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Links of the Day

Here's some of the stories that caught my eye today!

‘Star Trek’ Spoof at Nuclear Power Plant

Onondaga County spent federal stimulus on two $4,000 trash cans, wants 300 more

NY Food Stamp Recipients Are Shipping Welfare-Funded Groceries to Relatives in Jamaica, Dominica Republic and Haiti

Unplugged Weddings: Should The Marrying Couple Ask Guests to Surrender Their Smartphones?

Call It "Kelly Clarkson Classical"

Who says you can't mix classical with pop?  Well Strung is an all-male string quartet that's made a name for itself combining classical music like Mozart and Vivaldi with lyrics from modern singers like Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Adele.

Dean of White House Press Corps Dead at 92

Helen Thomas reports on President Gerald Ford, 1976

It’s hard to imagine doing nearly the same thing for more than 65 years, and working for only two employers to boot.  No wonder Helen Thomas became such a Washington D.C. institution.

She started work at United Press (later United Press International) during WWII, and joined its White House bureau in 1961 shortly after President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated.

Thomas went on to cover 10 presidents until she resigned from UPI in 2000 – after 57 years of service.  She spent the next 10 years as a political columnist for Hearst newspapers.

Known simply as “Helen” among her colleagues and competitors, Thomas will be remembered for breaking down barriers for women in journalism. She was the first woman to serve as president of the White House Correspondents Association.

Picture of the Day

A fleet of sidewalk plows sits idle in a parking lot off University Avenue in Rochester.

Target Texting Scam

For the second time in two days, I've received a text message telling me I've won a gift card for Target. I first heard about this scam going around about a month ago. I'm always surprised when people fall for these things - but it's a real shame when they do. Here is the message to be careful of:

"[Paul K.]  Your entry last day is 3-rd! Go to 4uTargetPrize.com and put 6371 to claim your target card."

The name in the brackets changes - the second message I got was from "Juanita C." The BBB says it's been a bad year for these types of scams. There have apparently been several for multiple stores. For more information, go to
http://www.bbb.org/us/article/text-message-gift-card-scam-is-back-for-the-holidays-38633.

Like a Kid in a Toy Store

I finally made it to the Lego store at Eastview Mall for the first time this past weekend.  I've been wanting to go since it opened months ago.

Legos were my favorite toys growing up, and I still love playing with them.  Seriously - the only thing that's been stopping me is a skyscraper I built a few years ago that I haven't had the heart to take apart.

Time to Start Blogging Again!

It might be a little early for New Year's resolutions, but I've already come up with one of mine.  I've let this blog go for far too long, and it's time to start writing again!

Expect more posts soon about the latest happenings in Rochester, plus thoughts on anything else that crosses my mind.

I have a feeling that going forward this site is going to be a little less "newsy," a little more fun, and a lot more of me.  I want to bring this back to where it was when I was blogging from my semester abroad in London - a sense of adventure, a little bit of commentary, and regular updates.

So...we'll see how it goes!

~Nathan

Mister Rogers Remixed

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this.  I loved watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood while growing up, and it's great that his legacy is being kept alive.  But I have to admit, I find this new video a little creepy.  I can't quite put my finger on it, it just seems weird - not to mention a little trippy.

Cancer Centers Growing in Upstate NY

Earlier this week, Buffalo's Roswell Park Cancer Institute unveiled its latest expansion plans. According the Buffalo News article, the $40 million addition will be 11 stories, and will house new clinical space as well as offices.  Construction is expected to begin next winter.

Links of the day

• High school students in the Capital Region are suspended for a senior prank involving thousands of post-it notes.
• A Syracuse group that has spent 6 years volunteering in New Orleans now looks to help a neighborhood in its own backyard.
• London archaeologists unearth Shakespeare's first theater.
• Car Talk brothers announce retirement, rebroadcasts to continue on NPR stations.

What's wrong with this picture?

It was one of those rare occasions when I actually picked up the latest edition of the Rochester yellow pages from Rochester Tel! Frontier.  When I did, I looked at the skyline on the cover and knew something was off.  It took me a minute, but then I figured it out.  Can you find what's wrong with this image? 

From Instamatic to Instagram: Keeping up with the changing world of photography

Kodak EK4 Instant Camera

When Kodak launched the Instamatic camera in 1963, it was hailed as a cheap and easy-to-use alternative for the average photo-taker.  An instant success, Kodak went on to produce 50 million of them by 1970.  When a pocket version was introduced in 1972, it took just under three years to sell 25 million.  That was back in the era dominated by the "Kodak Moment", back when the iconic brand commanded 90% percent of film sales and 85% of camera sales in the United States.

TECH: Google and Flickr April Fools' pranks

Two tech companies known for their pranks in the past are back at it this April Fools' Day.  You'll notice some "new" features today for Google Maps, as well as for photo-sharing website Flickr.

SHOPPING: NYS changes clothing tax

The next time you buy a pair of shoes or pick up the latest spring fashions, you may be paying less in sales tax.  Starting April 1st, New York State will drop its 4% tax for all shoes and articles of clothing that cost less than $110 (individually).  That's double the current limit of $55.

HOLIDAYS: Memories & Traditions

We often complain that Christmas and other holidays have become over-commercialized, where the religious or historical meaning is lost within a realm of retail madness. Yet, some of our favorite holiday memories are often associated with shopping.

HOLIDAYS: Hitting the liquor store

Pusser's Rum

Tis the season to hit up the liquor store before the holidays, and that's exactly what I did today on my day off from work.  Browsing the wonderfully-wide aisles of Lisa's Liquor Barn in Penfield, I searched out some of my favorite drinks before making my decision.

I chose a bottle of "Maker's Mark" bourbon for me, and my mom went for the "Baileys Irish Cream".  Both will be nice additions to the liquor cabinet.

My "Maker's Mark" will go nicely alongside the half-gone bottle of my favorite rum - which is really the purpose of this blog post.  I always hear people say how much they love "Captain" or one of the endless varieties of "Bacardi".  When people ask which rum is my favorite, they get a bewildered expression when I reply "Pusser's".

FALL FUN: Navigating a dinosaur corn maze

This Sunday was the last day the Dinosaur corn maze was open at the Country Way Garden Center in Penfield.  Luckily, me and my colleagues Caroline Tucker and Patrick Kelly were able to rise to the challenge last weekend.  This was my first corn maze experience, and I was excited to put my navigation skills to the test despite dire warnings from our 11 o'clock producer (she was stuck in one at night at a young age and it took her three hours to get out.  She continues to hate them to this day.)

TELEVISION: Remembering Andy Rooney, 1919 - 2011

2008 photo by Stephenson Brown

Known for his grumpy end-of-show commentary, Andy Rooney has been a beloved mainstay of "60 Minutes" for more than 30 years, and a fixture at CBS for more than 60 years.

Rooney died Friday night from complications from a minor surgery. His death came only weeks after announcing he would no longer appear regularly at the end of 60 minutes. In all, he wrote and delivered 1,097 essays for the news program.

SNAPSHOT: Penfield Sunset

I caught this neat sunset after dinner at the Penfield Four Corners.  I snapped this photo with my phone from the parking lot of the Pattaya Thai restaurant.