Mike Waters and I appear under the bright lights of live TV

Live TV is a different animal. I’m no stranger to these question-and-answer sessions. I’ve strained my ear to hear people’s golden words, inside and outside. I’ve hooked the Garth Brooks-like headgear up to my phone to best capture the thoughts and speech patterns of people of many walks of life. I’ve even sat in front…

It’s time to take a trip down the Bialczak Memory Lane

My sister Frannie has been on a mission lately. She wants some sort of hard copy to chronicle our family. It’s been years now that Fran, Dory and I have been on our own, Bialczak-wise. Our parents, Dolores and Frank, have been gone for a decade now. Frank was an only child. Mom’s older sister,…

Spectacular ‘Strawberry Super Moon’ spotlights Syracuse

They called it a “Strawberry Super Moon.” The Strawberry term is given to the first full moon in June. It’s said to have come from Native Americans, who used the light from the full moon to harvest their strawberry crop. The Super label is given to the full moon that is closest to the earth…

In words and pictures, why we loved our trip to Cape Cod

A good time was had in Massachusetts. Call it a quick getaway. Call it a wonderful trip. For markbialczak.com purposes, we’ll go with “What I did on my Cape Cod vacation (in a few words and pictures).” It will be a fast recap. Promise. Enjoy. Chapter One: A dog’s life Yes, my dear wife Karen…

From Mike Waters and Mark Bialczak comes ‘The Syracuse Fan’s Survival Guide to the ACC’

The next time a Syracuse University sports squad takes the field in a league contest, it will be a battle in the ACC. Yes, the much-anticipated move from the Big East is upon Orange fans. I know you want to be able to talk intelligently about the Clemson Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, just…

From the mailbag: A trip to Brazil for Grupo Pagan, it’s in the book for Jeff Barone, British Invasion in Cazenovia

A Syracuse band will be spreading its wings in Brazil the first two weeks of July. Grupo Pagan will be performing its rich combination of world beat, pop, rock, and more in São Paulo and Rio de Janero. The self-described “lite” version of the band — founder Edgar Pagan, Bill DiCosimo and Josh Dekaney —…

At the U.S. Open, life at the top can be rough

It’s U.S. Open week in the golf world. I will be watching when I can, on ESPN and NBC. Starting today, golf fans will savor the sight of the traditional red wicker baskets atop the pins on the greens of famed Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. No flags fluttering in the wind here. The…

You don’t have to buy a lot to appreciate this sellers’ market in downtown Syracuse

The Farmer’s Market returned to Clinton Square yesterday. Even though I no longer work across the street, I still had to visit. Even on a drizzly day, it’s got what I seek. Throughout the years and in several different locations in downtown Syracuse, I always made sure I took a few minutes to wander through…

In 36 countries, people have checked out my blog. Far from Syracuse, please tell me what you think

Anybody with a search engine hooked into this www-dot age of ours has the ability to discover what I’ve got to say. Intriguing concept, this far-flung visibility of markbialczak.com, but kind of far-fetched as well. Elusive. Ethereal. Throw in exciting. I write on my lap here at home in the city of Syracuse. Life unfolds…

At the big daily reunion, it’s a great thing to share

Reunion. Now here’s an event fraught with emotional traps pocking its twisting path. You get back together with people you haven’t seen in a while. You’ve changed. They’ve changed. Everybody remembers certain milestones a different way. New life events just might not be that interesting when shared with a group. This weekend, I went to…