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Democrats Are Raising Energy Prices

New Yorkers pay some of the highest energy prices in the nation. Mandates, surcharges, restrictions and regulatory decisions enshrined into law are the reason why energy prices in New York are less affordable than elsewhere. These high energy prices make it harder to live and work in New York. New York utilities are forced, by law, to charge you with a “delivery fee” which is actually a subsidy for renewable energy companies; the money is collected through your energy bill and passed along to renewable energy companies to artificially lower the cost of producing renewable energy ...

The Truth Behind Sleep In Heavenly Peace

It’s the season of “sleep in heavenly peace,” which to me has always meant finishing the dishes, leaving the stove light on, locking the doors, and listening to the winter wind as I fall asleep in flannels. Sleep is life’s great escape—a reward for getting through the day, especially days like last weekend when chaos seemed to reign. We close our eyes and we are literally unconscious, for what we hope is eight hours of warm bliss. But I’m not letting us off that easy. We humans have a tendency to just accept biological habits without really looking at them in a curious way, ...

It’s All About Faith

As we come to the end of the third week (or six months, if you started in July) of this Christmas Season, and the near end of the Celebration of the eight nights of Hanukkah, and the upcoming arrival of Kwanzaa, many can reflect on the meanings of these special days, weeks, and seasons. During people’s preparation of these times, people often focus on their impact on their religions (if we practice religion), and/or culture (if we honor the heritage and beliefs of Africa), as they relearn and enjoy the meanings of the stories, customs, and traditions of St. Nicholas, Immaculate ...

Seasonal Church Visit That Was A Gift

Dear Richard and I were in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. We had matinee tickets for “White Christmas”, the holiday musical, on stage. When I bought the deep discount tickets, I thought it would be a great way to jump into the mood of the holiday season. We stayed at a friendly B&B and had a fun, chatty breakfast with the two other weekend couples. After breakfast, there was time before our theater afternoon for the Sunday service at St. Marks Anglican Church downtown. It was a good decision because for the past week, I’ve been chewing on a few ideas I ...

One Person Can Make A Difference

In 1971, the Art Metal plant in Ashville closed. What was to be done with it? There were not many companies interested in taking over a 1 million square foot manufacturing facility in Upstate New York. The county had taken over the responsibility for the building through its Industrial Development Agency (IDA,) but for three years this shell of a huge manufacturing facility remained empty. Then, one day, a faraway company from the State of Indiana called and expressed interest in taking a look at it. On the day that a person from Cummins Engine came to take a look at the plant, a ...

Quality Of Life Choices

When speaking about an optimal “quality of life,” different people can have very dissimilar definitions. It usually depends on each person’s individual preferences. These days, we often hear people rave about how perfect they think life is in Middle America. They tend to romanticize the lifestyle they envision there. Most are generally referring to a less complicated, stable, happy life lived in a safe, small town. They imagine a place where they can live quietly in a spacious, clean, and healthy setting alongside kind, helpful, and cooperative neighbors who all share their ...