Artvoice Columns
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Getting a Grip by Michael I. Niman
Are We Ready To Vote Yet? (Artvoice v7n25)
When future historians sit down to study this era, archived media stories will be of little use to them, unless the Brad Pitt-Angela Jolie baby grows up to rule the world. Probably the biggest history-making story to be ignored by the corporate media this month is the introduction in the US Congress of Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush.
McCain and the Doomsday Mob (Artvoice v7n22)
Two months ago, on March 27 to be exact, I wrote about John McCain’s pastors—John Hagee and Rod Parsley. I cited a few of their juicier quotes: stuff about our upcoming divine nuclear war to destroy Islam, how god finally stuck it to New Orleans, jokes about selling black slaves, how we gotta pop a thermonuclear cap in Russia, how Muslims have a spiritual mandate to kill Christians and Jews—that kind of stuff.
Reflections on Dandelions (Artvoice v7n20)
My columns usually focus on doom and damnation. You know—end-of-the-world stuff. That’s because it is the end of the world.
Food Fight (Artvoice v7n19)
From Haiti to Laos, people are starving—but they won't do it quietly.
Never Apologize to Goons and Thugs (Artvoice v7n17)
Last week CNN’s Jack Cafferty, in an on-air editorial, called the goons and thugs that run China’s one party state “goons and thugs.” And right on cue, these autocrats—the ones who still hold survivors of their 1989 massacre of nonviolent, pro-democracy activists locked away in a mysterious gulag system replete with slave labor factories—proved Cafferty right, demanding that CNN retract his remarks and apologize to the offended goons and thugs.
After Bush: Truth and Reconciliation (Artvoice v7n16)
I think historians eventually will mark the effective start of the George W. Bush presidency as September 12, 2001. Up until that point, the only historically distinguishing feature of the Bush reign was W.’s record-setting vacation time at his ranch. Until the morning of September 11, the whole neo-con cabal was pretty much stuck in the mud, wheels spinning with the agenda splattering on the back fender. After September 11, just as after the bombing of the Reichstag, it was another story.
John McCain's Pastors (Artvoice v7n13)
In another Fox News agenda-setting moment, the GOP’s propaganda wing has successfully shifted the election focus away from our endless wars and our imploding economy and environment, over to Barack Obama’s pastor.
The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall (Artvoice v7n12)
To put the Spitzer prostitution scandal into perspective, let me go back two decades to when I first started teaching college—back when Eliot Spitzer was a young upstart district attorney. I was teaching an alternative media course to, I always suspected, a class that included a number of potheads. I asked my students a question that I told them I didn’t actually want them to answer aloud—but just think about the answer: “How many of you have dealt dope?”
Want Change? (Artvoice v7n10)
This primary season we’re seeing civic engagement on a level we haven’t witnessed for a generation. My 16-year-old niece and her friends are phone-banking for Barack Obama. People who have never participated in the electoral process are getting stoked. Primary turnout is at blockbuster levels. After two decades of post-Reagan apathy and civic disengagement, this distraction from consumerism might well save our struggling democracy.
Hillary W. Bush's War (Artvoice v7n9)
Try this one out on your friends and family. Ask them to name all the wars that we’ve fought or funded since they were born. Few Americans can do this. Think about it. So many wars and so few concerns. Why do these wars start? How do they end? Do they end? Who gives a damn? Britney’s trying to have a baby.
It's Hush Money, Baby (Artvoice v7n7)
If the American economy had a dashboard, all the gauges would be oscillating wildly—the engine overheating, the fuel tank empty, the speedometer pinned and the door ajar light blinking.
935 Lies (Artvoice v7n6)
After years of changing rationales, justifications and reasons as to why the US invaded Iraq, we seem to have reached a national consensus: We invaded Iraq because people told lies.
Finishing in the Money (Artvoice v7n4)
It’s Clinton (the media likes to call her Hillary because she’s a girl) and Obama neck and neck at the first turn, pulling away from the pack. Obama’s out front by a nose. It’s Obama by a head. It looks like Obama’s got it. But wait—here’s Clinton on the outside neck and neck with Obama in the final turn. Now she’s pulling ahead at the wire. And it’s Clinton, our winner by a Diebold nose. Wow, what a race. And what a smart dresser she is.
