Friday, February 28, 2014

Jim Lange

It's been a bad week.  Jim Lange passed away Tuesday.  Heart attack. 
Lange hosted several game shows over the years and is best known for "The Dating Game" beginning in 1965.

Chuck Barris was the creator and producer.  He liked to choose hosts from radio because radio people were fast thinkers and good ad-libbers.  Plus, Jim Lange had an outstanding voice.  You had to be fast with the original "Dating Game."  The show was known for titillating questions and answers from contestants, and it was up to the host to keep the show on track-- but still keep that naughty quality.

Lange told Bay Area Radio Digest that "good radio is still the most fun."  Before retiring, Lange was doing a morning show on a San Francisco big band station.

Jim Lange was 81.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Business News

Once again, we are confronted with a horrible situation, and forced to look at it as a "glass half full" event.

EDM Americas, the company that used to be Diversified Information Technologies, announced yesterday that it's moving out of the old Globe store in downtown Scranton to a building on Montage Mountain in Moosic.

Lackawanna County will help with the move.

Two hundred jobs stay in the area.

Yay!

Scranton loses tax revenue, plus all those who people who shop at downtown stores, eat at downtown restaurants, park in garages, and use public transportation.  While a lot of people live downtown, and more are coming, this is a major kick in the throat to a struggling business community.  A dark downtown becomes even more dark.

Boo!

I learned a long time ago that a little bit of something is better than a lot of nothing.  People keep their jobs, and those jobs remain in the region.  But, I can't help shed a tear for those trying hard to make downtown work.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pothole City

You know how this one goes.  Every spring is pothole season here in our area, but this year is worse than most.

The winter has been colder and snowier than normal.  A lot of moisture, the scraping of the plows, the corrosive action of the rock salt, and many freeze and thaw cycles add up to a lot of problems.

We've done a lot of pothole stories, and they always kick off what I call the "begats."  One pothole story spawns others.  It also kicks off an endless string of telephone calls in to the newsroom.  Everyone thinks the road they live on or travel regularly is the worst.  And, you know what?  They're right.

COLTS changed two of its routes Monday due to crumbling roads in Scranton-- Van Buren Avenue and Boulevard Avenue.  The latter is particularly frustrating.  It's a mess every year.  The problem is bad drainage from a hilly area and poor paving.  If they'd fix the drainage issue and replace the road the right way, we wouldn't endure this madness every year.  In Scranton, there's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over.

I appreciate the effort to patch all the roads.  Unfortunately, the patch used during winter, before the asphalt plants open for the season, doesn't last beyond a couple of days.  It's the best we can do, and if it spares some poor driver a blown tire or other auto issue, it's worth it.

We're not even at the end of February.  March can be a cold and snowy month, and it looks like this March will be a lousy one.  Get used to bad roads.  Drive slowly and be extra careful.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Arrival and Departure

I'll get to the departure first.


Sadly, Harold Ramis passed away yesterday.  He was Bill Murray's sidekick in Stripes.  He wrote and co-starred in Ghostbusters.  Ramis directed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day.  He was a funny man.  69.  Complications from something called autoimmune inflammatory disease.

The arrival is a uniform tweak for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.  Translation:  more stuff for you to buy.  There are now a variety of caps and shirts, including this one.
Yes, it's a bacon themed cap.  Wearing something so bizarre could prove to be an incentive to play better and get to the major leagues quicker.

Seriously, I've always liked the "Iron Pigs" name, logo, and merchandising.  I'm not totally thrilled with the bacon cap, but if it gets fans interested and going to the ballpark, go nuts.  The home opener in Allentown is April 7.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Unfinished Monday

We ran a report from ABC News on Newswatch 16 Sunday Morning, concerning the arrest of the world's largest drug dealer.  He's now locked up in Mexico.  The report said the arrest will not affect the flow of drugs in North America.  It was an eye opener.  Drug operations are so big and complex that they can withstand the loss of the leader.

Penn State's "Thon" was another success.  It was a weekend of stories filled with inspiration.

A Saturday night domestic in Lansford ended with gunfire.  Four children were in the home.  Thank Heaven they weren't hurt.

A Scranton councilman voted to okay a zoning change that benefits his employer, and then tells the Times ~Tribune he didn't realize he should have abstained.

The pothole story is more than a freeze/thaw issue.  It's bad maintenance, bad drainage and water flow, and sloppy paving to begin with.

