This is gonna be fun to watch.  CBS Radio intends to file a $500MM breach of contract suit against Howard Stern, alleging he utilized CBS airtime to promote his new venture at Sirius and profited by cashing in an incentive laden stock deal once he began working at the satellite radio company.  I’m sure BuffaloPundit will be able to dig into the legalese of the proceedings and give a better analysis of the lawsuit…he is a lawyer after all.

Many critics said that Howard wouldn’t be as interesting without someone to fight against…well, Les Moonves rides to the rescue and is willing to be Howard’s huckleberry.  It would seem that Les might be better served focusing on the atrocious ratings of Howard’s replacements rather than drumming up further interest in Howard’s channels on Sirius.

Regardless of the outcome, Howard is at his best when he fels persecuted and wronged…it’ll make for some great radio.

Looking for a new significant other?  Struggling to find a theocon that you can cuddle up in front of the fire with?  Someone with whom you can discuss the latest Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin columns?

Look no further!  HANNIDATE IS HERE!

The Board of Elections and the local media have done a piss poor job of notifying the public as to the location of polling places in the 60th Senate District Special Election. It’s almost like we live in Florida…Figmo details the shenanigans...

Call 858-8891 to find the location of your local polling place. You’ll need to provide them with your address so they can deduce from their cryptic and secretive logs where you should go to cast a vote. I know that the DEL10 and DEL12 districts have been consolidated into one polling place at St. Mark’s Elementary School on Woodward Avenue.

When I went to St. Mark’s to vote on my lunch hour, the elections inspector said she had seen less than 10 people all day. This is exactly what the political machine wants, apathetic and confused voters. The machine picked the candidates and now, they’re about to pick the Senator for you. Vote for Coppola, Vote For Jacobs, hell, Vote For Pedro if you want…stick it to the man and just VOTE!

There has been an interesting emergence of corporations who are utilizing blogs to spread their message with viral marketing and buzz creation.  Smart companies are driving interest in their products by using the web to create a brand identity that early product adopters gravitate towards.

Bloggers and Web 2.0 aficianados are driving the cultural zeitgeist nowadays and companies are wisely buying into the movement.  Naturally, tech companies are leading the corporate charge.  IBM is slowly working towards “official” employee blogs (utilizing wiki and not Lotus) as they sanction external employee blogs and blogs intended for internal consumption.

Sun Microsystems took the early lead in this space by creating a hosting service for their employees to officially blog about anything and everything.  The COO writes one of the widest read blogs on the Internet.

Other tech companies are realizing the power of the blogosphere and the idea is spreading…quickly.

Steve Jobs has invited reporters and analysts out to Apple’s Cupertino, CA offices to check out some “fun new products”. Of course, this has Apple junkies (myself included) quite excited.

Rumors include:

- iPod boombox that features wireless audio streaming for the home. Call it the “Homepod” with “Airtunes Speakers”
- Full screen video iPod with virtual clickwheel interface
- Intel-based Mac Mini that will feature Front Row, DVR technology, iPod dock, etc
- Widescreen Intel-based iBook with magnetized latches and power connectors
- Full length movies for sale on iTunes

My guess is that a new iPod is likely and the Mac mini will be unveiled. You can track the live event at MacRumors starting at 10AM PST.

UPDATE:

Specs on the new iMac mini: iLife 06, Apple’s suite of applications that includes iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie, GarageBand and iWeb. Also standard is Mac OS X v10.4, a remote control, Front Row, AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, four USB 2.0 interfaces, FireWire 400, GigaBit Ethernet, DVI video out, and Dolby Digital 5.1 and analog audio in and out. The entry-level Mac mini system, available starting today, is a 1.5GHz Core Solo system with 667MHz bus, 512MB RAM, 60GB SATA hard drive and “Combo” DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive for $599 — $100 more than the previous base model. The 1.67GHz Core Duo-based model features an 80GB SATA internal hard disk and 8x “SuperDrive” that can burn DVDs as well as CD-Rs, for $799.

Introducing iPod Hi-Fi! Three speakers, Integrated power supply, can also be powered by of six D batteries. The unit comes with two 80mm mid-range drivers in sealed acoustic suspension with a 130mm dual voice coil woofer center channel. iPod Hi-Fi also sports a Universal Dock connector and integrated handles. It has a sealed resin enclosure, and doesn’t vibrate which helps provide an actual hi-fi experience.

IPod integration for the iPod Hi-Fi: there’s a software update for iPods that puts a speaker menu item in the main menu. Tone control, backlight always on or off, large album art on or off or the screen can go black and just show album art. All of this can be controlled with the Apple Remote. $349 and it goes on sale today.

Apple rules.

The Sam Hoyt Method:

Repeatedly introduce legislation in Albany to eliminate the Ogden and Breckenridge toll booths on the I-190. Hold a public hearing to discuss the issue further.

