All Over Albany

Windham World Cup Mountain Bike Finals

Dirty, yes. Dangerous-- sure. But kinda cool.

Italy, France, Belgium, Windham N.Y.

The final leg of the Tour De France of Mountain Biking-- The World Cup Mountain Bike Finals -- gets rolling this week about an hour from Albany. The best mountain bikers in the world are gathering on Windham Mountain this weekend to compete for the World Cup title.

This is the first time the World Cup final will be held in the U.S., and it's the first East Coast World Cup race ever.

After the jump, a few details about the weekend and some video of what you can expect to see.

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At the Warehouse is like a box of chocolates...

You never know what you're gonna find

An often strange (and fun) box of chocolates.

Not everything you find there will be to your taste, but you'll marvel at the wide variety of cool ingredients. At the Warehouse is a little bit Restoration Hardware, a little bit antique shop, a little bit craft store and a little bit kitschy history museum -- with a whole lot of je ne sais quoi.

On a recent trip to find some items to complete the AOA patio-office (one of our happy places) we stumbled on a few things that struck us as weird/fun/cool/bizarre...

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Man on a wire -- sort of.

Well balanced.

So we were walking through the Washington Park neighborhood yesterday when we saw this long rope tied between two trees. It kind of looked like a makeshift dog run or something.

But when we came back a while later, we got this picture of its real purpose. Filmmaker and musician T'Chaka Sikelianos says tightrope walking is something he learned to do when he lived in Portland. Oregon. "People do it a lot there -- just for fun. To pass the time."

He's gotten pretty good at it too.

A few more pictures after the jump.

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Awesomely Adult Prom

More style, less angst. But points if you dress like Ducky.

Ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time and redo your high school prom, but this time without the nerve-wracking search for a date or ridiculous cost of a five-minute limo ride?

Well, that's just what the Albany Society for the Advancement of Philanthropy aims to do on Saturday, May 29 -- give Albany adults the chance to get down, give back and leave the stress out.

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Old school

This looks like fun: the RPI hockey team practiced outside yesterday on the frozen pond in Cohoes' Van Schaick Park.

The Engineers are at #13 Union this Saturday at 7 pm.

[via CapNews9]

Signs of the times

The South End Tavern in Troy

Ever notice how many cool old retro signs are hanging around the Capital Region?

I can't help it -- I find something about about all that kitsch rather charming. The other day I got thinking about some of my favorites and made a list.

Some of my favorites (with pictures of course) can be found after the jump.

What did I miss?

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CSI:Green Island

Can mushroom insulation help catch the Compass Killer? (cue ominous music)

This is funny/cool/awesome: Ecovative's Greensulate material (you know, the insulation made from mushrooms) showed up as evidence on CSI:NY last night. Here's the episode -- the segment name-checking Ecovative and Greensulate is at 25:20.

It's a pretty great spot for the product. The characters talk about how it's fire-resistant and eco-friendly. But there's a mystery -- how did "cutting-edge insulation get on our vic?" Hmm.

Ecovative, which was started by two RPI grads and is now based in Green Island, has been been getting all sorts of attention recently. Founders Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre were on CNN in September. Bayer spoke at spoke at the nerd-chic PopTech conference in October (here's video). And now they're helping Gary Sinise catch bad guys.

Earlier on AOA: A (very cool) fungus grows in Troy

[via @katerbirch]

screen grab: CBS

Wende's Happy Hula Hoops

Wende's happy hoops.

Ever hula hoop? Yes, hula hoop.

Of course you have.

Most of us had a hoop of our own when we were kids. Well, apparently it's kind of a thing again -- for fun and for fitness.

You can still find some of the standard, garden variety hoops in the toy stores next to the boxes of colorful rubber balls, but Wende Smith would rather make her own. And hers have sparkly pink and purple butterflies and other cool stuff.

Wende is a Saratoga County mom and the owner of a little company called Happy Hoops.

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To Greenland and back with Kaitlyn Ross

Reindeer games.

Kaitlyn Ross knows cold. It seems Capital News 9 is always sending her out into to it to do live shots in blizzards and ice storms.

But there's cold and there's cold. Greenland is that second kind of cold -- the temperature there rarely gets above freezing. So, of course Capital News 9 would send Kaitlyn there.

