commentary & opinion

I have hiked many streams and creeks in the capital district. Because I love trees, I make a point of stopping to examine them in the forests and preserves that I frequent.

I’ve talked about it before but inflation’s a big political obstacle to everything else. There isn’t sufficient statutory authorization to deal with it, however. So I’d like Biden to dramatize the problem about absent legislation.

It’s hard to be optimistic about today’s world. The planet feels like it’s in tatters. There’s the escalating climate crisis that has left much of Southern Europe in flames, regions of the U.S. with dwindling water supplies, heat waves claiming lives worldwide, and the threats from rising sea levels; an ongoing pandemic that shows no signs of relaxing its deadly grip; and an unprovoked savage war launched by Russia. These are just some of the present threats to public safety and the economy. With all that’s going on, the impulse to ignore rather than act on these difficult problems is understandable.

I have commented several times about China buying Russian oil and gas, and now we see being reported that the Chinese are selling goods necessary for the Russian military to keep fighting in the Ukraine, including microchips and other electronic components, along with raw materials used in military applications. The Chinese have clearly picked a side, and are not, at this juncture, focused particularly on the impact it may have on them long-term, both with regard to having a potential cross border partner who was interested in reestablishing its empire, as well as what impact it may have on overall trade with the west.

When it comes to Bar Mitzvahs, particularly in the greater New York metropolitan area, it’s always the case of trying to keep up with the Schwartzs. That…

A few weeks ago, headlines for the opening of WONDER WOMAN read: Patty Jenkins is the first woman to direct a superhero film with a female protagonist.…

Thursday is the NBA draft. You may or may not have known this, based on both your geography and relative interest in the sport. The draft isn’t for casual…

This isn’t a story about Mike Rice. But it kind of is. Rice is the former Rutgers men’s basketball coach who was fired and publicly rebuked after it was…

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” which is at Proctors Theater in Schenectady through Sunday, is a remarkable piece of theater. It’s…

Late last month, Betsy Davis died at her home in Ojai, California. The 41-year-old performance artist was suffering from ALS, a progressive…