Becky's Page

I wandered down to the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium again to take a few more pictures. It being October and all, the month it's scheduled to be demolished, it's only a short matter of time before it's nothing but a memory.

The side doors are still there after all. I couldn't see them from in front of HSBC Arena before, but standing on the MetroRail platform provides a scant view. I wandered around the whole thing pretty much, even getting a shot of the Naval Park from along the west side.

I saw an open door in front and took a picture of it, figuring that was the closest I could get to the entrance. But then I saw a guy working outside and asked him if I could go up to the opening and take pictures and he said okay, as long as I didn't go in!

I literally scampered around the fence and up the the door! I thought it would be a hollowed out cavern inside, but it isn't yet, although maybe the seating area has been decimated.

Just one thought about the ticket windows - it seems to me that they used to be tall, ornate wooden walls with windows, fashioned in the style of the outside windows, not plasterboard. Maybe the other side was like that still, but a beam was blocking the way of taking a picture. Perhaps underneath "Prime Seats" is a wall worth saving somewhere for something. Maybe not.

Sure, maybe you've looked at other pictures from inside the Aud, but these are mine that I got to take personally, and without sneaking around (not that I'd be adverse to that idea). Truthfully a part of me wanted to run across that floor and through the far doorway to see further inside, but I didn't want to take advantage. May be nothing but a moldy dark pit there anyway.

Did the City of Buffalo ever realize how much money they could have made if they'd allowed (and charged for) short look "tours" before ripping it apart? Even just for a walk through the entranceway and a short peek at the seating area...The line to get in would have stretched all the way down Main Street to Batavia! Safety, health, and liability issues could have been signed away with a waiver. Then again, probably not, or they would have done it.

I can't adequately describe just how totally neat it was to gaze upon the ticket area and entrance just one more time. It was like standing on the threshold of a memory. Thanks Aud workman, for allowing me to do just that.

I went down to Time Warner on Chicago Street yesterday. I thought things might be a bit hairy because there was all this traffic coming downtown on a Saturday afternoon, which is rare in that section of downtown unless the Sabres or Bisons are playing.

I made my way to Chicago & Exchange Streets with no problem. They had guys in the street directing cars and in general keeping order. The line full of pleasant people moved quickly and I was on my way again in 15 minutes.

Apparently it was not as smooth in West Seneca since a few refugees were in line behind me commenting on the craziness there. I didn't arrive until 2:45, so perhaps I missed earlier chaos. Amherst had 700 people lined up 1/4 mile down the road, 2 and 3 deep, before 1:30pm? That's nuts.

"All this for the Bills!" as one woman put it. There may have been a few people there for weatherman Don Paul, but the overwhelming majority were Bills fans.

After spending some time trying to figure out which configuration applied to the back of my television (without actually looking at it, naturally) I finally remembered that I had an unused set I could haul out and use.

It sure brings back some memories - of snow and messing with the antenna constantly. The best picture is when a kid is standing there holding it up in the air, but that wasn't to be a long term solution. Tinfoil maybe.

They're supposed to be giving away more antennas today, although one source says West Seneca only, while the News says all 4 places. Glad I won't need to find out. Some people were a bit perturbed because they had just signed a package deal with TWC and there's a $300 cancellation fee. I don't remember that from back when I had cable for my internet connection, but that was with Adelphia.

I really don't think satellite is a good option for me, and that was before I heard about massive (to me) installation and parts fees. FIOS isn't available yet here either. Cable, which I've had since they first wired the City back in the 70's, will remain, although I'll need to figure out VHF for "One Tree Hill" that my daughter watches. No, Clarence alumnus ('99) Chad Michael Murray is not her favorite, however there is drama: "But (someone) is going to DIE!"

All this for something I don't even watch that much.

The kids now know how good they have it. Then again, after February 2009 arrives and analog signals become a thing of the past, they'll never have this opportunity again. Maybe AM radio will be next to bite the dust. We'll read about that too after the decision has been made in favor of digital providers. Not that I listen to AM that much anymore, and maybe silencing Beach, Bauerle, and Rush isn't such a bad thing some days, but still...

Anyway, I'm ready now. Bring on the Bills versus the Cardinals on CBS!*

*Ryan - Thanks again for correcting the info on which network the game is on; maybe I should try looking at the schedule sometime :)

UPDATE: WIVB, LIN televison and Time Warner totally jinxed the Bills...yeah, that's it.

The doomsday clock for WIVB in the Buffalo area is winding down. Sometime today Time Warner Cable will pull the plug on the station and it's affiliate if an agreement isn't reached about broadcasting fees. If I lose even a few hours of CBS I will switch to satellite and never look back. Assuming I remember to notice, that is.

It's not that I really care about the station that much. I don't really watch television except for football/hockey games and an occasional Presidential campaign debate. Therein is the problem - the Buffalo Bills and the AFC appear on that station. My daughter watches some shows on the affiliate station, and the 10 o'clock news is there too, but it's the loss of the football games that has me a bit irked.