A pregnant woman, who already has an 18 month old, was taken in to custody as part of the meth lab bust in Schuylkill County.  There are no words to describe this one.

A Wilkes-Barre bar, that had its liquor license pulled, was busted over the weekend.  The allegation is selling alcohol without a license.  A man was gunned down in the bar's parking lot in October.  Apparently, some people don't care where they spend their time.

Eight badly neglected horses were discovered on a farm in Lycoming County on Friday.  Animal welfare officials say it will take months to get them healthy again.

Bundle up.  The Polar Vortex is coming back.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Andy's Angles: Renaissance

It's about time Pittston is known for something beside political corruption and downtown building fires.

The city has made efforts to reinvent itself.  Downtown has some nice bars and restaurants.  Several businesses call it home.  Buildings that haven't fallen down or burned down have been renovated.
You'll find some "wire people" stretching a cable across Main Street.  It catches your eye, and it serves as a reminder there could be better days ahead in Pittston.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Andy's Angles: Winter Reminder

There is still a little bit of winter left, and today, a reminder of what we've experienced.  This is a late January shot of the Susquehanna River at Pittston.  The shot is looking downstream, to the south and west.  The sun is getting stronger.  The days are longer, and spring is almost here.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Media Friday

It's Jimmy Fallon's first week as "Tonight" host.  I like the opening.  I like the theme.  I like the set.  Fallon's a talented man, but I don't think a talk show is his thing.  Some see it as boyish charm.  I still think the guy looks like a frightened bunny.  He started that way on "Late Night" five years ago, and it hasn't changed.

"Tonight" is a powerful franchise, and it will survive, in spite of NBC's repeated efforts to mess it up.  Fallon appears to a younger crowd, and while he's not my thing, he'll do well.

CBS Sports fired Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe from its NFL pre game show.  I hate to see anyone lose a job, but Marino and Sharpe never had a whole lot to say, and that's typical of the network pre game show.  ESPN has a huge stable of competing voices, all saying nothing, and overwhelmed by Chris Berman's overbearing and annoying personality.  FOX seems more interested in yuks, and that's too bad.  Its crew, especially Bradshaw and Johnson, was capable of producing the occasional gem.  CBS has been a train wreck since it first got back in to the NFL game in 1998-- three studio hosts, several "analysts."  Nothing's worked, and now CBS will try it again.  NBC's Sunday Night Football is on after my bed time.

I've watched a little of NBC's Olympics, and read several stories about the games, looking for a compelling story line to capture my interest.  Sorry.  It didn't happen.  Other than Bob Costas' pink eye and some inept questions by NBC's "interviewers," the games have been rather dull.  Don't say "What about the USA ice hockey team?"  They're a bunch of professionals.  They're paid to win, and I can't get excited over that.

A local radio station is now calling itself  "total reach radio."  Is that an appeal for listeners, or advertisers?  If you have to explain a slogan, it's not much of one.

The Yankees are jumping over to a different radio station in New York, yet they are keeping the same awful announcers, rendering games unlistenable.  It defies logic.

The Polar Vortex looks poised to make a return, plus the super long range forecast says there could be another major storm in a week or so.  It gives The Weather Channel additional chances for hysteria.

The Weather Channel can learn several things from the network journalists in Kiev.  They're reporting from a city torn apart by riots, and it's burning down all around them.  Video included citizens breaking apart sidewalks so they'll have stones to throw at troops, and teams filling Molotov cocktails.  It's a little different than TWC's winter storm Titan.  The video is outstanding and the reporting has been responsible.

Former NBC, ABC, and CNN correspondent Garrick Utley died Thursday.  74.  Prostate cancer.  Utley was the traditional network news correspondent-- comfortable in London, Washington, and everywhere in between, and as solid as they come.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

First Person: Another Snow Day

It is easier to talk about one foot of snow rather than one inch.

Fate smiled on me the past two weeks.  A pair of whopper storms fell on my days off, and I had the pleasure of watching the snow fall from the big office chair at my home computer desk.

Fate got its revenge Tuesday morning.

All indications were a nuisance storm was on the way, without about five inches falling across our area.  The timing was poor-- right in the middle of the morning commute.  It would dangerously complicate rides to work and school.

Well, there was a quick burst of snow around 3 AM.  It was followed by a several hour lull that seemed interminable.  Try standing in dry weather and describing all the problems caused by one inch of snow.  You know what's interesting about one inch of snow?  Nothing.
There was still important information to get out, so we stayed until 8:30 AM.  PennDOT did a nice job of  clearing Interstate 80 at the Buckhorn exit clear.  We tell you when roads are bad.  You should also know when roads are good.

