There are a myriad of opportunities to receive information and the news. If you are driving in your car, you can listen to traditional radio stations, such as NPR or Fox. In a newer car, you can plug in your smartphone and listen to your playlist via bluetooth or listen to built-in amenities channels, such as SiriusXM or Pandora. If you are carrying a laptop or Ipad, you can tune into legacy television channels, such as CBS or NBC, watch paid channels, such as ESPN or Netflix or hone into social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok or Twitter. Information is being delivered to you whether you are moving or stationary. But who owns these media companies? Who is piloting and directing the news to you and me? The answers were found at Harvard University via The Future of Media: Truth, Privacy, and Power project hosted by the Institute of Quantitative Social Science (IQSS), also at Harvard.

Most people say no or look at you with a blank stare or a shrug. A poem speaks overtly or covertly to you with words and their meaning. The sound in each sentence with its ebb and flow can produce shock and awe or loud guffaws. April is National Poetry Month. The acronym for this month is #NaPoWriMo. There is also a global poetry effort called #GloPoWriMo. Both encourage people to write poetry every day in April. Prompts are distributed on many sites to give you a catalyst to create new work.

The Grammys are scheduled on Sunday April 3 at 8:00pm on the East Coast. Do you care? Although you may think a slap might be around the corner at this award show; I'm sure security will actually exist and be active. Plus I don't really think that is a good reason to watch the show. If you want to lay eyes and get familiar with some of the musicians that your children listen to, then watch the show with them. All of your questions will annoy them which might make that a fun time for you. Otherwise, listed below are some fun alternatives for you to accomplish with your friends and family members.

Well, I am sure you all have witnessed or reviewed the slap heard around the world at the recent Academy Awards® show. I did not watch it live, I have watched the clips. In case you missed it, Chris Rock delivered an ill conceived joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith. She squirmed, rolled her eyes and looked at her husband. Will Smith left his seat next to his wife in the audience, entered the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock, left the stage and yelled pejoratives. After this agitated and supreme lack of judgment, Will Smith subsequently won the Best Actor award for the movie, King Richard. Will Smith gave a teary eyed acceptance speech about his performance in the film.

Happy Spring! Hopefully the edict from the groundhog is over and I can trade my snow shovel for a garden trowel. In addition to daylight savings time and the rockin' robins, cars will be sharing the road with legal motorcycle riders and illegal all terrain vehicles (ATV) and dirtbikes. There are rules of the road and wearing a helmet in New York is the law. Albany, New York has been besieged with illegal operation of ATVs and dirt bikes on the city streets. They are weaving in and out of traffic and increasing the noise pollution with modified engines and mufflers. This is obviously dangerous and upsetting. These droves of illegal riders were taunting one of the local fire departments in the Arbor Hill neighborhood. These riders are mostly under the age of 16 and as an operator of a dirt bike or ATV are not required to have a driver's license.https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/atvs-information-owners-and-operators There is now a tip line in the City of Albany (518) 462-1818 to report this illegal activity.

It seems that double parking is a new activity for plenty of people with cars in Albany, New York. I understand that some people do not want to pay for parking and they do not want to look for parking. They can't find coins, don’t have or choose to use their credit card to pay for parking. They might be driving a friend's vehicle and the driver doesn’t know the license plate. If it is during the week and prior to 4:00pm, some streets are chock full of parked cars because of the State workers and residential parking permits. Which means you may have to walk a couple of blocks to find a parking space and get back to your car. You would rather skip the exercise and double park; while you wait for your friend or family member to return to your vehicle. Their loved one is just to be gone for a couple of minutes, therefore, double parking to patronize a business is not a big deal. It is a huge deal!

