Andy Palumbo

Classic Bad Photography Sunday: Poe

2012-01-29T00:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not one for the macabre. Yet, I've always fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe.

The man was immensely talented. Unfortunately, he was also a train wreck. Poe spent much of his life in one of my favorite places, Baltimore. That's where he died at the age of 40. Poe is buried at Westminster Church, just blocks from the Inner Harbor.

Above is a picture of the Poe monument in the church's courtyard. The body is actually elsewhere on the property. I took the picture early on a spring morning in 1987. As you can see, the sun was not my friend that morning.

Every year, on Poe's January 19th birthday, a mysterious man used to leave flowers and a bottle of cognac at Poe's grave site. The tradition was 60 years old. The "Poe Toaster" has been a no-show for the last three years, and the tradition has now officially been declared "over."

Like Poe's life, it's all so sad.

Classic Bad Photography Saturday

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

We've been down this road before.

There have been countless attempts to turn the old North Scranton Junior High School on North Main Avenue into a technology/business center and apartments for the elderly.

They all failed. While the projects are worthy, and this building should be saved, it will take tons of money to get the job done.

This time, it's the apartment complex that's up for consideration, and the organization heading the effort, Goodwill, says it hopes state money will finally arrive this spring.

Pardon my pessimism, but I'll believe it when I see it. There have been too many "we're close" proclamations over the years to get excited over the latest.

I really hope it happens this time around. Turning NSJH into apartments for the elderly helps the neighborhood, helps the city, and helps the people who live there.

Today's photo was taken back in the summer of 2007. Nothing's changed.

The Line

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's a question I cannot answer.

Newt Gingrich is running for the Republican presidential nomination. Gingrich is on his third wife, which is not unusual these days. Last week, ABC News interviewed wife #2. She claimed Gingrich wanted an "open marriage." The ex says her husband wanted to "date" other women, while still being married to her.

Okay, here comes the question. Where is the line? It's nice to know a candidate's standards and morals, if he or she is trustworthy and is presidential material. On the other hand, privacy is extremely important.

Gingrich was asked about it during a CNN debate on the 19th, and he lashed out at the media for going the tabloid route.

At what point does a candidate say "It's none of your business."

I just don't know.

Hand Me Down World

2012-01-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

I've gone off on a couple blog rants recently, complaining about cutbacks in local radio. Today, proof that broadcast frugality is really nothing new.

KLIF is a radio station in Dallas, TX. Today's photos were taken in the parking lot of the WARM building in Avoca, PA, USA. I believe the year was 1987.

At the time, KLIF and WARM were owned by the same company. WARM got a hand me down truck. Of course, it was re-painted, but you couldn't escape the fact that the truck had seen better days.

There was an employee contest to name the vehicle. The winning selection was "The Mrs." It stood for Mobile Remote Studio. The person who suggested the name was a sweet woman, but most of us on the staff really hated that name. Management liked it, and that's all that counts.

If memory serves, the MRS rarely worked right, and it was still around when I left in 1991. I don't know how long it was part of WARM's fleet.

The truck wasn't WARM's only hand me down. We also had a van from a sister station in Norfolk, VA. I know I have those pictures somewhere.

By the way, the black 1984 Ford Escort GT you see at the left was mine. Driving it was a culture shock for a while. I traded in a full size 1978 Chevrolet Blazer to get it. I loved the Blazer, but the miles were adding up. It ate gas, and the tires cost a fortune. The Escort, albeit very small compared to the Blazer, was a good car until its electronic modules kept burning out. The car died while I was visiting a friend in State College. I rented a car to get home while it was repaired in State College, declining an offer to stay with my friend and her roommates. The Ford and I parted company not long after that. As for my friend, I haven't heard from her in years.

Long Overdue II

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I was asleep at the switch on this one, and I'm kicking myself for it.

My old junior high school was recently torn down, and I missed getting a look at the demolition. I really wanted to see this place reduced to rubble.

When I heard about plans to tear it down a couple years ago, I did a little thinking. I spent three years roaming these halls, and I could think of all of two good things that happened to me here.

I'll share one with you. This is where I met a really good English teacher, one who could make diagramming a sentence and constructing them properly understandable. He passed away several years ago, and I'm sure he'd cringe at some of what appears here. We later worked together at a radio station, and it was a kick. He was taken from us far too soon.

As you can see from the first picture here, taken late last week, the site is now a pit-- which is what it was when I went to school here.

Long Overdue I

2012-01-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

It happened yesterday.. The ramp leading from Oak Street in Scranton to the northbound lanes of the North Scranton Expressway closed, and it should have happened a long time ago.

It's hard to see the ramp in this picture that I took Thursday morning, but it's on the left of the shot. This area has long been a trouble spot. It's where the Expressway, Interstate 81, and Routes 6 and 11 all come together. This can of worms replaced a traffic circle decades ago. Old timers around here still call this area the traffic circle.

The successor to the circle was okay for its time, but traffic has increased and people drive faster. PennDOT is working on a realignment. There are a couple other changes, in addition to closing the Oak Street ramp.

We've seen all cases where the solution is worse than the problem. Let's have faith that the realignment actually works and this becomes a much safer area.

JVP

2012-01-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

Regular blog readers know that Joe Paterno was not one of my favorite people, both before and after "The Scandal."

But, I am not so myopic to fail to recognize Joe Paterno's contributions to his sport and his university.

Now is not the time to go over Paterno's role in the situation that led to his November dismissal. That can wait.

However, I will say that I'm sorry Paterno will not be around to see how it all plays out-- how the case makes its way through the courts, where the investigation leads, when we learn more about what really happened and why.

Vindication for Paterno? It's possible, but even Paterno admitted he could have done more.

I will quote Steve Czaban of Yahoo Sports Radio: "Maybe the saddest ending to a sports legend ever."

Jason Wilde Tweeted: "Let's make Paterno's true legacy a cautionary tale of how devastating silence is."

I express my sympathies to Joe Paterno's family, friends, and fans.

Classic Bad Photography Sunday: Harrisburg

2012-01-22T00:00:00.004-05:00

I haven't been taking many pictures recently. It's been too cold, so today, the start of an occasional feature: Classic Bad Photography.

I was going through a stack of old photographs on a recent afternoon, and I thought I'd share this one with you. It's appropriate for this time of year.

It was taken on the morning of January 17, 1995-- the day Tom Ridge was inaugurated as governor.

I was working down the street back then. My job was easy-- do live shots for the morning broadcast, and taped pieces for later in the day. Our anchor would cover the evening festivities, including the inaugural ball at Founder's Hall in Hershey.

I had to work swiftly-- get my pieces written and in the hands of the video editor in the satellite truck fast, because the truck was being moved from Harrisburg to Hershey right after the inauguration was over. It wasn't a problem, and I thought the stuff looked pretty good. I wish I had saved it. I was relaxing in the hotel by 2 PM.

The inauguration was different in a lot of ways. Here are two. Tom Ridge was the first governor from Erie, and he was the first to be sworn in on the east side of the capitol building. When I took this shot, the capitol was behind me, and I'm looking out toward Soldiers' Grove the Walnut Street Bridge.

After Ridge took the oath, it was the first inaugural parade in twenty years, and it made for an unforgettable day.

Bad Photography Saturday: Patriot's Park

2012-01-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

I took this one on the last Thursday of 2011at Patriot's Park in Nanticoke.

Other than the monument, there really isn't much here, and there doesn't have to be. It's a nice green space in the middle of the city, and it has that real small town feel. I can see Opie riding his bike through the park on a summer afternoon. It's a simple space, and simple is good.

Final 4

2012-01-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

The National Football League is down to the playoff final four.

I need a team to root for, but I'm stuck.

There is no Tim Tebow type character on any of the four teams. There's no compelling story that encourages interest.

I'm a Steelers fan, so that ship has sailed.

49'ers? The team of the 80's. No warm fuzzies here.

Ravens? One of the main enemies of the Steelers and a thug filled team. No can do.

Patriots? Well known for cheating and a coach who hides injury reports. I admire Tom Brady's skills, but there is no way I can root for New England.

That leaves the Giants, by default. The Giants ruined the Patriots' perfect season a few years ago, so that's a plus. That's the only one. It's better than nothing.

Go, Big Blue!

The King

2012-01-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

It seems I've spent a lot of time lately noting the struggles of once great American companies-- Hostess, Sears, KMart, Kodak...

If it hasn't happened already, Wendy's was set to surpass Burger King as America's number two fast food chain.

Fast food is subjective, but I've always been a BK fan. It is the home of one of the greatest sandwiches in history-- the Whopper.

I've been thinking about how and why Burger King lost its way. It's impossible to knock off McDonalds, but you can still come close.

It seems like BK could never agree on an advertising strategy, and it when it finally did, the ads featured the guy in the creepy King costume. In my view, the company lost sight of what made it different-- flame broiled hamburgers and easy customization. I always get my Whopper without mayonnaise. Ask for a special order at McDonalds, and prepare to wait. Perhaps one of the reasons Wendy's is doing better is it embraced the customization concept.

Burger King's menu grew too large, and with apologies to a friend who works there, a lot of the stuff is nothing to write home about.

BK fries have always been okay. Yet, the company seems to change them every year. Guys, pick something and stick with it. Easy on the salt. McDonalds loves the shaker, and that's unfortunate.

Breakfast? Again, okay, but it's impossible to produce anything better than an Egg McMuffin, and BK seems to be a bit too fond of the microwave.

By the way, Wendy's is achieving all of its success without breakfast. You can get it in selected cities, but not nationally. The fact that Wendy's, a huge company, can't get breakfast rolling, shows fast food isn't as easy as it looks.

McDonalds has a lot of 24 hour stores. BK chooses not to compete in that area. Apparently, BK couldn't make money from being open all night, and I respect that.

USA Today reports BK is testing home delivery in the Washington, DC area. Are you kidding me? BK, it's all so simple. Go back to the basics. Do it well. Tell people why it's different. Tell people why it's better. The rest should take care of itself.

>>>UPDATE: The news broke early this morning-- Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The CEO says the move will allow Kodak to return to profitability later this year. Kodak will focus, pardon the pun, on printers, packaging, and software, among other things. As noted in earlier blogs, there had to be a time when a Kodak product was in every home in America. Understatement of the century: times change.

Who Do You Blame?

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

I see most of the Tweets and e-mails that come in to the station. While I don't have a Facebook page, I did read a stack of printed comments over the weekend. The topic was the layoffs at Offest Paperback in Dallas.

Offset is trimming 70 workers at the end of the month. There is less of a demand for traditional books because, according to the company, more people are turning to e-readers, like the Nook and the Kindle.

Many of the comments blasted the manufacturers of e-readers and the people who buy them.

I recognize that jobs are extremely important, and losing one is emotional. I've been there.

I don't have an e-reader, but I do see their value. They get books in readers' hands faster and cheaper. Everything has a price. In this case, the printers take it in the shorts.

You can't stop technology from advancing. My heart goes out to the people leaving Offset at the end of the month.

