Does a major league player deserve paternity leave?

Daniel Murphy missed the first two games of the New York Mets baseball season. He took paternity leave because his wife delivered their first child early on opening day. He gets three days off to share in the joyful family milestone. It’s written into the agreement between management and the players union. And yet there’s…

My blogging friend Angie originates the Angel Award

From the bluegrass music capital of Owensboro, my blogging friend Angie consistently and persistently produces smart and sassy work with her Kentucky Angel’s Train Wrecks blog. Angie is the type of writer who can rap somebody on the knuckles and have them wait an hour or two before deciding that it hurts. This dogged and…

I’m not a big fan of foolish pranks

Now that we’ve made it to April 3, I’m pretty sure I’ve now gone another year without somebody either scaring the crap or making an ass out of me. I am not a fan of April Fools jokes. I saw the big pile of posts about the April 1 tradition on Monday and thought to…

New York State Blues Festival back with big lineup

After a year off to retune the organization and format, the New York State Blues Festival has announced a big and impressive lineup for a two-day return, July 18 and 19 in Clinton Square in Syracuse. Media relations representative Julie Briggs sent out the list of performers today. Coming to play the free-admission event in…

Add local music to this giant mall’s ever-expanding menu

Once upon a time, the halls inside a mall were the last place I’d expect to find a growing local music scene. It’s happening at Destiny USA, the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Syracuse. They call the expansive new wing The Canyon. And that’s the way it looks from the rails of all…

Why I fret, Vol. II

A couple weeks back I caught a photo of these two pine trees behind my backyard neighbors’ fence and shared my anxiety about an eventual fall. They were covered with snow. I could see a possible topple in the future. Here’s that Knock Down, Stay Up post. On the way back from my glorious walk…

Push the button and out comes free water

I fear that something I have valued dearly my whole life is facing extinction. The great American water fountain is going, going … Thanks to some old buildings that have not been spiffed up, they are not quite gone. The sturdy old beauty pictured here wets my parched lips every Thursday night at my bowling…