About six months ago, I acquired a vintage Nikon 50-300mm f/4.5 telephoto lens as part of my photographic arsenal.ย The original owner of the lens was an RPI student named Rachel, whom I met while both of us were “car extras” on the Salt movie.ย I purchased the lens from her after the movie company…
Read MoreMy attempt at Ultimate Frisbee
My Monday night Street Academy teammates (which has now grown to a clan of six, now that three other RPI students – Stefan, Dan and Tim – have joined Jeremy and Alexis and me at Revolution Hall) are devotees of Ultimate Frisbee.ย For those who don’t know, Ultimate Frisbee is a very fast-paced version of…
Read MoreAlbums I Want to Be Buried With: Manhattan Transfer, “Extensions”
My first memories of the pop-jazz quartet Manhattan Transfer go back to 1975, when I recall they had a summer television variety show of some success (they also had a hit song at that time, the gospel-influenced track “Operator”). But it wasn’t really until 1980, when my music teacher at the Street Academy of Albany,…
Read MoreThe Mindy Scale
It was a few years ago, maybe around 1997.ย Vicki and I were eating at the Van Dyck in Schenectady – Colin Hay, the former lead singer for Men at Work, was performing a solo concert and I thought it would be a good night out. Before Colin Hay performed his second show of the…
Read MoreRecalling the Schaefer Brewers Basketball Team
I recently read fellow Times-Union blogger Eric Medved’s piece on the new professional basketball team that will begin play at the Armory this spring, the Albany Legends of the IBL.ย In reading the article, I noticed a small synopsis of Albany’s pro basketball history, which read like this: In the 1970โs, the Schaefer Brewers travelled…
Read MoreWeek 13 of the Elbo Room Trivia Tournament
For all intents and purposes, I have qualified for the finals of the Elbo Room Trivia Tournament, and the big money prize in the final game.ย However, there are still several weeks of tournament play left to go, and I find myself now in a very desirable situation. See, there are several teams that are…
Read MoreYou call this a snowstorm?
Got an e-mail from a friend of mine, wondering how I was able to survive all these blizzards and snowstorms in usptate New York. I responded back, “This is nothing, we get at least two or three Nor’easters every year, you just learn to deal with them.” At which point I realized that there are…
Read MoreMay 30, 1929 – Opening Night at the Madison Theater
Of the dozens of movie palaces and theaters that populated the Capital District, from the beginning of silent film until the creation of shopping mall-based theaters, only three movie palaces have survived to today.ย The Spectrum on Delaware Avenue was once called the Delaware Theater, and is the oldest building that still shows films.ย The…
Read MoreAcquiring a Lift Chair for My Father-in-Law
My father-in-law, Alvin Robinson, has led a full and strong life, and is now going through the twilight of his years at the Massry Residence at Daughters of Sarah.ย He loves his new place – a small apartment at the Massry, interaction with other senior citizens, and visits from family members. Last Saturday, while my…
Read MorePhoto Essay: Great Train Expo 2009
Sunday morning, and I’m trying to negotiate my camera through a packed house at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, as railroad hobbyists and model train enthusiasts got together for the 2009 Great Train Expo. There were several working train layouts in the plaza, as I watched N-Gauge and HO-Gauge and O-Gauge trains fly across…
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