Are we in the same town or what?!?

spam deleted. Thanks! 'here's to your health!' Was reading on plans to expand and revitalize Cohoes as apparently city got 20 million dollars. In agenda mentions how businesses and high income housing are coming. Apparently poverty level here is 17%. 30% of which are in the 18-34 age range. 22% of the population doesn't work. 6% unemployment rate. Hmm. Let's get real shall we? If you lived down town like I do, off Remsen and Columbia sts., you would say 30% of the people here are doing nothing all the time. Smoking regular and funny cigs,coming home with 12 packs of beer and so on. SOS different day. Dead end lives. Why? Are they a generation of druggies, throwaways and slackers? No I say. Many are uneducated, left school in junior year of highschool as didn't like it and felt didn't need it. Several in Cohoes are elderly so retired. Others have disabilities or other problems that prevent or impede them from workinglike mental illness. Drug addiction, mental, physical illness and alcoholism are real issues here too. There are the working poor also who work at Mohawk factory and Burger King. Many are in fast food service industry. Choices are slim and they certainly aren't going to the music hall for $25 a ticket. They don't eat out, do shop at thrift and watch every penny. They like me live in subsidized substandard housing and have to take what get. For us Cohoes is not a land of opportunity and rainbows but a grim reality of struggle like for many in this country. If being an 'All American town' means seeing streets filled with empty store fronts,abandoned and condemned apartment buildings, broken, littered, crap-filled side walks and roads,then yes Cohoes is certainly America, now. I do not find it a city that cares at all. It is an island full of selfish individuals with their own greedy agendas. The poor get poorer and the well off and comfortable get more so. The two don't run in the same circles. For some here, Cohoes is a great place to buy another bar as yes many here like to drink and get drunk. It is harder though to sell clothes, jewelry or art here. Many spend $5 at Walmart on necklace from China. It is not hand made by an artist. Clothes there are not of the same caliber as a fine clothing store. People in Cohoes don't pay for nice clothes here but buy cheap from Family Dollar for the most part so is hard to attract nice businesses here. The demographic is not good. I know as am an artist who paints, makes jewelry and I have a hard time selling people here anything unless it's cheap!I guess by attracting people with some money, good jobs, offering them pretty, pricy housing, someone will drop some cash to pay for some nice shoes in that imaginary store that is allegedly coming. Provided you can entice that store to come to a town with so many social ills, at all! By gentrifying certain areas of Cohoes, the powers that be here, are keeping or tossing the poor out. Supposedly want to attract some artists and the arts but us artists are notoriously odd outsiders and struggle financially for our art. A contradiction if there ever was one. Am here and noone helps promote me or my work, especially Choose Cohoes for Art or the Foundry which allegedly is their job. They support who like and deem worthy of attention. Nuts when art is subjective. America was built on diversity of people, nationalities, religions sexes and viewpoints. Sadly small cities like Cohoes are not open to new energy and people with different view points than theirs. Instead they find it off putting and threatening. Like minds stick together sadly. Mention have places of entertainment. Hmm..I see some seedy bars, overpriced restaurants is all. I watch cable and dvds with my dog. I get take out and buy online at Amazon prime, where what want is shipped free! I find it very isolating here. I am on disability and over 50. I do not see those like me mentioned in your article. You are buildings park for seniors when looks fine around senior center and housing. Want to help seniors, disabled? Use some of that funding for us! No activities at senior center. Can't afford community center. People in senior housing keep to selves to avoid the BS if smart. Gossips abound. Offer tickets to music hall at discount,and the same at local restaurants so all can share in your good fortune or rather 20 million got that is ours. Try helping all and not those who don't need help. You all have jobs, good ones, are young or able bodied. Try looking at things from a different perspective. Want to help vets? Provide housing not a memorial. One have is fine, as per chat with Vietnam vet Bill Eagan who lives n Cohoes. In the mean time, despite your efforts for change, I do not see any, not for the long hall. Try being transparent. I just found your plans under Cohoes economy. In my humble opinion, I think it stinks. Why don't you welcome fresh blood to your town meetings and try listening to them instead of shutting them up? Cohoes proud huh? I'm not proud to exist and sleep here at all. Is boring and lacks any spark. Would leave if could afford to. Sadly no promise next apt., town any better as I am limited due to income. Good luck trying to get people with money in Cohoes. Most people I know who are well off, are afraid to come here. Crime down 40%? Interesting. I don't feel safe walking alone at night here. I don't know what strange brew you all are drinking at Spindles but from where I sit, things look pretty bad and not as hopeful as you paint with your rosey pen. Many of you all plop butts in cars so don't know what it's like to be a female walking down the street here. I get hit up for money for example often. Many drunk or high or mental. Crap on sidewalks from people not picking up after their dogs. Pride in where live huh? Many here take no pride in selves, let alone where live! I don't know as said what city you are talking about but it'not the one I've been living in for the past three years. For each biz that came, one went out. Keep bringing up bakery as is all that has come here with help from micro loan. Of courses she sings your praises. Most living downtown don't go there as too expensive. Be careful when your cleansing Cohoes of the riff raff and blight so you can get who want here that you don't lose some of the charm of Cohoes. It has always been full of blue collar workers struggling for a better life for themselves and their families. Bring in some business, jobs and better housing but don't send the rest of us packing in the process!

Latest Cairo,NY news....Police chief arrested for..

