have a chance at tasting these values; disposable income, better education for the children, recreation time and destinations, and the ability to retire with some level of comfort and peace-of-mind.
Organized Labor is trying to stay alive in as hostile an environment as it has found itself, in years. Both sides are playing for keeps. While some of his tactics were romanticized because they were dramatic, and border-line unlawful, they did facilitate him becoming a legend. And even as these actions by this legend may have been somewhat inflated, they were nonetheless, EFFECTIVE.
Whom will be the next~~~Jimmy Hoffa???
NB: Wisconsin---Governor Scott Walker is trying to break the civil service union. Watershed moment. Ironic; turn-of-the-20th-Century, it would be a Wisconsinian, Robert M. LaFollette whom, through his advocacy, would become a legend, an iconic figurehead of the reform movement; the progressive movement. He largely tried to expose abuses against the working class men, women, and children effected by the wealthy and the corporations of America's Gilded-Age. While such abuses still exist worlds away in places like Malaysia, Macao, India, and China, a Watch-dog must continue to stand sentry to assure that the working class does not get Bataan-death-marched down this same path, again.
"COUNTY WORKERS FLEE AS EXPLOSION SHAKES BUILDING"
So was the early-on assessment of how the NEWS media reported---The Incident!!
And because of this level of hysteria, The Wall Street Journal had a similar news-release, by the 12:00NOON hour.
Allow me to explain what actually happened. Of course, let me intercede here that in the uncertainty of the moment, with so many lives on the line, the protocol would call for immediate evacuation. But even as that protocol was observed, it is important to get good information to assess what did happen and what dangers do exist. It was about 09:45AM of Thursday, 17 February 2011, and we were all settled in at our work-stations, when a loud echoing boom, is heard. We all heard it; it got everybody's attention. But nobody jumped out of their seats. One of the associates did make his way over to the one doorway where the bang did seem to emanate from. There was no after-shock; no residual smells. Personally, I thought it sounded like a shelving-unit that was being carried down a set of stairs, ended up being let-go and dropped some distance. With peace-of-mind having been pretty much restored, we all went back to work.
About two minutes later, the Fire Alarm goes off!!!
We implement protocol. For me, with the passenger elevator now in auto-lock, the handicappers, and their fire-buddies, head to the freight elevator. Because it is turn-of-the-twentieth century, with none of the bells-and-whistles, we know this will get us to the ground floor. We get down & out without any problem. As Sandy, myself, and our aides are exiting, the fire-fighters are already jumping from their trucks. While I should have kept moving to get across the street with my aide, I stop my scooter at the corner curb cut-away area to take cell-phone pictures of the fire-trucks!! Yeah!! I know~~~what a moron!!
We all get safely across the street, to the rendezvous point, and wait. The various types of emergency vehicles continue to pour in. By now, so does a couple of the News organizations. In today's terrorist-riddled environment, speculation is rampant as to the possible causes.
After everything is all said and done, here is what happened. SOMEBODY set off an M-80 type firework-piece in one of our hallways, between the fifth and fourth floors. Other than the shock-factor of the noise, the only damage was an estimated $50.00 for burn marks on a portion of the wall-plaster. My theory on whom the 'SOMEBODY' was?!?!? From what I'm to understand, our building has its maintenance crew. The crew has a complement of ECDSS welfare-to-work persons that assist with some of the general housekeeping chores. I'm thinking a disgruntled welfare-to-work client set off the M-80.
A loud M-80 firecracker was ignited Thursday morning in a stairwell at an Erie County office building in downtown Buffalo, prompting the evacuation of about 100 Board of Elections and Sheriff's Office employees for an hour, authorities said.
Sheriff's fire investigators collected fragments from the "pyrotechnic device" and were attempting to determine who put it in the southwest stairwell between the fourth and fifth floors of the old, five-story brick building at 134 W. Eagle St., between Delaware and South Elmwood avenues.
"Preliminary indications are that someone had placed and ignited a pyrotechnic device, what some people would call an M-80. It is not a consumer type of firework, but for all practical reasons, we want to make it clear it was not a pipe bomb," Erie County Sheriff's Lt. Sean Simet said.
He urged anyone who might have observed anything suspicious shortly before the 9:45 a.m. explosion in the publicly accessible building to contact investigators at 858-2903.
Damage to drywall in the stairwell was estimated at "less than $50," Simet said.
Employees evacuated the building when a fire alarm sounded seconds after the explosion.
