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Articles by Mal Harrison
The Divide: Casinos fail to ante up promised revenues
Five years ago, New York voters approved a constitutional amendment to expand casino gambling in the state. The law allowed for up to seven full-scale casinos to be established. Elected officials turned the casino approval vote into proof that they were working on ways to improve the upstate economy. They used the establishment of casinos as an easy out for solving the tough problem of developing long-term solutions to help distressed communities.
Ask M: Low desire, Tinder power struggles, & sex robots
How do I deal with needing more sex than my partner? I don’t know your gender. But I do know high/low desire discrepancies are prevalent in relationships everywhere. It’s hard enough to agree on what color to paint the walls, which sofa to buy, and what your values are around everything from money to dietary choices.
Am I Enough? Comparison In the Age of Perfectionism
In my practice, I’m witnessing an influx of depressed, anxious, insecure, suffering clients from around the globe. In fact, I don’t think there has ever been a time in humanity when humans felt so bad about themselves for being imperfect. Often, I’ve mused that our performance-driven, goal-oriented society of perfectionism is great for consumption but horrible for eroticism, and in fact, horrible for self-esteem and self-worth too. Experts say we have approximately 70,000 thoughts a day.
The Divide: The time has come for paid sick leave in Albany County
The Albany County legislature is considering enacting a local law that would require employers to provide their employees with paid sick days. The proposal, entitled “The Albany County Paid Sick Leave Act” has highlighted the divide between corporate greed and treating employees considerately and humanely.
TMI: Let Cuomo and the legislature haggle over AG, then overrule them in the voting booth
Odds are you heard of former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s various fronts against President Donald Trump before you read The New Yorker story detailing harrowing allegations of physical abuse. Schneiderman brought the fraud case against Trump University and appeared to be positioning his office as a repository for cases against Trump should the president try to escape prosecution with his pardon power. The NYAG can be a very powerful position.
Looking Up: Don't discriminate against rental vouchers
Odds are high that at some point in your life someone has helped you out financially. Perhaps you had parents who helped you with a down payment, or with rent during college. Perhaps you had a roommate who let you be late paying a few bills when times go tough. Perhaps your neighbor loaned you a car when yours broke down. Perhaps friends, church members, or the community rallied around you after a fire, an abusive relationship, or a medical crisis.
Social Intelligence: Combating Counterfeit Connection In A Hyperconnected World
Have you ever tracked how much time you spend per day staring at a screen—phone, computer, or otherwise? For many of us, the hours spent absorbing data and information on the digital highway outnumber the hours spent interacting in real life. Human beings are social creatures who seek connection and crave belonging. We might be digital pals with every person we ever went to high school and college with on Facebook, or have thousands of followers on Instagram, yet people are lonely as ever.
Looking Up: The downside of CDTA’s Navigator card
Not too long ago I wrote a column exhorting more people to consider taking the bus, in which I was super excited about CDTA’s new Navigator card and how it makes bus riding easier. But as the deadline approaches by which the system will transfer over entirely, I’ve realized I have to observe the downside of the shift as well.
Looking Up: First they came for…
A little more than a year ago, I participated in the near-spontaneous airport protests against the Trump administration’s travel ban and its Islamophobic roots. One of the more inspiring signs/memes from that period of time was “First they came for the Muslims … and we said ‘not this time mother fucker.’” I have in general over the past year tried to stay out of the internal bickering over resistance strategy.
TMI: Where is Sheehan on ICE?
Our last issue featured an interview I conducted with music editor Katie Cusack of Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. The major focus of the 40-minute interview was Sheehan’s position on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Albany’s role as a sanctuary city under Sheehan has become a national topic as President Donald Trump has lashed out at sanctuary cities. Sheehan has now twice appeared on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss the issue.