We also gave a quick tour of our little neighborhood, including a snow covered bike chained to a pole, and a restaurant's grease dumpster.
It wasn't much of a storm-- bad TV, but good for winter weary Pennsylvanians.  I was happy to get back in the van with photographer Jason and head back to the office.
I've tried to avoid becoming part of the "sick of winter" chorus.  After all, it's only mid February, and there's certainly more snow and ice to come.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Lions

PSU snow covered Nittany Lion, photographed Monday morning


New Penn State president Eric Barron has his work cut out for him.  There is the continued cloud over the Sandusky, Curley, Schultz, Spanier, Paterno issues-- and it will only get worse when the accused come to trial.

Graduates are a fractured bunch.

Students are caught in the middle and they just want to move ahead.

There is a new football coach, but Penn State has to move away from the "football first" mentality that got it in to so much trouble in years past.  In his opening news conference, I found Barron to be rather elusive, and I didn't see it as a good sign.  It's not like the PSU job is a surprise.  As a former faculty member, he clearly knows the problems here.

Real change has to come from Harrisburg.  Legislators have to strip away Penn State's secret veil, and get administration to operate where the public, and the taxpayers have the ability to see.

Penn State needs a strong and decisive hand.  We'll see if Barron is the one to guide the University in the right direction.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Gravity Always Wins

It happened Sunday morning, in the early stages of Newswatch 16.  I wandered in to the newsroom during the sports break, just in time to hear the scanner going nuts and a photographer running for the door.

A building at Main and Storrs in Dickson City had just collapsed under the weight of all that snow.

And another part of my childhood crumbled.
Until Sunday, this was a Chinese restaurant on the first floor and some vacant apartments above.

Back when I was in junior high school, this was the Dickson A/G Market, a place for a good, cheap, and filling lunch time submarine sandwich.  It was a welcome change from the cellophane packaged and heat lamped trash they served back at the school.

I stopped by for a last look yesterday.  It's just a pile of rubble.  Soon, it will be a hole in the ground, presumable followed by an empty lot.  It's a good location and I hope someone does something useful with the property.

Dickson City lost a lot of its character Sunday morning.  There's not much left here.  A pretty old bank was replaced with a generic looking bank building several years ago.  The post office is vacant.  A pair of nice family owned bakeries are long gone.

Small towns aren't what they used to be.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Fregosi

AP/Philly.com
I was very sorry to learn former Phillies manager Jim Fregosi suffered a stroke and died on Friday.

I met him once, and he was very nice.

It was back in the early 90's, and I was working "down the street."  We knew Fregosi was in town to take an in person look at what was then the Phillies AAA team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.

 I do remember I had to ask Fregosi something unpleasant.  He was in town to address the troops, as it were, after Red Barons manager Butch Hobson got into drug trouble and got fired.    While I was looking forward to the meeting, I wasn't looking forward to Jim Fregosi possibly chewing my head off.  Nothing was set up.  A photographer and I simply headed for the stadium and hoped for the best.  As it turned out, we got very lucky.  We pulled up seconds after he did.  I politely asked for a moment, asked my questions, got a response, and left.  Fregosi was exceptionally nice and professional.

I also remember Jim Fregosi was very fond of a Dunmore restaurant, later featured on the Food Network's "Restaurant Impossible."  The restaurant was noted for its dated decor and filthy kitchen.  It's now closed.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Andy's Angles: Two Sports

My first boss, the late Ron Allen, used to argue that golf wasn't a sport.  It's an activity.  I'm sure Ron felt the same way about skiing.

Here is two sports in the same picture.  Most of the picture is Pine Hills golf course in Taylor.  In the distance is Montage Mountain.

The shift of seasons is on the way.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Andy's Angles: Waiting for Spring

I haven't picked up a golf club since college, and that was a long, long time ago.  However, this golf related scene caught my eye on a recent afternoon.

It's a shot of golf carts, lined up and ready to go at Pine Hills in Taylor.  It won't be long before the carts are in use and out on a course.  Of course, if you're a golfer, the wait seems line an eternity.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Thank You, Winter

Yes, thank you, winter.

I'm serious.

I was looking for inspiration for today's blog.  When the highlight of the week is having your tax returns prepared, you know the tank is running on empty.

It was snowing.  There was no pressing need for me to go out.

The Olypmpics were on.  Other than an anchor's pink eye, it's been a boring week.

