The last week's worth of items on AOA
Raise the cup
The team captained by Chuck Miller -- he's in The Neighborhood and a frequent commenter here on AOA -- won "the Stanley Cup of competitive team trivia in the Capital District" this past weekend (that link is to a full recap). Here's a pic of Chuck hoisting the cup in victory.
Brrrrr
(Insert your own joke about shrinkage.)
Sebastien's posted a photoset from this past weekend's Winterfest at Grafton Lakes State Park. One of the chilly highlights: the polar plunge. Lots of "holy ****, it's cold" faces.
The set also includes some interesting photos of state police ice divers, who put on a demonstration.
photo: Sebastien B
Bourdain tonight
Tonight's episode of No Reservations is about the Hudson Valley (first run at 10 pm on the Travel Channel). It looks like Anthony Bourdain and the crew don't get any farther north than Kingston. But it also looks like Michael Ruhlman is in the ep, which could be fun. [via]
An ode to Siena's maestro
"Undersized" -- but he's a big-time player.
Siena point guard Ronald Moore got some well-deserved national attention yesterday in a NYT profile. The piece has some interesting bits -- about how Siena was able to land Moore; and what he said to Rick Pitino during last year's second round game in the NCAA tournament.
Moore is a remarkable player in that he may very well be the MVP of this year's excellent Saints team -- and yet he's only their fifth leading scorer. But he contributes in other ways. Moore leads the nation in assists per game -- he also controls the tempo of the game and keeps teams from pressuring the Saints.
As Ed pointed out recently, Siena is having a great season -- even by the standards of the last few years. It has a 14 game win streak going, most recently an 88-68 victory over Iona -- the second-place team in the MAAC. The Saints continue to get votes in the AP Top 25 poll. And they'll take on #18 Butler in the showcase "Bracket Buster" game on ESPN later this month.
Siena faces Fairfield tonight at the TU Center at 7 pm. The game will also be on MSG (ch 73).
[Thanks, Rob!]
photo: MAAC Sports
That was fast
The new Albany/Guilderland Five Guys is now open, according to @Five_Guys. It's located in the spot of the former Denny's across Western from Stuyvesant Plaza.
A tough year for local snowmen
Even DC is beating us this year.
As cold as this winter's been at times, it has not been snowy. In fact, the Capital Region has gotten just 21.5 inches of snow this season -- that's off more than 18 inches from the usual total by this time of year.
But while we've been relatively snow-free, other parts of the East Coast have been in the middle of Snowmegeddon. So, indulging in a bit of wetterschadenfreude, we thought it would be fun to see how our snowfall totals stack up (or down) to these other normally not-so-snowy climes. (Yes, DC -- that's very unfortunate. Very.)
A few select cities are compared above in the snowman graph. More totals -- with normal totals -- after the jump.
By the way: we've actually noticed lately a few people lamenting the lack of snow this year. Gotta say we didn't see that coming.
Snow is forecasted for Wednesday...
Great local gifts for Valentine's Day
Like those Necco conversation hearts -- but better.
Valentine's Day is nearly here! This means candy, lots of pink and red things, frivolous and sometimes-almost-too adorable paper goods, dinner reservations, flowers and all manner of stuffed animals propped in store windows. Oh... and, you know, letting the people in your life know that you love them.
After all the fuss of the biggest winter holidays has died down, Valentine's Day is a funny little break from the every-day. It's a little bit of warmth in the otherwise totally freezing, month of February.
Lots of Capital Region shops have their share of hearts and flowers but here are four of my favorite local ways to do something special for Valentine's Day.
What are your favorites?
