The YNN Tea Party Report

Here’s the way Time Warner Cable’s “Your News Now” covered today’s Tea Party in downtown Albany.   (Click on picture)

For the most part their coverage was positive except when presenting an opposing view they always go for the most inflammatory.  That would be former President’s Clinton remark comparing Tea Party protesters to the terrorists who caused the Oklahoma City bombings.

(OH WELL,   PAR FOR THE COURSE!)

Keeping it Real at the Hospital

Image via Wikipedia

Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.

And churches aren’t supposed to be meeting places for the holier than most crowd either.

It just seems that way sometimes.

Jesus said it’s the sick that need a doctor, not those who think they are well,or at least are trying to act like they’re well.

That being said in reality a church should really be a spiritual hospital with Dr. Jesus as the Great Physician.  Allot of churches are finally getting that. Thank God mine is one them.

We recognize that there are allot of hurting people out there who if they have to pretend everything’s perfect in their life they’re going to explode.

At Grace Fellowship in the Albany NY area we just started a whole bunch of workshops on a whole slew of issues. Everything from dealing with various addictions, to caring for elderly parents, to Understanding Depression.

The latter was the one that caught my eye.

Most of the time I talk about spiritual issues over at “Lucky Loser” but this needed to be said here.

If your house of worship isn’t a place where there’s a safe place to let your guard down you need to find a place where you can.

Imagine a hospital in the natural  where you had to act like you were well most of the time.

That would suck rotten eggs wouldn’t it?

I Double Dog Dare Ya!!!

Senator wanna be and wanna be heir to Obama’s throne Harold Ford Jr. appeared on Stephen Colbert’s last Monday night.

Ford may be your typical phony tell you anything to get elected politician, but you gotta give the man credit for coming on Colbert’s show.  Because you know if you show up there, you’re gonna get served!

Ford got ripped on a number of fronts including his claim that” touching down on a Staten Island helicopter pad qualified as visiting the New York City borough.”  HT The Times Union

“Are there other places in New York you designate as ‘helicopter only?’” the Colbert Report host asked, making air quotes with his fingers.

Colbert continued: “Because I would recommend, sir, I would recommend that for Schenectady. I would just look at that on Google maps.”

Ford laughed at Colbert’s joke but offered no wisecrack of his own.”

For the video click HERE

That drew quite a laugh from the audience as well.  Meanwhile how do you think people up here in SCHENECTADY feel about the joke?

“Chamber of Schenectady County President Charles Steiner, who occasionally watches “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central network, encouraged Colbert to visit Schenectady by helicopter.

“He will see a lot of growth and opportunity and he is going to want to land his apparatus here,” Steiner said. “We would welcome him to fly overhead, and when he does stop by we will be there to welcome him.”

James Salengo, executive director the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp., also invited Colbert to visit Schenectady. “We would love him to do a show at Proctors.’”

HT Daily Gazette Schenectady to Colbert: ‘Drop in’.

That’s fine for Colbert but what about Congressman Ford?

He’s the one that was being challenged.  So I say to Congressman Ford dispel all the rumors that you’re nothing but a selfless poser politician by announcing you’re running for the Senate . . .

at The Holiday Inn in beautiful downtown Schenectady!!!

That will show everyone you really do care about the people of New York State!

Come on Congressman

I Double Dog Dare ya!

Who’s Next?

Now that a Republican is going to be sitting in the Senate seat that’s been held by a Kennedy since 1952 everyone is wondering.

Is this a sign of what’s to come in 2010?

It makes you think,

Who’s next?

How about Kirsten Gillibrand!

A New York History Lesson

Image via Wikipedia

It’s one thing to forget about mistakes made generations ago. But stupid New York State should have known better.

Those who forget their RECENT history are doomed to repeat it. And that’s just inexcusable!

A report and audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli‘s office of the New York State Department of Transportation reveals a number of bridges across the state are in need of repair – and some may be in worse shape than the Champlain Bridge which was recently shut down and demolished.  HT-CN9

CLICK HERE

When it comes to our bridges we’ve literally been down this road before.  This isn’t the first time we’ve suddenly had a large amount of bridges in need of repair.

It happened less than a quarter century ago.  It was the case of the most spectacular case of bridge failure in New York State.  We should have learned our lesson then.

