All Over Albany

Run for your lives! It's... Cutzilla?

This video from HANYS -- the state's big hospital lobbying group -- gets a +1 for creativity (and use of Playmobil). But we also have to mark it down for giving the legislature artillery. If there's anything legislators don't need, it's a tank.

Also: don't people always sort of root for Godzilla?

(Thanks, M!)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

The crumbling castle

The castle, as it was seen from the train in November 2009

You might have seen news during the last week of 2009 that part of Bannerman's Castle -- the castle-like structure that sits on an island in the Hudson near Storm King -- had collapsed. (You've probably seen the castle from the Amtrak train on the ride down to New York City -- it's just north of Cold Spring.)

This week comes news that the castle is continuing to fall apart. The island's preservation trust expects even more of the structure to come down through the winter.

Chuck Schumer says he's lobbying the federal Department of the Interior for money to help preserve the building.

Bannerman's Castle was constructed to serve as a military surplus warehouse during the first part of the 20th Century. It was sold to the state during the 1960s.

(Thanks, Duncan)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Not so lucky?

Last Friday the Schenectady County DA offered William Rivenburgh a plea deal -- two years in prison -- on drug charges. It's not really a notable story except for the fact that only three years ago Rivenburgh and his wife won a million dollars from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Now, they're broke and accused of selling cocaine.

It's quite a contrast from November 2006. From a TU story at the time:

It's not the kind of windfall he can retire on. But it's just enough to take the pressure off. Besides home repairs and bill payments, he will invest some of his winnings in stable accounts. It will be a good supplement to his annual salary, which is about $50,000, depending on how much overtime he picks up.

As it happens, the Rivenburghs' story is just the latest in a long line of lottery winner woe.

(there's more)

What it's like to freeze to death

Not the fun kind of popsicle.

Somehow this seemed appropriate for this week: a 1997 Outside Magazine article about what it's like to freeze to death. There are a bunch of interesting facts in the piece, including the concept of "paradoxical undressing:"

At 85 degrees, those freezing to death, in a strange, anguished paroxysm, often rip off their clothes. This phenomenon, known as paradoxical undressing, is common enough that urban hypothermia victims are sometimes initially diagnosed as victims of sexual assault. Though researchers are uncertain of the cause, the most logical explanation is that shortly before loss of consciousness, the constricted blood vessels near the body's surface suddenly dilate and produce a sensation of extreme heat against the skin.

Brrrrr: Today's high is projected to be 32 degrees (the temp was 30 at around 2 pm), which is the highest forecasted temp for the next seven days. Every day high temp in the extended forecast is below freezing.

[article via @mdelfs]

Earlier on AOA: Death by icicle

photo: Flickr user peoplearestrange

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

The migration of the Ladies Liberty

A rare group sighting.

With the turn of the year tax season will soon be upon us. And that, of course, means the annual migration of the Ladies Liberty.

This flock (gaggle? pluribus?) was spotted on Western Ave near UAlbany today. A few more more pics after the jump, including a rare photo of them feeding.

(there's more)

It's glassware! It's an instrument! It's both!

Stand back -- he's a professional.

Ed Stander plays the glasses. That is, he plays wine glasses and brandy snifters as a musical instrument. Really.

The Delmar resident internationally renowned for it -- he's played the glasses all over the world (including the Great Wall of China). You might have also seen him performing at this year's First Night celebration in Saratoga.

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Siena's vampire explainer

Bela Lugosi in the 1931 film Dracula

A while ago I heard a rumor that Siena College had its very own vampire expert.

Yes, a vampire expert.

Obviously I needed to look into that. So I picked up some garlic and a stake and went to check it out.

(there's more)

Stop picking your nose

Well, alright, then.

Emails CJ:

I thought perhaps I had hallucinated this billboard when I saw it last weekend, caught without my camera, and I despaired for my sanity when several attempts to view it during the week presented me with no such public-spirited reminder. But yesterday afternoon, there it was again, tucked in among the countdown to Christmas and ads for a nightclub -- a special request from Lamar for drivers along I-787 to stop picking their noses.

(This is one of the new electronic billboards along I-787, just north of the Corning Preserve boat launch.)

Now that New York State has a ban on texting-while-driving, we can only hope our legislators will take up the issue of a picking-while-driving ban.

(Thanks, CJ!)

photo: Carl Johnson

The Al Tech Steel factory

Ick. But, you know, also kind of beautiful.

Sebastien, B and Paul's Urban Decay Tour of the (Greater) Capital Region™ continues with a stop at the Al Tech Steel factory in Menands. From Sebastien's photo set:

Allegheny Ludlum Steel, an abandoned steel mill in Menands, NY. It took us more than 2 hours to expore this enormous site. According to this discussion online, it's a Class 2 Superfund Site, which means it poses a significant threat to public health and the environment. Some cleanup has been done but more is planned. It closed in 1999, and is currently listed as a hazardous waste facility by the EPA.

Here's B's photo set. And here's Paul's.

There's some oddly beautiful -- and creepy -- stuff in there.

photo: Sebastien B

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Santa Speedo Sprint 2009 photos

It's 25 degrees! Jump for joy!

This year's ASAP Santa Speedo Sprint was a great time -- lots of scantily-clad, sprinting Santas, a cheering crowd and more than $13,000 raised for the Albany Damien Center.

There are many photos -- and some video -- after the jump.

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

(there's more)

A dossier on our crow invaders

Don't be fooled -- there's a lot going on in that bird brain.

Troy and Albany have resumed hostilities in the War on Crows. Anti-crow trucks are trolling through Albany this week firing off flares, lasers and amplified crow distress calls. And the crows appear ready to retaliate.

So if it's going to be like this, maybe we should understand our opponent a little bit better. Here are a few crow facts to keep in mind.

(there's more)