This story teaser is killing me. According to Steve Barnes over at my favorite Times Union blog, Table Hopping, an Albany nightclub owner is in big trouble. I've heard so many stories about illegal behaviors by owners of local hotspots, I can't help but wonder who it is- although I definitely know of a few who it isn't. This narrows down the choices to a handful of well-known individuals I can think of, and I'm dying to see who the TU got the dish on.
There is also a very off chance that it may involve someone whom I dated personally in the past- not a nightclub owner, but someone who is currently having shady dealings with one- so it's exciting, in a sort of fucked-up voyeuristic way. Times Union just totally sold me on the Sunday paper with that one.
In other news, I have not been updating a lot because of holidays/work/school/laziness. This will change, although I throwing out any commitment to regular posts here. I *will* have a review of Wolf's 1-11 up over the weekend at the latest, but beyond that, I may post twice in one day and not post again for a couple of weeks, so please bear with me. Life can sometimes get in the way of this whole blogging thing, so while I'm still dedicated, I'm just not comfortable to committing to anything regular. Thank you for bearing with me.
If I Never Blog Again After Christmas.. Now You'll All Know Why
A little while ago I was shopping for myself Christmas at a fairly major chain store, and I saw the greatest gift for my nephew ever: a matchbox cars kit where the towers fell down 9-11 style with a bunch of noise and you could shoot cars off a ramp into the open mouth of the included Tyrannosaurus Rex.
I was patting myself on the back all the way to the register and out to the car, picturing how I would be the coolest aunt ever this Christmas for getting the two things little hellions boys like most in one kit: dinosaurs and cars.
A little later, as I was pulling my purchase out of the car, my thoughts turned to something else: the fact that my sister's house is absolutely immaculate with lots of breakables around it.
I looked down at my purchase, and thought about my nephew and his friends flinging little metal cars from the launcher all over the place: into the T-Rex's mouth, into the walls, into the picture frames, at the lamps...
Then I thought about what my sister would think of this cool gift as a parent.
My throat began to tighten.
I had now gone from picturing myself as aunt of the year to having my sister's hands wrapped around my neck as she strangled me for giving my nephew what she will no doubt view as a slingshot for little metal objects.
And now I am afraid. Very afraid.
It's okay, Jordan, you can thank Aunt Erin for the awesome present on Christmas.
That is, if I'm alive after your mother is done strangling me.
I was patting myself on the back all the way to the register and out to the car, picturing how I would be the coolest aunt
A little later, as I was pulling my purchase out of the car, my thoughts turned to something else: the fact that my sister's house is absolutely immaculate with lots of breakables around it.
I looked down at my purchase, and thought about my nephew and his friends flinging little metal cars from the launcher all over the place: into the T-Rex's mouth, into the walls, into the picture frames, at the lamps...
Then I thought about what my sister would think of this cool gift as a parent.
My throat began to tighten.
I had now gone from picturing myself as aunt of the year to having my sister's hands wrapped around my neck as she strangled me for giving my nephew what she will no doubt view as a slingshot for little metal objects.
And now I am afraid. Very afraid.
It's okay, Jordan, you can thank Aunt Erin for the awesome present on Christmas.
That is, if I'm alive after your mother is done strangling me.
Tis the season.. for charity!
I know I haven't updated in a while, and I'm going to keep this brief as I'm under the weather today, but I wanted to take time to point out a charity that I hold very near and dear to my heart: Child's Play.
I like to play video games. For me, it's nothing more than a hobby. But to kids in hospitals, facing a bevy of ailments some of us couldn't even begin to imagine, playing with video games and toys is more than that: it's a chance for them to have some fun, to forget about where they are or what they are facing for a short period of time, and most importantly, something to make them smile when they need it the most. Child's Play furnishes children's hospitals across the world with gaming systems, games, coloring books, DVDS, toys, and much more.
I would ask readers to please join me in donating to Child's Play this holiday season. Two of the hospitals that Child's Play supports are within 2 hours of Albany. You can choose a variety of ways to donate- by mail, through Paypal, by e-bay auction, or buy an item from a hospital's Amazon wishlist to be directly shipped to that hospital. You truly can make the holiday special for many children who cannot be at home this year with just one simple donation to this foundation.
I like to play video games. For me, it's nothing more than a hobby. But to kids in hospitals, facing a bevy of ailments some of us couldn't even begin to imagine, playing with video games and toys is more than that: it's a chance for them to have some fun, to forget about where they are or what they are facing for a short period of time, and most importantly, something to make them smile when they need it the most. Child's Play furnishes children's hospitals across the world with gaming systems, games, coloring books, DVDS, toys, and much more.
I would ask readers to please join me in donating to Child's Play this holiday season. Two of the hospitals that Child's Play supports are within 2 hours of Albany. You can choose a variety of ways to donate- by mail, through Paypal, by e-bay auction, or buy an item from a hospital's Amazon wishlist to be directly shipped to that hospital. You truly can make the holiday special for many children who cannot be at home this year with just one simple donation to this foundation.
