All Things Buffalo

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 3:19 PM 15 comments

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 3:19 PM 0 comments

Word up, yo.

our new home on. we're on wordpress now!

word up.


thats where we'll be at from now on. cya around

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 5:12 PM 1 comments

A "Must Read"

If you love Buffalo and have a strong stomach, I suggest you buy Diana Dillaway's "Power Failure" about the government and business corruption that brought Buffalo from thriving metropolis to the current state it now lives in. It goes into great detail without naming names about why UB's new campus was not built downtown, why the Bills Stadium was built in Orchard Park, and why Buffalo never evolved with the rest of the country-sticking to a manufacturing economy as the rest of America turned towards knowledge-based economies.
Even though a lot of this stuff is easy for most Buffalonians to figure out, to read it is a real wake up call and erases any questions as to why Buffalo has become such a stuggling, impovershed city after once boasting it had the highest per-capita of millionaires in the US.

Buy it, and hope that the remaining chapters in Buffalo's history do not resemble the ones in this book.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 4:33 PM 1 comments

Mr. O'Connell-I want the weather, not your emotions

As much as I love WGRZ's weatherman, Kevin O'Connell he needs to keep his mouth shut a little more often.

After last night's 11pm airing of the emotional story of a woman with cerebral palsy who found purpose in her life after hearing the Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" they move on to weather and O'Connell goes into some tangent about how on rainy days like today he likes to listen to this one song by the Carpenters.

He does this way to often. You're very lovable, Mr. O'Connell but just stick to the weather. Kthxbye.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 4:02 PM 0 comments

Yeeeeeah, about that...

Hey everybody,
Its been more than 10 days since my last update which I find embarassing so here's the deal...

1. I just moved into my new place so I've been muy busy with that
2. I had exams and job app stuffs so I've been muy busy with that
3. And almost every story in Buffalo is covered by everyone else so I don't see the need in reporting it again
4. I need help with the blog. I have a few "contributors" but they don't contribute.

so as of now updating will be infrequent and random. once again, trying to find a niche for this blog. its tough.
one thing i do promise are frequent updates on urban development projects downtown.
other than that i don't know

keep checking though, i'm sure it'll pay off sometimes

and always believe in buffalo

catch ya later.

go sabres.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 2:58 PM 0 comments

A song about Buffalo

The newest Goo Goo Dolls album has a song called "We'l Be Here (When You're Gone)" that is about Johnny Rzeznik's return to Buffalo and seeing the Bethlehem Steel plant. It was already my favorite song on the album before I figured the meaning out. Here are the lyrics....

And through the fence I see a ghost
Of a place that used to breathe
You know it choked away the sun
But we still had food to eat

And now everyone is gone
To a place that won't be home
Can they keep their family strong?
Will they make it on their own?

And we'll be standing when you're gone
And we'll be heard again
We missed our chance but not for long
I know somehow we will hold on we'll be here
When you're gone

Then one day we realized
That they couldn't hear our voice
And it's so hard to understand
When it's caught up in the noise

But the ones who fight and die
Are the truth inside the lie
Now it's all built on our backs
And we struggle to survive

And we'll be standing when you're gone
And we'll be heard again
We missed our chance but not for long
I know somehow we will hold on we'll be here
When you're gone


Oh man...such a good song. It gets my vote for official anthem of Buffalo

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 10:56 AM 1 comments

One of the worst movies of all time...made by a Buffalonian!

I still haven't seen it yet (and believe me, I'd like to) but I did a search for Vincent Gallo, Buffalo's own *special* movie director, actor, musician, and came accross the trailer and interview for "The Brown Bunny" known as one of the 100 worst movies of all time. Roger Ebert blasted it in Cannes and he entered a war of words with Gallo. Gallo responded with a quip about Ebert's weight Which led to Ebert getting the last word...

"I may be fat but some day I will be thin, but Vincent will always be the director of The Brown Bunny"

I've always been facinated by this hometown character, this video shows his true colors.
PS-watch the part where he talks about his supporting actress Chloe Sevigny and what she has to do to "get in character".
In an unrelated note I am co-anchoring a newscast from my dorm with WB49's Sara Bishop, but she needs to "get in character" ahem.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 2:04 AM 1 comments

This Day And Age's newest song

After dealing with the dissapointment which is the Goo Goo Dolls latest album, I went over to YouTube to find that unreleased song This Day and Age performs. Mmmm, probably one of my 20 favorite songs of all time. Enjoy. New album in August

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 1:39 AM 0 comments

Spreading our wings

The Anchor Bar is opening up a second location. That location?
Charlotte, North Carolina

[begin sarcasm]

I. Am. Shocked.

[end sarcasm]

This furthers the possiblity of my idea. Soon American cities will have not only "Chinatowns" but "Buffalotowns". With our heavily dispersed population we will see sections of downtowns with Anchor Bars, Mighty Tacos, Jim Steak-Outs, Andersons, and Ted's Hot Dogs.