I know you didn't want another "weather" blog.  Too many have whined too often, and after all, it's still mid-February.  There's a lot of this left.

Then, during the snow, I looked out at the chestnut tree in the front yard, and I saw this.
I rarely see birds this big around the house.  My neighborhood generally tops out at pigeons.  Watching him for a while broke up my day, and it gave me a blog entry topic.  I doubt the bird would have been here if it wasn't snowing and stormy. 

So, thank you, winter.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Whew!

I say it every year...  I just passed my favorite day of the year.  It rivals Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Labor Day.  It's the day I meet with my account to get my taxes done.

The size of the refund or payment is irrelevant.  It's the peace of mind, and the knowledge that an annoying task are in the past that's important.  Plus, my accountant is a nice man, and I always enjoy our visits.  There's not a lot of small talk-- a little at the beginning of the session, and a little at the end.  I love that it's so business like.  The professionalism is intoxicating.

I also think my tax guy likes seeing me.  My paperwork is always in order and well prepared.  I hit the door ready to go with all my forms and my numbers set to be crunched.

We beat the storm by about 12 hours, and that's an added bonus.

There is noting to worry about for another year.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Unconventional Wisdom

I'm not one of those people who races for the supermarket when the first snow flake hits the forecast, but there's one activity I do perform when the forecast turns nasty.

You can find me at the gas station, filling up.  My ride to work is only eight miles.  Yet, I feel the need to have a full tank, or close to it when a storm is on the way.

There are a couple reasons.  The added weight of a full tank probably helps my vehicle perform better in the snow.  I know people who were stuck on the highway during the Valentine's Day snow storm several years ago.  They had to be extremely careful about fuel usage because they didn't know how long they would be there.  Thanks to PennDOT's incompetence, it was a very, very, long time.

My tank is filled.  The storm is due to hit on one of my days off, so I don't have to travel.  You can't put a price on peace of mind.

I normally don't pity broadcast meteorologists.  It seems like a pretty cushy gig, and they really appear to enjoy their niche filled with geekiness.  However, this week was tough.  The weather office was filled with people, myself included, wondering about the latest model runs.  Tom and Joe barely had time to get their work done between answering questions from winter weary co-workers.  This storm seems more interesting than most.  It has the potential to be huge, and we're all hoping for the low end of the scale because we're so tired of winter.

Good luck in the snow.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Escape

Fun fact:  The actual name of Rupert Holmes' 1979 hit "The Pina Colada Song" is "Escape."

Today's theme is "escape."

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I do know my way around.  I listen to a fair amount of sports talk radio.  Yahoo's Steve Czaban does an excellent morning show.  Tony Korhheiser has a 10 AM to noon show on a Washington station that's exceptional.  FOX Sports Radio is strong in the evening and overnight hours.  I'm not an ESPN Radio Fan.  CBS and NBC Sports Radio offerings are vanilla, but still entertaining.  CBS scored points with some good Saturday afternoon shows during college football season.

So, why does a marginal sports fan listen to all sports radio?  The answer is "escape."  It's a nice place to get away from the death and destruction that's a big part of the rest of my day.

What did I get this weekend?  Alex Rodriguez and drug talk, endless discussions of NFL players advocating marijuana as pain medication, and a college player announcing his homosexuality.

They are all important issues, but they really lessened the "escape" factor.  I'm not blaming anyone.  It happens.  I'd rather hear rehashes of the Super Bowl, Syracuse's chances at an NCAA championship, and the Houston Astros' starting rotation.

Sports radio went off and classic rock went on.  I hope to be back soon.  In the meantime, if you hear me singing "Comfortably Numb," you know why.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Business Monday

A few items today...

CVS announced last week that it will stop selling cigarettes this fall.  CVS takes a $ 2 billion loss, which is actually a tiny portion of the company's yearly revenue.

Will the move decrease smoking?  Hardly.  People will just go across the street to buy their smokes.  It appears to be a "good conscience" move and you can't fault CVS for doing that.  This state continues to permit people to spew toxins into the air where others can breathe it.  Real reform has to come from Harrisburg, not the corner drug store.

It's nice to see Direct TV is standing its ground in the fight with The Weather Channel.  TWC wants more money for less weather, and the satellite TV company said take a hike.  40 per cent of The Weather Channel's programming is now reality shows.  TWC keeps screaming at how important it is.  I think not.  You can get better service elsewhere.