I will end with this. I recently paid a visit to the book store that replaced Borders at the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City. It was busy on a January weekday afternoon. People still want books, and that's a good thing.

Cold and WARM

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

We've just come through a cold snap, and it happens any time the temperatures dip. I think of one of my former co-workers, the great Ray Magwyre.

I worked at WARM 590 for ten and a half years, beginning in 1981. We had the edict from management, when giving the temperature, we always had to tag it by saying "WARM degrees."

Saying it's 80 WARM degrees sounds rather natural. Saying it's 2 WARM degrees does not.

Ray did the morning and mid day news, until he left for other challenges.

I didn't have the stones to defy management. Ray did. He never said "WARM degrees" when it was cold, and he got away with it. Ray was talented-- fantistic voice, wonderful spartan writing style. The guy was smooth.

It might be in the single digits, but it was always WARM for me.

No $ale

2012-01-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

I still don't buy it.

Joe Paterno, in the Washington Post, gave his side of the story of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal-- the one that got him fired after six decades with PSU.

Let's examine some of what the sainted Mr. Paterno had to say.

Paterno said he didn't know how to handle the allegations against Sandusky, and he didn't want to jeopardize "university procedure." That's the heart of the problem. It shouldn't have been a case of "university procedure." Paterno was confronted with evidence that an illegal act had been committed. It wasn't a university matter. It was a police matter. It was university above all else. Wrong. This is a coach who fought outside discipline for his players. It's apparent he was also against outside discipline for his long time assistant coach.

Paterno said he went to his "superiors." It's a joke. In the universe known as Penn State, Joe Paterno had no superiors. The fact that Paterno went to people inside the university community is more evidence of an attempt at a cover up.

Paterno has been quoted as saying "In hindsight, I wish I had done more." I'm sure there are about a dozen kids who feel the same way.

People involved in this case really should stop talking with the media. They're hurting the school. They're hurting themselves.

Bad Photography Sunday: The Creek

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

When the water leaves Lackawanna Lake, and goes over the dam, and down the spillway, it goes here-- Tunkhannock Creek. I took this photo on a grey December day. Even though there was no sunshine, there was a plus. The evergreens popped against all the dullness.

I took the photo from the foot bridge you see below.

Bad Photography Saturday: The Falls

2012-01-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

Okay, I made another visit to Lackawanna State Park. forgive me. I like it there. As I've said in the past, the park system is one of the few things the state has done right.

I've been meaning to get a closer look at the dam and spillway on the west end, and I finally discovered the easy way to get there. I worked some extra overnight shifts before Christmas. My afternoons were free, so I grabbed my camera and took a look. Here it is. It's impressive. I did my shooting on a cloudy day, so the colors and brightness weren't the greatest. I'll get back there one of these days, when the sun is shining.

Tomorrow, another view.

Business Friday

2012-01-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hostess, the Twinkie maker, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. The company says sales are down and costs are up. A Wall Street Journal story says thecompany has union problems and pension fund issues. I've never been a Twinkie guy, but it would be sad to see an American legend go away.

Kodak is said to be flirting with Chapter 11. The company never successfully transitioned from film and cameras into digital technology and printers. At one time, there had to be at least one Kodak product in every home in America. We've changed, and Kodak couldn't keep up.

The Liquor Control Board is raising proces of several products. It's a nice way to make friends while the governor is trying to put you out of business. It's tough to get bent out of shape about this one because alcohol is clearly a product you can do without. Still, it's unfortunate that your after work drink to unwind might become unaffordable.

The Brookstone store at Mohegan Sun in Plains Township closes at the end of the month. Do people go to casinos to shop? Gamble, drink, eat-- and that's about it.

Dead of Winter

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize it had a formal beginning and end time until I read about it on a weather web site.

Welcome to the dead of winter-- the coldest time of the year. According to Accu-Weather, it begins on January 10 and ends on February 10.

That's a little long for me. I always considered the dead of winter to be the last two weeks of January. When we hit February, average highs and lows start creeping up by a degree every couple days. You notice the days getting longer, and the sun getting a little stronger.

As I've said before, getting a little older has its advantages. Time really seems to fly by. I was giving it some thought as I was walking the dog yesterday morning. When you're a kid, you have goals-- the start of summer vacation, entering a new grade in the fall, getting a driver's license, graduation, voting, legal drinking age...

Once you pass 21, there's really nothing big on the horizon. My current next big event is a meeting with my accountant to get my taxes done. It's not the same thrill as getting that driver's license, but a happy time nonetheless.

Getting back to winter, it's been a good one so far. Little snow. Above normal temperatures. You know it can't last. We'll get whacked with a few storms before spring arrives. Relax. There's nothing you can do about it.

The Dead of Winter can't last forever.

Season's End

2012-01-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty good at shooting off my mouth about the shortcomings of other professional sports teams, so in the interest of fairness, a look at my team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, getting knocked out of the NFL playoffs.

First, the big excuse. The Steelers were physically banged up. Key injuries really hurt, pardon the pun.

Plus, it appears to me the Steelers really didn't take the Denver Broncos seriously. The Broncos finished the regular season at 8-8. Their offense was weak, and I have a horrible feeling Pittsburgh wasn't prepared.

Strange to say, I'm not that upset over this. If you're going to lose to someone, I'm glad it was a team led by Tim Tebow. For years, the guy heard he couldn't be a quarterback in the NFL. He's proved his critics wrong. Yes, some of the religion stuff can be heavy handed. But, nothing makes me happier than seeing an underdog succeed.

Even though they are a long shot, the Broncos are my sentimental favorite this year.

Being a realist, I can't see how anyone can stop Green Bay. The Saints can put points on the score board. Never bet against the Patriots. The Giants are peaking at the right time, and Baltimore can be tough.

The last month of the season is guaranteed to be entertaining.

I Knew It Was Over When...

2012-01-10T00:00:00.003-05:00

Radio is my first love, but I knew it was over when...

I was at a staff meeting at my radio station back in the late 80's. My boss said, and I remember it like it was yesterday, "I'm not interested in new listeners. I just want to keep what I have."

He essentially threw in the towel. How do you expect your staff to compete and excel when you've given up? That was the day I realized radio was cooked and it was time to move on.

Fast forward to a recent morning. I work with a part time kid who has a good voice. I asked him if he's ever considered a job in radio. He replied that radio is dead. Nice!

The kid is in his early 20's. He should be in radio's prime demographic. Yet, he sees radio as passe, and I bet many of his peers feel the same way.

Two radio friends recently lost their jobs, at separate stations last month. Both had been there more than twenty years. A local weekend sports talk show I sort of liked went belly up a couple weeks ago. It's so sad.

Radio is a great medium. You can't beat the immediacy and the intimacy. Done well, there is nothing better. Unfortunately, station operators don't see the wisdom in keeping the live and local sound. Yes, live and local costs money, but it pays off in the long run.

My former college station, which should be the epitome of live and local, is now nothing more than an iPod, and the commercial stations in town aren't far behind.

Radio will never be what it once was, but that doesn't mean it can't be special again.

They Just Don't Get It

2012-01-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

I like old music. I like old TV. I have my habits, and there are times I find it difficult to move on.

I'm trying to NOT be hypocritical when I tell Joe Paterno supporters that it's time to give it up.

JoePa is gone. Fired. He's not coming back. Never. Not ever.

Penn State selected a new head coach Friday, and he's from outside the family. The ink wasn't even dry on the contract when the complaints began flooding in.

Look, PSU had no other choice. It's out to change the culture-- the culture of secrecy, and special treatment for players, and ignoring complaints that could have stopped a pedophile from preying on children. As radio talk show host Steve Czaban put it, this is the culture that gave you a dirty old man in a shower with little boys.

Change is difficult, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

If LeVar Arrington wants to put his PSU stuff in storage, so be it. If the alumni are out to change the board of trustees because of alleged unfair treatment meted out to Paterno, take your best shot. The change at PSU is long overdue, and it's tragic that it took a child molester to start the avalanche.

On the surface, Bill O'Brien seems like a wise choice. He has an impressive track record, and he knows how to win. Give him a chance. O'Brien has an enormous task ahead of him. He not only has to re-build a football program. He has to re-build confidence in Penn State. O'Brien also has to get fans to start looking ahead and not repeat past mistakes.

Bad Photography Sunday: The Bridge

2012-01-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's my first patented, ill fated attempt at being artsy in 2012.

This is the turnpike bridge in Clarks Summit, in the early morning sun, framed by some winter time trees.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

Bad Photography Saturday: Up the Creek

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

A couple more from South Abington Park, leftovers from 2011 as we begin 2012.

If this section of Leggett's Creek was bigger, I guess you could call it a spillway. Here, it's just a minor change in elevation. The creek was running fast due to some recent rainfall.

Friday Scrapple

2012-01-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

It's our first scrapple of the new year. Much of it is sports and broadcasting related.

CNN/TBS commentator Jim Huber died this week. Leukemia. 67. He also wrote for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The man was a poet, and he never tried to make himself bigger than the stories he covered.

CNN has revamped its morning show line up again. Ashleigh Banfield is back. Yes, the "it's all about me" anchor who's never pulled any ratings has been given a prime spot on CNN.

I tune in Charlie Rose's PBS interview show from time to time. It's good. Unfortunately, I don't see Rose as a dynamic personality who can draw viewers to CBS in the morning.

With all the talent on the NBC/MSNBC bench, why did MSNBC have Rachel Maddow anchor its Iowa caucuses coverage?

Pittsburgh travels to Denver for the first round of the AFC playoffs Sunday. I know Denver won its division, and Pittsburgh didn't, but there is no reason a 12-4 team should have to go on the road to play a team that barely won half its games this season.

Andy Reid has a good winning record in Philadelphia, but he strikes me as one of those guys who can't get you over the top. I would have made a change.

Verizon quickly backed off its $2 fee for customers who make one-time on-line payments. Who thought that was a good idea in the first place? Clearly, Verizon wants you to sign up for those monthly auto-withdraw plans, but whacking you with a fee was the wrong incentive.

Why does it take so long to get rid of a cold?

Hershey is pushing candy bars and Kisses with little bubbles of air inside. Genius! Hershey is getting you to pay for nothing.

Uh Oh

2012-01-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

This one has been on the back burner due to the holidays...

Sears and KMart had a rough holiday season. The chain is closing more than 100 stores. so far, none are here in our area.

Management is spinning this one as a positive. The stores that remain will make for a stronger chain. There's some logic in that, but you can't escape the fact that there's blood in the water. Closings, of this scale, are always a sign of major trouble.

Let's take a closer look.

You can occasionally see me wandering about the aisles of the KMart in Moosic. I'm an early riser. The store opens at 7 AM, and it's rarely crowded at that hour of the day. Hey, you have my business. The prices for the basics, toiletries, batteries, little hardware items, etc. are competitive. There is a small food section in case I need some canned soup, cereal, soda, and so on.

Here's where the problems lie. It's a tired, dated store. It's clean and orderly, but the look really needs to be refreshed. On top of that, the only cash register open at 7 AM is the one at the courtesy desk. If someone is in front of you with a full cart, or if that person has a return, forget it. Plan on spending the better part of your morning in Moosic. Why is it that when a company has problems, customer service is the first thing to suffer?