The 2022 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Awards show, better known as the Oscars, will be in person and televised on Sunday March 27th at 8:00pm. Which is daylight savings time on the east coast. It will be another festive event for the Hollywood elite to congratulate each other for films: that most citizens could not attend in a movie theater because of the pandemic, can not stream because they are not yet available, did not stream because they are not interested or do not care to ever watch these films. To add insult to the fans after the televised drive-thru version of the 2021 Academy Awards, some categories will not be televised live this year. https://tvline.com/2022/02/22/oscars-categories-not-live-taped-awards-list/

It's 2022 and I think it's time to review the numbers of people who voted in the November 2021 Mayoral race in Albany, New York. Plenty of people gripe about the city, the politics, city services, the look and the lame aspects of Albany. A review of the statistics are in order, so we can decide to definitively blame your neighbor or the person in the mirror. Let's start with the United States Census that was conducted in 2020. The population of Albany has increased to 99,224 from 97,856 in 2010. While we are still below the 100,000 threshold, at least we are moving in the right direction.https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/albanycitynewyork,albanycountynewyork/PST045221.

What have we learned in the last two years or the last week about dying? The answer is that it can happen at any time, to any human being or pet. It can be an instantaneous catastrophic life ending event or it can be a slow debilitating disease that is witnessed by your family and friends. Human beings do not want to talk about death because they most likely believe that communicating about death impacts their mortality. Individuals think that dealing with death will hasten the end of their own lives. You may have a religious belief system, spirituality or be an atheist, but we are all going to leave this earth. How we leave is to be determined, but you probably have stuff, also known as an estate to leave to someone. You might have cash, stocks, bonds, pictures, social media pages, websites, pets, children and businesses to contend with. Do you have an end of life plan? I am not a lawyer, financial advisor or estate planner, but I have experienced the death of a loved one, planned their specific funeral, worked at a cemetery, assisted clients in purchasing a cremation space or cemetery plot and planning a service for their loved one. It is an overwhelming and daunting task that has to be completed.

Anyone that has traveled on an interstate in a vehicle has visited a rest area. When nature calls or the gas tank has needs, a rest stop is a welcomed destination. Most of them are immediately located off of your interstate highway of choice. Depending on the time of day or night, the parking lot will be laden with a myriad of trucks and their sleeping drivers. They are resting before awakening to deliver the cargo that we need, want or desire. Recreation vehicles, cars and suvs with and without trailers are constantly entering and exiting the premises. Individuals are unloading pets, kids and refuse to use the facility. Depending on the state, some of the rest areas have welcome centers with personnel to provide travelers tourism information. Some of these states monitor the rest areas with law enforcement 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a long standing traveler of the Interstate 95 corridor and various other interstate highways on the East Coast, I have visited plenty of rest areas/rest stops. I'm defining a rest area as a building with restrooms for all genders, a family room and vending machines. There might be an area or space designated as the welcome center. Rest areas in Maryland and New Jersey for example incorporate gas stations and chain restaurants as part of their rest areas.

Most of us live on social media and your age doesn't really matter. Social media provides communication for free to friends and family in close proximity or across the globe. It is entertainment for all of us via kids, cats, hair, politics or hacks. Time advances while we have gone down endless rabbit holes, mostly laughing all the way. Social media provides information. Photos, video, direct messages, instant messages that live forever or disappear from the platform; social media is a key element in our lives. It provides instant information for a friend or foe, if they follow you. If not, you can troll and find out if the person's page is open for public consumption or destruction. Depending on your seat in the spectrum, access to this information can be hurtful and upsetting.

