Entries Tagged as 'buffalo'

“i feel the earth move under my feet” – earthquake in buffalo, ny

USGS Earthquake Intensity Map - Ontario-Quebec Border Region

If you ask Connie Terwilliger or Amy Snively or Dave Courvoisier or maybe even Jeffrey Kafer, they’ll likely share more than a couple of stories about being in an earthquake.

I’ve never been in one, until today.

Yes our little hamlet (once a thriving metropolis – but that a story for another blog post) Buffalo, NY had an earthquake today. A real live one.

As you can see from the map, we were not near the epicenter but I very clearly felt it at my desk. As I said on a Facebook post today, it felt like “just a constant rumble of a very large truck on a bumpy road for about 7-10 seconds….long enough to make you think it wasn’t just a very large truck on a bumpy road.”

Here there was no damage here from the quake but a heck of a curiosity factor (and maybe even greater respect for their power). There may have been tremors in the region before (I guess there is a fault line in or around Lake Erie) but I don’t think it was so clearly felt by as many people as this one was.

Blizzards we get, high winds we get, hot we get. Earthquakes…not so much. Here’s hoping it’s not a trend for the future.

Here’s what it looked like live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada during a press conference where video was rolling. A little NSFW language from a newser who was clearly a little shocked by the realization of what’s happening. Sorry about the commercial at the beginning.

on february 12, 2010, please wear red for remembrance

<em> Firefighters battle flames from the wreckage of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12, 2009 where 50 people died</em>

Firefighters battle flames from the wreckage of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12, 2009 where 50 people died

On Friday, February 12, 2010, many people might wear red to signify St. Valentine’s Day on Sunday. But I’d like to ask you to wear red on Friday for another reason.

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the crash of Continental flight 3407 from Newark to Buffalo where preventable pilot error caused the death of 50 people. The families affected by the crash (and there are many) will walk Friday from the site of the crash to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in memory of those they lost.

Additionally, the families have asked that people everywhere (not just in Western New York) wear red on Friday to remember those that died and those whose lives were changed forever.

Flying is not safer today than it was one year ago. It seems no one is willing to truly address the problem.

Maybe a little symbolism will help get their attention.

a brief but public flogging

<em>Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, January 4, 2010. Photo copyright James P. McCoy, Buffalo News, all rights reserved</em>

Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, January 4, 2010. Photo copyright James P. McCoy, Buffalo News, all rights reserved

I don’t talk sports that much here because it’s not the primary focus of the blog (unless I do voice over for a sports team or if it’s about the Olympics because of my logo fascination therein). Also, the sports I really like are golf and hockey (I play the former not the latter albeit very infrequently). As far as the Buffalo Bills are concerned, I am certainly a fair-weather fan.

I also don’t talk that much about Buffalo, NY here because unless you are from the area, you probably don’t care. But today for truly a brief moment, I hope you read this digression.

The picture above this post was taken by the Buffalo News James P. McCoy and shows Buffalo Bills wide-receiver Terrell Owens on January 4, 2010 holding a newspaper picture of him taken on January 3, 2010 during the Bills-Colts football game in which Owens scored a touchdown. I couldn’t find the picture he’s holding on line but it is a tremendous photo of a truly excited football player scoring a touchdown while playing a meaningless game in a blizzard. In the photo Owens is celebrating his 41-yard reception, good for six points in the game which simultaneously moved him into third place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list at 14,951.

At the beginning of this past season, the Buffalo Bills signed the infamous wide receiver Terrell Owens to the team. This was a player who was bigger than life for his on-field performance (very impressive) and his off-field chatter (very unimpressive). It seemed clear to me that the Owens signing was an opportunistic move by the Bills to sell tickets (which is their job) and the area would have to put up with the seemingly bombastic Owens for one year.

The Bills season is now thankfully over. I will not take you down the disastrous path that led to the team’s 6-10 finish (others will, ad nauseam, oy vey!) But I would like to note that Mr. Owens’ public persona was professional, courtesy and patient throughout the entire year here in Buffalo. At a time and place where he could have been easily excused for mouthing off and getting angry via on-field antics or through the media…he did not. He played well (not amazingly well as he has admitted) but he did his job with very little (if any) complaint.

