Spitz

ALBANY, N.Y. - Early Monday morning, several dozen joggers ran around a downtown park with newly-inaugurated governor Eliot Spitzer. I was nearby, sleeping off the night before.

That Spitzer would begin his first day in office with a dawn run through a rather-dangerous park in the sleet and rain is entirely appropriate. Spitzer as attorney-general was a quixotic figure, taking on Wall Street and the music industry with zeal. He charged into situations, frequently taking the right position, but often lacking in tact.

Take his appearance on "The Colbert Report" two weeks ago. Appearing on the popular show was a shrewd move, but on television Spitzer came off as being incredibly awkward, a walking Jewish-American stereotype.

But after his run, he showed he can act. Spitzer swooped into the capital, declared the state awoken from a Irving-esque decade of dormancy and signed four executive orders on ethics.

Albany responded. The Natalie Merchant and James Taylor concert in his honor at the newly named Times Union Center sold out. It took me an extra ten minutes to get to work because of the road blocks set up for Eliot's big day.

It seems like we've been counting down to Governor Spitzer's inauguration for ten years. With the event finally here, I find it hard not to be excited that he may actually bring change. The best summary of the mood in this city came from a co-worker, while we standing outside the soon to be open store at the same Spitzer was being sworn in downtown.

"I'm really happy about Spitzer. I voted for him. I really hope he does a good job as governor. I think he can."

New Hoodie Source

ALBANY, N.Y. - His hooded sweatshirt had my area code on it, so I asked him to tell me about it.

Turns out Jesse designed and silk-screened the hoodie at his own design shop, 518Prints. I checked out their Web site after work and it's a pretty professional operation. The difference between this site and others I've encountered is this business is a full-time job.

According to Jesse, who I met near a stack of Nalgene bottles, 518Prints bread and butter is selling merchandise to bands. They make up shirts and hats and mail boxes to different tour stops. This way the band always has a fresh supplies of buttons to sell to new converts, and doesn't have to haul 5,000 shirts from Portland to Seattle.

With the Eggcellent business on hiatus - or at least hibernation - as its founder attends college, this could be my new source for Albany-related T-shirts.

I owe Jesse one. He spent $425 on mountaineering equipment and a really fancy jacket.

Now I just need to coin the next Albany shirt sensation. Perhaps "Spitzer: Bringing Baldness Back" or "I'd Rather Be At X-Gates" shirt.

Our Chinese Representation

ALBANY, N.Y. - Sunday's Times Union features a lengthy profile of successful Democratic candidate for Congress and my former employer Kristen Gillibrand. In it I learned a few interesting tidbits:

She majored in Asian Studies at Dartmouth.

She spent a year abroad in China, and writes decent Chinese.

She visited the home base of the Dalai Lama in India, with her mother.

She wrote a lengthy paper on the religious fervor of Tibetans.

I feel closer to my Congress-woman elect already. Perhaps she can be my new Chinese study partner?