Buffalo firefighters inspected every room of the building, including an attic crawl space and the basement. Air quality tests also were conducted, according to Fire Division Chief John Mogavero.
Employees were allowed to return to work at 10:45 a.m.
"I was sitting in my chair, and I thought I would be knocked out of it when I heard the explosion. It sounded like an M-80," said Michael Licata, the Sheriff's Office's coordinator of substance abuse.
Licata, whose office is on the fifth floor, said he ran into the hallway, began checking on the welfare of other workers and was met by a deputy emerging from the southwest stairwell.
"There was a haze of smoke coming from the stairwell," Licata said.
As workers began heading down that stairwell, Deputy Anthony Giglio said, he detected the odor of sulfur.
"When we were in the stairwell, there was white smoke with a sulfur type smell. It was concentrated on the fourth and fifth floors," Giglio said.
Outside, workers began speculating as to what had caused the explosion, which frightened and upset many of them.
Some guessed it might have been an M-80; others thought a wrecking ball hit the structure; and still others thought a wall of filing cabinets might have toppled or that the blade of a snowplow had slammed onto the street pavement outside.
The building is one of the most decrepit county-owned office buildings. County Executive Chris Collins has proposed tearing it down to allow for an expansion of the Erie County Holding Center. lmichel@buffnews.com
Friday, 18 February 2011, by appointment, I meet my new PCP, Dr Elizabeth A. O'Neill. She was very thorough; very attentive. I feel very comfortable in the choice top replace our retiring PCP. Being a good day weather-wise, I just had to get the van washed. It was begging~~~Wash Me!!!
From there, I went to my AIRBORNE/D H L Express, now barber-friend, Bill Linton, to get my ears-lowered. I have some week-end commitments, and I want to look my BEST!!!
--{-=@
Hickok
The Promise
Friday, February 11, 2011
Gambling; A Casino & A Revolution
Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show...(the opening lines of David Copperfield as written by Charles Dickens;inspired by MTM). Or at least this ACCOUNT will, perhaps, have a reflection on whether I'm going to be the hero in my own life.
...How I wish I could hate or even hurt you, but
All I want is to have you here with me~~~"Mi rubi l'anima" YOU STEAL MY SOUL,
by Laura Pausini
With the whirlwind of activity last week-end, and then getting terribly sick the
subsequent Monday, 7 February, I am going to cover a fortnight period. I never ever thought that I would ever use that archaic term; fortnight.
Last Friday, 4 February, I was running around doing errands. The errands eventually got me into the Hamburg, NY area. It was a cold day, but it was sunny; it was splendid. I'll just summarize it, as an~~~Afternoon Delight. With dusk setting it, I additionally took in a Fish Fry, in that part of town. I'm a Sunday's Child, but I love Fridays.
Saturday, 5 February 2011, was going to be a Completely Unique experience. By way of the Annunciation High School graduate Martha Orrange Nealon, I was included in a
Casino Excursion!!! Martha's husband Pat, is the Commander of the AMERICAN LEGION POST 527, from Hamburg, NY. The Legion Post was sponsoring this excursion-tour. There would be two bus loads of Legion Post members, wifes, friends, and associates that would be a part of this extravaganza. It was an afternoon of fun & games at the Seneca Fallsview Casino, in Niagara Falls, NY. Reasonably priced at $28.00 per person, I got $25.50 of it back playing the slots. Yes!! I know~~~a bonafide Bat Masterson; a real Maverick!!
But check this out!! On the way up to the Casino, one of the Legion operatives is selling tickets for a split-club drawing. I was tickled-pink!! The pot was $70.00, and~~~I won it!!!! Weeeeeeeee!!!
These slot-machines are insane!! They all have 22nd-century bells & whistles. Of course, all you seasoned casino veterans know about this already. For the neophyte though, this was an awaking!! I had a couple of 'handlers' helping me out, thank God.
The one realization that was so helpful was knowing that the COACH USA bus was going to be able to accommodate my scooter in its below-deck storage area. As long as I kept the scooter wheel-lock set, the scooter wasn't going 'anywhere'. This discovery was huge. This gave me total freedom, including areas such as the restrooms. When one is using a collapsible wheelchair, when covering the longer distances, there is often the need for an aide. Certainly, navigating the restroom area can be a challenge trying to have doors stay open for you while your two hands are on the 'wheels' working to get the wheelchair through the door opening and threshold area. For any subsequent Winery Tours, or Casino tours, my scooter will be alongside.