I also blow through Sears once in a while. My last purchase was a pair of pants, and that was several months ago. I can't speak for them all, but the Viewmont and Wyoming Valley Mall stores are nice. Sears, according to industry analysts, is stuck in the middle. It gets pressure from higher end department stores, and lower end discount stores. Sears is in danger is becoming irrelevent, the Montgomery Ward of the new century.

Can Sears and KMart pull out of the downward spiral? Sure. Will it be easy? No.

And So It Begins...

2012-01-04T00:00:00.004-05:00

The Iowa caucuses were held last night, and it's a fascinating story in and of itself.

However, I'll pose the same question that we hear every four years: Is this any way to choose a president?

A small number of Iowa voters will center on a candidate, who will have a ton of momentum heading into Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. For those who finish down in the pack, they will see campaign contributions dry up. Some will likely exit the race before the month is through.

As I write this, Rick Perry is going back to Texas to "reassess" (translation: exit) his campaign, and Michele Bachmann is denying reports she's about to quit.

Two little states have a major role in selecting the nominee, and that's wrong. We need a national primary, or at least a series of regional primaries. Too few have too much power.

Of course, a win in Iowa does not guarantee you the nomination. Ask Mike Huckabee.

I will admit that today's blog is a waste of time. Election reform will never happen. Iowa and New Hampshire don't want to give up the power, and I really don't blame them. Influence is nice.

Governor Ed Rendell floated a plan to hold the Pennsylvania primary earlier in the year. By the time we go to the polls, the race will likely be over. A lot of people, including myself, had problems with Rendell's plan. First, voters shouldn't have to deal with potential snow storms. The real answers is for more states to vote later in the spring-- not while Christmas decorations are still up.

Money Laundering

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

It happened just before Christmas. I had to do some extreme early morning "stocking stuffing." My task was completed, and I was on the way home.

Suddenly, I became very hungry, so I drive through McDonald's at 2 AM. By the way, those 24 hour McDonald's are the best inventions-- ever. Plus, they don't switch to breakfast until 4 AM. Yes, burgers and fries all night! How I wish Burger King would do the same.

Anyway, I paid for my food with a $10 bill. I received some coins and three singles as change. The money was stuffed into my shirt pocket. I inhaled the Big Mac and fries in McDonald's parking lot. As I drove home, something didn't smell right. I did more sniffing around when I got in the house It was the three singles I received as change at McDonald's. I had never encountered such horrible smelling money in my life. It reeked of cigarette smoke.

There was one quick and easy solution. I threw the three dollars in the sink, squirted the bills with soap, and washed them. Problem solved.

Now, I've been accused of being Felix Unger. I'm fussy. I'm tidy. I'm a neat freak. There are some things I can let slide, but I draw the line at malodorous money!

I hope the person who gave the singles to McDonald's had a good time smoking and presumably drinking. The money had that "bar" aroma. I also hope the person who received the singles after me appreciates the springtime freshness.

About the Cover

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Big, steel truss bridges aren't as common as they once were.

This is the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke bridge, in a picture taken on a late December morning. I'm on the west side, looking east.

It's strange to see the bridge and the Susquehanna River free of snow and ice at this time of year.

2012

2012-01-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it's finally here, and it wasn't easy.

As we begin 2012, let's take a quick look back at 2011... snowstorms, fires, an earthquake, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, the flooding Susquehanna, Conahan, Ciavarella, kids for cash, Cordaro, Munchak, Penn State, Paterno, Sandusky, Syracuse, the Sterling, city hall hijinks, gas drilling, the Yankees dismal attendance, the Penguins and the elusive Calder Cup...

I cannot remember a newsier year.

Let's hope 2012 is just as interesting, but far less tragic and corrupt.

Thanks for reading the blog and Tweets this year. Have a great 2012.

I paused for a moment, just before the start of the new year to watch Dick Clark. He sounds much better than recent years, and I will always admire his courage.

Now, it's back to the keyboard to continue banging out the morning news.

Top 10: The Dietrich

2011-12-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

And finally, my favorite picture of the year. I took this one on the morning of September 12, shortly after the Susquehanna River receded. Tunkhannock's Dietrich theater took on a lot of water. Volunteers pitched in before and after the flood to make sure the Dietrich survived.

I hope you and your family have a happy and safe 2012.

Top 10: McDade Park

2011-12-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today's offering is the coal miner's statue at McDade Park in Scranton. It was taken January 5.

Here's why I like it, in addition to the cool statue. The flag jumps out against the menacing, grey winter clouds.

Top 10: Wilkes University

2011-12-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today's top ten offering is a little reminder of spring time on a cold, winter day.

I took this one the afternoon of April 27th at Wilkes University.

John Wilkes is keeping an eye on the green space and the clock tower behind the library. As you can see, the leaves were just starting to appear on the trees.

Top 10: Flash Flood

2011-12-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

I've been doing this broadcasting thing for more than thirty years now, and the July 4 flash flooding in Plymouth and Plymouth Township was among the worst I've ever seen.

Above is what happened when Coal Creek came roaring down Coal Street.

Top 10: The Watres Armory

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

I love this building, and I'm worried about it.

The National Guard moved out of the ancient Watres Armory in Scranton, into a new building on Olyphant Avenue in the city. The cornerstone on the Watres says "1877."

What do you do with an old, massive armory? Even though it's on the National Register of Historic Places, I fear this story will not have a happy ending.

Top 10: Tunkhannock

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Regular blog readers know that I like history, and this is among my favorite courthouses in the area. This is the Wyoming County Courthouse in Tunkhannock.

The picture was taken on the spectacular, unseasonably warm, and clear afternoon of March 17.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

I was doing some aimless wandering last week, looking for a Christmas blog item. I decided to use this-- the nativity scene across from Carbondale City Hall. You don't see many nativity scenes these days, so I thought it could use a little exposure.

It happens every year. There are complaints about the season losing its meaning and political correctness being involved. Apologies in advance for the lecture, but I look at it like this. If you hear someone say "Happy Holidays," it's to include everyone-- not exclude. If you think someone's taking the Christ out of Christmas, too bad. That's their problem. Holidays and religion are personal matters. Celebrate the day the way you want it celebrated, and by doing that, Christmas traditions remain alive.

By the way, Carbondale has a lot of holiday charm. It's small town America. I hope your Christmas is a great one.

The Top Ten Photos of 2011 continues tomorrow.

Top 10: Dushore

2011-12-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

I thought this picture would be a good Top Ten offering for Christmas Eve-- two churches, on a hill, in Dushore.

This one was taken on the morning of July 26.

Dushore and much of Sullivan County got whacked by flooding in September, and I hope the joy of the season brings some comfort to those who suffered losses.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Top 10: Mellow Park

2011-12-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

I learned a long time ago that one of the keys to surviving winter is to go out and do something fun in the cold. Bad photography falls in to that category.

This picture was taken the morning of February 5. It is a shot of the snow covered and abandoned basketball court at Mellow Park in Peckville, just waiting for spring time.

Top 10: Tamaqua

2011-12-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

There are parts of our area that have a bad reputation. When a lot of people hear "Tamaqua" they think "old coal town."

Think again. It's actually a very nice little town, and proof of that is this photo from the morning of July 5. A fountain, train station, park and gazebo really brighten up the center of the borough.

Top 10: The Susquehanna River

2011-12-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

A lot of organizations select a "Newsmaker of the Year." My pick for 2011 is the Susquehanna River.

This is a shot of the Water Street Bridge in Pittston, looking west. It was taken the morning of September 8, as the rain from Tropical Storm Lee was sending the Susquehanna to record levels.

It's amazing how a beautiful recreational asset one day can be a devastating menace the next. As hard as we try, the best we can do is an attempt to contain it and minimize the damage. The river always wins. Nature is undefeated.

No one believed there could be another Agnes.

Top 10 Preview

2011-12-20T00:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. Get ready for the third annual "Top 10 Photographs of the Year" series of blogs.

As always, these are not necessarilly the best and most beautiful shots of the year, but they are my favorites-- even though some depict diffucult days here in our area.

It almost didn't happen. I nearly lost my files due to a computer issue back in October, but a talented techie saved my butt. He also saved my database of the times, places, and subjects of my photographs.

I learned my lesson. The database is now a Google document, immune from local hardware issues. I also promise to be a bit better at backing up my work.

Going through a year's worth of photos is always a lot of fun. I now spend a lot of my professional time behind a desk, but I do get out once in a while. It was an interesting year, and there was never a shortage of subjects to photograph. Reviewing the shots is a nice way to remember the places I've been and the things I've seen.

The Top Ten starts tomorrow. You have been warned.

Working Christmas

2011-12-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

I was doing some math the other day, and I figured out that I worked my first Christmas 30 years ago.

More math: I've worked between 20 and 25 Christmasses over the years.

Don't cry for me. When you take a job in broadcasting, you have to understand that working holidays is part of the package. I'm continually amazed at the number of kids entering the business who just don't get it. What are they teaching them in college?

Anyway, back to my first "professional" Christmas. It was at WARM 590 in December of 1981. The work wasn't difficult-- putting on a tape of Handel's Messiah at midnight, followed by hours and hours of pre recorded Christmas music on reel-to-reel tapes. It was torture for someone who doesn't like Christmas music, but it was a job, and I was happy to have it.

Now, remember this was the time before massive broadcasting conglomerates. The ownership cap was seven AM and seven FM stations-- total. There are companies that now have close to those totals in one city. I was locked in the WARM Building in Avoca, all night, all alone-- just me and the Carpenters singing every Christmas song known to man, with an occasional Feliz Navidad thrown in.

We had a Christmas tree in the lobby. The office staff had a habit of unplugging it at 5 PM, the end of their day. I had a habit of plugging the tree in again. It gave the place some needed warmth, and it needed it badly.

The hours dragged, but finally, at 6 AM Christmas morning, my shift came to an end. If memory serves, Vince Sweeney was my relief. I stayed for a few minutes to chat with Vince, and then, I was on my way home, to sleep through Christmas.

Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, so I'll be working and that's not a problem. As I mentioned in previous blogs, I'm not a holiday guy.

Remember, if you are working on Christmas this year, you are not alone. Happy Holidays!

Bad Photography Sunday: Back at the Park

2011-12-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

More reasons to like South Abington Park... the path is paved and lit. It's lined with benches, and there is shelter, including bathrooms, adjacent.

The one drawback-- the path isn't very long, but this is a place where the plusses far outweigh the minuses.

Bad Photography Saturday: The Park

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's called South Abington Park, and it runs along Leggett's Creek in Lackawanna County. It was always on my list of places to visit, and Thanksgiving morning was my day.

Covered bridges over a pretty creek-- can't go wrong.

Friday Scrapple

2011-12-16T00:00:00.003-05:00

A look at the calendar shows 2011 is almost over, to it's time for a little scrapple and to tie up some loose ends...

