By: Chuck Miller
What's Up in the Neighborhood

7 and 7 on Saturday: July 22, 2017

I have to make an executive decision regarding this blog recap.  And in this case, I’m making a very delineated exception for inclusion.

I’ve known Amy Biancolli for years.  We were students together at Hamilton College, and our paths crossed off and on ever since.  She’s an accomplished writer with several exceptional books to her credit.  She also has a personal blog, “Figuring Shit Out,” about her life and how life has affected her.

So I’ve added Amy to my blogroll of “Friends of Mine Whose Blogs I Thing You Should Read.”  And from time to time, I’ll recap her best posts in the “7 from the blogroll” section of the “7 and 7” blog recap.

That being said, I also know that Amy Biancolli is a Times Union staffer, and she also blogs for the Times Union.  And of late, the Times Union and I are not on very good terms.  And I will not promote Times Union staff blogs in the “7 and 7” recap, simply because the Times Union already promotes them at the exclusion of the community and independent bloggers).

So I have made an executive decision.  As long as Amy’s posts are coming from her “Finding Shit Out” blog, they get recapped and promoted here.  That’s the exclusion.

And I can do this because it’s my blog and I make the rules.

That being said, let’s show off the community blogging crew from the Times Union – you know, the ones that AREN’T given the same amount of love that Big Hearst gives the staffers – and they include this week:

  1. Nicole Arciello in the “Animal Rights” blog, “19 (Dead) Reasons to Boycott Saratoga This Summer.” (Read this first.)
  2. Frank Robinson’s “Rational Optimist” blog, “Health Care: Let Them Eat Cake.“
  3. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy’s blog, “Fighting the Opioid Epidemic.“
  4. Heather Fazio’s blog, “Opinion: GoFund This.“
  5. Rob Hoffman’s “Hoffman Files” blog, “Yeah, but I have a pool.“
  6. Senator Jim Tedisco’s blog, “Saratoga County Fair kicks-off fair season in New York State.“
  7. Chad Burdette’s “Comics Multiverse” blog, “Local Comics Spotlight: Jim Whiting.“

Okay, now it’s time to check my blogroll and introduce you to some great posts by those blogs I think deserve your time and attention.  New additions to my blogroll are highlighted.  They include:

  1. Jessica Kitrick’s “Ravenalegria13” blog, “Inventing Sources and the New Frontier of Comics Research.” (Read this first.)
  2. J. Eric Smith’s blog, “Dance of the Cobras.“
  3. Joe Geronimo’s photo and life blog, “2014 Shelter Island, NY #TBT.“
  4. Daniel Berman’s “FUSSYlittleBLOG” blog, “Shaking the Sunday Blues.“
  5. Amy Biancolli’s “Figuring Shit Out” blog, “The Mystery of the Magic Pockets.“
  6. Roger Green’s “Ramblin’ with Roger” blog, “Decline of American democracy: Chavez se, Hitler nein.“
  7. Carl Johnson’s “Hoxsie!” Albany history blog, “The Court of Appeals.“

And there you have it for this week.  Enjoy the blogs on a Saturday morning, and have a great weekend, everybody!