Life is like a big box of crayons
What do we tell our children and grandchildren when we are asked why people are different colors?Science tells us the differences are caused by pigment — just like the colors in a big box of...
View ArticleSnowden cannot justify actions
Aspen, Colo.Edward Snowden is no Socrates and no Martin Luther King.I'll explain these outlandish comparisons in a bit, but first the confession that I was not erudite enough to come up with them...
View ArticleNew York gets it right
THE ISSUE:Gov. Andrew Cuomo comes up with the flood aid that the federal government balked at.THE STAKES:Albany is the source of help, not scandal. Let's hope that continues. This one is for everyone...
View ArticleUpstate's path to recovery
It seems that New Yorkers would rather listen to Natalie Merchant sing of happiness and sign feel-good petitions created by Yoko Ono than deliver real jobs to the more than 700,000 people out of work...
View ArticleAquatic life deserves to remain free
First, to give praise where it is due, I commend educator Nancy Behrens for her aim to educate children to love and respect the natural world while there still is a natural world to appreciate....
View ArticleEditorial: The elusive middle road
THE ISSUE:Lawmakers on the right and left find common ground on national security and sex abuse in the military.THE STAKES:Could these developments be a blueprint for more consensus? Sexual abuse in...
View ArticleLetter: Spitzer sorely lacks key qualities
The New York Times got it right in its July 8 editorial questioning Eliot Spitzer's return to politics. Reforms were thwarted and opportunities lost because Mr. Spitzer was not a leader but a...
View ArticleLetter: Secret court a national disgrace
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court does not need fixing ("Time to fix this secret court," July 14). It needs eliminating. Far from revisiting its structure and mission, Congress needs to...
View ArticleStudent's voice, passion for music will forever be alive
Local musician Pat Tiernan died a year ago this week on July 24. Faces tumble through my thoughts in an avalanche of memories as I sort through the images of people I encountered at the funeral...
View ArticleDetroit isn't a new Greece
When Detroit declared bankruptcy, or at least tried to — the legal situation has gotten complicated — I know that I wasn't the only economist to have a sinking feeling about the likely impact on our...
View ArticleLetter: Albany, get out of disposal business
The city of Albany has other options to manage its trash and recycling than those described in the article "Landfill's fate gets political," July 11. The Capital Region has a diverse waste disposal...
View ArticleValid sentiments behind wrongheaded education vote
The following is from an editorial in the Los Angeles Times:After Congress dragged its heels for six years on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, House Republicans suddenly passed a...
View ArticleLetter: Israel's neighbors seek destruction
Bizarre. I refer of course to John Dworkin's letter "Fear-mongering from the Jewish right," June 25, a letter breathtakingly out of touch with reality. He writes it is fear mongering by the "Jewish...
View ArticleLetter: 'Just-us' mentality is no justice at all
My Sunday mornings are routine. I arise with devotion, go to worship, return home for dinner and relax to prepare for the work week. However, July 14 was quite different when I learned of the results...
View ArticleNude? Consider yourself busted
This summer, being careful not to bare too much flesh could be even more important than wearing sunscreen. An insufficient swimsuit could mean arrest. It might also lead to being designated a sex...
View ArticleReckless history of marriage
The most compelling argument against gay marriage is that it is a radical change to a timeless institution. "Every human society since the beginning of the human race has believed" that marriage is...
View ArticleEditorial: This battle is getting old
THE ISSUE:The Albany County executive and legislature still can't agree what to do with their nursing home.THE STAKES:At a cost to taxpayers of a million dollars a month, this impasse is unaffordable....
View ArticleIt's always the other guy's fault
The trial of Whitey Bulger has reached the stage at which those of us listening to the testimony need to be power-washed after Judge Denise Casper sends the jury home for the day.What makes the whole...
View ArticlePoverty, not intelligence, impacts school performance
I have had the privilege of being an educator in high-needs districts, including Hudson, Schenectady and Watervliet, for more than 20 years. I believe in accountability, in assessing and in standards....
View ArticleLetter: Editorial cartoon a true indictment
I have long been a fan of Jeff Danziger's work, but his July 16 cartoon, "Florida Justice" is his best ever. Exceedingly powerful and to the point, it speaks volumes about the Zimmerman verdict.Edward...
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