A Red State Update Ad: Legalize Pot In New York State

From RSU: Empire State NORML wants marijuana to be legal in New York State so bad, they give us $120 to make this ad. http://empirestatenorml.com They accept donations! Just like we accepted their $120.



But why stop at weed jokes? Red State Update will make YOUR campaign ad... for only $120! Are you runnin' for somethin? Like a candidate? Hate a candidate? Got $120? You qualify!

Here are the rules:
ONE: $120.
TWO: We'll make a ad for or against anybody runnin for anything. Republican. Democrat. Tea Party. Any asshole. Does not matter. All that matters: $120.
THREE: You don't get no say so. No creative control. No money back. You tell us who you you want the ad to be for or against, give us $120, we'll make ye ad and put it up on the YouTube. There will probably be some cussin' in it. Please specify attack ad, but let's be honest, they pretty much all gonna be attack ads.
FOUR: We don't care who you are, but I think they's some laws that we probably shoulda looked into before we started this, so at the end of the video, it will say Paid For By YOUR NAME And It Cost Them $120.
FIVE: No matter who we make an ad on, no matter what that ad say, it is not an official endorsement by Red State Update. We only care about the $120.
So email us at redstateupdate@gmail.com, tell us who you want us to go after or backhandedly praise, we'll tell you how to get us $120. It's all about Freedom of Speech. And you can buy ours for $120.

Red State Update Will Make Your Ad video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxZBT...

Some Recent Photos

Ommegang

I recently traveled to Cooperstown, NY with Gator to visit Brewery Ommegang.


Ommegang, which began brewing Belgian-style ales in 1997, started up in a purpose-built building based on a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former 136 acre hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, four miles south of Cooperstown, New York in the Town of Middlefield.




After filling some growlers and grabbing some "750's" at the gift shop, we ventured downtown and imbibed at some local establishments. We passed a Chinese restaurant called Foo Kin John. I toyed with the notion of stopping in and demanding a "Foo Kin egg roll", but opted for a burger elsewhere.




Whilst in Cooperstown - "a drinking town with a baseball problem" - we also paid a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.




It was a great trip. I wish that I had more photos, but there were camera issues.
Oh well.

Amsterdam in May

You may have noticed....

.... that posting has been a bit light lately. But fear not-the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
I've been quite busy-or should I say preoccupied?
went to Cooperstown with Gator last weekend. Great time - another post. soon to follow stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Klara!

My German Shepherd Dog, Klara is 10 years old today.
Below is a photo of Klara and her cat Tabby relaxing in the bohemian loft from which this blog originates.

Autumn Approaches Amsterdam

You may have noticed ...

...Blogging has been light, of late, as I've been out of the office.
I've been off to the races, and also logging in some hours at my other office-the Tin & Lint Co. in Saratoga Springs.


This local "gin mill" is reminiscent of The Park City's Golden Star--and I mean that in a good way. The bar is also the site where singer Don McClean wrote that awful song.

That is why I've not been blogging so much.

But fear not! the folks o'er at Conservative Punk have been on the case with coverage of Segway riding chimps and (more importantly) Presidential control of OUR internet.

Off To The Races

July 29, 2009 marks Opening Day at the track celebrating the 146th season of racing in Saratoga, at the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States.
2009 also will mark the 140th running of The Travers Stakes, the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in America.



I will be on assignment, at the track for the duration of the six-week season.

Stay tuned for updates!

ASSJACK

Hank III & Assjack doing a cover the Melvins' song "Joan Of Arc" plus teases of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher", Ministry's "Stigmata", & Slayer's "Raining Blood" in Buffalo, NY on June 21st 2009 at the Town Ballroom.

(another video link here.)

"It’s pretty surprising how the power of music can piss some people off. Growing up the way I had to, and some of the redneck bars I had to play in, they just think it’s complete disrespect to their establishment and to them--you know I can’t make everyone happy and it is what it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s the redneck that gets upset and thinks I’m pissing Hank Williams off, or the young kid that thinks I’m selling out by playing hard rock, which is totally…if I was selling out, I would be doing what a producer tells me and dressing up all pretty and only be doing country music, that’s how to make money. I just stuck with the hard road--that’s what makes us different and unique and gives the wide audience range from 14 to 80 out there…cowboys, punks, metalheads, jocks, grandmas and the average everyday person. We bring them all together under the same roof. That’s what makes us proud. That’s what makes it worth it at the end of the day."

- Hank III, in response to the harsh criticism from Country purists over the Assjack music.

Personally, I like Assjack, but I do prefer the Damn Band and Hellbilly sets.-Ed.

K-9

Today, January 31st, is my dog's birthday. Klara is 9 years old.


So raise a glass everyone.
Although she's of German descent, she seems partial to Hennepin.

One More Day...

... and this campaign is finally over.

Carbonic Beverage - Albany, NY

Drums Along The Mohawk

Just thought I'd mention that...

... it was one year ago on this vary day, that (for good or ill) I made my exodus from the Nutmeg State.

