Chris Carosa

Eternal Answer Finally Revealed

By Chris Carosa on July 26, 2010

Jambo Journal – Day #1, Sunday, July 25, 2010 – Departure.

We embarked on our 12-hour ride at 9:30 Sunday night, thirty minutes past our scheduled departure time. The kids didn’t mind. Their parents didn’t mind. The weather was perfect for picture taking. The whole scene reminded me of one of those old movies – you know the kind I speak of – when it seems like the entire community comes to celebrate the debarking from port of some fabled steam liner.

Fortunately, the preliminary forecast did not indicate any likelihood of icebergs roaming the interstates between Rochester and Fort A.P. Hill. Heat Advisories? Well, that’s another thing altogether.

The joyous banter of youthful testosterone-filled excitement permeated the Continue Reading “Eternal Answer Finally Revealed”

Posted in Boy Scouts, Memoir of a Real Life Tagged Boy Scout, humor, Jamboree

The Thrill and Beyond

By Chris Carosa on July 22, 2010

[This Commentary originally appeared in the July 20, 1989 issue of The Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel.]

From a camera perched atop a tall skinny structure of skeletal steel, you look down upon the narrow tubular body of mostly white with hints of black. The “steam” of super cooled liquid oxygen gushes from various vents along the surface of the slender cylinder. You view the not-so-crisp TV picture in your living room, anxiously awaiting the final moment.

“T-minus 20 seconds and counting…,” says a tin can voice over a PA system not much Continue Reading “The Thrill and Beyond”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Apollo 11, astronomy

Bring Back Crispy M&M’s®!

By Chris Carosa on July 19, 2010

They disappeared without much fanfare in 2005. I barely noticed it, but, then again, I don’t often buy M&M’s®. When I did, I usually did it only to fill treat bowls for the holidays. But Crispy M&M’s® Crispy remained my favorite of the brand. You’d think they might have been the favorite of the manufacturer, since, according to the Wikipedia entry (as of July 18, 2010), they brought in more profit than any other M&M® variety (caveat emptor, Wikipedia contains no reference for this “fact”).

Just in time for Christmas – is that why I first noticed them? – Crispy M&M’s® came into being in December 1998, the company’s first new flavor since 1954, when it introduced Peanut M&M’s®. Most folks, though, probably remember the debut of the paranoid “Orange” character in an ad that Continue Reading “Bring Back Crispy M&M’s®!”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged erie county fair, Hamburg Fair

Curse Those Romantic Subplots!

By Chris Carosa on July 15, 2010

[This Commentary originally appeared in the July 13, 1989 issue of The Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel.]

“So,” asks Liz, “Are you planning to go?”

“No, I don’t think so,” replies Julie. “It’ll just be a weekend of male bonding.”

And so a handful of not fully grown young adult men spent the days drinking beer, losing golf balls and generally reminiscing of bright college years. The talk was bawdy and bold. The laughs were deep and hearty. And all the cooking was done over the open fire of a gas grill.

* * *

The following Commentary may not be suitable for those seeking articles which appeal Continue Reading “Curse Those Romantic Subplots!”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Batman, male-bonding, Movie Review, writing

What Are These Mysterious Blue Boxes?

By Chris Carosa on July 12, 2010

I saw the first one a few weeks ago on the way back from Chili. Hidden in a tree along the telephone wires on Lehigh Station Road hung what appeared to be a blue jacket. Since I was the only one in the car, I didn’t get much of a look. I figured it was something left over from the many recent graduations. You know, like those crazy sneakers-hanging-from-the-telephone-wire things you used to see everywhere.

Then, on the same drive home, I noticed another blue jacket hanging from tree shrouded telephone wires on Mendon Center Road.

“Wow!” I thought to myself. “That must have been one big party!”

Again, I couldn’t take a good look. I arrived home and promptly forgot about these navy garments.

Until this past Sunday. While traveling on Gulick Road in Honeoye (that is the road leading to Cumming Nature Center), I saw no fewer than three of these unexplained cobalt (or deep purple) three-sided boxes. (It being an early Sunday morning, I was able to actually pull over and stare at these things.)

