"Carpool Manifesto": A Treatise on Capital District commuting...

Do this.

Stand near any busy thoroughfare in Albany - Madison, Delaware, New Scotland, the doorway of your mom's bedroom (OH!) - at rush hour, morning or night, and perform the following non-scientific yet highly credible study:  count how many assholes are driving in cars, sometime full-size SUV's, by themselves.  You'll pass the 100-mark in a matter of minutes.  Then, realize that most of these cars are likely going to the same general geographic areas (e.g. the hospitals or colleges, the Plaza, the State campus., horrible Wolf road, etc.).

Finally - ask yourself the following question:  how many fewer cars would there be if these geniuses just rode to these fucking places together?!?

I recently read this article about a proposal to bring more car sharing options (specifically Zipcars) to our area.  While certainly a good idea, I don't think that more cars on our streets is the best answer to address the transportation needs of urban residents.  It only took me a few minutes of researching to find an alternative and, in my opinion, a much more viable one:  a very decent online local commuting resource called iPool2.  It has some awesome features, like "Zip Code Matching" which finds you a carpool based on your zip code, a "Commute Cost Calculator" to help you see just how much money you're pissing away on driving everywhere yourself, plus the "Guaranteed Ride Home" program, which ensures that a user has transportation in the event of an emergency.  (note: "I'm really drunk", doesn't qualify as an emergency to these people.  Oh well.)

Anyway, I think that currently available and overlooked options like the carpool, bus, and vanpool services available through iPool2 should be fully explored before creating any further automobile initiatives (and subsequent traffic congestion) in my city. So check it out.  Or just stop being a pussy and take the goddamn bus.

That's it.  It's Friday - who needs a drink...

Brief Random Thought... Beer or Death? Beer, dumbass!!

B.R.T.#1:

Trying to get to the 'Heart from the corner of Lark & Mad is a fucking suicidal death march and it's goddam annoying.

But they have that awesome happy hour special (the lone reason anyone should ever go there) and free popcorn (ok, reason 1A), so whaddayougonnado.

The Shape of Posts to Come...

Some things I'm going to be writing about soon, in no particular order:

• Albany:  why I love it, and why Troy is better.
• Lark Street:  the "artsy" area, the village in the city.  Really?  So where's the fucking music?
• 518 Food:  the best upscale, casual, pizza, snacks, whatever. Just eat local for crissakes.
• Drinking:  why you should do it at lunch.
• Brewpubs:  close call between the whopping two choices we have here, but it's probably better here (yet I'd rather drink one here).
• Valentines:  you are all we have, so you can never close.
• City Beer Hall:   cool space with good food and great beer, and why I can't bring myself to go there.
• Hudson River Coffee House:  the coolest place you've never been to.

Plus other fun random thoughts on:

• White people
• Black people
• Gay people
• Male people
• Female People
• fucking stupid people
• and so much more!

That's it for now.  I need a(nother) drink.

First post... (or, "Fear and Loathing in the 518")

I concluded a while ago that my life is ruled by liquids.  Like now, I could use a drink.  It's still morning, so it looks like I'll be grabbin' a cup of high test from the best coffee I've had yet in this town (yet, given the opportunity, I'd still rather go here).

Welcome to this new blog.  I'll be writing stuff about living in Albany, (NY, USA...not those other fake Albanys) and also the Capital District in general.

Local music, local culture, local food, local booze; broader subjects too, like sports, religion, relationships, non-local music & booze, your mom, whatever - and how they all relate to the life of a resident of the 518.

Here's a musical example for our first post:  an opinion of the music scene in Albany, through the eyes of a local hardcore punk band.

Danger Field - "Oh, Albany"

This is our first post, just testing the waters here so I'll keep it brief.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading.  I need a drink.