While one person is celebrating gray hair, another has to be more realistic: Veronica Schuettenberg, of Manlius, has been seeking work for months. Her husband, who sold automotive supplies, was laid off in January. They have a son in college. “I know companies can’t discriminate because of age, but when they ask for dates — [...]

And you thought the Westvale Plaza sign was bad… A few weeks ago, Benderson decided to whisk us all back to the rockin’ ’80s and replace the old Fairmount Fair sign with this orange beauty. (Yes, that appears to be plaid or some kind of waffle weave behind the barely legible lettering — which appears [...]

Secesh talk has made it as far as Rochester’s WHAM-TV this week. In a daring break for freedom, conservative talk show host Bill Nojay makes a proposal: Most people in New York City don’t pay property taxes because they’re renters. Therefore, the crushing burden of property taxes that we feel in upstate is not felt [...]

There is an element to American culture that never ceases to amuse me. Even when grappling with the idea of economic disintegration, Americans attempt to cast it in terms of technological or economic progress: eco-villages, sustainable development, energy efficiency and so on. Under the circumstances, such compulsive techno-optimism seems maladaptive. I love the new advances [...]

Have you thought about Rhode Island lately? Me neither. The New York Times tries to figure out why Rhode Island, of all places, has the second-highest unemployment rate in the U.S. In several dozen recent interviews, Rhode Islanders agreed on this much: Their state’s smallness has contributed to its problems, but could be its best [...]