Rumors swirl about Paterson, Bruno bacon not delivered, clerk and robber crash through window, a Schenectady gift basket for Stephen Colbert
The big news at the state Capitol is... a NYT story about David Paterson... that hasn't been published yet... and no one seems to know when it will be. The story is rumored to include some sort of bombshell -- though that, too, is currently a mystery (Gawker commenters had some ideas). The governor reportedly met with Democratic party leaders over the weekend to discuss whether or not he will follow through on his vow to run for election this fall. And there are rumors about serious discontent within his administration. A spokesman for Paterson called all the recent rumors "a new low even by the standards of planet Albany." [TU] [Gawker] [AP/Post-Star] [NY Post] [CBS6]
Harold Ford accused Kirsten Gillibrand of using "underhanded tactics" in her attempt to gather early endorsements from county Democratic Party leaders around the state. Gillibrand is calling for Ford to disclose whether he got a bonus from Bank of America. [NYT] [NYO]
Much of the $75 million in state money promised by Joe Bruno just before he left office hasn't made it through. [TU]
The chairwoman of an inspector general's panel charged with tracking stimulus money says much of the federal funding distributed to New York State has yet to be spent. [TU]
The man accused of stabbing three people near the intersection of State and Henry Johnson following LarkFest last year was convicted on Friday on three counts of assault. He could get 25-50 years in prison. The victims said the man ran at them, shirtless, and yelled "I live for this, this is what I do!" during the attack. The man had been up for trial in 2008 for another alleged stabbing in Troy in 2007, but a judge tossed the case for procedural reasons. [CapNews9] [Troy Record] [CBS6] [Troy Record] [TU]
A Schenectady man died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his apartment after turning on his stove to keep warm because the apartment's thermostat was malfunctioning, keeping the heat down. [Daily Gazette $]
A quick recap of the week
Here are a few highlights from the past week on AOA:
+ NPR posted Phantogram's soon-to-be released album Eyelid Movies (and it's good!).
+ Tom Reiner talked about taking over Debbie's Kitchen.
+ The legalization of mixed martial arts in New York State didn't do so well in a poll. Medical marijuana did much better.
+ We totally nerded out on pond ice.
+ Jessica told us about the kimchi at Kim's.
+ It looks like Exit 6 on the Northway is going to be a mess for a while.
+ What was up in the Neighborhood this week: drivers, a cold night on the Capitol steps, rolls, Chipotle, salmon, burger joints, t-shirts, a swap, Vermont, skating, cards, eagles and heckling.
+ Kaitlin gave us the rundown on some of her favorite places in the Capital Region to shop for vintage clothes.
+ We asked people what they would add and subtract from the Capital Region.
+ There's a lot of love out there for Schenectady.
+ Kaitlin went in search of Oxford shoes.
+ A few of the items found on Craigslist this week: a disciplinarian, a possibly color-blind suitor and Nigerian dwarf goat kids.
+ And the Hold Steady will be here in April!
If you'd just like the whole week unfiltered, check our listing of the last seven days of AOA.
Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or sent along an idea this week!
This week was brought to you by...
This week AOA comes to you thanks to kimchi on Central Avenue, tiny bubbles on the pond, vintage shopping at the mall and many reasons to visit scenic Schenectady -- in person, not just on a Google map. (And Mr. Colbert, two words: zombie police. Zombie. Police.)
It was also made possible by awesome advertisers. Please check them out when you have a chance. And don't forget to let them know where you heard about them.
Got something you want to let the AOA crowd know about? Here's how.
This week your AOA fix was made possible by:
+ Jent Productions, presenting Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band, tomorrow night at Northern Lights in Clifton Park.
+ If you're not up for the Super Bowl this Sunday, check out the The Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark's "ignore Super Bowl Sunday" party. Good food, good wine, good company and 3 fireplaces.
+This is the last weekend to catch Capital Rep's new production of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal."
+ Bilinski's chicken sausages. Look for chicken chili and chicken meatloaf soon.
+ The Honest Weight Food Co-op. Get chocolate dipped strawberries from February 12th through the 14th.
+ The Midtown Tap and Tea Room on New Scotland Ave in Albany has a new menu with lots of great options. Plus there's music every weekend.
+ The Albany All Stars next bout is February 20th at the Washington Avenue Armory.
Tim Horton's
The Albany Student Press reports that the campus center is getting a Tim Horton's. Steve figures it's a sign of more to come.
What your neighbors are watching tonight
According to Netflix, here are the DVDs that people in the Capital Region are currently renting "much more than other Netflix members."
Albany
Ride with the Devil
Schenectady
Snow Buddies
Clifton Park
Edward Scissorhands
Saratoga Springs
Music of the Heart
Troy
Scarface
The top 5 for each city/town is after the jump.
