sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Lotus 1-2-3 Day!
Lotus 1-2-3 Day marks the anniversary of the day in 1983 when the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program, which was a three-in-one (1-2-3) spreadsheet calculator, database manager, and graphics package, debuted as an application for the IBM PC. Today we take for granted that we can have a phone connected to the internet in our pocket, but there was a time in the early 1980s when spreadsheets were the wave of the future. Today we celebrate them, especially the Lotus 1-2-3.
The Lotus Development Corporation was formed by Mitch Kapor and Jonathan Sachs in 1982. Kapor had previously worked for VisiCalc, which became a competitor. In 1979, VisiCalc was released for use on the Apple II and became the first killer app: a piece of software that was so good that it made a whole computer system worth buying. VisiCalc automated basic calculations, saving office workers time as they no longer had to calculate by hand. It could also forecast budgets by easily tweaking numbers.
IBM PC came out in 1981, and after Lotus 1-2-3 was released, it became its killer app. It was written in assembly language, which was more difficult to write than other languages but allowed programs to run faster and use less memory. Lotus 1-2-3 had "special graphics routines" which wrote directly into a computer's video memory. This allowed the screen to update faster and made the app locked into the IBM hardware. The coding was specific to IBM, so it would be difficult to move it somewhere else.
SU News
How Bing wound up at Syracuse: Davis, Wootten and breakfast in Allentown (PS; $; Waters)
When Dave Bing, one of the most heralded recruits in the country, decided to attend Syracuse University, it marked a turning point in the history of the school’s basketball program.
The scene has been set a million times over the years.
Syracuse’s basketball team had just endured a 27-game losing streak, the longest in college basketball history at the time. The coach had been fired. A new arena, which the SU basketball team would move into in 1962, had been built as an off-season training facility for the school’s football team.
On Saturday, Syracuse University will officially induct Bing into the school’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony as the Orange hosts N.C. State at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Just four years after Syracuse suffered through a 2-22 season in 1962, Bing and his classmates, including Jim Boeheim, formed a team that would go 22-6 and advance to the NCAA Tournament’s East Region finals.
“It was an amazing turnaround,’’ Boeheim said. “It all changed because of Dave.’’
So how did Bing, an All-American at Washington D.C.’s Spingarn High School, wind up choosing to play for Syracuse, turning down offers from more than 60 other schools in the process?
His decision began over breakfast in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Bing’s senior year season had ended with him leading Spingarn to its second straight Washington D.C. Catholic League championship.
In late March, he heard from DeMatha High School coach Morgan Wootten, who was putting together a team of players from the D.C. area to participate in a tournament in Allentown. They would play against teams from New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey.
In Allentown, Bing met with Boston College head coach Bob Cousy. Bing met with the former Boston Celtics legend, but he was never going to BC. Cousy already had a commitment from John Austin, an outstanding guard who had played at DeMatha.
Fred Lewis was less than a month into his new job as the basketball coach at Syracuse University. He faced a major rebuilding project. The Orange’s combined record over the previous two seasons was an unsightly 6-41, including that 27-game losing streak.
Unbeknownst to Bing at the time, Wootten had contacted Lewis. Come to Allentown, Wootten said. You need to see Dave Bing.
Lewis saw Bing play in one game in the Allentown tournament. The coach introduced himself. He asked if Bing would like to have breakfast with him the next day. Bing agreed.
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When SU basketball loses ACC games, it loses big. What’s happening? (PS; $; Ditota)
Through Syracuse’s six losses this season, certain trends have surfaced to at least partially explain why the Orange did not win those games.
SU is 4-4 in the ACC. It lost four conference games by an average of 23.5 points per game. Overall, SU has lost six games by an average margin of 16.3 points per game.
When the Orange has lost this season, those games have not been close.
Every Syracuse loss has had its nuances.
For instance, turnovers were a glaring issue in a couple losses (Tennessee, Duke), but were less of an issue in other losses. Against Tennessee and Duke, SU was outscored by a combined 44-17 in points off turnovers. In the other four losses, SU was outscored 68-60 in that same category.