What are they? My mind reels with the possibilities. Could they be the onset of some alien invasion? They appear to have cryptic markings on at least one side, but my zoom lens failed to discern the language. Or perhaps, in placing them deep within leafy branches overhanging telephone wires, maybe they are camouflaged surveillance devices furtively planted by this now-apprehended Russian spy network.

If you have an idea what crazy story might explain the existence of these mysterious blue boxes, add your thoughts in the comment section below.

Alternatively, if you know what they really are, let us in on the secret.

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged mystery, Rochester

The Search for the Slice

By Chris Carosa on July 8, 2010

[This Commentary originally appeared in the July 6, 1989 issue of The Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel.]

It rains an awful lot in New Haven. It even rains in the winter. Of course, any amount of snow makes it worse. They don’t use salt in New Haven. They use sand. The snow melts (with the help of rain), leaving the sidewalks a puddle of a gritty mud. Over the years, though, one builds an immunity of sorts and learns to cope with the constant precipitation. (Maybe that’s why I rarely Continue Reading “The Search for the Slice”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Buffalo, erie county fair, hamburg, New Have, pizza, Rochester, Western New York

RIT’s Self-Publishing Advisor Tool

By Chris Carosa on July 7, 2010

We’ve written before (“University Offers Free Tools for Authors,” July 6, 2010) about the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) superb author resource called the Open Publishing Guide (OPG). As part of RIT’s commitment to an Open Source approach, when solutions are developed, the university releases them to the public free of charge through the OPG lab’s web-site http://opg.cias.rit.edu/. The site includes reference sources, public domain graphics and a whole slew of other interesting and extremely useful tools.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of OPG resides in its “Self-Publishing Advisor” tool. This on-line application helps an author narrow the list of print-on-demand (POD) service providers to the most appropriate ones. I’ll show you how it works by using an actual Continue Reading “RIT’s Self-Publishing Advisor Tool”

Posted in Great Writing Tips Tagged author, Open Publishing Guide, RIT, self-publishing

University Offers Free Tools for Authors

By Chris Carosa on July 6, 2010

In June during the 2010 Future of Reading Symposium at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), attendees received a hands-on demonstration of a powerful free tool for authors and self-publishers. The Open Publishing Guide, relaunched in April of this year, offers rich resources ranging from marketing, copyright and references, to public domain sources, free software tools and instructional booklets to forums, author communities and the latest news.

I was fortunate enough to attend this interactive breakout session, hosted by Rachael Gootnick, Content Manager of the Open Publishing Guide (OPG). Rachael explained the Continue Reading “University Offers Free Tools for Authors”

Posted in Great Writing Tips Tagged Future of Reading Symposium, Open Publishing Guide, RIT

Civil War and the World Economy

By Chris Carosa on July 1, 2010

[This Commentary originally appeared in the June 29, 1989 issue of The Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel.]

Surprisingly, my immediate reaction to the Chinese student demonstration this past spring had me questioning their tactics. I feared, in their quest to move things more quickly, the young protesters would spark a hardliner response. Ironically, their daring deeds would lead to one giant panda step backward.

Change, it seems, occurs most easily if done from within. Unfortunately, neither the students of Tiananmen Square nor their Continue Reading “Civil War and the World Economy”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged economics, politics, war, world affairs

The Cornucopia Tree

By Chris Carosa on June 28, 2010

Once upon a time, there lived a man who owned a very special tree called a “cornucopia tree.” Now, as we all know, the word “cornucopia” comes from the Latin word meaning “horn of plenty.” Ancient mythology held it as a horn producing an endless supply of food and drink. Traditionally, Americans display a cornucopia at their Thanksgiving table, symbolizing our gratitude for all the Lord has given us.

Well, this cornucopia tree produced everything the man’s family needed to survive. From its branches grew all sorts of food and drink, the wood they needed to build their house and to heat it, as well as the clothes they wore to protect them. One day, the cornucopia produced two identical eggs. The man, now very old, knew what this meant,Continue Reading “The Cornucopia Tree”

Posted in Slush Pile Tagged greed, instant gratification