Lights going out at RPI incubator
The Biz Review reports that RPI is closing its business incubator in favor of virtual program. RPI's incubator program was one of the first of its kind when it was founded in 1980. And it's helped spawn a bunch of companies, including MapInfo, Albany Molecular Research, Vicarious Visions and Ecovative. [via]
How many gallons per mile?
There's a bill in the state Senate that would require all new cars sold or leased in New York to come with a sticker that lists the autos' gallons-per-mile. Yep, that's gallons-per-mile -- not just miles-per-gallon.
So, why GPM?
Stuff to do this weekend
Don't do it! There are more interesting things to do this weekend.
Brrr.
Cabin fever setting in. Glued to couch. Must get up. Find fresh air.
Need. Stuff. To. Do.
Here's the list of stuff that looks like fun this weekend. Let us know what we missed.
Keep warm, and have a great weekend.
Violent crime down in Albany, horse killer sentenced, State of Troy, Zankel Center opens
Crime stats from the state indicate that violent crime was down in the City of Albany last year. Jerry Jennings said the numbers show that "The city is indeed safer than it was four years ago." Property crimes were also down. [Fox23] [TU] [WTEN]
The committee in charge of the search for a new Albany police chief says it expects to have nominations by mid March. [CapNews9]
The Albany school district says it's facing a $10 million budget gap. [TU]
Colleen Murphy -- the mother Amy Seyboth-Tirador, the soldier from Colonie who died in Iraq -- continued to assert yesterday that her daughter did not commit suicide. She said yesterday that she doesn't trust the military investigators looking into the case -- and is considering exhuming her daughter's body. The military says it hasn't complete its investigation, yet. [Troy Record] [CBS6] [WNYT] [TU]
The Rensselaer County man who admitted stabbing a horse a year ago was sentenced to 3.5-7 years in prison. [Troy Record]
Poll: New Yorkers favor medical marijuana
The Quinnipiac Poll out today reports that 71 percent of New York voters favor the legalization of medical marijuana. The poll reported strong support across pretty much every demographic group -- Republicans supported it the least, at 55-41.
Also from the Q Poll: New Yorker voters oppose the proposed tax on sugared sodas 57-40 (the poll described this measure as a "fat tax" or "obesity tax"). That makes sense -- after smoking all that pot for, you know, medicinal purposes, you have to wash down the cheesy poofs with something. (We joke -- but there is evidence that compounds in marijuana have therapeutic value.)
The poll did not ask people about outright legalization of pot. We did some hazy math last year that suggested doing so could generate something like $230 million for the state in revenue.
As it happens, there's already a bill in the legislature that would legalize medical marijuana. Fifteen states currently allow medical marijuana in some form, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Earlier on AOA: MMA legalization smacked in poll
photo: Flickr user Caveman 92223
Guilderland Five Guys
The new Five Guys in Guilderland is expected to open "before the end of the month," according to @Five_Guys. The new burger spot is taking over the old Denny's location on Western Ave near Stuyvesant Plaza. [via @MikeBucc]
The Hold Steady back in April
Stay positive.
The Hold Steady will be back in the Capital Region April 7 to play a show at The Linda in Albany.
Their show at Valentine's last March sold out -- and we're guessing this one probably will, too. So, if you'd like go... buy tickets. Now. Or very soon.
Tickets are $22 in advance (scroll all the way down). The Oranges Band is opening.
Paste recently named The Hold Steady's album "Boys and Girls in America" the 11th best album of the last decade.
photo: Judson Baker
[via @rorris and @leighcummings]
Craig and his wonderful list
The good thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: it's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.
Good or bad, we'll let you decide...
Finding the fashion: The Oxford files
Classic + fun
For the past couple of seasons, oxfords in various incarnations have been popping up on fashion blogs, on runways and going for extraordinarily high bids on ebay. Thankfully, it seems that local shoe retailers are finally offering these funny little sartorial legends.
I've been hankering after a pair for a while (shopping vintage doesn't seem to be helping me in this case) and since I have problems finding shoes that work for my poor feet, I've gone back to wandering the mall stores in hopes of finding some. I'd prefer a flat pair. The ones with heels are kind of cute too, but I've found lace-up heels to be pretty uncomfortable.
Oh, and today's budget is 100$--preferably less.