But there are a few trends that emerged during the defeats:
*SU, by any metric, is not a good 3-point shooting team. The Orange has been especially bad in losses, which is not all that surprising. It’s difficult to win games if shots don’t drop.
SU ranks 244th nationally in 3-point shooting at 32.3%. The Orange is shooting 28.8% from the 3-point line in ACC games, which ranks dead last in conference-only competition.
Some raw numbers in Syracuse’s losses: Judah Mintz (3-for-14, 21%), JJ Starling (3-for-19, 15.8%), Chris Bell (8-for-30, 26.6%), Justin Taylor (1-for-14, 7.1%), Quadir Copeland (3-for-10, 30%), Benny Williams (2-for-9, 22.2%), Kyle Cuffe (2-for-11, 18.2%).
Opponents are outscoring Syracuse 135-69 from the 3-point line in Orange losses. They are shooting 39.1% from 3, while SU is shooting 20.4% from that same distance.
*Syracuse had moments in these losses where it failed to answer an opposing team’s run.
Some of those runs happened in the first half. Some in the second. But Syracuse never recovered.
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Virginia Tech Basketball: Cassell Coliseum gets ultimate compliment from ACC players (fightinggobbler.com; Roche)
Playing on the road in the ACC is not easy, whether it's men's or women's basketball. Both the Virginia Tech men and women have found that out early this season. The men have lost at Wake Forest, Virginia, and Florida State, while the women have dropped games at Duke and Florida State.
Just like it is for the Hokies when they are on the road, it's not easy for teams to come into Cassell Coliseum to win a game. This season just the Miami men have been successful in winning in Blacksburg. In a poll of ACC players who are not members of the Virginia Tech men's team, Cassell Coliseum got the most votes for being the tough place to play in the ACC.
Syracuse and North Carolina State were mentioned by some of the players in the ACC, but most agreed that the Cassell Coliseum is one of the toughest places to play in the ACC. They mentioned the fans and them being on top of you compared to other areans.
Success has a lot to do in terms of filling arenas and that was never more the case for the women when they sold out Cassell a couple of weeks ago when they rallied in the fourth quarter to beat NC State on an Elizabeth Kitley basket with 0.9 seconds left. It was an amazing atmosphere, one where the Hokies used the energy from the crowd to complete the crazy comeback.
Following their loss to Virginia Tech earlier this month, Miami women's coach Katie Meier spoke about the crowd and how they support their team in a year coming off a trip to the Final Four. It's not your average women's basketball environment that a lot of venues see.
Cassell Coliseum is a unique arena and the fans make it a tough environment for visiting teams, something that can be very beneficial for Mike Young and Kenny Brooks' teams.
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Other
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC performs in Chevy Park at the New York State Fair, Syracuse, N.Y., Friday Aug. 26, 2022. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
TLC returning to NYS Fair; fans encouraged to dress like it’s the ‘90s (PS; Herbert)
TLC is returning to the Great New York State Fair in 2024.
TLC will perform at the NYS Fair’s Suburban Park stage on Pride Day, Friday, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. All concerts in the Chevrolet Music Series are free with Fair admission.
Known for the hit songs “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “Unpretty” and “No Scrubs,” TLC was one of the most popular female music groups of the 1990s, mixing pop, hip-hop and R&B. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas still perform under the TLC name since the death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in 2002; Watkins and Thomas produced the 2013 biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” and released a new album, “TLC,” in 2017.
This year, TLC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its 1994 album, “CrazySexyCool,” and touring in celebration of the ‘90s. Fans are encouraged to dress in attire representing the decade.
The group drew one of the 25 largest crowds in NYS Fair history in 2022 with 30,000 people at the same stage, then called Chevy Park.
It’s the second concert announced for the NYS Fair’s 2024 lineup. Kidz Bop will perform on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The 2024 New York State Fair will run from Aug. 21 through Sept. 2. National acts are expected to perform daily on the fair’s main stages; shows at Chevy Court will take place at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., while the larger Suburban Park will feature shows at 8 p.m.