The last days of the year will be dedicated to some of my favorite photos from the past twelve months. I'll toss in a thought or two if and when something enormous happens.

I usually find December flies by, but it seems to be dragging this year, and I just can't figure it out.

My number of Twitter followers increases every few days, and once again, I thank you for that. I feel obligated to Tweet more, but let's face it-- my life isn't that interesting. Also, I pick up new Linked In contacts every few days. I'm flattered.

Accused child molester Jerry Sandusky waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning. Despite the comments of the defense, you can't help but think a plea deal is in the works. 90 per cent of the time, the end result of a preliminary hearing is the charges being forwarded to trial, but it does give the defense a good look at the proseuction's case, and a chance to see how witnesses react on the stand. If there's no plea deal, waiving the hearing is a huge mistake. You can't say precedence has been set. The defense has made a lot of mistakes the last couple months-- including allowing Sandusky to open his yap.

By the way, please tell Mr. Sandusky's legal team that I've never required a lesson in how to shower.

The NFL has its shortcomings, but the big networks really like it. It's simple-- big ratings. There's a new TV contract. CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN will pay a combined $ 2 billion a season. There are some tweaks and changes, but things will essentially stay as-is, but with the NFL getting a 60 per cent bigger pay day.

I blew through one of the shopping malls yesterday afternoon, and it was extremely busy. Every year, we hear dire predictions on consumer spending, and every year, people blow through a lot of cash and rack up credit card debt.

I can complain about anything-- except this year's November and December weather.

Sunday Morning

2011-12-15T00:00:00.003-05:00

Thank you, Roone Arledge.

Sunday mornings used to be a public affairs wasteland. ABC used to have something called "Issues and Answers," a totally forgettable program. When Arledge took over ABC News, he decided to change things. David Brinkley was hired in the early 80's, "This Week" was born, and things started to move.

The increased competition caused NBC and CBS to up their games. CBS had "Sunday Morning" in 1979. Eventually, weekend editions of "Today" and "Good Morning America" were born. WNEP has been doing weekend morning news for around 20 years. As someone who's been there for the last 13 and a half, thank you for watching. Weekends are important.

Now that I've built the foundation... ABC announced Tuesday that Christiane Amanpour will leave "This Week" to become ABC's global affairs correspondent, and she will also report for CNN. Great move!

I thought Amanpour was okay on Sunday mornings, but Washington politics clearly isn't her thing. ABC tried to make the broadcast more internationally focused, but after all these years, viewers are accustomed to a Washington centered broadcast. It wasn't bad, but it really didn't work. On top of that, we're headed in to a presidential election year. Politics will be huge.

I smelled something wrong Saturday night. Amanpour was MIA at the Republican presidential candidates' debate in Iowa. Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos handled it. You would think the anchor of your Sunday morning Washington broadcast would play a role. It didn't happen.

In an admirable display of common sense, ABC announced "Good Morning America" anchor Stephanopoulos is headed back to "This Week." He'll continue to anchor GMA, but only four days a week. Stephanopoulos had TW for eight years, and he grew as a broadcaster during that time. I thought he'd bomb on GMA, but I was wrong. The ratings are up. While Stephanopoulos seems uncomfortable with the fluff, the rest of the broadcast is strong. I'm sure TW will be a better broadcast because of Stephanopoulos' GMA experience.

CBS announced on Sunday that "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer will go to an hour for 20 weeks beginning in April, and possibly even longer. You can't help but like anything Bob Schieffer does.

Throughout all of this, one thing is abundantly clear-- competition makes everyone stronger. See you this weekend.

The Power

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

It is perhaps my favorite line in politics and one of my favorite lines of all time. It came from Governor Robert Casey. "What did you do when you had the power?"

Casey knew politicians had the juice to get things done, and he hated to see that ability wasted. Whether or not you agreed with his politics and policies, Casey's line is a great one.

Lackawanna County Commissioner Mike Washo, who did not seek reelection this year, now has some questions about the deal essentially turning over the local AAA baseball franchise to Mandalay Entertainment and the New York Yankees. Washo went public with his questions just weeks before leaving office, and just days before control of the team passes out of local hands.

Mandalay is the organization that presided over huge drops in attendance, and anti-fan attitudes.

What did you do when you had the power?

Washo was one of the architects of the plan he now questions. Admittedly, the Washo plan is better than one first drafted by then-commissioner Bob Cordaro. It still leaves a lot to be desired, and lacks some essential guarantees.

Too little, too late.

What did you do when you had the power?

LCCC Trees II

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Photographing Christmas trees presents a challenge. If you use the flash, you wash out the lights. If you turn off the flash, the lights can be overwhelming, and the tree itself is too dark.

Be that as it may, here are "my" favorites at this year's Luzerne County Community Festival of Trees.

Above is first runner up. It's the entry from the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

And below is my personal favorite. It was done by the Cross Valley Federal Credit Union.

The pictures don't do justice to the trees, so I should explain my selections. It's rather simple. I went for the traditional look.

I know it's early, but Merry Christmas, and if you're in the Nanticoke area, stop by to see the trees in the Educational Conference Center at LCCC.

LCCC Trees I

2011-12-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

I found myself with a little extra time off last week, and an itch to play with the camera.

A weekend newspaper story about a Festival of Trees tweaked my curiosity, so I drove down to take a look.

There are several trees on display inside LCCC's Educational Conference Center, each decorated by a different organization. The trees will be on display until the 21st. You can vote for your favorite. Votes cost $1 each, and all the money raised goes to the American Red Cross.

I have absolutely no decorating skill, so I love looking at the work of others. There are some really nice trees on display here, and it's even better because the money raised goes to charity. Tomorrow, I'll show you my favorites.

Bad Photography Sunday: Diesels

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

A check of the list shows it's been a while since I've inflicted some train photos on you.

This one was taken shortly after sunrise on Thanksgiving morning. The sun is low in the sky behind me, and that's my shadow in the foreground.

One of the engines was fired up. The freight moves, even on a holiday.

Bad Photography Saturday: Freight Station

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of our area's treasures. It's the old railroad freight station on West Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton.

It's also one of our area's tragedies. The building has been empty for decades. Plans to put something in it have repeatedly fallen through.

The building is in private hands. Unlike Wilkes-Barre's Hotel Sterling and train station, this one is buttoned up and doesn't appear to be deteriorating.

Let's hope the old freight station gets developed into something spectacular one of these days.

Marywood & Me Again

2011-12-09T00:00:00.004-05:00

It is my greatest yearly challenge as a bad amateur photographer-- the Marywood Christmas tree.

The rotunda of the Liberal Arts Building is relatively dark. A flash washes out the LED tree lights. The tree lights overwhelm the photo without the flash. I always try a shot or two on every setting my camera has, and I usually get something barely passable.

The photo above was taken late Tuesday afternoon. To quickly review, the Christmas spirit does not come to me easily. The Marywood tree lighting gives me a nice little kick. And, thank you Marywood for continuing to have the tree lighting AFTER Thanksgiving, as it should be.

For years, I wondered why I never attended the rotunda tree lighting as a student. The answer finally appeared on Marywood's web site. The tree lighting was an outdoor thing until 1982-- mid-way through my senior year. I took an excess number of credits during my freshman and sophomore years. I took at least one class every summer. By the time my senior year rolled around, I wasn't spending much time on campus. In fact, I wasn't even considered a full time student in the second semester of my senior year.

This year's tree lighting took place just three days after I chided Marywood, via blog, for a few things. Several people spoke to me about it when I was on campus Tuesday. Some agreed with what I wrote. Some disagreed. All were civil, and I can thank Marywood's culture for that. I tracked a spike in blog hits on Friday, so I knew I was going to hear about it.

Part of Friday's blog dealt with the operation of the radio station. I remarked on the lack of local content on a recent morning. I was informed that the station is staffed with real live bodies beginning in the late morning, and continuing all afternoon and in to the night. While I was relieved to hear that, it is still disappointing that all I heard was an endless stream of music. Please, do something that reflects your city and your university community, even if it's recorded, and even if it lasts one minute out of every hour. The station never sounded better, and in a lot of ways, that's a step backward. Remember, owning a broadcasting license carries responsibility.

A few people encouraged me to visit more than once a year, and get involved in some alumni activities. I'm not sure it will happen, but it was nice to be asked. I'm not what you would call a "joiner."

I could tell there was some hurt and resentment over the Princeton Review "unhappy student" survey. In some ways, it should be a wake up call to the Marywood community, even though the Princeton Review process appeared flawed. Coming from one who doesn't bleed Marywood green, it even bothered me a bit. It's been said many times, many ways. A higher education is what you make of it. My four years wasn't a barrel of laughs, but I was grateful my parents afforded me the opportunity. I kept myself busy, on and off campus. The time flew by, and I didn't regret choosing Marywood. You wouldn't know it by reading the quarterly alumni magazine, but I've done okay.

In retrospect, Marywood was a good choice. I'm from a small town, and I went to a small high school. A relatively small college made sense. Location and expense were the big issues at the time. More things became clear after I received my diploma.

I won't pick apart last week's blog and Tuesday's visit issue-by-issue. I do understand the blog was discussed and distributed in some Marywood offices. It's possible absolutely nothing will change, but at least the university listened, and I thank the people there for that.

Same time, next year.

The Long Ranger

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

With apologies to my friends in the weather office, I put very little stock in long range winter forecasts. Weather patterns change every few weeks. You might be able to spot a trend or two. Accuracy? It's just not happening. I don't blame the meteorologists. That's just the nature of the beast. Seven days is about as far as it goes, and those last couple days are just a rough guide.

I noted earlier how the squirrels seemed more active this fall, how their fur was thick and it turned whiter earlier than normal. That would seem to indicate a harsh winter is ahead. The squirrels. They know.

On the other hand, there's a big indicator this winter will be milder than normal. I bought a new pair of boots a couple weeks ago. The boots are in a box, in a closet. They weren't cheap. People who spend time outside in the winter know the value of a good pair of boots. With my luck, my investment will remain in the box, and it won't pay off this winter.

I'm okay with that.

The Best Laid Plans

2011-12-07T00:00:00.003-05:00

Okay, I was wrong about this one.

Last month, I wrote that Coke's plan to put its flagship brand in white cans for Christmas was genius. A lot of people collect Coke items, and the cans really stood out on supermarket shelves. I could see people buying the white cans to drink the contents, and to collect something unusual. Coke has never appeared in a white can.

Well, things didn't go quite as planned. Coke is pulling the white cans. The problem? Too many people were confusing the white with the silver Diet Coke cans.

I didn't buy the white cans, but I did look at them in stores. I didn't confuse them for Diet Coke cans, but I can understand how that can happen.

Coke is the top selling soft drink in the USA. You would have thought Coke understood not to screw with the brand after the "new Coke" debacle of the 80's. We've now learned it applies to what's inside the can, and what's on the outside.

But then again, conspiracy theorists think this was just a plan by Coke to limit shelf time, and make the white cans even more valuable.

Live, learn, and drink.

By the way, I'm proud that one of my photos has been chosen "header of the week" at www.nepablogs.org. Thank you.

