A 300 by our sub livens up bowling night

Even for a last-place team, the ultimate can happen anytime on the bowling lanes. Last night, our sub bowler, Ron Fox Jr., rolled a perfect 300 in the second game of three. Way to go, Ron. It was exciting, watching his powerful ball knock down all 10 pins, 12 throws in a row. All the…

‘Labor Day’ drama, humor from ‘That Awkward Moment’

Love can bloom in strange places. Hollywood tries to prove that again and again with the two major film openings this weekend. “Labor Day” pairs Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet as a mystery man and reclusive mom who just may end up joining together to conquer both of their dilemmas, if the trailer is a…

In ‘Pirate Alley,’ Stephen Coonts builds tension on the seas

You may have seen my story here about taking the big boat from Baltimore to Bermuda and back. My dear wife Karen has made a cruise ship regular out of me. And yet I just finished reading “Pirate Alley,” the latest novel by Stephen Coonts. If the title isn’t self-explanatory enough for you, take a…

A street corner dilemma: What do you do when asked for money?

Somebody you don’t know addresses you on the street. They ask for money. You must make a decision. It’s an issue that will not go away, a cultural sign of our economy and so much more. Recently in downtown Syracuse, N.Y., my walking journey was interrupted by a request that threw me off my stride.…

Remember Pete Seeger, rich of voice, deep in commitment

Over my two decades covering music for the big daily in Syracuse, I got the opportunity to talk with a whole lot of interesting people. One morning, I talked to Pete Seeger on the phone. He agreed to the interview because he would be coming that little stretch north and west to Central New York…

Music is timeless, but the Grammys is a show for the ages

Watching the 56th edition of the Grammy Awards unfold across my flat screen on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but be struck again about music’s relationship with time. Put a great song on a record, or on tape, or in the digital world, and time stands still, forever thereafter. In one hour, in January, 2014,…

We sort of find out what would happen if a ‘Frankenstein’ surfaced today

‘I, Frankenstein’ starts with the monster roaming the land 200 years ago, taking care of business, settling scores. It was kind of comforting to think it was so far in the past. But somehow, Adam Frankenstein surfaces in the present. Now that’s a scary thought. The man-made monster meets gargoyles and demons and finds himself…

A Super Bowl primer for people of many lands

It seems like every man, woman and child in America watches the Super Bowl, no? The championship game for the National Football League has become a national holiday. Edition XLVIII, as the NFL has come to list each game, features the Denver Broncos vs. the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford,…

The Cheesecake Factory will open in Syracuse with a Big Bang for us

A cheer erupted within The Cheesecake Factory-to be at the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA in Syracuse, N.Y. This I know because my face was pressed up against the window, like the proverbial kid and the candy store. (Grown me, though, made sure not to leave any tell-tale nose prints.) We’ve been…

Cold night, warm lights in Syracuse

Oh, cold, cold Syracuse winter. Sometimes I must drive through the deep freeze. I pilot my car with freezing hands, despite the leather gloves. The heater churns to bring some small level of comfort inside the vehicle. This week I found myself stopping my car at the curb because a certain sight had the potential…