Things have been quiet up here in the Mohawk Valley.There's not much to report right now, other than the 4" of snowfall last Tuesday.
I'm still "freelancing", whilst I seek more stable employment.

Where does the time go?

"Breeze blows leaves of a musty-coloured yellow..."

The Summer has faded and Winter's chill is on the horizon.
It is now officially Autumn.

Autumn is my favorite of the seasons, I love the colours, the crispness in the air, and the harvest.

I'm sure that as the days wear on, I will post more musings on the Fall.It is, to me, a magical time of both hope and melancholia.

Thursday Night SPAC-Down

Well it's off to the S.P.A.C. this evening.
Tonight is Alpine Night and I happened to win tickets from my local talk-radio station.
I've been to the venue a few times in the past for Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers' Band shows.
Tonight will be a bit different, as it's a classical concert, and the rules have been relaxed more than a little.Such being the case, I shall fill my growler at The Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. with some Eye of the Hawk Ale.
I'll also bring my chair and some food.

Chuctanunda Creek

The North Chuctanunda Creek flows through the City of Amsterdam, NY on its way to the Mohawk River.

A dam on Chuctanunda Creek, finished in 1875, allowed the city to become an important manufacturing area, primarily of carpets.

Last month I seized the opportunity to take a guided, educational walk along the Chuctanunda.
Although many of the sights along the way were already familiar to me from walking my dog, I gained a new respect for the rich history of the area after learning the stories behind them.

...and after the tour, I stopped into a tavern built in the '30's and learned even more of the city's colorful past.
It was a great day all around.

The Great Sacandaga Lake

The Great Sacandaga Lake is one of many lakes in New York 's Adirondack region.


The lake is a short drive from my home and a few weeks ago I was fortunate to trek up there with my brother-in-law and niece.


These photos do not do justice to the natural beauty of this area. One must truly experience it to get the full effect.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I recently posted about the Amsterdam Mohawks.
More recently, I went out to the game and snapped a few photos. I wasn't too pleased, overall, with the results, but here are a few pictures that I saw fit to upload.


The Mohawks play in what's been described as a throwback baseball field that sits in the middle of a green park. Some members of the Collegiate league that play there say it's like stepping back in time.

It's a very intimate setting for ball game and everything is reasonably priced.General Admission tickets are $3.00 each (on occasion the local paper will have a coupon for FREE admission!).
The Beer flows freely and a Yuengling (Traditional Lager) 16 oz. draft is $3.oo.There was one night, however, where they played a double header ( a make up game with a 3:30pm start) and they offered "Happy Hour Prices" from 3-5pm ($1 drafts!!!).

These young ladies below are the Amsterdam Zephyrs Dance Team. The Zephyrs are a member of Empire Football League.

"People take pictures of the Summer, Just in case someone thought they had missed it

... and to prove that it really existed."
~Ray Davies


Here's my first photos of the new home.That's my window up there.



There's the yard with my dog and garage.
perhaps someday, I 'll have something to put in the garage, aside from my bicycle.













Here's my cat, Tabby, my dog Klara, and some views of my bohemian loft.
On a good day, I live in a "bohemian loft".
On a bad day, I'm merely " a male, gentile Anne Frank hiding-out in an attic".


It's a cozy little space, and it serves as the nerve center for my blogging duties.

"In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears...
... Do my dreaming and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday" ~Brian Wilson







I humbly admit that these photographs are sub-par to many of those posted recently in the blogs of my comrades, but this is only my first outing, and was accomplished for less than $10 (cost includes disposable camera, developing and photo cd).



There are still some more photos to come, but I'll end this particular post with a shot from my basement bar!
There's plenty of room,so come up and see me sometime.

The Old Ball Game

Those readers that have been with me from the beginning know that I currently reside in Amsterdam, NY. Just a short walk down the road is Shuttleworth Park, home to our local baseball team, the Amsterdam Mohawks. They play in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL).
It's a fun time to be had at a small stadium nestled within a little riverside park where I regularly walk Klara, my German Shepherd Dog.
Being new to town, and not knowing much about the club, I did a little online research (gee, this internet thingy is great. It might catch on!). My search revealed, among other things, an article which detailed some of the rich and colorful baseball history that the town boasts.
It so happened that the 1942 Yankees had played here against the Amsterdam Rugmakers of the Can-Am League.
Back then Shuttleworth Park was called Mohawk Mills Park.


"In July 1942 the New York Yankees, with DiMaggio, Henrich, Keller, Rizzuto, Gordon, Selkirk, and Rolfe in their lineup, struggled to a 9-5 ten-inning victory over the Rugmakers, but that wasn’t the unusual part of the story."

The story, by David Pietrusza, describes the earliest days of the park and more importantly the terrible fire that all but destroyed it just 8 days before the Yankees were to play, and how the town rallied to restore it in time.



UPDATE: Following the completion of the 2010 season, the Mohawks became a part of the newly founded Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL).