The Stop Work

Its the worst order that you could ever run into. If you dont know what it is, you're lucky. In short its a harsh way of the City of Albany telling you they dont like what you're doing with the property that you pay them huge taxes to own (which is an entirely different subject). Trying to clean out an old house? Maybe re-glaze some windows.....nope, need a permit. The city needs to know what you're doing, who's doing it and then collect a fee for collecting that information.
Of course permitting is very valuable in certain arenas of home improvement and beneficial. Should a Philosophy professor be allowed to install new electrical service, probably not (even though I've seen it done). For reasons of safety and insurance lots of things should be overseen. But the fact that they post these ominous signs with $500 price tags to remove is disheartening. I mean, after all, you're just trying to improve the city on a smaller scale, no?
Maybe instead of dolling out yesses and nos and collecting money for it like old school land barons, the city should act more like a pre-school teacher. A little coddling, hand holding and positive re-enforcement goes along way. It may even encourage others to do a little more around the house.

poor choices

i work in the awesome world of downtown albany, i walk past the same faces on a daily basis and happily exchange pleasantries, its good enough and i have no real problems, until lunch comes around

i leave the office and what am i faced with, female state employees (notice i didnt say workers) wearing white running shoes, they're everywhere and its like the plague, i travel to nyc once in awhile for business and i never see anything like that there, does this happen in other cities? why are the ladies of albany so dead set on sporting super white sneakers all around the streets, i dont see men doing this

im sure the logical explnation is .....well they like to get out and get some exercise, eff that, if anyone exercises properly they sweat.....and wouldnt be coming back to work

high heels arent the required attire for being employed by the state, but for the love of florida, wearing a new pair of brite white keds over top of some taupe pantihose sure isnt cutting it either