No spam. Thanks! Thanks Chris. Just what this little messed up town needed. Isn't it bad enough that it is known as a drug town with it's junkies and dealers?! Also is the armpit ogf Greene county with it's high unemployment,lack of job opportunities,uneducated citizens just lounging in front of the tv on the government dole all day. How disgraceful. Tons of slumlords too as have reported. This used to be a nice area where tourists used to vacation in the day if you can even imagine it. You can't now as businesses don't even want to open their doors here as noone buys anything from them except drugs,cigarettes,liquor. Now if you wanted to open a pot stand and sell your plants in your yard,this would be the town for you! If you are looking to come some place to eat or vacation,skip Cairo is all can say. Even with new library,they took out a million dollar loan for with money didn't have and the new expensive hannaford coming,sorry but true. SOO glad to be gone from here as yeh used to exist here.

First the Blizzard, the Car Crash and then Bubonic Pl;ague..

While I appreciate your comments to my posts, I would ask firstly that they pertain to topic and are not spam in nature. Thanks!
We got a lot of snow here in the Catskills of upstate NY as yo may know. Our car crashed off the road in deep snow and was damaged and then I got real sick and now am better,thankfully.

Entrecard BUZZ...

Mama Asid's (Bad Gals Radio and Entrepod and Recycled Frockery aka) Advice for Entrecard..Click link to read more Wake up Entrecard beforeit's too late and you lose the rest of the remaining loyal members still here but frankly like myself disgusted!

Entrecard, Where the H#$@ are YOU?

There are many things I find annoying about Entrecard and the internet in general but I would have to say that trying to find some idiots' Entrecards on their lame blogs, has to be the most aggravating of all. Lately I have to sift through about 10 agitize blogs who are also on Entrecard so is really confusing. Many popular blogs have no visible entrecard on them. Not sure how they get drops or are popular then. Maybe it's a secret club I need to join to find out.

Well..from now on I got news for you. If I can't find your entrecard at the beginning of your page,not necessarily above the fold. I am gone! You'd be wise to do the same..ugh.

Entrecard ..'0ops you did it again' ..

you played with my heart..should be the theme song (you go Britney!), of this doomed company, me thinks and so do many if you read some posts about Entrecard, on the net. Ziprunner, like Graham langdon, sure knows how to piss people off! Maybe that is their strategy to create buzz?! dunno,don't care!

The latest screwy thing this company has done is to drop credits to blog owners when people drop on them so they get no credit to supposedly save Entrecard some money. How bogus! Why bother? What's in it for blog owners who are loyal to the company is the question..? Why don't they sell ad space to make money for their company like others have done? Supposedly they banned paid ads and paid credits and now I see them again. They say one thing and do another.

I stay and drop some,not alot as I have a life and i think the mad droppers are credited and their content sucks. Why not just write something worth while and share it on mutual blogs? Oh and have a real job that pays or make your money in the real world by designing something or being an artist or something.For many (Man this company blows.) Entrecard is becoming quickly a bitter pill that they don't really need to swallow at all!

thanks for commenting on my blog. I get annoyed by the fact that i have remained loyal even with the paid ads controversy and even participated in the 'marketplace' to my loss as i added art work there which sold for peanuts as 1000 ecs is but a buck ,not the $10. i thought! ugh. It seems is what graham does as an entrepreneur. Start companies and sell em when they are worth something.. This new company is an invester,kind of like a venture capitalist. I like the ads with the ecs if nothing else as not like i make any money from it as people stay but 10 secs. for the most part despite the last contest of sorts i did which was to credit frequent visitors and droppers by running ads on their sites along wiht the usual free link they get thru 'top droppers'. I really want buyers and loyal readers but loyalty is rare both in life and on the net,sadly, so money still eludes me although i have managed to do some reviewing for free product in exchange like'Ecocanteen' and their stainless steel eco-friendly bottles. This is a win, WIN strategy both for advertiser and blogger, I think. thanks again and good day! -ANN

Brain Injury and YOU!

my article post on 'Open Salon', a writer's blog network, on brain injury, 'Brain Injury & You!'was one of the editor's picks, today! I was happy about this recognition of my writing and was glad I could share my own personal experience with brain injury as a survivor to raise awareness.

Perhaps, this small gift today was what I needed as my life has been less than ok lately to be honest here if i may! I guess I could use some good news. Why? Well..I am going through a bit of sleep deprivation lately as two of my 4 cats have been fighting at night, keeping me up. Then my other cat regardless gets me up at 6AM sharp by crying from the next room and if I don't get up, he begins to scratch the furniture like a bratty kid! he knows better guys. I honestly think he does it intentionally. Anyway, I yell both at night and in he morning and in the day these days at these animals and my dog is the 'Peaace Pal' of the house so she gets up barking when she hears the hissing as she has a zero tolerance for b.s. and fighting. I am thinking of leaving them all here and booking a flight to some where. Only one problem, I'm broke! This makes me think of a post for another day on my pet blog'Animals LARGE and small'"What to do when YOUR PETS take over your house!". When i figure it out I'll let you know. Til then I have one of my cats, 'the offender', in the back room for the second time today! He is the new cat who chases my 'shy' but hissy one into another room when she hisses at him and then they fight.

All these different personalities living under one roof is beginning to grate on my nerves. More to share another day. Don't worry guys. i'll be ok. i'm strong. Show me some love. You know what to do! (hint) drop,comment,email,trade links,give me somehing to review,or buy something! thanks!

Is the Links Page Under-rated?!

I think so! It is a good indicator of what businesses one frequents,what interests them,what businesses they recommend,recommended reading in some cases,in my case some of the stores who carry my product so people can contact them before doing business wih me so they can see I am legit. What do you think?!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080530/ap_on_re_as/japan_closet_woman

Check this link out as was the news of today. Talk about odd,finding someone living in your fhome let alone your closet! Man who found her said she was a good tenant as she was homeless. He might want to work something out with her instead of throwing her in jail like what happened. She could perhaps clean his home or something in exchange for a time share arrangement like she is there when he isn't. omg!

http://closertosane.blogspot.com/linkspage.htm