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The late Professor Dope
May 11, 2012 For almost as long as I can remember, I’ve disliked all formal ceremonies. I say “almost” because the Broadway School’s May Festival of 1952 was the highlight of my public school “caree. more »»
The highway to (and from) hell
May 4, 2012 Today I drove to Lake Placid and back, something I hadn’t done in daylight for months. more »»
Of cars and kidneys
April 27, 2012 Last Thursday morning, on a whim, I checked my horoscope. The complex nature of your personality causes people to misunderstand you, but it’s also the source of your special charm. more »»
Give me liberty ... and my civvies, too
April 20, 2012 One of my favorite passages from Shakespeare is “All the World’s a Stage.” It’s cogent, comical and melancholy, all at once — the whole life process in 28 lines. more »»
Mutterings
April 13, 2012 We have become a nation of prophets. But our prophets aren’t like biblical ones – those wild-eyed freaks of gnashing teeth and rending garments fame. Uh-uh. more »»
The great squab squabble
April 6, 2012 One summer about 25 years ago, after a night of tossing and turning due to a combination of the aging process, ancient regrets and a midnight snack of chile con carne, I was wide awake long before... more »»
Turning yesterday’s wimps into today’s machos
March 30, 2012 I’m terrible at remembering dates, but I’ll never forget April 29, 1969 —?my first day in the Navy. I’d just gotten to Great Lakes, where I was herded into Camp Barry and I got my mind blown. more »»
Dutch treat
March 23, 2012 The reason there was no column last week was because the Amazon Queen and I spent spring break in Amsterdam. Thanks for asking. I’m sure spring break was hardly as exciting as my students. more »»
The trials and tribulations of the Boy Mayor
March 9, 2012 Last week I ran into my pal and fellow hack Howard Riley. Right after we said hello, we did what we always do — jumped into a freewheeling exchange of old-time Saranac Lake stories. more »»
Bob and weaves
March 2, 2012 Last week I mentioned my latest compulsion, which was that, on impulse, I fell in love with two Harris Tweed sport coats in the Dorsey Street Exchange and bought them. more »»
Cut from a different cloth
February 24, 2012 A great Yiddish word is “mishegas.” Its closest English equivalent is “obsession,” but ultimately that doesn’t come close. more »»
The not-so-sweet by and by
February 17, 2012 There’s no way around it — I am a choc-o-holic. I never knew it when I was a kid because I went gonzo over anything sweet. more »»
When the Cold War came to My Home Town
February 10, 2012 For the mass of humanity, the Cold War was one long, continual horror story. But still, it had its upsides. more »»
Fun run, my aching feet!
February 3, 2012 No matter how you cut it, the weather has been weird. We’ve gone from no winter, to slow winter, to faux winter, even to on-the-down-low winter. more »»
Ask not for whom the phone rings
January 27, 2012 According to the cliche, there’s no rest for the wicked. While I don’t consider myself particularly wicked, I sure lost a lot of sleep last week. It started on Tuesday night. more »»
When horsepower meets horse power
January 20, 2012 We all know if you do something enough, it becomes second nature. But if you do it a whole lot more, can it become first nature? I don’t know. more »»
The best b’day bash
January 6, 2012 When I was a kid, it seemed all the old people said the same things. It was like they got them from a book entitled, “Stuff to Say to Young People, Over and Over, Every Chance You Get. more »»
Blackboard jungle
December 30, 2011 Last week, I received several emails congratulating me on my recent retirement. Luckily, none of them was from my place of employ. How did that rumor ever get started? Simple. more »»
Fortune’s Dope
December 23, 2011 Last week I finished 39 years of teaching at Paul Smith’s College. Since everyone has careers, this hardly amazes me, nor should it. But what DOES amaze me is how fast it’s gone b. more »»
Mission ridiculous
December 16, 2011 When I arrived at my first duty station, fresh from Navy A school, I understood what all newbies understood — nothing. more »»
When Old Drac got the sack
December 2, 2011 I’ve never been what anyone would consider a team player. Nor do I imagine I could’ve been — even if I’d been raised in the most cooperative of societies. more »» |
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Left of CenterMay 15, 2012 I’ve been running competitively for over 30 years. Back when I started, I was a miler for Mohawk Junior High School. more » Latest Blogs |