I Still Feel Like Myself: The man in the nursing home
With his full head of hair, nicely trimmed goatee and a penchant for wearing sunglasses, Herbie Caldwell seemed more like a retired celebrity than the gently befuddled man he’d become. I met Herbie at the beginning of 1979, when he was 84 and I was 24. He was one of 45 men living in a nursing home on a tree-lined street in the Jamaica Plain part of Boston. Herbie would recount his past in a series of broken vignettes. He’d worked in a leather factory in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Ask Ms. M: He Finishes Too Soon, Combating Catcalling, & Adultery At The Office
How do I get my partner to last longer in bed? He always finishes way too fast, then rolls over to sleep. -Unsatisfied GF Oh GWORL! I’d be wakin’ him up for a pussy midnight snack if he pulled that mess with me! There is no excuse for his selfishness nor pleasure inequality—what a turd! It’s not just that he doesn’t last long enough, it’s much worse; he seemingly doesn’t care about your satisfaction. Addressing communication before addressing function is important.
The Divide: How the NYPD keeps its surveillance secret - The Alt
On February 6, 2018, the Court of Appeals of the State of New York heard arguments in the case of Talib W. Abdur-Rashid and Samir Hashmi (petitioners-appellants) – against – New York City Police Department, et al. (respondents-respondents). The case concerns the NYC Police Department’s refusal to release documents sought under the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and the United States’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Sexiest Valentine's Day Must Haves - The Alt
Valentine’s Day is around the corner. And while the best of us know that love is something to celebrate and appreciate every day, it doesn’t mean we need to succumb to the basic V-Day routine of overpriced dinners, crappy chocolates in a heart box, or flowers that will be dead by next week. Spice up your seduction game, show your best friends some love, and maybe even give your boss a Star Wars Vibrator.
The Divide: Health benefits found in congestion pricing study - The Alt
In the 1970s, New York City was found to be in violation of the Clean Air Act. One way to bring the city into compliance was to limit vehicle congestion thus lessening air pollution. The proposal was for NYC to impose congestion pricing or a congestion tax on vehicles entering Manhattan. This idea was not popular then, so it was never implemented.
Looking Up: New York’s misguided prisoner package program - The Alt
In my last column, I wrote about the power of certain kinds of books to make us more human, give us perspective, and, for me, at least, keep some hope in dark times. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision apparently doesn’t agree. It has been running a pilot program at three facilities that would restrict packages sent to inmates to purchases sent directly from a short list of approved vendors. Although Gov.
Albany's boys' club circles the wagons as Klein is accused of forcible kissing - The Alt
The good old boys are circling the wagons. On Wednesday evening Sen. Jeff Klein, head of the Independent Democratic Conference and Sen. Diane Savino, his former girlfriend, held a press conference to get ahead of a HuffPost story in which a former staffer accused Klein of forcibly kissing her. It was an odd press conference given that this staffer had yet to make any accusations public, was not taking legal action or seeking financial gain.
Women's Equality Party returns just when Andrew Cuomo needs it - The Alt
It is unsurprising to see the return of the Women’s Equality Party this January. The party made its presence known to do the most shocking of things–support its creator, Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Yes, the WEP was created by a male politician in an election year like this one, in what many see as a naked attempt to co-opt a movement and placate female voters. “The Women’s Equality Party is a ballot line that prioritizes the needs of women and their children and supports policies that serve those needs.
The Divide: NYS and climate change – mixed messaging - The Alt
Are Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State serious about leading the fight against climate change, or is the state’s commitment to ending our reliance on fossil fuels nothing more than photo-op pontification? Cuomo has a stated goal of a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, yet the state is still proposing and/or approving natural gas fueled power producing projects.
I Still Feel Like Myself: Only A Bumbling Fool - The Alt
Recently I had a small stack of papers in my hand to recycle, along with others to put in a file. I separated the bunches in one hand by keeping a finger between the two of them. That finger was not used as a tool to clutch, but instead as an organizational marker. Additionally, I had a smaller single piece of paper with a note to myself, that was to be neither recycled nor filed, so I held it between my lips.
