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Archive for April, 2006

Public Enemy Number 1 - Eliot Sptizer

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 29th, 2006

Spitzer is out of control. This realization is very evident in the Buffalo News article this morning.

Spitzer, the front-runner, said it was a “sad commentary” that business could not police itself in several areas. As a result, he would propose new efforts that would protect children from excessive sex and violence in the media; from tobacco company marketing; from access to illegal guns, and from a junk food industry he said has little regard for the nationwide obesity epidemic.

“In the absence of self-regulation, government must take greater responsibility to step in when self-regulation has failed in order to protect the public interest,” Spitzer said.

Who the hell does this guy think he is telling people how to lead their lives? Now he wants to control what we eat! He displays the ethics of the “playground bully” while he’s running around attacking the free-market. If I wanted my mother to be the next governor of NYS, I’d put her name on a write-in ballot.

His position on the casino issue isn’t very impressive either:

Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp emphasized that Spitzer, if elected governor, would honor any agreements with the Seneca Nation of Indians that provides for gambling facilities in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca.

Then there is this retarded piece of political rhetoric -

“You can’t escape the fact that there hasn’t been a lot of holistic thinking when it comes to Indian matters in general,” he said, citing tax and other issues. “It’s just that, to the extent we can, we’re going to take a fresh look at the issue.”

Holistics - “the importance of the whole” - is he suggesting that the Indians need to assimilate themselves into our economy and play by the same rules? I don’t think so. Eliot would never say anything that makes that much sense.

Faso hits the nail on the head -

Faso, who addressed the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce, said Spitzer’s proposals mean a new level of government involvement. “He sounds more and more like a big government advocate who wants to impose his vision on society,” he said. “He’s like Mario Cuomo without the charm.”

tulips

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 29th, 2006


tulips, originally uploaded by mike in wny.

It was another gorgeous, sunny day today. A bit of chill in the air, but not bad. I can’t wait until summer arrives. I walked around the Rose Garden at Delaware Park today, as well as the Historical Society. Both areas are great spots for photography. Here’s a slideshow of my recent floral images. It is supposed to be 62 Saturday and 68 Sunday, I can’t wait!

New Image Store

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 28th, 2006


stairs, originally uploaded by mike in wny.

I opened an online store this week named Images by Mike in WNY. I have framed prints, posters and many other unique gifts for sale. If anyone is having a special event and would like some custom items made with a photograph or your event, or any other photograph, you can contact me. I have an ad for the store at the top of the sidebar. There will frequently be discount offers displayed there.

Here a link for a slideshow of my recent photos from the past couple of days.

Leading Historian Assesses George W. Bush

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 27th, 2006

This is a very interesting, in depth analysis of Bush’s presidency by Sean Wilentz. It appears in the May 4 RollingStone magazine. The article isn’t available online yet, but will be soon. I’ll include the link here when it is posted.

Bush is compared to James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Herbert Hoover. All three are generally acknowledged as the biggest failures to inhabit the White House.

Calamitous presidents, faced with enormous difficulties – Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Hoover and now Bush – have divided the nation, governed erratically and left the nation worse off. In each case, different factors contributed to the failure: disastrous domestic policies, foreign-policy blunders and military setbacks, executive misconduct, crises of credibility and public trust. Bush, however is one of the rarities in presidential history: He has not only stumbled badly in every one of the key areas, he has also displayed a weakness common among the greatest presidential failures – an unswerving adherence to a simplistic ideology that abjures deviation from dogma as heresy, thus preventing any pragmatic adjustment to changing realities. (emphasis mine) Repeatedly, Bush has undone himself, a failing revealed in each major area of presidential performance.


The article gives a very detailed examination of Bush’s propensity for failure and is a must read.

“Guru of Ganja” Gets Off in Court

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 27th, 2006

Law.com - 9th Circuit Overturns Marijuana Cultivation Conviction of ‘Guru of Ganja’

A federal appeals court Wednesday overturned the pot-growing conviction of the self-proclaimed “Guru of Ganja,” a marijuana advocate who has written books on how to grow pot and avoid getting caught.

The court cited jury misconduct in overturning Ed Rosenthal’s conviction, but it otherwise upheld federal powers to charge marijuana growers.

Rosenthal was convicted in 2003 for cultivating hundreds of marijuana plants for a city of Oakland medical marijuana program. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sentenced him to one day in prison, saying Rosenthal reasonably believed he was immune from prosecution because he was acting on behalf of city officials.

Bush’s Ineffective Gasoline Price Solutions

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 26th, 2006

One of these days, President Bush is going to wake up and realize he has been one of the worst Presidents in history. His response to rising gas prices is just another example of failing to grasp the issues. Cutting additions to the oil reserves sounds wonderful but does nothing to address the real factors affecting rising prices. Number one on the list would be speculation over future prices. Bush’s “policeman of the world” approach to foreign policy is one of the prime causes of rising prices. The more he threatens to huff and puff and blow Iran’s doors down, the more prices will continue to rise. We are already paying higher prices due to the Iraq debacle.
The following steps would actually address the rising price issue without interventionist government price controls which are always detrimental in the long run.

  • Index the taxes on gasoline to the market price, keeping tax revenue flat.
  • Acknowledge cultural difference in a world economy instead of beating nations over the head with a big stick.
  • Understand that market-driven rising prices will lead to conservation and more fuel efficient vehicles. Reduced dependence on foreign oil will result.

