Rest in peace, Dolly Parton and the Blue Note Record Shop

Two treasures were called to glory yesterday. One was a singer-songwriter and philanthropist. The other was a business who influenced my life. First, let’s talk about Dolly Parton. A woman who made a career from her childhood memories and her faith and her talent, a woman who created tremendously popular songs and movies – yet…

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The cost of running an independent blog

My good friend Roger Green posted last month on his blog about the behind-the-scenes cost of running and maintaining a personal weblog. I can tell you that, from personal experience, blog hosting does not operate for free. At least not GOOD blog hosting. When I escaped from the Times Union’s blogfarm in 2017, I had…

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The commenter who ALMOST pulled off a spam link.

This is a free and independent blog. My opinions on this blog are my own and are not influenced by any sponsors or under-the-table donations. And even when I do review products or items on this blog, I always add an FTC disclaimer. That way, you know that the opinions you read are not paid…

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What’s Up in the Neighborhood, August 2 2025

Hi everybody, by the time you read this blog, I’ll be on the road to Syracuse with my entries for the New York State Fair’s photography and arts & crafts competitions. Yep, nothing like a 2 1/2 hour drive to Syracuse and back. Fun stuff. So while I’m doing that, why don’t you check out…

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What’s Up in the Neighborhood, July 26 2025

Good morning, my wonderful blog readers. Hope you have a great weekend planned. Seems like a beautiful day in the Capital District, so there’s plenty of opportunities to go out and have a great time. Me? I’m going to start my day with a little hard work. And by “little hard work,” I mean this…

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What’s Up in the Neighborhood, July 12 2025

Good morning, my wonderful blog readers. Hope you’ve got lots of fun things planned for this weekend, and I also hope the weather cooperates with your plans. I’m making my final cuts and considerations for the New York State Fair’s and Altamont Fair’s photography competitions, and after going zilch-for-four in the Iowa State Fair, I’m…

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I am the man on Fifth Avenue.

With the passage of H.R. 1, colloquially known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” I now know how I will die. I will die because the hospitals that take care of me either won’t exist any more, or they’ll charge me so much money that I cannot afford to seek medical care. I will die…

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The finale of the Route 5 Rivalry was won by …

I had a horrible nightmare Saturday night. I dreamed I was at the scorer’s table of the finals between the Albany Patroons and the New York Phoenix, with both teams fighting for that one playoff berth for the next round. The game was tied in the final moments. All of a sudden, I heard someone…

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What’s Up in the Neighborhood, May 24, 2025

Good morning, my wonderful blog readers. I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend, wherever you are, and that you’re able to honor those who protected our great nation in all wars, foreign and domestic. So how about we get involved in this week’s blog recap and see what our fellow bloggers and writers…

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What’s Up in the Neighborhood, May 10, 2025

Has it stopped raining yet? No? Well, in that case, come on over to the computer and check out the totally dry and warm blog posts and photos from my fellow bloggers and photographers and writers on my personal blogroll. Let’s see how they’re getting through this rough weather. Molly White’s “[Citation Needed],” “Meet Trump’s…

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