Our collaborative friends at the Watershed Post have their own half hour radio show and today they talked (for an hour, guys!) about Irene and somehow managed to get Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a guest.

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Alicia Schaefer of Crow Dog Farm in Greene County just posted images from the Irene-related flooed damage in Prattsville and Windham. They are worth a look.

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GIS genius Don Meltz has created a collaborative map of road conditions in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. It is amazing.

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We were having problems because the spreadsheet was getting high traffic. So here's a form that (hopefully) will solve that problem.
UPDATE: IT DID! check it out.

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Here's a live form and live spreadsheet that's still going on with your information and questions about people who are still stranded in the region due to Irene.
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Central Hudson has a very handy map with outages that you cannot look at if you have not power. That's why we have neighbors and smartphones.
The map also includes information about dry ice and water distribution. It's essential
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The Weather Channel also did a Storify for the Catskills, and it is impressive as well as horrifying.
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Here's what was a small sample of your images and videos from the devastation caused by Irene. It is now quite large.
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What do you do when a tree falls in front of your house in the middle of a terrible storm?
YOU DO A PANORAMA!
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Click on 'Live Cam' to see the live video feed. If there is no cam, blame Irene
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I made this SeeClickFix widget for easier access to report issues. A reported a tree down in front of my house some hours after I posted this. A neighbor then posted that the power cable was hanging from another tree.
JOY!
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UPDATE: The hurricane was not a hurricane by the time it hit us, but it did beat us badly, and the live reports thus continue until this is all over.
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UPDATE: If you don't see Irene in the live map it is because it is a live map and Irene is gone. That's what happens.
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UPDATE: This map of the current hurricane season also is live. But it will come in handy later, so I'm keeping it here.
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Good morning! Members of the Journal Register Company's Idealab - and everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat at noon.

Today we are talking about breaking news and social media. What we've done, how to do it and OMG! QUAKE!

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, just post a tweet with the hashtag "#jrcchat" so it can automatically appear below, or post a comment in the field at the bottom of the chat box.

I was a speaker at the #140confHV, the 140-character conference at the Seven21 Media Center in Kingston today. I met many of the tweeps that I follow, in person, and it was an overall enjoying and enlightening experience.
My talk focused on Journalism and Social Media (and yes, I grab my hair a lot when I'm nervous and I say "uh").





Here are the slides. I'll post the transcript later because I know nobody understands a word I say.

Journalism and social media

Here's the transcript:
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The Hudson Valley's 140 Characters conference took place today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Seven21 Media Center on Broadway in Kingston.

The focus was "The State of Now." Our friends at Dragon Search Marketing livestreamed the event and I have shamelessly taken it from their Facebook page.

Full disclosure: I'm a speaker and I embarrassed myself at 3 p.m.

Here's the replay.









And here's the Twitter stream.

The Freeman Sessions with Stella May returns on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the home of Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood home, Oak Terrace, in Clermont in Columbia County.

I toured the First Lady's 1872 home to test the connection, as the property is fairly isolated.



Here's my creepy tour of the property.



As for the event, "Dinner at Eleanor’s: A Moveable Feast," is being presented by Green Peas TV to benefit The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill and ARCS, AIDS-Related Community Services.

Four of the Hudson Valley’s top chefs; a third-generation Hudson Valley farmer; a chocolatier from the Berkshires; the owner of Clinton Vineyards and Winery; and a foodie filmmaker are converging at the spooky location for historic cocktails, a five-course harvest feast, dessert wine and chocolate pairings, and an exclusive historic house tour, at 794 Woods Road in Tivoli.

"Dinner at Eleanor’s: A Moveable Feast" will celebrate the relationship between the Roosevelt and Morgenthau families. Henry Morgenthau, Jr., was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and governor of the Federal Farm Board during the administration of Frankiily D. Roosevelt.

The event is a fundraiser that has been organized and produced by filmmaker Jane Watson, founder of Green Peas TV, to benefit The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill and ARCS, AIDS-Related Community Services. It will be filmed as the next episode of greenpeastv.com and will also be streamed live at dailyfreeman.com as part of the Freeman Sessions with Stella May.

Admission is $125 per person. Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance; there will be no on-site ticket sales the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased online at www.arcs.org/dinnerateleanors.php or by mailing a check to ARCS, Public Relations Office, 40 Saw Mill River Road, Hawthorne, NY 10532.

For more information, call (914) 785-8283.

I regret to inform you that this blog won first place in the New York State Associated Press Writing Contest for newspapers of under 25,000 circulation.

And it's all your fault.

I write this because the some of the winning entries involved you, or, as we like to say now, the people formerly known as the audience.

This means the award is not only the Freeman's or mine, but yours as well, as I could not have written some the following posts without your help (I'll keep the award for you, though).

