Ohhh! Now I understand.

My head hurts.

Well blow me down.

Five metric tons of Columbian marching powder was intercepted from a makeshift submarine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Just imagine the overtime pay for a crew that just won't stop working no matter how hard they try.

Read more

Frankel and Tierney do the dance.

This evening's Brighton Town Board meeting raised some interesting questions regarding filling the needs of the Town in the wake of the departure of Communications Director, Melissa Hantman.

In the absence of a Communications Director, Supervisor Frankel requires the services of contract workers, Donna Jackel and Julie Nusbaum to fulfill the communications needs of the Town for a short term. An hourly rate of fifty dollars was agreed upon and this evening was amended to forty dollars per hour.

In September 2006 the Board approved Ms. Jackel's services for twenty dollars per hour for the same services. A year later she and Ms. Nusbaum won't accept anything less than forty per hour.

Councilman Tierney objected to this pay rate and mentioned qualified persons within Town Hall receiving much less could perform these tasks.

Here's the interesting statement made by Frankel. She stated the rate of forty dollars per hour is less than the compensation (salary and benefits) of the previous Communications Director.

Let's look at the math.

$40 x 40 hrs/week = $1600/week x 52 weeks = $83,200

Hantman's salary was $51,480.

The difference is $31,720.

Supervisor Frankel was implying that Melissa Hantman would have received benefits above her salary of over $32,000/year (62% of her salary).

Nice gig. Where do I sign up?

The D&C enters the Loop

The Democrat and Chronicle has launched a new site, RocLoop. Billed as a groundbreaking multi-media experience for the local college population. Being and old guy, I guess, I know not the ways of the internets and The Google.

You be the The Decider.



Sensory overload, I must go take my lisinopril.

And speaking of groundbreaking, check out the striking similarities between the Fox TV show's logo and that of RocLoop.








Do you think anyone would take issue with my new, unique and original design if I used this?

Tip O'The Day

Never own real estate with a relative.

Never never own two different pieces of real estate with two different relatives.

Nothin' but ugly.

Degrees of separation

Several years ago I was hipped to this band, The Low and Sweet Orchestra, by a good friend in Philly. Their one and only CD became a staple in my iPod rotation. Working in the darkroom one day, I had a visit from a photographer friend who instantly identified the band and offered his personal connection. Zander Schloss the bass player from the Circle Jerks and future member of the Low and Sweet Orchestra was the son of an ex-girlfriend of my photographer friend in St. Louis. He taught Zander to play and had photographic documentation to boot. A few short years later, I believe, it was Zander that spat on me in Trenton, NJ during a Circle Jerks show. Twenty-five years later in the dark the stories come full circle.

You could say it's a small world (hopefully I just burned that annoying fucking song into your heads for the weekend), but I've had many experiences like this. I think, perhaps, it has more to do with communication. The more willing you are to open up and share experiences and ideas and connect with people the smaller the world may seem. And that can be a good thing. It is then you can realize that the big things in the world can affect you.

What a Dick.

The Architect steps aside.

Taking it out of context.

Lawrence to Kaiser in the EdBlogs:

"We'll talk when u return."

Duck and Cover on Exchange Blvd.

Today's D&C editorial on "Pistolgate" appears in the absence of Editorial Board member, Jerri S. Kaiser, the citizen blogger with enough balls, figuratively, to address Randy Kuhl's packin' comment.

From the editorial:

"...it was more friendly banter than grim assertion..."

Perhaps amongst those who are strapped. Randy's "hos" might disagree.

"But Kuhl, like anyone else in public life, should expect that his views will get a fair hearing. Distortion of fact, like static on the radio, prevents that."

It is in the static that you find the clarity. The recess from spoon feeding. That is where you find guerilla radio.

The B-P Post got owned.....or was it me?

The above the fold headline on this week's print edition of the Brighton-Pittsford Post, written by Brian Roth, titled The Great Debate: Evolution vs. Creationism peaked my interest enough to attend the "debate" at the Pittsford Community Church this evening. Well, it was in fact Part One of a three part lectures series by evolutionist turned creationist Chris Miller.

With lots of creationism literature, the kind that gets stuffed in your storm door with the driveway sealing quotes, splattered about the lobby, I began to feel as though I had been duped. You see the article referenced the word debate in three prominent places: the headline, jump and jump header. I love a good debate, but this, my friends, was a sermon at best. The format of 45 minutes of lecture followed by a 35 minute question period was thankfully adhered to. Did I mention the ice cream and coffee in the lobby?

Anyway, the background stage is set, from my left: the American flag, a large video projection of the Powerpoint presentation, a large well-crafted cross, another video projection and a Christian flag appropriately to the Right. In the foreground next to the podium: a laptop, The Origin of Species and The Holy Bible. The speaker entered after a brief introduction with perfect TV church hair. Honestly, it was perfect.

One of the main points made in Mr. Miller's presentation opening was that our great great great etc. grandparents were bacteria. The snickering chuckles confirmed my presence as an outsider. This is not a debate. How the fuck did I get here? The church, I mean, not here in the big picture.

Taking notes and reading the storm door stuffers I came across the following, "This lecture series is open to all PCC Members and guests you would like to invite." I am neither a member nor an invited guest, unless of course Mr. Roth's article was in fact an invitation in the guise of news. This is not news. An ad at best, both for the lecture series and a catchy little headline to reap 25 cents from a passerby. Perhaps a sales rep could have more effectively generated the revenue with a full page ad.

Back to the debate. The first question from the audience came from nine or ten year old redhead (note the dual recessive genes bound for extinction). The question regarded the potential "counter attack" from evolutionists with respect to comments made in favor of creationism. Funny coming from a young advocate of Artificial Selection.

So I crafted a strongly worded letter to the writer and editors of The Brighton-Pittsford Post and will post the reply should I get one.

Did I get owned? Maybe. Was it worth it? Sure. What else did I have to do tonight, read about Republicans packing heat? Damn dirty hippies.

Did I mention the Ark?

Seriously.....