Laugh all you want-it will happen.

1st in Charlotte of course.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 5:49 PM 2 comments

Greatest. Hit. Ever.

In case you were starting to forget about Brian Campbell's epic hit on Umberger in OT of game one, here it is for you to watch whenever-until the end of time...


God, that was so beautiful.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 9:28 AM 1 comments

Letting Love In...Starting today

Today the Goo Goo Dolls release their 8th studio album named "Let Love In" in stores everywhere today as well as iTunes. Lead singer Johnny Rzeznik wrote the entire album in the upstairs of the "Century Grill" (Home of the Bacon Basket) after feeling completely uninspired spending another winter in Southern California.
So far, most critics are not impressed with Johnny's return to the Buffalo roots.
The album has gotten less than stellar reviews from the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Ft.Worth Telegram. Noting the lack of edge and substance after a four year gap between albums.
In addition to that there are only 11 tracks, 9 of which are actually new. But its not all bad, in fact the album grows on you the more you listen to it, and regardless of the criticizms, Let Love in already has three singles that have fared well in the Adult Top 40 charts with a few more songs on the album that will surely be released as successful singles. So lets take a closer look at the album...
1. "Stay With You" A great opener that just starts rockin out the nano-second the CD starts to play. It also is a bit of a new sound for the band around the bridge part. Has some big dramatic build ups and a very catchy chorus.
2. "Let Love In" The title track and one of the catchies intros I've ever heard. The chorus doesn't quite fit with the rest of the song but its still great, this song will be a hit. Guarantee.
3. "Feel the Silence" This song has a lot of potential but the chorus just never kicks up to what it should. Parts of it are catchy but it never really gets to where it should.
4. "Better Days" You hear this song everywhere you go in Buffalo so I don't even wanna talk about it. (Hated it to begin with)
5. "Without You Here" A very dramatic song. Really good buildup and the instruments just all blend together perfectly at the end
6. "Listen" This song is from Robby. Which means "Time to skip!" in most peoples minds but this one is really worth listening to (which is the message of this song..."Why don't you listen!?!?") So obey Robby's wish and give this one a shot-its pretty catchy.
7. "Give A Little Bit" This cover has been out since October 2004-Nothing needs to be said.
8. "Can't Let It Go" This one will probably be on the charts later this year. I don't particularly like it but it has that "Radio Goo Goo Dolls" sound to it. Kind of an upbeat version of "Here is Gone". Rzeznik has said that this is his least favorite song on the album.
9. "We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)" Its as if they just forgot to put this song on their last album "Gutterflower" a great rockin sound that is a bit lacking in the album. The ending is kind of abrupt but its definintley the edgiest song on the album
10. "Strange Love" The. Worst. Song. I. Have. Ever. Heard.......Seriously.
11. "Become" a song with an epic sound to it, very dramatic and should be a hit with the ladies. Very deep and a nice concluding track.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 9:05 AM 0 comments

Let the propoganda begin

Maybe I haven't watched TV in a bit but for the 1st time tonight, I saw a Seneca Nation commercial flaunting impressive statistics about the planned "Buffalo Creek" casino. It was actually the best done local commercial I have ever seen (Buffalo is not known for its cutting edge, flashy commercials-we enjoy a nice 1940's theme to ours). Nice picture of the waterfront and action shots of downtown making our city look like a busy entertainment center.
This commercial definitley will get anyone who doesn't read up on the issues involving this casino-those same people are the customer base of the gambling joints of this area.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 11:37 PM 1 comments

Wait...you're a republican?

So...Joel Giambra wants to legalize marijuana and perhaps some others.

ha.ha.ha.

i love buffalo.

posted by WNYDiplomat @ 11:04 PM 0 comments

A vital question..

Does the NFTA have a policy on pets on their trains? I would like to bring my posse of siamese cats for a ride. Thank You.

posted by Djlethal01 @ 9:19 PM 1 comments