Santa Likes Volleyball
Apparently Santa enjoys high school volleyball. I spotted him at Daemen College for the Section VI Class AA girls’ volleyball championship between Orchard Park and North Tonawanda.
Your Celebrity Death Pool V Winner is…
JAMES GOLLER
Goller has joined the elite group of participants that have won the annual JamesGoller.com Celebrity Death Pool. Eric & Amber Miller, winners of CDP I, II & IV finished in second place. Waddles won CDP III. He finished with zero points in CDP IV and declined to join CDP V.
Newcomer Dan Ward finished third place this season. Jackie Baumann won household bragging rights by finishing in fourth place while husband Bob finished in sixth.
Celebrity Death Pool VI information will be out soon. There will be no major changes so go ahead and prepare your lists.
Professional Fist
Two nights ago marked my first experience fist-bumping in a professional setting. As I went in for a handshake, I was met with a clenched fist. I understand and respect that people are being more cautious of the germs that are floating around with the H1N1 threat, but it was a very odd situation. The act definitely took away from the traditional professionalism and courtesy that exists when two people shake hands. I have not grown accustomed to what could become our new way of greeting. As a result, I stumbled over my words and felt awkward for the brief amount of time I spoke with this person. It was uncomfortable, but I suppose that is common with change.
Fun Times in Cleveland Today
This promotional video of Cleveland has grown on me. Repetitive play = more funny. (Hat tip to Colonel Pete)
Index Card – Cheese Consumption
Jessica Hagy’s “Indexed” blog is great. It has inspired me to create my own index cards.
Dating Webmaster
ASK JAMES
My sister is dating this nerd who has his own website. What do I do?
ZACH, KENMORE, NY
Congratulate him on being so awesome.
Web Browser Market Share
Mozilla Firefox
According to recent numbers from Net Applications, Mozilla Firefox is capturing a greater market share of web browsers.
Internet Explorer remains the dominant browser globally, according to Net Applications. However, the market share was 66.82%, the lowest level for IE in about a decade. Firefox marches on and came in at 22.05%, the highest number published by the market research firm so far. Safari climbed back up to 8.23%, after having dropped to 8.05% in February, and Google’s Chrome continued to gain slightly to 1.23%.
Additionally, Firefox has taken over as the leading web browser in Europe.
Mozilla Firefox 3.0 became the most popular web browser in Europe last week, overtaking Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 for the first time on a weekly basis according to web analytics firm StatCounter. Firefox 3.0 took 35.05% of the European web browser market followed by 34.54% for IE 7.0.
Bunch of Savages in this Town
At the Hatch on Buffalo's Waterfront
Outside the Humboldt-Hospital Metro Station
NCAA Tournament Pool Results
1st place – Jerry Amato
2nd place – Bill Kennedy
3rd place – Jim Giblin
4th place – Darcy Johnson
Winners – email your address to jameslgoller@gmail.com
Thank you entering the pool. See you all next year!
Balseca Battles Adversity to Ace Exam
Sarah Hagan and Amber Balseca
Amber Balseca, a senior at the State University of New York at Fredonia, recently scored 100% on her Spanish phonetics and diction midterm despite broken heat, a bump on her head and the death of a pet.
Read her story as told to friend Sarah Hagan:
Sarahhhhhhhhh, OMG, so my heat broke in our house and when we got back to Newfane the fish died. Haha, I never liked it anyways. The cats were great so thanks for taking care of them. No big deal when I got up in the morning I could see my breath because it was like 35 (degrees) in our house. Everyone got sick. My head hurts from bumping into a corner. What a disaster. Then I had to drive back to Fredonia and wow was that boring. Then I had a midterm which I didn’t study for. I was hungry when I got to my house and went to make a bologna sandwich. Yeah, I know I’m weird, and I forgot I had no bread. So I ate a sugar-free pudding snack pack. It was pretty good. I just got out of my midterm and of course I aced it. 4.0 this semester baby. I miss you. Hope I see you soon. I miss your red hair. ♥
Steve Barber to Leave Channel 7
Steve Barber (photo: WKBW)
I will no longer shout “Yeah – East Aurora represent!” when watching the news. Steve Barber, reporter at Buffalo’s Channel 7 and East Aurora High School graduate, will be leaving the station on April 10, according to the Buffalo News. Barber will be taking a position at AXA Advisors.
