On The Sly

When I started my teaching career in the Plattsburgh City School District back in 1970, I was invited to play on their summer softball team in the City Softball League. In those days, I think it was officially called The Gentlemen's Softball League.

It was quite an honor to be invited, since the teachers had won the championship the summer before. I had to pass, though, that first summer, because I was serving my military commitment at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Somehow the team still did very well without me in the summer of '71.

When the summer of '72 rolled around I made my debut with the teachers' team. Baseball had been my strong suit in high school, so I figured hitting that big fat softball would be a piece of cake. How wrong I was. A baseball swing in a softball game will get you nothing but fly balls to the outfied. In softball, if you don't have the power to put it over the fence, you need to hit line drives. That took quite an adjustment.

But even though I only hit about .200 my first season, I had a ball. I also watched some of the top softball players in the North Country, guys who could hit a line drive up the middle with their eyes closed. My teammates Ray Lalonde and John "Nick" Nicotera were two of the best. They could look one way and hit it the other way. If the defense shifted one way, they just waited and poked a line drive to the opposite field.

I was mostly a fill-in at first base or right field. But I got to wear one of those orange jerseys with the black lettering of TEACHERS across the front. And I got to wash down some beers after the game with the boys. That was as much fun as the game. Maybe even a little bit more fun.

Our veteran pitchers in those days, as I recall, were Sal Righi and Mike Haley. Mal Cutaiar, another guy who could hit a softball, was an infielder, and Paul Dingman, former ace of the Plattsburgh State Cardinals baseball pitching staff, was Mr. Versatility, playing wherever he was needed.

Jack Baroody was a first baseman. He loved to mess with the opposition's heads. When his turn at bat came, he would stand just outside the righthand hitter's batter's box. When the pitcher would be ready to pitch, he would stroll to the left side, his natural side, so that the defense would have to hurriedly shift the other way.

Year-by-year, as all of us boys got older, it was tougher to compete against the 20-year-olds. The Teachers team folded and I moved on to play with several of my former high school mates on teams like Condo's and Homer Mayflower Moving. By the time I was in my thirties, I'd learned the softball swing and in some games could drive three or four hits up the middle.

Softball never stopped being fun, mainly because it was a throwback to the time when we were little kids. I had a lot of laughs playing softball with my colleagues on the Teacher's team, and later with guys like Mike Brodi, Johnny Mooney, Gerald Burdo, Mark St. Dennis, Mike Dodds, Kenny Leavine, and so many others.

Eventually the Gentleman's Softball League came to an end, and all the games headed west to the American Legion Field in West Plattsburgh. It's still a mecca for North Country softball. But make no mistake about it. If anyone of us old jocks gather to wash down some suds and talk sports, there are some great stories to tell of our days playing softball.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

There must be a fine line between being a collector and being a pack rat. I've always called myself a collector. Many of my friends call me a pack rat. Nevertheless, I've always been interested in collecting something.

At the age of seven I started collecting baseball cards. That's a hobby that never stopped. I still can't resist buying the latest Topps baseball card packs and seeing who's inside. Of course, the price sure has changed. From a penny or a nickel when I was a kid to the current $2.99 for a Topps regular pack of baseball cards.

I also began an autograph collection at the age of 12. I would write to baseball players each weekend, asking for an autographed picture. That's another collection that I continued into adulthood, and, now that I'm almost sixty years old, I have a very valuable autograph collection of such great players as Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Roger Maris and, of course, our local hero, Johnny Podres.

As I kid I also collected comic books for awhile, but never built a very big collection. I also went through a year of collecting stamps. I used to buy stamps from those comic book ads offering "100 cancelled stamps for 99 cents!"

Some of my friends collected coins. I guess that's an interesting hobby, especially if you come across a rare coin. I was never interested in that. I was of the mind set that those wheat pennies and buffalo nickels could buy me packs of baseball cards.

But I think every kid needs a hobby. Some easy inexpensive hobby where you can save things in an album and show them to your friends. Some hobby where you can make your collection bigger by finding new items. I think baseball cards may have priced themselves out of the hobby by becoming too expensive.