Ask M: Love At First Sight, Text Games, & the Ultimate Threesome Fantasy - The Alt
Do you believe in love at first sight? I met someone three months ago but we haven’t seen each other since. We were texting nearly every day before I left on a work trip for several weeks. Two weeks before I returned, he left on a an expedition for work. He claimed the internet was horrible since he was on a ship, and that explained why we stopped texting, but every morning I’d see him sign onto Facebook. His shipmates were regularly posting Instagram stories, so clearly the internet wasn’t that bad.
Looking Up: Take the damn bus
When I was a child in suburban New Jersey taking the bus was a headache. To figure out where a bus stopped, and when, you had to go to the library and peruse dozens of bus schedules, with their out-of-scale, somewhat abstracted maps to figure out which route you needed. You had to extrapolate when it would get there based on the times listed for a few major stops, and figure out by trial and error exactly which corners it stopped on.
The Divide: Dear Gov. Cuomo: Protect Our Health, Re-Route Truck Traffic!
One year ago,The Alt published my open letter to you concerning the Environmental INjustice community of Ezra Prentice Homes and Albany’s South End. One of the requests in that letter was that the NYS Department of Transportation issue an emergency order to prohibit diesel-engine vehicles from traveling along South Pearl Street through the heart of Ezra Prentice. But, here it is, a year later, and the trucks haven’t been re-routed and our health continues to suffer.
I Still Feel Like Myself: Waldo & The Employees - The Alt
One of the many things that occupied my mind in classes during high school was making a list of possible band names. I still have it in one of my file cabinets. I gravitated towards file cabinet storage from the time I was in my mid-twenties. It turns out not many of friends were drawn in that same direction. I still have five of them; three are tall, five-drawer models, plus a pair of shorter ones with two drawers – nineteen drawers total.
Opinion: Death of a Cinema - The Alt
The sad truth is that the proposal for an 11-screen cinema at One Monument Square deserved to die. It deserved to die far more than the proposal for a non-profit to tear down Leonard Hospital and build affordable housing, whose death resulted in Troy issuing a 2.5-million-dollar bond to tear down the aging, asbestos-filled liability. Some claim that a failure to develop the former City Hall site now, mixed with persistent NIMBYism, would give Troy a reputation bad enough to scare developers away.
Ms M: Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
In light of the Harvey Weinstein fiasco, I’d like to remind everyone of a few things. Sex addiction is not a real diagnosis. It was made up by people in the addiction business, and is used as an excuse by misogynistic selfish men to dismiss their behavior. If someone claims they’re addicted to sex, they have deeper underlying mental health problems which they are masking and coping with via sex.
The Divide: NIMBYism v. Homelessness in Saratoga Springs - The Alt
The city of Saratoga Springs is facing a dilemma when the temperature drops below freezing: Where to shelter their homeless human beings – in the city proper or bus them to parts unknown? The divide between compassion and property values in this quaint upstate city continues to be unbridgeable. Last Friday the historic Saratoga Racetrack opened for another season of thoroughbred racing. The city of Saratoga Springs celebrates the “Sport of Kings” better than any place else in America.
Rapp On This: Nothing to see here - The Alt
Albany in the news! Albany author sues Chelsea Clinton! The headlines appeared mostly on second-tier, sketchy, alt-right news sites: “Author Nails Chelsea Clinton With Lawsuit”, “Writer Sues Chelsea Clinton For Stealing His Book Idea”, “Chelsea Clinton Sued For Ripping Off Idea”, “Chelsea Clinton Just Got SUED in Federal Court. She’s Screwed!” “Look Who Just Got Slapped With A Federal Lawsuit — Is It Over For Her?” I got sent an article from the New York Post. And WNYT did a serious piece on it.
Looking up: Free speech? - The Alt
You’ve seen a lot of talk about free speech recently, especially from the right wing. People cry “free speech!” when disinvited from a speaking gig because they advocate violence or pedophilia (or, frankly, just don’t add anything to the political discourse except outrageous extremism). They cry “free speech” when other people use their own free speech to disagree with them, or organize a protest about what they said, or talk about their public affiliations in a more high-profile forum.