Arrival of Spring

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 25th, 2006


before and after, originally uploaded by mike in wny.

The trees on Avery Avenue are in full bloom right now. I decided to play around with a picture in photoshop. What you see is the side by side view of the original and the photoshopped version. Click the pic for a larger view. Don’t be afraid to leave me a comment on the tweaked picture.
The things that can be done with digital photgraphy, a PC and some software are amazing.

The Spendaholics are at it again!

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 25th, 2006

Iraq Funding Bill to Hit Senate Floor - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - A must-pass spending bill to pay for the rising costs of the war in
Iraq and for additional hurricane aid for the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast to debut on the Senate floor to poor reviews from conservatives over its massive cost.
ADVERTISEMENT

The $106.5 billion bill has ballooned by almost $15 billion over
President Bush’s February request, and that figure could grow as senators of both parties press amendments to add money for border security and medical care for veterans.

The White House, itself — despite its own concerns about the measure’s spiraling cost — plans to ask as early as Tuesday for about $2 billion more to repair and strengthen levees in and around New Orleans.

The measure is expected to eventually pass with ease, but not before the Senate takes ample time to discuss Iraq policy, gasoline prices and lawmakers’ appetites for homestate projects.

This is just another nail in the coffin of our economy. It will bring us one step closer to the inevitiable “crash and burn”.

Rumsfeld Needs to say Bye-bye, it is time for him to go!

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 25th, 2006

Rumsfeld sued over Pentagon’s recruiting database - Yahoo! News

Six New York teen-agers sued Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld on Monday, alleging the U.S. Department of Defense broke the law by keeping an extensive database on potential recruits.

The suit in federal court in Manhattan follows a series of allegations last year of misconduct by recruiters, who have experienced difficulty meeting targets because of the war in Iraq.

The Pentagon last year acknowledged it had created a database of 12 million Americans, full of personal data such as grades and Social Security numbers, to help find potential military recruits.

A Quick Reminder

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 24th, 2006

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 25 is Dining Out for Life.

Heavyweight Battle Tuesday Night at Daemen College - FREE!

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 23rd, 2006

Commentator Pat Buchanan, ACLU President Nadine Strossen to Debate “Civil Liberties and National Security: Post 9/11”

The 2006 Daemen College Academic Festival will present a debate, “Civil Liberties and National Security Post 9/11: How Do We Strike the Balance?” featuring commentator Patrick Buchanan and ACLU President Nadine Strossen. The debate will be held 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25, 2006, in Wick Center on the Daemen College campus, 4380 Main Street, in Amherst. This event is made possible through the generosity of Robert Warren and the Estate of Rupert Warren. The debate will be moderated by Daemen President Martin Anisman. It will be free and open to the public.

Ladies and Gentlemen . . . in the red corner we have Pat Buchanan, ultra-conservative, former Director of Communications for Ronald Reagan, fighting to reclaim the lost honor of the Religious Right. Buchanan will be trying his hardest to impose his will on the contender in the blue corner - none other than Nadine Strossen, the reigning Queen of the Left and current President of the American Civil Liberties Union.

This will be a 13 round bout refereed by the President of Daemen College, Martin Anisman.

All jokes aside, I think this will be a very interesting debate - hope to see you there.

Buffalo Nightlife

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 23rd, 2006


sheas, originally uploaded by mike in wny.

Last night I wandered around downtown to capture some shots of the Saturday nightlife downtown.

Slideshow

Bottoms Up

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 22nd, 2006



bottoms up

Originally uploaded by mike in wny.

Today’s color in the FlickrBuffalo photo excersize is “blue”. This is the picture I submitted. The building has great lines, the blue windows fit the bill and the whole scene pretty much sums up the Chippewa nightlife.

The group had a great time meeting at Spot Coffee on Delaware at noon today. After chatting awhile we wandered around downtown letting our creative juices flow. Many of the pictures taken were posted on flickr and can be viewed here.

What a Joke!

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 22nd, 2006

Brown accepts Senecas’ word on casino site
That article appeared in this morning’s Buffalo News.

“I’m going to meet with Mr. Snyder at some point in the near future and certainly will be discussing a number of these concerns with him,” Brown said. “But I believe him at his word.”

What is Byron thinking? The Senecas have been deceptive at best, liars at worst, when it comes to the casino project.

Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown said Friday he isn’t concerned that the Seneca Nation of Indians will buy more land in the city . . .

Thank you Mr. Mayor for your honesty. What we do need is a mayor who is concerned. Isn’t that part of his responsiblities? I’ve always wondered about BB’s “flat affect”, now I’m beginning to think there is no one home in Bryon’s household. Once again, we see the disaster that occurs when the unions and special interests put their lackeys in office.

Purple Pictures

Posted by Michael Rebmann on April 21st, 2006

A photo group I belong to, BuffaloFlickr, has a fun excersie going this week. It is “6Colors, 6 Days”. Today’s color is purple. The only rules are; one photo submission per person, and it has to involve “purple”.
This is my submission for today -

Here is a link to a short slideshow of the 6 pictures I considered for my entry.

The group is made up of Buffalo photographers and is a very interesting way to compare and discuss photos.