Bowling

2011-12-06T00:00:00.003-05:00

I wouldn't have complained if Penn State declined bowl invitations, but I'm okay with the Nittany Lions going to the January 2 TicketCity Bowl in Dallas.

Staying home would have shown some respect to the alleged victims of the sexual abuse scandal.

On the other hand, I didn't want to see team members punished for the bungling of the coaching staff and PSU administration.

Penn State is giving $1.5 million from the bowl to charities that benefit abused children-- also a good idea.

The following is a train of thought I borrowed from Steve Czaban at Yahoo Sports Radio. The people who run the TicketCity Bowl have to be praying that there are no new revelations in the sex abuse scandal between now and game time. I'm sure they'll have to deal with some scandal related distractions. Another shoe dropping, something new, could send the distraction meter off the charts.

The bowl will be on ESPN U. I had to check my cable system line-up. It's there, on channel 272.

The battle with the University of Houston could be a really good game, and I'm sure the TicketCity Bowl people will be very relieved when Penn State gets on the jet to go home, right after the final gun sounds.

?

2011-12-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

What's the deal with Herman Cain?

When you toss your hat in to the presidential ring, you have to know that every aspect of your life, past and present will be under the microscope. Your opponents are looking for black marks. The media will be digging.

Cain pulled out of the race Saturday, dogged by allegations of sexual harrassment and an extra marital affair. Either he was arrogant to believe he'd get away with it-- or he didn't do it.

Can someone please explain Jerry Sandusky to me?

Sandusky gave another interview. The latest was to the New York Times. I really don't understand what he has to gain. Like the NBC interview a few weeks ago, Sandusky comes off as just plain creepy.

Bad Photography Sunday: Pergola

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today, another one of my patented ill fated attempts at being artsy. This is the pergola at South Abington Park in Lackawanna County. It was empty on a recent November morning. The greenery is dormant. There's no need for shade on a cold day.

Bad Photography Saturday: River Street

2011-12-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today, more proof of why I call it "Bad Photography."

I was in downtown Wilkes-Barre, at the Market Bridge, in late October, when this scene caught my eye-- a cluster of colorful trees, with the courthouse rotunda in the distance.

So, on this cold December day-- a recent memory of a sunny fall morning.

Marywood & Me

2011-12-02T00:00:00.002-05:00

Consider this the definitive blog entry on Marywood University. I am a 1983 graduate, back when it was Marywood College.

The Princeton Review says its survey shows Marywood students are among the unhappiest in the nation. If a Marywood student is unhappy, it is because he or she didn't do their research before deciding to attend. Marywood is a conservative and sleepy community. You will never hear "fun" and "Marywood" in the same sentence, and that's okay. You're there to learn. If you want to party, go somewhere else. I will say that there are more than enough activities at Marywood and in the Scranton area to keep you busy. You can also do what I did when I was a sophomore-- find a job. Quit your whining.

Why did I go there? It was close and it was cheap. End of story.

My education was adequate. I knew I wanted to be a broadcaster, so I made sure I was active at the radio and television stations. More about those later.

Marywood has done some things that have angered me. High on the list was taking Congressman Joe McDade's porkbarrel money for something called the "military family institute." Thousands of your tax dollars was spent to produce a few paragraphs. I was ashamed of my college. While the military family institute is long gone, my disgust remains. Marywood, you're better than that. You never should have taken that money.

Marywood and I have been estranged for some time. I've never attended a reunion, and I've never given it a dime, other than tuition. If Maryood likes you, it really loves you. In a fit of childish pique, I made the university take me off its mailing list several years ago. I grew weary of reading about the same six graduates in every edition of the quarterly alumni magazine. I had enough. The university gives the distinct and unmistakeable impression there is an elite class, and the rest of us are chattel.

I try to go back every year for the Christmas tree lighting. I will give Marywood a lot of credit for holding off on most of the Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving. The campus remains a thing of beauty. Most of the new construction has been on the edge of the campus. The heart remains as-is, and as it should be. Marywood bought the Scranton State School for the Deaf property for a song, and I'm okay with that, too. Marywood will be a great care taker of the land and buildings. You won't see a Turkey Hill built there.

Now, let's talk about broadcasting. I listened to the college radio station for more than an hour the other morning. In that time, I didn't hear one live voice, and the university should add that one to the "ashamed" list. No disc jockey. No weather. No news. Nothing to reflect the university and the community. The radio station should be a tool to train tomorrow's broadcasters. It should be a place to make mistakes, and learn the craft. I was lucky to have done my time there. Now, it's just a computerized, automated music machine, and that's plain wrong.

I vividly remember my first broadcast, in December 1979, and my last one, in January of 1983. My first song was also my last song-- "The Stranger" by Billy Joel. I treasured the opportunity.

Marywood has a channel on my cable company's line up. Pardon a "geezer" moment. Back in my day, we did four news broadcasts a week. Now? No news. All I see is an occasional basketball game and a scrolling list of public service announcements. A few of those on a recent evening were outdated. Again, shame on you. The university has a marvelous resource, and it's being wasted.

Yes, there is more to broadcasting than being a disc jockey and doing news. DJ work hones your timing and adlib skills. If you can handle the discipline of news, you can do just about everything else in the industry.

Way deep down, I wonder if the choice of an institute of higher education really makes a difference. I've seen kids from obscure schools who were fantastic journalists and broadcasters, and I've seen students from allegedly great broadcasting/journalism universities who couldn't write a succinct and clear news story to save their lives. They might have excelled in the college world. The real world is an entirely different story. I've discovered that colleges might not be places to learn, but rather develop what you already have in you.

If you're unhappy at Marywood, transfer out. Last time I checked, there isn't a wall around the campus.

About the Cover

2011-12-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Since I've been chainging blog headers, monthly, for the past couple years, December has always been the hardest.

I want to do something with a holiday theme. The big Christmas displays aren't up and running until later in the month, and I'm not complaining. I refer you to an earlier blog post about Christmas decorations going up far too early.

Anyway, this one almost fell right in to my lap. As you will remember, there was a big snow storm Halloween weekend. The Saturday night WNEP production crew built a massive snow man in the back yard, and I snapped off a photo before he melted.

What I really should do is take some extra Christmas photos this month, and save some for next year.

Regardless, have a great December.

Underappreciated

2011-11-30T00:00:00.003-05:00

I'm not a good holiday person, so I usually find things to occupy and distract me. I'm lucky this year, in that I've already found this year's candidates.

The first is the underappreciated 70's TV series "Barney Miller." It was a series where clever writing and well developed characters led the way. I founds the boxed set of all seven seasons on-line recently, and I've been enjoying a couple episodes just about every day.

I also found the first two seasons of the NBC sitcom "Wings" on DVD at one of those indoor flea markets. I'll dive in to that as soon as I finish "Barney Miller." It's a line I've used many times before-- when the history of TV is written, "Wings" will not be on the list of great sitcoms. However, it was consistently funny and cute, and a solid performer for NBC every week.

The third seasonal diversion is a new biography of Howard Cosell. I'll nibble away at that from time to time.

Bring on the holidays!

Inspection

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

It is my yearly ritual, and here is this year's version.

My car has to be inspected before the end of the month, and the day before Thanksgiving was my day.

I dropped off the car at the dealer in the morning. The dealer's shuttle gave me a ride home. When the car was ready in the early afternoon, the dealer offered a ride back to the shop, but I politely declined. I wanted to take the bus.

Walmart founder Sam Walton had a concept called "MBWA." It stands for management by walking around. In other words, he wanted his managers out of the office and out on the sales floor.

It's a great idea. I've stolen it as a way to get story and blog ideas. You see a lot more outside than you do sitting in front of a computer at a desk.

Once again, I have to give a positive review to the COLTS system. The bus was clean and warm. Our route took us through a supermarket parking lot on the day before Thanksgiving, and I was impressed with the driver's patience. The parking lot was packed, and some drviers were darting all over the place. If that wasn't enough, we also passed Regional Hospital and Moses Taylor Hospital. The streets are narrow, with cars parked on both sides. Driving the bus in that environment is like threading a needle, but the driver did it. The trip cost $1.25, and that's a bargain.

The closest bus stop is about four blocks away from the dealer. My walk was over dirty streets and busted up sidewalks. That is a constant every year, and it's unfortunate.

By the way, the car passed the inspection-- no problems detected.

McStrange

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

It took me a year and a half, but I finally ate in one of those redesigned McDonalds.

The food was the same. My Big Mac was good. The fries were solid, albeit over-salted.

The decor? Earth tones, wood, glass, upholstered seats, tile, a little carpet.

No garish colors. No plastic and chrome overload.

And, no Ronald McDonald. Where was Ronald? I need my Ronald. It wasn't a trip to McDonalds without the clown. I want my clown!

Having said that, no one ever chose a fast food restaurant based on the decor. It's the location, and the ability to get decent food, at a reasonable price. Most of all, you have to get me in and out in a hurry.

New look. Same old lack of "fast" in "fast food."

Bad Photography Sunday: Cannon

2011-11-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

There's something very Andy Griffith/Mayberry about canon in a park, and that's not a bad thing.

These two beatuties guard the Battle of Wyoming monument in Luzerne County.

Like yesterday's photos, it was shot late last month.

Bad Photography Saturday: Repairs

2011-11-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

The Battle of Wyoming monument was nearly spilt in half by a bolt of lightning a few years ago. Repairs have been made, and it looks spectacular-- no signs of damage.

If you look carefully, running down the left side in the photo above is the ground that leads from the lightning rod at the top, into the earth.

There's still a lot of color on the trees. The photos were taken late last month.

Unfinished Business

2011-11-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

I keep trying to move on from the Penn State scandal, and it keeps pulling me back. The Wall Street Journal published a story on Tuesday detailing how Joe Paterno fought his players being held to the same behavioral and disciplinary standards as other students. First, he recruited thugs who repeatedly got in to trouble on campus. Second, it's further proof that the sainted Joe Paterno is a hypocrite. I'm sure a lot of other college coaches have pulled the same stunts, and I've even seen it on the high school level. However, it's more proof that the sanctimonious Paterno is a fraud.

I'm also trying my best to avoid going on an anti Black Friday rant. I think time will take care of that one. Black Friday will become Black Thursday within the next few years.

CNN Radio anchor Stan Case was killed in a car crash Tuesday in Alabama. Great voice. Great delivery. He also voiced some pieces for CNN and was an anchor when Headline News actually did news. I'm saddened by the loss.

I'm also saddened by the loss of disco singer and actress Andrea True. She had one big hit: "More, More, More." Heart failure in Kingston, NY November 7. She was 68. As noted previously, some disco wasn't bad.

A member of the Cincinnati Bengals was penalized for hair pulling during a tackle in the game versus the Baltimore Ravens. Hey, if you wear your hair that long, you run the risk of having it pulled, and it shouldn't be a penalty. It is difficult for me to type this paragraph because I'm a huge Troy Polamalu fan. It's time for the NFL to ban excessive hair length, except on the cheerleaders.