There was always a sense of pride when I watched the news. Barber was a member of the varsity baseball team at East Aurora when I was a player on junior varsity. His younger brother Jason was a teammate of mine for several years. It’s a shame Barber will be leaving, but we wish him the very best in his new career.
“Folsom Prison Blues” by Everlast
Not sure how this passed through my radar, but I am digging this cover by Everlast of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”. Everlast and DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill messed around and came up with their own version of the Johnny Cash classic. According to an interview with Everlast, he visited Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, in Nashville and successfully procured his approval.
Lovely Junkie at Small Press Fair
The Producer Paul Panfalone and The Director Rob Imbs
Lovely Junkie’s The Producer and The Director were on hand at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum for the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair Saturday afternoon.
In an interview with the Buffalo News, Panfalone said, “This gives me some exposure, lets me network with other artists in the community and gets my name out there.”
According to its website, Lovely Junkie is a highly-trained multi-disciplinary task force whose primary objective to infiltrate established institutions and disrupt the existing state of affairs. Lovely Junkie consists of several agents who have been specifically chosen because they possess a unique and conventional approach to their respective field of expertise.
The Lovely Junkie debuted three brand new shirts at the event. The H-O Oats shirt is a tribute to the defunct grain elevator.
The Annual JamesGoller.com NCAA Tournament Challenge
Tournament Challenge page at ESPN
Entry fee: $ 10 per entry
Payouts; 1st – 50% ($135), 2nd – 25% ($67.5), 3rd – 15% ($40.5), 4th – 10% ($27)
Email or call with any questions pertaining to the pool.
Cell: 716-597-6229 Email: jameslgoller@gmail.com
Send payments to: James Goller, P.O. Box 87, Spring Brook, NY 14140
Eat Fresh and Less
I have not done much to circumvent any potential impact from the recession. In terms of cutting expenditures, I have neglected to bring my lunch to work while continuing to purchase pizza from Gina & Joe’s and subs from Subway. At Subway on Friday, I decided to purchase only the five dollar sub, opted out of the meal deal and reduced the cost by $1.95, or 26 percent. The meal deal consists of a soda and two cookies (I usually get cookies) which are not exactly the healthiest options. Since I typically add an additional three cookies to my lunch, I walk away having paid $8.68 for a foot-long sub, soda, and five cookies. Although the price is reasonable for any lunch, I figured reducing the price and the calories was a wise decision. For those who have not seen me recently, I have ballooned to over 200 pounds due to my eating proclivities and infrequent visits to the gym. (Note: Friday night I went to the gym and weighed exactly 200). Therefore, I think my decision to purchase only a sub, along with ordering turkey/ham rather than meatball, will prove to be a smart move for both my wallet and waistline.
World Wrestling Deaths
Another wrestler passed away yesterday. Andrew Martin, known as “Test” to World Wrestling Entertainment fans, died at the age of 33 years old. Although the cause of death is not yet known, steroids and drug abuse have played a major role in a seemingly never-ending string of wrestling deaths.
The premature deaths of Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, Road Warrior Hawk, Hercules Hernandez, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Eddie Guerrero, Brian Adams, among many others have resulted in Celebrity Death Pool participants including the names of wrestlers in their lists. This season, the following death poolers have selected wrestlers:
Laura Suttell – Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura
Jackie Baumann – The Iron Sheik
Stacey Orfeo – Hulk Hogan
Dan Ward – Jake “the Snake” Roberts
Jodie Zolnowski – King Kong Bundy
Wrestlers seem to account for at least one death a year. We will see if Martin is the start a trend or merely the lone death among wrestlers this season.
