Back in December I posted some photos that our friend and photographer, Niki Rossi, took of two of her favorite subjects, Stella and Happy. She’s one kick-ass wedding and general subject photographer here in Saratoga Springs.
Saratoga Springs Photography
→ 3 CommentsTags: dogs
First it was the Patriot Act, which aims to limit our free speech as Americans, and now it’s the “faith-based initiative,” with a mission of creating a single Christian Right American Churchstate (hereby dubbed CRAC). Does BushCo honestly believe this CRAC is what the Founding Fathers intended?
New York Times / The Disappearing Wall:
The centerpiece is President Bush’s so-called faith-based initiative, which disregards decades of First Amendment law and civil rights protections. Mr. Bush promised that federal money would not be used to support religious activities directly, but it is. The program has channeled billions of taxpayers’ dollars to churches and other religion-based providers of social services under legally questionable rules that allow plenty of room for proselytizing and imposing religious tests on hiring. The initiative even provides taxpayers’ money to build and renovate houses of worship that are also used to offer social services.
Here’s something funny, in a rip-your-patriotic-heart-out-and-spit-on-it sort of way: Just last week, BushCo’s State Department decided to kill the publication of an annual report on international terrorism. Why? Well, because the government’s top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985. Isn’t that hilarious? Isn’t that heartwarming? Your tax dollars at work, sweetheart.
Two years ago today we were Rebuilding Together.
→ 1 CommentTags: politics
If there was ever doubt that GI Joe was gay, it’s now been confirmed. Head on over to the GI Joe Gay Pornstar Dressup to create your own fabulous version of the ’80s cartoon star. From a furry white pimp coat or a tight-fitting sailor’s shirt to short shorts to a weapon that looks more like a giant dildo, the Soldier Outfitter is fun for all ages!
Teaching boys and girls to play dressup with guns and the tough soldier man: OK. Spreading a message of tolerance and acceptance from a happy, talking sponge: Gay. Call in the AFA! This soldier thing is way too gay.
Go Joe!
(Thanks, Joti, for the link.)
I woke up this morning with a sore throat and raspy voice — never a good sign. I rarely get sick, but when I do, it seems that it’s only in April or November. But I’m taking my vitamins and drinking my juice, so I’m already starting to feel much better.
→ 1 CommentTags: comedy
The weekend began with Friday happy hour at the Olde Saratoga Brewery. Jen, Justin, and I walked there, but we couldn’t talk Jen into taking a shortcut through the woods and down a hill to the brewery. After a couple rounds at the brewery, we came back to our place for some Karaoke Revolution. Tired from a long week, we ended the evening early.
Saturday I got a long overdue haircut and we did stuff around the house. We saw Fever Pitch that afternoon, which was much better than I expected. It was funny, moving, and inspirational. I even shed a tear. We hung out at Justin’s place that night, watching the Sox, playing Norrath, and even doing lemon and lime shots, which were damn good. Jen and I took a cab home since it was raining, as it was most of the weekend.
Sunday morning we woke up early and walked in the rain with the dogs back to Justin’s house to retrieve the car. Just as we arrived in his driveway, the heavens opened up and dumped down a brief torrential downpour. The dogs were glad to be safe and dry inside the car by the point. We spent the rest of the day around the house, going grocery shopping, and cooking homemade mac ‘n cheese from the Moosewood. With ingredients like spinach, onions, mushrooms, yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese, how could it not be good? It was simply delicious.
→ 1 CommentTags: weekends
It’s far from Cuitlacoche on the “Holy crap! What the hell is that and do people actually eat that?!” scale, but I hereby place canned salmon in that department.
Comments Off on Canned SalmonTags: food
Will it benefit the city of Saratoga Springs to build a 37-unit “workforce housing” complex on the city’s west side of town, at West Circular and South Federal Streets, so that the city’s working class — those with household incomes between $12,000 and $37,000 per year — can actually afford to live in the city where they work? Or will it bring more traffic congestion, reduce precious green space, and create a crime- and drug-ridden ghetto? Those were the arguments laid out by the two fiercely opposed sides of the debate, as a standing-room only crowd gathered last night in the Community Room of the library to hear the project plans.