I forgot it was Valentine's day yesterday. They played three sappy love songs on the radio and said Happy Valentine's day to everyone. I loudly said a few expletives in the car and headed to Target. I haven't been in the store in a very long time. The store and the bathroom was the usual, well lit and clean. I got a cart and wended my way around the store. They had plenty of displays of flowers, candy and gifts in the front of the store. I opted to still traipse through the store. I got a card that was less than $3.99! I believe in the sentiment, but should a cardstock card cost more than a gallon of gas, uh no. I scanned through the aisles and saw some Valentine's day candy already discounted. I was very excited and headed towards that end cap. I had taken maybe three steps and a gentleman appeared and started loading up his cart. I was mildly annoyed, but he must have had plenty of love at his house because he bought all the discounted candy that was left. I figured that must be a sign for me to double check the rest of the aisles. All of the other Valentine's bargain items including candy were all gone. I stood in the checkout line and watched all of the discounted candy that I missed putting in my cart. I decided to go check another great place for discounted candy, CVS Pharmacy and Shoprite. I have my eyes on a few bags of candy. I am making room in the freezer for more discounted candy which I’m buying tomorrow.

We will have six more weeks of winter according to the scraggly groundhog. Many of us across the country have had a ton of actual snow or too many inches of sleet and freezing rain with or instead of snow. We are already sick of shoveling and ice picking; buying and tossing salt or other deicing solutions on our driveways and sidewalks. Loud applause to the public and private Plow people in keeping our streets safe. You need a raise.

We are in the Great Resignation during a pandemic. People across the United States are jobless for various reasons. Mostly in many traditional industries, such as retail, manufacturing and hospitality. Apparently, there is a semi-new business in the Capital District that is flush with employees. This trade is panhandling. Panhandlers, solicitors and beggars are their titles. Normally, you would see and experience begging in person on the city streets. This industry like others has pivoted and now you will experience it in your car, at an exit or high traffic area.

It's day one of Black History Month and I’m already wondering what company or celebrity is going to win the panderpalooza prize. In spite of that negative thought, let's start this month with positive vibes. Let's finally find a real way to bridge the chasms of division and have a conversation with your people about other people. It starts with you.

Thankfully, the Capital District did not get the snow bomb that engulfed the East Coast and landed on Boston. We did get at least three inches of snow. My expectations were that the side roads would be slushy, but main thoroughfares would be plowed and passable. I was wrong. Interstate 787, Interstate 90, Hackett Boulevard were slushy, barely plowed with some sand salt mixture. I was on these roads mid morning. I can only imagine how dangerous they were for the second and third shift of people driving to and from work and home. I understand that we are in a pandemic and are also in the midst of the Great Resignation, but it's freaking winter! Was it because we weren't slated to receive two feet of snow that the city and county Department of General Services and state Department of Transportation snowplow people got to sleep in late?

Actress Evan Rachel Wood has put her private romantic relationship with Brian Warner who goes by the stage name of Marilyn Manson on blast in the explosive documentary Phoenix Rising. This documentary was filmed in two parts. Part I: Don’t Fall debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary will appear in its entirety on HBO later this year.

I have lived in Albany since the 1990's. The skyline of any city brands itself into your psyche. Once you move to Albany, you definitely ask questions about Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower, The Capital and The Egg. They are architecturally different from the rest of the buildings in the City of Albany. The view is linear on your horizon's eye and situated next to each other. They are a catalyst for asking questions about the history of Albany. You will receive the answers proudly or bashfully. Once your skyline focus is removed from the Plaza, you will see the spires from various religious institutions, MVP Arena, bridges across the Hudson River and Nipper the dog.

I just read that more apartments are for rent in downtown Albany. The address for these newly converted apartments is 90 State Street. This former savings bank building is at the corner of State Street and South Pearl Street. It is an art deco structure originally built in the 1930's and it is gorgeous. The whole building is not being converted, but fourteen new apartments will be available for rent on eleven floors. These brand new luxury rentals will be called Abraxas Apartments.https://www.abraxasat90state.com/about/

The fundraiser for local theaters in the 518 area code is officially over. It was a success! The brainchild of Andy O'Rourke, an actor who aspires to own his own theater company is ecstatic. Andy admits that the process was a lot harder than he expected, but he is glad that he was able to help his theater colleagues. With the assistance of family, friends, local media and social media the fundraiser gained awareness and people started to purchase and donate.