Stories from

Checking YouTube for Batavia-related videos this morning, I came across one apparently made by two guys sent to Batavia on assignment -- get a picture of 52 Otis St.

The Mark mentioned in the video, the person who assigned the task, is apparently Mark  Pirro, owner of Pirromount Studios in Hollywood.

According his bio on the site,

In 1974,  Mark Pirro left New York and came out to Hollywood in an attempt to start a filmmaking career, with no connections, relatives or friends in the industry. He sought out other artists with the same dream and after making a few short films in the late 70's, Pirro started his first feature in 1981: A horror/comedy entitled "A Polish Vampire in Burbank". The 84 minute film cost under $2,500 to produce and had ultimately grossed over a half a million dollars in homevideo and cable television sales. Keep in mind that this was long before the "digital age of filmmaking." Today, it's not that unusual to hear about moviemakers who produce their films on ultra low budgets, but in 1981, making a feature produced on film for under $10,000 or $20,000 was not very common. 

Pirro has made eight feature films, according to the site. All of them are, it sounds like, what I would call B-films, but that's OK, it sounds like Pirro is making a living doing what he loves. Indy Mogul calls him a "low-budget master." That last link includes a video of scenes from A Polish Vampire in Burbank. Kind of funny, actually -- if you enjoy camp. Here's his IMDB page.

Here's another video from YouTube about the making of Pirro's next film, The God Complex.

Responsible New York paid for this Joe Mesi ad:

Mike Ranzenhofer

That's all I could find this morning for Mesi and Ranzenhofer.

Alice Kryzan

Alice Kryzan:

Alice Kryzan:

Chris Lee:

Chris Lee:

On the attack ads, Lee's against Kryzan is just a variation on a theme:

The "liberal trial lawyer" meme is so dated. And it's just ad hominem non-sense.

And the DCCC keeps hammering at Lee on the China issue.

Lee has offered a credible -- though hard for us to verify -- rebuttal to the "sent jobs overseas" charge, and the fact his company was sold to a firm that was supposedly caught up in some boneheaded activity with China is the same kind of "guilt by association" attack the GOP is using against Obama with Ayers.

If you're like me, you wanted to watch the big game today between the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers (though, you're probably not like me in rooting fo the Chargers).

The game started on schedule at 1:05 p.m., but then went off air about 1:15.

WIVB reports that a mylar balloon hit a powerline, tripping a transformer.

Sources say the balloon hit power lines, which caused a transformer to trip off.

Lights and non essential power were affected.

CBS has delayed the game due to technical difficulties at the stadium.

CBS just reported that game has resumed, but no broadcast power yet.  This is disappointing personally because my dad and I haven't been able to watch a Chargers game together in a couple of years, and who knows when we will get another chance.

UPDATE (1:50 p.m.): Kind of confusing report on NFL.com about how the power went out a half hour before game time, and suspending the game for five minutes was planned, but no word on the broadcast.  CBS just said the game is 7-3 Chargers.

UPDATE (2:01 p.m.): Game back on. Still 7-3.  Bills driving after Charger turnover. No graphics on screen to say what game time is. And while I wrote this, the Bills scored.

UPDATE (2:19 p.m.): Game off air again.  Lost broadcast during two-minute timeout.

UPDATE: In comments, Russ provides a link to online play-by-play.

UPDATE (2:50 p.m.) Game back on, 8:58 left in 3rd quarter.

UPDATE (3:58 p.m.): Congratulations Bills fans. 23-14.

My parents are visiting from California this week. On Friday, I took them on a tour of Genesee County.

Of course, we visited the LeRoy Jello Museum, where on the spur of the moment, I bought a little guide to notable locations in and around LeRoy related to the Underground Railroad.

It's a fascinating 17-mile drive.

Here's a couple of pictures.

This is Brend Road, one of the routes north for escaped slaves.

This was the home of Elijah Huftelen, who assisted station master Daniel MacDonald during the brief time MacDonald helped escaped slaves with passage through LeRoy.  MacDonald's station house was somewhere in the vicinity.

If you're interested in taking the tour, the tour guide can be purchased at the Jello Museum for $1.

The YMCA of Genesee County is receiving a $7,500 grant from the Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

The grant is part of $67,000 the foundation is handing out.  It will support the YMCA's "Power Up! Project."