Flavor and Politics (Artvoice v6n50)
More money is spent globally on coffee than on any other tradable commodity with the exception of oil. How that money is spent is one of the most important social indicators as to who we are as a global society.
Shopping at the End of the World (Artvoice v6n48)
In a consumer culture life is all about you. What are your immediate wants and needs? How do you feel? Are you comfortable? Thirsty maybe? Mood okay? Happiness comes in a box from the mall. Or a pill from the doctor. Whatever.
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You Auto Know by Jim Corbran
The 2008 Rendezvous: Vive La Différence! (Artvoice v7n27)
I’m sure most of you have heard of the party game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” The actor, in an interview some years ago, claimed to have worked with everyone in Hollywood, or with someone who had worked with them. Three college students turned the braggadocio’s remark into the game where players try and link different people (or things, I guess) to each other in six steps or less.
The "SW" Word (Artvoice v7n23)
Last column’s look at convertibles got me thinking about different body styles which have come and gone in and out of favor over the years. One of the most maligned over the past couple of decades has been the station wagon.
A Little Off The Top (Artvoice v7n21)
It’s that time of year again... almost. Even though I’ve seen convertibles driving around town with their tops down on and off for weeks now, most of those instances were during freakishly warm weather pockets. After living in Western New York just about all of my life, I realize true convertible season doesn’t usually start until around Memorial Day.
A Car That Runs on Compressed Air (Artvoice v7n19)
I’ve got to admit that when I first came across this story in Britain’s Car Magazine I immediately dismissed it. After all, it was in the April issue, and I figured it was just another April Fool’s joke.
Two Arms and a Leg... and Counting (Artvoice v7n17)
Time was when when spending an arm and a leg actually got you something. Sad to say those days are long gone and not likely to return. As I write this, today I spent $3.64 for gas; I’m sure as you read this it’s even higher.
Way Off Broadway: The 2008 New York Auto Show (Artvoice v7n15)
Although I always enjoy the annual Buffalo auto show, once you’ve been to a real auto show (Detroit, New York, Frankfort…), the local show pales in comparison. Heck, it pales even if you’ve never been to another show.
Timing, Timing, Timing: The 2009 Toyota Corolla (Artvoice v7n13)
You hear it over and over again in the real estate business: “Location, location, location.” In the car biz, it’s more like timing. Timing, and a huge dose of luck and/or talent. Toyota’s tenth generation Corolla couldn’t come along at a better time.
There Will Be Stares (Artvoice v7n9)
You immediately get the idea that the smart fortwo is out to save you money—check out that all-lower-case name. Everyone knows capital letters cost more! Another clue is its “half-a-car” size. I’ll tell you one thing, though: Prepare to be looked at—big time—when driving this fun little car.
Sounds of the Auto Show (Artvoice v7n7)
Walking around this year’s Buffalo Auto Show got me thinking how things have changed over the years. Particularly the sound systems available in some of the new cars.
Understanding the Concept (Artvoice v7n5)
If the just-concluded North American International Auto Show proved anything, it’s that America still doesn’t get it. While the Frankfurt, Germany show this past fall seemed to focus on the greening of the European auto industry, the big stars of the Detroit show seemed to be the restyled Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram pickups, Chevy’s 600-hp, $100,000 Corvette and Cadillac’s new 500-horsepower CTS-V. Hardly the news we’ve been waiting for as we face higher and higher gas prices.
Here's the New Malibu, Barbie (Artvoice v7n3)
With a nod to my wife, who’s always been a huge Barbie fan, we get to this week’s subject, Chevy’s new Malibu. This could possibly be one of, if not the, most important cars General Motors has put in a showroom in years.
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Puck Stop by Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
The Sky Has Fallen (Artvoice v7n14)
“The sky is not falling.” So said Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier last July, when an angry public demanded to know how the organization could have allowed co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to depart via free agency.
Please Don't Quit On Us! (Artvoice v7n12)
Most desperate teams will win playoff prize: Will it be the Buffalo Sabres? Is this team for real or are they just a tease?