Everyone from leaders of the local Housing Authority to the city finance chief to city council members to the mayor were in attendance, along with the developer heading up the project proposal, Omni. After a series of brief presentations about where and what the project would be and what traffic patterns it would bring, the floor was opened up to the community to sing praise or actually say, “Not in my back yard!” One woman praised the project and spoke highly of the fact that the West side of town is the closest thing to diversity that Saratoga Springs has. An older woman snapped back at her: “It’s not your back yard!” The first woman said that she lived four blocks from the proposed site. As far as I’m concerned, that’s her back yard, but the older woman disagreed. Tempers flared and the debate carried on for nearly two hours, with both sides speaking passionately about why or why not the proposal is a good idea.
The comment that angered me the most came from a guy about my age, who said something like this: “I’m not a criminologist, but where goes low-income housing goes crime. I don’t want my streets filled with crack viles. Not in my back yard!” Right, dude. Because the single mom waiting your tables at the fancy restaurant on Broadway — who’s lucky if she’s making the equivalent of $15 an hour or $15,600 annually — can’t wait to become a crack whore in her spare time so she can turn your kids into addicts, pass out on your front lawn, and solicit you for sex. Get real. This will not be a ghetto, nor will it be filled with crack whores or gangstas. This is Saratoga Springs, the most elite of Upstate New York cities, and this is class warfare if I’ve ever seen it in action.
Elio Del Sette, who apparently knew most of the people in the room and their “working class roots,” said, as quoted by the Saratogian, “This town has grown leaps and bounds as an elitist community. I hate to think we are in a class warfare here in our city. I’m ashamed of you.”
There were a few points made by the development company that didn’t seem to be on the up and up. First, it turns out that the traffic study was done during the week of Thanksigiving, so the reported impact of the expected 20-25 cars that the project would bring during peak hours may not be totally accurate (the site is near a high school). Secondly, it seems that eight of the 37 units will be designated for working Section 8 residents, but the developer was pretty vague on the details. Lastly, details on the “gifting” of the land from the Housing Authority to the Omni company — and what happens on the site after the designated 15-year window of project management — were a bit sketchy.
One of the best points in support of the project was this: Luxury condos, which sell for anywhere from $400,000 to $1 million, were recently built on the West side of town and no one raised a stink about the traffic that those residents would bring. Ditto for proposed plans to tear down the bowling alley and build more luxury condos on the site.
Although I’m generally in support of affordable and “workforce” housing, one of the arguments in opposition to the plan does carry weight: Why concentrate all the housing into one area? What about exploring alternatives like building low-cost homes that are sprinkled throughout the city, rather than lumped into one two-and-a-half acre city plot? And why rentals? Isn’t there a way to put the $5 million that will be spent on this project toward building homes that can make the dream of home ownership a reality for those who are struggling to make ends meet?
→ 3 CommentsTags: saratoga springs
I wanted to puke last night when I saw the commercial featuring Donald Trump advertising the new Domino’s cheeseburger pizza. Then I thought it had to be a joke. It seems that it’s real. And I’m so grossed out by it.
Not that I’ve eaten a Domino’s pizza in the past ten or so years anyway, but this new concoction just gives me one more reason not to do so. Don’t get me wrong, I love pizza and would it eat it every night if it weren’t so bad for me (I do eat it at least once a week), but come on, a cheeseburger on a pizza?! I’m mostly a vegetarian these days, so cheeseburgers don’t appeal to me to begin with, but there’s just something oh so wrong about taking two of the worst foods for you and smashing them together in one “only in America” pile of mush.
First it was the 730-calorie, 47-grams-of-fat Burger King Enormous Omlette Sandwich, loaded with eggs, sausage, cheese, and bacon. And now the cheeseburger pizza. I cringe to think how much fat is packed into a single slice of that heart attack waiting to happen.