The Casino package included supper back at the American Legion Post. The return ride was a bit more interesting because the weather; the blowing and drifting snow, had started to kick into high-gear. We did alright, all-in-all, and returned safely to enjoy all the pizza & wings, one could sink their teeth into!!
On a personal note I wish to thank Carlene Schultz and Pat & Martha Orrange Nealon for their efforts in putting the package together---and for including me. Do it again!!! I'm there!!
Sunday, 6 February 2011, we had a post-Mass brunch at a new restaurant in Kenmore, NY. It used to be the old KFC location. I had an Greek Omlette. This, in and of itself, was incidental. We were just having something to tied us over until the Super Bowl garnishes and entrees were going to get served later in the day, during game-time.
Green Bay Packers 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 25. I was routing for Green Bay. Not so much that I wanted Aaron Rodgers to enjoy some lime-light as TitleTown's new Golden Boy(Paul Hornung was Green Bay's original). It was more that, as my USMC son Philip also felt, I just did not want Pittsburgh to have a seventh SB ring, when the Godforsaken Bills don't even have one, yet.
I am back to the food situation because of Monday, 7 February. I do not know WHAT came over me, but when I got up to go to work, I was sicker-than-a-dog. You name it, I was doing it. By mid-day I was so bad, I actually thought of checking into an emergency room. Finally got some over-the-counter liquid into me, which helped to empty my stomach and that seemed to finally give me some relief. I kept pounding down the Bayer Aspirins and~~~what a difference-a-day makes. By Tuesday, 8 February, I felt good enough to go into work and recover my eight hours lost on Monday.
Getting into the work Tuesday has me realizing two discoveries. The first one is that the passenger elevator is NOT working; gggrrr. With it being 8 degrees outside, that means I'll have to fuss with the outdoor elements, and the somewhat inconsiderate Sheriff's Department, to make my way over to the freight elevator location. It is winter; it is ice and snow on the road surfaces, and it is the City of Buffalo. Admittedly, The City is doing as best as they can. But what is annoying is what two of the Deputies do with their 'standing' vehicles. They drive them up the handicap curb cut-away areas, and leave their vehicles, with the front bumpers against the building, on the side-walk area, idling.
Trust me!! I was looking for a confrontation. The vehicles were blocking an ADA- coded cut-away area for handicap-accessibility. And the one deputy, in the one idling vehicle, was looking in his rear-view mirror and saw what I was trying to accomplish. Because of the accumulated snow and ice sitting at the edge of the cutaways, I was going to have to get a running start---from the street, up that cutaway, and onto the sidewalk. You would think the Deputy would get out of his warm vehicle for two reasons. Number one: I'm on South Elmwood Ave, for God's sakes---with vehicles buzzing by. I have to be that distance removed, to get the running start. And number two: that The Deputy would offer to get his CRUISER out of the way so that I could get my scooter~~~OFF OF THE STREET. He does neither. In getting a running start, I didn't care. If I was going to hit the back-end of his cruiser~~~BRING-IT-ON!!!
As fate would have it, while cutting through the snow, getting up the cutaway, slows my scooter down. The deceleration allows me to cut to the right and make my way along the sidewalk to the power-door-opening that gives me access to the freight-elevator area.
So I get inside, punch-in, and I get started on my assigned tasks. In due course, Dan, whom sits in the partition adjacent to mine, dead-pans; "there goes your door."
"The Door' that Dan is referring to, is a metal-framed door with metal hinges, that
is the enclosure door---to my restroom handicap stall. Understand, that two weeks ago 'somebody' ripped the door from the hinges, and left the door, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, in the handicap stall. Nobody knows "who" did it, but somebody, I guess, is playing(at tax-payer's expense), one of those welcome-aboard-rookie, locker-room practical-jokes. I like to still use this stall because it has the two hand-rails to help me settle-in. The challenge for me is once alighting the scooter, getting myself properly balanced and leveraged so that I can lift the door from the wall and reposition it as a lean-to, against one of the door frame uprights that the door is to be, by design, attached to. I'm telling you folks, this is not just a job---this is an ADVENTURE. So now that maintenance has taken the door completely away, they have, in-effect, taken away my handicap stall.
At least, thank God, I have found a back-up area in a remote part of the third floor.
And I am grateful that it is on the third floor because I got word on Wednesday 9 February, that the Passenger Elevator was going to be out-of-service for two weeks, awaiting parts. Fun; wow!!!