Back in the 1940s and 1950s some people collected matchbook covers. Sounds funny but books of matches were all over the place, used for advertising businesses and political candidates. On my display shelf in my den are books of matches from Eddie Lapham's Sunrise Lounge, the Brothers Five Tavern, the D&H Restaurant, and Pat Russo's Dugout in Glens Falls. I also have "Re-Elect Your County Clerk, Halsey J. Stark" and "Bob Garrow for State Assembly" matchbooks. Try finding one of those today!

I also recall collecting bottle caps. I remember scouring the city beach sand, searching for bottle caps of new kinds of soda or beer. With all those Canadian visitors to the beach, it was a goldmine for bottle cap collectors. Dow, O'Keefe, Labatts, Brador, Molson, you name it! And those old-time sodas like Nehi, Snow White, Tab and Fresca.

I've come up with a new idea for an easy inexpensive collectible item. This might be something you might help your grandchild collect. I'm talking about moist towelettes. You know, those little packages that many restaurants give you to wipe your fingers after your meal. They come in all shapes and sizes and designs. Some have flags on them, some have dragons, some have flowers. Most are square, but some are rectangular with the restaurant's name on it, like Bar-B-Barn in Montreal or Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach.

I think everyone should have a hobby of collecting something. You can set goals for yourself, like a moist towelette from every state. Imagine the happiness on your grandchild's face when the waitress plops a moist towelette on the table with a never-before-seen design. You could collect them all year and give your grandchild a stack of 50 moist towelettes as a birthday gift! You could trade them with your friends. The possibilities are endless! Start your collection today!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

We are three weeks into the major league baseball season, so I'm going to step up to the plate and swing for the fences with some early-season observations:

Too many finely-tuned athletes are getting injured. These guys play under the finest playing conditions. Money is no object when it comes to grooming fields. They go through spring training, supposedly to get back in shape after a winter of sitting around. Each team has an expert trainer and assistant, all graduates of notable colleges around the country. Some teams have conditioning coaches, strength coordinators and aerobic instructors.

Yet, here we have players like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriquez pulling muscles with strange names. We have the National League's 2007 Most Valuable Player, Jimmy Rollins, not an ounce of fat on him, on the disabled list with an ankle injury. Alfonso Soriano, who looks like he'd have trouble lifting his suitcase, is on the disabled list with a calf strain. Razzle-dazzle pitcher Dontrelle Willis has a hyperextended right knee. Pedro Martinez is out with a hamstring strain. And the list goes on.

I'll tell you what. A week ago I think I pulled something in my back as I was hurrying down the hallway to the cafeteria. I finished the day, and I'm showing up for work tomorrow. I'll just walk a little slower when it's time for lunch.

Hey, Mickey Mantle could have spent his whole career on the disabled list. Instead, he taped up those swollen knees and hobbled out to center field and ran after fly balls even though his legs were killing him. Players in those days played because if they put up good enough numbers then they might get a raise and not have to work during the off-season. If the numbers were down or even the same, they were in line for a pay cut.

Ever hear of a player today getting a pay cut?

And, the mention of spring training reminds me that this custom might be archaic. Any player today worth his million dollars works out all winter to be ready for the next baseball season. All that money they make shouldn't be based on just working from March to October.

Back in the old days, players would spend the winter going to banquets giving speeches so that they could supplement their income. They'd do the old rubber-chicken circuit and gain ten or twenty pounds during the off-season. Not any more.

Maybe all we need for spring training is two weeks. That should be enough time to decide who's going to make the team. High school coaches make cuts after just a few practices, so professional baseball people ought to be able to size up their personnel in two weeks.

In closing, I'll mention one other idea that all the baseball announcers are shying away from. In an effort to keep the steroids issue in the past, I think maybe Commissioner Selig has cautioned the media about bringing this up. But I've noticed quite a decrease in the offensive output of some of baseball's biggest (take that word as you see fit) sluggers.

You can check for your favorite players, but Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees has five hits in fourteen games! He's hitting .116. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox is hitting .141 with 2 home runs in 71 at bats! Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies hit 105 home runs and drove in 285 runs over the last two seasons. This year he is hitting around .180 and, at his current pace, will drive in 72 runs in 2008.

