The Alfred E. Smith Building, known officially as the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building and sometimes called simply the Smith Building, is a structure located in downtown Albany, New York across the street from the New York State Capitol and One Commerce Plaza.
The building’s namesake, Alfred Emmanuel Smith, was a four-term governor of New York and the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 1928 presidential election. The Art Deco skyscraper has 34 stories and at 388 feet (118 m) is Albany’s second tallest structure (after the Erastus Corning Tower).
Completed in 1928, it houses offices of the New York State government. Built originally with an observation deck on the 31st floor, the 350-foot-high (110 m) open-air deck was closed in 1976 when the 589-foot-tall (180 m) 42nd floor enclosed Corning Tower Observation Deck was opened. An extensive renovation of the building began in 2002. This modernization, which cost at least $103 million, is now finished.
Good evening! Currently partly clear and 38 degrees with a 8 mph northwest wind. The wind chill value is currently 32. Not unusually cold for this time of year but we’ve forgotten in recent days what is normal for this time of year.
Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. That’s about 6 degrees above normal. The record low of -12 degrees was set back in 1948.
Tonight will have 12 hours and 11 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over last night. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:09 am with the first light at 5:41 am, which is 1 minutes and 43 seconds earlier then today.
Earlier tonight we had a Waxing Cresent Moon with 19% illuminated. It set around 8:19 pm. It was a pretty little sucker tonight. Tomorrow the moon will be up until 9:09 pm. The First Quarter Moon is next Friday and the March’s Full Worm Moon is on March 22nd.
Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. That’s about 17 degrees above normal. The record high of 69 degrees was set back in 2012.
The average high in four weeks on Saturday April 9th is 55 degrees, and the record for that date is 88 degrees was set back in 1929.
Feeling a little under the weather with allergies this evening. Heading to bed early then may head out to Schoharie County tomorrow for camping and hiking depending how I feel in the morning.
Already set my clocks back and hours and are in bed ready to go to sleep shortly. To get a jump on the day tomorrow, I’ve set my alarm clock for 6 AM. Figure it’s good to get into the habit of early rising before Monday. Plus if I decide on camping, I want to get an early start.
I hope you had a good week. The weekend is here. Relax. And sleep well!
Good evening ! Currently 37 degrees and overcast with a 3 mph north wind. The wind chill value is currently 35.
Tonight look for snow before 3am, then snow and sleet likely between 3am and 4am, then periods of sleet after 4am. Low around 31. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Careful out there, it could get quite icy.
Tonight will have 13 hours of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 49 seconds over last night.
If you can see the moon through the clouds, we will have a Waining Gibbous Moon with 93% illuminated. It will rise at 6:28 pm. The Last Quarter Moon is next Tuesday and the New Moon is on March 9th.
It looks like we will have a very nice weekend on tap. Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Saturday Night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 45.
One day closer to the weekend. That’s a good thing. Tomorrow is going sloppy commute to work. But we will see.
I hope your Tuesday is going well. Have a great evening!
Good evening on this Tuesday after Presidents Day. Currently partly cloudy and 53 degrees in Albany. It has cleared out since the heavy rain that melted away this morning’s snow and ice.
Tonight we have a Waxing Gibbous Moon with 59% illuminated, setting around 1 AM. At times look for rain showers, possibly mixing with snow after 10pm, then gradually ending. Low around 30. West wind 6 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
In four weeks on March 15 the sun will be setting at 7:02 pm, which is 34 minutes later then today. That’s Daylight Savings Time. There are 4 months, 2 days until Go Fishing Day. when the sun will be setting at 8:36 pm.
Very little traffic on the way home on the 787, because a lot of state workers take this week off and school is not in session. I expect to get home fairly early tonight.
Been studying up on HDTV tuners and over the air antennas, but I still don’t know if I want television in my home. I know it will work with my monitor as I confirmed it has HDCP. I’m a bit worried that the tuner won’t last because while many of the reviews are good, some aren’t. At worse I guess I’m out $30. I know Staples has free recycling of e-waste but I don’t want to buy garbage. But there isn’t much better on the Internet. Likewise, I still aren’t sure I want TV in my home, even if I only plan to watch it rarely. I can leave the monitor off to save energy and only use the sound. It’s just a lot to think about.
Good evening. Currently mostly cloudy and 32 degrees in Albany.
Tonight we have a Waxing Cresent Moon with 19% illuminated. Look west, it’s quite a pretty little sliver. It will set at 7:51 pm. Full moon on February 22nd.