Vienna Cafe Cake
This cake is pretty much the best fucking cake ever. It's from a 1982 issue of Women's Day magazine that my mother had stashed, and it's my favorite cake to have.. although if I recall correctly, it's around 400 calories a slice, so moderation is good. Along the same lines, this is best if eaten the same day as it is made, as the coffee whipped cream does NOT hold well overnight.. making it the perfect cake for a larger gathering.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
sliced almonds, for garnish
Directions
1. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round pans; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Place flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and mix well; set aside.
4. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture alternately with milk just until blended.
5Divide batter into prepared pans.
6. Adjust racks to divide oven in thirds; stagger pans on racks. Bake, rotating pans once to insure even layers, for 20 to 25 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes; invert cakes on rack; remove pans; turn cakes right side up; cool completely.
8. Make Coffee-Cream frosting: In well chilled bowl beat heavy cream until it starts to thicken; beat in sugar and instant coffee until stiff.
9. Divide frosting evenly to fill between layers and frost top. Garnish with almonds if desired.
10. Serve and enjoy!
*Makes 12 servings.*
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
sliced almonds, for garnish
Directions
1. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round pans; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Place flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and mix well; set aside.
4. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture alternately with milk just until blended.
5Divide batter into prepared pans.
6. Adjust racks to divide oven in thirds; stagger pans on racks. Bake, rotating pans once to insure even layers, for 20 to 25 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes; invert cakes on rack; remove pans; turn cakes right side up; cool completely.
8. Make Coffee-Cream frosting: In well chilled bowl beat heavy cream until it starts to thicken; beat in sugar and instant coffee until stiff.
9. Divide frosting evenly to fill between layers and frost top. Garnish with almonds if desired.
10. Serve and enjoy!
*Makes 12 servings.*
My Grandmother: The Original Wedding Crasher
A couple of months ago, I was driving my grandmother up to Bennington and we were chatting about when she was growing up in Lasingburgh and how she spent the time.
She starts telling me about how in Lansingburgh, they found a lot of ways to entertain themselves. And this conversation starts to get very, very interesting. My grandmother tells me that she and her sister and some of the neighborhood kids used to get all dressed up and go to a bunch of weddings. Nothing terribly unusual there, until I ask her how she got invited to all of these weddings she was telling me about.
Grandma's response was, "Oh, we didn't know anyone at the wedding. We just went whenever we saw there was one going on."
Apparantly, people rarely asked why she was there, and if they did, she would simply reply that she was distant family of the bride or groom. She went for the free food and the dancing, and her mother fully sanctioned it since it got a few of the kids out of the house for a while.
I just sat there, blinking and processing this before I finally opened my mouth again.
"So you were a wedding crasher, Grandma?"
My grandmother smiled and responded with a simple, "Yes."
The more I know of my grandparents, the more astounded I am.
She starts telling me about how in Lansingburgh, they found a lot of ways to entertain themselves. And this conversation starts to get very, very interesting. My grandmother tells me that she and her sister and some of the neighborhood kids used to get all dressed up and go to a bunch of weddings. Nothing terribly unusual there, until I ask her how she got invited to all of these weddings she was telling me about.
Grandma's response was, "Oh, we didn't know anyone at the wedding. We just went whenever we saw there was one going on."
Apparantly, people rarely asked why she was there, and if they did, she would simply reply that she was distant family of the bride or groom. She went for the free food and the dancing, and her mother fully sanctioned it since it got a few of the kids out of the house for a while.
I just sat there, blinking and processing this before I finally opened my mouth again.
"So you were a wedding crasher, Grandma?"
My grandmother smiled and responded with a simple, "Yes."
The more I know of my grandparents, the more astounded I am.
Even Though It's Not Thanksgiving Yet..
I thought I'd post some some good ol' Charlie Brown Christmas for you. Not the ones they've ever shown you on TV though, let me assure you!
I have a few friends who work in advertising, and given what they tell me, this Charlie Brown Christmas video about the perils of advertising seems fairly appropriate. Stolen from Keyboard Krumbs, the man formerly responsible for The Albany Eye:
Also, for those Scrubs fans out there, I present you with the Scrubs rendition:
Enjoy!
I have a few friends who work in advertising, and given what they tell me, this Charlie Brown Christmas video about the perils of advertising seems fairly appropriate. Stolen from Keyboard Krumbs, the man formerly responsible for The Albany Eye:
Also, for those Scrubs fans out there, I present you with the Scrubs rendition:
Enjoy!