Waddles Calls Out JamesGoller.com on Facebook Group
Waddles
Thomas “Waddles” Walters has called out JamesGoller.com domain owner James Goller for his lack of effort in maintaining the site. Despite their long-time friendship that commenced when they were suitemates in college, Waddles pulled no punches when he lashed out at Goller on the Facebook group, The People’s Republic of JamesGoller.com, Monday evening March 9.
Said Waddles:
All you have to do is change the group description! Something like this should work: ‘As a member of the People’s Republic of JamesGoller.com you will soon realize I put as little effort into this group as any of the other 159 members. The Republic was originally founded as a way to grow the readership of JamesGoller.com, but since I don’t bother to keep my website current why should I bother to keep my facebook group current? Basically, I am just an attention whore, I can’t see my own name enough, web sites, t-shirts, I don’t care. If you have any ideas for how I might be able to see my name more, please let me know’.
Despite escalating membership, the site has seen little to no updates since last summer.
“Since being hired as a freelance writer and photographer at the Orchard Park Press I have admittedly neglected to provide The Republic with the appropriate amount of attention,” Goller said Wednesday evening. “I am happy to have provided an update to extend the Celebrity Death Pool into its fifth season, but I have not been on point with my other ideas.”
By other ideas, Goller refers to providing more interviews, establishing a Hall of Fame, producing new t-shirts, as well as changing the layout and logistics of the site.
“It has been a struggle maintaining the site. In an attempt to provide greater content in both quality and quantity, I have decided to implement a few ideas in conjunction with JamesGoller.com to allow for greater ease of use for the readers. These measures will surely impact the functionality of the site, but will allow me to be more creative in producing material,” reported Goller. “I can assure the members of The Republic that there is more to come. Stay tuned.”
Last Name Images
Out of curiosity, I decided to google my last name and click on images. This was the first result. Not bad. The girl on the right, Sara Goller, is a German beach volleyball player.
What Would You Do…
You goal is to make $75,000 a year, but suppose you had to earn that amount through methods other than your typical avenue of securing income.
Let’s look at this by going backwards. Suppose you had 5 days per week and 50 weeks a year to earn this money. You would have to make $300 per day.
Earning $75k in Buffalo is a nice income. Let’s say you want to make $50,000, but you would still need to earn $200 a day. It’s interesting to think of it on a daily basis.
If you lost your job – what would do to earn $200 tomorrow?
Buy American?
From Burton G. Malkiel:
Suppose that we did not allow free trade between the 50 American states. Citizens like me in New Jersey would be far worse off if we could not buy pineapples from Hawaii, wine and vegetables from California, wheat from Kansas, and oil from Texas and Louisiana while we sell pharmaceuticals to the rest of the country. The specialization that trade makes possible allows all of us to live better.
Top Ten Messages Left on Alex Rodriguez’s Answering Machine
David Letterman took aim at Alex Rodriguez with his Top Ten list yesterday on the Late Show.
10. “Hey, it’s Mark McGwire. Want to get together this week and not talk about the past?”
9. “Joe Torre here — thanks for helping book sales.”
8. “Could you find a steroid that keeps you from choking in the playoffs?”
7. “Are you worried this will taint all the championships you didn’t win?”
6. “It’s Bernie Madoff. Nice try but I’m still the most hated man in New York.”
5. “Michael Phelps here. Got any snacks?”
4. “This is Sammy Sosa. Just pretend you don’t speak English.”
3. “Michael Phelps again. Did I call you or did you call me?”
2. “Hey, it’s Rod Blagojevich — I’ll say you’re innocent, if you say I am.”
1. “It’s Madonna. You got a phone number for Jeter?”
James Whitmore and Philip Carey Die
Actors James Whitmore and Philip Carey passed away on February 6. Both deaths earned points in Celebrity Death Pool V.
Whitmore
Carey
Whitmore, remembered for his role as Brooks Hatlen in “The Shawshank Redemption”, died at the age of 87 giving two points to Stacey Orfeo.
