I miss James Gandolfini, ‘Enough Said’

The characters played by James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus sure did look happy and comfortable together after those uncomfortable first date moments in “Enough Said.” I wanted to see the romantic comedy when it came around a year ago, but it opened against something more pressing, and in the one-a-week film blogger world that I’m…

Bad news in black and white makes me look inside again

A New York State Attorney General’s report carried discouraging statistics about discipline and the Syracuse City School District, I discovered when I read a story by James T. Mulder, a friend and former colleague of mine at the big daily. Included was the statistic that black students are disciplined at twice the rate of white…

An old school hat at the golf league

Bird got a birdie after a gorgeous iron tee shot on a par three as I was back to my informal little formal golf league at Northern Pines in Cicero, N.Y., last night. He narrowly missed a second namesake. He was in a very good mood as the five of us filed into the clubhouse.…

’22 Jump Street’ lets Jonah, Channing be silly still

I pretty much got what I expected from “22 Jump Street.” Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are undercover cup buddies who get sent to college to unravel the circumstances behind a drug-related death. In a funny, silly, just-above-dumb, slapstick-ish way. It’s summer, everywhere except for on the calendar, and even that changes come Saturday. Anyway,…

What a good day for the roses

While my dear wife Karen and I spent a week in Cape Cod, the roses came out to play at our home in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. In one spot in our hourglass front-yard garden, you can see a yellow rose, white rose, pink rose and red rose. They are of different sizes…

Oh, what a week it was at the Cape

On the first day that my dear wife Karen and I woke up back in Syracuse after a week at the precious little cottage owned and cherished by our wonderful Central New York friends Julie and Lisa, I give thanks to all it gave us. From the front that greeted us every time we pulled…

Can’t let a rainy last Friday get us down

Even before Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle stirred me for her morning let-me-out session, I’d heard the news today, oh boy. Pitter-patter on the roof. One look out the front kitchen window confirmed what the Boston weather report had warned the night before. Our last full day not in Syracuse would start with rain. The…