The truth hurts, as it is often messy and confusing. Hiding from it, as counterproductive as that sounds is often a whole lot easier – not necessarily over time – but for the time being, “yeah, it works.”

Some people conduct a whole life pretending that their truth doesn’t exist. I even do it from time to time. I put facts away that I can’t deal with. Away? Bury them in my psyche, so much so I don’t even remember burying them.

I’ve noticed recently that the difference between the political far left and the far right is dealing mainly in the issue of the hard truth. I’m not taking sides, rather taking note.

The left often deals in the raw, honest to goodness, in your face truth...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: truth,political right and left,gays in the military,gay vote

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Syracuse will soon add one more woman to its leadership roster that already includes Onondaga County Exec Joanie Mahoney, SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor, OCC President Debbie Sydow, Syracuse Chamber of Commerce’s Darlene Kerr and many more.

Before I met Stephanie Miner, I have to admit, I had heard of her prosecutorial style and a temperamental nature.

Spending some time observing the Syracuse Common Council in action, I only witnessed her stepping up and asking the tough question, which could tend to make some attendees feel uncomfortable, in particular, her fellow councilors.

I finally met Miner at City Eagle Senior Editor Walt Shepperd’s Q&A during the mayoral campaign...

CATEGORY: Commentary & Debate

TAGS: Syracuse City Hall, first woman mayor syracuse,SU Chancellor,Syracuse Common Council,Joanie Mahoney, SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor,Debbie Sydow, Syracuse,Darlene Kerr,Walt Shepperd,Stephanie Miner,Ellen Leahy,women's issues,Kenneth Shaw

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I remember the exact moment that I finally really got the concept of Jesus Christ.

Consider the fact that I was baptized and raised as a Catholic in a pretty accepting America when it came to the Catholic faith.

I heard the stories, studied religion regularly, listened to the gospels, received sacraments, ate fish on Fridays, covered my hair in church, did the Stations of the Cross, made a few confessions, but still I didn’t quite get the significance of the spotlight on Jesus, the son of God. Or, more to the point, why the obsession in regard to Jesus bypassing God, our father, with almost total disregard for the Holy Spirit?

So, almost 40 years into this life I was on my way to work in Armory Square in the mid-90s...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Jesus christ,god,armory square, ellen leahy,the holy spirit

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My mother was the most intense bargain hunter on earth. Raised during the depression by a single-mother working as a live-in nurse for babies, mom ended up in a quasi foster home. She witnessed a strong work ethic and the value of a dollar from an early age.

Growing up it seemed I had the only post war, middle class, mother who still tried to haggle with storeowners. She fed a family of seven on $100 a month. She drove to a farm to purchase cracked eggs at a reduced cost. She didn’t buy any junk food except for the occasional giant value pack of cookies. She loved to get bread at the Arnold Bread Outlet Store...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Upstate medical center,Upstate Medical University,Bill and marion Leahy,donating body to science,CNY health

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When you’re feeling like a limp lizard, where do you go? Luckily, in Syracuse that’s an easy – you meander over to the Limp Lizard Lounge –it’s right there on West Onondaga beyond Wegmans. I had never been, and beside the obvious – it is a cheap imitation of the Dino – it’s also a pretty good joint. This is how I measured: Good bartender, very good chicken tenders and clean beer.

On last Sunday the bartender was what my boyfriend would call, “Hot.” I called her “a–dore-able.” In that as physically attractive as she was, this young blonde was also very cordial, even lovely, making her a bit of a sweetheart. She had a bar full of guys thinking she was naughty, while I was thinking how nice. That’s an art...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Limp Lizard Lounge,West Onondaga street syracuse, survaillence cameras,Dinosauer BarBQue,Good bartenders,Syracuse bars,roadhouses

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Where do I begin? A difficult subject, because David Letterman is in essence a victim. And what do we do with victims in America but victimize them endlessly.

There are questions now about what he was doing that was worth $2,000,000 in hush money?

There are all the questions circulating about the appropriateness of his behavior with his staff. How he allegedly could have been pressuring his female staffers into sexual relationships.

This is not to say that I haven’t witnessed a couple of classic hard-edge sexual harassment situations. And, it sure is bizarre, and also hard to pin down...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: Letterman distinction,ellen leahy,david letterman,Late Night,sex scandal,Letterman blackmail,FBI sting,talk show host,

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Now that Fall is in the air that means it’s time to think Fall fashion forward. And after rummaging through Vanity Fair’s recent style issue, I wondered, “Why are we still wearing jeans?”

Or, should I say, “Designer jeans?” Also known as really, really expensive, tight jeans in a variety of cuts.

I wondered this out loud and my boyfriend said, “What else are we going to wear?”

He has a point.

But I ask the question because I thought the whole jean thing was a bit of a movement that forgot to move on. So what is our connection? Because I find jeans to be pretty uncomfortable...

CATEGORY: General Society

TAGS: tight jeans,men in skirts,Vanity Fair magazine,Scots kilts,gladiators minis,jeans,men in dresses,fashion syracuse

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