The Joel Giambra Method:

Sue the state to remove the toll booths. When all you have is a hammer…everything looks like a nail.

I don’t much care for Joel but, he’s doing the right thing here. Sam is doing his best to fight the problem using establishment methods, which is to be commended as well. Hopefully, one of these guys wins the fight.

Alan Hevesi dropped a massive load of upbeat news on the City of Buffalo in his report on the fiscal stability of cities throughout New York.

Some juicy tidbits:

- Buffalo led the pack of 61 cities from 2000 to 2004 in what Hevesi called financial “stress levels”

- Buffalo saw 60 percent of expenses go to salaries and benefits of workers

How do upstate cities respond to such news? By demanding increased state aid, of course! I’m sure that will work, so far, it has really made a difference. Seriously, keep voting for guys like Brown, Tokasz, Volker, Coppola, and their ilk and this is what you get out of your local politicians. The problem is machine politics and the continual kowtowing to union pressures at the expense of free enterprise.

The first response of these politicians is to examine ways to generate more revenue, not to seek creative cost cutting measures. For some reason, local and state politicans have been incapable of establishing a corollary between the ever rising tax burden and the continual population decline…it’s a problem that feeds itself. The population decline results in the majority of the voting public being dependent on government salaries or benefits, not exactly the type of voters who will look for reform.

The full report can be found here.

As posted earlier, Chris Jacobs answered the state senate candidate survey from FreeBuffalo, while Marc Coppola had cited his busy schedule as the reason he was unable to answer. To Marc’s credit, he somehow cleared his schedule and answered the survey. The results are posted at the Free New York Blog. Coppola provided some interesting responses that demonstrate that he is the status quo candidate and designated party and union henchman. He and Volker will get along just swimmingly.

To read my breakdown of the candidates, click here.

Get out and vote tomorrow! If you are unsure if you actually live in the 60th State Senate District, please check the district map on the official NY State Senate page to check. What? You mean they don’t have a map detailing the boundaries of the most gerrymandered and poorly laid out district in the state? You don’t think they would do such a thing on purpose, do you??? You don’t suppose this might be a way to keep the voting turnout low as to enhance the chances of the machine candidate???

In a new poll, President Bush comes in at an all time low 34% approval rating.

A few of the interesting tidbits:

- Two out of three Americans said they do not think President Bush has responded adequately to the needs of Hurricane Katrina victims

- Only 30% approve of how Bush is handling the Iraq war

- 50% say they disapprove of how he’s handling the war on terror

- 18% said they had a favorable view of the vice president

Damn, this is getting ridiculous.

In my completely unscientific poll of random red staters, conducted at the most inopportune times; the people that fell in the categories listed above would almost certainly vote for Bush again. They like that’s he a consistently wrong, untruthful, secretive, duplicitous…Christian. Unlike that “coward” John Kerry, Bush takes a stand against “the gays”…
2008 cannot come soon enough.

By now, everyone has seen the various links to the Buffalo News article on local blogs. The article begs the question, when will the Snooze start hosting their own blogs? With print revenue in a steady decline, a well managed blog page featuring their features reporters and columnists would help drive web revenue. Perhaps they could even (GASP!) make it interactive! Somebody wake up the editorial staff and get them “learned up” on this new Internet phenomenon…like the Albany Times-Union and Toronto Star.

Unlike Mr. Coppola, Mr. Jacobs decided to answer FreeBuffalo’s state senate candidate survey. The questions posed are as follows:

1. Why has the Buffalo area declined in the last few decades and what specifically have you done about it in the last ten years?

2. Studies show that public sector employee compensation is substantially higher than private sector compensation. Would you support a constitutional amendment or law that would mandate that public sector salaries on average not exceed those in the private sector?

3. Do you believe that New York State taxes need to be adjusted downward until we are competitive with local taxes in comparable states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania?

4. Please list any new programs or major spending you believe State Government should undertake:

5. Which State spending programs do you favor eliminating?

6. Corporate welfare—special tax breaks or subsidies to business—should be eliminated. Economic growth should be promoted instead by tax cuts for all citizens and businesses.

7. State pension costs are exploding. The system needs to be reformed to reduce benefits, raise the retirement age and reduce gimmicks such as working overtime in the last three years of employment to raise pension benefits.

8. Medicaid spending (not the rate of increase) must be reduced by all means possible, including a statewide cap on spending.

9. Would you vote to repeal the “Triborough Amendment” of the Taylor Law which requires public employers to maintain all the terms of a collective-bargaining agreement until a new contract is negotiated?

10. A federal court has ruled that the judicial convention system for nominating state trial judges is illegal. Should this system be replaced by an open primary election process or should all state trial judges be appointed?

The answers are posted here.

Mr. Coppola was “too busy”.