Philip Carey, who played Asa Buchanan on “One Life to Live” died at the age of 83 giving two points to James Goller, Eric & Amber Miller, Ryan Miller and Celebrity Death Pool newcomer Megan Savo.
Erin Riska leads the pool with three points (two deaths) and Kevin Kaufman has three points on one death. Five participants are now tie d at two points.
Tax Swap
From BOB INGLIS and ARTHUR B. LAFFER:
We need to impose a tax on the thing we want less of (carbon dioxide) and reduce taxes on the things we want more of (income and jobs). A carbon tax would attach the national security and environmental costs to carbon-based fuels like oil, causing the market to recognize the price of these negative externalities.
It is essential, therefore, that any taxes on carbon emissions be accompanied by equal, pro-growth tax cuts. A carbon tax that isn’t accompanied by a reduction in other taxes is a nonstarter. Fiscal conservatives would gladly trade a carbon tax for a reduction in payroll or income taxes, but we can’t go along with an overall tax increase.
The good news is that both Democrats and Republicans could support a carbon tax offset by a payroll or income tax cut. Former Vice President Al Gore has argued for eliminating all payroll taxes and replacing them with “pollution taxes.” He said in a speech at New York University’s law school two years ago: “It would be, in other words, a revenue-neutral tax swap. But, instead of discouraging businesses from hiring more employees, it would discourage business from producing more pollution.”
The Power of Smart Marketing
According to Seth Godin.
Consider this riff from a professionaly printed freestanding sign in front of a Peet’s in San Jose:
“Unlike Any Coffee You’ve Ever Tasted Before.”
Wait. Why the capitals?
“Unlike any coffee you’ve ever tasted before.”
“Before” is redundant.
“Unlike any coffee you’ve ever tasted.”
Too negative. And why is “unlike” a positive trait? I mean, boiled leech guts is also unlike any coffee I’ve ever tasted, that doesn’t mean I want to drink it. How about:
“The best coffee you’ve ever tasted.”
Well, the thing is, the only coffee that matters is coffee I’ve tasted, right, so we could get shorter still:
“The best coffee.”
The problem with that is that it’s nothing but bragging. Of course you think it’s the best coffee. So what? You’re lying. And even if you’re not lying, how do you know it’s the best? Compared to what?
This is where the smart copywriter becomes a marketer.
“Better than Starbucks.”
Well, it’s still bragging. This is the moment where the marketer becomes a smart marketer and realizes that changing the offer or the product is more important than changing the hype.
“FREE TASTE TEST
Are we better than Starbucks?”
Invest $20 in espresso in little cups, and maybe, just maybe, your sign will make some magic.
Grammar Patrol
A Buffalo law firm wants your business “if your injured” not if “you’re” injured.
Hello Again
It can be quite aggravating how some people are terrible at introducing others. It can be awfully uncomfortable standing next to two people – one you know, the other you don’t – and watch them talk to each other for a reasonable amount of time and not be introduced to the person you do not know. In some cases, I have learned that the person you know that is not introducing does not know the name of the other person. They recognize the person, say hi and chat for a bit. They might even attempt to hurry the conversation in hopes to avoid the embarrassment. Not knowing someone’s name could be understandable. Not introducing someone whose name you know is inexcusable.
Sometimes I find myself introducing people who already know each other. I suppose I can understand the criticism I receive, but it is a much better situation then not introducing someone at all. In the case that you are introducing two people who may already know each other it is beneficial to incorporate the “You know Tiana right?” The other person will either respond with a courteous “Oh, of course” or “No, I don’t believe I do”. In either case you’re in the clear.
A few years ago while at the gym (or “workout center” as a friend says) I introduced my friend Amber to a guy who I have known as “Stoner”. I recall being told his real name was Mike, so I introduced Amber to him by his first name. He gave me a disappointed but accepting look and disclosed that his name was actually Jeff. I immediately apologized and explained that I thought his first name was Mike and figured he may not want to be introduced as a name more commonly given to smokers of weed. I should have played it safe since Stone is his last name. I made the effort, but failed. I think Stoner appreciated the effort, because come to think of it, I’m not sure he knows my first name.
