America’s ballparks: Living time capsules

They Built Them; I Came Major league baseball stadiums are like time capsules — living time capsules that preserve the game Americans have loved since the mid 19th century. Within stadium walls, dazzling plays come to pass, the sometimes plodding nine-inning script proceeds without time constraints, fans cheer, fans boo, beer and peanuts are consumed, one team wins, and one loses. All of this and more occurs without any thought to the world outside. Time capsules, after all, maintain things as they are for future generations to see.  And with some exceptions,…

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Climate Change: Avoiding the ‘natural variations’ pitfall

“Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” For over a century, this comment has served as the standard retort when a friend or colleague laments hot and humid weather or complains about a massive snow storm. But when University at Albany Interim President James R. Stellar uses it to talk about work at UAlbany’s  Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Studies (DAES), he’s not grumbling. He uses it as a setup line before he talks about what he, his colleagues, and many others in academia are actually doing about the weather as…

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Read more about the article Descending Into Liverpool to discover The Beatles’ origins
L-R: Joe Lahiff, Phil Santoro, Ed Torres, and me, Mark Marchand

Descending Into Liverpool to discover The Beatles’ origins

As Joe and I walk into the vestibule of a rather ordinary house, Phil follows quickly and closes the house door behind us. The front door is already shut, so we're temporarily sealed in a confined space. Phil starts to lead us in an a cappella version of the early Beatles song, "I Saw Her Standing There." "Well, she was just 17 You know what I mean And the way she looked was way beyond compare So how could I dance with another (Ooh) When I saw her standing there..." We trail…

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Social media and web ramblings; part deux

Several months ago I posted some personal observations of "worst practices" when it comes to using social media and the World Wide Web. I try to keep up with trends in this space as part of my overall writing/consulting work, and teaching as an adjunct professor in the Journalism Department at the University at Albany (SUNY). Social media and use of the Web has moved front and center when it comes to communication in a 21st century world filled with myriad ways to instantly send and obtain information. My first post tried…

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