Tim Tebow could turn me in to a Denver Broncos fan. I hate to see someone undeservedly kicked around so much. Is he the NFL's greatest talent? No. He pours on the religion a bit heavy, but he won games in college, and he's helped the Broncos this year.

Blog visits, Linked In connections, and Twitter followers are all up. Thank you!

Holiday Creep

2011-11-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

I've resigned myself to the fact that the Christmas season begins just before Halloween. While it might seem earlier every year, it really isn't.

There is something new we now have to endure. Thanksgiving used to be a day off from the commercial Christmas rush. Then, Black Friday started at midnight Thanksgiving. Now, Black Friday starts around 10 Thursday/Thanksgiving night, and that's just plain wrong.

I recognize the need to save money and hit the Black Friday sales. I also recognize not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving.

It happens a little more every year. Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle, and I fear we're on a slippery slope. The sales that start Thanksgiving night will move a bit earlier every year. Thanksgiving is well on its way to becoming just another day.

Whatever you do today, and no matter how you feel about what I've just written, please take a little time out to give thanks for what you have.

The Bird

2011-11-23T00:00:00.003-05:00

Retro usually works for me. There is an exception to every rule. Case in point: The Baltimore Orioles.

Last week, the Orioles announced the return of the cartoon bird to caps and uniforms. It's part of the Camden Yards stadium 20th anniversary.

The cartoon bird never quite worked for me. I preferred the ornithologically correct feathered critter, even though it was the symbol during several horrible losing seasons.

Looking on the bright side, it's still better than what the Miami Marlins will wear next year.

It's going to be a long winter. Spring training games begin March 2.

Again

2011-11-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

Growing up, we were always a Cronkite household. I later worked for a CBS affiliate for about seven years, so I've always been a CBS follower. Even to this day, when I'm up late, I'll watch the CBS Evening News. It seems to be the newsiest of the three evening broadcasts. Sorry, Diane.

The 7 AM broadcast used to be called the "CBS Morning News." I liked it. It was "the news." Then, in an effort to catch the other guys, CBS dropped "news" from the title because it reasoned that people were frightened and turned off by "news" in the morning. In came cooking, fashion tips, and celebrity babble. Anchors rotated in and out on a regular basis. You never knew who you'd see in the morning. There was some real talent in there-- Harry Smith, Forrest Sawyer, Paula Zahn, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Clayson, Bob Schieffer, Diane Sawyer...

Nothing worked.

Last week, CBS announced it was blowing up its morning show yet again. Beginning in January, Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Erica Hill will lead a newsy MSNBC "Morning Joe" style discussion show.

I admire CBS for trying something different. Rose is a skilled interviewer. I'm not sure if he's morning material. King had a talk show that died from low ratings. She's now on her pal Oprah's network. Like most of America, I haven't seen it. Hill works the morning show now, and I think she's okay.

From what I've read, CBS has realistic expectations for the new morning broadcast. The network hopes to draw an affluent, intelligent audience. It reminds me of the 80's NBC series "St. Elsewhere." The medical drama never got huge numbers, but it attracted upper socio economic groups, and advertisers loved it, so NBC kept "St. Elsewhere" on the schedule for six years and 137 episodes.

How times have changed. CBS went the anti news route in 1987 with something called "The Morning Program" hosted by actress Mariette Hartley, possibly one of the worst shows in the history of television.

I'll give the new CBS morning show a try next year, but I fear I'll go back to my normal morning routine-- channel surfing from broadcast to cable until I find some real news.

Too Much, Too Soon

2011-11-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

I hate to see Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving.

First, Thanksgiving has now become lost in the shuffle-- just another day to eat and the beginning of the shopping frenzy.

Second, a long Christmas season diminishes the experience. More is not necessarily better.

Get ready. Here comes a "geezer" moment.

When I was a kid, most people didn't turn on their lights until mid December. Part of the reason for that was to save money. Back in the day, outdoor Christmas light strings consisted of bulbs that were bigger than your thumb. They threw a lot of heat and sucked a lot of power. I'm surprised there weren't more fires.

Anyway, a favorite pre holiday activity for my little friends and I was to wander about town, looking at house decorations and lights, and discussing amongst ourselves how things looked. Most homes, including mine, went the multi colored route. Some did just red and green lights. A few used just blue and green. My friends didn't care for that last one. I did. It was different. Remember, this was the time before those tiny, twinkly clear lights, and long, long before icicle lights. Those inflatable monstrosities were decades in the future.

We have more decorations these days, and they're visible earlier in the year. Unfortunately, the Christmas season has lost a lot of its charm.

Bad Photography Sunday: One More from the Park

2011-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

One more shot from Lackawanna State Park... You have to admit, the park system is one thing the state got right.

Bad Photography Saturday: A Walk in the Park

2011-11-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

November can be a grey and colorless month. Let's remedy that with another shot from a visit to Lackawanna State Park a few weeks ago. I love the reflection of the trees in the perfectly still water behind the dam.

Friday Scrapple

2011-11-18T00:00:00.006-05:00

What was Jerry Sandusky thinking when he gave that interview to Bob Costas Monday night?

As bad as the Penn State riot was, the candlelight vigil and demonstration of humanity at the Nebraska game was off the charts. The pendulum swings both ways.

I can't think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving and we're in to December.

It seems like there's a different Republican front runner every week, and that makes the race interesting.

The low turnout in the election was not surprising, but still sad.

I know a few of the winning Luzerne County judicial candidates, and I have no doubt they will make fine judges.

I love listening to Joe Paterno's defenders, especially those who say "He was only the football coach." That's like saying a tsunami is only a wave.

Misbehaving "occupy" protesters do nothing for their cause.

Scranton is getting another Irish pub. Just what we needed-- an Irish pub on every corner from Green Ridge to Minooka, from Keyser Avenue to East Mountain.

Regis Philbin leaves "Live!" today. The man wasn't my cup of tea but I do respect his longevity and the fact he is so well liked. I do like the way he did "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?!" and "Million Dollar Password." Regis didn't make himself bigger than the games.

When you hear people blaming the media for their problems, it usually means they can't think of anyone else to blame.

I'm really enjoying watching Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles struggle this year. It's time to realize Andy Reid is an okay coach, but not a great coach.

"2 Broke Girls" on CBS isn't a great sitcom, but it has its moments and some witty, albeit crude, dialog.

What Took You So Long?

2011-11-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

There are times I'm very proud to be a member of the news media, and then there are times...

Let's start with the positive. Much of the reporting on the Penn State Sex Scandal has been excellent. Important questions are on the way to being answered, and that's a good thing. Penn State gets a lot of your money, and the public has the right to know. The public also has the right to responsible reporting.

Having said that... Now that Joe Paterno is out of a position of power, his detractors in the media are coming out of the woodwork. Yeah, it's easy to do now. The bandwagon is getting crowded.

I will note that there have been a few blogs here over the years, questioning if Joe Paterno was the appropriate logo for the university. I thought he should have been out years ago, and I said it. He was out of touch. When an opposing player was accused of sexual assault, the sainted JoePa's response was "Boys will be boys." He should have been fired for that, alone.

Maybe if we all had kept a better eye on Penn State, maybe if we were all more intrepid and critical, maybe if we questioned Paterno's power, some of this wouldn't have happened.

Penn State allowed Joe Paterno to become bigger than university, with unrivaled influence. We in the media were accomplices and enablers of the ascendancy.

Penn State is exempt from the state's open records law. That, too has to change and change fast.

7

2011-11-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Time flies. The blog is seven years old today, and you know what that means: the annual and tedious story of how the blog came to be.

Dennis Fisher was our news director at the time. he solicited ideas for getting new and original content on to WNEP.com. I saw anchor and reporter authored columns on other TV station web sites, and I made the suggestion. Dennis asked for some samples.

Before I could provide them, the blog thing started to take off, and then-webmaster Mark Sowers cornered me one morning to ask if I would be interested. I started blogging that afternoon.

I don't have an accurate number of posts and photos because our platform has changed a few times over the years. I suspect it's more than 2,000. That's a lot of banality!

We had a few other blogs over the years, but the authors thought FaceBook would be a better fit. I'm not a FaceBook guy, but I can't argue with their reasoning.

I did register a Google+ account, just to keep someone from snatching my name. I've yet to do anything with it. I also had to re-activate my LinkedIn account to retrieve some e-mail addresses that were lost in a server crash. I still Tweet on occasion.

Thanks for being here for the ride.

Animal Stories

2011-11-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

People asked me about it wherever I went yesterday, so I might as well give you my take on the skunk that invaded the WNEP newsroom Monday morning.

I was seated at the camera position in the newsroom at 5:30 AM. As always, there's a weather "hit" at the beginning of each half hour. Joe Snedeker broke the news that he accidentally let a skunk in the building. The critter surprised him as he opened the door. Joe surprised the skunk, in return, and the little guy ran in the door, rather than running toward the woods.

As I watched Joe on the monitor, and listened to him in my ear, I thought he was kidding. I've been around skunks all my life. It's part of growing up in NEPA. They usually avoid human contact.

A moment after Joe's pronouncement, and mere seconds before I was to go on, the skunk scurried past my chair, only about three feet away from my shoes. It happened so fast, and I was stunned. There was no time to jump, or yell, or do anything like that. The skunk didn't spray me. I assume he was conveying a professional courtesy.

A few of us searched the newsroom, and there was no luck finding the skunk. He was later located in a cabinet in an area we went over. I'm glad the skunk was found. Only a few of us saw him, and I didn't want people to think I was crazy.

Skunks are cool little animals, with a funky walk and big fluffy tails. As I've noted here in the past, when I smell a skunk in late winter, I know spring is right around the corner because that's the time of year skunks go looking for love. I like skunks, but not that close.

On a much, much more serious note...

It's happened three times in recent months. Mean dogs have come charging at me while I was walking my mellow old beagle. In one instance, I had to place my dog up on a wall to keep her away from the charging dog. In another instance, I had to get between the menacing dog and my dog. Sunday morning, I had to kick a big dog to shove it away and keep it off my little dog.

A neighbor who walks a cute little puggy dog every day had a similar experience recently.

And, that's on top of dodging loads of crap all over town from pet owners who refused to clean up after their dogs.

In one case, I waved down a passing police officer to point out some irresponsible pet owner who let her dogs run free.

Other than that, I don't know what to do. My dog and I like our exercise, and we don't want to be prisoners in our own home, but I no longer feel safe.

I have had it with people who refuse to train and control their dogs.

Do I have to walk with a baseball bat, or pepper spray, or more? There has to be answer and a way to get through to people who shouldn't own dogs. Something has to be done before someone or some innocent dog gets hurt.

Gone

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

And now, it's gone.

This used to be Holy Family Church in Scranton. I took this picture several days ago. To give you a little perspective, I'm standing in the alley behind the building, looking west, toward North Washington Avenue.

As has been noted here, the Catholic Diocese of Scranton closed the church. It was sold and will become a parking lot for The Commonwealth Medical College.