… And Justice For All
Jimmy Justice takes to the streets of New York City to record traffic enforcement officers that do not abide by the law.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 12 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
TWELFTH COMMANDMENT
Thou should ALWAYS remember at the end of the night that they are beautiful and perfect just the way they are. If someone else can’t see that then they clearly don’t deserve to be with you.
This sounds like something you hear from Sex and the City after one of the girls gets dumped. It’s too Stuart Smalley. The message makes sense, but the choice of words is bothersome. The bottom line is that every person should be him or herself. They should be confident in their beauty and realize they are not perfect.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 11 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall ALWAYS take their own advice. If you wouldn’t let your best friend do it, chances are you shouldn’t let yourself do it.
I completely agree. Mahatma Ghandi said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Heed your own advice.
Here’s a Great Question…
How much would you pay for a $50 Target gift card?
According to e-bayer lpinok, it’s worth $55.71.
(Heads-up from Freakonomics)
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 10 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
TENTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall ALWAYS follow five reasons why not – If you can think of five reasons not to do something or date someone you probably shouldn’t do it.
I do not like this Commandment. All the previous Commandments are Thou Shall Never/Not/Don’t Commandments and it is all just too pessimistic. Find ten reasons to date someone and go for it.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 9 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
NINTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date a guy without CCD – Car, Career, Degree.
Car – Agreed. (Unless he lives in a big City where cars could be deemed pointless.)
Career – Duh!
Degree – You can certainly date someone without a degree, but should not date anyone more than one degree away from yourself. Consult the following chart:
| You/Him | No Degree | Associates | Bachelors | Masters | PhD/MD |
| No Degree | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Associates | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Bachelors | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Masters | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PhD/MD | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
ATM Etiquette
You walk into the bank to use the ATM. Inside you see a person already utilizing the machine. In your hand is your ATM card prepared to make a deposit and withdrawal of funds from your account. To the side, you see an individual filling out a deposit slip. Next you see the person finish filling out the deposit slip, place the pen no one can ever get to write back into the holster, remove her ATM card from her wallet and wait. The person at the machine presses a few more buttons, the machine beeps and he removes his card. He places his card into his wallet and proceeds to exit the bank. Who should be next to use the ATM?
Doughty & Scrap at the Square
My favorite musician, Mike Doughty, will be taking the stage for the second time in three seasons at Thursday at the Square on June 26th. This time he will only be accompanied by Andrew “Scrap” Livingston. Perhaps I will see you there.
Here is a taste for you.
27 Jennifers
Goldilocks
I have cut my own hair for almost ten years. I know there isn’t much left, but I used to have a full head of hair. It began when I was in college. It made little sense to pay someone to keep my hair short when I can be a do-it-yourself-er (Does Valu have a trademark on that term?)
I hear Super Cuts charges about $11 for a cut that takes about 15 minutes. Not a bad price for a cut. It reminds me of the days when my mom would take my brother Rob and me to Fantastic Sam’s. Sam’s always had a reputation of being a sub-par hair salon. Besides, back twenty years ago, it was rather embarrassing for a guy to have his hair cut at a salon.
Before I hit my teens and headed to an actual barber I had my hair cut by the ladies at Sam’s who, for whatever reason, had catchy porn star-like names such as Cookie and Misty posted above their styling station. I love having my head rubbed, but I’m not sure I had it any better than when I was 13 years old and had a girl named Ginger leaning over to wash my hair in the sink with her boobs in my face. Is Sam’s still in business?
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 8 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date a guy just because he’s there. You are too good to settle for “convenience”.