Ask M: Monogamy in 2017, Respectful Roleplaying, Sex 101 For Parents - The Alt
Are humans monogamous? Like is it natural? I want to be with my fiancée forever, but the thought of having sex with the same person for the rest of my life terrifies me. We’ve discussed it some and I think she feels the same as me but neither of us want an open relationship. Do you have any advice for us? Are humans monogamous? Is it natural? Yes and no! Although society tends to think of monogamy as sexual exclusivity, mono means one, gamy means spouse. One spouse.
The Alt Into 6/23/17 - The Alt
Happy Friday! Summer is officially here and there are plenty of events to get work off of your mind in the upcoming days and weeks. This weekend is Solid Sound, Friehofer’s Jazz Festival and Shmaltz’s Four Year Anniversary weekend, so get out there and have a good time! Stayed tuned to our social media accounts @thealtweekly to win tickets to more shows and festivals near you.
I Still Feel Like Myself: Around the Clock - The Alt
My bank has an ATM that is accessed by first using your card to enter the small glass-enclosed room affixed to the outside of the building. One then proceeds as expected to the automatic teller itself. But the bank recently made a change to the way transactions are concluded.
Looking Up: Meanwhile, tax reform - The Alt
In our news cycle, tax reform has been many times over eclipsed by Comey, attempts to gut the Affordable Care Act, and any number of other shenanigans.
Ms. M: True Love Is Intentional - The Alt
From the beginning of time, whether poet or king, nearly all humans have tried to explain the universal force called love. Expressed through many different beliefs, cultures, and traditions, it’s an ideal so broad, its meaning is literally something different to each and every person. When we’re young, we think we’re in love with someone because of the way they make us feel.
Ezra Prentice Homes loses a voice, but the fight goes on
Four years ago, the divide between the health and safety of the residents of the Ezra Prentice Homes on South Pearl Street in Albany and the “maximize profits at the expense of low-income people and people of color” corporations operating in and around the Port was huge. Today, the gap still exists, but thanks to community advocates like the late Charlene McDaniels-Benton, Albany’s South End is finally getting the attention it needs and deserves.
The Alt Into 5/26/17
Today we launch “The Alt Into” a weekly column where our writers share the muses and fascinations that have gotten them through the week. There aren’t any particular restrictions–if we’ve been obsessing about a Slinky, you’re going to hear about it. Hopefully though, we’ll give you a deeper sense of who we are and help you pick up a great book, introduce you to a new artist, or point you to a cool space.
The Divide: Waste not... - The Alt
Three weeks ago I wrote about solid waste management planning and pushed for the establishment of composting programs for food scraps and other organic waste. As I wrote then, the lack of composting and implementing solid waste management plans that include actions to decrease our carbon footprint was a concern of mine and other environmentalists for many years. This week, the divide between the ‘to compost, or not to compost’ question has been closed.
Opinion: The case against marching for science - The Alt
We live in a polarized country where you either March For Science or Make America Great Again. This Earth Day Week, sandwiched in between to major rallies, I feel like I fall in no-man’s land: a left-leaning environmental masters’ graduate who will sit out these marches as a conscientious objector.
Sextech: The Industry To Watch - The Alt
From teledildonics, to the newly opened sex doll brothel in Barcelona, the future of sextech has myriad exciting possibilities—and consequences. There are still many questions yet to be answered as we embark upon this new era of technology-facilitated pleasure. What will consent look like when any person we desire is available in alternative form, via hologram, to fulfill our ultimate fantasies?
Guest Opinion: Vampire Light
Watching abandoned and vacant buildings, many labeled zombie properties for their in-between ownership statuses surrounding foreclosure, eerily but beautifully breathe with an otherworldly soft white glow last fall, I couldn’t help but think of a line from Marx’s Capital: “Capital is dead labour, that, vampire–like, only lives by sucking living labour, and lives the more, the more labour it sucks.” Artist Adam Frelin and architect Barbara Nelson, along with teams of dozens, put together this...
