Fry Day

Yesterday was a busy day away from a computer, and today promises to be somewhat similar. Nevertheless, here is a Fridayish post to prevent native restlessness:

1. Buffalo Locavore is a group blog that will talk about eating food grown and raised. Something tells me their going to be a bit behind the 8-ball when winter rolls around, but supporting local growers is a noble idea.

2. When I have a few free moments, I’m going to dive back into the archives of the Buffalo Evening News and Courier Express to try and find out from primary sources exactly who Margaret L. Wendt was, and what she wanted her well-funded foundation to support. If anyone’s done microfiche/film diving at the downtown library, drop me a line and let me know where to go, so I look like I know what I’m doing.

3. Jack Davis says that local produce goes unpicked, and that imports are not only dangerous, but foreign. Many farmers in the district complain that they’d sure love a legal guest worker program so they can hire migrant labor, but this falls on deaf ears as far as Davis is concerned. Davis also laments the fact that his money can’t buy him everything this election cycle:

Despite his name recognition and financial means, Davis acknowledges he’s not sure his save jobs-farms-industry message is getting across to district residents. Speeches are sparsely attended and the parades he’s been in get rained on, he said. His biggest people-drawing campaign event was an offer to make gas available at $1.50 a gallon at a Byron station one day last month and he can’t be sure his name stood out after the rush on cheap fuel.

“It’s hard to get people out and paying attention to the election; they seem somewhat apathetic,” Davis said. “There is a disadvantage in not having the (Democratic) endorsement, but I’m working my way around it.”

By paying off the IP, catchy jingles using antiquated music, and setting up websites designed to defraud the reader.

4. A great way to counter ridiculous negative campaigning isn’t necessarily to answer tit for tat, but to point at it and laugh. That’s what the Obama campaign is doing to McCain with this site.

5. The Empire Center for New York State Policy has set up a new website called “See Through NY“. You’re supposed to be able to search all kinds of databases to find out the cost of New York State government, but I’ve tried some searches about 3 times and found it to be non-functional for the time being.

6. Radovan Karadzic got a shave and a haircut in advance of his arraignment before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague. The political and philosophical mastermind behind the 3+ year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre will be appearing pro se, will drag out the trial, and will hopefully rot in Scheveningen penitentiary for the rest of his wretched, hateful life.

7. Sam Hoyt has proposed that the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission merge with the Peace Bridge Authority. Chalk up one more effort to merge redundant levels of government agency that will most certainly fail.

8. One thing anti-immigrant xenophobes need to be reminded of is the fact that immigrants bring awesome food ideas to their new countries.