Look at the guys who are leading the leagues. They are players who are in no way all bulked up with protein or other supplements. Chase Utley is hitting near .350, Chipper Jones and Rafael Furcal are batting over .400. The American League batting leaders are Luke Scott, Carlos Guillen and Chone Figgins. Maybe it's the era of the little guy!

Okay, I've taken my swings! Did I hit a home run or go down swinging?

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

To the Catholic community it's a big event when the pope visits the United States. During his six-day visit to our country Pope Benedict XVI will give speeches and concelebrate Mass in Washington, D.C. and New York City. On Sunday he will celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

When Pope John Paul II visited the United States, he spent time in Washington, D. C. and New York City, as well. So did Pope Paul VI back in the Sixties. I'm just a little worried that our holy popes might be stuck in a rut. After all, there is a lot more to our country than the White House, the United Nations and Yankee Stadium.

Pope Benedict is the sixth pope in my lifetime. When I was born, the pope was Pope Pius XII. From 1958-1963 it was Pope John XXIII. During my high school and college years our pope was Pope Paul VI. Then, you might recall, we had the short time of Pope John Paul I, who was elected and died in 1978. Pope John Paul II served from 1978-2005, and now Pope Benedict XVI has been our pope since 2005.

None of these popes has ever visited Plattsburgh. We've been visited by Presidents, Governors and Prime Ministers, but never the Pope. Wouldn't it make sense for the pope to visit a nice city like Plattsburgh?

We have beautiful old churches like St. Peter's Church, St. John's Church and Our Lady of Victory Church. We have modern churches, named after all the important saints. We have Roman Catholic priests who can sing up a storm. Back in my elementary school days, the priests of our diocese used to gather at O.L.V.A. once a month for a retreat. I'd hear them singing in the little school chapel. It sounded like music from heaven.

Our Honorable Mayor Kasprzak, a Catholic school graduate, could lead the pope on a tour of our historic city, pointing out City Hall and the Macdonough Monument and the Kent-Delord House, and then travel north to the Georgia-Pacific Plant. While in that area, the pope might enjoy a stop at McDonald's for a real American meal, a big Mac and fries.

The mayor and holy entourage could then circle south to the site of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The beautiful Air Base Chapel still stands on the site where many an officer and local girl were married after meeting at Brodi's.

The pope might enjoy a stop at our Crete Brothers Fitness Center, where he could help the mayor continue to celebrate Plattsburgh Start! Walking Day. He could walk along the oval track for miles and go nowhere.

The mayor might even want to bring the pope down nearby Johnson Avenue and point out the home where Foxy Gagnon grew up. After all, Foxy's story of growing up in a Catholic home, saying the rosary each night during Lent and having an altar in his bedroom is the stuff that popes are made of.

All along the route we could have our military veterans standing in honor with flags galore. North Country veterans, dedicated soldiers from all wars, are among the finest in the country and they deserve a papal blessing for their good deeds, and an automatic ticket to heaven.

I think our Holy Fathers are missing the boat by visiting only Washington, D.C. and New York City during the visits to the United States. A city like Plattsburgh offers so much more. He could still give his speeches -- we do have large venues such as the Plattsburgh State Field House and Hawkins Hall. And he could still say his Masses, and be assisted by some of the finest North Country priests.

Heck, Pope Benedict XVI is even going to Yankee Stadium on Sunday. He might be mighty upset when he finds out that the Yankees are playing in Baltimore that day. You might hear him say a papal word or two when he gets that news.

The only Pope I've ever seen in Plattsburgh is Nick Pope. I think it's time to change the Pope's itinerary before it's too late. Let's get him to Plattsburgh so he can see what the good old USA is really like.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

One thing about living in the North Country -- there is always plenty to do. In the next few months there are several events that I'll attend, either as a spectator, participant or to cover on behalf of my little company, Foxy's North Country Cable Network.