2024 NYS Fair concert lineup
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.: TLC at Suburban Park
Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.: Kidz Bop at Chevy Court
TLC is returning to the Great New York State Fair in 2024.
TLC will perform at the NYS Fair’s Suburban Park stage on Pride Day, Friday, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. All concerts in the Chevrolet Music Series are free with Fair admission.
Known for the hit songs “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “Unpretty” and “No Scrubs,” TLC was one of the most popular female music groups of the 1990s, mixing pop, hip-hop and R&B. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas still perform under the TLC name since the death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in 2002; Watkins and Thomas produced the 2013 biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” and released a new album, “TLC,” in 2017.
This year, TLC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its 1994 album, “CrazySexyCool,” and touring in celebration of the ‘90s. Fans are encouraged to dress in attire representing the decade.
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State Attorney General asks court to force sale of Toggenburg Mountain ski resort (PS; $; Kirk)
The state Attorney General’s Office is trying to force the sale of the Toggenburg Mountain ski resort after it was purchased and closed, creating what state officials say is a monopoly.
The resort in Fabius was bought by Intermountain Management (also known as SkiCNY.com) and then closed in 2021. The company also owns and operates two other nearby ski areas: Song Mountain in Tully and Labrador Mountain in Truxton.
The AG’s office claimed the company bought Toggenburg and closed it to create a monopoly in an anti-trust lawsuit filed in October 2022. The three resorts are less than 15 miles from each other.
Now, the AG’s office has filed a motion trying to force the sale of the ski resort, according to filings in State Supreme Court.
James’ lawsuit also said Intermountain went a step further to lockdown the ski and snowboard business around Syracuse when it restricted Toggenburg’s deed to block future owners from using it as a ski area.
The company also entered a non-compete agreement with Toggenburg’s owner before finalizing the buyout, the AG’s Office said. For $195,000 John Meier, who runs Greek Peak Mountain in Cortland County, said he would not hire any of Intermountain’s resort employees for five years.
James said that the contract was illegal. Meier has since agreed to pay the government the money he took in the deal, according to the AG’s Office.
Intermountain Management filed a motion this week claiming they did not conduct “unlawful anticompetitive conduct,” according to court filings.
Peter Harris, president of Intermountain Management, previously told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that there are not enough people to support the number of ski areas and resorts in the region and not a big enough workforce to support it either.
The Toggenburg had been part of Central New York’s winter sports scene since 1953 until its closure in 2021.
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Randy Quaid is pictured on the set of "The Christmas Letter," a new holiday film starring Angus Benfield (right). The movie is largely shooting in the Utica, N.Y., area, but Quaid's scenes were shot in Vermont. (Photo courtesy LAMA Entertainment) LAMA Entertainment
Randy Quaid’s first movie in 6 years is Central NY-based Christmas film (photos) (PS; Herbert)
Randy Quaid’s first movie role in more than half a decade is a project based in Central New York.
Producers for “The Christmas Letter” shared photos of Quaid filming scenes in Vermont this week. The holiday film, which is primarily being shot in the Utica area, features Quaid as a delivery worker in a cast that includes his “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” co-stars Chevy Chase and Brian Doyle-Murray.
According to WKTV, Quaid couldn’t film his scenes in Utica due to a “scheduling conflict,” so the cast and crew filmed in-person scenes with Quaid in Vermont. Quaid still made a virtual appearance in Utica for a video call with Chase’s character that will appear in the movie.
Chase was on set Sunday at the Fort Schuyler Club in Utica, playing the general manager of a restaurant. Chase’s daughter, Caley Chase, also has a role as the maître d’.
Doyle-Murray filmed his scenes earlier this month.
Though none of them appeared on set at the same time, “The Christmas Letter” will be a reunion for Chase, Quaid and Doyle-Murray. All three starred in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and the 1989 holiday sequel, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”; in the latter, Doyle-Murray played the boss of Chase’s Clark Griswold, kidnapped by Cousin Eddie (Quaid) after Clark complains about his Christmas bonus.
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