Online Popularity

Finally, a negative ranking on one of those stupid city lists which we can wear with pride. Men’s Health recently released a ranking of the 100 “most Socially Networked cities,” placing Buffalo down at #72. We’ll take that as a welcome sign Buffalonians actually have real world friends.

Wireless Security

Federal officials apologized to an innocent Buffalo man on March 18 whose West Side home was mistakenly stormed by armed agents in a predawn raid for child porn—an apology I’m sure had nothing to do with the negative media attention that followed. Moral of the story: Password your network, folks.

Ultimatums

Humbled by the prospect of (yet another) downtown vacancy, the Common Council voted unanimously on March 22 to give banking overlord HSBC another extension to decide if they will leave their eponymous skyscraper downtown. C’mon Buffalo, man up and put an end to this protracted tease.

Upstate Secession

Two Rochester lawmakers introduced symbolic bills on March 22 that would allow counties to hold referenda on the division of New York into two states. While not the first time this has been raised, it proves again, given our reliance on downstate welfare, how little bearing facts have on politics.

Merciful Deaths

Williamsville animal lovers at a March 22 Preservation Board meeting voiced their concerns over a historic-looking iron fence that has impaled several deer attempting to leap over. Residents argued it was much more humane for a deer to careen through your windshield at 50 mph.

Dollars paid to private law firms by the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation in the first 10 months of 2010, as the agency prepared to disband, according to documents obtained from BERC under FOIL late last year. The bulk of the legal fees went to the firm Hurwitz & Fine ($103,500), followed by Harris Beach ($61,886).