These are the winning entries:

* How to turn multiple instances of double dipping into 'two instances'

This post was written because many of you, in the comments and as the issue was developing, brought to our attention details that might have been overshadowed by the larger topic. Pat in the back, all around.

* Funny snow business in Kingston

This one wouldn't have happened at all if it weren't for you. A SeeClickFix post started this, and it snowballed from there.

* Horse looked in the mouth - UPDATED

West Shokan writer Martha Frankel's awesome shenanigans is blogging gold.

* OMG! Every town in the mid-Hudson Valley is the 'new Brooklyn'

Thank you, hipsters. You can drink a PBR in your ironic honor.

* A twittersation about sex research and mean journalists

SexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSexSex

* That Hinchey episode, explained

I'd like to think this most-realistic photo was the cause.

(Also, best wishes recovering, Mr. Mo.)

....
And finally, these two were also part of the package, and involve my daughter, so she gets credit for it too.

* Toddler 1, parents 0

* Toddlers have superpowers

Good morning! Members of the Journal Register Company's Idealab - and everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat at noon.

Today we are talking about successful (and not-so successful) online initiatives that newsrooms can steal replicate. What's worked recently, what hasn't, what we're struggling with and hopefully a surprise or two.

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, just post a tweet with the hashtag "#jrcchat" so it can automatically appear below, or post a comment in the field at the bottom of the chat box.

I'm pretty sure this has happened to everyone.

Say, for example, that it's Sunday at 9 p.m. and you want to watch "True Blood" or any other similar show that contains plenty of sex, violence, more sex, more violence, curse words, mayhem and all those other great entertaining things that would undoubtedly traumatize and/or influence a 3-year-old if she were to watch it. Say also that you have a 3-year-old.

Some time after putting her to bed, you grab a slice of pizza and turn on the television.


As the sex violence and mayhem begin to materialize onscreen, you hear some strange things around you.





Inevitably, and before you can say or do anything, the child will turn toward the television, just as much sex, violence and mayhem begins to take place.


In a panic, you pause the show (turning the television would make more sense, but remember, you are in a panic and must act in a nonsensical panicky mode).

When pausing "True Blood," there are only three things that can happen on the screen.

1. There is naked sexy time going on; or
2. There is a ridiculously violent death going on; or
3. There is naked sexy time while there is a ridiculously violent death going on.

After witnessing such occurrence, there are only three things that can happen to a child.

1. She will be traumatized for life and you'll be named Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.
2. She will giggle and mimic what happens on the screen and you'll be named Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.
3. She will be indifferent while you are the one traumatized thinking that she will be traumatized or mimic what she's seen.

She will also grab a slice of pizza and will like you to tell her a story. Tell her about the time you won Worst Parent of the World by Worst Parent of the World Magazine.

I was encouraged to say a few words about the Freeman Sessions with Stella May on Tuesday during the livestream. So here's the highlight.

Good morning! Members of the Journal Register Company's Idealab - and anyone who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat at noon.

Today we are talking about newer tools, tricks of the trade and a year of Idealab accomplishments.

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, just post a tweet with the hashtag "#jrcchat" so it can automatically appear below, or post a comment in the field at the bottom of the chat box.

Streaming by Ustream

Actor John Leguizamo is selling his Rosendale home, according to Realtor.com.

The home is in the map below, at 293 Binnewater Road, a road that is home to many a tiny crossing turtles and an evil deer of doom that totaled my Chevy one sad snowy winter night some years ago.


View Larger Map

The 2,612 square-foot home, listed for $835 big ones, features four bedrooms, three baths and sits on 7.64 acres.

It also has a pool in front of fourth lake.

JOIN THE LIVE CHAT

VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV

UPDATE: New York Sen. Chuck Schumer's office says the senator endorses the event. And Kirsten Gillibrand sends her "greetings" to attendees. (!!! and ???)

gillibrand

Also, attending and manning the phones during the livestreamed telethon will be ALL seven Kingston mayoral candidates — Hayes Clement, Shayne Gallo, Andi-Turco Levin, Ron Polacco, Rich Cahill, Jean Jacobs and Steve Ladin — Ulster County legislators Jeannette Provenzano, Michael Madsen and David Donaldson; and Kingston Alderwoman Shirley Whitlock.

I've been asked many times about having a place with all the contact information from all the candidates for the upcoming election. And although we do have a page in our site dedicated to this year's election, it doesn't contain the basic information from the candidates.

So I decided to create a Facebook page for the candidates in the Mid-Hudson Valley (full disclosure, I stole this idea from the Journal Register Company idealab).

Basically, the page will Like all the candidates pages, as to become a hub for primary sources of information. It is in its early stagesright now and I'd like your help adding your candidate to the roster.

And feel free to add a website or email or phone number for your candidates. This is your page, so do with it what you'd like to do. I'll be adding more pages and sites to the list myself.