You do not want to date anyone just because he is there. However, you do mess around with someone just because he or she is there, because a person of convenience could be a friend with benefits. But you do not date a friend with benefits. By dating someone for convenience you’re not doing either person much good. If someone better comes along, you’re going to have to dump the person of convenience which could end ugly. Firstly, let’s define a convenience person. A person of convenience, perhaps we can call her a “convener”, is that girl you see at the gym, seems sweet, but has that annoying voice. A convener is the nice guy from work who everyone likes, but tends to chew with his mouth open and drinks Coke at company happy hours. A convener is the girl you met at the bar last night that can talk sports, but who you realized the next day wasn’t all that attractive. There is nothing wrong with these people except that they are not the person for you. You know it, but you refuse to admit it because you are single. You’ll go on a few dates with the person just to find out what you already know. You must have the confidence to be single. If you’re single, and someone else is single; that is no reason to start dating. You’re too good and your time is too valuable. You need to be a bit picky, set your standards, embrace the fact you’re single and wait for someone that is more than a convener to come along.
Play Ball
The population of the United States is 12.3% black while only 8.2% of Major League Baseball [MLB] players are black. To some, the difference needs attention. Blacks made up 17 percent of the players only 11 years ago. Richard Lapchick, the author of the annual Racial and Gender Report Card given to MLB, claims the reasons for the decline are complex”. Lapchick suggests baseball has an image issue dating back to a comment made by a Dodgers VP in 1987 referring to a lack of blacks in front office positions. He also offers that all the negative attention on Barry Bonds’ alleged steroid use and concurrent chase for the Home Run record is another contributing factor. Both reasons are difficult to accept. If a lack of black front office workers affects the number of black players in MLB than how can it be explained that Latinos make up a whooping 29 percent of players, despite New York Mets’ Omar Minaya being the only Latino general manager.
I had a problem with this last year. I stated: “The real goal of MLB should focus on providing the means for a diverse player population through equal opportunity. MLB should be proud of its diversity and distinguish that from the notion of targeting an increase in the number of players from one particular group.”
My feelings on the matter still hold true. While blacks make up 80 percent of the players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 70 percent of the National Football League (NFL), there isn’t a lot of concern over there not being enough whites playing those sports. It is presumed that every white kid has the opportunity to play any sport, which is not true. The issue is opportunity, not race.
The opportunity to play baseball is growing greater yet the number of black ballplayers decreases. One could easily conclude that with many black athletes playing basketball and football that there are only so many left to play baseball.
MLB started its Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program in 1989. According to MLB’s website: “Since the inception of the program, Major League Baseball and its Clubs have designated more than $30 million worth of resources to the RBI program” while reaching 28 cities by 1994. Lapchick states: “It appears that baseball will virtually skip a generation of African-Americans. If there are to be increases, they will come in the future and not in the short term”. Based on the money spent to spark opportunity I hope this issue isn’t discussed 10-15 years from now. Especially when Latinos make up 29 percent of players and hail from countries where used milk cartons are transformed into gloves.
The opportunity for youths to play baseball is getting better. If there is an issue with children from a particular group not playing a sport, perhaps it is due to a lack of role models and not from a lack of opportunity. If black kids need a role model they can ignore current ballplayers like Barry Bonds and the steroid fiasco. They can look to older players like Hank Aaron, or forgive me, a white or Latino ballplayer.
All children deserve the opportunity to play sports. Their choice of sport shouldn’t change the dynamics of another sport’s institution based on race.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 7 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall ALWAYS strive for equal levels. Don’t date or chase someone out of your league.
You should strive to be with someone at the same level as yourself. If you date someone out of your league you’re never going to hear the end of it. Your friends are going to tell you “I don’t know how you did it”. You will be left with false confidence. Dating out of your league just makes things awkward. People think you just hang out with your hot cousin a lot.
It may be difficult to acknowledge what league you are in, but it’s one of those things you just learn through time. If you can attain the companionship of a hottie and maintain a successful relationship you have accomplished a feat at which many have failed. However, perhaps it is because you’re hot yourself. But I doubt it. It is important to go with your gut. If you find someone attractive and can picture yourself walking down the street with him then go for it. It’s a matter of comfort.
Just date your own and leave the ugly alone. They can date each other.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 6 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
SIXTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date the unavailable – You want to be someone’s everything, not someone’s other woman. Therefore if he’s already taken leave him be.
