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Friday, October 28, 2011
Pictures from the Haunted Capitol Tour
My mother likes doing fun and education related things with her grandsons. It is her right and occasionally she invites me along. Yesterday was one of those things. It was the Capitol Haunting Tour. (Read about it at All Over Albany and the NY Times.)
The family before the tour
Stuart Lehman, our tour guide
Describing a grisly death in the Capitol Building
The Death of Samuel Abbott (no relation)
My sister standing right where Abbott passed away from the fire of 1911.
Describing the carved heads on the "Million Dollar Staircase"
Yes, the signage will avoid more tragedies.
Honest Abe
A carved devil. Isn't this a scene from the Exorcist?
It was a great tour and an interesting look at the history of the Capitol. I strongly suggest you take the tour when it is available again.
The family before the tour
Stuart Lehman, our tour guide
Describing a grisly death in the Capitol Building
The Death of Samuel Abbott (no relation)
My sister standing right where Abbott passed away from the fire of 1911.
Describing the carved heads on the "Million Dollar Staircase"
Yes, the signage will avoid more tragedies.
Honest Abe
A carved devil. Isn't this a scene from the Exorcist?
It was a great tour and an interesting look at the history of the Capitol. I strongly suggest you take the tour when it is available again.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
I may be wrong...
But isn't the Road Runner a licensed property of Time Warner, Inc.?
I checked the packaging and there was no use statement anywhere acknowledging the use of the character.
I checked the packaging and there was no use statement anywhere acknowledging the use of the character.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Dreams...brought to you by over zombification
After watching the above, Zombies: A Living History, and reading Day By Day Armageddon before falling asleep, I was plagued (heh!) by a long and drawn out zombie escape dream.
A group of us had started our long trek to find freedom, and while we rarely encounter zombies, we were living in fear of other humans. At one point, we found ourselves sneaking through an area that was apparently the motor pool for extras from the Mad Max films. Then we escaped down to the river and there was a thoroughfare that was running along that was domed over and very pleasant. Then it turned into a dream where the only person who was left in our group that I was friends with ended up yelling at me for alternately getting them involved in this situation and for caring too much because it was their life and none of my business what they did.
Yes, this was an awesome dream.
A note of the media that I consumed:
Zombies: A Living History was a nice primer for someone who had never explored the history of zombies or was familiar with the Romero style zombie that exists, en masse, in popular culture. It would be perfect for someone like my mother who does not get obsessed with things as silly as zombies but is interested in their larger cultural implications.
Day By Day Armageddon is a wonderful zombie book by J.L. Bourne that covers the outbreak of the end-of-times from the perspective of a Naval Aviator (think...Maverick and Goose) through his diary. (Another question: why do so many zombie survival scenarios play out in Texas? Is it a commentary on the current Governor and the previous one?) I am two months in and I am hooked. I made sure to purchase the second book in the series when I was fifteen pages into the first.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Now is the winter of out discontent
Generation X a bunch of slackers? Not so, says new study - USATODAY.com:
"Forget what you've heard about Generation X as a bunch of insecure, angst-ridden underachievers. Most of the once-nicknamed "slacker generation" are hardworking, family-oriented adults who lead "active, balanced and happy lives," suggests a 20-year study of 4,000 Xers out today."
Via Daily Intel
Monday, October 24, 2011
Follow-up to the Arab Spring - Yemen
In Yemen, The Dance of Daggers - By FP correspondents | Foreign Policy:
"In happier times, President Ali Abdullah Saleh and top general Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar treated camera crews to the spectacle at a public celebration in Sanaa, the capital.
Today, and for almost a month running, their daggers are heavy artillery, their audience Yemen's abortive protest movement, and their dance floor a prone country whose future depends on the outcome of their duel.
Nine months into a nationwide popular uprising, the reality facing this impoverished southern Arabian nation is bleaker than ever. "
"In happier times, President Ali Abdullah Saleh and top general Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar treated camera crews to the spectacle at a public celebration in Sanaa, the capital.
Today, and for almost a month running, their daggers are heavy artillery, their audience Yemen's abortive protest movement, and their dance floor a prone country whose future depends on the outcome of their duel.