Thursday 8 February 2011, I attended services for a beloved cousin. I found particular satisfaction in attending the Funeral Luncheon, after Mass, at Rizzo's Banchetti @ 550 N. French Road in Amherst, NY. It was a small gathering but the conversations were rich with interesting and often, never before known, information. This is for you, Donnie---Rest in Peace.
MORANO - Dominic J. February 7, 2011. Beloved husband of Josephine (Piazza) Morano; loving father of Linda Liberatore and Michael Morano; devoted grandfather of Alysia, Melissa Liberatore and Eric and Matthew Morano; son of the late Fannie Morano; brother of Joseph (Nancy) Morano, Lucille (Paul) Mazur and the late Mary (Jack) Mancuso; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Family present on Wednesday from 4-8 PM at the PERNA, DENGLER, ROBERTS FUNERAL HOME, 1306 Hertel Ave. Family and friends are asked to assemble for a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated from Holy Spirit Church Thursday at 9 AM. Dominic was an avid visitor to Las Vegas.
Then there was Friday~~~2-11-11; an epic moment in World History. Some have referenced this event akin to the Berlin Wall coming down in late 1989. Inspired by the actions of a popular peoples revolt in little Tunisia in the early days of January, the people of the Grand-Daddy of civilizations, Egypt, become energized as well. On 25 January, 2011, groups of Egyptian citizens begin to assemble in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Very early-on, an objective is determined. Hosni Mubarak, the 30-year self-appointed President of Egypt, MUST GO. The protests grow in size and intensity of spirit. It is a real peoples revolution, and the World is watching.
After a curious set of fits~~~and starts, it is announced at 17:00PM hours their time, of 11 February by the High Military Council---that Mubarak is resigned!! Euphoria erupts on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and throughout Egypt!! The people's demands of Mubarak resigning, were accomplished.
CAIRO -- Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power.
The military rulers who took over when Mubarak stepped down Friday and the caretaker government set as a top priority the restoration of security, which collapsed during the 18 days of protests that toppled the regime. The caretaker government held its first meeting since the president was ousted and before it began, workers removed a giant picture of Mubarak from the meeting room.
The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council, led by Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, to immediately move forward with the transition by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing political prisoners.Sarah El Deeb
AP
Certainly, there is much work that has to be done to fill this leadership vacuum. There is no naivete in realizing that the lack of many of the political institutions that are essential for a vibrant democracy, is currently non-existent in Egyptian politics. History, simply put, will continue to be written on this epoch saga.
From a personal perspective, I was fascinated with The Egyptian Military. Now largely equipped by the US Military-Industrial Complex, with Abrams Tanks very visible as sentries on the sidelines, they were---curiously tacit. It was almost as if there was a subterfuge of compliance; that this was THEIR revolution, too.
Poor Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma. If she could have a complicit Military like this one in Egypt, Myanmar---would be Burma again!!
Saturday 12 February---Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
It is also the birthday of my brother Victor!!
And in recognition~~~we threw him a little birthday party at our house.
It included a sit-down supper and cake. He enjoyed himself. He had to---because I know he likes this kind of 'stuff'. After supper, we watched~~~on A M C, THE GODFATHER; with Al Pacino playing Don Michael Corleone!! Hey!!!
--{-=@
Hickok
The Promise
...How I wish I could hate or even hurt you, but
All I want is to have you here with me~~~"Mi rubi l'anima" YOU STEAL MY SOUL,
by Laura Pausini
With the whirlwind of activity last week-end, and then getting terribly sick the
subsequent Monday, 7 February, I am going to cover a fortnight period. I never ever thought that I would ever use that archaic term; fortnight.
Last Friday, 4 February, I was running around doing errands. The errands eventually got me into the Hamburg, NY area. It was a cold day, but it was sunny; it was splendid. I'll just summarize it, as an~~~Afternoon Delight. With dusk setting it, I additionally took in a Fish Fry, in that part of town. I'm a Sunday's Child, but I love Fridays.
Saturday, 5 February 2011, was going to be a Completely Unique experience. By way of the Annunciation High School graduate Martha Orrange Nealon, I was included in a
Casino Excursion!!! Martha's husband Pat, is the Commander of the AMERICAN LEGION POST 527, from Hamburg, NY. The Legion Post was sponsoring this excursion-tour. There would be two bus loads of Legion Post members, wifes, friends, and associates that would be a part of this extravaganza. It was an afternoon of fun & games at the Seneca Fallsview Casino, in Niagara Falls, NY. Reasonably priced at $28.00 per person, I got $25.50 of it back playing the slots. Yes!! I know~~~a bonafide Bat Masterson; a real Maverick!!