The Sixth Commandment is a no-brainer yet so many people do not follow it. You never want to date anyone who has any attachment. Do not date anyone married, engaged, or who is exclusive with another person. And just because someone is single does not mean they are available. Do not date anyone that is separated, but not yet divorced. My friend Lisa calls this “dirty laundry”. You want someone with clean clothes coming in fresh to your situation. Their jeans might have stains, and you need to know that before you try them on. My friend Tamekia states: “I’m not gonna roll in your shit. You can’t make me”.
I would avoid lingering around hoping the relationship of someone you like ends and you will snatch him up. The only way to get involved with someone already attached is to forget about the person and go your own way. Let his or her relationship unfold. Only then will he or you have any chance of getting together if both of you happen to be single at a later date.
Do not date anyone who has just recently broken things off either. People need time to heal and sort.
The Sixth Commandment attempts to alleviate potential for drama. It is best to date only those individuals that are not married, engaged, exclusive to or recently broken up with someone else. Ya dig?
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 5 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
FIFTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date a guy that knows Katrina by her stage name. Basically, don’t date a guy that has been with/seen/hooked up with a family member or friend.
For those unfamiliar, Tiana’s sister Katrina used to be a performer. I’m not talking David Copperfield-type tricks or singing at local establishments. She then ran a bar downtown and owned a sex-toy shop. I am not sure if her stage name was Mystic, Cleopatra, or Vixen, but I would surely suggest never to date a guy that knows her name unless he learned it from outside her “office” walls.
Moving on, I would agree that you should avoid dating anyone that has been with or hooked up with a friend or family member. That’s a very safe bet. If they went on a few dates with nothing physical taking place then no big deal. Otherwise, just don’t date anyone who has dated someone named Mystic.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 4 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
FOURTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date an ex. It’s a breakup because it’s broken.
You can try to fix some things that are broken, but a relationship will never be the same. Mending the broken is a difficult task. In few cases, relationships can become stronger after a break-up, like a baseball pitcher’s throwing elbow after Tommy John surgery.
So many people have dated an ex and it almost never works out in the long-run. Reconciling temporarily with an ex is both likely and understandable. People have needs and if you know the reunion is only temporary then go for it. But we all know this is dangerous territory, because one of you will have stronger feelings than the other. It is hard to let go of someone so you think of all the wonderful times, but it is important to recall all the bad ones too.
It is important to note that two people can part ways or put their relationship on hold and get back together. However, if the relationship is termed a “break-up” then getting back together makes very little sense. Too much has been said or done to bother trying again.
Do not date an ex.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 3 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
THIRD COMMANDMENT
Thou shall use a 7 year age cap. Anyone who is +/- 7 years your age is probably at a different life stage than what you are looking for.
I agree with the Third Commandment. I am 29 years old. I would have no desire to date a 36 year old woman and dating a 22 year old seems like a stretch. If a woman is 29 I would think it is a stretch to date a 36 year old man, or a 29 year old man if she was 22.
Being in the same stage of life is important. If you find yourself at the same stage of life as someone outside this age range, then either you or he is too immature. Forty year old men date young women, because they are skeevy, have money, or both. These men are immature and the young women they date are as well. Now, of course this isn’t an exact science, so give me a break. There is no age limit on love, but I can think of several situations why a younger man would date an older woman and not one of them makes me want to eat. I find it visually disturbing to see a younger man with an older woman.
Abide the Third Commandment.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 2 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
SECOND COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date a family friend. It’s never easy explaining to your mom and her friend that the two of you didn’t work out because he did drugs, got arrested and wanted to pee on you.
There are two types of family friends – one that you hang out with along with your family and the type that you just happen to know through your family. In the first case, you have an opportunity to get to know the person at social gatherings and determine if the person is worth dating before making any serious commitment. In the second case, if you do happen to date the person you are not as likely to see the person again if it does not work out.
As you said, if you date a family friend and it goes sour you will have to explain all the things you mentioned. I would imagine that your mother’s friend didn’t think her son yearned for golden showers.