Nine months into a nationwide popular uprising, the reality facing this impoverished southern Arabian nation is bleaker than ever. "
Your Papers Please...
I really have nothing to say about this except admitting my love for both the middle of the country and small town political figures.
Hull discusses limits for bikes, pedestrians on town roads | Stevens Point Journal | stevenspointjournal.com:
"The town of Hull is considering restricting bike and pedestrian use on some of its roads, a measure one advocacy group says is illegal.
A town public safety committee, which examined general safety on town roads this summer, came up with a draft ordinance in September that requires biking, running or walking groups to register their travel plans with the town or bans them from using roads outright."
Oh, and in case you were wondering where I found out about this, it was...from The Onion. I had to look up to see if this was for real or not and I was so hoping that it was untrue.
Hull discusses limits for bikes, pedestrians on town roads | Stevens Point Journal | stevenspointjournal.com:
"The town of Hull is considering restricting bike and pedestrian use on some of its roads, a measure one advocacy group says is illegal.
A town public safety committee, which examined general safety on town roads this summer, came up with a draft ordinance in September that requires biking, running or walking groups to register their travel plans with the town or bans them from using roads outright."
Oh, and in case you were wondering where I found out about this, it was...from The Onion. I had to look up to see if this was for real or not and I was so hoping that it was untrue.
Has #OWS Jumped the Shark?
When I see a lawsuit after a three year old accidentally gets Maced, I will become very angry.
Occupy Wall Street: Best or Worst Sleepover Ever? | Mediaite:
"On Friday night, while many families stayed home, went to movies, or checked their Facebook accounts together, a group called “Parents For Occupy Wall Street” was organizing a massive sleepover in Zuccotti Park, where the OWS movement is currently being staged."
Occupy Wall Street: Best or Worst Sleepover Ever? | Mediaite:
"On Friday night, while many families stayed home, went to movies, or checked their Facebook accounts together, a group called “Parents For Occupy Wall Street” was organizing a massive sleepover in Zuccotti Park, where the OWS movement is currently being staged."
In Other News...
#OccupyAlbany is the fourth story on YNN Albany's broadcast.
Out of curiosity, with the stated goal of the "occupation" being "ending economic inequality", how is this camping out in a park outside of City Hall leading to the end of economic disparity?
Occupy Wall Street Is Coming to MTV -- Daily Intel:
"MTV announced today that True Life: I'm Occupying Wall Street will air in less than two weeks, joining a canon that includes the super-sad one about Tourette's syndrome and that guy with the bleeding calf implant. On the night of November 5, we'll be treated to a well-edited version of the protests we've been watching for more than a month, starring college students Kait and Caitlin, and Bryan, a member of the Zuccotti Park sanitation team. "
Out of curiosity, with the stated goal of the "occupation" being "ending economic inequality", how is this camping out in a park outside of City Hall leading to the end of economic disparity?
Occupy Wall Street Is Coming to MTV -- Daily Intel:
"MTV announced today that True Life: I'm Occupying Wall Street will air in less than two weeks, joining a canon that includes the super-sad one about Tourette's syndrome and that guy with the bleeding calf implant. On the night of November 5, we'll be treated to a well-edited version of the protests we've been watching for more than a month, starring college students Kait and Caitlin, and Bryan, a member of the Zuccotti Park sanitation team. "
What Were Those?
(This post brought to you by roasted hot pepper seasons pulled pork consumed at 11 pm after watching The Walking Dead.)
Dream #1:
It was a pyscho-sexual thrill ride involving a number of different scenarios. The less I speak of it, the better it is for everyone. Including me. Think Nine & 1/2 Weeks but...not as tame.
Dream #2:
HJ77 and I were preparing to run a 5k in Boston but we were in Albany, and planning on running it, coming back, and then heading back out there for another event and it was stressing me out. Not that HJ77 was stressing me out, mind you, but the whole idea of traveling back and forth like that was. Then there was this subplot where I could not find my shoes and when I went looking for them in the house that I grew up in, I discovered that all my things (including one of the running shoes) had been given to my former brother-in-law. I also had three pairs of bucks in the closet that had not been gifted to my FBiL.
Eventually, we get in the car to go to the race, but a) I am driving (this is always a badness) and b) I am completely lost. Comedy (or tragedy) ensued.