The AccuWeather Channel is set to make its debut in the third quarter.  It should be interesting to see how many cable companies buy in.

Crest is out with three new toothpaste flavors.  I've never been a big Crest fan.  I've always found its offerings too chalky and heavy, and they don't produce enough foam.  I like foam.  Anyway, the three new flavors are chocolate mint, vanilla mint, and lime spearmint.  Crest had a vanilla flavor before.  I'm a big vanilla fan, but it didn't really work for me.  I didn't have the guts to try the chocolate, in spite of a decent USA Today review.  That left lime spearmint.  It's really not that bad.  I don't see myself buying another tube once this one is exhausted.

Our friends at one of the newspapers jumped on something I blogged about weeks ago-- Scranton's problems with curb to curb snow plowing.  How do you expect to have an active and vibrant business community when it takes days to clear parking spots?

CBS is paying a ton of money to get a package of Thursday night NFL games for the upcoming season.  A CBS head said his network grabbed the games because it wasn't want to compete against another NFL night in prime time.   The NFL is a powerful force in sports, television, and marketing.  The recent Super Bowl produced huge numbers, proving people will sit and watch even a bad NFL game.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Andy's Angles: The Grand Ilusion



Downtown Pittston had a lot of old buildings either burn down or fall down over the years.  Some of the older ones have been saved and renovated.  This pizza shop caught my eye on a recent visit.  The "windows" on the side wall are actually painted on.  It saves the community from looking at a blank brick wall, and it really adds a lot to the vlock.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Andy's Angles: Splat!

A friend told me about this, and I had to see it for myself.  Pittston is the Tomato Capital of the World.  It stages a festival and tomato fight every August.  There's a huge reminder painted on the side of a Main Street tanning salon.

It adds a lot of color and interest to downtown.  Well done!

Friday, February 7, 2014

First Person: Snow Day

I have to admit that it wasn't my ideal choice of assignment, but Monday morning was another snow day.

Luckily, we have the resources to do it right.  The snow wasn't going to come to us.  We went to the snow.  The east and south received the most, so photographer Jason and I jumped in a truck a little before 3:00 AM and pointed it toward Stroudsburg.

The satellite/microwave truck was actually a back up.  We intended to "cable out the door" as we say and use the permanent facilities of our Pocono Newsroom in Stroudsburg.  14 live hits and one noon story later, it was time to call it a day.
There is a deep in winter danger, and that is running out of things to say.  This isn't our first storm this season, and it won't be the last.  It's best to not over think it.  Just describe your surroundings and what you see.  Talk to people.  Ask questions.  Listen.  Learn.

Things have a way of taking care of themselves.


Mixed feelings about Wednesday...  The storm hit on one of my days off.  When you work Saturday and Sunday, your "weekend" falls in the middle of the week.  While it was a relief to stay off snow covered and slippery roads, I missed being part of the team coverage.  Alas, there will be other storms.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Tonight

Tonight is Jay Leno's last night as host of NBC's "Tonight" show.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Deja vu?

NBC kicked Leno out of the chair five years ago because it didn't want to lose Conan O'Brien.  Conan bombed as "Tonight" host.  Leno's 10 PM show tanked as well.  NBC put Leno back on at 11:30, and Conan was axed.

Here we go again.  NBC sees Jimmy Fallon as its rising young star, and Leno gets kicked to the curb again.

If you grew up on Johnny Carson, everyone else pales in comparison, and David Letterman would have been a far better "Tonight" host than Leno.

I'm not a Leno fan, but he deserves better.  All Jay did is deliver NBC a top rated show for 20 years.  He's still popular, and Fallon still looks like a timid fawn.  NBC is afraid of losing the younger crowd to Jimmy Kimmel over on ABC.  NBC is planning for the future.  OK.  I get that.  I still feel the Fallon for Leno switch is premature and a mistake.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Wednesday Scrapple

I hate to see a life wasted.  RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Punxsutawney Ground Hog Day celebration gets longer every year, and it's on the verge of becoming insufferable.

To those of you who wanted warmer weather:  warmer weather comes from the south, and it brings moisture as part of the package.  Think of that as you're driving through the snow and ice this week.  I'll take cold and dry.

Crest's chocolate toothpaste doesn't sound good, but I admit I'm intrigued.  A USA Today reviewer says it doesn't taste bad, but it doesn't leave your mouth with a clean feeling, either.

Before this week, I wouldn't know Bruno Mars if he bit me on the toe.  I don't expect to be downloading any of his songs.