When the hell did everything in America get so big and over the top? It hasn’t always been this way, has it? From our SUVs to our sodas to our Super Size fries to our TGIF beer, everything comes in deluxe size. What ever happened to living in moderation? It’s no wonder our waist lines are expanding accordingly. I read recently that even parking spots are soon going to expand to account for the ever-increasing size of the average SUV on the road.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I walk right past someone, look right at him or her, make eye contact, say “hello” or “good morning” or “good afternoon,” and he or she stares blankly right back at me without saying a word. Either people are deaf, rude, or just plain assholes.
→ 2 CommentsTags: food
I was elated yesterday when I received the following letter from The Olde Bryan Inn, which was established in 1773, and just may be the oldest bar in the country (by measure of building age, anyway):
Dear Gabe,
We have great news, your mug named “The Draft Shaft II” has arrived at the bar. Thank you for joining The Olde Bryan Inn Mug Club.
Looking forward to meeting you and hope you enjoy the company of our friends and staff members.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Mary-Ann
You see, the OBI bar has all these steel mugs hanging above it, and anyone lucky enough to have the honor — I once heard that the waiting list was five years long — gets for his or her personal use with each visit to the bar or restaurant one of those mugs, personally engraved. One of those mugs now (quite literally) has my name on it. My mug is called The Draft Shaft II because it is the official descendant of The Draft Shaft, my less glamorous Vassar-era mug (and senior yearbook photo companion).
I eagerly await the breaking in of The Draft Shaft II. It works out because not only does the OBI have good beer, but it consistently offers some of the best food in town for reasonable prices, so it happens to be one of my favorite establishments. The beauty of the place, architecturally and historically, is an added bonus. The Draft Shaft II is just one more reason to visit.
Comments Off on The Draft Shaft IITags: saratoga springs
Last night Jen and I watched with intrique the Oprah show. You know all those Saturday Night Live skits with the screaming and jumping women in the Oprah audience? It’s all true, as Oprah herself pointed out. The only reason we watched is because Jon Stewart was the guest (followed by Cameron Diaz). He was hilarious, but what I found interesting was contrasting the level of sophistication and intelligence conveyed each night on The Daily Show with the simplistic ideas and messages apparently taught by Oprah each day. What’s strange is that Oprah seems to be like the Pope — she’s clearly loved and worshipped and causes women to cry for no reason but being in her presence. And I suppose she does good things for people, so more power to her. Still, I can’t relate to this strange slice of America that idolizes a single person, be she Oprah or be he Pope.
Speaking of idols like the Pope, you may have heard that the Vatican has elected its new Pope, who’s decided to name himself Benedict XVI. I personally think he should have stuck with Joseph Ratzinger, which has a nice mean ring to it. Here’s to another decade or more of warped 20th Century practices like the oppression of women, gay people, and birth control.
Comments Off on Oprah NationTags: television
I want to make more of an effort to be involved in my community. I used to be much better at this. In high school, college, and even as a fresh college graduate in San Francisco, I volunteered; I went to community events to meet new people. These days, the extent of my community involvement is the annual interviewing of prospective Vassar students and sending a bit of money here and there to charitable causes. I miss being more active in my community, and I’m on a quest to change that.
The quest includes anything that involves getting out of the house and away from TV or video games. Sitting on the porch and sipping white wine or martinis this time of year is awesome, but does that count as getting out of the house? OK, maybe that’s a good weekend activity.
Saturday we took a step in the right direction, going on a guided tour of “Signs of Spring” in Saratoga State Park. Last night we tried to attend a lecture that was allegedly at the Tang at 7 PM (“Differing Views of the Universe” by two Smithsonian professors), but the Times Union Community Almanac had some piece of information wrong since the Tang is closed on Mondays.
Tonight is the weekly Saratoga City Council meeting, and I think it might be fun to attend. Thursday in the library is a public meeting on affordable housing. It’s an important topic in any city, particularly this one, which is an anomaly among all Upstate New York cities in terms of housing costs (it’s a resort town, after all, known the world round for its health, history, and horses).
It’s a small town and I want to get out there and enjoy it, to be part of shaping its future, to meet my neighbors (we did just this on Saturday while walking down Broadway: we met a fellow ex-city resident and rescue dog owner). It’s a good feeling and I want more of it.
April 15th: You’re Getting Screwed by Molly Ivins
Three years ago today we were getting ready to leave for Italy.