Based on how I had seen him perform elsewhere, I thought when he came to the Bills, Terrell Owens would be a pain in the ass to deal with and to have to listen to via our local media. I pre-judged him harshly in the privacy of my own head. He proved me completely wrong and I would like to first publicly apologize for judging him and then thank him for being a part of our team.

If both sides see fit to stay together in 2010, based on his performance and behavior this season, I – for one – would be glad to have him on our team.

the hardest working man in voice over

<em>James Brown - the Hardest Working Man in Show Business</em>

James Brown - the Hardest Working Man in Show Business

While James Brown may have been the hardest working man in show business (correctly pronounced by those of us in the industry as “bid-nez”), I am going to canonize myself as the hardest working man in voice over (correctly pronounced by those of us in the industry as “voice talking”).

Picture if you will (channeling Rod Serling) a vigorous lake effect snow storm with 30 m.p.h. gusts and blinding snow falls and an even earlier than usual darkness that falls over the city from the ginormous (that’s a meteorological term…maybe) snow cloud that had covered the area. The snow drifts alone had to be 25 miles high! And those were the small ones.

These tsu-nado-zzard conditions made travel unfit for neither man nor beast. But being a beast of a man and having a commercial recording session in a downtown studio scheduled in the midst of this blizz-tor-nami, I grabbed my dogs and my sled (and my light spring jacket…I’m a native Buffalonian after all) and sprang into action.

<em>Buffalo, NY on December 28, 2009 at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa - about two miles from the recording studio</em>

Buffalo, NY on December 28, 2009 at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa - about two miles from the recording studio

I dodged stalled cars and busses, ran over old ladies on the sidewalks (when I could find them) and flew around turns like an Olympic luge driver who’d failed his drug tests multiple times all to make it to my appointed recording session where, of course, I performed spectacularly for the people in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware.

They won’t know how hard I worked for them when they hear my spots or what a bombastic, egotistical, self-aggrandizing bone-head I am….but now you do.

some props for buffalo dining

Buffalo, NY

And by props I mean propaganda film for the many culinary treasures my hometown offers its residents and visitors.

Thanks to a tip from my sister on Facebook, I was directed to this short film produced by John Paget (who I just met a few weeks ago) and his company Paget Films, for the Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Two things of note in this piece, called “Eat It Up”:

1. I can vouch for the authenticity of the content in this film. We have an incredibly wide variety of terrific food choices in this city.

2. We have MANY days without snow and we’re darn good looking when we want to. I hope you’ll come taste and see for yourself someday.

Kudos to John and his team, the film was great.

buffalo, new york and the elmwood avenue festival of the arts

<em>Founders of the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Joe DiPasquale and his wife, Tanya Zabinski. Photo Credit: Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News</em>

Founders of the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Joe DiPasquale and his wife, Tanya Zabinski. Photo Credit: Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News

Today, daughter and I took our second trip in as many years to the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts or as we call it, the Elmwood Arts Festival.

It’s in its 10th year and I remember its early years…it has grown significantly and impressively since 1999. Joe DiPasquale and his wife, Tanya Zabinski began the festival with a team of equally dedicated volunteers.

I went to high school with Joe. He was a perfectly nice guy in school but I had no idea he had this kind of gumption within him. This show, with its artisans, music, kids area and food within its seven block reach (a bit over a half mile I would estimate), is family friendly, neighbor friendly and image friendly. It is different in many ways than any other festival the City of Buffalo offers and the City is damn lucky to have it.

Aside from a booth to sell their wares, Joe, his wife and anybody else working on the show make nothing…if they break even, it’s cause for celebration.

<em>Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts</em>

Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts

Call it volunteerism, giving back, paying it forward.

I call it laudable, applaudable and awe-inspiring.

To do an event like this once is swell, to do it for TEN YEARS is incredible and not something Western New York should ever take for granted.

Joe, Tanya and everybody else involved: thanks very much! We deserve none of your selfless generosity but will gladly immerse ourselves in this great spectacle. It runs through Sunday and is usually the last weekend in August every year. Come enjoy it if you can. If you can, you should.