But check this out!! On the way up to the Casino, one of the Legion operatives is selling tickets for a split-club drawing. I was tickled-pink!! The pot was $70.00, and~~~I won it!!!! Weeeeeeeee!!!
These slot-machines are insane!! They all have 22nd-century bells & whistles. Of course, all you seasoned casino veterans know about this already. For the neophyte though, this was an awaking!! I had a couple of 'handlers' helping me out, thank God.
The one realization that was so helpful was knowing that the COACH USA bus was going to be able to accommodate my scooter in its below-deck storage area. As long as I kept the scooter wheel-lock set, the scooter wasn't going 'anywhere'. This discovery was huge. This gave me total freedom, including areas such as the restrooms. When one is using a collapsible wheelchair, when covering the longer distances, there is often the need for an aide. Certainly, navigating the restroom area can be a challenge trying to have doors stay open for you while your two hands are on the 'wheels' working to get the wheelchair through the door opening and threshold area. For any subsequent Winery Tours, or Casino tours, my scooter will be alongside.
The Casino package included supper back at the American Legion Post. The return ride was a bit more interesting because the weather; the blowing and drifting snow, had started to kick into high-gear. We did alright, all-in-all, and returned safely to enjoy all the pizza & wings, one could sink their teeth into!!
On a personal note I wish to thank Carlene Schultz and Pat & Martha Orrange Nealon for their efforts in putting the package together---and for including me. Do it again!!! I'm there!!
Sunday, 6 February 2011, we had a post-Mass brunch at a new restaurant in Kenmore, NY. It used to be the old KFC location. I had an Greek Omlette. This, in and of itself, was incidental. We were just having something to tied us over until the Super Bowl garnishes and entrees were going to get served later in the day, during game-time.
Green Bay Packers 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 25. I was routing for Green Bay. Not so much that I wanted Aaron Rodgers to enjoy some lime-light as TitleTown's new Golden Boy(Paul Hornung was Green Bay's original). It was more that, as my USMC son Philip also felt, I just did not want Pittsburgh to have a seventh SB ring, when the Godforsaken Bills don't even have one, yet.
I am back to the food situation because of Monday, 7 February. I do not know WHAT came over me, but when I got up to go to work, I was sicker-than-a-dog. You name it, I was doing it. By mid-day I was so bad, I actually thought of checking into an emergency room. Finally got some over-the-counter liquid into me, which helped to empty my stomach and that seemed to finally give me some relief. I kept pounding down the Bayer Aspirins and~~~what a difference-a-day makes. By Tuesday, 8 February, I felt good enough to go into work and recover my eight hours lost on Monday.
Getting into the work Tuesday has me realizing two discoveries. The first one is that the passenger elevator is NOT working; gggrrr. With it being 8 degrees outside, that means I'll have to fuss with the outdoor elements, and the somewhat inconsiderate Sheriff's Department, to make my way over to the freight elevator location. It is winter; it is ice and snow on the road surfaces, and it is the City of Buffalo. Admittedly, The City is doing as best as they can. But what is annoying is what two of the Deputies do with their 'standing' vehicles. They drive them up the handicap curb cut-away areas, and leave their vehicles, with the front bumpers against the building, on the side-walk area, idling.
Trust me!! I was looking for a confrontation. The vehicles were blocking an ADA- coded cut-away area for handicap-accessibility. And the one deputy, in the one idling vehicle, was looking in his rear-view mirror and saw what I was trying to accomplish. Because of the accumulated snow and ice sitting at the edge of the cutaways, I was going to have to get a running start---from the street, up that cutaway, and onto the sidewalk. You would think the Deputy would get out of his warm vehicle for two reasons. Number one: I'm on South Elmwood Ave, for God's sakes---with vehicles buzzing by. I have to be that distance removed, to get the running start. And number two: that The Deputy would offer to get his CRUISER out of the way so that I could get my scooter~~~OFF OF THE STREET. He does neither. In getting a running start, I didn't care. If I was going to hit the back-end of his cruiser~~~BRING-IT-ON!!!
As fate would have it, while cutting through the snow, getting up the cutaway, slows my scooter down. The deceleration allows me to cut to the right and make my way along the sidewalk to the power-door-opening that gives me access to the freight-elevator area.