She and photographer Victor Lopez went along with the New York National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing -- which is based at the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia -- on a support mission to the science stations in Greenland. (The 109th is the wing that flew the Antarctic rescue flight for Dr. Jerri Nielsen 10 years ago today.) Their story about the trip airs as a half-hour special on Channel 9 this Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 10 am (a series of smaller segments is also online).

It sounded like a wild ride. So we emailed Kaitlyn a few questions -- and she bounced back answers about bundling up, bed bugs, and badass National Guardsmen.

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Leah Walsh has worms

He's not very photogenic-- but he's helpful.

Leah Walsh has worms.

Lots of them, in fact.

And they're living under her kitchen sink.

The Albany resident, whose blog Our Yellow House documents DIY crafts, cooking, gardening and raising her two girls in the mansion neighborhood, got the worms awhile back to help her compost food waste and garbage.

So how's that working out for her?

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Speeding Car + Ramp + Bus = Yeah!

Check out this video clip from the Other Guys shoot this past weekend in downtown Albany:

There's a clip of the same stunt, from a different angle, after the jump (the sound is better on the second clip).

And check out the pic Brian posted of the car stuck in the side of the bus.

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Patrick Boegel's got hops

Beer doesn't grow on trees.

Plenty of people brew their own beer, but Patrick Boegel takes home brewing a step further.

The Delmar home brewer has been crafting his own beers for about ten years -- but last year he decided to start growing his own hops.

Hops are one of the main component of beer -- and they're a really important part of how the beer tastes, but most home brewers just buy them.

So why did Patrick Boegel start growing his own? To get him through the great world hops crisis of 2007.

Obviously.

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The Grafton Peace Pagoda

The Grafton Peace Pagoda

A peace pagoda sounds like something you'd have to trek to Nepal to find, right? Uh-uh. There's a gorgeous one right in Rensselaer County, in the quiet little town of Grafton.

The Grafton Peace Pagoda is a lovely spot that's home to a famed Buddhist nun .

Here's the scoop.

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The Lost Radeau: a shipwreck in Lake George

Joe Zarzynski measuring the Radeau

When we heard there was a shipwreck in the middle of Lake George we kind of went, "Waitaminute, what?"

But there is, in fact, a shipwreck in Lake George. Joe Zarzynski told us so. Zarzynski is a former high school social studies teacher turned underwater archeologist. In the 1980's he spent most of his free time chasing the Loch Ness Monster and Champ -Lake Champlain's version of the Nessie.

He stopped actively looking for underwater "monsters" in the early 90's and focused on shipwrecks instead. The shipwrecks were easier to find because-- you know-- they don't move.

Zarzynski says there are actually lots of shipwrecks in Lake George -- more than 200. And he's helped to find a lot of them. But the most impressive wreck he's found is The Lost Radeau a floating bastion from the French and Indian War -- that rests more than 100 feet below the surface of the lake. Now, thanks to his efforts, you can see it too - just be sure to bring your wet suit.

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Casperland

Kate Sweater and Pete Edwards of Casperland

Think back to your old talking toys. You know, like the Speak and Spell, or the mini Barbie Karaoke machine (what, you didn't have one of those?).

Now imagine them souped-up and turned into musical instruments. That's kind of the idea behind Casper Electronics in Troy.

Pete Edwards has been modifying and creating unique electronic instruments for about nine years using things like old circuit boards, keyboards and old toys. He's worked on projects for all sorts of musicians, including Negativland, Mike Patton (of bands like Faith No More and Mr. Bungle) and Danny Elfman. .

Recently Edwards and his partner Kate Sweater, moved their shop from Brooklyn to Troy. Hmm.

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Louise's grease car

Mmmm. Smells like french fries.

You can smell Louise Sikelianos coming.

As she tools down the streets of Albany in her 1990 VW Jetta, the air smells of french fries. Three years ago Louise converted her deisel to a grease car that runs on a combination of diesel fuel and vegetable oil.

It's one of a handful of grease cars that are running on the leftovers at Capital Region restaurants.

AOA went with Louise for a quick spin in the grease car...