The first annual "Race for Stace" 5K Walk/Run will take place at the U.S. Oval on April 26 in memory of Stacey Frechette, who died last year in a car accident. Just 24 years old, Stacey was a teacher at Mooers Elementary School. The Stacey Lynn Frechette Scholarship Fund awards $1500 to a deserving local high school senior and gymnast. Stacey had been a standout gymnast at Seton Catholic Central, where she won six Section VII and Champlain Valley Athletic Conference titles. She later competed in gymnastics at SUNY-Brockport.

Stacey's longtime friend, Jen Boyer, is the organizer of the 5K Walk/Run. If you can make the event and take a walk in Stacey's memory, that would be great. I'll see you there.

On May 2 it's the 15th annual Clinton County Senior Celebration. This year's event will take place at the center at 5139 North Catherine Street in Plattsburgh. Fun entertainment and great food highlight the day. Among the performers will be the YMCA Line Dancers, the legendary RSVP Kitchen Band and, later in the day, the rock and roll and classic country music of the Castaways. Doors open at 8:30am and the fun continues till the final song at 4pm.

On Saturday, May 4, the North Country Ballet Ensemble will present "A Delicate Balance" at the Hartman Theatre on the campus of Plattsburgh State. Working with the NCBE last fall with "The Nutcracker" performance was an enjoyable experience, and the organization has invited me back to videotape the May performance.

On May 24 and May 25 the Champlain Valley Classic Cruisers sponsor their annual Spring Nationals Car Show at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. A popular event for car owners and car enthusiasts, it's always a busy weekend. You'll see cars of all shapes and sizes and ages, as well as trucks, motorcycles and who-knows-what thrown in.

North Country Cable has been covering this event for years, back to the old days when it was held at the Skyway Shopping Center. There are several food vendors to keep me happy during our camera breaks and, during the years, some fun games, such as the Muffler Rap Contest and the Valve Cover Races.

On June 13 I'll be at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life at the Clinton County Fairgrounds from 7 at night until 7 in the morning -- from Friday night into Saturday morning! What a great event this is! Touching moments, tears, laughter, music, friends, games, and, of course, great food.

Teams of friends, families, businesses join together to celebrate cancer survivors and to remember those who have passed away. The first lap by the hundreds of cancer survivors always touches my heart. I see so many friends and acquaintances walk past my camcorder.

Then, later in the evening, the Luminaria Ceremony is held. Thousands of candles are lit in memory of loved ones and they line the walking track. It's not too late for you and your friends to get involved.

Then, everyone wants to know about the Stowaways Reunion 2008. The latest word is that the weekend has been changed to August 1 - 2 - 3. There have been several complications to work out, but it looks like a go for that weekend, with the Stowaways Concert on Saturday night, August 2. More details will follow, but this a definite weekend to mark the calendar.

I'll be having a busy day that Saturday, because it's the same day as our annual coverage of Whitey and Flo's Campout, the historic country music event on the Cold Brook Road in Riverview. And last year we made an agreement to also cover Square Dashnaw's Steak Bake around the corner in Standish. I was totally impressed last year when I attended this event for the first time. I'll be loading up on the steamed clams at Square's.

Isn't the North Country amazing? What a wide range of events to look forward to. And I'm sure I haven't even mentioned several other events that the Blogoteers enjoy. Let's hope for warm weather the rest of the way.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Yesterday morning, with the temperature in the mid-40s around 7am, I tossed my seedy winter woolen socks aside, kicked my worn winter shoes into the closet, and grabbed my summer sandals.

This day my toes would be free, I thought. For me, a sign of the changing of the seasons. A rite of passage ... into the short spring and wonderful summers of the North Country. All day yesterday there was an extra spring in my walk. I smiled at strangers and waved to friends, and even to those who might someday be friends.

It felt good. In fact, it was the best I had felt in months. Maybe it's been the winter doldrums that got me down. Maybe it was the three-times-around battle with the flu bug, or bronchitis bug, or whatever bug. Maybe it was cabin fever.

No matter. Yesterday I felt young again. Yesterday I felt like working. Accomplishing. And socializing. I think it was all in the sandals. Sandals have a way of giving you a whole new attitude. And by the end of the day the temperature was in the 60s.