Tonight we will have a chance of snow showers, mainly before 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
In four weeks on March 9 the sun will be setting at 5:55 pm, which is 35 minutes later then tonight. There are 4 months, 6 days until Fresh Veggies Day. when the sun will be setting at 8:35 pm. Fresh veggies at the farmers market are something I really enjoy, along with those late sunsets.
Went out to City Beer Hall for one beer for the Albany County Young Democrats’ monthly happy hour. It was nice and I would have stayed for another drink but I was out of cash. I never got around to the ATM and was trying to save some money at any rate, because despite getting paid today, finances look tight due to an unexpected payment I had to make.
I was annoyed to discover that National Grid stopped my auto-pay and I owe them two months back pay and three dollars in interest. It’s paid now but it should have never happened in the first place. Their website is awful clunky, and was slow. The first try, it defaulted to an old bank account then the site wouldn’t reload. I finally paid it off with the right account, and I’m waiting for the money to clear, so I can be in good standing to be reinstated for auto-pay for the next eight years. My finances are so stressed and this isn’t helping it much at all. It was so damn frustrating.
Eventually when I move out of the city, I’m going to forgo grid electricity in favor of a low electricity lifestyle from solar cells, batteries, and a gas generator. Concrete floors, a wood stove and propane instant hot water heater, as I don’t need or want all that fancy obnoxious technology all the obnoxious suburbanite kids have now. I’d rather have land and no neat neighbors then a fancy suburbanite home.
Probably heading down to the library in a bit once I get home and have some dinner. I have some updates I’m working on for the blog. Maybe I should start doing my taxes too. We will see. I like being lazy and staying home but there are limits on what I can do with my Smartphone or non-wifi laptop.
Good morning! What day is it? Hump Day, of course. Currently we have light snow fog/mist and 30 degrees in Albany. The sun is peaking out of the heavy clouds giving some pretty light filtering down on the recently fallen snow.
Today will have snow showers likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 36. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunset will be at 5:20 pm with twilight at 5:49 pm which is one minute and 19 seconds later then yesterday. Tonight will be a chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 21. West wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
There are 3 months, 27 days until Best Friends Day. This means you have lots of time in the meantime to practice being a best friend.
Nine years ago today, Senator Barack Hussain Obama announced he was going to run for president. Often seen as a long shot, he won the Iowa Caucus about 10 months later and would be quickly cast on the national scene as our first black president during the worst recession of a generation. He would go on to serve two terms and pass a major health care reform law.
It seems like that is all recent history, but time sure goes by quickly. A year from now will have been a decade since graduating from college. I guess when you catch a bus downtown every day and go to work, time goes by quickly. Those 31 years and 11 months until retirement will come quickly.
The weekend looks to be frigid. No camping for me despite the long weekend. Thinking about going to the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show on Saturday but only if the roads don’t look icy. I don’t know what the weather will be for the weekend as relates to lake effect, but I haven’t driven on icy roads in nearly a decade, so I’m not interested in learning.
Good evening. Currently there is light snow coming down and 30 degrees in Albany. The roads are wet and salt covered.
Tonight will continue to have snow likely, picking up after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
In four weeks on March 8 the sun will be setting at 5:54 pm, which is 35 minutes later then today. There are 20 days until Leap Day. when the sun will be setting at 5:44 pm.
I’m pretty tired this evening. Still recovering from the cold I’ve had but it’s hardly been a severe cold. I will rest up tonight.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Light snow is coming down and it’s 25 degrees in Albany. Today will be cloudy, with a high near 33. Southeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Kind of a sloppy morning with the inch of wet snow around from last night’s snow squalls. Treated surfaces are just wet and the sidewalks are plowed but some places like my driveway aren’t real clear. I wore my hunting boots to work. I’m hopeful the warm temperatures will melt the snow, so I won’t have to clean off my car for the weekend.
Sunset will be at 5:19 pm with twilight at 5:48 pm which is one minute and 19 seconds later then yesterday. Tonight we will have a chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 25. South wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
There are 20 days until Leap Day. They extend Presidential Election years just to make our lives more miserable. They should move leap day to more pleasant month of the year.
Today in 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy announced that the United States Department of State was full of communists. Despite what contemporary Republicans are claiming, Mr. McCarthy was not referring to Hillary Clinton. It is certainly interesting on how history has turned on Joe McCarthy.