Breaking News

Commentary

Trump Derangement Syndrome severe

Here we are at the first anniversary of the Trump presidency. Or the fifth, depending on how you count. ≤ ≤ ≤ Many things are striking about it. One of them is the number of his opponents with Trump Derangement Syndrome. Another is the severity of their Trump Derangement Syndrome. Is derangement a new malady among opponents of presidents standing athwart the statist agenda? No, of course not. Yet Trump Derangement Syndrome is different in both the number of his opponents who have it and in its severity. So what’s up? If those with Trump Derangement Syndrome ...

Exciting world view from the cockpit

Those were the days. Before the savagery and idiocy of 9/11, the aviation world was calmer. More relaxed. Nicer. And w-a-a-a-a-y before, when I flew as a stewardess in the ‘60s, and ‘70s, the atmosphere allowed for lots of wonderful experiences. Every flight has a designated lead flight attendant. In those days we were all women. We bid for specific positions on trips – each position has slightly different job responsibilities. I enjoyed bidding for the #1 position for a few different reasons. In my early flying days, I was airsick. A lot. I didn’t mind working the ...

Infamous blizzard came with little warning

Last week was the 49th anniversary of the “Blizzard of ‘77,” a storm that is indelibly imprinted on the memories of those of us who experienced it. It was also a weather event that unfortunately killed 23 people across Western New York. It created huge snow drifts that blocked roads and engulfed houses and with subzero temperatures that saw Buffalo Fire Department pumpers fighting fires fueled by hurricane force winds frozen in place. At the time I was the assistant manager of the Brand Names Catalog showroom at the intersection of Union and Walden in Cheektowaga. Normally I ...

Quiet change may impact your ballot

On Christmas Eve, when most of us — including the news — were focused on wrapping presents and preparing to gather with family and friends, the United States Postal Service (USPS) finalized a policy change with newly binding legal consequences. It has the potential to put you in violation of the law or invalidate your mail-in ballot during upcoming elections. According to the Federal Register (Postal Service 39 CFR Part 111), as of December 24, 2025, you can no longer count on your mail being postmarked on the day the post office receives it. Now, your mail will be postmarked when ...

The lineman is still on the line

I have always been taken by Glen Campbell’s song “The Wichita lineman is still on the line.” It is about a lonely telephone lineman in Wichita still at work and wishing for better things. However, at this time of the year, with the snow blowing and temperatures dropping, I think mostly about those linemen who, in the middle of the night, are still “on the line” trying to restore electricity to those who have lost it. We live close to the National Grid maintenance facility in North Harmony, and on bad weather days when I drive past that area — there are usually pickup ...

Albany Dems hurting health care costs

New York’s health insurance premiums have risen well above the national average, imposing a huge financial burden on New York residents. Unfortunately, the New York government recently approved another round of substantial premium rate hikes for almost all private health insurers operating in New York state. Why are premiums so much more expensive than the national average? New York imposes taxes on your hospital bill, on your health insurance contract, on the premium you pay and on health insurance companies. According to an independent analysis of the state budget, New Yorkers ...