So I get inside, punch-in, and I get started on my assigned tasks. In due course, Dan, whom sits in the partition adjacent to mine, dead-pans; "there goes your door."
"The Door' that Dan is referring to, is a metal-framed door with metal hinges, that
is the enclosure door---to my restroom handicap stall. Understand, that two weeks ago 'somebody' ripped the door from the hinges, and left the door, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, in the handicap stall. Nobody knows "who" did it, but somebody, I guess, is playing(at tax-payer's expense), one of those welcome-aboard-rookie, locker-room practical-jokes. I like to still use this stall because it has the two hand-rails to help me settle-in. The challenge for me is once alighting the scooter, getting myself properly balanced and leveraged so that I can lift the door from the wall and reposition it as a lean-to, against one of the door frame uprights that the door is to be, by design, attached to. I'm telling you folks, this is not just a job---this is an ADVENTURE. So now that maintenance has taken the door completely away, they have, in-effect, taken away my handicap stall.
At least, thank God, I have found a back-up area in a remote part of the third floor.
And I am grateful that it is on the third floor because I got word on Wednesday 9 February, that the Passenger Elevator was going to be out-of-service for two weeks, awaiting parts. Fun; wow!!!
Thursday 8 February 2011, I attended services for a beloved cousin. I found particular satisfaction in attending the Funeral Luncheon, after Mass, at Rizzo's Banchetti @ 550 N. French Road in Amherst, NY. It was a small gathering but the conversations were rich with interesting and often, never before known, information. This is for you, Donnie---Rest in Peace.
MORANO - Dominic J. February 7, 2011. Beloved husband of Josephine (Piazza) Morano; loving father of Linda Liberatore and Michael Morano; devoted grandfather of Alysia, Melissa Liberatore and Eric and Matthew Morano; son of the late Fannie Morano; brother of Joseph (Nancy) Morano, Lucille (Paul) Mazur and the late Mary (Jack) Mancuso; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Family present on Wednesday from 4-8 PM at the PERNA, DENGLER, ROBERTS FUNERAL HOME, 1306 Hertel Ave. Family and friends are asked to assemble for a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated from Holy Spirit Church Thursday at 9 AM. Dominic was an avid visitor to Las Vegas.
Then there was Friday~~~2-11-11; an epic moment in World History. Some have referenced this event akin to the Berlin Wall coming down in late 1989. Inspired by the actions of a popular peoples revolt in little Tunisia in the early days of January, the people of the Grand-Daddy of civilizations, Egypt, become energized as well. On 25 January, 2011, groups of Egyptian citizens begin to assemble in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Very early-on, an objective is determined. Hosni Mubarak, the 30-year self-appointed President of Egypt, MUST GO. The protests grow in size and intensity of spirit. It is a real peoples revolution, and the World is watching.
After a curious set of fits~~~and starts, it is announced at 17:00PM hours their time, of 11 February by the High Military Council---that Mubarak is resigned!! Euphoria erupts on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and throughout Egypt!! The people's demands of Mubarak resigning, were accomplished.
CAIRO -- Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power.
The military rulers who took over when Mubarak stepped down Friday and the caretaker government set as a top priority the restoration of security, which collapsed during the 18 days of protests that toppled the regime. The caretaker government held its first meeting since the president was ousted and before it began, workers removed a giant picture of Mubarak from the meeting room.
The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council, led by Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, to immediately move forward with the transition by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing political prisoners.Sarah El Deeb
AP
Certainly, there is much work that has to be done to fill this leadership vacuum. There is no naivete in realizing that the lack of many of the political institutions that are essential for a vibrant democracy, is currently non-existent in Egyptian politics. History, simply put, will continue to be written on this epoch saga.
From a personal perspective, I was fascinated with The Egyptian Military. Now largely equipped by the US Military-Industrial Complex, with Abrams Tanks very visible as sentries on the sidelines, they were---curiously tacit. It was almost as if there was a subterfuge of compliance; that this was THEIR revolution, too.
Poor Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma. If she could have a complicit Military like this one in Egypt, Myanmar---would be Burma again!!
Saturday 12 February---Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
It is also the birthday of my brother Victor!!
And in recognition~~~we threw him a little birthday party at our house.
It included a sit-down supper and cake. He enjoyed himself. He had to---because I know he likes this kind of 'stuff'. After supper, we watched~~~on A M C, THE GODFATHER; with Al Pacino playing Don Michael Corleone!! Hey!!!
--{-=@
Hickok
The Promise
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