You can hang out with a family friend as…well…friends before getting serious. Since this person is connected to your family, he or she will always be around. The two of you may date other people from time to time, but if it is meant to be you will always be around for each other. I disagree with the Second Commandment.
12 Commandments of Dating – Part 1 of 12
After years and years of dating, my friend Kelly and I created The 12 Commandments of Dating (rules which never should be broken). We created these rules as a self-check to see if we were dating wisely. After putting them into action I would say we created a solid guideline. I was wondering what you thought of our commandments and if there are any changes you feel should be made to enhance The 12 Commandments of Dating.
Tiana, Elma, NY
FIRST COMMANDMENT
Thou shall NEVER date a co-worker. There is nothing worse than seeing his face everyday at your underpaid job.
Work is a very easy place to meet people, but dating someone from work can be difficult. Many, including myself, have put themselves in that position. I would say choosing not to date someone from work is a wise decision. Stay on the safe side of the situation. If a group from work goes to happy hour then certainly mingle with everyone including that certain someone. Keep it friendly. If you do intend on getting closer to and date someone from work I would keep it as casual as possible without getting physical. You can not cross the line of intimacy as co-workers. The two of you need to decide what is more important – the relationship or the job. You can not have both. One of you has to leave work for the relationship to get serious. It is important to maintain a realistic approach. Most relationships do not work. If you feel the potential of the relationship is greater and more important than your job then someone has to make the switch.
Caffeinated Reporter
Earlier this month, I was at the Millard Fillmore Birthday celebration. I chatted with East Aurora Advertiser News Editor Jeremy Morlock. He is a well-mannered gentleman who at a young age has secured a very professional and respectful position. We conversed about websites, blogs, Millard Fillmore, Starbucks, my brother Rob who previously held the same position, other topics related to East Aurora, and the lovely Libby Maeder.
During our brief colloquy, I noticed he reminded me of someone famous. There must be something about Starbucks or discussing it that excites one’s ability to compare them to a celebrity or well-known figure. If you recall, Alice of Starbucks at first suggested I look like Daniel Stern, and then altered her assessment to Chris Elliot. Neither comparison is as nice as the usual Anthony Edwards.
I find Jeremy’s likeness to be Starbucks’ newly re-appointed CEO, Howard Schultz.
2007 Photo of the Year
The best photo of last year was of a man dancing shirtless at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY.
Click the photo if you really want to see his specimen closer.
Beck and Heath Ledger
I have a few questions….
Erik G., Centreville, VA
Who’s the stud face down in his Mighty Taco? Christina [Erik's wife] thinks it’s Big Tone, but I think it might be you.
The person in the photo is no one I know. Although, I could not tell as his face was buried in his chow. I suppose the bald spot could make one think it was Big Tone or me. [Note: this was at Jim's Steakout.]
What do you think of Beck’s Guero and Guerolito albums? I think it might be up there with Moby’s Play or Hotel.
I love Guero. It’s an incredible album. I have not heard Guerolito, although I am now tempted to give it a listen. I find it much better than Moby’s Play. I have not heard Hotel.
Heath Ledger died!! How crazy is that??
Heath Ledger’s death is not very crazy. It does not surprise me that a young actor died due to what are currently unknown causes. Aside from his age and that he was not known to abuse drugs, Ledger’s death is no more crazy than that of Brad Renfro last week.
How does this make you feel?
Despite running a Celebrity Death Pool, it saddens me when someone passes away. Heath Ledger is someone I was not acquainted with so I do not feel as sad, but death is a part of life we have to accept and adjust to on any level.
How does this impact your life?
This will impact my life in that I may be more apt to include younger celebrities on my Celebrity Death Pool list next season.
Now that I have your email address, I might spend more time composing emails to send to you than I spend with my wife. Is that a bad thing?
No, it is not a bad thing.
Another question – are the Sabres out of the playoffs?
No, the Sabres are far from out of the playoffs. They have plenty of games remaining and have the talent of a playoff team. They need to play up to their ability.
