I will call 2013 life-changing

I am quite ready to say goodbye to 2013. It was the year in which I was told I had to change my last name. No more would I be “Mark Bialczak of The Post-Standard.” And yet life went on. Bring on the New Year’s Eve tradition for my dear wife Karen and I. We…

After bowl Friday, Syracuse is up, Maryland is down

That was some bowl day for me Friday. One down, one up. My alma mater Maryland lost in the Military Bowl by falling apart defensively in the final quarter. I was not happy. My 30-year hometown team Syracuse took the Texas Bowl title with a last-minute touchdown against Minnesota. I danced around the living room.…

The movies of 2013: good, not, and darn, I missed it

It’s been a rewarding seven months since I happily accepted the role of the Syracuse New Times’ first film blogger. Two posts a week have kept me connected to what’s opening. I’ve seen many, many trailers. I’ve had the difficult task of picking one movie a week for review. With 2014 steaming down the track…

A new furnace enters my life in a flash

And so we start our first morning in the era I shall call Furnace II here in our city neighborhood house in Syracuse, N.Y. Thank you for a hard-working life, No.1. You fell a half-year short of a full decade of warming me and my dear wife Karen. I can sincerely say that I will…

Feeling inspired today? I am

This just in: I can add the Very Inspiring Blogger Award to my virtual mantel. My old friend Judy Berman nominated me today. I call Judy that not because of any age-related number. No. It’s because I actually know her in real life, where we were in the same newspaper-centric crowd in Syracuse, N.Y., before…

Too many college football bowl games? Not today

College football fan that I am, I’m certain to watch quite a bit of action leading up to the tussle between Florida State and Auburn for the BCS national title. (Hey! After that Jan. 6 ends with the crowning of a champion, we’re done with the BCS and on to the four-team playoff.) Maybe not…

‘Walter Mitty,’ as James Thurber may have imagined him

Ben Stiller nailed this one. As director and star, he made sure that “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a real eye-opener. Back in the day, the wily James Thurber could only put the dreams of his creation Walter into some interesting but rather rudimentary illustrations to accompany his words. That was his style.…

The day after Christmas, no letdown allowed

No day-after-Christmas depression here. I won’t let it happen. Yes, it’s quite natural to feel some of the air gone out of the sails when the big holiday is gone. But this year’s two-day celebration was so very good. Elisabeth and boyfriend George shared their Christmas Eve with us. Everybody loved the full array of…