Rosemary Potatos
Here is one of the tastiest potato recipes ever, if you are a fan of rosemary:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wash and cut 4-8 russet potatos into thin wedges, about the size of steak fries
3. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat
4. Fry the wedges in the olive oil until medium brown
5. Transfer potatos into a baking dish; drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with rosemary leaves
6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender
7. Serve and enjoy!
Alternately, if you are serving picky guests who do not enjoy chewing something the consistency of pine needles, you can use a rosemary infused olive to still get some of the rosemary flavor in place of the leaves. The taste won't be as potent, but they still come out quite good.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wash and cut 4-8 russet potatos into thin wedges, about the size of steak fries
3. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat
4. Fry the wedges in the olive oil until medium brown
5. Transfer potatos into a baking dish; drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with rosemary leaves
6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender
7. Serve and enjoy!
Alternately, if you are serving picky guests who do not enjoy chewing something the consistency of pine needles, you can use a rosemary infused olive to still get some of the rosemary flavor in place of the leaves. The taste won't be as potent, but they still come out quite good.
A Timeline of Corruption in Albany Thus Far in 2009
- March, 2009: Following a Times Union investigation that broke in 2008, numerous people in holding positions in the city of Albany, including City Treasurer Betty Barnette, and Police Chief James Tuffey, deny having any knowledge of a no-fine parking ticket system in Albany. It is later found out that Barnette lied, and that Tuffey had at one point run the union that was responsible for starting the system. People all over Albany wonder why THEY had to pay their tickets.
- May, 2009- Albany Police Chief Tuffey is discovered to have not completed a basic course for recertifying as a police offer. It is also discovered that, despite not holding a pistol permit, he sometimes carries a gun. Tuffey takes a vacation. Criminals everywhere begin to feel better about packing heat without a permit, because after all, Tuffey does it too.
- June, 2009- New York State Republicans, with the aid of Democratic Senantors Espada and Monserrate, stage a coup temporarily giving Republicans control of the Senate. Confused out of state people ask New Yorkers if guns were involved in the coup, and show visible disappointment when they are told “No.”
- June, 2009- Chief Tuffey returns to work, despite criticism from community leaders questioning whether or not he is above the law. He stacks up all the law books he can find, and determines that he is not.
- August, 2009- The senate reconvenes, with Espada and Monserrate back with the Democrats, who are again in majority. Pretty much everyone in New York is very confused about what the hell happened.
- September, 2009- Chief Tuffey officially steps down amid accusations that he stated to another officer that UAlbany homicide victim Richard Bailey “ wasn’t just some spook that was killed." The Albany Police Union in turn accuses Mayor Jerry Jennings' office of forcing Tuffey out, and of using it block or hold up new contract negotiations with the Union. A ruler is found, and Tuffey and Jennings compare the lengths of their genitalia to determine who is right in the matter- the Police Union Tuffey was a member of, or Jennings’ office. And the results? It's a close one, but we're going to need a photo finish.
Now the REALLY scary part of this is that 2009 isn’t even over…
- May, 2009- Albany Police Chief Tuffey is discovered to have not completed a basic course for recertifying as a police offer. It is also discovered that, despite not holding a pistol permit, he sometimes carries a gun. Tuffey takes a vacation. Criminals everywhere begin to feel better about packing heat without a permit, because after all, Tuffey does it too.
- June, 2009- New York State Republicans, with the aid of Democratic Senantors Espada and Monserrate, stage a coup temporarily giving Republicans control of the Senate. Confused out of state people ask New Yorkers if guns were involved in the coup, and show visible disappointment when they are told “No.”
- June, 2009- Chief Tuffey returns to work, despite criticism from community leaders questioning whether or not he is above the law. He stacks up all the law books he can find, and determines that he is not.
- August, 2009- The senate reconvenes, with Espada and Monserrate back with the Democrats, who are again in majority. Pretty much everyone in New York is very confused about what the hell happened.
- September, 2009- Chief Tuffey officially steps down amid accusations that he stated to another officer that UAlbany homicide victim Richard Bailey “ wasn’t just some spook that was killed." The Albany Police Union in turn accuses Mayor Jerry Jennings' office of forcing Tuffey out, and of using it block or hold up new contract negotiations with the Union. A ruler is found, and Tuffey and Jennings compare the lengths of their genitalia to determine who is right in the matter- the Police Union Tuffey was a member of, or Jennings’ office. And the results? It's a close one, but we're going to need a photo finish.
Now the REALLY scary part of this is that 2009 isn’t even over…
Back on Blogger!
I have decided to come back to blogging again on a more regular basis. My LJs are becoming stale diatribes, which is why I have not updated LJ in forever.
As such, I am bringing back Miss Muffet. Please note that the few old entries from the first inception of Miss Muffet have been moved to my old blog, The Life and Times of an Albany Gal.
You can expect updates here a minimum of once a week, and they will encompass a variety of things: recipes, local events, personal inflections, and maybe even the occasional restaurant/movie review.
Thank you for reading, and please, don't hestitate to post your thoughts in the comments section!
As such, I am bringing back Miss Muffet. Please note that the few old entries from the first inception of Miss Muffet have been moved to my old blog, The Life and Times of an Albany Gal.
You can expect updates here a minimum of once a week, and they will encompass a variety of things: recipes, local events, personal inflections, and maybe even the occasional restaurant/movie review.
Thank you for reading, and please, don't hestitate to post your thoughts in the comments section!
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