Previously I went off on DirecTV, or rather their lax customer sign up procedures (and accompanying bill collectors). However there's a sign up deal with Verizon for a bundle at $99 a month. Then again, I already have Verizon DSL and a telephone plan, so maybe I wouldn't qualify. I may soon find out. There's also the Dish satellite thing where they give you $50. FIOS isn't available yet. Decisions, decisions.

It's not that I'm afraid of change, just lazy. I don't know anything about satellite and fear my kids having access to all sorts of putrid garbage. I've heard that the boxes can be parentally programmed, but I'm sure my kids could figure out how to reverse it just for the challenge of it all, at least my daughter (son pays her $5 every time his television remote needs reprogramming). I don't want the "family friendly" package either since my kids have outgrown most of those specialized channels.

The front of my house faces north too, which I gather effects where a dish has to go. Nobody on my side of the street (with it's close together houses) has satellite that I can tell:

"Your choice of cable or satellite will be dictated to some extent by where you live. Satellite TV from the two major carriers, DirecTV and Dish Network, is available nationwide to households with an unobstructed view of the southern horizon. But you won’t be able to get service if tall buildings, trees, or mountains block the signals beamed by the satellites."

The rabbit ears option will cease to exist in February 2009 thanks to the boneheaded decision by the FCC to yank analog signals. A robotic "Must make money" chant must have come from the digital providers direct to the ear of the powers that be.

What to do? I'll probably end up waiting until the last minute just because I'll forget to call Verizon to inquire about the package deal. I'll probably end up PO'd (see Goose's Roost for my identical knee jerk reaction).

At least the Bills versus the Cardinals should be on FOX network this weekend.

Some miscellaneous thoughts on various current events on a Saturday morning:

- I'm sure I was not alone in exclaiming "Yes!!!" upon reading of a certain former Buffalo Bill running back's conviction in Las Vegas. Lack of African Americans on the jury should not have been a concern since his peers seem to consist mainly of rich people and those who would help him evade paying the civil damages awarded for responsibility in the murders of his ex-wife and friend.

Also, the claim of not being able to receive a fair trial because of the murder charges is bogus. Does this mean #32 is free to commit crimes at his leisure since no one can 100% guarantee that a jury isn't prejudiced even a little bit by his previous bouts in the headlines? BS.

Meanwhile, if it's possible, I'm sure Nicole and Ron exchanged fist bumps.

-That Justice icon looks awfully dangerous wielding the sword in light of the previous memories invoked.

- I haven't commented on the Vice-Presidential debate even though I wrote an entire unpublished post on it while it was going on. It consisted mainly of "Just answer the question!" and similar thoughts.

I'll give Palin a single Brownie point for declaring that she had no interest in the moderator or her debate topics. McCain did much the same thing previously while giving a solitary sentence response before veering off in his preferred direction. Palin's answer to virtually everything was "I want to talk about energy". Or, as Buffalo Pundit noted, when asked to talk about her Achilles heel, she talked about John McCain's record...

Makes you wonder about their hearing and/or their comprehension of spoken words. A leader of a hostile nation is having an intense conversation with one of them and they decide to talk about something else? I don't think so.

- I wanted to email Louise Slaughter to vote "No" on the bailout package in the House of Representatives, since I thought it should stick to the subject without all the added earmarks. However to do this you have to give up your full name, address, email address, and telephone number. No thanks.

Also, the way they keep switching district lines I may not even be in her area anymore (I live on a borderline that moves constantly). Last time I looked online I was assigned to Brian Higgins...I just vote for whoever they put on the ballot and I could swear it was Slaughter last time. Doesn't matter really. I'm not big on contacting elected representatives for everyday whines, although the bailout was a step or two above that.

- Looks like I'll be standing in line on Chicago Street this afternoon. That's one of the places where Time-Warner will be giving away free antennas to watch the Bills game. The stores are all sold out of the whole 5 or so they kept on hand. I would have sprung for more than $20 too (the TWC reimbursement amount) since my neighbor is having a hard time getting a picture with hers. I'm semi-coveting the roof top version on the vacant house next door even though I no longer have the wiring to hook it up.

I think Dunn Tire Park should offer the use of the ballpark for viewing (assuming it's available), along with huge screen televisions or the scoreboard screen, like they did during the Sabres playoffs a few years back (photo from Triple T). Maybe they're only wired for cable, like I'm sure the HSBC Arena is (thanks to the Riga family). I'm sure they could work something out if businesses cooperated.

Isn't it ironic that WIVB has been leading off it's newscasts with stories about the evil Time Warner (or so I've read)? Anyone who would care can't watch it anyway.

Let's go 5-0! Go Bills!

There have been stories in the Buffalo News about long time Buffalo Bills fans, but I believe John Millikin has to be the most loyal fan ever. From daughter Lynn (Class '72):