So here's what I found:
Paterson says budget gap growing, Gillibrand asks Obama question, rabid kitten found, another escaped dog
David Paterson says the state is now facing an $8.2 billion budget gap -- that's up about $750 million from the previous estimate. The state's budget director says the widening gap is the result of smaller than expected tax revenue from Wall Street bonuses. In the increased estimate had member of the legislature criticizing the governor for not providing an "accurate picture" in his proposed budget. [TU] [AP/Post-Star] [NYT] [Daily Politics]
Kirsten Gillibrand got to ask a question at yesterday's Q&A with Barack Obama. That might not be a good sign for her. [NYDN] [PolitickerNY]
The Greenfield man accused of stabbing and killing a tenant last year during a fight pleaded guilty to manslaughter yesterday. The case ended up being a bizarre tangle of allegations. [Saratogian] [TU]
10 for Schenectady
Perhaps in response to Stephen Colbert, the Gazette has put together a list of 10 reasons to love Schenectady. Prompted by the Gazette's list, Natalie Staples -- a biologist at the GE Global Research Center -- put together her own list of 10 things to love about Schenectady (and it's a good list!). You know, we've been talking about having Schenectady Week on AOA...
Capital Region +/-
Monorail. Monorail. Monorail.
Updated with new +/- suggestions!
As part of the giveaway for the Minus the Bear/Phantogram tickets, we asked people:
What's one thing you would subtract from the Capital Region?
What's one thing you would add?
There were some good answers. So we thought it would be interesting to pull all the answers together into a table, to see them lined up right next to each other. The table's after the jump.
Got some to add -- and subtract? We hope so. Post it in the comments. We'll add it to the table.
And congratulations to jenkins -- his comment was randomly drawn as the winner.
Free ride
Martin, Harding and Mazzotti will again be offering free cab rides this Super Bowl Sunday from 6 pm to midnight (1-800-LAW-1010). The firm is teaming up with Choices 301 to raise awareness about DWI. Sadly, the free cab offer doesn't include a ride on the missile.
Shopping vintage in the Capital Region
There's good stuff out there -- you just have to know where to look.
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a vintage junkie.
I love old things, curious objects, and of course vintage clothing. Thankfully, we live in quite a good area for shopping vintage. I love perusing the racks and occasionally (okay, maybe more often than that) snatching up a find for myself.
Vintage stores can be kind of tricky -- they're doing the searching for you, and so prices are not always a bargain, but if you'd rather spend on something perhaps a bit more special, it's the way to go.
After the jump you'll find a list of places to shop vintage and some info on what you'll find. This list is by no means comprehensive -- there are dozens of funny little antique and second-hand shops tucked all around the area -- but these are my favorites of the moment (not just for vintage luck, but for set-up or general charm).
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: drivers, a cold night on the Capitol steps, rolls, Chipotle, salmon, burger joints, t-shirts, a swap, Vermont, skating, cards, eagles and heckling.
No jail time for pedestrian death, RPI mansion zoning app bounced, Ford and Gillibrand race for donors, Schenectady beckons to Stephen Colbert
The woman who pleaded guilty to hitting and killing a pedestrian -- and then temporarily driving away -- on Madison Ave in Albany a year ago was sentenced to probation, restitution and community service. The victim's family said justice was not served by the sentencing. The judge presiding over the case said the misdemeanor plea deal "on its face, does not look right." Prosecutors say the evidence didn't support a felony charge. [Troy Record] [WTEN] [TU] [Fox23]
Congress Street in Troy between 15th Street and Brunswick Ave will be closed today from 10 am - 4:30 pm for what the city says is the emergency demolition of a building (map). The city's engineer says the front wall of the former Industrial Tool and Die building "could rupture at any time." The building had already been slated for demo. (CBS6 says it will be streaming video of the demolition.) [@TroyMayor] [TU] [Troy Record] [CBS6]
Troy's Zoning Board of Appeals has bounced RPI's application for a height variance for the new president's mansion. [Troy Record]
David Paterson the vetoed the legislature's ethics reform package. The governor said the bill didn't go far enough. Legislative leaders are now talking about trying to override the veto. [TU] [NYDN] [NYT]
Jackpot
This is like some sort of bizarre episode of The Office: the state inspector general has concluded that the former public information officer for the New York Lottery eavesdropped on his former bosses after being fired from his $150k job for not "teaming" with other Lottery employees. There's also a whole subplot about misappropriated leather bags. [via]
Exit 6 construction delays
The end product. But, you know, with cars.