So that's why at the end of the day I visited a favorite pub for the first time in months. Even at four in the afternoon there was still a spring in the old Fox's step. Still a smile on my face. Even though my summer ponytail was a bit bedraggled.

And I'm so happy that I made a quick beverage stop before heading home. If ever there were a pub where friends gather, it's Meron's. It's definitely Plattsburgh's version of Cheers. During my short visit the conversations covered many topics: from life in Germany to the neighborhoods of Cohoes to the world of cigars.

It was a pleasure rubbing elbows with Sal and Gail, and Pete, and Ross, and, of course, the wonderful Grace. But the highlight was meeting John -- but I should call him "The Johnald." Based in Glens Falls, New York, he's the head of the Southern Theatre of Operations for the Blogoteers.

And he adds, "the quietest, most attractive and smartest" of his clan. I'm sure his brother "The Donald" would debate that one, and it sure sounds like that meeting of the minds would make a great "Fox on the Run" television show. Our ratings would soar!

I sure had a good time yesterday. It just goes to show you that winter does end and flu bugs do die. I've got my summer game face on now, everybody. But I think it's all in the sandals.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Back in the late 50s and early 60s we aspiring athletes were lucky to have the Plattsburgh City Recreation Department. No matter what the season there were plenty of opportunities for us to show off our talents if we played sports. The director of the recreation department was Mr. Pete Blumette. His able assistant, as I recall, was Mr. Sal Righi.

Our dads told us that Pete Blumette had been a professional baseball pitcher and that he was a really nice guy. Whenever he visited our playground he would gather all of us kids together and talk with us. I remember he spoke in a soft kind voice and he treated us really nice.

Indeed, Pete "Lefty" Blumette pitched in the Eastern League and the International League, one step below the major leagues, prior to World War II. In the late 1940's he pitched in the minor leagues for teams in Canada. Listed as 6'2" and 220 pounds, the southpaw Blumette had some great seasons in the minor leagues and played alongside and against many future major leaguers.

And, Sal Righi, was a school teacher by trade, who would leave school at the end of the day, take off his tie and put on his blue jeans, and work just about full-time for the City Recreation Department. Sal can tell you many stories about his days working for the city, and he saw many changes during his working days.

For a time, during the summer each neighborhood playground had a baseball team. I played at the Our Lady of Victory Academy playground on South Catherine Street and our coach was Nubby O'Connell. I remember my friend Mike Aley was on the team, but I can't really recall much else about it. We would go to another neighborhood and play their playground team.

In the winter, we had the basketball programs. A bunch of us neighborhood guys played at Monty Street School. The Seymour brothers, Bob and Dwayne, better known as Fud, were the basketball coaches. They had been athletes at OLVA, so that meant they were heroes to me as I grew up.

The younger boys would play from maybe 7pm till 8pm and then the older guys would arrive for their hour of basketball. We were called the juniors and the older guys were the seniors.

This is when I was about nine, ten, eleven years old, and, at the end of the basketball season, we would play the boys from the other part of town, who played at Bailey Avenue School. We would play a best four out of seven series for the "city championship."

Recently I found a few clippings from those days. During those winters the Monty Street juniors team consisted of Ronnie McGee, Bruce Stevens, Ray Gagnon, Gary Leavine, Greg Primard, Gary LaPier, Jimmy Wells, John Burdo, David Burdo, Bobby Gertsch, Phil Dubuque, Rod Dame, Randy Dame, Jack Brown, Dorn Fenner and others. The Bailey juniors stars were Steve Kaufmann, Gary LaRocque, Pete Hayden and Karl Tobrocke.

In another winter, when I was one of the older juniors, I had a big game in the intercity rivalry. Monty defeated Bailey 54-44 and I scored 17 points. Jim Wells, another lefty, added 11, Phil Dubuque had 8 and Bobby Gertsch 7. Also on the team that winter was youngster Joe Staves, who was probably eight years old.

Bailey Avenue that night was led by Jeff Gibeau, who was unstoppable, and tallied 28. Mike O'Connell scored 8 and the Forkey brothers, Jerry and Terry, combined for eight.