You may be asking why I was so fascinated with this church, even though I never attended a service here. First, and foremost, it was a beautiful building. It was also the distribution center for Easter baskets for the less fortunate, a story I did several times over the years. Believe me, when you get a rather steady diet of fires, accidents, crime and corruption, it's nice to do a positive story once in a while. The recipients of the gifts were grateful. The amount of donations was staggering, and so many people volunteered to help make it happen. I'm sure the distribution center will be moved to another place. It won't be the same.

I was driving by the church earlier this year, on a winter afternoon. The sun was hitting it just right. I didn't have my camera with me, and I'm still kicking myself over that one.

I bear no ill will toward anyone over the church's demolition. I understand the reasons behind the church closings. I also understand there's not much of a market for old church buildings. There is a demand for parking, and if it helps the school, we all benefit.

Still, it's sad to watch a landmark reduced to rubble.

Bad Photography Sunday: Country Church

2011-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Regular blog readers know I have a fondnness for old country churches. I spied this one, Waverly Community Church, on my way to Lackawanna State Park a few weeks ago.

Of course, I love the steeple and how the big red doors jump out at you.

Bad Photography Saturday: LSP

2011-11-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

When I have the itch to play with my camera, I usually head to Steamtown, or here-- Lackawanna State Park. This is the view from the top of the dam.

A Veteran and the Real Joe

2011-11-11T00:00:00.006-05:00

It is unfortunate that Andy Rooney didn't make it to one more Veterans Day.

I'm sure you know by now, Rooney passed away Saturday at the age of 92.

While he was best known for his "60 Minutes" commentaries, Rooney was also an Army veteran who wrote for Stars and Stripes, and covered some of World War II's biggest, ugliest, and bloodiest battles.

I will leave the obituaries up to the better skilled, but I will say that I admire those, like Andy Rooney, who can write and get people to take notice.

By the way, something struck me while watching Andy Rooney television obituaries. Many of those stories featured the opening of "60 Minutes." Dear God, what an assemblage of talent on that broadcast-- Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner, Dan Rather, Ed Bradley, Diane Sawyer, Steve Kroft, Lesley Stahl... I think the only thing that surpasses it was the radio group hired by Edward R. Murrow during World War II.

Happy Veterans Day, Andy Rooney.

Now, on to the Joe Paterno saga. I will never understand the blind allegiance to this guy. He was the ultimate actor. The Paterno you saw in public was a fake.

I covered Penn State football a bit in the 90's, and I was warned early on. Even back then, I had a reputation for asking difficult questions and being a professional pain in the behind. It is a distinction I wear with honor. Anyway, I was told that if I asked questions that challenged sanctimonious Paterno or PSU, I ran the risk of having me and my organization frozen out. I'm not sure who authored that rule-- athletic director Tim Curley, Paterno, or both.

Richard Justice is a writer for the Houston Chronicle, and below is an excerpt from his column that really nails it.

Indeed, that’s one of the lessons of this story. Paterno became accountable to no one, and isn’t that sad? He was the moral compass of State College and of Penn State.

He earned that status by winning games, graduating players and not cheating. He seemed different from so many of the others because during his 46 seasons, Penn State proved it could win with honor.

Somewhere along the way, Paterno’s value system became distorted. He had more power than any school president or mayor or athletics director, and because we assumed he always used it for good, because we believed the things he said about winning with honor, we allowed his power to grow and grow and grow.

Paterno built what appeared to be a model program, but he also built a program around secrecy and arrogance. No one crossed Joe Paterno. No one challenged Joe Paterno.

Paterno professed to be part of the larger university community, but in truth, he believed the university was there to serve him.

You see, if I have trouble conjuring up sympathy for the beloved and sainted JoePa, now you know why.

Too Long

2011-11-10T00:00:00.005-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a local elected official who was arrested for theft. Not long after the arrest, when his second command was in charge, the successor and I had a conversation. He related a talk he had with his boss during the transfer of power. The new guy in charge quoted the now charged official as saying "I stayed at the party too long."

Joe Paterno has announced his retirement at the end of the season. He stayed at the party too long.

Paterno took a major hit because of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal. It's all too apparent that Paterno had information Sandusky was abusing little boys, and Paterno did little to stop it.

Paterno has not been criminally charged, but if arrogance and hypocrisy were crimes, Paterno would be in jail.

Joe Paterno is the guy who threw the PSU president out of his home, when the president came to fire him in 2004. Back then, Paterno thought he had no boss.

Seven years later, when Paterno learned of the Sandusky problem, he suddenly had a boss. Paterno told the athletic director about Sandusky, and walked away. Police say Sandusky's abuses continued. Paterno could have stopped Sandusky from victimizing children. He didn't. Paterno's legal obligation was met-- barely. His moral obligation was nowhere to be found.

Sandusky continued to use PSU football facilities up until recently. Where was Joe? Either he didn't care, or he was too out of touch to realize there was a problem.

Look at the big picture. Paterno offers his football program as squeaky clean and holier than thou. Yet, PSU is close to leading the country in the number of players with arrest records. (Source: CBS News and ESPN) Joe Paterno recruits thugs.

Late last night, the board of trustees fired Paterno and president Graham Spanier. There was no other choice.

A student riot followed-- so much for Paterno & Co. shaping the young minds of tomorrow. A shameful event became even more so, because so many people just didn't appreciate the gravity of the action and inaction of those involved in the sex scandal.

As I watched, and listened to the rioters on television this morning, all I could was think of is how they've disgraced themselves and their school. It's time to grow up.
All of this could have been prevented with a well timed and dignified resignation. It doesn't work that way at Penn State. Paterno and football became bigger than the school, and the school happily allowed it to happen.

Joe Paterno, the party's over.

Vote 2011: Post Game

2011-11-09T00:00:00.008-05:00

Before a little analysis of the results, let's start with this. I visited five polling places yesterday, including the place where I vote. In each and every one, I witnessed candidates and candidates' surrogates passing out cards and literature at the door. In some cases, it was like attempting to break through the Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive line.

People hate it. They really do, and candidates have to get that through their heads. Most of the time, I saw the cards trashed, without so much as a glance, as soon as the voter entered the building.

Me? I never take them. My mind is made up long before I reach the polling place. I don't need any help finding candidates on the ballot. I'm sure there is more than one candidate out there who thinks I'm rude and haughty and nasty and arrogant and egotistical. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just want the right to go to vote without being assaulted.

I know some counties are trying to enforce the rule keeping these people a set distance away from the polls. Guess what? It's not enough. Yes, it's freedom of speech. Candidates and their friends have the right to campaign. That's America. However, I also have the right to be left alone.

Now, the numbers...

Wilkes-Barre mayor Tom Leighton's win is not a surprise, but voters did deliver a message. He got hammered in a state senate run two years ago. His two opponents yesterday, combined, did come up with a decent total. The nepotism, security system, and Hotel Sterling issues clearly played a role yesterday, but not enough to deny Leighton another term.

Those predicting a third place finish for Corey O'Brien in the Lackawanna County Commissioner's race were off the mark. He was a strong second, and Democrats retain control of Lackawanna County.

The top vote getter for Scranton Council was Bob McGoff, an ally of Mayor Chris Doherty.

Tim Rowland breezes in the Lackawanna County Coroner's race. The win is not a surprise. His huge vote total raises more than a few eyebrows.

I will save the most interesting for last. Stefanie Salavantis defeated Jackie Musto Carroll to become Luzerne County District Attorney. The Luzerne County kids for cash scandal claims its newest victim. Musto Carroll was either DA or first assistant DA while thousands of kids were appearing in court without legal representation. She admitted never setting foot in juvenile court. Musto Carroll's testimony before the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice was not her finest hour, and she took a big hit in the commission's report. Add some effective commercials from Salavantis, along with low voter turnout, and there will be a new DA in January.

Salavantis is 29 and has limited criminal court experience, but consider this. One of the primary functions of a DA is to be an office manager and administrator. Corry Stevens had very little courtroom experience when he was elected DA. He hired a couple experienced assistants and some aggressive young lawyers, and he righted the office after the mess left by the previous administration. Stevens was rarely seen in a courtroom, and there weren't many complaints about his performance as DA. He was elected to the court of common pleas, and later, state superior court.

Election Day

2011-11-08T00:00:00.006-05:00

It's finally here-- general election day 2011.

It's a big day in a lot of respects. Voters in Luzerne County will choose their first county council.

Several counties are selecting new commissioners. Just about every city and town has mayor, school director, supervisor and council races. They might not be big offices, but they are interesting and important nonetheless.

It seems hard to believe, but one year from today, we'll be choosing a president, a US senator, and several US house races.

There will likely be a short lull around the holidays. Then, get ready. 2012 will be a noisy year.

Like recent elections, I'll try to get in some updates here and via Twitter-- with a little "day after" stuff tomorrow.

>>>3:45 AM... One last review of the election day preview stories I started over the weekend. Everything is edited and ready to go.

>>>4:55 AM... We've chosen Duryea as our live shot location. Signs all over the place. Looks to be a hotly contested election.

>>>7:20 AM... A nice initial rush of voters here at our location. Predictions of a low voter turnout might be inaccurate.

>>>10:50 AM... Spoke too soon. Visited 4 polling places this morning. All light. Got some interviews and in the process of assembling a story for Newswatch 16 @ Noon.

>>>11:30 AM... My story for Newswatch 16 @ Noon has been written and edited. The live truck mast is going up. We'll be feeding soon. After that, live at 12, back to the office for a few loose ends, my own trip to vote, a walk with the dog and a long nap.

The Pennsylvania Puzzle

2011-11-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

It happens every ten years. The state house and senate districts are re-drawn according to the latest census. The party in power draws the boundaries to help themselves. The party not in power cries "foul." After it's all settled, occasionally with help from the courts, it's business as usual in the General Assembly.

A fellow blogger pointed this out-- Does the average citizen care?

My state representative seems like a decent chap. I don't know much about my state senator. He keeps a rather low profile. Both appear to adequate. It is the house and senate, as a whole, where the problems lie. The bodies are bloated, and they don't like to make tough decisions. Banning texting while driving was a no brainier. The debate over privatizing the liquor system has been going on for years, and it's not even close to being decided. The anti smoking legislation is so weak and watered down, it doesn't please either side. A recent reform package was laughable, and now the general assembly is backtracking on some elements.

You see, the street where you live is irrelevant. It's the culture of elected official self preservation that keeps getting us in to trouble.

There are some exceptions. One state rep leaves a trail of unpaid bills. Another's love of per diems got him voted out of office. I wouldn't be comfortable with either representing me, so, yes, there are times when your district does make a difference.

Some elected officials are unhappy with counties carved up among multiple districts. Sorry. That's the way it goes. The constitution calls for an equal number of citizens per district. Despite the protests, there's not a lot of evidence to suggest that citizens really benefit from a unified county.

In spite of it all, voting remains our best weapon, and please don't forget to do that tomorrow.

Speaking of Pennsylvania, I have to mention that sex scandal at Penn State University in State College. To bring you up to speed, former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually assaulting children.

