Politics on the Web

Starting with Howard Dean's primary run in 2004, the internet is starting to play a big part in elections. You'll notice the Move On.Org banner to the left. They are getting concerned citizens to call undecided people from home. Not going to an HQ and spending time "volunteering" (although that is a lot of fun, and you make great friends doing it that way), but taking a few minutes to call from home. The DailyKos (granddaddy of the political blog) wrote a good piece on the drive. I don't know about you, but the direction of this country in my opinion, is sickening. I think the "Call for Change" is a good way to begin to turn this around.

A Commercial Endeavour

Well, I'm starting to get my online store in order. I've been collecting some of my popular photos from back in the day I did outdoor shows, and have shot some new photos for a Buffalo, New York series I've been working on.
The store is on Cafe Press. They allow digital images to be uploaded to their site, and a customer can pick from may available items, which will be printed when ordered. I think I first chose this method for personal, perhaps selfish resaons. There is this one photo that I always wanted to make into a shirt ( Soho Dog, above), and this was a great way to do it. Thus, a store began. It has been kind of snowballing; I'm feverishly getting the Buffalo photos uploaded for the Christmas season.
So, when you get a chance, give it a look- I would really welcome any comments so I can make this accessible to all. www.cafepress.com/barkloud

It Was A Great Summer to Try Something New

As summer ends (with a BANG if you experienced the October storm in Buffalo), I figured I would relate to you my time at Rivendell Recreation Center.
As some of you might know, I have Multiple Sclerosis. Not as bad as some, but it still basically sucks. There are a lot of things I thought I would need to give up- one of them being horseback riding.
I volunteered to help my friend Mar, owner of State of the Art custom framing shop, in judging some art for a fundraiser last fall, "Horsin' around Rivendell". Rivendell is for a non-profit center that teaches handicapped people off all ages and level of disability therapeutic horseback riding. I met Trish Dudek, director, and had a talk about perhaps joining up.
Now, I never rode a lot, but I figured I would not have a time to try again. But starting last May, I got on Smokey (that's him rolling around above) and started. It felt so good to be doing something that I really liked and never thought I'd get to do again. I had a few weeks of getting used to riding, and then the therapeutic part started. My balance was tested and improved, I used muscles I forgot I had (hell, it's October, I had a lesson yesterday, and man am I sore). It was (is) an amazing experience. Trish and all of the staff are great, and really supportive.
Bottom line is, if you have a physical disability and a love of animals, I suggest that you at least try this- it's beneficial for the mind and spirit as well as the body. The "Horsin' Around" horse auction is November 3 at Samuel's Grand Manor, 8750 Main Street in Clarence. It is a good time, and benefits a great cause. There will be an online action, so keep your eyes on the site...

Dog Days Fire?!

I went to drop off Walker Evans Dunne Hosey at daycare this morning, and the door was locked.
I only found out this evening that there was a fire at Dog Days of Buffalo last Thursday (as the storm hit). Because the storm took over the news (and we had no cable, so we coulden't watch anyway), we had no idea. It must have been shortly after Kevin picked up Walker (Thursday is Walkers day there each week). An internet search on the story brought up no results, except a couple of pictures. If anyone has any details about this, please leave the info in the comments. We're worried about the staff and owner Susanne Harris- a friend to us for years.

Friday the 13th (and beyond)

Well, that was the earliest I've seen winter in these parts...
We finally got cable back, and the Internet and phone came with it. We lucked out- there were people just houses away on our block that lost power. We just (imagine this!) read books! (I say that sarcastically-I have a job where I have had to talk to people in hurricane zones whose priorities are all messed up in a disaster). OK, we did miss 2 Sabres games, but for the most part.....
I think that weather like this, in a weird way, is really good for the spirit of this town. By this, I must stress that I know that many are still not out of the woods (Kevin's mom is staying here - Depew still has no power), and I wish the best for them. People here really seem to pull together in times like these. No matter what your differences, we are all in the same boat. Out of towners often mention how nice Buffaloians are. I think that we have an innate sense of humility that builds up during times like these. No matter how many people were watching the Weather Channel in Florida or California, feeling sorry for us (mostly laughing), they lack the very camaraderie that we have here. Oh, and we'll pick up a book when the TV is out....

Done it Again

Donn Esmonde has done it again. Written something that will (hopefully) wake Buffalo out of it's sleep. This is not a "silver bullet". This has been around , in some cases, for 100+ years. It's Buffalo's architecture, and people will come to see it (if we can keep from destroying it). The unveiling of much of the newly restored Darwin Martin house is just the beginning. We have the Richardson Buildings. We have an Olmsted Parks system. We have many structures that don't have a famous name associated that are marvelous. Time to shout from the rooftops. Time to stop dragging our heels (see the aforementioned Richardson Complex). Time to stop whining when people ask questions about tearing something down in the name of "progress". Time to spend some money to let people know what is here! Artists are ready to show how inspired we are by the community we are surrounded by. Let's get some funding back. There is a whole school of thought that believes that the "Creative Class" (those people who know that creativity has a growing role in our economy) is the next step in the greatness of this country. This is the time to show that Buffalo is a hotbed of such a class. We are here! Count us in!
Wow, thanks to Donn Esmonde for getting me going today.....

Pizza Night

Well, I've finally rolled myself to the couch to "rest" after being a participant in the judging process of the Pizza Grudge that Buffalo bloggers Geek and Pundit have been fermenting (big thanks to them for putting this together). The contest was held at Zetti's in University Plaza in Spamhurst.
Pundit is a big New York style pizza fan, while Geek is a Chicago style fan. In what ended up being an impromptu Bloggercon, many of us showed up with pies, and , in a very organized way (thanks in part to the great crew from Buffalo Spree), we judged the pizzas for crust, sauce, cheese, texture and toppings, ending in an overall score. We judged 10 different kinds of pizza. I had a great time, but must admit, am uncomfortably full. We won't get to find out who actually won until the December issue of Spree, but I think I have a new place for pizza out in the 'burbs