The Schoharie Creek Bridge on the New York State Thruway collapsed on the morning of April 5, 1987 after three decades of service.  The collapse of pier three caused two spans to fall into the flooded creek.  Five vehicles fell into the river, and ten occupants died.

Back then as now there was a mad rush to inspect all of New York’s bridges.  Not only were a number found to be in need of repair but a number were found impassable.  In the Albany area the Route 4 bridge just north of Schuylerville was closed as a result of these inspections.

If only we learned our lesson back then.  Don’t take bridges for granted, but inspect them frequently.  Either that or 20 years from we’ll be going through the same thing someplace else!

It’s just so frustrating when it seems no matter what the issue is politicians have to play their games.  They don’t care that lives and livelihoods could be at stake.

How can we get more people in government who care more about something other than just getting reelected?

What say you?

We Done Good Capital Land!

Local Albany area convenience store chain “Stewart’s” broke their record in collecting donations for local children’s charities.

According to the official Stewart’s website the total raised from all their stores was 630,000.  The company will match that amount making the total amount raised for local children’s charities 1 and a quarter million.

We done good Capital land!

They Blew Up the Bridge!

The infamous North Country bridge across Lake Champlain was demolished on Monday. NYDOT closed the bridge in mid October for safety reasons. Monday’s demolition was the first big step toward rebuilding a new one.

Here are two videos of the actual demolition from You Tube. The first one is from a pro news team, the second is raw amateur footage. I included this for their recording of the actual detonation. You can’t see much because of the weather but you get an idea of how the 130 db explosion went off.

Now the real fun begins, cleaning up all the debris from the explosion.

Give a Duck For Christmas

Image by waɪ.tiː via Flickr

How about giving someone a duck for Christmas?  Not your cup of tea? Then perhaps you’d prefer to give someone a goat, or even a pig!

World Vision has a new gift catalog to help a third world family become self sustaining. They’ve taken the proverb “Teach a person to fish and feed them for life” to a whole new level.

Some of their ideas are a bit pricey.  Not a problem!  You can chip in to help buy a family their own donkey or even help a community dig it’s own deep well for a sustainable water supply.

My favorite though has to be the ducks.  They’re great in flood prone areas like Bangladesh where families loose all their livestock after a bad monsoon season.  Not a problem for ducks.  They’ll still be a around to lay lots of eggs and raise lots of ducklings to sell.

A Big Step In The Right Direction!!!

Image via Wikipedia

A new citizens group has formed in Schenectady to recruit new members to the school board.  (HT Daily Gazette)

And as anyone who follows this blog knows

THE SCHENECTADY SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS HELP!!!

So mega kudos to  Schenectady Citizens for Openness in Public Education

(aka SCOPE)

“One of the group’s founders, Marjorie Karowe, said the idea started from a letter to the editor she wrote, seeking a citizens’ coalition to improve the schools. She said the group, which has about 15 members currently, is looking for people who will bring transparency and integrity to the board to improve its “tarnished” reputation.

Karowe said among the issues are the arrest of former facilities director Steven Raucci in September. Raucci faces a 26-count indictment charging him with arson and terrorism for allegedly planting explosive devices at the homes of people he viewed as his enemies. Authorities say the acts were part of a pattern of intimidation. Allegations have been made that Raucci curried favor with school officials to consolidate his power in the district.

“We have to turn around what has been a downhill slide of the perception of the school board,” she said.”

You can tell she’s understating her case to be be diplomatic.  It’s more like a runaway train to perdition, but hey!  Whatever they can do to help is fine with me.

Wonderful Wally World

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Wal-Mart’s been having a tough time in the area as of late. Two town planning boards shot down Wal-Mart from building a Super Center.

Now they’re getting some better luck in nearby North Adams Mass.

It reminds me of what they tried to do in Rotterdam NY several years ago.
They’re going to close an old store an open a new and improved Super Center.

(HT Cs9)

But despite what skeptics are saying Wal-Mart says in the end this new store will be better for the economy with a net increase in jobs. As with the Rotterdam store no one knows what will happen to the old store they plan to close.

That was one of the big sticking points in Rotterdam and why Wal-Mart was kept from building a new Super Center near the busy Five Corners area. They were going to close their existing store on Altamont Ave.

So now thanks to the new North Adams store we’ll see if the Rotterdam Town Board made the right call or if they should give Wal-Mart another chance.

Right now the people in North Adams are holding breath to see if all is truthful at Wonderful Wally World.