Athletic Director Tim Curley and Finance/Business VP Gary Schultz allegedly knew about it, did nothing, and lied to investigators. They are charged with perjury.

State prosecutors allege a student told Joe Paterno about Sandusky's actions, and Paterno went to Curley about it. I'm okay with that.

Many questions remain. When Curley sat on the allegations, why didn't Paterno go further? Maybe he did, and we just don't know. Maybe Curley lied to Paterno about what he was doing in regards to Sandusky.

Let's look at the big picture. Penn State is close to leading the nation in the number of student athlete arrests. Add to that the apparent negligence and irresponsibility of those in power during the Sandusky episode, and you have a culture of reckless and indefensible behavior.

Some state lawmakers are already promising an investigation, and I welcome it, even though hearings often produce few results. It's just representatives and senators preening for the cameras and pandering to the public.

There are some real problems at PSU, and it's clear even though those accused are innocent until proven guilty, it's high time for new direction in Penn State athletics.

Bad Photography Sunday: Old Steam

2011-11-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

I was walking around Steamtown with my camera recently, when I spied this beauty.

It's a rusted, beat up Canadian National engine, and I hope it is one day restored to what is used to be.

Bad Photography Saturday: Steam

2011-11-05T00:00:00.001-04:00

As noted earlier, I blew through Steamtown on a recent sunny afternoon. One of the big engines was fired up, much to the delight of the visitors.

Yes, visitors! Most afternoons, Steamtown is deserted, and it was nice to see some people wandering around, in the middle of the week.

More Preservation

2011-11-04T00:00:00.001-04:00

It was a strange coincidence. I happened to be in downtown Wilkes-Barre last Monday, and I snapped off a picture of one of my favorite buildings-- the Irem Temple on North Franklin Street. The next day, a story on the building appeared in the Times~Leader.

The Irem Temple is owned by an arm of the Chamber of Commerce, and it's looking for bids on repairing and stabilizing the mosque. The Chamber sees the building as part of the riverfront project. That's all well and good, and I hope it happens. Here's another idea. Work a deal to make it a performing arts center for nearby King's College. As I've said here in the past, the only organizations with money to expand these days are colleges and universities, Walmart, and dollar stores.

The Irem Temple is a treasure and it should not be lost.

Genius

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

I will forever stand in awe of the marketing genius of American corporations. I took several public relations and advertising courses in college. Plus, I've been a member of the media for more than three decades I've seen all.

Exhibit A is McDonalds. It's reintroduced the McRib sandwich, as it does from time to time. Every instance, it's the same thing-- the company gets tons of free advertising from the news media. The advent of social media gives an additional explosion. McDonalds could probably get away with having the McRib available everywhere, all the time. The limited availability just makes people want it more, and it triggers the media to talk about it more-- all free of charge.

I haven't had a McRib in years. I've heard the sandwich referred to as McGristle. I have no strong feelings either way. It's not a bad sandwich, but not a great one, either. It just appears to be substandard meat parts, disguised by a smothering of barbecue sauce.

Exhibit B is Coca Cola. There's a reason it's the world's best selling soda pop-- marketing genius. During the holiday season, Coca Cola will be available in white cans, and that's a first. The cans will feature polar bears, and that ties in to a television campaign. The white Coke cans were featured in a USA Today story last week, and I'm sure you'll see the cans elsewhere, in print, on TV, and on line. Again-- free advertising and valuable publicity.

As has been noted here in the past, Diet Pepsi is my drink of choice, but if Diet Coke is on sale, those red and white cans will be in my cart.

Exhibit C is what's happening on West 57th Street in New York City. According to the Associated Press, the new management at CBS News finally realizes its morning broadcast cannot beat Today and Good Morning America, and it's time to go in a new direction, one featuring more hard news. It's about time, but we've endured many "new directions" from CBS before.

Exhibit D: FOX Sports. It was fashionable to knock Joe Buck and Tim McCarver during last week's World Series. While TMac can be a bit wordy, Buck is the perfect partner. Couple that with excellent camera work, and you had a very good World Series. Calling it "genius" might be a bit strong, but you cannot dispute that it was good television.

Backyard Bandit

2011-11-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

When I worked in downtown Scranton, we had rats and roaches.

Things are a little different in pastoral Moosic. We had a raccoon come through the backyard for a snack early Saturday morning. He was feasting on one of the pumpkins. Animals are smart, or Noreen Clark told him a snow storm was coming. Gnawing in to a pumpkin must be the raccoon equivalent of running to the supermarket for bread, milk, eggs, and Pop Tarts.

Even though raccoons and assorted other critters are destructive, they are pretty darn cute.

About the Cover

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

After a brutal couple months, let's show the Wyoming Valley a little love.

This is one of my favorite bridges in the area-- the Market Street Bridge between Kingston and Wilkes-Barre. I took this photo on the east side, on a late October morning.

One of my favorite days as a broadcaster was spent on the bridge. Antique cars from the Great American Race rolled over the bridge, on their way to a festival at Kirby Park. I broadcast it on the radio, back in the mid 80's. It was an amasing sight-- a sunny summer afternoon, great cars, in a beautiful setting. It doesn't get much better than that.

This bridge has seen it all, and I'm glad it's "weathered" a lot of good times and bad.

Sticky Snow

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

An October snow storm can be worse than one in the middle of January.

It's usually in the 30's, so the snow is heavy, wet, and sticky. The leaves are still on the trees, giving that wet snow additional places to land. Trees and power lines get weighed down, and you know what happens next-- power outages.

The above picture was taken outside the WNEP building Sunday morning. A tree near the employee entrance is bending under the weight.

PPL had a rough weekend, with a quarter of a million homes and businesses in the dark. As always, the calls, e-mails, and Tweets came flooding in. I'm sorry, but we can't pressure the power companies to work faster. Electricity can be deadly. Do you really want to rush someone working under dangerous conditions? On top of that, the utility doesn't make money unless your meter is spinning, so it's in their best interest to get you hooked back up as quickly as possible.

Above is the satellite dish farm behind the station. We're lucky in that we have a big, back up generator at the studio.

To those of you who lost electricity, best of luck and please stay safe.

Bad Photography Sunday: More Fog

2011-10-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Fog has this marvelous ability to take finite things, and make them infinite.

This is the same railroad bridge over the Susquehanna River you saw here yesterday.

Thanks to the fog, it looks like it stretches forever.

Bad Photography Saturday: Foggy Bridge

2011-10-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

How about a little spooky fog for a Halloween weekend?

This is the old railroad bridge over the Susquehanna River, between Pittston and West Pittston. I was on the west side to take this photo.

It's Over

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

I come to you today with a great deal of sadness.

While I love my job, I've just burned off my last week of vacation for 2011.

How did I spend my precious time off? Playing with my computer, watching the World Series, playing with my camera, taking advantage of Anytober, wandering through stores, Tweeting, watching Big Bang Theory reruns, walking the dog, and sleeping. Lots of sleeping.

I even found time for a little business. We went through a computer system switch at the office during my time away. I had one training session before I left, and I felt I need another. A fellow producer showed me the way yesterday morning, and for that, I am grateful. Yes, I spent time at work while I was on vacation.

Now, it's back to the keyboard, the camera, and the microphone, with an eye already looking toward 2012.

The Church

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've been showing the slow death of Holy Family Church on North Washington Avenue in Scranton for the past several weeks.

To give you the short version, the Catholic Diocese of Scranton closed the church. It's being torn down to make way for a parking lot for the Commonwealth Medical College.

Progress.

The spectacular steeple is nearly gone. Salvage crews have been working inside, and it won't be long before the bulldozers do their work.

The Bridge

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist. When I saw on Newswatch 16 that part of the old 8th Street Bridge collapsed into the Susquehanna River, I just had to see for myself.

Camera in hand, I wandered down Monday morning. This is the view from east to west. I'm in Jenkins Township, looking toward Wyoming.

What have we learned here? Mother Nature and gravity always win.

By the way, I drove over the new bridge for the first time Monday, and wow, what a change from the old. The span on the left is wider and much safer. Crossing the Susquehanna here is no longer a white knuckle ride.

I have to note one other thing before signing off today. Two months after the water receded, there is still a ton of visible damage along the Susquehanna in Jenkins Township, and it's chilling.

Lightless

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

I preface today's entry by saying my problems paled in comparison, by far, to those who had issues during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

It was a little before 5 AM yesterday, and I was in the midst of my usual morning routine-- checking Tweets and e-mails, personal and professional, and going through the morning papers. Then, it happened. The lights went out. I looked out the window, and I knew it was bad. This wasn't a block or neighborhood thing. There was darkness as far as the eye could see, or couldn't see.

In the old days, I'd flick on a battery powered radio for the latest. I have several of those. Unfortunately, radio news is all but extinct in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. If it's not on line, in the paper, or on TV first, you don't hear it.

This is 2011, so I powered up my netbook and triggered the air card. I e-mailed the office, and learned what had happened. There was a fire in the PPL Marshwood Road, Throop substation, pictured above. About 5,000 homes and businesses were in the dark.

Newswatch 16 streams its newscasts, so I got the latest from Tom, Mindi, and Joe. After about an hour, I decided to save battery power, and turned off the netbook. The video from the scene looked serious, and I didn't know how long I'd be without electricity.

Not content to sit around and do nothing, I grabbed the beagle and went for a walk in the pre dawn darkness. Even though I had my giant MagLite, it was still really, really dark outside. There was only a sliver of moon, and it was shrouded by clouds. Quality time with the beagle killed about 45 minutes.

One I got home, it was the radio for entertainment, not information. The station with my favorite music plays the same taped newscast hour after hour, and there was no mention of the power outage. I read the newspaper by flashlight, and those little LED lanterns I got cheap at Walmart really came in handy.

After about three hours, the lights came back on. After re-setting some clocks and answering machines, life returned to normal.

To those of you who spent days without electricity this summer, I don't know how you did it.

4 Month Late Movie Review

2011-10-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

I finally got around to seeing "Bad Teacher." In case you don't already know, Cameron Diaz plays an unmotivated teacher, using her job to find a rich husband.

I like my comedies on the darker side, so this one was right up my alley. It's not on the "Bad Santa" level but it's still entertaining.

Warning for those expecting a big moral lesson: You won't find it here. The Cameron Diaz character proves you can get what you want by lying, cheating, and stealing. Several on-line reviews I read have a problem with that. I didn't. It's a movie, and a dark comedy at that.

While you really can't root for the Diaz character, you can root against one of her enemies-- a way too perky, way too nosy, and way too annoying fellow teacher. I hate that type.

I can't say I loved "Bad Teacher," but it was better than okay.

Bad Photography Sunday: Grazin' in the Grass

2011-10-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Most of the time, I photograph inanimate objects-- trains, buildings, etc.

Today, a change of pace-- sheep grazing in a field near Dalton in Lackawanna County.

Bad Photography Saturday: Rainy Pond

2011-10-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was playing with my camera on a recent rainy morning, when I stumbled upon this scene near Dalton. Pond in the foreground, barn and house in the background. I really have to get back up there when the sun is shining and the trees have a bit more color.