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Don't eat the interface

This is one of the stranger things we've seen lately. RPI student Kyle McDonald built an interface for a synthesizer using a laptop, a webcam and... Skittles.

Here's an earlier version of the setup, which controlled a beat sequencer. One of the problems with the first version, as noted by McDonald: "people like to eat Skittles."

There's more about McDonald's work -- including a tea cup theremin -- at The Approach.

Fork Art

Forks you can't eat with.

When your parents told you not to play with your food, they probably meant the utensils too. But what if they knew you could make a living at it. Really.

At this year's Tulipfest and Art on Lark events, I spotted this very cool art made entirely of forks.

Just bent forks.

No glue, no soldering, no Matrix-like powers -- just a pair of pliers.

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Lori Hansen's vintage letterpress

Lori Hansen and her 1882 letterpress

Monday through Friday she works with pixels and laser printers, designing computer
graphics for advertising and public relations at EMA in Albany. But on Saturdays Lori Hansen abandons keyboard, mouse and laser printer for ink, wood and steel.

A couple of years ago Hansen found a vintage 1880's letter press on Ebay. Fifteen hundred dollars, five guys, a hydraulic lift, an elaborate system of pulleys and a big truck later it was hers.

She gave us a tour of her vintage print shop, tucked away in a corner of the Historic Albany Architectural Parts Warehouse, where she prints fun, quirky, handmade cards on beautiful paper.

A closer look at Lori and the press, including photos and video of how it works -- after the jump.

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Kosciuszk-who?

The "Twin Bridges" are actually the Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge

We can't tell you how many times we've crossed The Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge on the Northway and wondered, "Who was this Kosciuszko guy? And why did they name the twin bridges after him?"

Also, we could never quite figure out how to pronounce his name, which is why we -- and almost everyone else -- refer to them as "The Twin Bridges."

Well, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one-time Albany resident Alex Storozynski has just answered all of our questions about Kosciuszko in his new book The Peasant Prince.

He took a few minutes out of his weekend to give us the inside scoop on Kosciuszko who, it turns out, was a pretty impressive guy: an engineer, an abolitionist and, oh yeah, the guy responsible for the plan that helped change the course of the Revolutionary War.

A few details and an early map of his battle plans after the jump.

And we also find out how to pronounce "Kosciuszko."

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Davey Jones Locker

Something fishy.

Since my husband is allergic to every animal that walks on earth, fish have become the pet of choice at our house. But the over bred and sad little fishies sold at the big box pet stores weren't cutting it. I needed to find fish with gumption. I needed to find fish with the will to live.

My search led me to a flipping good fish store (I know, but it's really tough to resist a good fish pun).

Davey Jones Locker is like a funky little aquarium on Delaware Avenue in Albany.

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The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Bindlestiff's -- all the circus, none of the elephants.

Not so long ago the circus came to A-town and it started a discussion here at AOA about the poor treatment of the elephants and lions. Well here's a way for those who want to boycott the PETA-unfriendly circuses to experience some big top style thrills.

Check out the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.

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Project Larkway

Winning designer Joleen Button and Lark Street's top model Sarah von Ouhl, wearing a Button designed bikini.

So this weekend at Art on Lark, AOA's too-fabulous Jess Pasko got her best Tim Gunn on and joined Kristi G, fashion designers Katie Pray and Gina Ulrich and Upstate Magazine's Christa Dijstelbergen to judge Project Larkway (think Project Runway for local designers and models).

This year's designers were Amy Orr , Jill Castle and Joleen Button. Button won.

Here's a little of the inside scoop from the judges on how it went down and more pictures from the runway.

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The carousel at the NYS Museum

Say hi to Ann when you visit.

What's the most fascinating exhibit at the New York State Museum?

The giant woolly mastodon? The Iroquois longhouse? The set of Sesame Street?

Ask my kids and they'll tell you it's the merry-go-round on the fourth floor. Ask me-- or other adults that have seen it-- and you might actually get the same answer.

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The Shilly Shally Fire Arts Meet Up Group

Cool.

So, remember a few weeks ago when I talked with fire eating hula hooper extraordinaire Dehva Colure and she mentioned a local fire artists meet up group? Mmmm-hmm.

Well, I promised more about that later -- and here it is.

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