Just to prove that the Capital Region is right up there with the big metro areas, I have two amazing stories that appear on page B2 of the Sunday Gazette (nope, it's not online unless you're a subscriber!)Which story do you find more incredible? I think the "African Sex Slave" takes the cake!#1 - "Ballston Spa: Kidnap suspect gang connection a worry for DA" - Wow! There's this guy who has buddies who work in a South Broadway restaurant - they all have ties to MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)- and (s... Read Full Story

Re-set to Monday! This week the world will be buzzing over President Obama's trip to Asia. The price of gold has gone through the roof... but...Which Way The Economy?Just a thought: all the so-called experts and analysts seem to agree that the economy is righting itself and that a few European countries are already "out of recovery"... But all those jobs shed. Are they filled? And the repossessed homes and cars... what happened to the people who once owned them? And how can anyone afford to o... Read Full Story

My buddy, who is always careful about where he goes online and what he downloads, just had to wipe his harddrive clean and reload Windows. The other night he went to download a movie (legally!) and of course when he tried to watch it Windows Media Player popped up an advisory it needed a particular codec to play the file. It asked permission to search & download, but hiding inside whatever that codec was: a nasty little virus that hijacked his browser toward unimaginable porn and warez an... Read Full Story

One of the neat things about living in New York State is the "early dark" that occurs during the holiday season. Just a couple of weeks ago, at 6pm it wasn't dark enough to begin trick or treat, but tonight it was already dark at 5! It makes life a little more cozy and in the city lets the "nightlife" get underway (as opposed to 10pm in the summer... 5 hours difference). On a quiet Sunday evening, it's an excellent opportunity to have a cup of coffee and then go for a walk... Read Full Story

Read Full Story

When attending a press event last week I overheard a reporter talking on her cell phone, telling a colleague (assumption there) "...make sure you delete the files..." and later the same day I passed by a paralegal saying something to the effect of "...make sure you shred the documents..."I'm amazed by the FBI's ability to produce, day after day, damning evidence at the Joe Bruno trial, in the form of emails, memos and documents. They must have one hell of a team of "diggers"!Now imagine if th... Read Full Story

In "New role for the CD?" I wrote: "A generation or two stands between the 33rpm vinyl album with its artwork and liner notes and the digital music CD which is what it is. On Facebook this week Yarah Bravo has been plugging her new CD and mentions she won't be pressing any more hard copies. People who had a copy commented back how glad they were to have an original." I see two great marketing opportunities emerging for artists (like DJ Vadim & Yarah, pictured at left): issue limited editi... Read Full Story

Rainy day! This is the view from the front booth in Spinner's, where I had lunch today.Friday I tied up a lot of loose ends... also cleaned up at the Casino! Nothing like an afternoon of gambling to clear the cobwebs out!Teddy Jimbo has posted both English and Japanese videos of U.S. President Obama's speech on Asian policies, given in Tokyo... Chinese Netizen Questions For Obama During His Visit ...Some folks are commenting about Obama's visit to Asia on MichelleMalkin.com::: In the mood for... Read Full Story

Will Joe Bruno rise again?It wasn't a secret - but they didn't ask and he didn't tell* - that's the common denominator running through the parade of witnesses called to testify so far in the Joe Bruno trial.*er, sometimes he did... Bruno's corruption trial entails allegations that the former NYS Senate Majority Leader intermingled official duties with private business deals. The 80-year old Bruno says he is innocent. The indictment accuses him of improperly receiving $3.2 Million Dollars from... Read Full Story

The General Lee::: Spotted in Brooklyn...Facebook saves a soul...The parents of Balloon Boy Falcon Heene will enter guilty pleas in court Friday as part of a deal to avoid deportation to Japan for his Mom, Mayumi Heene.Mike Tyson brawls with papparazzi in L.A.The 5th Chinese Blogger Conference took place last weekend in rural Lianzhou in the northern part of Guangdong province. There were around 150 participants from China and overseas attendeding. The conference slogan for this year is "Micr... Read Full Story