Archive for November 5th, 2006
I’ve written about the food at Boomerang’s before, you can read it here. I frequent the restaurant and have never been disappointed. This place oozes Buffalo charm. There is a typical neighborhood bar where everyone is friendly, a small dining room off the bar and a semi-circular dining room that wraps around the kitchen which is located in the middle of the restaurant. The Kitchen staff loves food and loves to cook and it is evident in the quality.
Last night I stopped in for dinner with a friend. We were looking for a place to eat and watch the hockey game. Both the bar room and the dining room off the bar afford plenty of TV viewing angles for sports fans. We decided to dine at the bar. That put us directly across from a wide screen TV and let us by-pass the list for a table. The place was humming with hungry customers at 7pm.
My choice for the night was Metropolitan Pasta. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera, however, I do have a photo of the leftovers that I just finished eating. Virtually all menu items are $10 or less. The Metropolitan Pasta I ordered was $10, I did upgrade it with shrimp for an extra $3. The dish was absolutely delicious. The pasta (linguine noodles) was served with a cheesy, creamy, garlicky sauce. Think Alfredo, but better! The sauce featured sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and broccoli. And, of course, the shrimp I ordered. It is also available with chicken. The portions are extremely generous. I was stuffed and still had enough leftover for another meal, as you can see from the picture.
My meal also included a nice, fresh salad made with a blend of greens, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber. I had the salad topped with crumbled bleu cheese and a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. My friend ordered the warm spinach artichoke appetizer and a cobb salad. The appetizer was delicious and the salad also looked very good.
Boomerang’s is located at 995 Niagara Street.
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The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is considering a legal challenge to the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority’s (EFSCA) imposition of a Hard Control Board on Erie County. I, for one, am sick of the Unions trying to run our government. If anyone should have a say over the legality and existence of the Hard Control Board, it should be the voters. A CSEA legal challenge would be equivalent to the Devil challenging the Pope’s right to affect Catholic Doctrine.
My fantastical solution to Erie County’s Financial situation would have the County file bankruptcy. During the process, all union contracts would be rendered null and void. The Court would appoint a trustee to oversee all County financial decisions and transactions, as well as personnel decisions. The trustee would be a professional county manager. Any jobs paying over $30,000 per year would require the approval of the Court via the Trustee. Unions would have to bargain for a new contract without the benefit of maintaining the provisions from their previous contract during the negotiationing process. Employees could opt out of the Union and County Employment would be an “open shop.”
All non-mandated services would immediately cease. No new services will be authorized. All current mandated programs will be subject to a voter referendum.
Back to reality.
If you look at the CSEA Mission Statement, it is all about them!
- As working men and women — every one and everywhere — we are our greatest resource.
- We organize and represent workers to ensure our voice is heard, our place at the table is kept and the American dream is ours in the 21st century.
- As a labor union, we hold these values as our working principles:
- Honesty: We are honest with ourselves and each other.
- Inclusiveness: Every group, every idea is welcomed.
- Full Participation: We encourage and expect full participation in all union matters.
- Respect: We respect each other and honor our differences.
Diversity: We celebrate our diversity and use it to strengthen us. - Open Communications: We listen and provide for open communication across all parts of our union and in all directions.
- Accountability: We are accountable for our actions and decisions.
- Fiscal Responsibility:We conduct our business in a fiscally sound manner.
I would suggest, in most cases, that before you vote Tuesday, check to see who the CSEA has endorsed, then vote for the other person.
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Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld —
“So long as our government requires the backing of an aroused and informed public opinion … it is necessary to tell the hard bruising truth.”
That statement was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Marguerite Higgins more than a half-century ago during the Korean War.
But until recently, the “hard bruising” truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington.
One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: “mission accomplished,” the insurgency is “in its last throes,” and “back off,” we know what we’re doing, are a few choice examples.
Military leaders generally toed the line, although a few retired generals eventually spoke out from the safety of the sidelines, inciting criticism equally from anti-war types, who thought they should have spoken out while still in uniform, and pro-war foes, who thought the generals should have kept their critiques behind closed doors.
Now, however, a new chorus of criticism is beginning to resonate. Active-duty military leaders are starting to voice misgivings about the war’s planning, execution and dimming prospects for success.
Continue Reading “An Editorial in the Army Times Calls for Rumsfeld to GO!” »
Death penalty for Saddam Hussein
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity by a Baghdad court and sentenced to death by hanging.
He was found guilty over his role in the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail in 1982.
His brother Barzan al-Tikriti was also sentenced to death, as was Iraq’s former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bander
Former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail and three others received 15 year prison terms.
Another co-defendant, Baath party official Mohammed Azawi Ali, was acquitted.
Saddam Hussein shouted out “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Greatest) and “Long live Iraq. Long live the Iraqi people!” after the judge announced the verdict.
Correspondents say the former leader looked visibly shocked as the sentence was passed, but the BBC’s world affairs editor John Simpson said that as he was led away Saddam Hussein seemed to have a small smile on his face.
“It was as if he was thinking ‘I’ve come here and done what I intended to do’,” our correspondent said.
How many thousands have died in the quest for this death sentence? And, who put Saddam in power to begin with?
I thought that I’ve read about some pretty absurd research projects funded by the taxpayers’ money, but this takes the cake.
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has condemned hormone-altering experiments on “gay sheep” at Oregon State University and Oregon Health and Science University.
The research seeks to manipulate the sheep’s sexual preferences and make them heterosexual. The tests are funded by taxpayers through the year 2008.
The one burning question I have is, how many sheep and were did they fall on the Kinsey Scale?
Rating - Description
0 - Exclusively heterosexual
1 - Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual
2 - Predominantly heterosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual
3 - Equally heterosexual and homosexual
4 - Predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual
5 - Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual
6 - Exclusively homosexual
This is truly a baaaaaaaaaad research project and a waste of our money.
According to the grant applications, the experimenters plan to extrapolate the test results to humans — with the insidious implication that homosexuality in people can be “cured.”
Isn’t that special, 2 days before our elections, Saddam Hussein will be sentenced. Gee, do you think that is a coincidence? Tony Snow does!
“Are you smoking dope?” Snow laughed when asked if US and Iraqi officials colluded to issue the verdict on Sunday to help supporters of President George W. Bush running for office.
“Are you telling me that in Iraq, that they’re sitting around … that the Iraqi judicial system is coming up with (a last-minute electoral) surprise?
Next he’ll be telling us this is just an example of Iraq’s functioning democracy.
“We’re talking about an Iraq that can sustain, defend and govern itself, and you see — we’ve seen progress when it comes on the military side, not only the Iraqi security forces … but also an independent judiciary.
“These are things that are absolutely vital to building a democracy that will not only sustain itself, but have the faith and support of the populous.”
Read it all, if you have the stomach for it.