The construction of SPUI at Exit 6 on the Northway is set to start back up in March -- and it looks there will be delays. Lots of delays.
The DOT says it will be closing three lanes of the Rt 7 bridge. That should constrict things considerably for the 45,000 cars that pass through that point every day. The DOT is also planning a handful of weekend closures of on/off ramps at the exit, starting in March. [WTEN] [Fox23]
In other words: avoid. The Exit 6 web site includes a list of alternate routes through the surrounding area.
Earlier on AOA:
+ The Latham SPUI now has its own website
+ Talkin' about SPUIs
+ It's pronounced "spoo-ee"
Snowed
Dartmouth economists (and skiers) Jonathan Zinman and Eric Zitzewitz decided to look into whether ski snow reports were accurate. From their preliminary paper:
Ski resorts self-report 23 percent more snowfall on weekends; there is no such weekend effect in government precipitation data. Resorts that reap greater benefits from exaggerating do it more. We find little evidence that competition restrains or encourages exaggeration. Near the end of our sample period, we observe a shock to the information environment: a new iPhone application feature makes it easier for skiers to comment on resort ski conditions in real time. Exaggeration falls sharply, and much more at resorts with better iPhone reception. In all, the results suggest that deceptive advertising varies sharply with incentives, both within resorts (over time, at high-frequencies), and across resorts.
[Via Marginal Revolution.]
By the way: As the TU pointed out today, this winter's snowfall totals are about a foot lower so far than average.
The National Weather Service has posted seasonal snowfall data dating back to 1884-85. The least-snowy season on record 1912-1913, which just 13.8 inches. The most? 1970-1971 with 112.5.
Even if this winter hasn't been great for skiing, it's been good for skating.
The kimchi (and other stuff) at Kim's
Kimchi and more.
I love almost anything that's pickled or fermented, and I especially love spicy food. So I was pretty psyched to discover the store-made kim chi at Kim's Asian Market.
If you've never had it, Kim chi is basically a mix of pickled, fermented vegetables that's pretty commonplace in Korean cuisine. It's got a funky, slight pungent taste to it with a varying level of heat.
So how was it?
Ford on the Colbert Report
Harold Ford was on the Colbert Report last night. As Colbert remarked: "Evidently six minutes at my interview table counts as New York State residency." Ford continued to assert that he's "always been pro-choice" -- and said that his view on a same-sex marriage is "a changed position."
Colbert also recommended that Ford make a helicopter touch-and-go visit to Schenectady.
Kirsten Gillibrand was also on TV last night -- she talked with Rachel Maddow about Don't Ask, Don't Tell (KG is pushing for the policy to be repealed). That video is embedded after the jump.
Also: A Marist poll out yesterday reports that Gillibrand leads Ford in a hypothetical primary 44-27 (25 percent were "unsure").
And get this: the Marist poll also reported that Chuck Schumer's approval rating is now below 50 percent for the first time 2001.
Earlier on AOA:
+ It's on
+ Describing the candidates
+ Does she sound like a senator?
+ The quick scan of Ford/Gillibrand
Snowfall total way behind, Republicans lining up behind Lazio, shooting in north Albany, Brunomobile still parked
This winter's snowfall so far is about a foot less than typical totals. By the way: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today. [TU] [CNN]
Brian Stratton says Schenectady is facing a budget gap of almost $13 million in 2011. One possible way to help cover the gap: start charging non-profits such as Union College and Ellis Hospital for police and fire services. [TU] [Daily Gazette $]
It's looking like the state Republican Party is lining up behind Rick Lazio as its choice for governor. Lazio was in Colonie yesterday and called out Andrew Cuomo, saying that Cuomo has "locked himself in his office and watched as Albany burned." A spokesman for Cuomo said yesterday that the AG is currently "focused on his public service." [CapNews9] [TU] [NYT] [Fox23]
Skidmore's president announced yesterday that the college will not have to go through with planned layoffs. He said the college's financial is improved because of an upswing in the endowment, as well as the results of attrition and a hiring freeze. [Daily Gazette $] [TU] [Post-Star]
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... said charley about 10 for Schenectady