There was more to it but nothing that I can directly relate to anything else. It was quite disjointed.
Dream #1:
It was a pyscho-sexual thrill ride involving a number of different scenarios. The less I speak of it, the better it is for everyone. Including me. Think Nine & 1/2 Weeks but...not as tame.
Dream #2:
HJ77 and I were preparing to run a 5k in Boston but we were in Albany, and planning on running it, coming back, and then heading back out there for another event and it was stressing me out. Not that HJ77 was stressing me out, mind you, but the whole idea of traveling back and forth like that was. Then there was this subplot where I could not find my shoes and when I went looking for them in the house that I grew up in, I discovered that all my things (including one of the running shoes) had been given to my former brother-in-law. I also had three pairs of bucks in the closet that had not been gifted to my FBiL.
Eventually, we get in the car to go to the race, but a) I am driving (this is always a badness) and b) I am completely lost. Comedy (or tragedy) ensued.
There was more to it but nothing that I can directly relate to anything else. It was quite disjointed.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Notes on a Sunday Morning
• I broke my eyeglasses yesterday. I am irked by this. Luckily I still have my Oakley's but they aren't as "funky" as my Ray Ban's.
• I wonder what my Sunday mornings would be like without Alex Witt.
• With one swipe, Apple has now created the interface that I have been looking for and trying to design for more than a decade. I love that one swipe gives me everything that I care about.
• That song by Adele has been number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Does this mean that the American public is ready for the angsty & confessional type of female singer song writer that was really new and vibrant in 1996? Way to go pop fans...only fifteen years late.
• The breakfast burrito is the best handheld breakfast food. Discuss.
• Trying to decide what the classic Albany drink is...I am thinking whiskey with a beer back. Any other suggestions?
• I wonder what my Sunday mornings would be like without Alex Witt.
• With one swipe, Apple has now created the interface that I have been looking for and trying to design for more than a decade. I love that one swipe gives me everything that I care about.
• That song by Adele has been number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Does this mean that the American public is ready for the angsty & confessional type of female singer song writer that was really new and vibrant in 1996? Way to go pop fans...only fifteen years late.
• The breakfast burrito is the best handheld breakfast food. Discuss.
• Trying to decide what the classic Albany drink is...I am thinking whiskey with a beer back. Any other suggestions?
Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse?
Would you be able to survive the zombie apocalypse? Really? You think this? Take this internet quiz and find out. I'll wait.
How did you do?
Still confident that you will survive?
Well, NY Mag had a great group of articles on what to do if there was an outbreak in NYC. The feature includes sections on:
The Centers for Disease Control also has good information on what to do in the event of an outbreak. (No, seriously. That is really from the CDC. No, I do not know what else they were working on. Yes, they did kind of screw the pooch in The Walking Dead. I know, President Perry would never let this type of tomfoolery go on.)
The Weather Channel also provided information on "How to Weather the Zombie Apocalypse". Yes, I know they are taking it very seriously when they use an obvious pun.
So, why do I care?
Well, I want to convince HJ77 that she is ready for both versions of Dawn of the Dead as well as 28 Days Later as part of our Halloween festivities.
How did you do?
Still confident that you will survive?
Well, NY Mag had a great group of articles on what to do if there was an outbreak in NYC. The feature includes sections on:
- Should you stay or should you go?
- Knowing Your Enemies
- What to Loot from the Met
- What to keep in your emergency bag.
- Where to seek refuge
- How the zombie brain works
- Who will in the war? (For which, you should prepare by reading World War Z)
- The Golden Rules
- What Weapons You Should Use
The Centers for Disease Control also has good information on what to do in the event of an outbreak. (No, seriously. That is really from the CDC. No, I do not know what else they were working on. Yes, they did kind of screw the pooch in The Walking Dead. I know, President Perry would never let this type of tomfoolery go on.)
The Weather Channel also provided information on "How to Weather the Zombie Apocalypse". Yes, I know they are taking it very seriously when they use an obvious pun.
So, why do I care?
Well, I want to convince HJ77 that she is ready for both versions of Dawn of the Dead as well as 28 Days Later as part of our Halloween festivities.
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