Wordle for election day column 2009

New column in your GNN papers ... and online now!

Check it out ...

Is Maziarz the all powerful Oz? Or just a straw man?

What do you think?

Don't forget ...

You can read my column every Tuesday in the Tonawanda News ... and usually the Niagara Gazette. Here's tomorrow's column as a Wordle.

By the way, I got hate mail last week. It's been far too long since I've had some good hate mail. This wasn't over the top or anything, but at least I know someone's reading it.

I am a 62 year old woman and this is the first time I have ever responded to a guest view in the Gazette.

Your article, The Victory of "stupidfreude", however, was so silly and biased that I just had to comment on it.

The ONLY legitimate sentence in your article was this one:

"with all that's going on in the world, a trip to Copenhagen to make a plea for the Olympics should have been very low on the list of the president's priorities".

The rest of the article was so off the mark that you should be embarrassed. The last line was especially goofy:

"Or maybe they just hate America".

Um, yeah, the last line was supposed to be goofy. But I digress.

Hey look, I made up a word!

One of the things I love about writing columns as opposed to being a reporter is the ability to make up words and phrases.

Today's new Lefflerism: Stupidfreude

Check it out, yo!

New column online ...

Today's column, of course, runs in the Tonawanda News and other fine GNN papers ... but they don't seem to be putting them online.

So I will.

Click here for today's column about government's idiocy over a flavored tobacco ban.

Tomorrow's column today ...

Kind of.



Click through to see the words used in tomorrow's column in a Wordle. The bigger the word, the more often it was used, so you can get a gist of what the column is about.

And then be sure to read it in it's entirety tomorrow in the Tonawanda News.

All things come to an end ...

'tis true. My employment at WLVL in Lockport came to an abrupt end early yesterday morning.

You may have heard rumors about it or seen it in the local paper ... but I wanted to give you the straight dope ... cause, that's what I do.

I'd been at WLVL for nearly seven years now. And it was a job I loved doing. I said frequently, I got paid to do what I would have been doing anyway, bitching about the world in which we live ... and - moreso - the community in which we live. And just shy of seven years is a pretty damn good run if I do say so myself.

As for the reasoning of my termination, I can't really say for sure. Station owner Dick Greene simply said he wasn't happy with the direction things were going.

Personally, I thought I was doing a good job. Talking politics. Talking local issues. And having fun doing it. I know then when I left WECK earlier this year, several listeners from that radio station followed me over to WLVL and would not only listen, but call into Dialog. Frankly, it gave the show new life.

I have no animosity towards Dick. He is a very good man ... and has always treated me with the greatest respect ... and frankly could have fired me several times over the course of the years, but didn't. He even mentioned that he might come banging on my door some day begging me to come back. I'd be open to the idea, that's for sure.

So, if you heard there was yelling, screaming or some big blowout, that simply isn't true. The radio industry is ever-changing ... and I can't fault Dick for deciding to make a change. Even if I disagree with the decision.

Now, of course, the hard part. I have to find another job ... again.

You may recall I used to work for Greater Niagara News and had been let go from there a few years ago as part of a massive downsizing on their part. Fortunately, I already had my foot in the door at WLVL and parlayed my talk show into a full-time gig, including that of production director.

I've been very fortunate over the years to have been able to pick up a wide variety of skills ... and make a lot of long-lasting relationships. Hopefully those skills and contacts will make finding a new gig less difficult for me.

I loved radio and would love to stay in radio, but Buffalo's a small town and there really aren't that many talk show host positions open, ya know? I have journalism experience and could go back to writing. In fact, I think you'll see me writing for print again soon ... but details on that are not yet hashed out, so I can't say for sure what it'll be. And hey, I'm not THAT ugly ... so TV is always an option. There's also public relations. Or I could be a migrant worker. But that's my least favorite option.

Moral of this story ... thank you for your words of support ... and you'll see me again.

Bird war gets political!

OMFG! I can't believe it.

The birds are at it again, this time attempting political assassination of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Now, you may call the "bird strike" mere coincidence, but it was Mayor Bloomberg who ordered the execution of hundreds of Canada Geese following the takedown of flight 1549 back in January.

The mayor, a pilot himself, did not comment.

For more, click here.

September 1st show notes ... (and podlink)

Today's guest was Dave Mongielo, business owner and candidate for supervisor in the Town of Lockport. Dave and I talked about his sign and the difficulty the Town has given him about it. We also talked about Transit North, the IDA and WalMart.

Dave's website is MyLockport.com. If you want more info about him or other things in the town, check there. If you missed the show, a link to the podcast is below.

Dialog 090109 - Dave Mongielo

Also, if you're interested in Town politics, you'll want to know that Donna Pieszala will be on Dialog next Thursday, September 10.

Of course, I'd be happy to have any political candidate in ... be they challengers or incumbents.

Hey look! Podcasts!

The show podcasting sort of ebbs and flows. Sometimes I slack a little bit ... then I do my best to catch up. Well, last week, I did some catching up. Mind you, I'm not completely caught up (that's a goal for this week), but I had a couple shows that I thoroughly enjoyed last week and wanted to get them online so they could be enjoyed by anyone who might have missed them.

Dialog 082809 - More Starpoint

Scott continues where the previous day left off, playing a clip of him being chastised by a Starpoint student ... and talking with Brad Riter about the issue.

Dialog 082709 - Starpoint

Scott is irritated at the lackluster effort put forth by the education system. Most callers agree. But one young caller thinks Scott is off his rocker.

Dialog 082609 - Ted Kennedy and more

Scott discusses the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy ... and other general idiocy.

Dialog 082509 - John D'Onofrio

Johnny D from the US&J sits in.

Dialog 082409 - Confer and more

It's Monday ... so Scott talks Albany issues with Bob Confer.

Dialog 082109 - Trainwreck

This show went awry quickly. Scott regroups and starts over - midway through.