Burgh to Bruno: Move It

A lovely time at Opening Day of the Saratoga races on Wednesday. Clear skies, lovely fillies, good company in the box. Everything was perfect.

Well, almost perfect. This guy ruined it. Actually, the first thing I saw upon entering the hallowed grounds this year was Uncle Joe Bruno standing at a podium, hammering away at the Governor for all the nasty shenanigans he's been up to.

Someone please tell me WHY the New York Racing Association feels obligated to host this type of event? It would be one thing if the Majority Leader had some breaking news on the racing franchise agreement or major changes to the state's breeding incentive program. But he didn't. He' just pissed off that someone else is pissed off at the way state resources (planes, helicopters, security) are used for political campaign efforts.

Memo to Mr Bruno: move the next press conference down to road to The Horsehoe Inn. Some of us are trying to enjoy a simple day out of the office with friends.

Things that drive me crazy; part 54

Our team and two oustide companies are pitching a three-way project to an out-of-state business. Everything was progressing smoothly and we were almost there----until a few minutes ago.

Yesterday, the prospect requested that our final proposal be in her hands the next morning (meaning today). Sending it by e-mail wouldn't work because it included various physical exhibits. FedEx Next Day to the rescue. Real simple, right?

So I start the wheels in motion: an email to our two project partners that stated: "get the proposal overnight'd to the XYZ Corporation in Baltimore and label it attention Mary Smith." Included in my correspondence was a prior communique from Ms Smith, thus displayng her email address and company web site domain. Done deal; it was off to series of appointments I went.

This morning, I awake to an email that says this: "we couldn't FedEx the package because you didn't tell us their shipping address."

Now, both of these parties are in a constant-online mode, mind you, courtesy of broadband connections.

A quick phone call to my hapless and helpless friends this AM had me asking both "couldn't you have just typed the company name into Google and found it? Or e-mailed the lady and asked? Or called them up after asking an operator to assist you?" In both cases, I was answered with silence.

The deal is dead--they HAD to have the stuff by 9AM, and not even a plane ride can get it there by then.

The only satisfaction I got out of it was my early morning phone calls woke both of them up. But that doesn't quite do it. Maybe I'll program my phone to ring them up every morning at random times for the next three months...

In the meatime, I think I will go buy myself a bicycle helmet. It will come in handy throughout the day as I bang my head against the walls.

Good news: Albany now has a REAL radio station

Every once in a while you get lucky. The Capital Region just got collectively lucky.

Radio station WEXT has just launched its new broadcast / webcast operation -- 97.7 on the FM dial. Its format is an eclectic one, echoing the wide range of GREAT music from MANY fantastic artists that ARE out there in the world today. Unlike all of the conglomerate-owned stations in this market, WEXT is actually playing them! It now joins WEQX up in Manchester as the local rays of hope in that department -- along with some pretty good college stations we have around here.

What's unique about WEXT -- and therefore what makes us the aforementioned lucky ones -- is that it is part of the WMHT family. Now, it's fairly common for a so-called public broadcasting organization to be owning and operating an FM radio stations. But what is odd (in a good kind of way) here is that this particular station is in the middle of the FM dial (as opposed to the left hand side) and that it is playing a non-classical format.

But no canned formats here, folks. So far, the people involved are playing--well, whatever they want to play! Within the past hour, I have heard a varied playlist that included Cat Empire, Graham Parker, John Prine, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon and Wilco. Not their "best known hits' mind you--but they are diving deep into the albums and pulling out all sorts of gems.

Doubly good is the fact that the station is supporting the hometown music community by playing them through its Local 518 initiative! I've heard our friends The Kamikaze Hearts, Super 400 and even Lonesome Val--now she brings back some memories!

This station has the potential to revive the local live-music scene, taking a role similar to that of WQBK-FM back in the 80's.

Give them a listen, and do what you can to support them. TechValleyTimes will.

Top 10 Ways to Handle Jehovah's Witnesses

Guest Submission

from

Albany Rants

It seems like this past weekend was peak annoyance season from our favorite walking zombies here in the Capital Region. I betcha I must have seen them in five different neighborhoods. They kind of remind me of scenes from Night of the Living Dead, the way they march down the street looking for prey.

As a public service to my readers, I hereby submit ten suggestions on the best means of handling a visting Jehovah's Witness the next time one or more of them rings your doorbell on a Sunday morning:

1) Answer it naked. If able; be aroused

2) Be smoking a joint

3) Speak in tongues

4) Ask if they've run across any hot chicks in the neighborhood who look like they could use a little 'wake up call'

5) Ask if they'd like to come in and watch some gay porn

6) Tell them you used to be a Witness yourself, but you're "doing much better now"

7) Tell them that the last two Witnesses that were here ended up staying for a few weeks

8) Offer $10 for a BJ

9) Offer an "I'll buy if you fly" on a cold six pack of Budweisers

10) Ask how they feel about the Bible passages that seem to encourage incest and bestiality.

There you go--this should take care of your problem. Let me know how you make out.