As anyone who has listened to WBEN rabble rouser Tom Bauerle knows, he regularly closes his show by cajoling each and every one of us to be on the look out for “terrorist scumbags”. I love red state fear mongering like this…it puts a hop in my step.
Anyhow, it appears our local authorities took Bauerle’s daily reminder to heart and recently hosted a “boot camp” for our local citizens on how to identify the aforementioned “scumbags”:

Fifty-five citizens began training at the Army Reserve Center to spot behavior associated with terrorists. The participants in the Homeland Security-sanctioned course walked away with a better understanding of the importance of being alert in a region filled with potential targets.

I know that I now feel safer knowing that Earl, the 62 year old cashier at my local Wilson Farms can spot a terrorist < SNAP > just like that! What types of behavior did they train Earl to be on the lookout for?

• People buying bulk amounts of fertilizer that could be used to build a bomb.

• Suspicious-looking individuals taking pictures of buildings and locations in the area.

• Out-of-place behavior, such as people wearing oversized coats or hooded sweat shirts on warm days.

This spring, I’ll be sure to spread my fertilizer purchases around different nurseries as not to arouse suspicion! Also, what defines “suspicious”? Why do I now have a feeling that if Dr. Satish Mohan and his wife were taking pictures of City Hall, Bill Kindel would alert DHS?

I know we live in a “post-9/11 world” and all but, seriously, is this what we need to be spending the limited DHS funding on? I’d feel better if the Buffalo Fire Department had appropriate gear and training to deal with a biological or chemical attack. I’d feel better if the customs agents and Buffalo police worked on a cooperative training program to handle a terrorist incident at the border. Perhaps enhancements to our communication network to ensure functionality in the event of a terrorist attack.

Advancing the culture of fear in the populace by making us DHS Deputies doesn’t make me feel safer, it makes me feel nervous that my neighbor is wondering why I’m wearing a Red Sox sweatshirt on a 60 degree day. Is he calling the cops?

From the Snooze:

Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, will hold his annual town meeting from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Polish Cadets hall, 927 Grant St. at Amherst Street.

The meeting will focus on Gov. George E. Pataki’s 2006-07 budget and its effect on community programs and services in Western New York. Hoyt says comments from constituents will help guide him during budget negotiations.

“In an already complicated budgetary cycle, as this year’s will undoubtedly be, your opinions, feedback and concerns will help me to better understand the specific needs of those within my district,” Hoyt said.

I look forward to attending this meeting with 75 old people and the dedicated harassment crew from the “Save Our Libraries” cabal…

Seriously, come on out and contribute.

Talk about kicking a man when he’s down…William Buckley declares the Iraqi Intervention to be a failure.

Mr. Bush has a very difficult internal problem here because to make the kind of concession that is strategically appropriate requires a mitigation of policies he has several times affirmed in high-flown pronouncements. His challenge is to persuade himself that he can submit to a historical reality without forswearing basic commitments in foreign policy.

He will certainly face the current development as military leaders are expected to do: They are called upon to acknowledge a tactical setback, but to insist on the survival of strategic policies.

Yes, but within their own counsels, different plans have to be made. And the kernel here is the acknowledgment of defeat.

Ouch.

Amidst all the kvetching about the parking situation that is occuring in every corner of the city and blogosphere, I decided to do a little digging…I remembered that during one of the Mayoral debates, the subject of parking meters and ticket revenue was a hot topic. After a little bit of searching, I found the podcast from the Mayoral debate at BuffaloRising and a handy recap over at BuffaloPundit. Aside from re-reading the humorous hucksterisms from Charlie Flynn about those “punks and their boomboxes and breakdancing”, I found this little gem:

PARKING TICKETS DOWNTOWN
Ah, the topic voters in Amherst and Orchard Park were waiting for.

Helfer said that parking tickets downtown hurt, but the City has to do what it has to do. He’d avoid punitive ticketing of easy targets, however. Brown again relies on improving technology, and would introduce more pay & display meters, and meters that show just how overtime a parked car is, and he’d introduce something of a grace period. He said that parking meter revenue generates about $1.3 million each year, and we can’t afford to lose that.

Calvaneso jumped all over Brown’s answer, and indicated that he would immediately rip down every parking meter in downtown Buffalo. He says that the City raises $1 million from meter coin revenue each year in the budget, yet it costs $1.23 million to enforce parking violations and collect fines. He said that, “if we always do what we always did, we’ll always get what we always got.” If you want downtown business to compete with the suburbs, let people park for free.

Gaughan said that it’s pretty sad that the City is so dependent on a measly $1 million from parking meters. Flynn said that he’d insist on underground parking for new construction downtown, and that the City should stop “nickel-and-diming” motorists.

It would seem that Mayor Brown heard what Steve Calvaneso had to say about the City losing money on parking enforcement, and dangnabbit, he’s determined to do something about it! I, for one, am glad to see he got right on this issue and decided to increase revenue. Welcome to Buffalo, the town where common sense comes to die.