Stuff to do this weekend
No, there's no festival this weekend, but the tulips are still around if you'd like to pay them a visit. Been there, done that? Here are a few other ideas.
Schenectady Art Night
Schenectady's Art Night Celebrates its first anniversary tonight from 5 - 9 pm.
Hudson, plugged in
Plugged In Hudson is a mile long exhibit of new media works from artists throughout the Hudson Valley. It opens with a reception on Saturday, but you can see it everywhere from shop windows to the sides of buildings through the end of the month.
Craft Derby
Local vendors will display their crafts at The Capital District Federation of Ideas Craft Derby. Saturday from noon to 6 pm at Point Five on Madison Ave.
Experimental Music
The Albany Sonic Arts Collective is hosting an experimental music show Saturday night at the Upstate Artists Guild. Guests include Chris Cooper, Bill Nace and Mike and Linda Aubry Bullock.
Take Control
Control, a look back at the the life of the late Joy Division signer Ian Curtis, opens at The Spectrum this weekend. It's gotten pretty good reviews, but it's only in town for a week, so if you want to see it in the theater, don't wait.
Saratoga Film Forum
If old time screwball comedies appeal to you, the Saratoga Film Forum is screening "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", which stars Frances McDormand and Amy Adams. The NY Times thought it was fun. Friday and Saturday at 8PM. Sunday at 7PM. $6
Shiso
Our blog BFF CelinaBean has the scoop on how to get a hold of some local shiso. The short story: you gotta grow your own. And CB has the details on where to score a plant -- but the window's only open for about a week.
Plugged In Hudson
It sounds like Hudson has something pretty cool cooking over the next two weeks. Here's how Plugged In Hudson describes itself:
PLUGGED IN will be exhibited in and along the mile-long Warren Street, the main business district, in Hudson, New York. From May 17 through May 31, artists will utilize everything from storefront windows to the sides of buildings, to the street itself to exhibit their site specific work. Over the course of the past year we have been working with each artist to find a space which will be both engaging and challenging for their work.
The kick-off party is tomorrow night. Video mashup artists Electic Method will be setting the scene from 6-10 pm in the Parc Foundation building at 330 Warren St. Also in the mix: artist Mike Long will be painting a 10 foot mural all night. And there will be music courtest of Lukomski/Majer/Lail and DJs ESE and Mikey Palms.
The overarching Plugged In exhibition runs from May 17 to May 31.
Protocol
Poor Jimmy Tedisco, he's always last in line.
Albany Sonic Arts Collective
And now for something completely different. Noise, avante garde and other so-called "weird" music have found a home in A-Town with a new experimental music org.
And it's the bike by a mile!
Afterward, Willem sipped the sweet, sweet nectar of victory -- which looked a lot like a Starbucks frozen drink.
The bike easily beat out the car and bus in the National Bike Month Commuter Contest yesterday evening. Here are the final times among the various modes of transportation for the Starbucks (downtown Albany) to Starbucks (Stuyvesant Plaza) route, which was about five miles long:
1. First Bike - 15:41 (19 mph)
2. The Smart Car - 21:00 (14 mph)
3. The Bus Riders - 44:00 (6.8 mph)
Willem Heydendael rode the first bike to the finish. He commutes everyday from Troy to Albany Med, where he's a grad student in the neurosciences program. And get this, he says that during the past year he's only driven to AMC from Troy about six times. The rest of his trips were all on the bike.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Does it pay to ride the bus?
The shelf-stocking kingpin, "rapidly" improving schools, Saratoga surplus, old-school pumps can't count high enough
Wiretap transcripts are painting a more detailed picture of the guy police say was behind the drug operation that allegedly involved the former Schenectady police chief's wife and step-son. Kerry "Slim" Kirkem is described as a part-time supermarket stocker, concerned parent, and philosopher. Among his pearls of wisdom on why you should fear no one: "Because you do (expletive) on earth, then you die." [TU]
The state Department of Education released report cards for schools across the state. Many of the districts in area suburbs were on the "high performing district" list. The Brighter Choice charter school in Albany also made that list. Eight schools in Schenectady and Albany were described as "rapidly improving," which apparently means "better, but not there yet." Or as the superintendent of Albany schools put it to the TU, "We're not just improving, we're rapidly improving." [Daily Gazette] [TU]
In what's being described as a bit of a surprise, Saratoga Springs had an almost $4 million surplus last year. [Daily Gazette]
The woman who fell through a man hole on the Union College campus five years ago had her pain and suffering award cut down two-thirds by a state appellate court. Unless she appeals, the woman will now receive $450,000 on top of the $3.36 million previously awarded to her for future medical expenses. [Daily Gazette]
An old-school gas station in Troy has pumps that can't sell gas for more than $3.99 a gallon, which has become a bit of a problem lately as premium prices have shot above $4. [Troy Record]
The Gazette has a picture of Kirsten Gillibrand's new son. [Daily Gazette]
What's shaking in The Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: the dague unleashed, supermarket siting, a night at the theater, and more CDT&A.
It's a boy!
Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand gave birth to a 7 pound 14 ounce baby boy at about 5 o'clock this morning, making her the 6th woman to give birth while in congress. There's still no mention of Henry Nelson Gillibrand in his mom's Wikipedia entry though. Hey, hive mind, you're falling down on the job! This kid is already 9 hours old!
Field trip!
The Legion of Bruce is going on a field trip to the Trader Joe's in Hadley, MA this Saturday. They'll then be sharing their bounty of dried blueberries and peanut butter puffins at a picnic on Sunday.
Looking for more? Check out the last week's worth of posts or the archive.
And you can always try searching for it:
... said Rob about An iPod vending machine at Macy's? What?