The City Recreation Department also had an arts and crafts program, run by Mrs. Repas. A lot of girls went to that program during the summer days and came home with pot holders and popsicle stick creations. I know some boys who went to that program to flirt with the girls and to try to get Mrs. Repas mad.

And, of course, we always had the place in the winter that to most of us was even better than Whiteface Mountain or Mount Van Hoevenberg, Fox Hill for sliding! The City Recreation Department kept us busy year round.

We sure were spoiled growing up in Plattsburgh. Maybe that's why so many of us have stuck around all these years.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

OK - I'll stay!

When I hurriedly wrote my April 1st blog this morning before heading off to school, I had no idea that I would get so much enjoyment at the end of the day. Once again, the Blogoteers rose to the occasion.

My April Fool's Day joke didn't fool everyone, but it caught many readers off guard. No one jumped off a bridge or jumped in front of an Amtrak, but many Blogoteers wished me well or came up with alternatives so that the On the Sly blog might somehow stay alive.

My April Fool's Day hoax did lead to some heartfelt comments and even a few identity confessions. But how could I ever stop writing this blog after reading such wonderful comments by my band of Blogoteers? I had no idea how many people consider me part of their day. I had no idea that even after 300 blogs the blogosphere wants more!

When I returned to my home after a day on the job, I sat at my computer and found messages from 7:36am and throughout the day. More comments in an eight-hour time span than I had ever received. The messages were from Saratoga and Albany and Florida, from Saratoga Court to Rugar Street to Cumberland Head. From mid-town to the mid-West. Even one from England!

I grinned and chuckled and then guffawed. The more comments I read, the more I laughed. Thank you to all for such a fun April Fool's Day.

I was going to keep my hoax going for a few more days, in hopes my bosses on the editorial staff might be coerced into upping the ante to keep me writing On the Sly. But I felt that by the end of the day, the truth should be told.

With this blog, I've started on my next 300. I hope you'll stay with me for the trip.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

This is the 300th edition of On the Sly, the Press-Republican's first blog, which began back in December 2005. It was an honor to be selected by the newspaper's editorial staff and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Since then I've written about my life, my family's life and given my opinions on topics ranging from food to dating. I've been joined by a group of very interesting contributors, the Blogoteers. Some Blogoteers knew me before On the Sly, and some didn't. The Blogoteers range in age from teens to their eighties, and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are from all parts of the United States and some are even from Canada. One that I know of resides in England. I'm grateful for their help over the past 299 blogs, and I'm hoping they'll add some input one last time.

You see, I've decided that #300 will be the final edition of On the Sly. There are several reasons for this decision. It's not always easy to come up with topics, that is for sure. Sometimes I have sat in front of my computer and stared at my screen for hours, trying to come up with something that might be entertaining or insightful.

I've noticed I've started to repeat myself, having said the same thing in Blog #87 or Blog #165. Maybe, plain and simple, I've run out of topics. I'm also very busy, videotaping local events, entertaining friends who like to visit, and, lately, I've come out of retirement and returned to teaching.

I know I will miss the generous check I receive at the end of each month. The editorial staff has been more than generous in compensating me for my thoughts. Maybe I even feel a little bit guilty that I haven't written On the Sly as often as I should, considering the amount they toss my way.

The blog has brought me a bit of notoriety. No matter where I go, someone that I have never met will tell me, "I enjoy your blog." I guess there are hundreds out there who read On the Sly, but never contribute.

Maybe one of my Blogoteers will take up the slack, and jump at the chance to fill my little shoes (I only wear size 8). I can think of several who would definitely liven things up on this Press-Repubican website.

I haven't forewarned my bosses of this decision. I felt it was better for them to read the news this way. After all, this is a newspaper site. So, today, Blog #300 is Foxy's last. Thanks to all who participated in this little venture. It's been fun. Maybe we can still have a Blogoteers reunion in July or December. Maybe we can still make those On the Sly tee-shirts. They will become collectors items.

And, anyway, it's the baseball season, and I've just signed up for the Extra Innings package. Who has time for blogs when I'm staying up all night watching my Dodgers in LA?

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)