I'm having a hard time getting excited over the Sochi Olympics, and I really don't see it happening, unless there's a really compelling story.  NBC's over the top, ultra serious, presentation doesn't help.

An Associated Press story on the Kids for Ca$h documentary says prosecutors will explain why they remained silent as Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were running amok in the Luzerne County Court system.  I can't wait to hear the rationalization of their inactivity.

I'm amazed at the number of people, media and civilians, who now say the Seattle Seahawks are an awesome team.  Where were you before Sunday night?

I was very sorry to learn of the passing of former Scranton school superintendent, Dr. John R. Williams.  He was head of Scranton schools for 11 years, and was always accessible.  I worked with his brother.  My father knew his father.  Good people, and I'm sorry for their loss.

The Wall Street Journal reports Radio Shack is closing 500 of its 4,500 stores.  No list has been released.  Radio Shack used to be fun places, but somewhere along the line, it lost the fun.  It was also a place where you could find that unusual part or battery.  You can do all of that on the internet now.  Radio Shack has small stores with good customer service  For the most part, I've always found the help there to be knowledgeable.  I'm not happy about the cutbacks.

Good luck with the snow, and stay safe.


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

SB PS

Super Bowl XVIII is history, and for a change, I was right.  Seattle won.  I didn't expect the blowout.  Advice:  always go with the defense.

I'm listening to a radio recap as I write this.  As always, I slept through the game.  Super Bowls used to be a big deal to me, and I always found a way to watch, even if I was on the Dawn Patrol at work.  Times change.  I just didn't care.

Can we stop the Peyton Manning discussion?  He's a good quarterback, not a great quarterback.  To heck with all his records.  Unitas, Bradshaw, Montana, and a few others were better, but they played on teams that actually ran the ball once in a while.  You cannot compare quarterbacks of the past with today's players.  It's a different league.

Seattle is a tough team to like.  Some players don't talk.  Others talk too much.  The coach stained college football.  I'll give them credit.  Seattle's Super Bowl was just about flawless.  It's a young team, and if management can keep them together, there will be more Super Bowl trips.

I hope we've seen the last of the cold weather outdoor Super Bowls.  The NFL lucked out and New Jersey's weather was OK Sunday night.  I will admit, the pre game week, with television shows live in Times Square, was visually stunning.  However, the game is the star and it really shouldn't have been in New Jersey.

New York and New Jersey really botched the mass transit thing, and I can't say I'm surprised.  I will also admit that trying to move 85,000 people at once is impossible.

The thought of a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh, Washington, or Philadelphia sounds interesting.  They are beautiful, but not sexy cities.  Super Bowl XVIX is in Arizona next year.  Yay!

As noted earlier, discussions of Super Bowl commercials bore me.  The only really interesting one was the Letterman/Leno/Oprah thing four years ago.  A writer noted that this year's Budewiser horse and puppy spot made him want to get a dog, not drink beer.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in two weeks.

Monday, February 3, 2014

About the Cover

I've played around with my camera, on the Pittston waterfront, a dozen times.  Yet, there's always something different in the viewfinder.

I usually set out to shoot a blog header with something in mind.  February is always a challenge.  It's a winter month, with just the tiniest hint of spring time at the end of the month.  The shot above is all winter, all the time.

The first bridge you see is on Water Street.  It's the Firefighters Memorial Bridge.  The Fort Jenkins Bridge is in the background.  Pittston is on the right.  West Pittston is on the left.  The shores are iced over, but considering we've had sub zero cold lately, it wasn't as much ice as I expected.

The blue sky and the left over snow add to the feeling of chilliness.  I'm going to try to get back when the ice breaks up and floats downstream.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Andy's Angles: More Ice

I've seen ice covered car washes before, but this one along Keyser Avenue in Taylor takes the cake.  It was an amazing sight-- massive ice columns from roof to floor, caused by pipes that burst in the cold.
I'm guessing they didn't take long to form.  After all, we've had some severely cold weather lately.  I have a feeling they'll take much longer to melt.
It's almost like a prehistoric cave, but it's actually a place to take a muddy Buick.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Andy's Angles: Ice

A viewer tipped us off to what you see above.   It was taken Thursday afternoon at a car wash along Keyser Avenue in Taylor. A pipe or two apparently burst during the recent cold snap, and you can see the result.  The ice on the ground is at least a few inches thick.  Ice columns run from roof to floor in a couple of the bays.

You don't see stuff like this every day, and we'll take a closer look tomorrow.