Five places I would go.

I’ve taken you loyal, dedicated readers on a journey through my life. Every time I post something on this nearly three-year-long association with the Times Union, I’ve brought you closer to parts of my history – both good and bad, both uplifting and depressing.  It’s part of what I do. But I thought for a…

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Why did the geese cross the road?

Beats me why they crossed the road… all I know is that I was really glad that they did. Explanation. It’s Saturday morning, and I’m up with the crack of dawn, running around photographing various Albany iconography for a special photo project. As I headed back home, I took the scenic route (read: the non-I-787…

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Made in 1968 – about 2001 – recut in 2012.

If you’ve never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, you’ve missed out on one of the greatest sci-fi epics of all time. Stanley Kubrick’s futuristic vision was a watershed movie of its time, and there’s plenty of scenes in there where you have to think to yourself, “How did he film that?” or “How did his…

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NYS Fair Photo Contest 2012: Did anything get through?

It’s Thursday night.  I just want to relax, put my feet up, ride out the upcoming thunderstorm, and watch a whole night of How It’s Made episodes.  Yeah, it was that kind of day. Cell phone rings.  I check the Caller ID.  315 area code.  That’s either Hamilton College bugging me for a donation, or…

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Graney’s Stout Trivia: If 9 Were 6

The fun part about playing competitive team trivia in the Capital District is that you can win some great stuff.  And by “great stuff,” I mean your could snag anything from restaurant gift certificates to cash money.  And in some instances, you can win some big-ticket items – and when I say “big ticket items,”…

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It’s 117 yards, Chris Williams, not 116!

How many showboating football players can you name right now?  Yep, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson/Ochocinco/Johnson, to name just two right off the top of my head. If you’re a fan of Canadian football, then you can add Chris Williams of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to the list. Make no mistake.  Chris Williams is one of the…

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chesed shel emet – another promise kept.

It took longer than I expected. Fifteen years ago, I began a very successful writing association with Goldmine magazine.  Let’s see.  Eleven cover stories.  Two dozen feature stories.  Interviews with six different Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.  A long-running “Collectormania!” column that eventually lasted for over a decade – the longest-sustained column in Goldmine…

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