No irony-ing needed

The T-shirt caught my eye with a corner of olive peeking from the bottom of the shelf pile this warm and sunny Friday morning in Syracuse after a winter of neglect. My dear wife Karen had purchased it for my before my layoff from the big daily. Why, yes, I wore it to go view…

Avengers find Ultron formidable, but they’re still a marvel

You don’t just try the waters of the Avengers franchise by sticking your big toe into the pool a little bit. I joined the all-ages throng that filled the big theater at the Regal Cinemas at Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA for the Sunday matinée of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” not…

D.C. in Photos: Food and Drink

There are plenty of places to eat and drink in Washington, D.C. Captain Obvious reporting for duty. Gordon Biersch was connected to our hotel on H and 7th. Please, no grousing from the Buy Local crowd. I know. I do. I swear. Keep reading. This one sure was more proudly appointed than its Syracuse sister…

How do you prep for a Sweet Sixteen?

There are many ways, I suppose, for a bunch of college-aged men to spend a few hours in a strange city before a very important evening. Add in the fact that they’re joined by the collective purpose of their university’s sports team, and it’s surely no surprise to discover them in a pack, dressed rather…

When bad people do good in the movies

In “Run All Night,” I found myself rooting for the guy played by Liam Neeson. When, in the back story set in front of us, his character was every bit a bad a guy as the man played by co-lead Ed Harris. You can read my review of “Run All Night” as my weekly Movie…

Photo 101: My mystery leads me to …

Lesson 10 in Photo 101 had Michelle sending us to find a Mystery. She used lighting as her teaching cue, illustrating how different angles bring hues and shadows to our frames. I had a trip planned to a big place in Syracuse, and decided to share two views of one of the landmark’s most prominent…

The Cheesecake Factory gets a second chance

After the bad shrimp scampi with clumped pasta and awful sauce, bitter and hard lettuce core, burned fry, dirty utensils, harsh ambulance lighting from the window, et al, what, you ask, would bring my dear wife Karen and I back to the Cheesecake Factory in the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Detiny USA in…