The Divide: DEC don’t weaken SEQR
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has proposed changing some of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) regulations. They propose doing this “streamlining,” as they call it, at the same time the federal government is in an all-out effort to decimate forty years of environmental protections.
Rapp On This: Seeds and stems might break my limbs - The Alt
Living in Western Massachusetts has its perks: gorgeous scenery, rich history, high culture up the wazoo, and now . . . legal weed! As you know, the people of the Commonwealth fired it up last year and voted to legalize marijuana, so now it’s perfectly legal for folks to own and grow their own kush. We heard all the hazy arguments we’ve been hearing for decades, “gateway drug” this, “more study is needed” that, and “dangerous to children” the other thing.
The Divide: What is sanctuary, and what are sanctuary cities? - The Alt
The term “sanctuary city” has taken on a life of its own since last November’s presidential election. There is a major divide between those people who see ‘sanctuary cities’ as evil entities, and those who view a ‘sanctuary city’ as a place for all people to feel safe and protected.
Looking Up: No Matter Where You’re From - The Alt
You may have seen the signs – they say, in Spanish, English, and Arabic, “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.” (There’s also a variant in Hebrew, English, and Arabic.) In an atmosphere of demagoguery and baseless hysteria about foreigners and immigrants, not to mention escalating actual danger, this kind of gesture is important (not sufficient, but important). I intend to get one for my lawn. But their popularity also makes me a little uncomfortable.
I Still Feel Like Myself: Goldene’s Photo Album - The Alt
I grew up in a household with many scrapbooks, filled with carefully labeled photographs that were held in place by photo mounting corners. My mother was the main one tending to the numerous ongoing volumes that chronicled our family life, but my father also carefully stored the albums that covered his life from infancy through college, the Navy, and the workplace.
Looking Up: They won’t need camps, they have prisons - The Alt
I recently finished reading a long book about Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia, which happened in the run up to World War II. It was fascinating in many ways, but one of which that feels very related to the situation we’re in right now was the way the reality of World War I was shaping the views of the decision-makers.
Stepping Out with The Nightymes - The Alt
In June 1967, less than a month after I sleepwalked through the puzzling becoming-a-man ceremony, I combined all of the checks and cash I’d received for my Bar Mitzvah and bought a Hagstrom bass guitar and Univox amplifier. I had a couple years of guitar lessons under my belt, but I liked the look and sound of the bass. It was not flashy, but cool in its own way. By thirteen I had also recognized that bass players were in demand by neighborhood bands.
Rapp On This: The truth won’t set him free, but . . . - The Alt
Remember Christopher Porco? The Delmar guy who was convicted of ax-murdering his father and the attempted murder/maiming of his mother? He’s cooling his jets in Dannemora, doing 46 to life, but he’s keeping busy chasing around Lifetime Television for its 2013 cable-TV movie The Romeo Killer, which was based on the murder, the investigation into it, and Porco’s trial. Did you see it? No? It sucked! You won’t even get any local ju-ju out of it because it was filmed in Vancouver, for crying out loud.
The Divide: The future of public transportation - The Alt
The recent passing of Lucile Brewer, the founder and chair of the local advocacy group Citizens for Public Transportation, got me thinking about the future of public transportation, both here in the Capital Region and in the rest of the country. Before getting into what I see as current and future challenges facing public transportation services, I just want to say a few words about Lucile. I first met Lucile while working at my family’s restaurant, Calsolaro’s, in the early 1970s.
The Divide: Empire Strike
All of the advances the country has made in the area of environmental health and safety are under attack by the regime in Washington, D.C. The divide between environmental protections and corporate greed is now growing larger, and the worse is yet to come. It all started with Trump’s nominations of anti-environment, pro-corporate, profit-above-all-else people to lead federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Energy and the Interior.
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