Point / Counterpoint (Artvoice v7n10)
The Campbell Trade: Two very different opinions on where the Sabres are headed.
Sabres & Rangers—The Battle Continues (Artvoice v7n8)
New York—That 8-0-2 streak was almost too good to be true, wasn’t it?
Road Kill (Artvoice v7n6)
So are the Buffalo Sabres trading deadline buyers or sellers as the team heads into February? While the team did not crash and burn on their recent road trip, they didn’t exactly make a bold statement either.
Tom Golisano, Where Are You? (Artvoice v7n4)
We have been covering your team here at Artvoice for three seasons now, since the lockout ended. We have been fans of the team and season ticket holders for far longer than that. We cheered on the Sabres from our seats in section 11 in the blues for many a season at the Aud, and switched over to section 113 in our new digs in 1996, where we have been ever since.
Buffalo, You Should Be Proud (Artvoice v7n2)
A little more than a week has gone by, yet everyone is still talking about it—the NHL AMP Energy Winter Classic. The event arguably is the biggest sports spectacle ever to happen here in Western New York.
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Play Ball! by Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
A Star Spangled Bisons Celebration (Artvoice v7n28)
The Buffalo Bisons have hooked up with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for an annual baseball/concert doubleheader for 14 years now, and this year’s event hit a milestone of sorts, as total attendance for the series of July 3rd performances crossed the 250,000 mark.
Bisons Warm Up To Lehigh Valley (Artvoice v7n26)
Allentown, PA—You don’t have to convince Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs assistant general manager Danny Tetzlaff that he has the coolest job. His team is home at Coca Cola Park (pictured below), playing the Buffalo Bisons, and another full house is on hand, something the Iron Pigs have seen a lot of this season.
Three New I.L. Ballparks On The Horizon (Artvoice v7n24)
While franchise shifts, reorganizations, new venues, and nickname changes are all too common in minor league sports, the International League has been remarkably stable, fielding the same divisional lineup of 14 teams since their merger with the American Association back in 1998. But changes are in the wind, and when the dust settles, Buffalo will be the city with the second-oldest ballpark in the I.L., with only Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium older.
Things Aren't Much Better in Cleveland (Artvoice v7n22)
So we are watching the Buffalo Bisons sleepwalk through May, as they try to get their arms wrapped around mediocrity.
We [don't] Love This Team (Artvoice v7n18)
This past week the Buffalo Bisons finally put together a winning streak of sorts, taking the first three games since returning to Dunn Tire Park for the current homestand.
Bisons Officially Mum on its Future With Cleveland (Artvoice v7n16)
The Buffalo Bisons opened their 21st season at the downtown ballpark last Friday, and the overriding theme was what will happen to the team’s affiliation with the Cleveland Indians, which has been in place since 1995.
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Peace Bridge Chronicles by Bruce Jackson
Who Shrank the Peace Bridge? (Artvoice v7n18)
How a bird-brained notion has put us in the weeds again.
Ron Rienas: "We Were Never in Front Park" (Artvoice v7n4)
How a bird-brained notion has put us in the weeds again.
Ron Rienas: "It's Not About Trucks" (Artvoice v7n3)
Every day there are emails about the Peace Bridge—some days three or four of them—from the Columbus Avenue homeowners group. The list of recipients is organic, growing larger week by week. One mailing for January 12 had 73 recipients. It included every local politician of note, local staffers for the area’s senators and members of Congress, the Buffalo News, Artvoice, WBFO, Don Esmonde, two Sam Hoyt staffers, Mylous Hairston and one member of the PBA.
Trucking Buffalo (Artvoice v6n42)
Truck traffic on the Peace Bridge is up as a result of NAFTA and it is expected to increase in decades to come. Passenger car traffic, on the other hand, is down, and is expected to decline even more when the new border personal identification requirements go into effect. The border is ever less friendly to people, more friendly to raw materials and manufactured goods.
Jump: Top of Page • Getting a Grip • You Auto Know • Puck Stop • Play Ball! • Peace Bridge Chronicles
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